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Biomedical subjects

L Selmeci

Publications and source records attributed to L Selmeci.

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

Diagnostic value of urinary enzyme determination in renal transplantation.

The measurement of enzyme activity in urine provides a sensitive assessment for renal tubular cell damage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical value of the determination of tubular brush-border-associated enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP), of patients with normal graft function (NOR, n = 20), with acute tubular necrosis (ATN, n = 11), with an acute rejection episode (ARE, n = 17) after transplantation, and of healthy persons (n = 20). The second urine of the morning was collected daily during the patients' stay in hospital. The enzyme activities were measured at 25 degrees C and were expressed as U/mmol creatinine. The enzymuria in NOR is higher than in healthy controls, but is still in the normal range. By 5 days after transplantation the initial increased excretion declines as the graft function improves. Elevated enzymuria (DPP 0.69 +/- 0.56, AP 3.06 +/- 3.24, GGT 4.16 +/- 4.13, and LAP 1.39 +/- 1.27) was observed during the rejection episodes. Two days before clinical diagnosis of rejection, the release of DPP-IV and GGT increases to double, and the AP and LAP increases to 3 times the value on the fourth day before rejection. Successful treatment of rejection coincided with a quick return by the third day of the rejection period to the previous enzyme distribution. In ATN no decrease of enzymuria occurs and the excretion is much higher than in ARE. Our method with the every day monitoring of kidney graft function offers the possibility for the early diagnosis of acute rejection.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Modification of the cardiac transmembrane potentials and currents by polyamines.

Spermine up to 10(-5) M increased the resting potential (RP) and maximum rate of rise (Vmax) of the action potential (AP) and accelerated the initial (20, 50%) repolarization in isolated guinea-pig and cat atria. These effects were not modified by pindolol (4 X 10(-7) M) or atropine (3 X 10(-7) M) but were prevented by indomethacin (10(-6) M). The right papillary muscle of guinea-pig only showed the acceleration of repolarization while the other parameters were not changed. Spermine did not influence the inward membrane currents under voltage clamp conditions in frog sinoatrial fibers. Spermidine up to 10(-5) M increased RP, Vmax and the duration of AP in guinea pig papillary muscle. RP, Vmax and AP duration were moderately enhanced by spermidine in guinea pig atrium and were not changed in cat atrium. Spermidine was found to stimulate the inward membrane current. Its stimulatory effect was confined to the fast component of the inward current. Neither spermidine nor spermine were able to induce the Ca2+-dependent slow AP in 25 mM K+-depolarized atrium. It is suggested that polyamines influence cardiac membrane events which are responsible for AP and ionic currents.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Diuretic and natriuretic actions of extract prepared from rat erythrocytes.

Freeze-dried preparation of rat erythrocytes was extracted into distilled water and after heat treatment the extract was chromatographed on Sephadex G-25 column. The effluent fractions were pooled, freeze-dried, dissolved in Ringer's solution and bioassayed for diuretic and natriuretic responses in anaesthetized non-diuretic rats. The active fractions potently enhanced urine output (about 9-fold control) and urinary sodium excretion (about 7-fold control). The responses started to develop after a lag period of approximately 10-20 min, peaked between 60-80 min post-injection and then diminished. The augmentation of sodium excretion persisted longer than the increased diuresis. The biological activity of the extract was retained after dialysis in a tube with nominal molecular weight cut-off below 1,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Myasthenia gravis: long-term prognostic value of thymus lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern of hyperplastic thymus and thymoma.

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme pattern and the percent of H-subunit content were determined in the thymus of 62 patients (55 with hyperplasia, 7 with tumours) after thymectomy. An increase in LDH1 relative activity indicates that in the thymus of patients with myasthenia gravis the ratio of mature differentiated thymocytes was higher than in the thymus of control subjects. LDH isoenzyme profiles of thymus tumours were similar to those described in other neoplasms, except that thymomas with apparent predominance of epithelial cells and with minimal lymphocytic reaction exhibited a marked elevation only in LDH2 relative activity, presumably associated with the specific (secretory) function of epithelial cells. The elevation of H-subunit content, a parameter characteristic of both thymic components (lymphoid and epithelial), correlated closely with a poor clinical condition in patients several years after surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Polyamine metabolism in P388 leukemia cells and in ascites tumor-bearing mice.

Alterations in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and in the polyamine and nucleic acid (RNA and DNA) concentrations were studied in P388 leukemia cells and in the host liver at different times after intraperitoneal inoculation of 5 X 10(6) tumor cells into BDF1 mice. ODC activity of leukemia cells had a maximum at day 5 after tumor transplantation. Cellular spermidine concentration declined significantly during the first 5 to 6 days. The RNA concentration of tumor cells changed parallel to that of spermidine. In the livers of ascites tumor-bearing mice ODC activity was 5- to 20-fold of control and had a maximum at days 5 to 6 after tumor cell inoculation. Spermidine concentration in the host liver increased, whereas spermine decreased gradually with tumor growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Hypertrophic response of the kidney in indomethacin treated rats.

Indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis administered to rats in a total dose of 2 x 4.5 mg/kg i.v. for 2 days enhanced compensatory renal hypertrophy following unilateral nephrectomy (UN). The same drug given to rats with intact kidneys in a total dose of 4 x 4.5 mg/kg i.p. in 2 days increased kidney weight renal RNA content and decreased renal acidic ribonuclease activity. It remains to be elucidated whether the suppression of PG synthesis and/or other pharmacological effects of indomethacin account for these findings.

Animals↗