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Biomedical subjects

E Daniele

Publications and source records attributed to E Daniele.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the anterior segment of the tongue].

The authors describe a rare case of adenoid-cystic carcinoma localized in the anterior tongue. The neoplasia is made up of epithelial and myo-epithelial cells, organized frequently in islands with cribriform aspect, was circumscribed by a thin fibrous capsule that was focally infiltrated in the proximity of the deep margin. At the physical examination no local regional lymph nodes were absent. The surgical excision and radiotherapy constituted the only therapeutic protocol. Absence of local relapse and/or distant metastasis after eight years from the operation confirm the low aggressiveness of the neoplasia when localized in the anterior part of the tongue.

Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic↗

Prognosis in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma: assessment of tumor factors.

We studied a consecutive series of 54 cases of lower lip squamous cell carcinoma (LLSCC) in order to identify any variables which might predict the development of lymph node metastases. The cases were divided into 38 tumors without metastases (group I) and 16 tumors with lymph node metastases (group II). The following factors were investigated: tumor size, histologic grading maximal thickness, perineural invasion, DNA ploidy and PCNA expression. In conclusion, we found that LLSCC greater than 2 cm in diameter, with histological grading G3-G4, thickness of more than 6 mm, DNA aneuploidy and high PCNA expression (PCNA LI > 0.48), were at high risk for the development of lymph node metastases.

Age Distribution↗

Identification of elastin peptides with vasorelaxant activity on rat thoracic aorta.

Elastin peptides obtained in vivo from the enzymatic degradation of elastic fibers are present in the circulating human blood. In order to verify the role that these peptides may have in the regulation of the vascular tone, the activity of several peptides identified in the elastolytic digest of human elastin and some of their structural homologues has been tested. Three of these peptides show a vasorelaxant activity in isolated rat aorta precontracted by phenylephrine. The activity observed is higher in the absence of the endothelium; in these conditions the IC50 for the peptides Val-Gly-Val-Ala-Pro-Gly, Val-Gly-Val-Pro-Gly and Val-Gly-Val-Hyp-Gly was 40 +/- 2, 73 +/- 2 and 10 +/- 1 ng/ml, respectively. They are active in the range of the pathological circulating concentration and their role could be important in the regulation of vascular tone during several elastin degradative diseases.

Animals↗

Effects of phorbol ester on carbachol-induced contraction in bovine ciliary muscle: possible involvement of protein kinase C.

The aim of the research was to characterize muscarinic receptors of bovine ciliary muscle and to investigate the desensitization process. The role of protein kinase C was analyzed. The results show that muscarinic receptors of bovine ciliary muscle have the pharmacological characteristics of the M3 subtype. Acute exposure to phorbol esters (1 microM phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, PDB, or 0.1 microM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, PMA, for 15 and 5 min, respectively) resulted in antagonism of muscarinic receptor-mediated contraction. Long-term pretreatment (18 h) with PMA to down-regulate protein kinase C resulted in potentiation of carbachol-induced contraction, reduction of agonist-induced desensitization and loss of phorbol ester-induced desensitization. Staurosporine (3 microM) and H7 [1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine] (1 microM), protein kinase C inhibitors, produced a significant potentiation of the contractile effect of carbachol, reduced the desensitization produced by repeated addition of carbachol and suppressed that induced by phorbol esters. In vitro incubation with carbachol, PDB or PMA did not cause any modification of the binding of labeled [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate. In vitro incubation with PDB and PMA produced, as expected, a significant translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosol to the membrane. The incubation of the ciliary muscle with carbachol, using the protocol of exposure that induced maximal desensitization of contractile responses, produced a significant redistribution of the enzyme from the cytosol to the membrane. These findings suggest that agonist-induced modulation of functional cholinergic sensitivity in ciliary muscle is correlated, at least partially, to the translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosol to the membrane. The desensitization by phorbol esters is completely due to protein kinase C activation; during the desensitization process, direct modification of the density and affinity of muscarinic receptors is not involved.

Animals↗

[A peculiar form of anemia in patients operated on for cancer of the oral cavity].

The authors related about a peculiar form of anemia found in some patients operated on oral cancer; these patients had an almost normal hematic situation before their operation. 63 patients, operated in the course of a year for oral cancer, have been studied by the authors; they have found in 14 cases (22.2%) a light anemia which regressed after a self blood transfusion, during the first week after the operation; in other 8 cases (12.7%) the anemia, which was more serious, persisted beyond the 7th day after the operation. Those 8 patients, suffering from more serious and persistent anemia, were treated from 7th to 21st day after the operation with iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid without any improvement. The hematic situation improved about 10 days after the end of treatment, probably as a result of spontaneous renewal of medullar haemopoietic activity. This anemia, is characterized by normochromia, normocytosis, reduced response of reticulocytes, sideropenia and hyperferritinaemia. The authors think that the pathogenesis of anemia after operation in neoplastic patients is caused by medullary insufficiency existing before the operation, connected with reduced erythropoietin production and emphasized by an operation that sometimes cause bleeding. Consequently the authors hypothesis the use of erythropoietin in the therapy of most severe anemia in neoplastic operated patients.

Anemia↗

Pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid-cystic carcinoma of salivary glands: immunohistochemical assessment of proliferative activity in comparison with flow-cytometric study.

In this study, 32 pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and seven adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs) were analysed for the evaluation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) indices and flow cytometric variables. Our aim was to assess any possible relationship between these parameters and the clinico-pathological variables and to clarify their histogenesis and reasons for their biological differences. The tumours were divided into three groups, mainly epithelial (E), myxoid (M) and chondroid (C); PCNA labelling index (LI) and weighted mean index (WI) and the WI/LI ratio were analysed in the predominant components; a single PCNA index, weighted by the percentage of each component, was also calculated. Only WI/LI was found to be significantly different in the three components, while PCNA single index did not show either significant differences by sex, age, site and size, or any correlation with the S phase fraction. A significant difference was found between PAs and ACCs by site (P < 0.01) and DNA ploidy (P < 0.05); furthermore, all PCNA indices (single index) were significantly lower in PAs than in ACCs.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

[The treatment of the obese non-insulin-dependent patient with d-fenfluramine].

The authors have evaluated the efficacy of d-fenfluramine, a serotoninergic anorectic drug, in 42 obese patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who not very responded only to the hypocaloric diet or associated therapy with oral hypoglycemic agents. The treatment with d-fenfluramine orally 15 mg twice a day for six months produced improvement of clinical and metabolic considered parameters: body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), mean daily blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c) were decreased after the drug's administration. After four months withdrawal of the drug we observed a further improvement of clinical and metabolic parameters in 28.6% patients, stability of them in 38.1%, while in 33.3% subject we found worsening of the data with increased body weight and metabolic parameters. Therefore d-fenfluramine is usefull in obese patients with NIDDM: the drug produces a significant reduction of the body weight and blood glucose during its administration; its effect continues also after withdrawal: likely because it improves the compliance to adhere to the hypocaloric diet of the patients. The use of d-fenfluramine in diabetic is better then others anorectic agents for poor side effects and peculiar mechanism of action involving serotoninergic activation in the hypothalamus without catecholaminergic effects. Furthermore it directly improves insulin sensitivity in obese patients with NIDDM.

Adult↗

[Aging and isomyosin pattern of the left ventricle in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar Kyoto rats].

Changes of the contractile proteins in the left ventricle from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are extensively documented with the development of the hypertensive state and with ageing. This study was undertaken to determine whether also the left ventricle from normotensive rats exhibits age-related changes of the myosin pattern. The relative distribution of myosin isoforms was investigated in Wistar Kyoto (WKY, n = 50) and SHR (n = 50), both at the 5th, 9th, 24th, 48th and the 72nd week of life. A significant decrease in V1 as well as an increase in V3 percentage values, compared to the data obtained at the 5th week were observed in SHR from the 9th week, concomitantly to the rise in blood pressure values. These changes were more consistent with ageing (5 weeks: V1 99.0 +/- 0.9%, V2 0.6 +/- 0.1%, V3 0.4 +/- 0.3%; 72 weeks: V1 5.3 +/- 3.9%, V2 3.0 +/- 2.7%, V3 91.7 +/- 9.7%). In WKY rats, a significant decrease in V1 percentage values was detected at the 24th week and it was evident till the 72nd week. V3 significantly changed only at the 48th and the 72nd week (5 weeks: V1 100.0 +/- 0.0%; 72 weeks: V1: 41.4 +/- 6.5%, V2 13.3 +/- 2.8%, V3 45.5 +/- 6.9%). The results of this study confirm that alterations in the left ventricle isomyosin pattern occur early in SHR with the rise in blood pressure values and the increase in left ventricular mass. In contrast, modifications in the myosin isoform distribution were found only in WKY with ageing. These findings may be related to the biochemical changes occurring in the myocardial tissue either gradually, during the advanced ages of life, or early due to the hypertensive state.

Aging↗

Prognostic significance of cell kinetics in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: clinicopathological associations.

A consecutive series of 99 untreated patients undergoing radical surgical resection for stage I-IV laryngeal carcinomas has been studied prospectively. Our purpose was to analyze the predictive relevance of proliferative variables studied [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression, volume-corrected mitotic (M/V) index, and S-phase fraction (SPF)] on clinical outcome in relation to DNA ploidy and clinicopathological features. All of the patients were followed up for a median of 32 months (range, 5-58 months). A weak, but significant, positive correlation was found between M/V and PCNA indices (except the PCNA weighted mean index:labeling index ratio) or these indices and SPF. At univariate analysis, node positivity (P < 0.05), poor histological grade (P < 0.01), DNA aneuploidy (P < 0.01), a high SPF (P < 0.01), and a high M/V index (P < 0.05) proved to be related significantly to quicker relapse, whereas T4 (P < 0.05), subglottic site (P < 0.05), DNA aneuploidy (P < 0.01) and a high SPF (P < 0.01) were related significantly to shorter overall survival. With multivariate analysis, a high SPF (> 12.1%) and histological grade (G3) were related to the risk of relapse (relative risk, 8.65 and 5.45, respectively), whereas only a high SPF was related independently to the risk of death (relative risk, 7.30). Our study has identified SPF, in addition to histological grade, as an important biological indicator in laryngeal carcinomas.

Aged↗

[Tolrestat in the therapy of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: is this drug really useful?].

The authors have studied the effect of the treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor, tolrestat, on the peripheral diabetic neuropathy during a placebo controlled randomised trial. 74 diabetics affected by peripheral neuropathy were divided in two groups of 39 (group A) and 35 (group B) patients comparable as to age, sex, duration of diabetes and severity of the neurological symptoms. The group A was treated with tolrestat orally 200 my once daily for six months, the group B was treated with placebo. After six months an improvement of analysed symptoms (pain and paraesthesias) and objective assessments (NCV-DB) was observed in patients treated with tolrestat (group A) significantly higher than in patients treated with placebo (group B). A light improvement was found also during a control effected after three months of treatment with tolrestat. The improvement after six months of therapy was mild but significant; therefore the authors conclude that the tolrestat is an useful drug in the treatment of the peripheral diabetic neuropathy in addition to attainment of a better glycemia's control.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

p53 expression in human renal cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study and a literature outline of the cytogenetic characterization.

In this study both the incidence and pattern of p53 over-expression in various histological subtypes of a series of 36 cases of renal cell Grawitz carcinoma, partially studied in a previous paper, were analyzed. This series consisted of these histologic subtypes: clear cell non papillary (18 cases), clear cell papillary (2 cases), granular cell (5 cases), mixed (clear and granular cell) (9 cases) and spindle cell (2 cases). At present, our aim was, firstly, to see which were the best technical conditions for detection of p53 in the available paraffin-embedded tumor specimens, using several antibodies, specific for various epitopes; secondly, to investigate if some relation might exist between this expression and the histological features of these tumors. Twenty-five per cent (9/36 cases) resulted p53 immunoreactive, the highest percentage being represented in the papillary clear and granular cell carcinomas; low expression was detected in 11 cases (30%) and no reactivity in 16 cases (44%). Neither technical or dilution modifications proved to transform these latter results; however, detection was maximal using the CM-1 polyclonal rabbit antiserum. Thus, in RCC, expression of p53, analyzed in the light of the cytogenetic characterization through a literature review, resulted at low frequency. This finding means that mutation of the p53 gene are not frequent in the neoplastic transformation in RCC. Nevertheless, in spite of the small number of cases and of the short follow-up period of this study, detection of p53 positivity in tumors with either high grade and stage or high proliferative activity could suggest that p53 mutations lead to tumors of a more aggressive type.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Oxygen isosteric derivatives of 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine.

Some substituted 3-phenylmorpholines (10a-e,j,k) and 3-thienylmorpholines (10f,g), isosteres of 3-(3-hydroxy-phenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine (3-PPP), were prepared and submitted to binding assays on D-2 dopaminergic and 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 serotonergic receptors, in comparison with 3-PPP and its analogue 3a,b. The results show the loss of D-2 affinity for all morpholines, while a certain activity was still observable for piperidine derivatives. Regarding the serotonergic affinity, only chloro and methoxy derivatives (10a-d) were moderately active on the 5-HT1A receptor, either when the substituent was in the C-2 or C-3 position, whereas no tested compounds showed affinity toward the 5-HT2 receptor.

Animals↗

Evidence for protein kinase C modulation of the ciliary muscle response to carbachol and desensitization.

The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the desensitization of muscarinic receptor-mediated responses in bovine ciliary muscle was examined. Exposure of the bovine ciliary muscle to phorbol esters, used to activate PKC, resulted in antagonism of muscarinic receptor-mediated contraction. On the other hand, staurosporine, a known PKC inhibitor, caused a significant potentiation of the contractile effect induced by carbachol. Staurosporine reduced the desensitization induced by repeated additions of carbachol and completely suppressed that induced by phorbol esters. The results also indicate that desensitization mediated by phorbol esters as well as that mediated by muscarinic receptor agonists is heterologous.

Alkaloids↗

Biochemical and functional evidence for the presence of dopamine D1 receptors in the bovine ciliary body.

The present paper reports both functional and biochemical evidence for the presence of dopamine D1 receptors in the bovine ciliary body. Dopamine (DA) and dopamine D1 agonists (such as SKF 38,393) but not D2 agonists (such as LY 141,865) produced a concentration-related decrease in the tone induced by a maximally active concentration of carbachol (1 x 10(-4)-5 x 10(-4) M). The maximal relaxation obtained was 100% of the carbachol response using 10(-5) M dopamine or 5 x 10(-6) M SKF 38,393. SCH 23,390, a D1 antagonist, but not (-)-sulpiride, antagonized the effect of DA and SKF 38,393. In accordance with the functional data, radioreceptor binding experiments revealed the existence of a high affinity saturable [3H]SCH 23,390 binding to membranes prepared from ciliary body (Bmax: 344 fmol mg protein-1; Kd: 0.87 nM). The binding was specifically displaced by SCH 23,390, dopamine and dopamine D1 agonists, but not by norepinephrine, D2 agonists, or antagonists such as LY 141,865 and sulpiride. No specific binding was found when using dopamine D2 ligands, such as tritiated spiroperidol.

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-ben↗