PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Pansini

Publications and source records attributed to M Pansini.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Executive function impairment in early-treated PKU subjects with normal mental development.

Executive functions were studied in 14 early and continuously treated PKU subjects (age 10.8 years, range 8-13) in comparison with controls matched for IQ, sex, age and socioeconomic status. Brain MRI examination was normal in all PKU patients. Neuropsychological evaluation included Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test, Elithorn's Perceptual Maze Test, Weigl's Sorting Test, Tower of London, Visual Search and Motor Motor Learning Test. Whatever the IQ, PKU subjects performed worse than controls in tests exploring executive functions. Subgrouping the PKU subjects according to the quality of dietary control for the entire follow-up period (using 400 micromol/L as cut-off value for blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentration) showed that patients with worse dietary control performed more poorly than both the PKU group with the best dietary control and the control group. However, a mild impairment of executive functions was still found in PKU patients with a good dietary control (Phe <400 micromol/L) compared to controls. Concerning the PKU group as a whole, no linear correlation was found between neuropsychological performance and historical and concurrent biochemical parameters. We conclude that (a) PKU patients, even when treated early, rigorously and continuously, show an impairment of frontal lobe functions; (b) a protracted exposure to moderately high levels of Phe can affect frontal lobe functions independently of the possible effect of the same exposure on IQ; (c) in order to reduce the risk of frontal lobe dysfunction, the target of dietary therapy should be to maintain blood Phe concentration below 400 micromol/L.

Adolescent↗

Chemistry of verongida sponges. 10. Secondary metabolite composition of the caribbean sponge Verongula gigantea.

A detailed analysis of the secondary metabolites of the Caribbean sponge Verongula gigantea has been performed. A number of bromotyrosine derivatives, 1, 2, and 6-17, were identified, one of which (17) is a novel compound. Its structure was determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Additionally, aureol (18) and 5, 6-dibromo-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (19) were isolated from one of the five analyzed specimens.

Animals↗

Chemistry of verongida sponges. 9.1 secondary metabolite composition of the caribbean sponge aplysina cauliformis

A detailed analysis of the secondary metabolites of the sponge Aplysina cauliformis has been performed. Eight compounds were identified, two of which (13 and 14) are new bromotyrosine derivatives whose structures were determinated from spectroscopic evidence, including 2D NMR. The new compounds were analyzed for cytotoxic activity, and compound 14 was shown to inhibit mammalian protein synthesis and cell proliferation.

Journal Article↗

Sterols from the Caribbean sponge Neofibularia nolitangere. Isolation of two novel polyhydroxysteroids.

The sterol composition of the Caribbean sponge Neofibularia nolitangere has been investigated. In addition to usual sterols this sponge elaborates comparable amounts of 24-methylene-4 alpha-methyl-5 alpha-cholest-8-en-3 beta-ol (1), which is very unusual among sponge sterols, and lesser quantities of two new polyoxygenated sterols, (24S)-24-ethyl-5 alpha-cholest-8-ene-5,6 beta,7 alpha-triol (2) and (24S)-24-ethyl-5 alpha-cholest-8(14)-ene-5,6 beta,7 alpha-triol (3).

Animals↗

Three new D-ring unsaturated sterols from the Mediterranean sponge Topsentia aurantiaca: structure determination and complete nuclear magnetic resonance assignment.

Three novel sterols with a rare D-ring unsaturation were isolated from the marine sponge Topsentia aurantiaca and identified as 5 alpha-cholest-14-ene-3 beta,16 alpha-diol (2), 24R-ethyl-5 alpha-cholest-14-ene-3 beta,16 alpha-diol (3), and 24S-ethyl-5 alpha-cholest-14-ene-3 beta,16 alpha-diol (4). The sponge also elaborates a further D-ring unsaturated sterol, 5 alpha-cholest-15-en-3 beta-ol (1), which has been previously described only as a synthetic product. All the 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonances of compounds 1 and 2 were assigned to the relevant protons and carbons by bidimensional COSY, HETCOR, and HMQC nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.

Cholestanols↗

Further bioactive acetylenic compounds from the Caribbean sponge Cribrochalina vasculum.

In addition to the known 3-hydroxydocosa-(4E, 15E)-dien-1-yne [1], 3-hydroxy-16-methyleicos-(4E)-en-1-yne [2], and 3-hydroxy-19-methyleicos-(4E)-en-1-yne [3], the lipophilic extract of the Caribbean sponge Cribrochalina vasculum was shown to contain four new bioactive acetylene metabolites, (3R)-hydroxy-14-methyldocos-(4E)-en-1-yne [4], (3R)-hydroxy-16-methyleicos-1-yne [7], (3R)-hydroxy-19-methyleicos-1-yne [8], and docosa-(3E, 15Z)-dien-1-yne [9], whose structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral studies. The previously unassigned chirality at C-3 of the known compounds 1-3 has been also established as R.

Acetylene↗

Linear diterpenes from the Caribbean sponge Myrmekioderma styx.

Four new oxygenated diterpenes 1-4 were isolated from the Caribbean sponge Myrmekioderma styx. The structures of these compounds were deduced by ms, uv, ir, 1H- and 13C-nmr, 1H-1H COSY, XHCORR, and COLOC experiments. Compounds 1-4 are lethal to brine shrimp (Artemia salina).

Animals↗

The treatment of Meniere's disease by acupuncture.

34 patients suffering from Meniere's disease were treated by acupuncture. Prior to acupuncture most of them had been treated with various other medical means without satisfactory results. After acupuncture treatment their condition greatly improved. The classic symptoms of Meniere's disease are vertigo, tinnitus and deafness, but for all the treated patients vertigo was the most uncomfortable and distressing symptom. In all our cases vertigo stopped after a few acupuncture courses; but in our opinion it is more important to follow and control hearing threshold, since if it remains stable the other symptoms of Meniere's disease also do not persist. All our patients were regularly followed by careful audiometric studies several years after acupuncture treatment. In most cases hearing level had not greatly varied, so the other symptoms of Meniere's disease were not present in any large degree.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

Electronystagmography in the pathology of the central nervous system.

The program of the electronystagmographic examinations in the pathology of the central nervous system contains 11 groups of tasks. Sixty signs of central impairments are listed, from which 26 nystagmic irregularities had a small diagnostic value. No sign occuring alone could be taken as pathognomonic, only a group of signs can be used for the impairment localization. Besides for the peripheral vestibular and the peripheral vestibulocochlear impairments, the authors succeeded to make a group containing pathogomonic signs for mixed vestibular impairments as well as for multiple sclerosis affecting vestibular structures.

Central Nervous System Diseases↗

The true threshold of the slow nystagmic component-L.

The fast component of nystagmus begins where the slow component stops, at the point called the threshold of the fast component R. The fast component should last until the eye is brought back into the position of azimuth zero, where the slow component begins anew. This point can be called the threshold of the slow component L. So the fast component has a span from R to L and is presented as a side of a triangle r. An additional corrective procedure in electronystagmography is suggested to avoid failures and to define the true position of L. This is the way to correct the false information on nystagmic elements and to learn the unknown features of the fast component.

Electronystagmography↗