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Biomedical subjects

G Moro

Publications and source records attributed to G Moro.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Protein quality of human milk fortifier in low birth weight infants: effects on growth and plasma amino acid profiles.

Serum preprandial essential amino acid, urea and prealbumin concentrations, and growth rates were studied in appropriate for gestational age low birth weight infants fed one of three regimens: (1) human milk enriched with human milk protein (n = 17); (2) bovine whey protein hydrolysate (n = 18; and (3) a mixture of bovine proteins, peptides and amino acids designed to have an amino acid composition close to that of human milk proteins (n = 18). Energy and nitrogen intakes were similar in all groups. Growth rates and gross metabolic responses did not differ between the feeding groups. There were also no differences in the amino acid profiles between those infants fed human milk protein fortifier and mixed bovine protein fortifier. Infants fed the whey fortifier had significantly higher threonine concentrations in comparison to those fed exclusively human milk protein (287 +/- 63 mumol/l vs 168 +/- 26 mumol/l) whereas the levels of some other essential amino acids (i.e. valine, leucine, lysine, histidine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) were lower. The results indicate that growth rates and gross metabolic indices do not depend on the protein quality of human milk fortifiers. However, the addition of well balanced mixtures of bovine proteins to human milk results in amino acid profiles similar to those observed in LBW infants fed similar amounts of human milk proteins.

Amino Acids, Essential↗
PubMed1993

Fetal lung maturity evaluation with fluorescence polarization of the amniotic fluid.

Fluorescence polarization of the amniotic fluid from 39 high risk pregnancies requiring preterm delivery was measured in order to assess the maturity of the fetal lung. The study population included 15 cases of intrauterine growth retardation, ten maternal hypertension, five maternal Hodgkin's disease, three placenta previa, two fetal malformation, two polyamnios, one untreated diabetes, one maternal nephropathy. All patients underwent a single amniocentesis before deciding whether to deliver a preterm baby and FP of the amniotic fluid was done within two hours from amniocentesis. In five cases this was > 0.311, the cut-off limit taken as an indicator of fetal pulmonary status, and three of these developed respiratory distress syndrome. In 34 cases FP values were < or = 0.311; in spite of the apparent lung maturity two of these newborns developed respiratory distress syndrome. On the basis of these results the FP sensitivity was calculated as 60%, specificity 94% and the overall accuracy 90%.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1993

[Clinical and mammographic screening in a district of Milan: organization, social influence and results].

A reduction in the mortality rate for breast cancer in women over 50 years undergoing mammographic screening has been reported in many studies. Since the first experience in Florence in 1970, mammographic screenings on a population from different areas of Italy began. We report the experience carried out in the 16th District of Milan among women from 50 to 60 years of age. A promotional activity with the use of local media supported the program. The screening was based on two-view conventional mammography and clinical examination. Immediate response was given to the women. The compliance was 60%. Mainly immigrants, with only primary school education, mothers of several children and freelancers seem to be the main features of the women in the non-attenders group.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1993

[Effect of the amino acid content of breast milk supplements on the amino acid profile in the plasma of newborn infants: human albumin in comparison with Eoprotin].

The influence of amino acid composition of two human milk fortifiers (Eoprotin, Milupa AG, Germany, and human albumin) on plasma amino acid profiles was studied in 28 preterm infants after a 14-day feeding period. The concentrations of total essential amino acids increased in both feeding groups significantly if compared to the period without supplementation; only the concentrations of methionine and phenylalanine in the eoprotin group and those of threonine, methionine and isoleucine in the human albumin group did not increase significantly. However, only the concentrations of isoleucine (Eoprotin: 79 +/- 19 mumol/l; human albumin: 45 +/- 20 mumol/l, p < 0.001) and methionine (Eoprotin: 26 +/- 10 mumol/l, human albumin: 16 +/- 10 mumol/l, p = 0.014) were significantly different between the two feeding groups. There was a significant correlation between the differences in the serum concentrations and the ones of each essential amino acid concentration in the fortifiers (r = 0.951). The results indicate that the amino acid composition of human milk fortifiers must be taken into consideration to achieve optimal nutritional management of preterm infants.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1993

[Dynamic vascular imaging with magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic and abdominal region. Technique optimization].

Several Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging techniques for the study of the main thoracic and abdominal vessels are analyzed. Such techniques based on the static representation of vessels, as MR angiography (MRA), are considered, together with dynamic techniques--i.e., cine MR--and those based on ultra-fast sequences with bolus contrast medium administration; the latter are considered also according to their use in the study of the early parenchymogram. Namely, the investigated techniques are: 3D/2D inflow imaging with and without presaturation, 3D inflow imaging with paramagnetic contrast medium administration, 2D/3D phase/dephase subtraction imaging, cine MR with heart gating, the sequential dynamic single-slice technique with bolus contrast medium, and the apnea multi-slice imaging. The main parameters are indicated for each technique and type of sequence. From our experience, rather precise indications emerge as to the use of the various techniques according to the investigated region and to the suspected disease. The best techniques for demonstrating sacciform aneurysms proved to be the 3D inflow ones, as well as the cine MR and the turbo-flash sequences with contrast medium; as for dissecting aneurysms, cine MR proved best. In portal flow conditions and in major veins thromboses, 2D inflow and phase/dephase subtraction sequences are suggested. In the study of renal stenoses, limitations and advantages of 2D versus 3D sequences are compared. Moreover, indications, limitations and specificity are analyzed of the early parenchymogram based on ultra-fast sequences with paramagnetic contrast medium. In the authors' experience, the different MR vascular imaging techniques must be considered only an integration to more specific investigations, but it is likely that, as it happened with MRA of the head and neck, the increase in resolution and the reduction in artifacts will--soon--turn this kind of imaging into the examination of choice in vascular studies.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1993

[Dynamic sequential study of hepatic nodular lesions with ultra-fast sequences and fast bolus of gadolinium-DTPA].

Eighty-five patients with single/multiple nodular hepatic lesions (10 focal nodular hyperplasias, 37 liver hemangiomas, 24 metastases and 16 hepatocellular carcinomas; 2 patients had associated lesions) were examined with dynamic single-slice sequences and fast i.v. bolus injection of Gd-DTPA. The dynamic single-slice technique was used to evaluate the peculiar features of the dynamic enhancement. The snapshot sequence proved best to provide the high temporal resolution of the dynamic parenchymal enhancement (scanning time < 1 second, one frame every third second). The following variables were investigated: nodular lesion intensity in the first basal snapshot image, enhancement appearance and its contemporaneity with arterial, venous or portal flows, enhancement gradient relative to surrounding liver parenchyma, morphologic features of the enhancement and its centrifugal/centripetal patterns. The enhancement curve of focal nodular hyperplasia increased very quickly during the first 20-25 seconds. This enhancement was quite similar to the arterial one and always occurred before portal and systemic venous times. Hemangiomas exhibited a typically slow growth-curve in the first 120 seconds, with a positive final gradient value relative to liver parenchyma. The appearance of peripheral contrast enhancement was a typical sign after 30 seconds. Metastases exhibited similar dynamic enhancement to hemangiomas, but peripheral enhancement was never observed and, after 120 seconds, gradient was null or negative relative to the adjacent liver parenchyma. Moreover, enhancement always followed portal times. Hepatocellular carcinomas showed an early growth curve, preceding portal times, but less marked than in hyperplasia. The study of our series provided the preliminary semiology of early dynamic enhancement patterns, which is quite specific to recognize and differentiate nodular hepatic lesions.

Contrast Media↗
PubMed1992

Pharmacophore identification by molecular modeling and chemometrics: the case of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

A methodology based on molecular modeling and chemometrics is applied to identify the geometrical pharmacophore and the stereoelectronic requirements for the activity in a series of inhibitors of 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. These inhibitors present two common structural features - a 3,5-dihydroxy hepatanoic acid which mimics the active portion of the natural substrate HMG-CoA and a lipophilic region which carries both polar and bulky groups. A total of 432 minimum energy conformations of 11 homologous compounds showing different levels of biological activity are calculated by the molecular mechanics MM2 method. Five atoms are selected as representatives of the relevant fragments of these compounds and three interatomic distances, selected among 10 by means of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), are used to describe the three-dimensional disposition of these atoms. A cluster analysis procedure, performed on the whole set of conformations described by these three distances, allows the selection of one cluster whose centroid represents a geometrical model for the HMG-CoA reductase pharmacophore and the conformations included are candidates as binding conformations. To obtain a refinement of the geometrical model and to have a better insight into the requirements for the activity of these inhibitors, the Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) distributions are determined by the MNDO semiempirical method.

Electrochemistry↗
PubMed1992

Acute cervical radiculopathy due to vertebral A-V fistula.

We report the case of a 28 year old woman with acute, mainly motor, radiculopathy at C5-C6 on the right side secondary to a congenital vertebral arteriovenous fistula. The finding of a bruit at the side of the neck lent weight to the CT and MRI findings. Angiography was diagnostic. The fistula was embolized successfully.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Postnatal development of liver and exocrine pancreas in polycythemic newborn infants.

In 35 newborn infants appropriate for gestational age the influence of neonatal polycythemia (venous hematocrit greater than 60% measured between the second and fourth hour of life) on development of enterohepatic circulation of bile acids, activities of pancreatic enzymes in duodenal juice, and the effects of hemodilution were studied during the second week of life. A significant correlation was found between the initial hematocrit and both the bile acid concentration in serum and lipase and trypsin activity in duodenal juice. Of 35 infants, 10 were not treated with hemodilution due to asymptomatic polycythemia; they had the highest concentration of serum bile acids associated with the lowest lipase and trypsin activity in duodenal juice. However, the 25 infants treated with hemodilution also showed serum bile acid concentrations and lipase and trypsin activity in duodenal juice out of the normal range when compared to normocythemic infants. These data indicate that, during the first days of life, polycythemia results in a delayed postnatal development of enterohepatic circulation of bile acids and exocrine pancreas functions independently from the occurrence of clinical symptoms. Thus, it can be concluded that, on the first day of life, all polycythemic infants should be treated with hemodilution. Moreover, the nutritional management of these infants must also account for the limited functional capacity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1991

Transverse tubule Mg(2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle. Evidence for extracellular orientation of the chicken and rabbit enzymes.

The orientation of the enzyme Mg(2+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) in the transverse tubule (TT) membranes of skeletal muscle was investigated using highly purified chicken and rabbit TT vesicles. The percentage of sealed vesicles present in these preparations averaged 88 and 78%, respectively, as calculated from the detergent-induced increase in ouabain-sensitive (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity, ATP-dependent ouabain binding, and lactate dehydrogenase activity (sarcoplasmic enzyme trapped in the TT vesicles). Sidedness of the sealed vesicles, estimated from latency of 5'-nucleotidase, acetylcholinesterase, and adenylate cyclase, was predominantly right-side out (69-76%, chicken TT and 62-70%, rabbit TT). In both chicken and rabbit native vesicles, high Mg(2+)-ATPase activity was detected by addition of ATP to the extravesicular medium; this activity was increased 14-12% by alamethicin pointing to the external localization of the active site. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity resulted partially inhibited by treatment of the chicken TT vesicles with proteinase K or p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. Concanavalin A stimulated 4-fold the chicken TT Mg(2+)-ATPase activity, an effect not potentiated by detergent permeabilization of the intact vesicles, indicating that lectin-binding sites were also solvent accessible. This stimulatory effect was not observed in native or permeabilized rabbit TT vesicles. From these results we conclude that the TT Mg(2+)-ATPase is an ectoenzyme with its nucleotide-hydrolyzing site and glycosylated regions facing the extracellular space. Inhibitors of ion-motive ATPases did not modify the enzyme activity, suggesting a different physiological role for the TT Mg(2+)-ATPase which may be involved in the regulation of muscle fiber functions affected by extracellular ATP levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Activities of lipase and trypsin in duodenal juice of infants small for gestational age.

In 18 low birth weight infants, small for gestational age, with different degrees of intrauterine growth retardation the activities of pancreatic lipase and trypsin and the concentrations of bile acids were measured in preprandially aspirated duodenal juice. The results were compared to those of 24 low birth weight infants, appropriate for gestational age, with comparable birth weights and postnatal ages. The activities of both measured pancreatic enzymes were negatively correlated with the degree of intrauterine growth retardation, expressed as the difference between the individual birth weight and the weight of the 10th percentile of the intrauterine growth curve (lipase: r = -0.697, p less than 0.001; trypsin: r = -0.739, p less than 0.001). The activity of trypsin in the small for gestational age infants was within the range of that found in the infants appropriate for gestational age. However, the lipase activity was decreased in infants who presented with growth retardation of greater than 400 g/kg birthweight. The concentrations of bile acids were similar in both groups (4.60 +/- 2.51 and 4.55 +/- 2.26 mmol/L, respectively) and sufficient for activating the bile salt stimulated lipase in human milk. The data suggest that in intrauterine growth retarded infants the lipase activity in the duodenal juice can be a limiting factor for optimal fat digestion. This should be considered in the nutritional management of such infants.

Duodenum↗
PubMed1991

[Current role of hysterosalpingography in the assessment of female infertility: review of a series of cases].

The authors reviewed 463 hysterosalpingographies from a series of patients examined for primary infertility. 25.5% of them had been studied with echotomography and 4.1% with therapeutic and explorative laparoscopy. Hysterosalpingographic results were compared with positive findings at clinical examination and with various pathologic associations: the method proved to be extremely valuable in the diagnosis of the primary causes of female infertility, and even showed secondary, sometimes unsuspected, causes--e.g., iatrogenic and inflammatory. Moreover, high agreement (50%) was observed with echotomographic findings. The examination was carried out on an outpatient basis, and proved less dangerous and cheaper than other invasive techniques, its cost being more or less the same as that of US, which however is still the least dangerous and expensive method for the diagnosis of female infertility. Therefore, the authors suggest that diagnostic laparotomy be a second choice and be employed only in the cases where it can have therapeutic purposes. In all the extant cases, combined hysterosalpingography and US are still recommended.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Antibody responses to parenteral and oral vaccines are impaired by conventional and low protein formulas as compared to breast-feeding.

The vaccine response to poliovirus, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in relation to protein intake was studied in infants, either breast-fed or given low (1.1 g/100 ml) or conventional (1.5 g/100 ml) protein formula. Serum, saliva and faeces antibodies were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neutralizing poliovirus antibodies were determined. The serum, saliva and faeces antibody responses in the two formula-fed groups of infants did not differ significantly, but for the low protein formula group which had significantly higher serum neutralizing titres to poliovirus after the second vaccine dose than the conventional formula group. However, the breast-fed group had significantly higher antibody levels than the two formula-fed groups together: serum IgG to diphtheria toxoid (p less than 0.01) and serum neutralization of poliovirus (p less than 0.001) at 21-40 months of age, saliva secretory IgA to tetanus (p less than 0.01), diphtheria toxoid (p less than 0.01) and poliovirus (p less than 0.05), as well as faecal IgM to tetanus toxoid (p less than 0.05) and poliovirus (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05) at 3 and 4 months of age. Breast-fed infants thus showed better serum and secretory responses to peroral and parenteral vaccines than the formula-fed, whether with a conventional or low protein content.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1990

Postnatal adaptation of lipase- and trypsin-activities in duodenal juice of premature infants appropriate for gestational age.

In 17 very low birth weight and in 13 low birth weight infants appropriate for gestational age the activities of pancreatic lipase and trypsin, the pH value and the concentrations of total bile acids were measured in the preprandially aspirated duodenal juice between the 10th and the 40th day of postnatal life. The activities of both enzymes increased significantly with increasing postnatal age in both study groups but did not correlate with the gestational age between the 28th and 33rd week of gestation. The pH values were on a low but similar level in both study groups (mean for all infants 5.66 +/- 0.07), and there was no influence of the pH value on the activities of either pancreatic enzyme. The concentrations of total bile acids were also not different between the study groups (mean for all infants = 4.55 +/- 2.26 mmol/l) and no correlation could be found between the concentrations of total bile acids and the activities of both measured enzymes. The data suggest that the intrauterine development of the exocrine pancreas reaches a basal level by the 28th week of gestation and remains on this level up to the 33rd week of gestation. After birth there is a significant increase in enzyme activities for both studied enzymes.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1989

Growth, serum biochemistries, and amino acids of term infants fed formulas with amino acid and protein concentrations similar to human milk.

We tested the hypothesis that amino acid intake from infant formulas modified to be similar to human milk would result in indices of protein metabolism more like those in human milk-fed infants. Formula-fed infants received for 12 weeks one of three isocaloric formulations of a whey-adapted formula that differed in protein concentration: 11, 13, or 15 g/L. Infants consumed similar volumes of formula or human milk. Serum urea nitrogen concentrations reflected the protein content of the diets. Plasma indices of protein nutritional status were normal and did not differ among groups. Growth rates of all infants were normal and similar. Serum indicators of protein nutritional status varied with age, which made comparisons of formula-fed infants with human milk-fed infants difficult. Plasma concentrations of leucine and isoleucine at 4 weeks of age were higher in infants fed the formula containing 15 g protein/L when compared with those of infants fed the other two formulas or human milk. At 8 and 12 weeks of age, all formula-fed infants had plasma amino acid profiles that did not differ significantly from each other except for isoleucine, which was lower in the 11-g/L group. We found that providing formulas with an amino acid pattern similar to that of human milk did not produce a plasma amino acid pattern identical to that of the breast-fed infant. This observation suggests that other factors, such as the hormonal response to feeding, differing nutritional bioavailability of amino acids from human and bovine milk proteins, and the changing quantity and type of amino acids with advancing lactation, influence plasma amino acid concentrations.

Amino Acids↗