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Biomedical subjects

M Ranieri

Publications and source records attributed to M Ranieri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Bridges between nervous and immune systems: their disconnection and clinical consequences.

Nervous and immune systems are connected by several mutual links, thus constituting a diffuse functional network in the body. In particular, neurohormones, neuropeptides, and cytokines represent the major mediators of the so-called psychoneuroendocrinoimmune axis. In this review, special emphasis is placed on certain pathologies characterized by a disconnection of the existing bridges between nervous and immune systems. For instance, spinal cord injury (SCI) is a clinical condition in which loss of neurons and very poor axon growth represent the main features. The role played by infiltrating and resident immunocompetent cells is still debated in SCI. However, to enhance axon growth in SCI, current therapeutic attempts are based on the stimulation of the immune response within the central nervous system, thus triggering either cell-mediated or humoral immune responsiveness.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Young stroke and basal plasma and post-methionine load homocysteine and cysteine levels 1 year after the acute event: do plasma folates make the difference?

We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the relationship between ischemic stroke in young adults (<45 years of age) and plasma homocysteine (Hcy), plasma folate and vitamin B(12), after a methionine load. We studied 42 patients with a history of ischemic stroke and 29 controls with a negative clinical history of cardio- or cerebrovascular diseases, venous thrombosis and renal disease. A fasting blood sample was drawn from each participant; the second and third samples were collected, respectively, 120 and 240 min after the methionine load. Whilst there was no difference between controls and patients in basal total homocysteine (tHcy), we found a statistically significant difference in both the 120- and 240-min samples. We compared the basal and 240-min tHcy in patients and controls. We obtained a median value of 17.8 and 11.6 micromol/l in patients and controls, respectively. The difference between these two values was highly significant. The methionine loading test (MLT) reveals Hcy metabolism abnormalities that were not revealed by the basal sample. MLT may help identify and treat this new risk factor, which seems to be both atherogenic and prothrombotic, and is hypothesized to operate through various mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Preparations, structures, and electrochemical studies of aryldiazene complexes of rhenium: syntheses of the first heterobinuclear and heterotrinuclear derivatives with bis(diazene) or bis(diazenido) bridging ligands.

The mono- and binuclear aryldiazene complexes [Re(C6H5N=NH)(CO)5-nPn]BY4 (1-5) and [(Re(CO)5-nPn)2-(mu-HN=NAr-ArN=NH)](BY4)2 (6-12) [P = P(OEt)3, PPh(OEt)2, PPh2OEt; n = 1-4; Ar-Ar = 4,4'-C6H4-C6H4, 4,4'-(2-CH3)C6H3-C6H3(2-CH3), 4,4'-C6H4-CH2-C6H4; Y = F, Ph) were prepared by reacting the hydride species ReH(CO)5-nPn with the appropriate mono- and bis(aryldiazonium) cations. These compounds, as well as other prepared compounds, were characterized spectroscopically (IR; 1H, 31P, 13C, and 15N NMR data), and 1a was also characterized by an X-ray crystal structure determination. [Re(C6H5N=NH)(CO)(P(OEt)3)4]BPh4 (1a) crystallizes in space group P1 with a = 15.380(5) A, b = 13.037(5) A, c = 16.649(5) A, alpha = 90.33(5) degrees, beta = 91.2(1) degrees, gamma = 89.71(9) degrees, and Z = 2. The "diazene-diazonium" complexes [M(CO)3P2(HN=NAr-ArN identical to N)](BF4)2 (13-15, 17) [M = Re, Mn; P = PPh2OEt, PPh2OMe, PPh3; Ar-Ar = 4,4'-C6H4-C6H4, 4,4'-C6H4-CH2-C6H4] and [Re(CO)4(PPh2OEt)(4,4'-HN=NC6H4-C6H4N identical to N)](BF4)2 (16b) were synthesized by allowing the hydrides MH(CO)3P2 or ReH(CO)4P to react with equimolar amounts of bis(aryldiazonium) cations under appropriate conditions. Reactions of diazene-diazonium complexes 13-17 with the metal hydrides M2H2P'4 and M2'H(CO)5-nP"n afforded the heterobinuclear bis(aryldiazene) derivatives [M1(CO)3P2(mu-HN=NAr-ArN=NH)M2HP'4](BPh4)2 (ReFe, ReRu, ReOs, MnRu, MnOs) and [M1(CO)3P2(mu-HN=NAr-ArN=NH)M2'(CO)5-nP"n](BPh4)2 (ReMn, MnRe) [M1 = Re, Mn; M2 = Fe, Ru, Os; M2' = Mn, Re; P = PPh2OEt, PPh2OMe; P',P" = P(OEt)3, PPh(OEt)2; Ar-Ar = 4,4'-C6H4-C6H4, 4,4'-C6H4-CH2-C6H4; n = 1, 2]. The heterotrinuclear complexes [Re(CO)3(PPh2OEt)2(mu-4,4'-HN=NC6H4-C6H4N=NH)M(P(OEt)3)4(mu-4,4'-HN=NC6H4- C6H4N=NH)Mn(CO)3(PPh2OEt)2](BPh4)4 (M = Ru, Os) (ReRuMn, ReOsMn) were obtained by reacting the heterobinuclear complexes ReRu and ReOs with the appropriate diazene-diazonium cations. The heterobinuclear complex with a bis(aryldiazenido) bridging ligand [Mn(CO)2(PPh2OEt)2(mu-4,4'-N2C6H4-C6H4N2)Fe(P(OEt)3)4]BPh4 (MnFe) was prepared by deprotonating the bis(aryldiazene) compound [Mn(CO)3(PPh2OEt)2(mu-4,4'-HN=NC6H4-C6H4N=NH)Fe(4- CH3C6H4CN)(P(OEt)3)4](BPh4)3. Finally, the binuclear compound [Re(CO)3(PPh2OEt)2(mu-4,4'-HN=NC6H4-C6H4N2)Fe(CO)2(P(OPh)3)2](BPh4)2 (ReFe) containing a diazene-diazenido bridging ligand was prepared by reacting [Re(CO)3(PPh2OEt)2(4,4'-HN=NC6H4-C6H4N identical to N)]+ with the FeH2(CO)2(P(OPh)3)2 hydride derivative. The electrochemical reduction of mono- and binuclear aryldiazene complexes of both rhenium (1-12) and the manganese, as well as heterobinuclear ReRu and MnRu complexes, was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and digital simulation techniques. The electrochemical oxidation of the mono- and binuclear aryldiazenido compounds Mn(C6H5N2)(CO)2P2 and (Mn(CO)2P2)2(mu-4,4'-N2C6H4-C6H4N2) (P = PPh2OEt) was also examined. Electrochemical data show that, for binuclear compounds, the diazene bridging unit allows delocalization of electrons between the two different redox centers of the same molecule, whereas the two metal centers behave independently in the presence of the diazenido bridging unit.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Tidal volume reduction for prevention of ventilator-induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome. The Multicenter Trail Group on Tidal Volume reduction in ARDS.

Because animal studies have demonstrated that mechanical ventilation at high volume and pressure can be deleterious to the lungs, limitation of airway pressure, allowing hypercapnia if necessary, is already used for ventilation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Whether a systematic and more drastic reduction is necessary is debatable. A multicenter randomized study was undertaken to compare a strategy aimed at limiting the end-inspiratory plateau pressure to 25 cm H2O, using tidal volume (VT) below 10 ml/kg of body weight, versus a more conventional ventilatory approach (with regard to current practice) using VT at 10 ml/kg or above and close to normal PaCO2. Both arms used a similar level of positive end-expiratory pressure. A total of 116 patients with ARDS and no organ failure other than the lung were enrolled over 32 mo in 25 centers. The two groups were similar at inclusion. Patients in the two arms were ventilated with different VT (7.1 +/- 1.3 versus 10.3 +/- 1.7 ml/kg at Day 1, p < 0.001) and plateau pressures (25.7 +/- 5. 0 versus 31.7 +/- 6.6 cm H2O at Day 1, p < 0.001), resulting in different PaCO2 (59.5 +/- 15.0 versus 41.3 +/- 7.6 mm Hg, p < 0.001) and pH (7.28 +/- 0.09 versus 7.4 +/- 0.09, p < 0.001), but a similar level of oxygenation. The new approach did not reduce mortality at Day 60 (46.6% versus 37.9% in control subjects, p = 0.38), the duration of mechanical ventilation (23.1 +/- 20.2 versus 21.4 +/- 16. 3 d, p = 0.85), the incidence of pneumothorax (14% versus 12%, p = 0. 78), or the secondary occurrence of multiple organ failure (41% versus 41%, p = 1). We conclude that no benefit could be observed with reduced VT titrated to reach plateau pressures around 25 cm H2O compared with a more conventional approach in which normocapnia was achieved with plateau pressures already below 35 cm H2O.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

SV-IV, a major protein secreted from rat seminal vesicle epithelium, promotes lymphocyte cytotoxic activity against the lymphoblastoid Raji cell line in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The treatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with micromolar concentrations of SV-IV, a major protein secreted from the rat seminal vesicle epithelium, promotes in this cell population a marked cytotoxic activity against the Raji lymphoblastoid cell line. This activity is apparently due to cell-to-cell contact interactions. The expression of HLA DR on Raji cells has a modulatory effect on the SV-IV-induced cytotoxic activity. The experimental evidence strongly suggests that the cytotoxic effector cells are functionally activated NK cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Modulation of cytokine production in activated human monocytes by somatostatin.

The immunosuppressor effects of the widely distributed neuropeptide somatostatin were examined on purified peripheral blood human monocytes. Somatostatin, at concentrations thought to be physiologic (10(-10)-10(-7) M), regulated monocyte/macrophage responses to (LPS) stimulation, as reflected by interleukin production. In particular, somatostatin had direct inhibitory effects on TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 secretion by LPS-activated monocytes, while the decrease on IL-8 synthesis was modulated mainly by the action of somatostatin on TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. In fact, the addition of these two inflammatory cytokines to the monocyte culture medium was able to induce IL-8 expression, as demonstrated by mRNA analysis, also in presence of the neuropeptide. Although somatostatin affected IL-8 production in an indirect way, it suppressed directly the chemotactic response of neutrophils to IL-8. Finally, somatostatin downregulation of monocyte activation was confirmed by the decrease of HLA-DR expression on cell plasma membranes (52% versus 33%). Our results confirm that somatostatin exerts preferential effects on the suppression of immunoreactions by modulating cytokine production and activity.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1995

Gamete intra-Fallopian transfer or in-vitro fertilization after failed ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination in unexplained infertility?

A prospective randomized study was designed to compare gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer in the treatment of couples who have failed to conceive after at least three cycles of ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination (IUI). A total of 69 couples with primary unexplained infertility of at least 2 years' duration plus at least three failed cycles of ovarian stimulation and IUI were randomly allocated to either GIFT or IVF/embryo transfer. The clinical pregnancy rate was 34% after GIFT treatment and 50% after IVF/embryo transfer. This difference was not statistically significant. The twin rate in the IVF/embryo transfer group was higher than in the GIFT group (53 versus 17%, P = 0.005). We conclude that patients with unexplained infertility and failed ovarian stimulation and IUI can still achieve encouraging pregnancy rates with IVF/embryo transfer or GIFT. Since IVF/embryo transfer is the least invasive of the two procedures and may yield diagnostic information, we would favour this therapy; however, the number of embryos transferred should be reduced to two to reduce the risk of twin pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Efficacy of noninvasive CPAP in COPD with acute respiratory failure.

Dynamic hyperinflation and the development of intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi) are commonly observed in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in acute respiratory failure. Previous studies have shown that externally applied PEEP reduces PEEPi and its adverse effects in mechanically-ventilated COPD patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of graded amounts of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the degree of inspiratory effort, pattern of breathing, gas exchange, and level of dyspnoea in a group of spontaneously breathing, nonintubated COPD patients in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Ten COPD patients admitted to the intensive care unit in acute hypercapnic respiratory failure were studied. Inspiratory effort was measured by the tidal excursions of oesophageal (Poes) and transdiaphragmatic (Pdi) pressure. Inspiratory effort and both the pressure-time product for the diaphragm (integral of Pdi-dt) and for the inspiratory muscles (integral of Poes.dt) were measured during the application of 5, 7.5, and 10 cmH2O of CPAP. Dyspnoea, gas exchange and pattern of breathing were also assessed. Inspiratory effort and the pressure-time product both for the diaphragm and the inspiratory muscles fell significantly with CPAP in a dose-dependent fashion. Both the pattern of breathing and level of dyspnoea improved with CPAP. End-expiratory lung volume remained stable at the lower levels of CPAP, with only modest increases at the higher levels. Arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2) and arterial carbon dioxide tension (Pa,CO2) either improved or remained stable with CPAP. We conclude that the noninvasive application of CPAP to spontaneously breathing patients with severe COPD in acute respiratory failure decreases inspiratory effort and dyspnoea whilst improving breathing pattern. It is conceivable that the early institution of CPAP in this setting may obviate the need for intubation and conventional mechanical ventilation.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Protein S and HIV infection. The role of anticardiolipin and anti-protein S antibodies.

It has recently been reported that a large proportion of patients with HIV infection have low free protein S levels. In this study we show that protein S (PS) activity levels, as well as PS antigen (Ag), were significantly lower in 35 HIV-1 infected patients than in the control population (p < 0.001). When we divided HIV infected patients into three groups according to their CD4+ counts, we found that PS levels were significantly lower in patients with < 100 CD4+ cells/ul. In order to investigate the possible role of (auto)immune response in the pathogenesis of PS deficiency, the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and/or of the specific antibodies to protein S was evaluated. A high prevalence (77.1%) of aCL in both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects was observed. The screening for specific anti-PS antibodies, performed by immunoblotting, showed an overall positivity of 28.6% in anti-HIV+ patients, with a higher prevalence in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients. Interestingly, the prevalence of the positivity for anti-PS antibodies was found to be higher in anti-HIV+ patients with PS levels < 50%. Taken collectively, our findings suggest that at least one of the mechanisms through which PS levels are decreased in HIV infection, is due to the presence of specific autoantibodies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Chitosan-mediated stimulation of macrophage function.

According to the modern definition of biocompatibility, a biocompatible material need not be inert but be bioactive. A benign reactivity implies that the reactivity has to be appropriate for the intended use. Chitosan, a non-acetylated or partially deacetylated chitin (a linear homopolymer of beta (1-4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine) has been proposed as a biomaterial because of its apparent satisfactory biocompatibility. The present investigation demonstrates that chitosan has an in vitro stimulatory effect on both macrophage nitric oxide (NO) production and chemotaxis. The macrophage NO secretion is attributed to the N-acetylglucosamine unit of the chitosan molecule rather than to the glucosamine residue (28 and 15 microM NO respectively). Moreover, the immune stimulatory effect of chitosan was very specific since other glycosaminoglycans, such as N-acetyl-D-mannosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, had no effects on NO production (5 and 8 respectively). In vivo experiments strengthen this hypothesis. Transmission electron microscopy analysis identifies the presence of many leucocytes in the specimens after 14 d post-implantation, showing poor healing processes (i.e. fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition) that characterize the tissue repair at this time in our animal model.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1990

Rating depression and anxiety after mastectomy: observer versus self-rating scales.

Paykel's Clinical Interview for Depression (CID), an observer-rated scale, and Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire (SQ), a self-rating inventory, were administered to twenty-six patients with breast cancer: 1) the day prior to discharge after mastectomy or lumpectomy, 2) after six months, during a follow-up outpatient visit. There were no significant changes in depression and anxiety (except for self-rated anxiety) and, indeed, there were very high test-retest correlations. Observer and self-rated assessments were significantly related, and these correlations improved on outpatient follow-up. DSM-III-R diagnoses of affective illness (mood and anxiety disorders) based on pre-established cut-offs of the CID, showed considerable stability, particularly as to major depressive illness.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1986

Kallikrein and kininase excretion in football players after psychophysical stress.

In eleven football players and in four football-reserve players urinary kallikrein and kininase activities were determined before and after an official match. The results showed a significant reduction of kallikrein after the match in football players when the football-reserve players were used for comparison (p less than 0.01). Kininase activity appears increased in football players after the match, but not significantly. The Kininase/Kallikrein ratio after the match resulted significantly increased in football players (p less than 0.05) and very significantly compared to the football-reserve players (p less than 0.01).

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Method for measurement of human urinary kininase activity.

A method was developed to measure kininase activity in human urine. The method consists of dialysis of human centrifuged urine sample against phosphate buffer and partial fractionation of A-50 Sephadex column. The enzymatic property of urinary kininase, which destroys bradykinin when incubated, is estimated from its effect on a definite amount of bradykinin, using rat uterus.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Altered urinary excretion of human kininase activity in acute myocardial infarction.

This study concerns the determination of levels of human urinary kininase excretion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The results obtained by a biological method show that there is a significant reduction of the enzymatic activity in patients affected by AMI in comparison with normals (6.4 +/- 0.4 ng of destroyed bradykinin/min. versus 164.4 +/- 31.4 ng; P less than 0.001), while urinary kallikrein excretion was close to normal values.

Humans↗