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Biomedical subjects

M Marotta

Publications and source records attributed to M Marotta.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Effect of a peptide fraction extracted from mitochondrial DNA on rat liver cell viability.

The authors verified the effect of a peptidic fraction from mitochondrial DNA on liver cell cultures. Primary cultures treated with the mitochondrial peptidic fraction (final concentration 0.025 O.D./ml) showed a higher viability after 48 hours with respect to cultures without mitochondrial peptidic fraction (p < 0.05). The results indicate a probable action of the mitochondrial peptidic fraction on liver cell viability.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Perceptions of emergency care by the elderly: results of multicenter focus group interviews.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the elderly's perception of emergency care and to identify specific problems and solutions. DESIGN: Focus group interviews. SETTING AND TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Community senior citizen centers in Boston; Los Angeles; Pittsburgh; Youngstown, Ohio; and Norwalk, Connecticut. Senior citizens who had had emergency care in the past year participated. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS: Participants were satisfied with their overall medical care. Long waits were a hardship for patients and their families. The elderly are not familiar with the process of emergency care. They were frightened by their injury or illness. Their anxiety was not allayed until they were informed of the nature of their illness and what their treatment and disposition was to be. The emergency department environment frequently made them uncomfortable. There was considerable confusion caused by the billing process. CONCLUSIONS: The elderly would benefit from prior or concurrent education regarding emergency care. Staff should be more sensitive to the anxiety felt by the elderly, should explain the reasons for delays in care, and what to expect. Patients should be informed of the nature and seriousness of their illness as soon as possible. Family and friends may be encouraged to stay with patients. The billing process needs to be clarified and simplified.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Effect of thyroid hormones and their analogues on the mitochondrial calcium transport activity.

In this paper the authors studied the effects of thyroid hormones and their structural analogues on the mitochondrial calcium transport activities. The thyroid hormones, 3,5,3' L-triiodothyronine (LT3) and 3,5,3'5' L-tetraiodothyronine (LT4) at physiological intracellular concentrations between 7.2 and 9 nM, decouple total Ca++ transport, as well as inhibit the passive transport of Ca++, either due to oxidation of pyruvate, malate or succinate or after inhibition with rotenone. The optical isomers 3,5,3' D-triiodothyronine (DT3) and 3,5,3',5' D-tetraiodothyronine (DT4) are less effective at all the used concentrations. Furthermore the structural analogues 3,3',5' L-triiodothyronine (LrT3), 3,5-dicloro, 3',5' L-diiodothyronine (LDiClT2) and 3,5 L-diiodothyronine (LT2) furnished even less effects on the same activities. The effect of the thyroid hormones and of their structural analogues has revealed that the mitochondrial calcium transport may be influenced both by a stereospecific interaction between hormones and protein ligands and by a lipophilic chaotropic action on the mitochondrial membranes lipids. In this context it is interesting to consider that both thyroid hormones and Ca++ transport activity are interacting with the energetic metabolism by means of phosphorylation and substrate oxidation mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The extracellular matrix in slow-growing tumors of the central nervous system.

This report describes and illustrates the results of the histopathological and histochemical investigation on five slow-growing tumors of the central nervous system: four meningiomas and an ependymoma of the spinal cord. We have studied, by means of polarizing microscopy, sections stained with picro-sirius red F3BA that enhance the birefringence of collagen and reticulum fibres. The heterogeneous behaviour of the distribution of the collagen let us conclude that the fibrillar component of the extracellular matrix have a scarce importance for the speed of growth of these tumours.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1985

Sensitive spectrophotometric method for the quantitative estimation of collagen.

A method to estimate collagen concentration is described. It is based on the ability of the dye Sirius Red F3BA to quantitatively precipitate collagen in acetic acid solution. Collagen content is determined by evaluating spectrophotometrically the absorbance decrease of a Sirius Red/acetic acid solution. The assay can be used in the range from 1 to 50 micrograms protein. The method is specific, sensitive, simple, and rapid.

Acetates↗
PubMed1985

Glycosaminoglycans in human breast cancer: morphological and biochemical study.

The authors evaluate the distribution and the content of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in neoplastic tissue from mastectomy specimens of 15 patients treated for an infiltrating ductal carcinoma NOS, in comparison to normal tissue of the opposite quadrant. Neoplastic tissues contain a marked amount (5 mg/g dry defatted tissue) of GAG, in comparison to normal ones (2.2 mg/g dry defatted weight). In stellate carcinomas GAG are localized near the interface with the host tissue and are constituted mainly of chondroitin sulfates and hyaluronate. These data are confirmed by electrophoretic analysis.

Alcian Blue↗
PubMed1985

Collagen in human breast cancer: morphological and biochemical study.

The authors studied the distribution and the composition of collagen in neoplastic tissue from mastectomy specimens of 15 patients treated for an infiltrating ductal carcinoma NOS, in comparison to normal tissue of the opposite quadrant. The study was performed by light microscopy, microspectrophotometry, and electrophoretic methods. The results demonstrate a characteristic stromal organization of breast cancer in relation to collagen type I content.

Breast↗
PubMed1985

Sacrococcygeal chordoma: histochemical findings.

Two cases of chordoma of the sacrococcygeal region have been histochemically evaluated. In both cases an irregularly shaped stellate cell, containing large amounts of glycogen, is the prevailing cell type. Neoplastic cells interact with an extracellular matrix consisting of a collagenous framework and a heterogeneous family of glycosaminoglycans with a prevalence of chondroitin sulfate chains and, to a smaller extent, of hyaluronate molecules. We emphasize the value of these data in order to differentiate this tumor from other sacrococcygeal neoplastic lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Ultrastructure of human cerebral neoplasms in vitro: glioma].

The authors describe the in vitro structural features of cellular populations derived from human gliomas. They report the structure of each population, and hypothesize on the correlation among these different cell populations. The findings of this study show some of the individual glioma cell lines to have characteristic structures.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1984

[Ultrastructure of human cerebral neoplasms in vitro: medulloblastoma].

The fine structure of five lines of medulloblastoma cells in long-term cell cultures are described. The cell cultures were fixed in situ by the rapid exchange of the medium for the fixative solution consisting of 3% glutaraldhyde in 0.1 M Na cacodylate-HC1 buffer with 0.1 M sucrose (pH 7,2, total osmolality 510 mOsm, vehicle osmolality 300 mOsm). The cultures were subsequently postfixed in 1% OsO4 in water at room temperature and dehydrated in a graded series of ethanol solutions. In the second change of 100% ethanol they were stained with 2% uranyl acetate for 10 minutes. They described the structural characteristics of these cells in relation to the various phases of the culture, is similar to the well known of in vitro cellular embryonal systems (spongioblasts).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Nomarski interference microscopy: use of combined contrast uranyl acetate-PTA for in vitro observation of monolayer cultures].

In this paper is reported a technique for the fixation and staining of cellular monolayers in vitro for observation by the interferential microscope according to Nomarski. This method includes the use of glutaraldehyde at 2.5% in phosphate buffer 0.1 M pH 7.5 and the sequential use of Uranil acetate (0.9% in absolute alcohol) and phosphtungstic acid (1% in absolute alcohol). This study has been conducted on 3 cellular lines: PC12 (rat pheocromocytoma), R.P.C. (rat pineal cells), primary culture obtained from a human carcinoma of the uterus.

Acetates↗
PubMed1980

[Practical staining method: T-OPA triple stain].

The following procedure has proven to be successful as routine trichrome stain on paraffin embedded material: 1) Mayer's hemalum for 10 min, followed by running tap water wash; 2) staining in 1% Orange G in 1% acqueous PTA for 5 min and rinsing a few seconds in distilled water; 3) Aniline blue 1% acqueous for 5 min, followed by few seconds distilled water wash. Dehidratation in ethanol, or by blotting followed by t-buthanol or 1:3 terpineol-xylene, clearing and mounting, completed the procedure.

Acridine Orange↗