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Biomedical subjects

C Frigerio

Publications and source records attributed to C Frigerio.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Postprandial thermogenesis in lactating and non-lactating women from The Gambia.

Postprandial thermogenesis was assessed by indirect calorimetry in 32 Gambian women classified into three groups as follows: 12 non-pregnant non-lactating and 10 lactating women studied during the dry season and 10 lactating women studied during the rainy season. The test meal consisted of a typical Gambian breakfast and its energy content corresponded to 30% of the individual's resting metabolic rate (RMR)/24 h. During the dry season, the postprandial thermogenesis of the lactating women averaged 6.0 +/- 0.4% of the test meal energy content and was similar to that observed in the non-pregnant non-lactating women studied during the same season (5.8 +/- 0.3%). In contrast, the postprandial thermogenesis of lactating women studied during the rainy, nutritionally unfavourable season was found to be significantly lower (4.9 +/- 0.5%). There was no significant difference in the pre- and postprandial respiratory quotients among groups. This leads to the conclusion that lactation does not alter the thermogenic response to food and that the reduction in postprandial thermogenesis observed in lactating women during the wet season constitutes an adaptive response to energy deficit allowing a saving of energy in periods of food restriction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacodynamics of ticlopidine in man in relation to plasma and blood cell concentration.

In 6 normal volunteers given single oral doses of 250,500 and 1000 mg ticlopidine (T), the peak plasma level of unchanged drug was reached after about 2 h. There was no correlation between the plasma T level and its inhibitory effect on platelet function, expressed as % inhibition of ADP-induced aggregation. By means of HPLC and GC/MS significant concentrations of T were demonstrated in washed red cells, platelets and neutrophils, with a marked difference in the time course of the appearance of cell-associated drug. The time course of platelet-associated T very accurately fitted that of the antiaggregatory activity. After subacute oral administration (250 mg b.d. for 7 days), the maximum effect on platelet function was observed after 3 to 4 days, when a significant concentration of platelet-associated T had been reached. The pharmacological effect persisted as long as drug was detectable in platelet. An in vitro study strongly suggested that the antiaggregating effect was retained by treated washed platelets but not by treated plasma. It is suggested that the platelet compartment represents the pharmacological target of T via a specific uptake system.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A new procedure to assess the energy requirements of lactation in Gambian women.

The combined 24-h energy expenditure (24-h EE) of mother and child was measured with a respiratory chamber (indirect calorimeter) in a group of 16 lactating Gambian women and was compared with that of a control group of 16 nonpregnant, nonlactating (NPNL) Gambian women. Breast-milk production (738 +/- 47 g/d: mean +/- SE) was adequate to allow a normal rate of growth of their 2-mo-old babies (28.0 +/- 2.4 g/d). The combined 24-h EE (mother and child) was higher (8381 +/- 180 kJ/d. P less than 0.001) than that of NPNL women (6092 +/- 121 kJ/d). Two-thirds of this differences could be attributed to the child's EE and one-third to a greater spontaneous physical activity of lactating women. The energy retained by the child for growth in conjunction with the calorimetric measurements allowed the calculation of the extra energy requirements for lactation, which were found to be 2100 kJ/d. These results confirm the values of the current dietary recommendations for lactation, based on the energy cost of milk production.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Is human lactation a particularly efficient process?

The recommended dietary allowances of many expert committees (UK DHSS 1979, FAO/WHO/UNU 1985, USA NRC 1989) have set out the extra energy requirements necessary to support lactation on the basis of an efficiency of 80 per cent for human milk production. The metabolic efficiency of milk synthesis can be derived from the measurements of resting energy expenditure in lactating women and in a matched control group of non-pregnant non-lactating women. The results of the present study in Gambian women, as well as a review of human studies on energy expenditure during lactation performed in different countries, suggest an efficiency of human milk synthesis greater than the value currently used by expert committees. We propose that an average figure of 95 per cent would be more appropriate to calculate the energy cost of human lactation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Pharmacodynamics of troxerutine in patients with chronic venous insufficiency: correlations with plasma drug levels.

In a double-blind study the effects of troxerutine were assessed in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. The aim of this clinical pharmacological research was to evaluate, after a single oral dose: haemocoagulative and fibrinolytic balance, haemorheological changes and venous function. Correlation between such changes and simultanously assayed plasma drug levels was evaluated. The data obtained seems to give to troxerutine a more enlarged pharmacological characterization, especially regarding its demonstrated profibrinolytic and rheological activities. The maximal pharmacodynamic effects appeared simultaneous with the plasma drug peak.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Calcium dobesilate, hemorheology, fibrinolysis and endothelium. New perspectives on the prevention of diabetic microangiopathy. Clinical pharmacological study].

The authors report the results of a double-blind cross-over study on calcium dobesilate in which two groups of eight recent-onset type-II diabetics were treated either p.o. (1 g once daily) or i.v. (500 mg in 100 ml of physiological saline) with calcium dobesilate or with placebo. During oral administration of the drug, blood rheology and total fibrinolytic capacity were assessed by calculating euglobulin lysis time. In view of the evidence for a viscosity-lowering action of the drug (which had already been found in "long-term" studies) and of potentiation of fibrinolytic activity, intravenous treatment was started with the object of elucidating the possible mechanisms of action, evaluating at the same time other parameters concerning the functional fibrinolytic pathways. It has thus been possible to ascertain that the drug has "rheologic" activity, interferes with the function of endothelial cells by stimulating the release of tissue plasminogen activator and thus increases fibrinolytic activity while not interfering with the clotting function and not altering platelet beta-thromboglobulin secretion. These findings appear to confirm the possibilities for therapeutic use of calcium dobesilate which is thought to act on a variety of pathogenetic mechanisms involved in diabetic microangiopathy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

New in vivo model to assess venous endothelial cell functions. Effect of defibrotide.

In the past few years there has been increasing interest in the role of the vascular endothelium as an active modulator of biological responses. Endothelial cells exert antithrombotic activity by the release of prostacyclin [23] and adenine nucleotides [16], the availability on the cell surface of heparin-like substances [3], and thrombomodulin-mediated activation of protein C [8]. In addition, endothelium is involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis by releasing soluble factors, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA; [10]) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI; [22, 11]), as well as in the control of vascular responsiveness by the production of smooth muscle relaxing and contracting factors. Endothelial cells have also been shown to synthesize and to express procoagulant activities [18]. Many data on endothelial cell functions has been obtained from two experimental models, namely endothelial cell cultures and perfused segments of animal and human vessels. Both are subject to methodological criticism since they only represent in part in vivo conditions, and the necessary experimental manipulations and laboratory procedures greatly modify the naturally occurring cellular functions. In order to overcome such difficulties as far as possible, a new in vivo model has been employed to provide easily assessable and reliable data on the properties of endothelial cells in man. A venous segment was isolated functionally by cannulating a dorsal vein in the hand and a cubital vein in the same arm. Changes observed ex vivo in blood from the cubital vein following infusion into the hand vein of an active drug, can mainly be attributed to its local effect on the venous wall. At the same time, a cubital vein in the other arm was cannulated in order to provide information to distinguish systemic from regional effects.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1989

Angiotensin-converting enzyme as a possible marker for lung toxicity in amiodarone-treated patients.

Since it has been observed that in vitro amiodarone induces morphological alterations in endothelial cells similar to those observed in patients with lung toxicity and that the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) seems to be a marker for perturbation of the alveolar-capillary membrane, serum ACE concentrations have been determined in 44 patients, 23 treated with amiodarone (group A) and 21 treated with other anti-arrhythmic drugs (group B), before the beginning of treatment and after 7, 15, 30, 60 and 180 days. Serum ACE concentrations in group A were lower than the basal values (15.8 +/- 5.9 mU/ml) on day 7 (12.7 +/- 4.5 mU/ml) and were higher on day 60 (17.9 +/- 3.8 mU/ml), then returned to basal values by day 180 (15.9 +/- 5.5 mU/ml), but none of the differences were statistically significant. In group B, serum ACE concentrations were significantly higher than basal values (15.2 +/- 4.0 versus 14.2 +/- 3.5 mU/ml, p less than 0.05) only on day 15. In group A serum ACE concentrations were significantly higher than in group B only on day 60 (17.9 +/- 3.8 versus 14.7 +/- 4.5 mU/ml, p less than 0.025). During the period of the study none of the patients showed any clinical or radiological signs of lung toxicity or reduction of lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Serum ACE levels were normal even in three patients who developed pulmonary fibrosis and in four whose DLCO was reduced by more than 20% from the basal values after the study was completed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Effect of a single dose of mesoglycan on the human fibrinolytic system, and the profibrinolytic action of nine daily doses.

The profibrinolytic activity of orally administered Mesoglycan was evaluated in 18 patients affected by impaired plasma fibrinolytic activity. Mesoglycan was administered by a single oral dose of 24, 48 or 72 mg on 1 day, and by repeated doses of 48 mg twice a day for 9 consecutive days. After the single administration all the fibrinolytic parameters were significantly and positively influenced with an order of magnitude and a duration of effects proportional to the dose employed. After the repeated administration, a constant and reproducible activation of the fibrinolytic system was observed without any interference with haemocoagulative parameters. These results confirm that Mesoglycan is endowed with a relevant profibrinolytic activity in man after oral administration. The pharmacological activity of Mesoglycan could possibly involve the liberation of a certain amount of plasminogen tissue activator.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1980

Anomalous growth hormone responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and glucose in cirrhotic patients: the effect of metergoline.

The anomalous GH response to TRH or glucose loading was evaluated in patients with severe liver disease untreated or pretreated with metergoline (MCE), a potent antiserotoninergic drug. In 9 patients, injection of 400 micrograms TRH as a bolus induced a clear-cut GH rise (> 8 ng/ml), with peak levels 15-90 min post injection. Pretreatment with MCE did not modify baseline GH levels but potentiated the TRH-induced GH rise in 4 patients. In addition, 2 of 8 TRH nonresponder patients developed the anomalous GH response after MCE pretreatment. Like MCE, methysergide, another antiserotoninergic drug, potentiated the TRH-induced GH rise in 2 of 4 patients. Glucose administration (100 g, orally) induced a paradoxical rise of GH in 9 of 10 patients; after MCE, the paradoxical GH response to glucose was potentiated in 6 patients. These data provide the first experimental evidence that a derangement in brain monoamine (serotonin) function is actually involved in the occurrence of anomalous GH responses in subjects with severe liver disease.

Ergolines↗
PubMed1979

Failure of MIF-I to affect behavioral responses in patients with Parkinson's diseases under L-dopa therapy.

In eight subjects with Parkinson's disease under an optimal daily dose of L-dopa, acute administration of MIF-I (200 mg i.v.) did not ameliorate either the total disability score or the intellectual test PM 38 when evaluated in comparison with the effect induced by acute administration of a placebo. Also concomitant evaluation of the effect of MIF-I on the secretion of anterior pituitary hormones which are under dopaminergic control i.e., growth hormone and prolactin, did not reveal any potentiation of the L-dopa-induced stimulus.

Aged↗