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Biomedical subjects

S Milano

Publications and source records attributed to S Milano.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Vagal-induced vomiting in decerebrate cat is not suppressed by specific 5-HT3 receptor antagonists.

Cancer therapy with cytotoxic drugs such as cisplatin or cyclophosphamide is usually associated with violent crisis of vomiting. Recently, it was shown that 5-HT3 receptor antagonists block cisplatin-induced vomiting but the mechanisms and their sites of action remain unknown. We tested the hypothesis that these agents act on structures within the central nervous system by evaluating the effectiveness of vagal stimulation in eliciting fictive vomiting in decerebrate, paralyzed and ventilated cats before and after administration of such agents. Fictive vomiting was defined as a series of large bursts of synchronous activity in the phrenic and abdominal (expiratory) nerves (retching) followed by a burst in which the abdominal activity was prolonged (expulsion). The latency and number of these co-activations were measured before and after intravenous administration of three 5-HT3 receptor antagonists (GR 38032F (Ondansetron). Zacopride, and BRL 43694A (Granisetron]. All compounds, administered at doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg failed to block vomiting behaviour in 100% and 68% of trials, respectively. Nor did their administration affect the latency and number of co-activations. We conclude that intravenous administration of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists do not act centrally on either the brainstem neuronal network known as the "vomiting center" or related neuronal structures. Our results suggest that the anti-emetic effect of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in cisplatin-induced vomiting is mediated peripherally rather than centrally.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Enhancement of macrophage IL-1 production by Leishmania major infection in vitro and its inhibition by IFN-gamma.

Peritoneal cells from highly susceptible BALB/c mice were infected with Leishmania major and cultured for various times in vitro. The culture supernatants contained significant levels of IL-1 which were consistently higher than those in the cell cultures stimulated with an optimal concentration of LPS. This finding extends to a macrophage cell line, P388D1, and peritoneal exudate cells stimulated with starch in vivo. However, the level of IL-1 produced was significantly reduced when the cells were preincubated with a lymphokine preparation (supernatant of Con A-stimulated rat spleen cells). The level of IL-1 produced seems to be directly correlated with the degree of parasitization of the macrophages. A similar and dose-dependent reduction in IL-1 production by infected macrophages could also be obtained when the cells were preincubated with IFN-gamma. This finding is in direct contrast to that of visceral leishmaniasis in which peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania donovani not only fail to produce IL-1 but also lose the capacity to produce IL-1. This apparent discrepancy is discussed in terms of a possible difference in the induction of cell-mediated immunity between the two leishmanial diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Long-term acetyl-L-carnitine preserves spatial learning in the senescent rat.

1. Untreated rats of different ages and old rats chronically treated with Acetyl-1-carnitine were subjected to the spatial learning task. 2. For this test, a circular pool filled with milk-opacified water was used. The animals were to reach an escape platform with the aid of visible environmental cues. 3. The experimental results indicated a clear-cut deterioration of the old animal's acquisition ability of a spatial learning task. 4. The long-term treatment (8 months) with Acetyl-1-carnitine was found to antagonize such a deterioration.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMed1988

Suppression of IL-2 production by cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with active visceral leishmaniasis in Sicily.

The ability of PBMC from eight patients with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (Leishmania donovani) to produce IL-2 in response to PHA in vitro was investigated. PBMC from the patients produced significantly lower levels of IL-2 and had reduced proliferative response to PHA at the time of disease diagnosis compared with healthy controls. Their ability to produce IL-1 in response to LPS was, however, unaltered. The patients also showed normal levels of OKT4+ and IL-2R+ cells in the peripheral blood, as judged by specific immunofluorescence staining. All patients were given antimony therapy, and five were cured. The recovered patients showed significant improvement in the IL-2 producing capacity of their PBMC. The PBMC preparations of patients and controls were cryopreserved before and after successful chemotherapy on the patients. The frozen cell preparations were thawed and viable autologous cells cocultured with equal numbers of PBMC from patients before and after chemotherapy. The frozen cells from five healthy controls showed little or no difference whether they were cultured together or separately. In contrast, coculturing of cells from the five recovered patients with autologous pretreatment cells produced significantly and consistently lower levels of IL-2 compared with those produced when the cells were cultured separately. These results therefore demonstrate that the PBMC from patients with visceral leishmaniasis contain a population of cells that are capable of suppressing the IL-2 production by autologous PBMC from recovered patients. The method of cryopreservation should be useful for studying the immune regulation in this and other clinical diseases in vitro.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effect of acetyl-l-carnitine chronic treatment on discrimination models in aged rats.

Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC), a natural component of several biological systems, has been found to modify spontaneous and evoked electrocortical activity in young rats and to improve learning ability in old ones. In clinical application it also improves mood and attention in elderly patients. The present study was aimed at ascertaining the effect of a chronic treatment with ALC added to drinking water on two discrimination models in aged rats. In the first model, simple discrimination learning was tested and was found to be significantly improved by treatment. The second model consisted of a differential reinforcement of low rate of responding. The animals receiving treatment performed significantly better as shown by a lower number of nonrewarded responses. Because impaired learning and memory are related to alterations in hippocampal function, these data indicate that ALC is capable of antagonizing the natural age-dependent deterioration process in the hippocampal structure.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMed1980

[Isolated communication between the left atrium and the coronary sinus (author's transl)].

The communication between the coronary sinus and the left atrium is a very exceptional case. In this work the AA. report the difficulties of the pre and peroperating diagnosis, above all because the coronary sinus, in this case, is not enlarged, but usual. The identification of the malformation, that is also isolated, is difficult also at the surgery, if you don't make a left atriotomy. A personal operative method of correction is reported.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Th1-like and Th2-like cytokines in patients undergoing open versus laparascopic cholecystectomy.

The advantages of laparoscopic (LC versus, open cholecystectomy (OC) seems to be related to minimal invasive procedure and to the moderate inflammatory response. The aim of this study is to define the involvement of Th1 (IFN-gamma) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13) cytokines production in vivo and in vitro in patients undergoing OC or LC. In 42 patients undergoing LC (n = 22) and OC (n = 20) Th1-like and Th2-like was evaluated before operation and at 6, 24 and 48 hours after operation for white blood cell counting and cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) in the sera and in the supernatants from circulating mononuclear cells stimulated with phytohemagglutinin or lipopolysaccharide. The acute phase response cytokine, IL-6, appeared significantly increased following OC than after LC. All other cytokines did not very significantly. In vitro data shows a reduction of IFN-gamma and increase in Th2-like cytokines in OC patients compared with the basal value. In LC subjects we observed an high production of IFN-gamma associated to an increase of Th2-like cytokines, like IL-10 and IL-13, even though IL-4 and IL-6 were unmodified. In contrast to OC, LC did not significantly affect immunocompetence, maintaining a moderate inflammatory response and an adequate balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokine. Furthermore, the strong activation of cells producing Th1-like cytokines in LC patients following mitogen activation indicated a consistent anti-microbial activity, that was not detectable in OC patients, that showed after activation only a Th2 response.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inflammatory response in open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The modifications of IL-6. CRP, ceruloplasmin, alpha 1 antitrypsin, fibrinogen, transferrin, albumin and leukocytes counts have been evaluated after traditional open cholecystectomy (OC) or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Forty-two patients were included in this study, 20 underwent to OC and 22 underwent to LC. Serum samples were performed before surgery and at distance of 6, 24, 48 and 168 hours. The results show a more significant increase in acute phase inflammatory response after OC compared with LC as attested by highest values of leukocytosis, IL-6, CRP, fibrinogen and alpha 1 antitrypsin and lower levels of albumin. In conclusion, after LC, the phase acute response is attenuate and it can explain the reduced period of convalescence of patients treated with LC.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗