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Biomedical subjects

D Canale

Publications and source records attributed to D Canale.

47 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Varicocele and male subfertility: prognostical criteria in the surgical treatment.

A retrospective analysis of 324 infertile patients who underwent the surgical treatment of varicocele was conducted. Patients were divided into groups according to the presence or not of other pathological conditions, associated with varicocele: genital inflammation, left testicular hypotrophy, elevated FSH, history of cryptorchidism and azoospermia. Age was also considered. The overall pregnancy rate was 34.2% and the semen improvement was obtained in 181 cases (52.7%). Higher percentages were attained in patients with varicocele only: 56.9% pregnancy rate, 78% sperm improvement. The analysis of the results allowed us to define a prognostical index and to offer the criteria of operability in an infertile patient with varicocele.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, nimesulide, in the treatment of abacterial prostatovesiculitis.

Nimesulide, a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was used in cases of abacterial prostato-vesiculitis. Thirty patients with a mean age of 33.7 years (range 18-58) were studied. Nimesulide was administered orally 100 mg b.i.d. for three cycles of 10 d each. Dysuric symptoms, semen analysis, and transrectal ultrasound were examined during the study. The concentration-time curves of nimesulide (NIM) and its metabolite, hydroxynimesulide (OH-NIM) in seminal fluid were also evaluated after single oral administration (100 mg) using an HPLC technique. Following administration of the drug, the Cmax was reached in seminal fluid at the second hour for NIM (with a mean value +/- SD of 0.58 +/- 0.13 micrograms ml-1) and at the fourth hour for OH-NIM (2.98 +/- 0.38 micrograms ml-1). Maximal seminal fluid concentrations compared to blood plasma levels were observed at the fourth hour for both substances (31.73 +/- 2.34% for NIM; 31.87 +/- 8.66% for OH-NIM. Dysuric symptoms were relieved in 20 (66%) patients. A clear amelioration of inflammatory signs were observed at transrectal ultrasound evaluation in 16 (54%) patients. No statistically significant changes of sperm count and motility in the whole sample were observed, while a significant reduction in the number of abnormal forms occurred. From these results, nimesulide appears to be an effective anti-inflammatory drug with a good diffusion into the genital apparatus and low side-effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The interaction between poultry and Triatoma infestans Klug, 1834 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in an experimental model.

This paper compares the predation pressure that ducks and chickens exert on triatomines. For the tests, these birds were placed in individual boxes together with a known number of Triatoma infestans and left to interact from 6 p.m. till the next morning, involving a long lasting period of complete darkness limited by two short-term periods of semi-darkness. There was a shelter which could prevent the bugs from being predated. The number of live and dead triatomines was recorded, considering missing bugs as predated by the birds. Ducks exhibited a greater predatory activity than chickens, that could be due to a long term active period at night while chickens sleep motionless from sunset to dawn. Surviving triatomines that had fed on chickens outnumbered those fed on ducks suggesting that these were less accessible to the triatomine biting. If ducks are better than chickens to detect and eat bugs and to interfere with their feeding in the field, an increase in duck number might help to diminish triatomine density. Further research is needed to determine the feasibility of application of these experimental results.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of non-susceptible hosts on the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi of the vector Triatoma infestans: an experimental model.

We tested experimentally the effects of the presence of non-susceptible hosts on the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi of the vector Triatoma infestans. The experiment consisted in two treatments: with chickens, including two chickens (non-susceptible hosts) and two infected guinea pigs (susceptible hosts), and without chickens, including only two infected guinea pigs. The hosts were held unrestrained in individual metal cages inside a closed tulle chamber. A total of 200 uninfected T. infestans third instar nymphs were liberated in each replica, collected on day 14, and examined for infection and blood meal sources on day 32-36. The additional presence of chickens relative to infected guinea pigs: (a) significantly modified the spatial distribution of bugs; (b) increased significantly the likelihoods of having a detectable blood meal on any host and molting to the next instar; (c) did not affect the bugs' probability of death by predation; and (d) decreased significantly the overall percentage of T. infestans infected with T. cruzi. The bugs collected from inside or close to the guinea pigs' cages showed a higher infection rate (71-88%) than those collected from the chickens' cages (22-32%). Mixed blood meals on chickens and guinea pigs were detected in 12-21% of bugs. Although the presence of chickens would decrease the overall percentage of infected bugs in short term experiments, the high rate of host change of T. infestans would make this difference fade out if longer exposure times had been provided.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid hormone receptors in neonatal, prepubertal, and adult rat testis.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is involved in the differentiation and development of rat testis, whereas its role in adult testis function is still undefined. The aim of our work has been to further analyze the presence in the testis of rats of various ages of messenger RNA (mRNA) coding the different TH receptor (TR) subtypes using a sensitive assay, such as reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To rule out the possibility of an "illegitimate transcription," we have analyzed both T3-binding capacity of adult rat testis and the presence in the same organ of TR proteins by immunohistochemistry, using specific antibodies directed against the various TR isoforms. Messenger RNA coding for TR alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms was clearly visible in gels prepared from RT-PCR samples obtained from the testis of rats of all ages, including adults, whereas mRNA for the TR beta1-beta2 was absent. The T3 maximal binding capacity (Cmax) by nuclear extracts of testicular homogenates gradually decreased from birth to adulthood, still remaining significantly detectable in adult testis, and represented approximately 1% of the Cmax observed in the liver. The immunostaining technique revealed an intense nuclear staining along the basement membrane of testicular tubules prepared from rats of all ages and incubated with an antipeptide antibody specific for TR alpha1 (alpha1-403). Staining with an antipeptide antibody specific for TR beta1 (beta-62) was never present. Our data show that mRNAs coding for the functional TR alpha1, and also for the still undefined alpha2, are present in the testis of rats of all ages. T3-binding activity and immunohistochemical studies confirmed that the message is translated into proteins. The transcriptional activity clearly decreased from birth to adulthood, but it still remained significantly present. The presence of a TR alpha1 message indicates that the adult rat testis may be directly responsive to T3 and, therefore, suggests an action of TH on rat testis that is not only developmental, but also metabolic.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Human seminal transferrin: correlation with seminal and hormonal parameters.

Transferrin (TF) concentrations were assessed in semen from 10 fertile controls and 79 infertile patients by a radioimmunoassay method. A positive correlation between seminal TF concentration and sperm count was found in the whole sample of patients and within the control group. A statistically significant difference was found between azoospermic and severely oligospermic patients and all the others. No correlation was found with other seminal parameters or hormonal values.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Four cases of XX males: endocrine and clinical features.

G-banded chromosome preparations from four phenotypically male patients resulted azoospermic at semen analysis, showed no evidence of Y chromosome in 46,XX female constitution. At the andrological examination, the only common finding in them was the presence of very small testes. Serum levels of basal LH, FSH, prolactin and testosterone were evaluated. A subnormal response by testicular Leydig cells to HCG was observed. The LH and FSH responses to LHRH were similar to those of XXY controls, and the variation of prolactin levels after sulpiride stimulus was in the normal range. Seminal, histological and endocrine investigations show the primitive origin of the hypogognadism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

L-carnitine in idiopathic asthenozoospermia: a multicenter study. Italian Study Group on Carnitine and Male Infertility.

The aim of the study described here was to evaluate any possible effect of L-carnitine on spermatozoal motility in a group of patients with unexplained asthenozoospermia in four different infertility centres. One hundred patients received 3 g d-1 of oral L-carnitine for 4 months. Sperm parameters were studied before, during and after this treatment. Motility was also studied by means of a computer-assisted sperm analysis. The results of the study indicate that L-carnitine is able to increase spermatozoal motility, both in a quantitative and in a qualitative manner (per cent motile spermatozoa increased from 26.9 +/- 1.1% to 37.7 +/- 1.1% [P < 0.001]; per cent spermatozoa with rapid linear progression increased from 10.8 +/- 0.6% to 18.0 +/- 0.9% [P < 0.001]; mean velocity increased from 28.4 +/- 0.6 microns s-1 to 32.5 +/- 0.8 microns s-1 [P < 0.001]; linearity index increased from 3.7 +/- 0.1 to 4.1 +/- 0.1 [P < 0.001], especially in the subgroup of patients with poor rapid linear progression of spermatozoa (per cent of motile spermatozoa increased from 19.3 +/- 1.9% to 40.9 +/- 1.4% [P < 0.001], and per cent of spermatozoa with rapid linear progression increased from 3.1 +/- 0.4% to 20.3 +/- 1.6% [P < 0.001]) An increase in spermatozoal output was also observed (total number of ejaculated spermatozoa increased from 142.4 +/- 10.3 10(6) to 163.3 +/- 11.0 x 10(6) [P < 0.001]). The authors conclude that oral administration of L-carnitine may improve sperm quality at least in patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.

Adult↗