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Biomedical subjects

S Ferri

Publications and source records attributed to S Ferri.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Comparison of the immune response to Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus in sera and synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The immune response against two herpesviruses has been determined in sera and matched synovial fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compared with that of a healthy control population. The increased level of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induced antigens in patients with RA resembles the antibody pattern observed against cytomegalovirus (CMV) induced antigens, which suggests the presence of a pathological condition in patients with RA that can reactivate latent viral infections. The antibody response against EBV and CMV observed in synovial fluids excludes the local production of specific antibodies against EBV and CMV antigens.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Rheumatoid serology: insufficient using a single test].

The rheumatoid factor research restricted to only a test finds evident limitation not only in clinical field, but also on epidemiological investigations. The problem may find a solution by contemporary employment of a tests pool both in epidemiology and in the different physiopathological conditions present in rheumatology. Such kind of proposal has been verified on rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis classic or probable, polyarthritic syndrome, polyarthritis, spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis) and not rheumatic ones and in control group population (2901 subjects controlled). The results obtained emphasize the eventual presence of rheumatoid factor in the control group population, usually documented by the isolate positivity of three or more tests is preponderant for the same occurrence. By the statistical analysis applied to the conditions with equivalent number in the positive tests, is resulted that the possibility to discriminate the population, apparently health from the sick one is realized in a significative way of the positive tests, and starting from the positivity of two or more tests at least. It can be concluded confirming the already historical datum that the rheumatoid factor research with a test only has a limited orientation power to the diagnosis purpose.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Electron microscope observations on the cytoplasmic granules of a freshwater teleost (Pimelodus maculatus) leucocyte.

In the present study, a hitherto undescribed granule type in the leucocytes of the freshwater teleost Pimelodus maculatus is reported. This membrane bounded elliptic granule contains straight tubules measuring from 8 to 10 nm in diameter. Almost all granules present 1 or 2 electron dense inclusions more often than not with a geometrical form. A comparison with the granules found in Prochilodus scrofa leucocytes is made.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Effect of discrete brain lesions on hypothalamic and pituitary immunoreactive dynorphin.

Radiofrequency lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area reduced immunoreactive dynorphin (ir-DYN) in the hypothalamus and in the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary. Ablation of the medial preoptic area was not associated with any significant modification of ir-DYN in the tissue examined. Destruction of the medial basal hypothalamus in parallel lowered ir-DYN in the hypothalamus and in both pituitary lobes. Neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate had no significant effect on ir-DYN. These findings indicate that changes of ir-DYN in the hypothalamus and pituitary are associated with the destruction of anatomically and functionally distinct neural systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Immunoreactive dynorphin-like material in rat pituitary after ovariectomy.

Ovariectomy caused a significant increase of immunoreactive dynorphin-like material (IR-DYAN) in the anterior pituitary lobe of intact as well as of medial basal hypothalamus-lesioned rats. No change of IR-DYAN was observed in the neurointermediate lobe of the gland or in the hypothalamus. Estradiol benzoate reversed the increase of anterior pituitary IR-DYAN induced by ovariectomy and caused a reduction in sham-ovariectomized rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Possible mediation of catecholaminergic pathways in the antinociceptive effect of an extract of Cannabis sativa L.

An extract of cannabis (5 and 15 mg/kg expressed as delta 9-THC) orally administered to rats caused an elevation of the nociceptive threshold (tail-flick latency and vocalization tests). Naloxone and naltrexone (blockers of mu-type opiate receptors) as well as MR 1452 (blocker of kappa opiate receptors) did not prevent the antinociceptive effect of cannabis when used at the dose of 2 mg/kg SC; only a high dose (10 mg/kg SC) of these narcotic antagonists partially blocked cannabis antinociception. ICI 154, 129, an antagonist of delta-type opiate receptors, failed to prevent the cannabis-induced rise in nociceptive threshold when used at a dose of 2 mg/kg SC but produced a significant effect at 10 mg/kg SC. While the role of opiate receptors does not seem fundamental to cannabis antinociception, the clear-cut effectiveness shown by 6-hydroxydopamine (a neurotoxin which causes a degeneration of catecholamine-containing terminals) in reducing cannabis antinociception is indicative of a participation of catecholamines in the phenomenon.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1986

Relationship of analgesia induced by centrally injected calcitonin to the CNS serotonergic system.

The role of the serotonergic system in the antinociceptive effect of centrally administered salmon calcitonin (sCT) was studied in rats. The animals were given sCT either intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) or intrathecally (i.t.). I.c.v. administration of sCT (2,5 micrograms/rat) to animals depleted in CNS serotonin (5-HT) either by treatment with 25 mg/kg desmethylimipramine (DMI) i.p. plus 100 micrograms/rat 5,7 dihydroxytryptamine (5,7 DHT) i.c.v., ten days before or by 150 mg/kg p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA) i.p., 72 and 24 h before, still significantly increased the hot-plate latencies comparable to those of non-depleted animals. The same result was obtained when the 5-HT receptors were blocked with metergoline. The i.t. administration of sCT (2 micrograms/rat) to animals with spinal cord 5-HT depleted by treatment with DMI plus 5,7 DHT, i.t., delayed but did not abolish the antinociceptive activity of i.t. injected sCT, which was of the same intensity as in non depleted animals. When 5,7 DHT was administered alone, either i.c.v. or i.t., without protection of the catecholaminergic neurons so that noradrenaline (NA) was greatly reduced, the antinociceptive effect of sCT was completely abolished even when NA had been depleted only in the spinal cord. We conclude that it is the catecholaminergic system, not the serotonergic, that plays a fundamental role in the anti-nociceptive effect of centrally administered sCT.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine↗
PubMed1985

Naloxone-reversible and non-reversible shock-induced analgesia during development.

We evaluated the development of naloxone-reversible and naloxone-non-reversible analgesia induced by footshock in rats of different ages and correlated it with the concentrations of beta-endorphin and dynorphin in brain areas and the spinal cord. We observed that naloxone-non-reversible shock-induced analgesia appeared first and its appearance might be related to the early presence of high dynorphin concentrations in the spinal cord. Naloxone-reversible analgesia appeared later together with the reaching of adult concentrations of cerebral beta-endorphin.

Analgesia↗
PubMed1985

Active oxygen forms in photoreaction between DNA and furanochromones khellin and visnagin.

The two furanochromones khellin and visnagin react with DNA under irradiation by 365 nm light, forming photoadducts. Recently, the use of khellin as therapeutic agent for skin diseases has been proposed. It is well known that during the formation of photoadducts toxic active oxygen forms are produced. We studied therefore the behaviour of the two furanochromones as producers of 1O-2 and O-2. Our results indicate that visnagin is a strong generator of both superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen, while khellin does not exhibit strong production of OO-2, which is promptly quenched by superoxide dismutase.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Relationships between hypocalcaemic and anorectic effect of calcitonin in the rat.

Salmon calcitonin (sCT, 2 and 20 U/kg), porcine calcitonin (pCT, 20 and 40 U/kg) and human calcitonin (hCT, 20 and 40 U/kg) were injected subcutaneously to rats trained to eat their food during two hours each day. Food intake and serum Ca++ concentrations were determined at the end of 2h-feeding period. A long lasting anorectic effect was observed for 20 U/kg of sCT with a parallelism between hypocalcaemia and anorexia in the first 8 hours after treatment; on the contrary, rats continued to eat less than controls in the following hours when their serum Ca++ concentrations had risen to normal or even higher levels. As regards pCT and hCT, it was shown that these peptides reduced significantly meal size only for 1-2 hours when serum Ca++ levels were at their lowest levels for these peptides.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Possible involvement of dynorphinergic system in nociceptive transmission at spinal level.

The opioid peptide dynorphin1-32 (DYN1-32, 25 nmol) intrathecally administered causes, in the rat, an elevation of nociceptive threshold of longer duration than that of DYN A, as ascertained by vocalization test. Comparative findings obtained with tail flick test allow to differentiate antinociception from motor dysfunction. The breakdown of DYN A at spinal level is very rapid. The electrical stimulation of the tail associated to a restraint condition of the rat produces a significant increase of immunoreactive DYN in cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments of spinal cord, therefore indicating a correlative, if not causal, relationship between the spinal dynorphinergic system and aversive stimuli.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1985

Studies on the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal salmon calcitonin.

The involvement of spinal opioid receptors and spinal monoaminergic systems, in the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal (IT) salmon calcitonin, has been evaluated by means of the hot plate test, in the rat. Intrathecal pretreatment with 40 micrograms MR 1452 and 40 micrograms ICI 154,129, purported selective antagonists respectively for kappa and delta opioid receptors did not modify sCT-induced antinociception (2 micrograms IT). A delay in the development of IT sCT-induced antinociception was observed in rats selectively depleted of cord serotonin (25 mg/kg IP desipramine plus 100 micrograms IT 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine), whereas the administration of serotonergic antagonists, methysergide and ketanserin, 30 micrograms IT, did not influence sCT effect. Cord catecholamine depletion (6-OHDA pretreatment) reduced significantly sCT antinociception. A similar reduction was produced by the dopaminergic antagonist haloperidol (15 micrograms IT), but not by the alpha-blocker phentolamine (15 micrograms IT). Findings of this study rule out an involvement of opioid peptidergic system in sCT-induced increase of hot plate latencies at spinal level; a possible involvement of cord dopaminergic receptors is suggested.

Analgesics↗
PubMed1985

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents. Part 16: Stereomeric 3-aryl-biphenylyl-hydroxy-propionic acids.

As part of a wider research project on structure-activity relationships of chiral arylalkanoic acids, stereomeric aryl- biphenylyl-hydroxypropionic acids 3a-d have been prepared and their antiinflammatory activity evaluated. Diastereomeric racemic erythro- and threo-acids have been synthesized by reaction of alpha-lithiated biphenylyl-acetic acid salts with the appropriate aldehyde. They were separated, and after attribution of their relative configuration by 1H-NMR analysis, resolved. The antiinflammatory activities of the enantiomeric potassium salts were determined by the carrageenan test.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Bioavailability of pyridine compounds in seeds of Ricinus communis L. at various stages of germination].

The intermediates of metabolic cycle of pyridine compounds have been isolated in Ricinus communis seeds, at various stages of development, by reversed-phase HPLC with a linear gradient elution. NAm, NAc, QAc, NMN, des-NMN, des-NAD+, NAD+ and NADP+ were separated in less than 32 min. Pyridine compounds show typical behaviours during the considered periods (0-6th day). On the basis of the obtained results the metabolic availabilities of these vegetable tissues are discussed.

Biological Availability↗
PubMed1984

Antinociceptive activity of salmon calcitonin injected intrathecally in the rat.

Salmon calcitonin injected intrathecally in unanesthetized rats produced long-lasting, dose-dependent elevations of nociceptive threshold as measured in the hot plate test. This antinociceptive action was nonopiate in nature as it was uninfluenced by the narcotic antagonists naloxone and MR 1452; moreover, the peptide was still able to raise the nociceptive threshold in morphine-tolerant rats. It is suggested that the spinal cord may represent one of the sites of action for calcitonin-induced antinociception.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Methadone affects the histochemical pattern of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the liver of pregnant rats.

Enzyme histochemistry performed on the liver of pregnant and non pregnant rats indicates that methadone (ME) does not cause direct damage to the cells. On the other hand, the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase was decreased in the periportal tract of the liver lobule of pregnant rats treated with 10 mg/kg ME for 20 days. NADPH dehydrogenase was increased in the central areas of the liver lobule within 3 days of ME treatment. It is suggested that a derangement of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in the liver, as well as in other organs, may be contribute to some of the alterations observed in ME treated animals.

Animals↗