Antiphospholipid syndrome is a disorder characterised by recurrent venous or arterial thrombosis and/or foetal losses associated with typical laboratory abnormalities. The initial manifestation of anthiphospholipid syndrome can involve many organ systems either singly or in combination. We describe the case of a 62 yr old female showing schizophrenia-like symptoms in which further evaluations allowed us to diagnose the antiphospolipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Thiamin uptake by rat isolated enterocytes: relationship between transport and phosphorylation.

The membrane and intracellular steps of thiamin (T) uptake were studied in rat isolated enterocytes. The membrane step was investigated by using enterocytes deenergized with 25 microM rotenone and a short (30 s) incubation time, while the intracellular metabolic step was assessed by using normoenergized (normal) cells incubated for a longer (30 min) time. Evaluation of Km, Jmax and KD (apparent passive permeability coefficient) values, at 30 s incubation, indicated that deenergization slightly reduced both the affinity and the capacity of the saturable component of T uptake, as well as the capacity of the non-saturable component. At 30 min incubation, deenergization suppressed completely the saturable component, without affecting the non-saturable component. Comparison of the Km and Jmax values of the saturable components in normoenergized enterocytes at 30 s and 30 min indicated that intracellular metabolic phosphorylation is probably the event responsible for the active process involved in T uptake.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Exposure to PAHs, urinary 1-pyrenol and DNA adducts in samples from a population living at different distances from a steel plant].

This study aims at measuring association between environmental exposure to PAHs and internal or biologically effective dose biomarkers among 212 individuals living at different distance from the industrial area of Taranto, Italy. Environmental PAH exposure was determined by area monitoring. PAH levels was measured by HPLC UV/FL. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels were measured by HPLC/Fluorescence. The levels of DNA adducts were determined by 32P. post-labelling. A questionnaire was administered to gather personal data, residence, occupational history, alcohol, tobacco smoke, and diet, to control for other sources of exposure to PAH. Blood and urinary samples, drawn from the subjects studied were collected and analysed. A multivariate regression model was used to investigate the influence of several confounding factors. Housing was placed within 1 km from smokestacks in Taranto and Statte, whereas they were more far away in Locorotondo and in Alberobello. The prevalence of current smokers was 31.6%.

DNA Adducts↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dynamics of nonprotein and protein sulfhydryl compounds in rat gastric mucosa: possible implication for cytoprotection and ulcerogenesis.

The hypothesis that nonprotein and protein sulfhydryls in gastric mucosa may play some role in the defensive and offensive processes of gastric epithelium was tested in this study in the intact rat gastric mucosa. Both sulfhydryl compounds presented statistically significant changes during the 24-hour day. The content of nonprotein sulfhydryls was less during the dark span than during the light span, while the circadian acrophase of protein sulfhydryls occurred during dark span. These results may offer a new interpretation of the greater vulnerability to ulcerogenic agents of the gastric mucosa of rats during their usual activity span.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied