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Biomedical subjects

M Busacca

Publications and source records attributed to M Busacca.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Immunosuppressive effect of danazol on lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity toward human endometrial stromal cells.

The influence of danazol on the expression of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity toward the stromal component of the endometrium was examined. Stromal cells were isolated from endometrial biopsy specimens of nine women without endometrial pathology and 12 patients with endometriosis. A cytotoxicity assay by 51Cr release was performed to determine the effect of danazol on natural killer lymphocyte lytic activity. A significant suppression of spontaneous cytotoxicity against stromal cell targets of both study subjects was observed when effectors were pretreated for 48 h with danazol at a concentration of 5 x 10(-6) mol/l. The time-course of the danazol effect indicated that drug activity was detectable as early as 24 h after the addition of the drug and increase up to 72 h. These findings confirm that danazol may influence the immune system at many levels. In particular, they demonstrate that the drug is also able to inhibit the natural immunity toward the stromal component of the endometrium.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Evidence for the presence of an integrin cell adhesion receptor on the oolemma of unfertilized human oocytes.

The Arg-Gly-Asp peptide (RGD), contained in several extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, and collagen, is a tripeptide that plays a role as a recognition sequence in many cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion mechanisms, through its interaction with several receptors of the integrin family. We previously described the ability of the oolemma of hamster oocytes to bind GRGDTP coupled to the surface of activated immunobeads and demonstrated that RGD-containing oligopeptides inhibit the adhesion of human and hamster spermatozoa to zona-free hamster oocytes and their subsequent penetration. In the present experiments, we show, utilizing immunobeads coated with an RGD-containing peptide (PepTiteTM 2000), that the oolemma of unfertilized human eggs is also able to recognize this adhesion sequence. The binding of PepTiteTM 2000-coated immunobeads to the oolemma was inhibited by the oligopeptide GRGDTP as well as by fibronectin and laminin. When immunobeads were prepared with a PepTiteTM concentration of 10 micrograms/ml, GRGDTP 150 micrograms/ml, laminin 80 micrograms/ml, and fibronectin 60 micrograms/ml inhibited bead rosetting on the egg surface. These data suggest that a specific binding moiety for RGD is present on the human egg surface. The binding of fibronectin to the oolemma was also demonstrated by the rosetting of immunobeads coupled with antifibronectin antibody to human oocytes after their exposure to 1 mg/ml free fibronectin. Such binding of fibronectin to the oolemma could be inhibited by coincubation with a monoclonal antibody directed against the cell adhesion fragment of fibronectin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Danazol suppresses both spontaneous and activated human lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity.

Danazol is an effective drug in the treatment of endometriosis. Previous reports suggest that it can act by influencing the immune system. Thus, in this study we evaluated whether danazol is able to affect the expression of natural and activated cytotoxicity by human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). A cytotoxicity assay by 51Cr release was performed to determine the effect of danazol on lymphocyte cytotoxic response toward an erythroleukemic cell line (K562). A significant suppression of spontaneous cytotoxicity was observed when lymphocytes were pretreated for 18 h with danazol at the concentration of 5 x 10(-6) M. In addition, danazol could significantly inhibit both IL-2- and INF alpha-activated cytotoxicity at the concentration of 10(-5) M. Following 18 h exposure to danazol, PBL were able to completely recover their spontaneous but not activated cytotoxic potential upon further in vitro incubation (18 h) in absence of the drug. The biological significance of danazol as an inhibitor of immune function under experimentally defined conditions is discussed in relation to its possible role in vivo.

Cytotoxicity, Immunologic↗
PubMed1990

Endocrine function and morphological findings in patients with disorders of the hypothalamo-pituitary area: a study with magnetic resonance.

Evaluation of the sellar area was performed with magnetic resonance imaging in 101 patients (age range 0.8-27 years) with hypopituitarism, isolated diabetes insipidus, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, and central precocious puberty. The hypopituitary patients (n = 70) included multiple pituitary deficiency (n = 23), pituitary deficiency with diabetes insipidus (n = 5), and isolated growth hormone deficiency (n = 42). The patients with multiple pituitary deficiency showed pathological morphological findings in all cases, with stalk and posterior lobe always involved. The group with associated diabetes insipidus had abnormal stalk in four of five cases and posterior lobe not visible in all cases. Only five of 42 (12%) patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency had abnormalities of the sellar area. In two out of four patients with isolated diabetes insipidus posterior lobe was not seen. All patients with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (three with Kallmann's syndrome, one Prader-Willi syndrome, and two idiopathic hypogonadism) appeared normal. In precocious puberty (n = 21) the three patients with onset of symptoms before age 2 years exhibited a hypothalamic hamartoma, whereas in the others with onset of puberty between age 2 and 7 the magnetic resonance image was normal in 17 of 18 patients. The probability of finding a pathological magnetic resonance image was considerably high in our patients with multiple pituitary deficiency, isolated diabetes insipidus, and precocious puberty with very early onset of symptoms. On the contrary, purely functional abnormality is suggested in most patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, and precocious puberty with later onset of symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Effect of cigarette smoking on plasmatic regulation of vascular prostacyclin in pregnancy and puerperium.

Prostaglandins, particularly prostacyclin, participate in the control of fetal and maternal circulations. In the present study the effect of cigarette smoking on plasma prostacyclin-stimulating activity during late pregnancy and the puerperium (four to six months) and in the newborns was assessed. Plasma samples from 22 apparently healthy nonsmokers and 17 smokers (more than 15 cigarettes per day) were obtained twice during pregnancy and once after delivery. Plasma samples from nine infants born to smokers and seven infants born to nonsmokers were obtained 72 to 96 hours after birth. Plasma activity was evaluated by incubating the plasma samples with cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells and measuring the prostacyclin released in the culture medium by specific radioimmunoassay of its stable metabolite, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha. In all of the women, plasma activity did not change significantly during pregnancy or after delivery. In smokers, plasma activity was always lower than in nonsmokers, but not significantly so. The plasma activity of infants born to smokers was significantly lower than that of infants born to nonsmokers.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Maternal smoking and prostacyclin production by cultured endothelial cells from umbilical arteries.

A study was made of the production of prostacyclin (PGI2) by cultured endothelial cells from the umbilical veins of mothers who smoked and of matched mothers who did not smoke. Cells were obtained from 58 umbilical cords from 22 apparently healthy women, 11 mild smokers (less than 15 cigarettes per day), and 25 heavy smokers (more than 15 cigarettes per day). Production of PGI2 by the cells was calculated by measuring the amount of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha released in the culture medium after the addition of arachidonic acid, by means of a specific radioimmunoassay. Endotheliai cells from mild and heavy smokers were significantly less able to grow and to reach confluency than cells from nonsmokers. Smoking also resulted in a marked reduction in the capacity of cultured cells to produce PGI2. This was particularly apparent for the cells from heavy smokers. Smoking during pregnancy appears to induce some modifications in the enzymes of the prostacyclin pathway which persist in endothelial cells undergoing replication in primary culture even in the absence of the pathogenic factor.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Early mother-child relations in relation to the desire for children. Significance of care conditions for the emotional conditioning of the female].

100 women have been asked using a psychologic open-answer-questionnaire containing items regarding the woman's distinctive features, her pregnancy delivery, puerperium and breastfeeding. Mainly there is a positive relationship to the growing fetus in cases of unwanted pregnancy, too. The highest degree of motivation is reached in the moment of the first contact between mother and newborn.

Attitude↗
PubMed1983

Success rate of primary human endothelial cell culture from umbilical cords is influenced by maternal and fetal factors and interval from delivery.

There is increasing interest in human umbilical cord vein as a source of endothelial cells. This paper shows that success in setting up cultures of human endothelial cells from umbilical cords depends not only on culture conditions, as so far proposed, but also on factors preceding the harvesting of the cells. In particular, the mother's smoking habit and the use of umbilical cord within 1 h of delivery have been shown to impair success of the culture. Age, parity, diabetes, and hypertension of the mother, type of delivery, and sex and weight of the newborn did not significantly influence the possibility of establishing successful endothelial cell culture.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Accelerations in "intra-partum" cardiotocographic recording II. Present contemporaneously to prognostically unfavourable cardiotocographic aspects.

The Authors examine 1994 cardiotocographic recordings during labour, equivalent to 89% of all deliveries of the same period. They evaluate the acceleratory activity in the tract of recording presenting alterations considered expression of foetal distress (bradycardia, severe tachycardia, loss of cyclic variations, variable and late decelerations), and compare both parameters with the perinatal outcome. The presence of accelerations seems to allow a more oculate evaluation of the cardiotocogram and, in particular, a decreased incidence of hurried instrumental foetal extractions.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1980

Accelerations in greater than intra-partum greater than cardiotocographic recording I. Correlation with perinatal outcome.

The authors examine 1994 cardiotocographic recordings during labour, equivalent to 89% of all deliveries of the same period. They evaluate the tendency of the acceleratory activity in the single recordings during their whole lenght, comparing it with the perinatal outcome, evaluated by the perinatal mortality and the Apgar score at 1' and 5'. They conclude that the presence of accelerations could be considered, when present in a certain degree, a sure index of foetal well-being or of good possibility of foetal reactions to hypoxic stimuli, allowing a more cautious evaluation of the cardiotocogram.

Apgar Score↗