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R Pansini

Publications and source records attributed to R Pansini.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Torsades de pointes as a manifestation of mexiletine toxicity.

An episode of torsades de pointes, an unusual ventricular tachyarrhythmia, developed in a 59-year-old coronary patient who was treated with 100 mg. four times a day mexiletine orally. The PR, QRS, and QT intervals were normal. The ventricular arrhythmias resembled in part, the patient's previous ventricular premature complexes, but there were some relevant morphological differences. The plasma electrolytes were within normal limits. Mexiletine, which is chemically and electrophysiologically similar to lidocaine, probably caused this arrhythmia. Although mexiletine is a useful antiarrhythmic drug, it should be added to the list of drugs associated with atypical ventricular tachycardia.

Blood Pressure↗

[Spectral analysis of a "sea gull cry" murmur (author's transl)].

"Precordial honk" is a loud, high pitched, musical and usually intermittent systolic noise. The concept of extracardiac origin and "inocence" of this finding is superseded and today its valvular origin during mitral prolapse, mitral or tricuspidal insufficiency - due to rheumatic or ischaemic disease - or during cardiomiopathy is demonstrated. The acoustic characterization of this finding was based on phonocardiographic registration. All the authors describe the "precordial honk" as a high frequency murmur without specifying the acoustic characteristics of the phenomenon. A spectral analysis technique applied to the acoustic cardiac signal (Fourier analysis) has been employed in order to study the "precordial honk" of a 15-year-old boy with mitral valve prolapse. This made possible to show that this sound had only one fundamental frequency at 300 Hz. without harmonics; a "sea gull cry" murmur (as the cry of many birds is) justifying the name given by clinicians. The spectral analysis of phonocardiography signal allow to study, more precisely, the cardiac acoustic phenomenon.

Adolescent↗

Effect of bromocriptine on the control of plasma aldosterone diurnal variation in normal supine man.

In order to investigate the role of prolactin in the control of the circadian rhythm of plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma renin activity (PRA), cortisol (PC), aldosterone and prolactin (PRL) levels were determined in samples at 4-hour intervals from 5 normal supine men over a period of 24 h under basal conditions and subsequently over a period of 24 h during suppression of prolactin release by bromocriptine (CB-154). After suppression of prolactin, statistically signific1nt circadian rhythms in PC and PA have been detected with a moderate decrease of PA concentration, while the PC level remained unalterated. PRA rhythmicity persisted with a significant shift of acrophase and remarkable reduction of plasma levels. Moreover, during CB administration a significant correlation was obtained between PA and PC, while no correlation was detected between PA and PRA. These data are consistent with the following concepts: (a) the prolactin does not play a significant role in the regulation of circadian rhythm and concentration of plasma aldosterone in normal supine men, and (b) bromocriptine induces a remarkable reduction of PRA and a variable decrease in plasma aldosterone, but it does not influence the secretion of cortisol in normal subjects.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

[Evidence for circadian variability in the renin-angiotensin II system (author's transl)].

Circadian variations of P.R.A. and angiotensin II were studied in three normal subjects and nine hypertensive patients. All data were analysed by a mathematical-statistical method called "cosinor". Analysis of results has shown: 1) Circadian rhythm of P.R.A. which in the normal subjects reaches its acrophase (maximum daily level) in the morning, while in the hypertensive patients the acrophase recurs in the afternoon; 2) Circadian rhythm of angiotensin II in the normal subjects, which is not detected in the hypertensive patients. Angiotensin I does not exhibit rhythm in both groups.

Angiotensin II↗

[Viral myocarditis].

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Coxsackievirus Infections↗

Family resemblance in blood pressure measurements.

The correlation for diastolic and systolic blood pressure was studied in two samples of quartets each consisting of two pairs. The first sample comprised pairs of sisters and their husbands, and the second sample was comprised of brothers and their wives. All siblings were between 30 and 55 years of age and had been married for at least 5 years. It was found that unrelated men married to sisters had a significant correlation in both diastolic (r = 0.28) and systolic (r = 0.41) pressure. For systolic blood pressure, the correlation between pairs of unrelated men married to sisters was significantly larger than the homologous correlation existing in pairs of brothers married to unrelated women. The correlations of systolic and diastolic pressure in sisters were significantly smaller than the same correlations measured in the wives of brothers. The correlations in height for men, used as an internal control to compare marital and genetic effects, were unaffected by marriage, as expected. The correlations in height for pairs of sisters, however, were no larger than those observed in pairs of unrelated women married to brothers. It was concluded that in adult married men and women of the Ferrara population, aged 30 to 55 years, the influence of genetic factors on blood pressure is less important than the influence of cultural factors.

Adult↗

Effect of ketanserin, a new inhibitor of 5-HT2 receptors, on plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels in normal subject.

The effect of intravenous administration (10 mg) of ketanserin, a pure, specific and selective blocking agent of 5-HT2 receptors (R 41 468: 3-[2-[4-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-1-piperidinyl]ethyl]-2,4(1H,3H)-quinazolinedione) on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and blood pressure in 5 normal male volunteers was compared to the effect of saline alone. Ketanserin induced a small increase in plasma levels of both renin activity and aldosterone, which was not significantly different from that observed during control test. There was no significant effect on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These preliminary data suggest that 5-HT2 receptors are probably not involved in the physiological control of basal renin secretion. However, further investigations are needed to elucidate the effects of ketanserin on the renin secretion and blood pressure.

Adult↗

[The empty sella syndrome. Clinical, radiological and endocrinologic analysis in 20 cases].

Empty sella syndrome is an anatomical entity in which the pituitary fossa is enlarged and partially filled with cerebrospinal fluid owing to the arachnoid herniation, while the pituitary gland is compressed against the posterior rim of the fossa. This condition can be due to an inherent weakness of the diaphragm sella and/or to an increase in intracranial pressure which promote the herniation of the arachnoid membrane into the pituitary fossa (primary empty sella) or it can results following surgery, radiation or vascular and tumorous pituitary diseases (secondary empty sella). Empty sella can be associated with neuroradiological and endocrine symptoms. This study reports the clinical, endocrine, and roentgenographic features in 20 patients with primary empty sella syndrome. Disturbances of hypothalamic-pituitary function were detected in 6 patients (hyperprolactinemia, hypopituitarism, central diabetes insipidus, hypothalamic hypothyroidism). Three patients exhibited hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. This report supports the following conclusions: a) there is no correlation between size of pituitary fossa, type an extension of arachnoid herniation and the degree of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction; b) endocrine alterations are frequent in the empty sella syndrome; c) the association of empty sella and primary diabetes insipidus is not a very rare event.

Adolescent↗