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Biomedical subjects

G Magni

Publications and source records attributed to G Magni.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Psychological factors associated with chronic pain].

Current knowledge of the complex relationship between chronic pain and its several psychological aspects is reviewed. After a word of caution concerning the selection biases frequently present in the samples described in the literature, the authors examine the relationships between pain and personality, pain and psychopathology and lastly pain and environment (stress). While chronic pain and depression share some neurochemical abnormalities suggesting new lines of research, much remains to be done to improve the clinical characterization of pain and notably its prognostic aspects.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1989

A comparative study of some properties of cytidine deaminase from Escherichia coli and chicken liver.

The molecular and kinetic properties of cytidine deaminase from E. coli and chicken liver show several interesting differences and similarities: 1. Both enzymes possess an oligomeric structure, and linear kinetics. 2. The chicken liver enzyme is strictly dependent on the presence of reducing agents and presents a microheterogeneity in the pure preparation. 3. Both enzymes display identical specificity and share a rapid-equilibrium random Uni-Bi mechanism of catalysis. 4. The chicken liver enzyme is inhibited competitively by dTTP, CMP and dCMP.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

DST in chronic pain patients not suffering from major depression.

The relationship between chronic pain and depression is complex, and nonorganic chronic pain has been hypothesised (at least in some cases) as the expression of an underlying affective disturbance. Postdexamethasone cortisol nonsuppression was assessed in two groups of patients with chronic organic (n = 43) and nonorganic (n = 20) pain, none of them suffering from a major depressive disorder. Non-suppression occurred in 16.3% of the organic group and 20% of the nonorganic one. No difference emerged between the two groups for mean postdexamethasone cortisol values. The DST test results did not suggest the existence of a close relationship between chronic pain and major depressive disorder; however, a wider relationship between chronic pain and affective disturbances, at least in a subgroup of patients, cannot be ruled out.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A spectrophotometric method for the assay of pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase in human erythrocytes.

A new spectrophotometric assay for human erythrocyte pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase using a continuous spectrophotometric method is described. The activity is detected by measuring uracil, which is produced by a coupled assay including cytidine deaminase and uridine nucleosidase. The results obtained with the continuous spectrophotometric method have been confirmed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. This procedure, not based upon inorganic phosphate formation and avoiding the use of radioactive material, offers significant advantages with respect to commonly adopted assays.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1989

The role of life events in the myasthenia gravis outcome: a one-year longitudinal study.

We examined 51 patients suffering from myasthenia gravis (MG) and studied the relevance of stressful life events in relation to the course of the disease. Life events were assessed by means of the Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events. The stage severity of MG was assessed by means of the Osserman and Genkins scale, twice per patient, at one year intervals. Simultaneously, life events were assessed for the 12 months preceding each of the 2 assessments of MG. Over the 2 MG evaluations 16 patients improved, 6 worsened and in 29 no change took place. Using life events data collected at the first interview, and applying a prospective design, no difference was found between patients who improved and those who remained unchanged or worsened. Life events reported at the second interview, as having occurred during the inter-assessment year, and collected according to a retrospective design, were significantly fewer in improvers than in non-improvers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of alpidem, a novel anxiolytic of imidazopyridine structure, in chronically anxious patients.

In this double-blind study alpidem, a new imidazopyridine anxiolytic drug, was compared with placebo to assess its efficacy and safety in severely anxious patients at the fixed dose of 150 mg/day (50 mg t.i.d.) for 3 weeks. Fifty-nine patients with a score of at least 18 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) entered the trial after a 3- to 7-day placebo run-in period. Symptom improvement was evaluated with the HRSA, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-1 and STAI-2), a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI). Alpidem was more effective than placebo in improving mean HRSA (total score and factorial scores for somatic and psychic anxiety), STAI-1 and STAI-2 and VAS scores. The efficacy index of the CGI was better for alpidem than for placebo. Side effects were negligible in both groups. Alpidem appears to be a new interesting anxiolytic drug devoid of significant sedative effects on mental functions.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1989

Fengabine, a new GABAmimetic agent in the treatment of depressive disorders: an overview of six double-blind studies versus tricyclics.

Fengabine is a new GABAmimetic compound active in animal models predictive of antidepressant activity. The present overview reports the results of 6 double-blind trials versus tricyclics (TCAs) (3 in outpatients and 3 in inpatients). Overall, 398 adult patients (149 males and 249 females) were treated; 194 with fengabine and 204 with TCAs (98 clomipramine, 63 amitriptyline and 43 imipramine). 284 suffered from major depression (MD) (including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, depressed; DSM III) and 114 from minor depression (MiD) including dysthymic disorder, atypical depression and adjustment disorder with depressive mood (DSM III). Dosage ranged from 600 to 2,400 mg/day for fengabine and 50 to 200 mg/day for TCAs. Efficacy was evaluated with the HAM-D scale. 311 subjects (154 fengabine and 157 TCAs) ended the 4-week treatment period. Considering the whole sample and mean IAM-D scores, no significant differences emerged between the 2 treatment groups at any of the assessment periods. Because of a significant treatment x type of depression interaction, MD and MiD were analysed separately, and a different trend appeared in the 2 subgroups with TCAs behaving slightly better than fengabine in MD and fengabine performing slightly better than TCAs in MiD. Using the physician's clinical improvement, 74% of patients under fengabine and 72% of those under TCAs were rated as improved or much improved. Side effects, particularly of the anticholinergic type were significantly more frequent in the TCAs group. Gamma-GT were more frequently altered in the fengabine group (30.4 vs. 10.5%); this increase was interpreted as a consequence of enzymatic induction. Lastly, more patients taking fengabine exhibited an increase in cholesterol values.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Panic attacks and major depression after discontinuation of long-term diazepam abuse.

A case is described of a patient with a history of several years of diazepam abuse (in the last 24 months at dosages of 120 mg/d). A tapering schedule was carried out during a 12-day stay in the hospital in which the diazepam dosage was reduced by a fixed quantity every day, corresponding to about ten percent of the initial dosage. Five days after discharge from the hospital the patient experienced panic attacks, for the first time, which continued until 13 days after discharge. By the 40th day, the patient was experiencing a major depressive episode, which improved after administration of clomipramine therapy. We suggest that a relatively quick withdrawal schedule (ten percent per day) is probably inadequate in preventing withdrawal reactions to long-acting benzodiazepines taken in high doses for an extended period of time.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Metabolism of NAD+ in the nuclei of human placenta].

It has long been known that the major function of NAD+ is as an electron carrier in various biological oxidation-reduction systems. From many papers it is evident that NAD+ is involved as substrate in ADP-ribosylation reactions. We have focused our attention on two chromatin enzymes: NMN-adenylyltransferase that catalyzes reversible synthesis of NAD+ utilizing ATP and NMN, and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase that covalently modifies nucleosomal proteins through poly ADP-ribosylation reactions. Here we provided evidence of these activities in a system of isolated nuclei from human placenta. The data presented in this report show that purified nuclei might be useful to study the nuclear location of these enzymes and their reciprocal interactions.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1988

Recent observations on the structure and the properties of yeast NMN adenylyltransferase.

A homogeneous preparation of yeast NMN adenylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.1) showed microheterogeneity, which was revealed by FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography) ion exchange chromatography. The resolved components have been characterized with respect to electrophoretic behavior and adenine content. The results led to a hypothesis about a possible role of poly(ADP-ribosylation) in modulating the enzyme activity.

Adenine↗
PubMed1988

Results of dexamethasone suppression test in early Alzheimer dementia.

The frequency of an abnormal response to the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) was examined in 24 non-depressed patients in the early stages of Alzheimer dementia. Results were compared with those obtained in 51 geriatric medical inpatients: 15 with major depression, 18 with dysthymic disorder and 18 normal controls. As an abnormal lack of suppression was found in 9 demented patients, in 9 with major depression, 1 with dysthymic disorder and in 2 the normal controls, it appears that DST alone is not useful in distinguishing dementia, even in its early stages, from major depression. In our experience abnormal DST results in demented patients were unrelated to mood.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Psychological distress in geriatric and adult medical in-patients.

Psychological distress was evaluated in two groups of medical in-patients, one composed of geriatric subjects (178), the other of adults (201). The instrument used for this purpose was the SCL-90. The predominant pattern of emotional response among the geriatric patients was depression; although this pattern was also present among the adult patients, reactions of an anxious type were more common in these subjects. Women of both groups of patients scored significantly higher than men on many of the subscales of the SCL-90. No significant differences emerged in relation to the type of organic disease among the adult patients, while among the geriatric patients, subjects with disorders of the CNS, muscular-skeletal system and blood scored significantly higher than those with other diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Relationship between psychosocial factors and serum level of pepsinogen group I and gastrinemia in the normal subject.

The relationship between some psychosocial factors and serum level of Pepsinogen Group I (PG-I) and gastrinemia have been evaluated in 163 normal subjects using correlation procedures. The psychosocial variables investigated included: age, sex, education, social class, smoking, drinking, anxiety (as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory) and psychological distress (as measured by the Symptom Distress Check-List 90). The variables with the highest (positive) correlation with PG-I were smoking and age. The factors mostly linked with gastrinemia were age (positively correlated) and trait anxiety (negatively correlated). The percentage of variation explained by these variables was, however, relatively low.

Adult↗