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Biomedical subjects

G Allegri

Publications and source records attributed to G Allegri.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Determination of copper and zinc levels in human hair: influence of sex, age, and hair pigmentation.

The Cu and Zn levels of both 607 men (1-85 y old) and 649 women (1-92 y old) were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Sex does not influence Cu (14.89 + or - 0.89 mu g/g and 15.26 + or - 0.79 mu g/g hair for males and females, respectively) and Zn contents (200.97 + or - 9.68 mu g/g for men and 209.81 + or - 9.49 mu g/g hair for women). Age influences Cu and Zn concentrations, but only significantly in females: Cu levels decrease over 60 y of age; whereas Zn levels increase significantly from age groups 2-5 to 20-40 years. Hair color influences Cu concentrations in both males and females. In males, white hair contains less Cu than black hair; in females, white hair's Cu levels are significantly lower than those of dark blond, red, light brown, and brown hair. There are no significant differences in Zn concentrations with respect to different hair colors, in either males or females.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Biosynthesis of melanin from dopamine. An investigation of early oligomerization products.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and fast-atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry experiments were applied to the study of the early stages of the oligomerization reaction of dopamine with mushroom tyrosinase. Ultrafiltration was employed to remove the enzyme at various reaction times, to prevent possible attachment of the protein to the highly reactive intermediates. Two sets of five samples each, obtained at different reaction times, in one case immediately lyophilized and in the other left to react under an oxygen stream for 24 h before lyophilization, were compared. FAB showed the presence of various species and of these, that at m/z 305 increased in abundance with reaction time in immediately lyophilized set of samples only. Accurate mass measurements and tandem mass spectrometric experiments indicated the structure of a dopamine protonated dimer for this ion. MALDI measurements showed that all samples were composed of clusters of oligomers differing in degree of oligomerization. Oligomerization increases with reaction time, resulting in the formation of species at 2643-2911 Da. These clusters in turn were formed of species with a different degree of oxidation, detected in both sets of samples.

Dopamine↗
PubMed1994

Laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry in the study of natural and synthetic melanins. II--Serotonin melanins.

Various biosynthetic melanins obtained by enzymic oxidation of serotonin with polyphenol oxidase from Psalliota campestris mushroom or potato, and with tyrosinase from Sepia officinalis or from Sigma were studied by means of laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Various oligomeric clusters were evidenced, proving that the examined melanins are composed of sets of different oligomers, the production of which strongly depends on the enzyme reaction. While serotonin melanins obtained with polyphenol oxidase from potato showed wide species distribution with molecular weights ranging from 2008 to 13,000 Da, the same melanins obtained from mushroom showed oligomer distributions from 1505 to 9000 Da. Serotonin melanins prepared with tyrosinase from Sepia showed oligomers from 1636 to 18,000 Da. A dopa-melanin obtained with mushroom polyphenol oxidase showed oligomer species from 1709 to 17,874 Da. Comparison of molecular weight distributions of the various oligomer sets in serotonin melanins with those in tyrosine melanins revealed clear differences, which are investigated and discussed.

Agaricus↗
PubMed1994

The influence of color, age, and sex on the content of zinc, copper, nickel, manganese, and lead in human hair.

The hair of 132 healthy subjects between 6 and 40 yr old living in the Veneto region in Italy was analyzed by means of HPLC method in order to determine the presence of zinc, copper, nickel, manganese, and lead. The collected samples were subdivided on the basis of age (6-11 and 19-40 yr), and sex and color (black, red, brown, and blond). From the data some evident differences were emphasized. In female hair the content of metals was higher than in male hair independently of color. Blond hair gave the lowest concentration values of the elements studied independently of sex. The maximum amount of the metals was found generally in black hair, followed by red and brown hair. Age seems to have a different influence, with the copper element decreasing appreciably in brown and blond female hair as the age of the subjects increased.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry in the study of natural and synthetic melanins. I--Tyrosine melanins.

Nine synthetic, biosynthetic and natural tyrosine melanins, together with dopa and catechol melanins, have been studied by means of laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. The results obtained have shown that all the melanins under study consist of homogeneous sets of oligomers and have led to definitive information on their molecular weight distribution (from 500 to 30,000 Da). A deeper analysis of the spectra, in terms of mass differences among the various oligomers, allowed the identification of some monomeric units, identical or analogous to those already proposed in the literature.

Lasers↗
PubMed1992

Melanin biosynthesis from dopamine. II. A mass spectrometric and collisional spectroscopic investigation.

Electron impact (EI) and fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry together with collisional activation (CA) experiments were applied to the study of the oxidation pathway of dopamine by tyrosinase. In order to prevent attachment of the protein to the highly reactive intermediates, ultrafiltration was employed to remove the enzyme at different reaction times. FAB, privileging molecular species formation, was successfully used for identification of transient intermediates and their relative concentrations with respect to time, directly in the reaction mixture. The presence of isobaric molecular species made chromatographic separation necessary. Further EI mass spectrometry and collision spectroscopy led to structural identification of pure components. Of these, dopamine-o-quinone, leucoaminochrome, and aminochrome semiquinone were characterized for the first time as real intermediates in dopamine melanogenesis, in agreement with previous hypotheses. This approach elucidated the pathway of dopamine melanogenesis.

Dopamine↗
PubMed1990

Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry in the study of dopamine melanogenesis intermediates.

Fast atom bombardment was applied to the study of the intermediates of the reaction dopamine-tyrosinase after treatment with diazomethane. The identification of trimethoxyindoline, dopamine-o-quinone and dimethoxyindole was easily achieved by this ionization method, together with accurate mass measurements and collision experiments. The structures of these compounds are in agreement with those already hypothesized in studies on melanogenesis.

Dopamine↗
PubMed1989

Serum total and free tryptophan levels in term infants fed cow's milk formula or human milk.

We found no significant differences in mean total and free tryptophan concentrations in sera of healthy, full-term infants fed cow's milk formula and healthy, full-term infants who were breast-fed. Serum tryptophan concentrations were measured 1 h after feeding when the infants were 2 and 6 days of age. In this study cow's milk formula compared favourably with human milk as primary nutrition for full-term infants, despite a two-to-three fold higher level of free tryptophan in human colostrum.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Free and bound tryptophan in human milk during early lactation.

Total (protein-bound and free) and free tryptophan levels of breast milk were evaluated in 10 mothers of term infants on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 30th day of lactation. We found high levels of both total and free tryptophan in the colostrum. This variation in tryptophan content of breast milk may reflect the requirement of the human neonate.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Collisional spectroscopy in structural characterization of melanins. 2--Laser desorption experiments on bio- and synthetic tryptophan melanins.

Melanins are naturally occurring macromolecules whose structural complexity appeared evident from the first researches of Quilico. Their structural characterization remains a difficult problem, mainly due to the physico-chemical properties of such compounds. Melanins are insoluble in organic solvents as well as aqueous solutions and are infusible. Consequently the traditional chemical degradation and physicochemical methods such as ultraviolet, infrared, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, ESR (electron spin resonance), XPS (X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy) and X-ray diffraction have led, until now, to limited information on melanin chemical structure.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1988

First-degree atrioventricular block in a young duodenal ulcer patient treated with a standard oral dose of ranitidine.

A 20-year-old male patient on oral treatment with ranitidine 300 mg/day in a single bedtime dose was admitted to hospital for a brief episode of syncope which had occurred 20 min earlier. All clinical, laboratory and instrumental examinations yielded negative findings, except for electrocardiographic evidence of first-degree atrioventricular block. Administration of atropine produced transient disappearance of the block, which disappeared altogether after discontinuing ranitidine treatment. Two separate rechallenges with ranitidine each produced recurrence of (asymptomatic) first-degree atrioventricular block at electrocardiographic examination, but oral treatment with cimetidine (400-800 mg/day) and famotidine (40-80 mg/day) induced no electrocardiographic abnormalities. The hypothesis that this patient may be abnormally susceptible to the cholinergic or cholinergic-like effect of ranitidine, a side effect unrelated to the drug's primary H2-blocking action, would appear to be consistent with evidence of an increased vagal tone of the atrioventricular node as revealed by atrial pacing. However, the ability of ranitidine to release histamine in man and the potential dysrhythmia-inducing effect of histamine should also be taken into consideration.

Administration, Oral↗