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Biomedical subjects

Luigi Perbellini

Publications and source records attributed to Luigi Perbellini.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

DNA damage and repair capacity by comet assay in lymphocytes of white-collar active smokers and passive smokers (non- and ex-smokers) at workplace.

The comet assay has been widely used to quantify DNA damage in isolated lymphocytes from subjects exposed to several environmental or occupational substances, especially for estimation of oxidative damage in the DNA, which is well-known to be induced by tobacco smoke. Passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been included among those substances that cause cancer with sufficient evidence in humans. In this study, we analyzed, by the alkaline version of comet assay, the lymphocyte DNA damage of white-collar active smokers and non- and ex-smokers exposed to ETS at the workplace. We investigated basal DNA damage, DNA oxidation by formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg), the repair capacity H2O2-induced DNA damage by kinetics studies and lymphocyte GSH levels, the major intracellular defense against exogenous oxidative stress imposed by cigarette smoking. Our results indicated high basal DNA damage with clear significant correlations with urinary nicotine and cotinine, number of cigarettes/day, and an inverse significant correlation with GSH cellular content in active smokers. Significant Fpg-sensitive sites were found in smokers (> 85%), considerably high but not significant in passive non- and ex-smokers (> 51% and 37%, respectively). The DNA repair capacity had seriously decreased in non-smokers > smokers > ex-smokers, while the same damage was repaired in a short time in never smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Reference values for exhaled nitric oxide (reveno) study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) as a biomarker of airways inflammation, there are no published papers describing normal FENO values in a large group of healthy adults. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish adult FENO reference values according to the international guidelines. METHODS: FENO was measured in 204 healthy, non-smoking adults with normal spirometry values using the on-line single-breath technique, and the results were analysed chemiluminescently. RESULTS: The main result of the study was the significant difference in FENO values between men and women, thus indicating that gender-based reference FENO values are necessary. The FENO levels obtained at expiratory flows of 50 ml/s ranged from 2.6 to 28.8 ppb in men, and from 1.6 to 21.5 ppb in women. CONCLUSION: We propose reference FENO values for healthy adult men and women that could be used for clinical and research purposes.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of finger skin temperature in scleroderma patients cyclically treated with iloprost.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate by computerized digital thermometry (CDT) the effect of cyclic iloprost infusions on finger skin temperature (FST) in scleroderma patients. METHODS: Twenty-two scleroderma outpatients (one man, 21 women, mean age 54.2 years) underwent three computerized digital thermometries, the first one 3 days before a 5-day cycle of iloprost infusion, the second the day of the fifth infusion soon after the end of the therapy and the third 1 month after. FST was evaluated under basal conditions, immediately after a cold test and after an 18 min recovery period. For comparison CDT was performed in 10 sex and age matched control subjects. RESULTS: FST was lower in scleroderma patients before iloprost infusion than in the control group either after cold test either at the end of the recovery period while no difference was found before the cold test. Soon after iloprost infusion and 1 month later the FST at the end of the recovery period increased from the pre-treatment value of 27.8 +/- 5.3 to 30.4 +/- 3.5 degrees C and to 30.0 +/- 4.5 degrees C, respectively (P < 0.05 for both values). No substantial differences were found concerning FST before and at the end of the cold test. CONCLUSION: Iloprost administration for 5 days allows to normalize the FST value after cold exposition not only immediately after the infusions but even at 1 month distance from the therapy. Despite its short half-life the effect of the drug on endothelium is protracted.

Drug Administration Schedule↗
PubMed2004

Determination of alpha-bisabolol in human blood by micro-HPLC-ion trap MS and head space-GC-MS methods.

Alpha-bisabolol is a compound present in some essential oils, widely distributed in several plants, including camomile. Two different methods for analysing an essential oil, such as alpha-bisabolol in human blood are reported: the first uses micro-liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (muHPLC-ESI-MS), whereas the second is based on "head space" injection coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). For LC-ESI-MS, human blood samples, spiked with alpha-bisabolol, were extracted with hexane and evaporated to dryness under air stream. The residue was then reconstituted with methanol and injected into a C18 column, connected to an ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI source. Spectra were recorded in the positive ion, selected ion monitoring mode. The detection limit of alpha-bisabolol in blood was 0.125 micromol/l. The preparation of samples for the analysis in HS-GC-MS was limited to blood dilution with water (0.5 ml blood + 1 ml water). Head space vials were heated at 125 degrees C for 1 h before automatic injection. The HS-GC-MS detection limit (0.13 micromol/l) was similar to that achieved with the muHPLC-ESI-MS method. Successful tests were performed to verify if alpha-bisabolol could be directly measured by the HS-GC-MS method in different biological samples (blood, urine, faeces, homogenate tissues) from rats treated with the camomile essential oil.

Calibration↗
PubMed2003

Comparison of breath, blood and urine concentrations in the biomonitoring of environmental exposure to 1,3-butadiene, 2,5-dimethylfuran, and benzene.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate and compare alveolar, blood, and urine concentrations of 1,3-butadiene, 2,5 dimethylfuran, and benzene, in non-occupational exposure to these products. METHODS: Benzene, 2,5-dimethylfuran and 1,3-butadiene were measured in the breath, blood, and urine samples of 61 subjects living in small mountain villages. All 61 were regularly employed as forestry workers. Sampling was done during the long winter-season non-working period. Samples were collected after overnight rest and analysed by headspace and GC-mass spectrometry methods. RESULTS: The median 1,3-butadiene level was 1.2 ng/l (range: <0.8-13.2 ng/l) in alveolar air, 2.2 ng/l (range: <0.5-50.2 ng/l) in blood, and 1.1 ng/l (range: <1-8.9 ng/l) in urine. The median benzene level was 5.7 ng/l (range: <1-24.9 ng/l) in alveolar air, 62.3 ng/l (range: 33.5-487.2 ng/l) in blood, and 63.4 ng/l (range: 25.8-1099.1 ng/l) in urine. The median 2,5-dimethylfuran level was 0.5 ng/l (range: <1-12.5 ng/l) in alveolar air, 2.5 ng/l (range: <5-372.9 ng/l) in blood, and 51.8 ng/l (range: <5-524.9 ng/l) in urine. In several cases, 2,5-dimethylfuran levels were below the detection limit in alveolar air and blood, especially in non-smokers. 1,3-Butadiene, 2,5-dimethylfuran and benzene levels were significantly higher in smokers than non-smokers in all biological media. CONCLUSIONS: 1,3-Butadiene and benzene, as ubiquitous pollutants, are detectable and quantifiable in human alveolar air, blood and urine. 2,5-Dimethylfuran, which is not a usual environmental pollutant, is almost always detectable in biological media, but only in smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Mercapturic acids in the biological monitoring of occupational exposure to chemicals.

This paper reviews several procedures for determination of mercapturic acids in urine. Special attention was paid to methods useful in relation to human exposure to industrial pollutants, without any description for less sensitive methods used in animal research. Gas chromatographic and liquid chromatographic procedures were considered together with the little information available about thin layer chromatography and immunochemical techniques. After a description of the main industrial pollutants which lead to synthesis of their specific mercapturic acids, the methods for analysing these products are synthetically reported. The comparison among difficulties in sample preparation, complexity of instrumentation and their cost/benefit ratio are discussed.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2002

Analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene in biological samples from the general population.

A method for the determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene in blood and urine of people not occupationally exposed to solvents is described. The headspace technique combined with gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector is used. The sensitivity of recent mass spectrometers is good enough to furnish reliable results also in biological samples collected from the general population. No treatment for concentrating solvents present in the blood or urine is necessary. The main features of the method are easy preparation of biological samples, small volumes (7 ml), good repeatability and linearity in the range of interest. The limits of detection in blood were 16, 43, 22 and 52 ng/l for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene respectively. Slightly greater sensitivity was found for urine samples. The results obtained in biological samples from 25 woodworkers not occupationally exposed to BTEX (15 non-smokers and 10 smokers) are comparable to those obtained by other investigators.

Benzene↗
PubMed2002

Lead induced DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes of exposed workers: role of reactive oxygen species and protein kinase C.

Lead and lead compounds play a significant role in modern industry; a wide variety of population is at risk of occupational exposure and lead is suspected to be a human carcinogen. The biochemical and molecular mechanisms of lead toxicity are poorly understood, but emerging data suggest that some of the effects of lead may be due to its interference with calcium in the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and/or through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Many of these results are conducted in vitro on cell lines or ex vivo on human lymphocytes treated in vitro. We, therefore, performed a study on the induction of DNA damage, using the alkaline comet assay, in lymphocytes of battery plant workers. To elucidate in vivo the mechanism(s) responsible for this effect, we determined ROS production, and glutathione (GSH) levels in living cells using the fluorescent probe (2',7'-dichlorofluorescein and monochlorobimane, respectively). Subcellular fractions were obtained from sonicated lymphocytes; cytosolic and membrane expression of PKC isoforms (alpha, and zeta) was evaluated after electrophoresis by immunoblot analysis. The results indicate that lead-exposed workers have significantly elevated levels of DNA breaks compared to the unexposed group. A multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows that the most common confounding factors (smoking, drinking and age) have no synergistic effects with lead-exposure on the comet parameters or on GSH levels and ROS production. The logistic regression analysis distinguishing the exposed and non-exposed indicates that only GSH with tail moment are selected as significant risk factors. There is a significant positive correlation with ROS production and negative correlation with GSH levels. The content of PKC alpha in cytosol and membranes is decreased 40% (indicating a down-regulation of protein), whereas PKC zeta isoform is not modified in an evident manner. Our results suggest that lead-exposure induces an increase of DNA breakage with an alternate cellular redox state and a significant down-regulation of PKC alpha, suggesting that this metal may act as a tumor promoter.

Adult↗