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C Benelli

Publications and source records attributed to C Benelli.

49 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Effects of growth hormone on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in intact rat liver and in isolated hepatocytes: comparison with insulin.

The effects of growth hormone and insulin on the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase were examined in the rat, both in vivo and in isolated hepatocytes. Liver mitochondria isolated from rats killed from five to 45 minutes after injection of 50 micrograms/100 g human growth hormone (hGH) or 25 micrograms/100 g insulin displayed a significant increase in the activity of basal pyruvate dehydrogenase (38% and 48% above control at ten minutes, respectively). These changes probably result from the conversion of the phosphorylated form to the nonphosphorylated form of pyruvate dehydrogenase since total enzyme activity was unaffected. Treatment of isolated hepatocytes by hGH or insulin also led to an increase in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity which was maximal (25% above control value) at 15 minutes. Later, activation progressively decreased and was no longer detectable at 60 minutes. The concentrations of hGH or insulin required for maximal activation were 100 nmol/L and 20 nmol/L, respectively, and the concentration required for half-maximal stimulation was 2 nmol/L for both hormones. The effects of 100 nmol/L hGH and 100 nmol/L insulin on pyruvate dehydrogenase activity were not additive. Basal pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in hepatocytes exhibited linear kinetics; hGH or insulin increased the Vmax of the enzyme without changing its Km and did not affect the Vmax of the total enzyme activity. It is concluded that growth hormone is as potent and as efficient as insulin in its ability to stimulate the activity of liver pyruvate dehydrogenase, and thus may be a physiological activator of this enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Changes in low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase activity in liver Golgi fractions from hyper- and hypoinsulinemic rats.

Acute insulin treatment in rats has recently been shown to cause a rapid increase in liver low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity, which selectively affects Golgi fractions. To assess the physiological significance of this observation, the cAMP PDE activity associated with liver Golgi fractions has been measured in genetically obese Zucker rats, which spontaneously develop hyperinsulinemia, in rats receiving a continuous infusion of insulin, and in rats treated with anti-insulin serum. In genetically obese Zucker rats, a significant increase in Golgi-associated cAMP PDE relative to age-matched lean animals occurred after 3 wk, coinciding with the development of hyperinsulinemia. This change was maximal at 5-8 wk and affected the light (Gl) and intermediate (Gi) Golgi fractions (100-110% increase) to a greater extent than the heavy (Gh) fraction (30% increase). After 7 wk, despite the further increase in insulinemia, the increase in Golgi-associated cAMP PDE became progressively less marked, and at 18 wk it was no longer detectable except in Gh, suggesting the development of a hepatic insulin resistance. Infusion of insulin through chronically implanted intracardiac catheters led to a 30-50% increase in Golgi-associated cAMP PDE, which occurred earlier in Gi (3 h) than in Gh (7 h) and persisted for greater than 96 h. Injection of anti-insulin serum led to a 30-50% decrease in Golgi-associated cAMP PDE, which occurred sequentially in Gl (5 min), Gi (15 min), and Gh (30 min) and affected predominantly Gl and Gh. These results suggest that the cAMP PDE associated with Golgi fractions is a physiological effector of plasma insulin in vivo.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1987

Angular-overlap analysis of the iron(II) site in [2Fe-2S] clusters.

The angular-overlap model for Fe(II)S4 centres is used to obtain structural information form the experimental data available for the gav approximately equal to 1.96 and gav approximately equal to 1.91 classes of [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin, showing that it is possible to translate the parameters obtained by Bertrand and Gayda in their non-additive ligand field model (Bertrand, P. and Gayda J.P. (1979 and 1980) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 579, 107-121 and 625, 337-342, respectively) into an additive one. The analysis of the e lambda (lambda = sigma or pi) parameters allowed us to conclude that the Fe(II)S4 chromophores of the two types of [2Fe-2S] metallo-protein are similar to each other, being possible to reproduce nicely the different g tensors introducing only small variations in the angular and bonding parameters.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1986

Acute in vivo stimulation of low-Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity by insulin in rat-liver Golgi fractions.

A low-Km phosphodiesterase activity, which is acutely stimulated by insulin in vivo, has been identified in plasma membranes and Golgi fractions prepared from rat liver homogenates in isotonic sucrose. Within seconds after insulin injection (25 micrograms/100 g body weight) cAMP phosphodiesterase activity increases by 30-60% in Golgi fractions and by 25% in plasma membranes; activity in crude particulate and microsomal fractions is unaffected. The increase in activity is short-lived in the light and intermediate Golgi fractions, but persists for at least 10 min in the heavy Golgi fraction. It precedes the translocation of insulin and insulin receptors to these fractions, which is maximal at 5 min. The doses of insulin required for half-maximal and maximal activation are, respectively, 7.5 micrograms/100 g and 25 micrograms/100 g body weight. Golgi-associated cAMP phosphodiesterase activity shows non-linear kinetics; a high-affinity component (Vmax, 13 pmol min-1 mg protein-1; Km, 0.35 microM) is detectable. Insulin treatment increases the Vmax 60-70%, but does not affect the Km. Unlike the low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase associated with crude particulate fractions, the Golgi-associated activity is not easily extractable by solutions of low or high ionic strength. On analytical sucrose density gradients, low-Km cAMP phosphodiesterase associated with the total particulate fraction equilibrates at lower densities than endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomal markers, but at a higher densities than plasma membrane, Golgi markers and insulin receptors. Insulin treatment increases the specific activity of the enzyme by 20-60% at densities below 1.12 g cm-3, and by 20-40% in the density interval 1.23-1.25 g cm-3. Such treatment also causes a slight, but significant shift in the distribution of phosphodiesterase towards lower densities. It is suggested that Golgi elements or physically similar subcellular structures are a major site of localization of insulin-sensitive cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat liver. However, internalization of the insulin-receptor complex is probably not required for enzyme activation.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1982

Effect of thyroidectomy on pregnenolone and progesterone biosynthesis in rat adrenal cortex.

The effects of thyroidectomy on pregnenolone and progesterone biosynthesis were investigated in rat adrenal cortex mitochondria and microsomes. The sequential hydroxylations of cholesterol, and the latter's side-chain cleavage, which constitute the limiting step in steroidogenesis, were studied by measuring oxygen consumption rates in the presence of cholesterol derivatives. The addition of (20R)-hydroxycholesterol, (22R)-hydroxycholesterol or (20R,22R)-dihydroxycholesterol stimulated these rates, but addition of cholesterol or (22S)-hydroxycholesterol had little effect. Thyroidectomy significantly reduced oxygen consumption rates in the presence of the sterols by about 30%. Oxygen uptake was small in the presence of respiratory inhibitors; the addition of sterols raised this uptake but subsequent thyroidectomy did not change it. Rat adrenal cortex mitochondria and microsomes converted pregnenolone ino progesterone through 3 beta ol dehydrogenase/delta 4-5 isomerase, in two different successive steps. Values for enzyme activities were 0.18, 0.26 and 0.81 nmol progesterone/min/mg protein for the overall complex, the 3 beta ol dehydrogenase and the delta 4-5 isomerase respectively. All enzyme activities were unchanged by thyroidectomy. Similar results were obtained for corresponding microsomal activities whose values were in the same range. For both microsomes and mitochondria, the dehydrogenase reaction was the limiting step in the enzyme reaction leading to progesterone formation from pregnenolone. The limiting step in corticosteroidogenesis leading to prenenolone formation by an NADPH-dependent step was slowed down by thyroidectomy, probably because the reaction that transfers energy from NADH to NADP was inhibited. The enzyme complex leading to progesterone which involves NAD+ as cofactor, was unchanged by thyroidectomy. Thyroid hormones may therefore affect the availability of the energy mechanisms connected with the proton motive force, since thyroidectomy reduces both the phosphorylative oxidation and energy-dependent hydroxylation reactions involved in steroidogenesis.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1982

Effect of thyroidectomy on the rat adrenal cortex enzyme activities involved in corticosterone and aldosterone biosynthesis.

The effect of thyroidectomy on corticosterone and aldosterone biosynthesis, in rat adrenal cortex, were investigated in vitro. Thyroidectomy slowed down by about 30% the activity of microsomal 21 hydroxylase and mitochondrial 11 beta hydroxylase, the two stages leading to corticosterone formation from progesterone. The plasma corticosterone concentration also diminished in thyroidectomized rat. The mitochondrial enzyme system catalyzing the conversion of corticosterone into aldosterone included both 18 hydroxylase and 180H dehydrogenase. In the absence of thyroid hormone, values of both enzyme activity slowed down by about 30%. Thus thyroidectomy induced a general decrease in all mitochondrial hydroxylation processes requiring NNADPH as energetic cofactor. Mitochondrial NADPH was mainly synthesized by the activity of NADP+ malic enzyme and pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase; the activity of both enzymes was determined in submitochondrial particles from adrenal cortex of normal and thyroidectomized rats. The activity of NADP+ malic enzyme and non energy-dependent transhydrogenase in the direction of NADPH formation dropped significantly after thyroidectomy, thus reducing the amount of NADPH available for hydroxylating mechanisms. The results should be compared to the large rise in th cytosolic malic enzyme level caused by thyroidectomy. The latter also ensured that the transhydrogenase reaction did not vary in the direction of NADP+ formation. Further, the drop in NADPH synthesis after thyroidectomy was coupled with a decrease in phosphorylation rate of added ADPH by adrenal cortex mitochondria of thyroidectomized rat. These findings might account for the general decline in the energy-dependent processes involved in steroidogenesis, a decline mainly due to the lowering of the H+ ions gradient driving ATP and NADPH synthesis through electron transfer.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of the flavanolignans of Silybum marianum L. on lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes and freshly isolated hepatocytes.

The effect of several flavanolignans (silicristin, silidianin, silybin and isosilybin) present in silymarin, the extract of Silybum marianum fruits, was tested on lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes and freshly isolated hepatocytes. In microsomes lipid peroxidation was generated by ADP/Fe2+ and NADPH. All flavanolignans inhibited peroxidation in a concentration dependent manner. In hepatocytes lipid peroxidation was induced by ADP/Fe3+ complex and cell damage was evaluated as LDH activity released in the medium. The inhibition of the peroxidative process by flavanolignans was also evident in this model, even if with a potency order different from that found in microsomes. In contrast, the effect on LDH release was significant only for silybin and isosilybin, the other compounds being inactive on this parameter.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reproducibility of the clinical criteria (ABCDE rule) and dermatoscopic features (7FFM) for the diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

Dermatoscopy improves the sensitivity and the specificity in the diagnosis of melanoma. Although the reproducibility of dermatoscopic features has been the subject of research, no study up to now has compared the reproducibility of dermatoscopic features to the reproducibility of the clinical criteria of the ABCDE rule. For this reason we decided to examine the reproducibility of the clinical ABCDE rule and of our diagnostic dermatoscopic method 7FFM, as well as of the individual criteria of both. A total of 73 dermatologists attended three dermatoscopic courses and examined a set of clinical and dermatoscopic slides of 50 pigmented skin tumors. Agreement % and K value for a kappa statistical analysis have been calculated to evaluate inter-rater reliability. The clinical and the dermatoscopic methods showed similar values of concordance: clinical score 2 mean agreement = 68%, mean K = 0.44; clinical score 3 mean agreement = 73%, mean K = 0.61; 7FFM mean agreement = 83%, mean K = 0.64. The clinical criteria A, B, and C and the dermatoscopic features of our method presented similar values of concordance as well: clinical criteria mean K range 0.35-0.25, dermatoscopic features mean K range 0.62-0.25. The dermatoscopic features of our method 7FFM show a good reproducibility after a short training program, similar to the reproducibility of the clinical criteria of the ABCDE rule for the diagnosis of melanoma.

Algorithms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of a shoot-tip vitrification protocol and comparison with encapsulation-based procedures for plum (Prunus domestica L.) cryopreservation.

Cryopreservation of plum (Prunus domestica L.), cv Regina Claudia, was obtained by a vitrification/one-step cooling procedure of shoot tips from cold-hardened in vitro-grown plants. Best survival (57%) was obtained when the shoot tips were precultured at 4 degree C for 2 days on 0.09 M sucrose-containing Quoirin and Le Poivre medium, loaded for 30 min with a cryoprotectant (2 M glycerol and 0.4 M sucrose), incubated with the PVS2 solution at 0 C for 90 min, and directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. After re-warming in a waterbath at 40 degree C, the shoot tips were washed in a 1.2 M-sucrose MS solution for 20 min and finally plated on a regrowth medium. In comparison with the one-step cooling procedure, both the slow cooling (-0.5 degree C/min up to -45 degree C), and the two-step cooling (-160 degree C for 25 min, then -196 degree C) gave lower percentages of shoot-tip survival. Among the other cryogenic procedures tested, the performance of the encapsulation-vitrification method was similar to the vitrification protocol in terms of shoot-tip regrowth (47.5%), while encapsulation-dehydration was unsatisfactory.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hemostatic efficacy and safety of TachoComb in surgery. Ready to use and rapid hemostatic agent.

TachoComb is a new, ready-to-use hemostatic agent consisting of a collagen sheet coated on one side with human fibrinogen, bovine thrombin, and bovine aprotinin. The product was used in 125 surgical operations (vascular, hepatic, urological and ENT) in which secondary hemostasis was required. It was placed over the cut surface or over the edges of the wound. The investigating surgeons expressed their opinion on the intra- and postoperative hemostatic efficacy, and routine laboratory tests were done postoperatively. TachoComb had good hemostatic efficacy in 67.2% of cases, and very good in 22.4%. No noteworthy systemic changes were observed. As an adjuvant to obtain complete hemostasis in surgery, TachoComb is effective, practical and quick to use, and is very well tolerated.

Adolescent↗