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Biomedical subjects

R Lazzarini

Publications and source records attributed to R Lazzarini.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Antidepressants for patients with tinnitus.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is described as the perception of sound or noise in the absence of real acoustic stimulation. It has been compared with chronic pain, and may be associated with depression or depressive symptoms which can affect quality of life and the ability to work. Antidepressant drugs have been used to treat tinnitus in patients with and without depressive symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of antidepressants in the treatment of tinnitus and to ascertain whether any benefit was due to a direct tinnitus effect or a secondary effect due to treatment of concomitant depressive states. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2006); MEDLINE (January 1951 to 2006); EMBASE (1974 to 2006), CINAHL (to 2006), PSYCINFO (to 2006), LILACS (to 2006), and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts. The date of the most recent search was March 2006. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled clinical studies of antidepressant drugs versus placebo in patients with tinnitus. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The studies retrieved were critically appraised and data extracted independently by two authors. Where necessary study authors were contacted for further information. MAIN RESULTS: Five trials involving 525 patients were included. Four of these trials looked at the effect of tricyclic antidepressants on tinnitus, investigating 405 patients. One trial investigated the effect of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) in a group of 120 patients. No trials involving other antidepressant agents met the inclusion criteria. Only the trial using the SSRI drug met the highest quality standard. None of the other included trials met the highest quality standard, due to use of inadequate outcome measures, large drop out rates or failure to separate the effects on tinnitus from the effects on symptoms of anxiety and depression. All the trials assessing tricyclic antidepressants suggested that there was a slight improvement in tinnitus but these effects may have been attributable to methodological bias. The trial that investigated the SSRI drug found no overall improvement in any of the validated outcome measures that were used in the study although there was possible benefit for a subgroup that received higher doses of the drug. This observation merits further investigation. Reports of side effects including sedation, sexual dysfunction and dry mouth were common. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to say that antidepressant drug therapy improves tinnitus.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed2004

Effects of amphetamine on immune-mediated lung inflammatory response in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The present study analyzed the effects of acute amphetamine (AMPH) treatment on immune-mediated lung inflammatory response in rats. METHODS: There were four experiments. In the first and second experiments, rats were treated with AMPH (1 mg/kg) or 0.9% NaCl, and locomotor activity (experiment 1) and serum AMPH concentrations (experiment 2) were measured 1 or 12 h after treatment. In the third experiment, rats which were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) were treated 14 days later with 0.9% NaCl or AMPH (1 mg/kg). Twelve hours after these treatments, all animals were submitted to challenge by 1% OVA inhalation being analyzed afterwards for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL), peripheral blood and bone marrow cellularity. In the fourth and final experiment, rats were treated and studied as for experiment 3, except that half of the animals within each group were previously treated with metyrapone prior to the OVA challenge. RESULTS: In the non-immunized rats, AMPH treatment induced an increase in locomotor activity synchronized to high serum AMPH concentrations 1 h after, but not 12 h after treatment. In OVA-challenged rats, AMPH treatment decreased the total number of inflammatory cells, recovered in both BAL and peripheral blood and increased the total number of bone marrow cells. These effects, observed 1 day after OVA challenge, were abrogated by previous metyrapone treatment. CONCLUSION: AMPH treatment changed HPA-axis responsiveness to the stress condition imposed by the OVA challenge decreasing lung and blood leukocytes cellularity most probably via corticosterone actions on bone marrow activity.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed2001

Reduction of acute inflammation in rats by diazepam: role of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors and corticosterone.

Carrageenin causes a reproducible inflammatory reaction and remains the standard irritant for examining acute inflammation and anti-inflammatory drugs. High doses of diazepam (10.0-20.0 mg/Kg) were shown to reduce the volume of acute inflammatory paw edema in rats as a response to carrageenin administration. The present experiment was undertaken to investigate the possible roles of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs) and corticosterone on the anti-inflammatory effects of diazepam. Five experiments were conducted to assess the effects of a single dose (10.0 mg/Kg) of diazepam on carrageenin-induced paw edema (CIPE), pleurisy and increase in vascular permeability in rats. Results showed that: 1. diazepam or Ro5-4864 (a PBR agonist) treatment reduced CIPE values; 2. prior treatment with PK11195 (a non-benzodiazepine PBR antagonist) suppressed the effects of either diazepam or Ro5-4864 on CIPE; 3. diazepam reduced the volume of the pleural exudate in carrageenin-injected rats, as well as its leukocyte count; 4. diazepam treatment reduced the magnitude of the increase in vascular permeability caused by carrageenin; 5. adrenalectomy suppressed the effects of diazepam on CIPE; and 6. diazepam treatment increased the serum concentration of corticosterone. These results suggest a relevant role of PBR and corticosterone on diazepam-induced changes in inflammation. They are discussed in the light of a possible activation of mitochondrial PBRs within the adrenal gland cells by diazepam, thereby increasing the serum levels of corticosterone and thus reducing CIPE.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Glycopeptide susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus haemolyticus bloodstream isolates.

Twelve clinical strains of Staphylococcus haemolyticus (eight methicillin resistant and three methicillin susceptible), isolated from blood cultures between 1982 and 1997, were investigated for teicoplanin and vancomycin susceptibility profiles. On the basis of conventional MIC tests and breakpoints, four isolates were susceptible (MICs, 1 to 8 microgram/ml) and eight were resistant (MICs, 32 to 64 microgram/ml) to teicoplanin while all were susceptible to vancomycin (MICs, 1 to 2 microgram/ml). All four strains for which the conventional teicoplanin MICs were within the range of susceptibility expressed heterogeneous resistance to teicoplanin and homogeneous vancomycin susceptibility. Of the eight strains for which the conventional teicoplanin MICs were within the range of resistance, six expressed heterogeneous and two expressed homogeneous teicoplanin resistance while seven showed heterogeneous vancomycin resistance profiles (with subpopulations growing on 8 microgram of the drug per ml at frequencies of >/=10(-6) for six strains and 10(-7) for one) and one demonstrated homogeneous vancomycin susceptibility. Of six bloodstream isolates of other staphylococcal species (S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and S. simulans), for all of which the conventional teicoplanin MICs were >/=4 microgram/ml and the vancomycin MICs were </=2 microgram/ml, none exhibited heterogeneous susceptibility profiles for teicoplanin while three showed homogeneous and three showed heterogeneous susceptibility profiles for vancomycin (with subpopulations growing on 8 microgram of the drug per ml found for only one strain). The results of this study indicate that a heterogeneous response to glycopeptides is a common feature of S. haemolyticus isolates and suggest that susceptibility to glycopeptides as determined by conventional MIC tests may not be predictive of the outcome of glycopeptide therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1998

Hand eczema: evaluation of 250 patients.

BACKGROUND: Hand eczema (HE) is a chronic multifactorial dermatosis with the presence of endogenous and exogenous factors in its pathogenesis. The etiologic diagnosis of hand eczema is often difficult. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were (1) to detect clinical history and clinical examination data capable of differentiating HE types; (2) to determine the importance of patch tests for the etiologic diagnosis of HE; and (3) on the basis of the definitive diagnosis of HE type with the aid of patch tests, to obtain relevant data for appropriate patient guidance for the control of HE. METHODS: A total of 250 patients with HE were studied over a period of 3 years (1993 to 1995). All patients were submitted to the battery of patch tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained led to the following conclusions: (1) Women are more predisposed to HE. (2) Work under moist conditions favors HE. (3) With respect to the regional location of HE, any region may be involved in any type of HE; however, involvement of the dorsal region is more common in allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), followed by contact dermatitis owing to primary irritation (ICD) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Location of HE on the dorsal surface of the fingers was mainly observed in ACD, followed by ICD and AD. (4) Patch tests should be part of the investigative routine of HE etiology. (5) The presence of allergy to metals in the clinical history of the patient is a relevant feature, because patch tests confirmed sensitization to nickel in 89% of cases. (6) Rubber components have high sensitization frequency in patients with HE. (7) When the patient reports worsening of HE after the use of rubber gloves, this indicates a probable sensitization to rubber components, mainly in patients with AD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection for measurement of vinorelbine plasma concentrations.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection for the determination of vinorelbine in plasma is described. The technique was derived from that published by Debal for an assay of vinorelbine in cell culture medium. The modifications concern the preparation procedure for plasma samples (a two-step liquid-liquid extraction from plasma is described), optimization of the mobile phase composition, and use of a single C18 column. These changes resulted in an improved sensitivity and reproducibility of the assay and led to its feasibility for clinical pharmacokinetic studies. The range of the assay is 2 to 1000 ng/ml.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1996

Effects of high doses of diazepam on carrageenin-induced paw edema in rats.

Benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptor sites play a relevant role in immune/inflammatory reactions. Acute BDZ treatments were shown not only to suppress cell proliferation in rat thymus but also to decrease TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 release from adult mouse macrophages. In the present investigation the effects of acute (10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg) and long-term (10.0 mg kg-1 day-1, for 21 days) diazepam treatment on carrageenin-induced paw edema were studied in rats. The results showed that acute treatment with high doses of diazepam decreased paw edema volume in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was observed as early as 1 h after the administration of the 20.0 mg/kg dose and continued until the last measurement was performed (8 h). In contrast, long-term diazepam administration did not modify the phlogistic-induced edema. Taken together, these data show that 1) acute diazepam treatment with high doses decreases the volume of the acute inflammatory paw edema developed by the organism as a response to carrageenin-induced injury, and 2) long-term diazepam treatment induces tolerance to this effect. These results are discussed in the light of a possible effect of diazepam on the components of the rat cellular and humoral immune/inflammatory reaction such as T lymphocytes and/or interleukins.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cost-benefit of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration in older patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with combination chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Older patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) display a poorer response to chemotherapy and a significantly higher treatment-associated toxicity than do younger individuals. We investigated the potential clinical benefits and the cost-effectiveness of accelerated granulocyte recovery induced by recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients with aggressive NHLs, aged 60-70 years, during treatment with a second-generation combination chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 12 consecutive patients (median age 66 years) treated with six to eight courses of CHVmP/VB plus subcutaneous G-CSF (5 micrograms/kg/day) were compared with 11 consecutive subjects (median age 65 years) who received the same chemotherapy regimen without growth factor support. The two groups of patients were fully comparable as to the clinicopathologic features. A comparative analysis of treatment costs (including hospitalization, antimicrobial prophylaxis and therapy, supportive and diagnostic procedures, and G-CSF) was also performed. RESULTS: Both the overall response rate and the percentage of complete remissions were comparable in the two treatment groups. In the control group, 32.5% of chemotherapy courses were delayed, as opposed to 19% in the G-CSF group (p = 0.05). The mean duration of delay for patients receiving or not receiving G-CSF was 10.1 and 25.9 days, respectively (p = 0.02). Grade 3 and 4 granulocytopenia complicated 27.7% of chemotherapy courses in control patients and only 4.8% in subjects receiving G-CSF (p < 0.001). Similarly, severe infections and mucositis were significantly higher in patients receiving chemotherapy alone (15.6% and 3.6%, respectively) compared to the G-CSF group (4.8%, p = 0.01; p = 0.04, respectively). A mean of 1.1 days/course of hospitalization was required in the control group, as opposed to 0.2 days/course in patients receiving G-CSF (p = 0.05). Although overall treatment costs were higher in the control group, single cost of the recombinant growth factor exceeded by far all the other expenses in the G-CSF group, reaching a statistical relevance (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of prophylactic G-CSF in the treatment plan for aggressive NHL in older patients appears safe and cost-effective in view of the peculiar clinical features of aged subjects and the possibility of delivering effective doses of antineoplastic drugs on an outpatient setting.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Chromatin phospholipid changes during rat liver development.

The chromatin extracted from rat hepatocytes of different ages has been shown to contain a phospholipid fraction representing 0.47-0.59 per cent of total chromatin in newborn animals and 0.22 per cent in 45-day-old animals. No such age-related differences are observed in the nuclei. The phospholipid composition of the nuclei at different ages shows a higher level of sphingomyelin and a lower level of phosphatidylserine in newborn than in adult animals. Chromatin phospholipids have a completely different composition from that of nuclei with respect to age, particularly in newborn rats, where there is a decrease in phosphatidylcholine and an increase in phosphatidylserine.

Aging↗
PubMed1988

Regulation of myelin P0 glycoprotein synthesis in cultured rat Schwann cells and continuous rat PNS cell lines.

We studied the effects of agents that raise intracellular cyclic AMP on synthesis of myelin components by cultured neonatal rat sciatic nerve Schwann cells and by continuous PNS cell lines derived from the fusion of neonatal rat sciatic nerve Schwann cells with rat RN22 Schwannoma. Treatment with N6,2'-O-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dibutyryl cyclic AMP) caused a fourfold increase in Schwann cell incorporation of 35SO4 into sulfogalactosylceramide (sulfatide), and elicited a 10- to 20-fold increase in such incorporation by the continuous PNS cell lines; a similar effect on PNS cell line sulfatide radiolabelling was obtained with forskolin. Cultured Schwann cells expressed barely detectable levels of myelin P0 glycoprotein (P0) mRNA and myelin basic protein (MBP) mRNA. Treatment of the Schwann cells with axolemmal fragments or with dibutyryl cyclic AMP did not elicit a detectable increase in the levels of these mRNAs. The PNS cell lines constitutively expressed much higher levels of P0 mRNA than did the Schwann cells, and synthesized immunochemically demonstrable P0 glycoprotein, but did not express MBP. Treatment of the PNS cell lines with dibutyryl cyclic AMP markedly reduced expression of P0 mRNA and also diminished immunoreactive P0 glycoprotein. These PNS cell lines should prove useful for further studies of the control of Schwann cell differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The human myelin-basic-protein gene: chromosomal localization and RFLP analysis.

With a human myelin-basic-protein (MBP) cDNA used as a probe, the human MBP gene has been mapped to chromosome region 18q22-q23 by a combination of Southern hybridization to a panel of somatic-cell hybrid DNAs and in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes. Restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have also been identified with this probe in human DNA, by means of the restriction enzymes BamHI, PvuII, and PstI. In studies of informative families, the alleles of the BamHI and PvuII polymorphisms have been shown to segregate as Mendelian traits.

Alleles↗
PubMed1986

The nucleotide sequence of the mRNA encoding the fusion protein of measles virus (Edmonston strain): a comparison of fusion proteins from several different paramyxoviruses.

Membrane fusion is the primary cytopathic effect observed in cells infected with measles virus. The viral protein responsible for this process has previously been defined as the fusion (F) protein. Fusion is activated by the proteolytic cleavage of a precursor molecule (F0) to yield two disulfide-linked polypeptides (F1 and F2). In this paper the mRNA for the membrane fusion protein has been cloned and the resulting cDNAs were sequenced. A mRNA composed of 2377 nucleotides was found to contain one open reading frame which could potentially code for a protein of 550 amino acids. This corresponding gene product was identified as the fusion protein through use of antibodies directed against a synthetic peptide which was constructed from the deduced amino acid sequence. A long and rather G-C rich 5' terminus was found on the mRNA and this noncoding region may play some role in regulation of protein synthesis at the translational level. Protein sequence data derived from the cDNA clones revealed a highly conserved F1 amino terminus which is characteristic of most paramyxoviruses. Very little amino acid homology (except for the conservation of the F1 terminus and 9 cysteines) was evident when the sequence was compared to other paramyxovirus fusion proteins. However an overall hydrophobic nature was characteristic of all the F proteins and hydrophobicity plots for the fusion proteins of 4 different paramyxoviruses were very similar. Computer analysis was also employed to analyze the secondary structure of the measles virus F protein. Large stretches of alpha helix were characteristic of the regions which purportedly interact with membranes. The functional domains of the F protein and their similarity to those of the influenza hemagglutinin protein are discussed in this communication. We concluded that the distribution of hydrophobic regions capable of spanning biological membranes determines the fusogenic nature of the F protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Identification of three forms of human myelin basic protein by cDNA cloning.

We have isolated cDNA clones encoding three separate forms of human myelin basic protein (MBP), 21.5, 18.5, and 17.2 kDa, and have determined the nucleotide sequence of each. The three forms share a common sequence but differ by the inclusion of a 26-residue amino acid sequence near the N terminus of the 21.5-kDa protein or by the absence of an 11-residue amino acid sequence near the C terminus of the 17.2-kDa protein. The sequences either added to or deleted from the major 18.5-kDa MBP correspond exactly to exons 2 and 5 of the mouse MBP gene, suggesting that the human and mouse genes have similar exon structures. We have also identified the 21.5-kDa human MBP on immunoblots using antisera raised to a peptide encoded by the mouse exon 2 sequence. Southern blotting studies of human genomic DNA reveal a simple pattern consistent with a single human MBP gene. Thus, the three MBP mRNAs are likely to arise from alternative splicing of a primary human MBP transcript. Conservation of the 26 amino acid mouse exon 2 sequence in human MBP suggests an important role for this sequence in myelination.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1976

Long-term persistent vesicular stomatitis virus and rabies virus infection of cells in vitro.

BHK 21 carrier cells persistently infected with VSV Indiana for over 2 years have been shedding generally very low levels of mature infectious virus or mature T particles (averaging less than one-hundredth p.f.u./cell/day) yet most cells are producing virus antigens and are resistant to homologous superinfection. However, large amounts of biologically active T particle RNP can be recovered from cytoplasmic extracts of these carrier cells even at times when they are shedding no detectable infectious virus. This recovered cytoplasmic RNP replicates (with helper B virions) to produce mature T particles, interferes strongly after DEAE dextran-facilitated uptake and, together with B virions, allows the establishment of a persistent carrier state in exposed cells. No 'provirus' DNA copies of the VSV RNA genome are detectable (less than 1/40 copy/cell or I copy per 40 cells) in carrier cells after more than 2 years of persistent infection, and all transfection attempts have failed using DNA from these VSV carriers or DNA from carrier cells persistently infected with some other negative strand RNA viruses (measles, mumps, LCM, influenza, rabies). Infectious viruses shed after more than I year from carrier cells originally infected with wild-type B virions are small plaque mutants showing a slight temperature sensitivity. Cured cell populations can be obtained from the long term VSV carrier culture by cloning in the presence or absence of antiviral antibody.

Animals↗