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C Dallocchio

Publications and source records attributed to C Dallocchio.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Gabapentin vs. amitriptyline in painful diabetic neuropathy: an open-label pilot study.

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of gabapentin and amitriptyline monotherapy in painful diabetic neuropathy. This was a 12-week, open-label, prospective, randomized trial. Twenty-five type-II diabetic patients with pain attributed to diabetic neuropathy and a minimum score of 2 on a pain intensity scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 4 (excruciating pain) were randomized to receive either gabapentin, titrated from 1,200 mg/day to a maximum of 2,400 mg/day, or amitriptyline, titrated from 30 mg/day to a maximum of 90 mg/day. Both drugs were titrated over a 4-week period and maintained at the maximum tolerated dose for 8 weeks. The main outcome measures were weekly pain intensity and paresthesia intensity, measured on two categorical scales. Thirteen patients received gabapentin and 12 received amitriptyline. All 25 patients completed the trial. Gabapentin produced greater pain reductions than amitriptyline (mean final scores were 1.9 vs. 1.3 points below baseline scores; P = 0.026). Decreases in paresthesia scores also were in favor of gabapentin (1.8 vs. 0.9 points; P = 0. 004). Adverse events were more frequent in the amitriptyline group than in the gabapentin group: they were reported by 11/12 (92%) and 4/13 (31%) of patients, respectively (P = 0.003). Side effects were the main limiting factor preventing dose escalation. Gabapentin produced greater improvements than amitriptyline in pain and paresthesia associated with diabetic neuropathy. Additionally, gabapentin was better tolerated than amitriptyline. Further controlled trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

Acetates↗
PubMed1991

Antagonism of EEGraphic and behavioural effects of methamphetamine by selective receptor blockers (SCH 23390 and raclopride) in the rabbit.

1. The interactions between selective D1 and D2 antagonists (SCH 23390 and raclopride) and methamphetamine on EEG arousal and behaviour was studied in rabbits. Haloperidol, a "classic neuroleptic" was used as reference drug. 2. Both 23390 and raclopride, which were used at low dosage (0.03-0.09 mg/kg i.v. for the former and 1-3 mg/kg for the latter), were able to block completely the behaviour induced but do not inhibit completely the EEG arousal pattern induced by methamphetamine. 3. The blockade of both behaviour and EEG arousal took only when the two drugs were administered concomitantly at the lower dosage. 4. The antagonistic effects obtained with the concomitantly administration of the two drugs were of higher degree in confront of those obtained with the pretreatment with haloperidol 0.3 mg/kg i.v. 5. Our data indicate that both D1 and D2 antagonists are able to block, at the dosage used, motor hyperactivity and stereotyped behaviour typically induced by methamphetamine and that SCH 23390 and raclopride are potentiated also in this experimental model.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Anticonvulsive efficacy of flumazenil in the electroinduced seizures in the rabbit.

The anticonvulsive efficacy of flumazenil, a specific antagonist of the ligands of the benzodiazepine receptor, was studied in the experimental seizures induced by electrical stimulation of corpus Amygdaloideum and Cornu Ammonis dorsale of the hippocampus in rabbits. In the amygdaloid seizure model flumazenil raised the threshold and/or reduced the afterdischarge duration. Results observed in the seizures induced by stimulation of hippocampus were less consistent. Possible explanations are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Neuropathological evaluation of brain damage in a rabbit model of focal cerebral ischaemia.

In the present paper we studied different methods for a qualitative and quantitative morphologic assessment of the focal brain damage in rabbits after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery with vaseline microspheres. The study of the early brain ischaemic damage (4 to 12 hours after embolisation) was performed on serial coronal cryostat sections of hemispheres frozen in liquid nitrogen and processed for NADH enzyme-histochemical method. In the ischaemic area the necrotic cells were pale or negative after enzyme-histochemical reaction, but a quantitative assessment of the ischaemic area was approximative. The Evans blue method for the identification of the region of the edema at 24 hours after embolisation showed inconstant results. A reproducible method for a quantitative assessment of the ischaemic area up to the 24th hour after embolisation was proposed by Osborne and utilised in the present experimental conditions. The volumetric assessment of the ischaemic area was obtained after delineation of brain damage areas at 8 preselected coronal levels with a computerized automatic image analyzer and by integration of areas with the distance between each level. In treated animals, the measures of the volume of cerebral infarction were accurate and reproducible, and were suitable for neurophysiologic correlations.

Animals↗