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Biomedical subjects

M Castelli

Publications and source records attributed to M Castelli.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Raised plasma concentrations of platelet factor 4 (PF4) in Crohn's disease.

Plasma platelet factor 4 (PF4), secreted by the platelets, is an index of platelet aggregation and thromboembolic risk. The authors assessed PF4 in 20 patients with Crohn's disease (ileitis in 13 patients, ileocolitis in seven) and in 20 healthy volunteers. Disease activity was low (Crohn's Disease Activity Index less than 150) in 11 patients and high in nine. Radioimmunoassay of PF4 using Abbott's Kit was performed on one sample of plasma from each subject (nv less than or equal to 0.324 nmol/ml), (nv less than or equal to 10 ng/ml). A significantly higher concentration of PF4 was found in Crohn's disease patients: 4.625 +/- 1.1 nmol/ml (142.5 +/- 36 ng/ml) than in the control group: 0.189 +/- 0.07 nmol/ml (5.6 +/- 4.8 ng/ml) (Z = 5.396, p less than 0.0001). No correlation was present between PF4 levels and activity, the site of disease, or medical treatment with or without prednisone.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Bactericidal and antineoplastic effect of combination of norfloxacin and adriamycin.

Norfloxacin and adriamycin were tested alone and in combination for bactericidal activity against different strains of gram-negative bacteria. The antitumoral effect of a combination of norfloxacin and adriamycin was determined in mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and in mice bearing P 388 leukemia. No interference with the antibacterial activity of norfloxacin or with the antitumoral activity of adriamycin was observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Ruptured abdominal aneurysm subsequent to cystic medial necrosis: a case report.

The majority of abdominal aortic aneurysms are the result of atherosclerosis. Cystic medial necrosis is a pathologic finding classically associated with thoracic aortic dissection, particularly in patients with Marfan's syndrome. The presence of cystic medial necrosis in other segments of the aorta or its branches is unusual. We report a case of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in a 38-year-old woman without Marfan's syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Griseofulvin-methisoprinol combination in the treatment of herpes zoster.

A total of 57 herpes zoster patients (28 men and 28 women) were randomly assigned to one of the following four treatments: griseofulvin, 125 mg four times daily; methisoprinol, 1 g four times daily; griseofulvin plus methisoprinol (dosage schedules as above); placebo, four times daily. Griseofulvin had no effect at all, methisoprinol both significantly accelerated drying of vesicles and reduced pain, and the combination of griseofulvin and methisoprinol turned out to be significantly more effective in reducing pain than methisoprinol alone. The present results suggest a new effective treatment for herpes zoster disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of carcinoembryonic antigen levels in gastric juice, stomach mucosa and plasma in high-risk and gastric cancer patients.

The aim of this study is to compare the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the gastric juice, stomach mucosa and plasma of gastrectomy patients at risk of developing cancer with those in normal controls and gastric cancer subjects. Blood samples, gastric juices and biopsy material were taken from 52 patients (8 normal, 10 gastric carcinomas, 24 gastroresected according to Billroth II and 10 according to Billroth I). No significant correlation was found between age, sex or smoking habits and CEA levels in plasma, gastric juice or stomach mucosa. A significant correlation between CEA levels in gastric secretion and those in tissue emerged from out data (n = 52; r = 0.67; p less than 0.01). A minor correlation was found between tissue and plasma CEA values (r = 0.34; p less than 0.05). The mean levels of CEA in plasma did not show significant differences between controls and neoplastic risk subjects. The average level of CEA in gastric secretions and in tissue were significantly lower in normal controls than in neoplastic and gastroresected patients; in this latter group, we have observed a correlation between the severity of the histological lesions and the levels of CEA in the biopsy specimens; no correlation was found with the type of operation (Billroth I or Billroth II). The level of CEA in gastric juices and in biopsy material, therefore, appears to be more useful than in plasma in recognizing cancer risk subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effect of a new transdermal therapeutic system containing nitroglycerin on exercise capacity in patients with angina pectoris.

In a double-blind, within-patient, randomized, placebo-controlled, acute study, the effects at rest and on exercise capacity of two doses of a new transdermal therapeutic system (TTS), releasing respectively 10 and 20 mg of nitroglycerin (NTG) over 24 hours, were assessed in 15 outpatients with stable exercise-induced angina pectoris. A symptom-limited exercise test was performed 4 and 24 hours after the application of each system. In comparison with placebo, both TTS-NTG doses induced a statistically significant (p less than 0.01) increase in total duration of exercise, in exercise duration to 1 mm ST segment depression, in maximal workload and in total work performed, at both 4 and 24 hours after dosing. Furthermore, both TTS-NTG doses induced a significant rise in the pressure-rate product, both 4 and 24 hours after dosing (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.05, respectively). No statistical difference was found between the two doses of active drug in any of the above-mentioned evaluation parameters. The only unpleasant side effect was the typical nitrate headache, which occurred in 11 of 15 patients. In conclusion, a single application of TTS-NTG, 20 cm2 or 40 cm2, may improve exercise capacity over a 24-hour period in patients with stable exercise angina due to atherosclerotic heart disease.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1985

Oxytocin improves male copulatory performance in rats.

The role of oxytocin in male copulatory performance was reexamined in rats. Adult male rats were trained seven times for copulatory behavior, at weekly intervals. Oxytocin, either intraperitoneally injected (200 ng/rat) or intracerebroventricularly infused (1 ng/rat in 4 microliter saline) 60 and 5 min, respectively, before the eighth test, significantly shortened both the ejaculation latency and the postejaculatory interval. The intracerebroventricular infusion of saline alone (4 microliter/rat) had no effect at all.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Characterization of the contractile activity of dopamine on the rat isolated seminal vesicle.

The mechanism of the contractile effect of dopamine (DA) on the rat isolated seminal vesicle was studied. Cocaine (10 microM/1 in the organ bath, 30 min before DA) and 6-OHDA (50 mg/kg i.v. 24 hr before removal of the seminal vesicle) almost completely prevented the contractile effect of DA. Drugs known to have an affinity for DA receptors or for alpha-adrenoceptors antagonized the contractile effect of DA, the rank order of potency being: prazosin greater than phentolamine greater than yohimbine greater than clonidine greater than sulpiride greater than apomorphine greater than haloperidol. The antagonism was in each case greater against DA than against noradrenaline (NA), used for comparison; selectivity for DA being highest in the case of prazosin and sulpiride. Taken together, these findings indicate that DA makes the rat seminal vesicle contract mostly by means of an indirect mechanism, binding presynaptic DA-receptors and, in part, presynaptic alpha-adrenoceptors as well; or, alternatively, binding presynaptic DA-receptors which have some links with alpha 2-adrenoceptors; the consequence being in either case the release of NA from sympathetic nerve endings.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Metronidazole-quinolone combination: antibacterial activity in vitro.

Combination of metronidazole and oxolinic or pipemidic acid were tested in vitro against some of the bacteria most commonly responsible for genito-urinary infections (E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Enterob. cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Pr. mirabilis, Pr. morganii, Str. faecalis and 3 strains of Ps. aeruginosa). The metronidazole-oxolinic acid combination was found to be additive or synergistic against E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Enterob. cloacae and Serratia marcescens. The results show that subinhibitory concentrations of oxolinic acid may reveal an activity of metronidazole against aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria, under aerobic conditions.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1984

Congenital adrenal tissue in the lung with adrenal cytomegaly. Case report and review of the literature.

Adrenal cytomegaly is a cellular abnormality found in the fetal and neonatal adrenal gland. It is characterized by large polyhedral cells with granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and irregular pleomorphic nuclei. A case of bilateral adrenal cytomegaly in five-day-old infant with two foci of pulmonary involvement is reported with a review of the literature. The question of whether the pulmonary lesion represents metastasis or cytomegalic change in ectopic adrenal tissue is discussed.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1983

Oxolinic acid--trimethoprim combination: effects on DNA synthesis and on viability of Escherichia coli.

The synergistic bactericidal effect of the oxolinic acid-trimethoprim combination has been confirmed on an exponentially growing strain of Escherichia coli, and is paralleled by a synergistic inhibition of 14C-uracil incorporation into the bacterial DNA. These data provide experimental support for the postulate that the synergistic effect of quinolone-trimethoprim combinations, observed both in vitro and in vivo, is due to a complementary blockade of bacterial DNA synthesis.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1983

The biological and clinical significance of tumor markers in tissue extracts.

A quantitative study of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) activity was made in plasma and in 25 colorectal tumors, 30 lung tumors, 20 breast tumors, and 20 fibrocystic dysplasias of the breast. The CEA content was detected by enzyme assays (EIA) in solid phase. In colorectal cancer the amount of CEA ranged from 40 to 800 ng/mg protein. In lung cancer, values ranged from 5 to 130 ng/mg protein. Differences in mean content of CEA between normal and cancer yielded the highest significant value of P less than 0.001. In 54 of 95 of cases, high concentrations of CEA in tissues were associated with high values in plasma. In fibrocystic dysplasia of the breast, the CEA concentration levels were lower than in cases of breast carcinoma. The CEA concentration values in fibrocystic dysplasia were associated with the epithelial proliferation and the degree of dysplasia. Therefore, the presence of elevated CEA tissues values may be indicative of patients with higher risk of malignant transformation.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1982

Beclomethasone dipropionate enemas for treating inflammatory bowel disease without producing Cushing's syndrome or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal suppression.

Since beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is a very potent glucocorticoid and since small oral doses (1 mg) seem to be metabolised (possibly in the gut wall or liver) before they reach the systemic circulation, a study was conducted to find out whether patients with inflammatory bowel disease could be treated with enemas containing small doses of BDP without their acquiring Cushing's syndrome or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) suppression. The BDP in the 100 ml enemas used was stable and present in a concentration likely to be therapeutic (0.5 mg/dl). Single overnight BDP enemas, unlike conventional betamethasone (5 mg) enemas, did not interfere with the HPA axis in 6 healthy volunteers. In the double-blind randomised part of the study 2-week courses of BDP or betamethasone enemas were assessed in 9 patients having exacerbations of distal inflammatory bowel disease. The clinical and sigmoidoscopic responses as well as adrenocortical function (judged by the 'Cosyntropin' test) were evaluated on the morning after the last day of a course of enemas. Both types of enemas had similar beneficial effects, but only BDP enemas did not interfere with HPA function. Over a prolonged period, a patient with distal ulcerative colitis had been completely dependent on regular treatment with betamethasone enemas to control his symptoms. Substitution with BDP enemas successfully controlled his bowel symptoms, whilst his cushingoid features and HPA suppression regressed.

Adult↗