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Biomedical subjects

E Scarpini

Publications and source records attributed to E Scarpini.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Congenital myopathy with type 2A muscle fiber uniformity and smallness.

We describe a 12-year-old girl with congenital myopathy. ATPase histochemical reactions and immunocytochemical analysis of muscle fiber-type composition with monoclonal antibodies against slow, fast (2A and 2B) and fetal myosin demonstrate that this congenital disease is characterized by type 2A muscle fiber uniformity and smallness. This is an unusual feature for a congenital myopathy in which the fiber type predominance, when present, is confined to type I.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1992

Oxiracetam in dementia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A multicentre, double-blind, between-patient study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxiracetam (800 mg tablet), in comparison with placebo, each given twice daily for 12 weeks to patients suffering from primary degenerative, multi-infarct or mixed dementia. Efficacy was assessed by a neuropsychological battery (simple reaction time, controlled associations, short story, Raven's Progressive Matrices, token test, digit span, word list learning), administered at the beginning and at the end of the study, and by a quality of life scale, administered at entry and after 6 and 12 weeks treatment. Sixty-five patients (28 men, 37 women, mean age 71 yrs) were enrolled; 58 completed the study: 2 on oxiracetam were withdrawn because of poor tolerability, 2 (one in each group) were withdrawn for poor compliance, one (on oxiracetam) for the occurrence of a transient ischaemic attack (defined as not related to the treatment) and 2 for administrative reasons. A significantly (p < 0.01) different effect in favour of oxiracetam was observed on the quality of life scale, and confirmed by significant (defined according to the Bonferroni technique) differences in some neuropsychological tests (e.g. controlled associations, short story). Four patients in the oxiracetam group complained of a total of 5 unwanted effects, and 1 on placebo complained of 3 unwanted effects, but none of them was withdrawn from the study.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Phenotypic and proliferative properties of Schwann cells from nerves of diabetic patients.

The phenotypic (morphologic and antigenic) properties and mitotic index of cultured Schwann cells obtained by dissecting nerves from six diabetic patients were studied. These features were compared with those of Schwann cells cultured in vitro from six normal control nerves. Preservation of the specific antigenic properties of cells, identified with rabbit antiserum as bovine protein S-100, was documented by immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies against laminin, fibronectin, histocompatibility antigens HLA-A, B, C and -DR, HNK-1 antigen and the human receptor for nerve growth factor. The cell proliferation index was assessed by incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine. The results of the study showed that the mitotic capacities of Schwann cells from diabetic nerves cultured in vitro remained comparable with those of normal control cells. As regards phenotypic characteristics, no modifications were detectable by immunofluorescence. These findings suggest that the phenomena of demyelination and remyelination, sometimes with onion bulb features, which can be observed in some cases of diabetic neuropathy, are not due to a primary dysfunction of the Schwann cells but are secondary to axonal degeneration.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Appearance and localization of dystrophin in normal human fetal muscle.

We studied the localization of dystrophin in normal human fetal muscle by immunohistochemistry. Our results show the appearance of dystrophin at week 11 and a progressive organization of the protein along membrane in the following weeks of gestation. At week 22 almost all fibers show a clear membrane immunostaining. Concomitant analysis of muscle fiber-type composition reveals no correlation between progressive appearance of dystrophin and muscle fiber-type differentiation. Our findings suggest that synthesis and localization of dystrophin in developing human skeletal muscle is time-related and probably independent of neuronal influences.

Dystrophin↗
PubMed1991

Lysosomotropic agents induce morphological and functional changes in human muscle cells in vitro.

We studied the distribution of lysosomes in differentiating human muscle cells in culture treated with propranolol, leupeptin and chloroquine. Chloroquine treated cells showed a significant vacuolization and an increase of the lysosomal apparatus as assessed by cytochemical analysis of the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase and by acridine orange staining. At electron microscopic level, an increase of lysosome-like bodies and disorganization of the contractile apparatus were demonstrated in multinucleated myotubes. These alterations observed in cultured muscle cells suggest that lysosomotropic agents may be harmful.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1990

The ontogenesis of Fc gamma receptors and complement receptors CR1 in human peripheral nerve.

The ontogenesis of Fc gamma receptors (FcR) and C3b/C4b receptors (CR1) was studied in peripheral nerves from ten fetuses aged from 20 to 38 weeks using immunohistochemical and functional assays. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against FcR and CR1 stained nerve fibers at 10 weeks of gestation and the staining intensity increased during nerve maturation. FcR and CR1 are probably expressed on Schwann cells and are early markers during the development of peripheral nerves. Functional FcR activity was detected in nerve sections before initiation of myelination, which occurs at approximately 18-19 weeks, whereas functional CR1 activity was found in the sections after myelination. Functional CR1 activity may, therefore, be related to myelin. The ontogenesis of FcR and CR1 was also studied on Schwann cells in culture from three fetuses aged 14, 16 and 19 weeks, using immunofluorescence technique with mAbs. The FcR and CR1 are lost on cultured Schwann cells. This suggests that the receptors are not intrinsic to the cells or that Schwann cells require axonal contact for the expression of FcR and CR1.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

Quantitative assessment of class II molecules in normal and pathological nerves. Immunocytochemical studies in vivo and in tissue culture.

We have analysed class II molecules (HLA-DR) expression in human fetal nerves at different stages of gestation, in human control nerves and in nerves of patients with peripheral neuropathies of different aetiology. Immunochemical demonstration of HLA-DR antigens was also performed on isolated human Schwann cells at different times in culture, from the same nerves. In normal nerves, HLA-DR positive material is localized only on endothelial and perivascular cells and in rare perineurial and endoneurial cells. In fetal nerves, HLA-DR positive material is already present by the sixteenth week of gestation. Quantitative analysis of HLA-DR molecules density in pathological nerves showed a wide heterogeneity in different neuropathies with no correlation between the type of pathology and the intensity and pattern of staining. Cultured human Schwann cells obtained from fetal, normal adult and pathological (vasculitic neuropathy) nerves were HLA-DR positive and the percentage of positive cells increased with time in culture. DR antigen appearance on human Schwann cells may reflect not only an immunologically-mediated phenomenon but also a dependence on axon-Schwann cell interaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Myosin heavy chain composition of muscle fibers in spinal muscular atrophy.

Muscle biopsies from 20 cases of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), mostly diagnosed as Werdnig-Hoffmann (W-H) disease, were examined for myosin heavy chain (HC) composition. The fetal, fast, and slow heavy chains were characterized in the isolated muscle myosin, and in myosin of single, chemically skinned fibers, by electrophoresis in SDS-6% polyacrylamide gels and by immunoblot techniques, using specific antibodies directed to each main type of myosin HC. The fiber distribution of myosin HC isozymes was further investigated on muscle cryostat sections by an indirect immunofluorescent technique. Fetal myosin HC was found to be expressed in a subpopulation of severely atrophic fibers, alone or together with the slow form of myosin HC. Triangulated fibers of intermediate size contained fetal and fast myosin or fast myosin alone. The hypertrophic fibers were characterized by the predominant expression of slow myosin HC; but in some of these fibers, also low amounts of HC fetal were found to be expressed. These findings are discussed in relation to developmental transitions of myosin heavy chains in human muscle.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1989

Rapid quantitative immunohistochemical assessment of human peripheral neuropathies using a monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor receptor.

An analysis of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor expression and density in human sural nerve biopsies was performed by immunocytochemistry with a murine monoclonal antibody against the human NGF receptor. Quantitative assessment of immunostaining density was made by histospectrophotometry on frozen sections. Although there was enhanced expression of NGF receptor within endoneurium in all patients with clinical neuropathies, expression was highest in nerves with axonal disease, consistent with the proposal that disruption of axon-Schwann cell interactions triggers the re-expression of the NGF receptor. These results with human nerves, together with previous studies with animal models, suggest that NGF and NGF receptor play important roles in the general response to neuronal injury.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cytochrome c oxidase during human fetal development.

Histochemical, biochemical and immunologic analysis of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) in skeletal muscle, heart and kidney during human fetal development was performed. COX histochemical activity was present only in few muscle fibres from the 11th to the 20th week of gestation. At the same developmental stage intrafusal muscle fibres, heart and kidney already showed strong activity. At the 28th week of gestation muscular COX activity was present in about 90% of the fibres. Tissue biochemical analysis confirmed these histochemical findings. Histochemical and biochemical findings compared to the immunocytochemical results and ELISA indicate that COX activity parallels the progressive synthesis of the enzyme in each tissue.

Electron Transport Complex IV↗
PubMed1988

Cultures of human Schwann cells isolated from fetal nerves.

We describe a technique for the preparation of highly purified populations of Schwann cells (SC) from human fetal nerves. Cultures were prepared by chemical and mechanical dissociation of human fetal sciatic nerves by modification of the method of Kreider et al. developed for newborn rat nerve. A time course analysis of some SC-associated markers at different times in vitro was performed employing immunofluorescence (IF) and immunoperoxidase (IP) to determine the percentage of SC in culture and to evaluate the maintenance of specific SC characteristics. We compared this method with that of Askanas et al. which produces enriched SC cultures by utilizing successive re-explantation of the original nerve explant. After 48 h, approximately 90% of the cells were bipolar and S-100+ and over the next two weeks about 70-80% of cells were SC by cytologic and immunocytologic criteria. At 35 days, 35% were SC, whereas less than or equal to 2.5% of 35-day-old multi-explant cultures were SC. The SC obtained by this method displayed the typical morphological and immunological characteristics: they expressed surface laminin and nerve growth factor receptors, whereas fibronectin, which is localized on fibroblast surface, was absent.

Cell Separation↗
PubMed1988

Expression of nerve growth factor receptor during human peripheral nerve development.

The expression of NGF receptors on human Schwann cells during development and myelination and in culture was analyzed using a murine monoclonal antibody to human NGF receptor. Nonmyelinated femoral nerves from 13- to 14-week fetuses stained strongly for NGF receptor, whereas tissues from later stages of development showed a decrease in the staining intensity. These changes correlated with the initiation of myelination (17-19 weeks), as observed by phase-contrast and electron microscopy, and the reactivity with monoclonal antibody 4C5, a marker of mature Schwann cells. In adult nerves, only the perineurium and few endoneurial cells were stained with anti-NGF receptor antibody. Cultured human fetal Schwann cells were positive for NGF receptor by immunofluorescence irregardless of donor age or length of time in culture. The decreased staining of NGF receptor with nerve maturation may reflect a dependence of antigen expression on Schwann cell differentiation and/or neuron-Schwann cell interaction.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1988

Establishment of Schwann cell cultures from adult rat peripheral nerves.

Schwann cell cultures are difficult to obtain from adult rat because of the abundant amount of connective tissue and myelin. We have developed a method for isolation and culture of these cells by mechanical and chemical dissociation which represents a modification of a previously described procedure for human neurofibromas. Schwann cells were identified in indirect immunofluorescence by the capacity to bind antibodies to S-100, galactocerebroside, and laminin. The baseline cell proliferation index was assessed by immunofluorescence of bromodeoxyuridine. This method provides Schwann cells from adult rat nerves for at least 7 days and in sufficient numbers for (a) morphological and immunological characterization and (b) analysis of the effects of mitogenic factors.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Low doses of ketazolam in anxiety: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A multicenter, double-blind, between-patient trial comparing two doses of ketazolam (15 and 30 mg) with placebo, each given once daily, in the evening, to 92 outpatients affected by generalized anxiety disorders for at least 1 month, was carried out. After 1-week washout period 47 patients were randomized to ketazolam 15 mg, and 45 to placebo for 15 days (first period). At the end of this period, if the patient experienced a decrease on the total Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) of at least 25% of basal value, the treatment was kept unchanged for a further 15 days, otherwise 15 mg of ketazolam were added to the previous treatment (second period). Anxiety was rated after 2 and 4 weeks with the Italian HAM-A scale and with a 4-point scale (patient's assessment). Seventy-eight patients completed the first period and 75 the whole study. During the first period the percentage of responders was almost identical in both treatment groups, but during the second period a further slight improvement was observed in the early placebo responders, while the HAM-A score of patients on ketazolam continued to improve significantly (p less than 0.01) throughout the study. Likewise a significant (p less than 0.001) difference between treatments was observed, on the 4-point scale, in the population as a whole (end of first period) as well as in responder patients (end second period). Tolerability was good, except in 1 patient on placebo, who was withdrawn from the study because of severe headache.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Treatment of anxiety with ketazolam in elderly patients.

In a multicenter, double-blind trial, 63 elderly patients who had experienced a generalized anxiety disorder for at least one month were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg of ketazolam (n = 31) or placebo (n = 32) daily for 15 days. At the end of this period, if their total scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale had decreased by at least 25%, treatment was continued unchanged for a further 15 days. Patients who did not respond to treatment were given an additional 15 mg of ketazolam daily. During the initial 15 days, 83% of the ketazolam-treated patients and 43% of the placebo patients responded to treatment (P < 0.01). During the second 15-day period, the anxiety scores of the ketazolam-treated patients continued to decline significantly, whereas the placebo patients showed no improvement. According to the investigators' assessments of severity of anxiety and patients' ratings of treatment effectiveness, ketazolam was significantly superior to placebo.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Biochemical and immunologic studies in a case of congenital myopathy with unusual morphologic features.

Mitochondria and myosin were isolated from a muscle biopsy of a 9-year-old boy with an unusual congenital myopathy characterized by type I fiber uniformity, jagged Z-line, and transverse network hypertrophy of mitochondria. Biochemical examination of isolated mitochondria showed that only citrate synthase activity was significantly reduced. Electrophoresis of myosin heavy chains and immunoenzymatic analysis of myosin heavy and light chains with antibodies specific to either fast or slow myosins showed that only the slow-type isoform of myosin was detectable. Indirect immunofluorescence of muscle biopsy showed that all muscle fibers homogeneously expressed only the slow type of myosin.

Child↗
PubMed1987

Human Schwann cells: cytochemical, ultrastructural and immunological studies in vivo and in vitro.

Cytochemical, ultrastructural and immunological properties of human Schwann cells were studied in normal adult and foetal nerve sections and in tissue cultures. As specific markers for Schwann cells we used S-100 protein and laminin. The presence of Sudan black-positive, Oil Red-O-negative material was found in Schwann cells in vitro. Structural features, examined at E.M. level, are described. This information may be useful in nerve tissue culture studies, a new tool for the investigation of dyschwannian neuropathies.

Cells, Cultured↗