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Biomedical subjects

G Cavallini

Publications and source records attributed to G Cavallini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Effects of different types of anti-aging dietary restrictions on age-related atrial natriuretic factor changes: an immunochemical and ultrastructural study.

The effects of two types of anti-aging dietary restrictions restrictions-60% diet restriction (DR) and every-other-day feeding (intermittent feeding, IF)-on age-related changes in atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) metabolism were studied in male Sprague Dawley rats by standard radioimmunological procedures and transmission electron microscopy. Both diet restrictions decreased plasma ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) levels significantly (12-month-old rats: ad libitum fed controls 96 +/- 17.3 pg/mL, IF 63 +/- 4.8 pg/mL, DR 74 +/- 14.4 pg/mL; 24-month-old rats: AL 109 +/- 6.3 pg/mL, IF 75 +/- 8.9 pg/mL, DR 65 +/- 9.1 pg/mL). Dietary restriction prevented the age-related increase in ANP concentration in both the right atrium (12-month-old rats: AL 0.25 +/- 0.033 microgram/mg, IF 0.22 +/- 0.023 microgram/mg, DR 0.30 +/- 0.044 microgram/mg; 24-month-old rats: AL 0.39 +/- 0.037 microgram/mg, IF 0.10 +/- 0.015 microgram/mg, DR 0.07 +/- 0.011 microgram/mg) and left atrium (12-month-old rats: AL 0.23 +/- 0.033 microgram/mg, IF 0.13 +/- 0.019 microgram/mg, DR 0.17 +/- 0.035 microgram/mg; 24-month-old rats: AL 0.44 +/- 0.037 microgram/mg; IF 0.07 +/- 0.009 microgram/mg, DR 0.07 +/- 0.011 microgram/mg). Endocrine cardiocytes of diet-restricted senescent rats could be readily distinguished ultrastructurally from cells of ad libitum fed controls due to a higher number of beta-atrial specific granules of lower electrondensity. In conclusion, anti-aging diet restriction regimens fully prevented the age-related increase in the hormone store in atrial tissue, and lowered plasma ANP levels.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1995

Clinical and biologic features of adenomatosis coli in Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a hereditary disease characterized by more than 100 adenomas scattered in the large bowel and by various extracolonic manifestations. We proposed a) to establish the frequency of the disorder in Northern Italy, b) to describe the most relevant clinical findings, and c) in a subgroup of 21 patients (from 8 families), to evaluate the spectrum of mutations of the APC gene. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with FAP diagnosed between 1961 and 1991 were referred to our Study Group from surgery and gastroenterology units of the region Emilia-Romagna. The incidence of FAP was in the order of 1 in 16,500, with about a third of patients being 'single' cases. Colorectal malignancies were present in 75.6% of symptomatic patients but absent in most (93.75%) of the asymptomatic family members ('call-up' individuals). Gastric, duodenal, and jejunal adenomas were found in 8.2%, 30.6% and 53.3% of the investigated patients, respectively. Congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and occult jaw lesions were seen in 64.7% and 39.5% of FAP patients but only in 0.5% and 2.5% of a matched, by age and sex, control population. These two clinical markers had a specificity of 99% and 97%, although their sensitivity was 64% and 39%. Finally, mutations of the APC gene were detected in 6 families (16 affected individuals) of the 8 families (21 affected individuals) tested; no correlation could be found between genotype and phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that early diagnosis is essential for an appropriate management of FAP patients, although this aim remains elusive in single cases. High-risk individuals are ideal candidates for APC gene mutation analysis, which should be offered to all first-degree relatives of affected patients.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed1993

Gabexate mesilate vs aprotinin in human acute pancreatitis (GA.ME.P.A.). A prospective, randomized, double-blind multicenter study.

The authors report the results of a randomized, double-blind multicenter clinical trial on the use of gabexate mesilate vs aprotinin in the therapy of acute pancreatitis. The size of the study sample and the end points chosen for evaluation of the early systemic complications of the pancreatitis--carefully selected targets for reliable assessment of the efficacy of any protease inhibitor--lead to the conclusion that gabexate mesilate is more efficacious than aprotinin in reducing the early complications of necrotizing acute pancreatitis, if administered within 72 h of onset of symptoms. Its good tolerability means that it can be used safely even at the dose of 3 g/24 h.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Exocrine and endocrine functional reserve in the course of chronic pancreatitis as studied by maximal stimulation tests.

Thirty patients suffering from chronic alcoholic pancreatitis (18 calcified) were entered into a study of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function based on two maximal stimulation tests, namely the secretin-cerulein test and the glucagon test with serum assays of C peptide. The glucagon test was also performed in 19 control subjects. In addition, 10 chronic pancreatitis patients and nine controls were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with serum insulin determinations. C peptide basal values were decreased only in patients with severe pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (P less than 0.001), while delta C peptide values were also reduced in patients with moderate exocrine insufficiency (P less than 0.001). Lipase output correlated very well with delta C peptide values (P less than 0.001). While serum insulin levels during OGTT and C peptide basal values showed no significant differences between the chronic pancreatitis and control groups, delta C peptide values were significantly reduced in chronic pancreatitis patients (P less than 0.02). Both endocrine and exocrine function are impaired in chronic pancreatitis, as demonstrated by maximal tests, even in early stages of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effects of the administration of thyroid hormone on the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptides and on atrial myoendocrine cells in the rat: an immunochemical, ultrastructural, and stereological study.

The effects of an altered thyroidal status on the levels of immunoreactive (ir-) atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in serum and in the right and left atria, as well as on the subcellular structures of atrial myoendocrine cells were explored in groups of male Sprague Dawley rats given the vehicle or triiodothyronine in the toxicological dose-range (50 micrograms/100 g bw/day) for 0,5, 1,2,4,7 or 14 days. Plasma levels of ir-ANP were 30% higher in T3-treated rats compared with controls at 0,5 and 1 day after hormone administration and then decreased to levels 30-40% lower than controls at days 2 and 4 to rise again above control values on day 7 and 14. Atrial ir-ANP levels decreased at first both in the right and in the left atria with different latencies (1 and 2 days, respectively) and rose back towards control levels by day 4. Changes in the numerical density of specific granules followed a parallel temporal pattern. An increased in the individual volume of the granules followed was also observed. Investigation into the circulatory effects of T3 administration showed that the heart rate was increased by hour 12 after hormone administration (simultaneously with the early rise in plasma ir-ANP levels) and that blood pressure was increased by day 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[The enzymatic activity of adenosine metabolism in the rat heart. The effects of cardiac hypertrophy].

The transmural distribution of the adenosine metabolizing enzyme activities 5'nucleotidase (5'N) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) across the left ventricular wall was explored in rats with heart hypertrophy induced by aortocaval shunt (FAC), or coarctation of the abdominal aorta (S) or by tireotoxicosis (T). FAC caused largest heart hypertrophy with a very short latency (1 day: + 0%, 3.5 days: + 30%, 7 days: + 41%, 21 days: + 49%). A 30% increase in the left ventricle free wall was observed after 3.5, 14 or 28 days of treatment with FAC, T or S respectively. Different changes in enzyme levels and alteration of transmural distribution profiles were observed with the different types of heart hypertrophy. Level of 5'N was decreased with FAC, did not change with T and increased with S; levels of ADA were always increased. The pattern of the transmural distribution of 5'N was affected by S but not by T and FAC, whereas distribution of ADA was not affected by S and T and was altered by FAC transiently.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1992

Lipase latex test for acute abdominal pain: comparison with serum lipase, trypsin, elastase and amylase.

The diagnostic capacity of a semiquantitative latex test for lipase measurement was compared with the measurement of other pancreatic enzymes in 100 consecutive patients admitted to a general hospital for recent onset of severe abdominal pain. Positive results of the test were found in two patients with acute pancreatitis, and in one out of three chronic pancreatitis relapses. The test yielded false-positive results only in two patients who had no apparent pancreatic involvement. A marginal increase in other pancreatic enzymes was found in a few patients with acute biliary or appendicular problems. In conclusion, the lipase latex test can be suggested in an emergency setting as a quick and reliable alternative to serum amylase to rule out a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1992

The menstrual cycle has no effect on gastrointestinal transit time. Evaluation by means of the lactulose H2 breath test.

Gastrointestinal transit time was studied by means of the H2 breath test (after administration of 20 g of lactulose) in 20 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles. The mean transit time measured in the follicular phase of the cycle (M +/- SE = 71.25 +/- 6.69 min) did not differ statistically from that measured in the luteal phase (66.75 +/- 5.49 min). Data were statistically analyzed using Student's t test for paired data and the Wilcoxon Test for non-parametric data. Our results show that, in physiological conditions, female sex hormones do not affect mouth-to-caecum transit time. The H2 breath test is easy to perform and well tolerated; it thus proves particularly suitable for use in women of child-bearing age.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Variations in time of serum pancreatic enzyme levels in chronic pancreatitis and clinical course of the disease.

Thirty-four patients with chronic calcified pancreatitis were evaluated clinically and biochemically (at a time when painful relapses were not present) every 9 mo for 3 yr; 25 of them were also studied at 4 and 9 yr. Serum elastase-1, trypsin, lipase, and amylase in the same sera were measured at each visit; levels on entry and variations during the study were compared with the clinical and functional data of the patients. On entry, low levels of elastase-1 were found in 11.7% of the patients, high levels in 41.1%; in contrast, high levels of trypsin and lipase were found in only a small number of patients (5.8 and 11.7%, respectively), whereas low levels were present in a substantial number (47.8 and 32.3% for trypsin and lipase, respectively). Over time, we found a significant (p = 0.000002) reduction in elastase-1 levels. Such reduction was not found for trypsin, lipase, or amylase. The reduction of serum elastase-1 was significantly (p less than 0.003) more frequent in patients presenting a reduction in painful relapses than in patients with a stable or increased attach rate; this association was weaker (p less than 0.05) for lipase and trypsin, and absent for amylase. No correlation was found between circulating enzymes and either alcohol consumption or age of patients. In patients with severe exocrine impairment, low levels of elastase were found in only 20% of the cases, whereas trypsin and lipase were reduced in 73.3 and 53.3% of the cases, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1991

Minoxidil versus nitroglycerin: a prospective double-blind controlled trial in transcutaneous erection facilitation for organic impotence.

A new type of topically applied drug (minoxidil) to facilitate erection is presented. Minoxidil acts directly on arterial smooth muscles via relaxation. This drug (1 ml. of a 2% solution) was studied under strict laboratory conditions in a double-blind controlled trial on 33 patients (4 with neurogenic plus arterial, 10 with neurogenic and 19 with arterial impotence) and compared to placebo and nitroglycerin (2.5 gm. of a 10% ointment). The application sites were the penile shaft (nitroglycerin) or glans penis (minoxidil and placebo). Increases in diameter and rigidity were measured with the RigiScan device and arterial flow was evaluated by conventional Doppler sonography. Side effects were considered as well. This drug proved to be more active than nitroglycerin and placebo in increasing diameter, rigidity and arterial flow of the penis. The highest activity proved to occur in neurogenically impotent patients. Fewer side effects also were found with minoxidil than with nitroglycerin. For these reasons minoxidil is proposed as a long-term therapeutic agent for organic impotence.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1991

Lack of pancreatic maldigestion in atopic dermatitis.

Twenty adult patients affected by atopic dermatitis (AD) were submitted to the p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) test in order to evaluate the proteolytic pancreatic function. All but one showed a normal PABA test. These results seem to exclude a proteolytic maldigestion as a pathogenetic factor in AD.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗
PubMed1991

Early graft injuries after pancreatic transplantation in syngeneic rats. Cytoprotective effects of gabexate-mesilate.

Failures in experimental and human pancreatic transplantation are mainly attributable to rejection, graft thrombosis, and technical problems. There are, however, problems related to other causes, such as preservation injuries, which we found to exhibit, at least within the first 6 h, the same histological patterns seen in experimental acute pancreatitis. We performed pancreatic transplantation in 110 syngeneic rats under different preservation techniques and administration of gabexate mesilate, a synthetic protease inhibitor. The results showed that antiprotease treatment reduces graft preservation injuries significantly.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1990

Pancreatic calcifications in patients with chronic pancreatitis. A sign of long-lasting or severe disease?

Pancreatic calcifications are particularly frequent in patients with severe pancreatic insufficiency and long-lasting chronic pancreatitis. To clarify whether calcifications point to a more severe form of the disease, irrespective of its duration, we have retrospectively analyzed patients with chronic pancreatitis submitted to the secretin-cerulein test in our center over a six-year period. Out of 120 patients, calcifications were found in 55. Higher alcohol intake and longer duration of the disease were found in patients with calcifications, compared with patients without calcifications (p less than 0.001). In both groups, lipase and chymotrypsin were more severely impaired than bicarbonate; a greater reduction of pancreatic exocrine function was found in patients with calcifications, compared to those without (p less than 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test). When the patients were classified according to the duration of the disease or the severity of exocrine function impairment, higher percentages of patients with calcifications were found in the classes with more advanced disease. A log-linear analysis showed that the prevalence of calcifications was associated with pancreatic function impairment, even within the same class of duration of the disease. It is likely that calcifications mark more severe forms of chronic pancreatitis, even in the early phases of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Abdominal lymph node tuberculosis: a diagnostic surprise].

The case of a patient submitted to sonographic abdominal examination because of recent onset of fever, abdominal pain and weight loss, with the finding of multiple enlarged lymph nodes along great vessels, is reported. Because of the negativity of noninvasive procedures, the patient underwent laparatomy and biopsy. The histologic and bacteriologic diagnosis of tuberculous lymphnodes was unexpected, as the patient was unreactive to the tuberculin skin test and had no signs of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although uncommon, tuberculosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of subdiaphragmatic lymphadenopathies even if symptoms of mycobacterial infection or other signs of the infections are not presented.

Abdomen↗