Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Nanni.
Solitary perforated diverticulum of the right colon is a very uncommon acute disease in emergency surgery, and usually a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis is performed. Five cases of solitary perforated diverticulum of the right colon are presented. Preoperative diagnostic difficulties as well as surgical procedures are discussed.
MH1C1, HTC and HEPA 1c1c7 hepatoma cell lines were selected in this study as the bioindicators of the cytotoxicity induced by six chemicals: butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), cycloheximide (CHE), cyclophosphamide (CPA), potassium dichromate (Cr VI) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). The concentrations used were in the range from 10(-6) mol/l to 10(-2) mol/l, and the exposure time was 24 h. Two end-points were measured to evaluate cytotoxicity: the detachment of dead cells from the monolayer (CS), as evaluated by detection of the total macromolecules present in the cell monolayers solubilized in alkali and the loss of colony-forming efficiency (CF). The dose-response curves were different from one compound to another, but generally similar with the two assays, the colony formation being the most sensitive test. Some technical problems like the toxicity of the solvents at the highest concentrations, the different sizes of colonies, the unspecific cellular detachment due to overgrowth during the experimental time, can be overcome by accurate standardization of the protocols used for each cell line. The sensitivity of the three cell lines was very similar, with some differences in the case of compounds exerting intermediate toxic effects, like CHE and DNP. The most toxic compound was Cr (VI), the least toxic one was CPA. The low cytotoxic effects displayed by CPA could be due to a lack of bioactivation and/or an increase of the inactivating enzymes, which are typical of hepatoma cell lines.
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Cutaneous lesions can be a significant problem in kidney transplant recipients. The AA report a clinical spectrum of iatrogenic, infectious, preneoplastic and neoplastic skin diseases in 140 renal transplant recipients observed, from march 1988 to july 1991, at the Catholic University in Rome. Iatrogenic skin manifestations were the most common, followed by infections of the skin and preneoplastic and neoplastic cutaneous lesions.
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The onset of the lipoprotein secretory block provoked by CCl4 in the whole animal was monitored after purification of liver Golgi membranes. Both lipid transit through the apparatus and hexosylation of the lipoprotein are markedly inhibited 5-15 min after poisoning. Pre-treating the animal with alpha-tocopherol, shown to prevent lipid peroxidation without modifying the covalent binding due to CCl4 metabolites, affords little protection against lipid accumulation in the Golgi, but total preservation of galactosyl transferase activity. While haloalkylation therefore appears to be the major mechanism of damage in the early phases of CCl4-induced derangement of lipid secretion, lipid peroxidation is probably more involved later; this is indicated by the marked, though never complete, protection against fatty liver afforded at 24 h after CCl4 poisoning by supplementation of the membrane with alpha-tocopherol.
There are very few data available on the relationship between sporting activities, endocrine levels and changes in anthropometric measurements during growth. In order to study these relationships, we have made measurements of growth, changes in physical conformation and the plasma levels of several hormones [cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), testosterone, growth hormone, somatomedin C, insulin, glycaemia and haemoglobin A1C] in 175 boys, aged 10-16 years, who have played football at a competitive level and in 224 boys, severing as controls, who have never performed sporting activities regularly. The football players were divided into prepubertal and pubertal subjects (10-11.99 years, 12-13.99 years and 14-16 years, chronological and bone age groups). Our results showed no significant differences in the growth indices between prepubertal athletes and controls, but the plasma level of DHEA-S was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in the athletes. Pubertal football players, however, were significantly taller than the control subjects, particularly at 14-16 years chronological age. There were no such significant differences when bone age was considered. The pubertal football players were also more advanced in all biological indices of maturity, i.e. pubic hair, testicular volume and bone age. The increase in DHEA-S in pubertal football players, already seen in prepubertals, was also combined with a significant increase in testosterone, growth hormone and cortisol levels. Thus, in football players the DHEA-S level is already higher during prepuberty. This increase thus precedes all other indices of growth and maturation associated with puberty. We hypothesize that, while not excluding the possible influence of selection, as ours is a cross-sectional study, adrenal hyperactivity may be mainly responsible for the earlier onset of pubertal growth and maturity in exercising males.
The authors calculated the volume of the prostate by transrectal ultrasonography and evaluated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in 108 patients with benign prostatic disease or with clinically suspected carcinoma and in 35 normal subjects. In each case the PSA value was related to the corresponding gland volume (V), which gives a PSA/V index. 32 patients underwent transurethral resection, 23 underwent open prostatectomy and biopsy was performed in 53. Histological examination revealed benign prostatic hyperplasia in 63, prostatitis in 12 and carcinoma in 33. In normal subjects and in those with benign prostatic diseases, the mean PSA/V index was 0.090 and 0.099, respectively. In patients with prostatic carcinoma the ratio was 1.73. The authors propose that this ratio be used, as an alternative to the absolute value of PSA, to differentiate patients with benign and malignant diseases of the prostate.
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) poisoning affects glycoprotein processing and maturation at the level of rat liver microsomes and Golgi apparatus. HPLC analysis showed that within 5-60 min after CCl4 administration the levels of total dolichol, free dolichol and dolichyl-phosphate strongly decreased both in total microsomes and in Golgi apparatus. The most marked and early reduction of total dolichol was observed in the secretory membranes of Golgi area already 15 min after CCl4 poisoning. The incubation of CCl4-pretreated isolated hepatocytes with [3H]-mevalonate showed a significant slowing down of the label incorporation into both free-dolichol and dolichyl-phosphate. Moreover, lipid peroxidation might cause alterations in the molecular structure of both free-dolichol and dolichyl-phosphate. A notable prevention of dolichol decrease was observed in animals pretreated with vitamin E. The results suggest that the prooxidant activity of CCl4 is able to affect the metabolism of dolichol either by increasing the oxidative degradation or impairing the biosynthetic pathway.
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) is a relatively common complication occurring after cadaver kidney transplant. In 64 human renal grafts performed in our center the influence of some factors on the incidence of ATN, related to donor and recipient, was evaluated. The total incidence of ATN was 26.5%. As far as factors related to donor are concerned, the donor's provenance (our medical center versus other centers) resulted statistically significant (p less than 0.01). The incidence of ATN was 17% when the donor came from our intensive care unit, compared with 52% of incidence observed when donor came from other medical centers. As far as factors related to recipients are concerned, the mean and systolic arterial pressure (both measured at the time of unclamping the renal vessels) resulted statistically significant (p less than 0.01 and 0.05 respectively). The influence of mean arterial pressure on the incidence of ATN suggests the administration of inotropic and vasopressant drugs in selected patients before and after organ reperfusion in order to maintain an adequate renal perfusion.
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Over a one-year period 1,000 duplex Doppler evaluations were performed in 70 patients submitted to kidney transplantation for end-stage renal failure. Duplex monitoring was performed to evaluate transplant status from hemodynamic patterns of the graft arteries. A duplex scanner with a 3.75 MHz sector transducer was used; pulsed Doppler was utilized to detect blood flow velocities in the main renal, segmental, interlobar and arcuate arteries. Arterial signals were quantified through a pulsatility index (PI). Three cases of acute rejection (AR), 9 cases of chronic rejection (CR), 2 cases of cyclosporine nephrotoxicity (Csa Tox), and 4 cases of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) were recognized and biopsy proved. At each arterial site PI values of normally functioning allografts were lower than 1.5; AR patients showed PI values ranging from 1.7 to 3.1, promptly lowered by immunosuppressive treatment. CR patients had a spectrum of PI from 0.5 to 3.1. Patients with Csa Tox and ATN showed in all the explored sites normal arterial signals and thus normal PI values. PI variations reflect even slight blood flow reductions due to immunologically mediated increases in intrarenal arterial resistances. Duplex sonography of allografted kidneys shows great diagnostic attitudes in the noninvasive characterization of transplant malfunction.
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