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Biomedical subjects

S Grasso

Publications and source records attributed to S Grasso.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Modulation of fibrinogen content in cryoprecipitate by temperature manipulation during plasma processing.

In routine blood bank production of single-donation cryoprecipitate, the introduction of a 16-hour hold at 4 degrees C, with the frozen plasma units packed into polystyrene containers, resulted in plasma prethaw temperatures of -4 degrees C to -8 degrees C. This in turn resulted in cryoprecipitate fibrinogen levels that were 214 percent of those obtained when units were thawed immediately after removal from -30 degrees C storage. In scale-model production of factor VIII concentrate, plasma warmed from -30 to -10 to -15 degrees C over 18 hours before pooling and thawing yielded cryoprecipitate fibrinogen levels that were 66 percent of those found in plasma warmed to -2 to -5 degrees C over the same period. Processing -30 degrees C plasma without a warming period led to cryoprecipitate fibrinogen levels that were 40 percent of those obtained from plasma warmed to -2 to -5 degrees C. These differences were accentuated after purification of the cryoprecipitates to an intermediate-purity factor VIII concentrate. These results suggest that simple modifications in production methods allow the fibrinogen content of cryoprecipitate to be tailored to specific uses.

Blood Banks↗
PubMed1992

The effects of deoxyspergualin on the development of diabetes in diabetes-prone BB rats.

The effects of the administration of the recently discovered immunosuppressant 15-Deoxyspergualin (DSP) on the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in diabetes-prone BB rats were studied. The data show that 2 mg/kg body weight DSP, administered six times a week from the 30th day up to the 105th day of age, significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes in diabetes-prone BB rats as compared with the PBS-injected controls. The drug was also able to reduce the signs of pancreatic insulitis and the percentages of W3/25+ and OX6+ splenocytes. Interruption of the treatment resulted in a later onset of diabetes in a high percentage of animals within 41 days. These findings suggest that 15-DSP may temporarily reverse the pathogenic mechanisms leading to beta cell destruction and autoimmune diabetes in a well-known experimental model of human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Gastrin (G) cells are the cellular site of the gastric thyrotropin-releasing hormone in human fetuses and newborns. A chromatographic, radioimmunological, and immunocytochemical study.

In this study we analyzed the ontogeny and location of gastric TRH in human fetuses, preterm and term newborns, and adults. TRH immunoreactive cells were found in the antrum towards the bottom of developing glands and double immunostaining demonstrated that this neuropeptide is coexpressed with gastrin in the same cell (G-cell). In the youngest fetuses studied (12 weeks) G cells were few and contained both gastrin and TRH. They increased in number during development and were most abundant between 26 and 36 weeks of gestation. These morphological data correlated with total immunoreactive TRH content extracted from the whole stomachs of six fetuses and two preterm infants. On the contrary G cells containing both hormones were decreased in the newborn at term and not identified in the adult whereas those containing only gastrin were numerous in both. The TRH extracted was indistinguishable from synthetic TRH using chromatographic, radioimmunologic, and enzymatic criteria. As has already been reported, TRH was found in insulin-containing cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas of our fetuses and newborns. These cells presented a similar development pattern to the gastric G cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The nonspecific bronchial stimulation test with methacholine and an ultrasonic mist of distilled water: which is to be preferred in the military sphere?].

The authors compare the methacholine (Mch) and the nebulized ultrasonic distilled water (NUDW) bronchial challenge as regard sensitivity and time required to perform them. For military service fitness, were studied 24 asthmatic patients. Each subject performed random a bronchial challenge by Mch (Yan method) and by NUDW (Allegra method) in two different days; for each bronchial challenge has been measured the time required to perform it. The atopic status has been evaluated by skin-prick test. All the subjects have shown a positive response to Mch test (PD 20 FEV1 mean: 352 mcg, range 80-850) whereas 13 subjects (54%) have shown a positive response to NUDW. The time required to evaluate all the subjects by Mch test has been 199.5 minutes whereas the total time required to evaluate all the subjects by NUDW test (127 minutes) and to evaluate by Mch test the non responders to NUDW (100 minutes) has been 227 minutes. The most of subjects were skin reactors. No difference was found as regard onset of disease, basal lung function and atopic status between responders and non responders to NUDW test. We conclude that NUDW test has shown a lack of sensitivity in this sample (50% of asthmatic patients could be misdiagnosed) and that the Mch test is preferable to determine a rapid method for measurement of bronchial responsiveness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

FK-506 prevents diabetes in diabetes-prone BB/Wor rats.

The effect of the immunosuppressant FK-506 on the development of diabetes in BB/Wor rats was investigated. Using a treatment schedule (25 micrograms i.m. from day 27 to 120), not associated with detectable general ill effects, this drug was found to completely inhibit the appearance hyperglycemia and to reduce the histological signs of pancreatic insulitis. The treatment was also able to reduce the percentages of Ia+ T-lymphocytes and to block the appearance of detectable serum levels of gamma interferon (IFN).

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Is alexithymia a non-neurotic personality dimension?

The basic hypothesis of the literature on alexithymia, i.e. that alexithymia has a higher prevalence in psychosomatic than in neurotic (and delusional) patients, was empirically tested by means of the well-validated Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Surprisingly, neurotic and delusional patients (N = 71) had significantly higher mean total scores on the TAS, compared with the psychosomatic group (N = 150); the normal control sample (N = 224) was, as predicted, the lowest scorer. This hierarchical distribution was confirmed for the first two factors of alexithymia: (1) difficulty in distinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations, and (2) difficulty in expressing feelings. The psychiatric group was, instead, the lowest scorer on the third factor (lack of fantasy life). A substantial cross-validation of the above findings was achieved by comparing on the TAS three subgroups of the normal sample (symptom-free, somatizing and 'neurotic' normal controls). The postulate of the non-neurotic nature of alexithymia, along with its many psychopathological and technical corollaries, is completely contradicted by the present findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The Defense Mechanism Test in nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients and normal controls.

In the Defense Mechanism Test, stimuli representing a central figure threatened by a peripheral person are presented tachistoscopically, at increasing exposure times. The threat is assumed to trigger defense mechanisms that are expressed by several types of perceptual distortions. Given that to date no experimental study has validated the discriminative power of the Defense Mechanism Test between normal controls and clinical groups, 99 normal controls and 57 nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients were given the test. Significantly more psychiatric patients than controls were coded for presence of each of the ten main defensive signs of the Defense Mechanism Test (with a peak significance for reaction formation). Ten codings or subcodings of defense which were particularly rare in the control sample were employed to discriminate between groups. This procedure correctly allocated 85.8% of the control subjects and 85.9% of the psychiatric patients. The present findings allow a preliminary distinction between codings of defense with questionable, moderate, or strong clinical significance, in the area of nonpsychotic psychopathology.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[The measurement of bronchial hyperreactivity for military service fitness].

The authors discuss the efficacy of methacholine challenge to discriminate fit subjects to military service. We evaluated the relation between bronchial hyperreactivity and clinical symptoms, airways caliber and atopic status in a group of italian conscripts who reported to have bronchial asthma. Five-hundred-four subjects were studied. Bronchial hyperreactivity was measured by methacholine test, and atopic status was assessed by skin-tests. A measurable PC20 FEV1 was detected in 424 subjects. On the basis of the methacholine threshold concentration the overall sample was divided in four categories. The four categories differed as regards onset of disease, lung function and skin reactivity towards Dermatophagoides Pter, whereas no difference was found as regards skin reactivity towards Grass. In the group evaluated in spring, the four categories differed as regards skin reactivity towards Grass. In conclusion we found that bronchial hyperreactivity is related to clinical history, lung function and atopic status; the measurement of bronchial hyperreactivity is important to evaluate conscripts referring bronchial asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Glucagon and insulin secretion in low birthweight preterm infants. The effect of glucose infusion.

The effect of the intravenous glucose on plasma levels of glucagon and insulin were evaluated in thirty-five LBW preterm infants who were appropriate for gestational age. Their mean birthweight and gestational age were 1220 +/- 55 g (range 750-1730 g) and 29 +/- 1 weeks (range 25-35 weeks), respectively. A 30 min glucose infusion in 16 infants (1 g/kg b.w. in 30 min) caused a prompt and sustained suppression of plasma glucagon and a delayed but significant insulin release. The mean of the sum of maximal plasma glucagon decrements below the baseline was 173 +/- 42 pg/ml. In another 12 infants a significant fall in plasma glucagon and a variable but significant plasma insulin release also occurred throughout the 24 h study on continuous intravenous glucose (rate 2.4-2.7 mg/kg/min). The mean of the sum of maximal plasma glucagon decrements below the baseline up to 12 h was 282 +/- 36 and was similar to that seen in the previous group.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1990

Isolated lissencephaly: report of four patients from two unrelated families.

Lissencephaly is a brain malformation manifested by a smooth cerebral surface and caused by incomplete neuronal migration. Clinical sequellae include minor craniofacial changes (bitemporal hollowing, small jaw), severe mental retardation, and other neurological abnormalities. Patients with classical or type I lissencephaly and its sequellae but no other significant anomalies are classified as having isolated lissencephaly sequence. Possible causes of isolated lissencephaly sequence include ischemia or viral infection during the time of neuronal migration, microdeletion within the Miller-Dieker syndrome critical region in chromosome band 17p13.3, and Mendelian inheritance. The last is based on a report of a single family with three affected children in 1933. We report four patients with isolated lissencephaly sequence from two unrelated families who provide further support for autosomal (or possibly X-linked) recessive inheritance. In the first family, three brothers were affected. In the second, the parents are first cousins.

Brain↗
PubMed1990

Microgenetic patterns of adaptation on the Stroop task by patients with bronchial asthma and duodenal peptic ulcer.

Microgenetic patterns of adaptation on the Stroop task were assessed by means of the Serial Color-Word Test given 21 patients with bronchial asthma and 20 with duodenal peptic ulcer, who were compared with 41 normal controls matched for sex, age, and education. Two measures were calculated on each of the five trials of the test, one of linear change and one of nonlinear change in reading times. As predicted, patients presented more frequently patterns characterized by high nonlinear change and less frequently stabilized patterns (low linear and nonlinear change of reading speed). Linear and nonlinear change were then calculated on the five linear change scores and the five nonlinear change scores; again patients presented more frequently patterns characterized by high nonlinear change on both the linear change scores and nonlinear change scores and less frequently stabilized patterns. These findings indicate strong similarities between the adaptation patterns of patients with ulcer and asthma and the microgenetic patterns previously known to characterize neurotic and psychotic patients. Furthermore, scores on the Serial Color-Word Test also differentiated between ulcer and asthma groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Denial of separation anxiety as measured by a serial tachistoscopic technique.

A mother-child separation stimulus was repeatedly presented by standard Defense Mechanism Test procedure, at increasing durations of tachistoscopic exposure to 60 clinical and nonclinical subjects. Subjective verbal reports were coded blindly for evidence of perceptual distortions presumably indicative of denial of separation anxiety. Low scores on two items measuring sensitivity to separation anxiety and intolerance of aloneness were, as predicted, significantly more often characterized by codings of denial on the tachistoscopic exposures than subjects with high sensitivity to separation anxiety. Stability of effect became stronger when only very low and very high scores were compared for perceptual denial on the last four presentations of the series. This technique, employing other types of anxiety-evoking stimuli, may represent a reliable instrument to reveal the presence of defences toward each of the most relevant conflictual areas of the personality.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Synthesis and anticonvulsant properties of 2,3,3a,4-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazol-1-ones.

A series of 2,3,3a,4-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]benzimidazol-1-ones were synthesized and evaluated for anticonvulsant activity in DBA/2 mice against sound-induced seizures and in rats against maximal electroshock-induced seizures. Most of the derivatives showed an anticonvulsant effect better than that of valproate, a commonly used anticonvulsant drug. Compound 3 possessed an anticonvulsant activity comparable to that of diphenylhydantoin in both tests and was selected for further studies. Structure-activity relationships are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1988

Evaluation of a sustained-release buccal nitroglycerin preparation in stable angina pectoris.

The efficacy of a 2.5 mg sustained-release buccal nitroglycerin preparation given 8-hourly in effort-induced stable angina pectoris was investigated by means of graded exercise testing in 15 patients. An initial double-blind crossover study, compared with a placebo (duration six days) was followed by a further 15-day open treatment period on the active drug. Exercise testing was carried out 2 and 7 h after tablet administration at the conclusion of active treatment in the double-blind phase, and 2 h after tablet administration at the conclusion of the open treatment phase. Workload and exercise duration were significantly increased and mean electrocardiographic ST segment depression and ST segment recovery time significantly reduced by buccal nitroglycerin in the initial phase of the study, and these improvements were maintained over the subsequent 15-day assessment period. Systolic blood pressure at rest was significantly decreased by active treatment; other haemodynamic parameters remained unchanged. The study demonstrated the efficacy of sustained-release buccal nitroglycerin in effort-induced stable angina pectoris, and an absence of (+) tolerance to the therapeutic effects of this mode of nitrate administration.

Administration, Buccal↗