Showing papers by "University of Modena and Reggio Emilia published in 1992"

Abnormal brain and muscle energy metabolism shown by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients affected by migraine with aura.

Abstract: We studied brain and muscle energy metabolism by phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in 12 patients affected by migraine with aura (classic migraine) in interictal periods. Brain 31P-MRS disclosed a low phosphocreatine content in all patients, accompanied by high adenosine diphosphate concentration, a high percentage of V/Vmax (adenosine triphosphate), and a low phosphorylation potential--features showing an unstable state of metabolism in classic migraine. Abnormal muscle mitochondrial function, in the absence of clinical signs of muscle impairment, was present in nine of the 12 patients examined.

Psychoimmunoendocrine aspects of panic disorder

Abstract: Immunological, neuroendocrine and psychological parameters were examined in 14 psychophysically healthy subjects and in 17 panic disorder patients before and after a 30-day course of alprazolam therap

Treatment of Leg Ulcers with Cryopreserved Allogeneic Cultured Epithelium: A Multicenter Study

Abstract: • Background.— In the past few years, several authors have described the usefulness of cultured allogeneic epidermal sheets in promoting wound healing of burns, leg ulcers, and donor sites. This study reports clinical results obtained by different departments in the treatment of chronic leg ulcers by cryopreserved cultured allogeneic epithelium. The freezing procedure and the assessment of viability of the cryopreserved epithelium are also described. A total of 30 ulcers were treated using 138 cryopreserved allografts. Observations.— Twenty ulcers (66.6%) healed completely within 12 weeks. Four ulcers showed a 30% to 84.4% reduction in size by 3 weeks but did not heal completely; the remaining six ulcers did not show any improvement. A strong stimulation of granulation tissue formation and of reepithelialization from the wound edge were observed. Results.— The results indicate that frozen cultured epidermis, stored in a skin bank, is a valid and generally applicable alternative therapy for the treatment of chronic ulcers. ( Arch Dermatol. 1992;128:633-638)

Treatment of oral leukoplakia with beta-carotene

Abstract: Over the past few years, beta-carotene has progressively gained ground as a drug chosen in the treatment of oral leukoplakias, thus making it possible to reduce the use of 13-cis-retinoic acid, which was shown by many studies to be highly toxic while beta-carotene has proved to have no significant side effects and hence to be much more suitable in oral premalignancy. In 1989, a phase II study of patients showing oral leukoplakias and treated with beta-carotene (90 mg/day) was begun. A total of 23 patients (aged between 17 and 85) were included in the study and 18 (8 male and 10 female) were evaluated. Eight patients (44.4%) had objective responses (6 complete, 2 partial). Four CR and a PR appeared unexpectedly within 2-7 months after the end of the therapy. The lesions were macroscopically and histologically examined at entry; in the evaluated patients, two types of alterations were found: atypical hyperplasia (16 patients) and dysplasia (2 patients). No signs of significant toxicity were detected; only in 1 patient treatment had to be interrupted for 1 week. The results of this study show the fair efficacy of beta-carotene against oral leukoplakias, but further confirmations through controlled clinical studies are needed.

Multinucleate cell angiohistiocytoma.

Abstract: We report a case of multinucleate cell angiohistiocytoma occurring in a 50-year-old woman and presenting with a 4-year history of asymptomatic red papules on the face. Histologically, there was a dermal vascular proliferation associated with numerous multinucleate cells. Immunohistochemical studies showed vascular spaces surrounded with mature vascular endothelial cells, and the presence of numerous interstitial factor XIIIa+ cells. Multinucleate cells exhibited intermediate filaments of the vimentin type, but were not stained by endothelial cell or macrophage markers, and were factor XIIIa-. This condition must be addressed in the differential diagnosis of other skin vascular proliferations, such as Kaposi's sarcoma and angiofibromas.

Very late activation-3 integrin is the dominant β1-integrin on the glomerular capillary wall : an immunofluorescence study in nephrotic syndrome

Abstract: The expression of α2; α3; α5; α6-subunits of the β1 [very late activation (VLA)] integrin family was studied in kidney specimens using an immunofluorescent technique. 6 specimens from normal kidney were compared with 10 specimens from patients affected by various glomerulopathies [minimal change nephropathy (MCN), membranous nephropathy (MN) and systemic lupus erythematosus nephritis (SLEN)]. On normal glomeruli, α3 was the dominant integrin, being mainly present on podocytes and showing a linear fluorescent pattern codistributed with laminin. In MCN and SLEN, α3 presented a normal pattern. In MN, α3 revealed a trabecular picture on thickened glomerular basement membranes. Moreover, in stage-Ill MN, a segmental loss of α3-integrin was detected. In our opinion, VLA-3 may offer an interesting approach to the study of the relationships between podocytes and their substrate.

Genetic transmission of colorectal cancer: exploratory data analysis from a population based registry.

Abstract: Classical segregation analysis was conducted on 605 families of probands with colorectal carcinoma ascertained through the Cancer Registry of the Province of Modena in Italy. The families were classified as 28 suspected hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndromes and 577 presumed non-HNPCC. In 11 of these, both parents had colorectal carcinoma, in 130 one parent was affected, and in 436 both parents were normal. In the suspected HNPCC families, segregation was compatible with dominant transmission of susceptibility to carcinoma. In families with one parent affected, the segregation frequency was almost exactly equal to the frequency of segregation in families where both parents were normal. The model of dominant transmission of susceptibility through a major gene with greatly reduced penetrance in heterozygotes fitted the data acceptably.

Evolution, immune responses and stress: studies on molluscan cells.

Abstract: Using a variety of techniques we found the presence of ACTH and opioid-like molecules in the phagocytic spreading hemocytes (SH) and the serum of the mollusc Planorbarius corneus. In vitro experiments have shown that ACTH and beta-endorphin exert chemotactic activity on SH, while ACTH, but not beta-endorphin increases the phagocytic activity of SH. Moreover, ACTH and CRF provoked the release of biogenic amines from the hemocytes, mimicking a proto-stress type of response. Thus, the same mobile cell is capable of immune and proto-stress responses by using as mediators neuropeptides which remained fundamentally similar throughout evolution.

Cell kinetics evaluation of colorectal tumors after in vivo administration of bromodeoxyuridine.

Abstract: Although several biomarkers have been tested, Dukes' (or TNM) stage at diagnosis is still considered the only prognostic factor of clinical relevance in colorectal cancer. Among the various biomarkers, the fraction of cells engaged in DNA synthesis has been extensively investigated as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness. Bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) is a non-radioactive thymidine analogue which is incorporated into DNA during the S-phase of cycling cells. In order to evaluate the relationships between cell kinetics and morphologic variables, 500 mg of BUdR were given i.v. to 46 patients with colorectal cancer prior to surgery. After operation, a large tumor sample was taken and processed for immunohistochemical detection of BUdR-labeled cells in various regions of the neoplasm and in normal colorectal mucosa. Smaller superficial tumor specimens were also incubated with 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) for the autoradiographic identification of labeled cells. In the 43 evaluable tumors, the overall BUdR labeling index (BLI, percent of labeled cells) was significantly higher in carcinoma (20.30 +/- 0.86%, SEM) than in normal colonic mucosa (6.51 +/- 0.49%). BLIs in central and peripheral regions of carcinoma were closely correlated (r = 0.48, p = 0.003). In 21 neoplasms a high correlation between overall BUdR and 3H-TdR labeling index in the same tumor was observed (r = 0.57, p = 0.007). No evident association between overall BLI and clinical or morphologic parameters of the tumor was seen, including number of capillaries and ras-p21 protein expression. We conclude that BUdR immunostaining after in vivo administration of BUdR is a simple method for studying cell kinetics in various regions of colorectal cancer. BUdR labeling data are comparable to those obtained with in vitro incorporation of 3H-TdR.

Hydrodynamic analysis of submicrometer n+nn+ diodes for microwave generators

Abstract: We present a theoretical investigation on the electrical behavior of submicrometer n+nn+ diode microwave generators. To this end we adopt a mixed scheme which uses space‐homogeneous and stationary Monte Carlo simulations to provide the input parameters for a hydrodynamic analysis of the diode performances. Comparison between GaAs and InP made devices working at 400 K give similar results by predicting generation frequencies up to 700 GHz for an active region length of 0.2 μm.

Detection and quantitation in rat tissues of the superparamagnetic magnetic resonance contrast agent dextran magnetite as demonstrated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

Abstract: Rationale and objectives The compound studies in this article is a superparamagnetic macromolecular complex of magnetite cores coated with hydrophilic dextran, which is under active investigation as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in liver and spleen. The biodistribution of paramagnetic compounds is problematic and is usually studied by histochemical reactions or by radiolabeling the compound under study. The purpose of this article is to show how electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy detects dextran magnetite (DM) particles in tissues. Methods DM injected intravenously in the experimental animal was detected in some reticulo-endothelial organs by ESR. The spectroscopic study was validated using electron microscopy and electron-probe microanalysis. Results DM exhibits an ESR spectrum; ESR delineated the distribution of DM distribution in liver, spleen, bone marrow, and blood as a function of time. The blood clearance was biphasic, dependent on the size of particles. Conclusions ESR spectroscopy is a highly sensitive and reproducible method of studying DM distribution.

Spleen dendritic cells exhibit altered morphology and increased allostimulatory capacity after short-term culture.

Abstract: Ia-bearing dendritic cells (DC) are a class of bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells that appear to possess an increased capacity to stimulate resting T lymphocytes. DC from different tissues share several morphologic, phenotypic and functional attributes. For example, freshly isolated DC from spleen resemble phenotypically and functionally freshly isolated Langerhans cells (LC) from epidermis; in addition, during short-term culture both DC and LC undergo several parallel changes including modifications affecting phenotype, capacity to present protein antigens, and ability to route surface Ia molecules into intracellular acidic compartments (J Immunol 1990: 145: 2820-2826). In the present study we show, using immunoelectron microscopy with anti-Ia and anti-33D1 monoclonal antibodies, freshly isolated DC in suspension to have a smooth cell surface with few and short cytoplasmic projections. By contrast, cultured DC display conspicuous bulbous cytoplasmic protrusions. In addition, spleen DC following culture for 24-48 hours exhibit an increased ability to stimulated allogeneic T lymphocytes in the primary mixed leukocyte reaction. These changes, similar to those described for freshly isolated and cultured LC respectively, further substantiate the close relationship between DC and LC.

Cytotoxicity and cell death: studies on molluscan cells and evolutionary considerations.

Abstract: In a previous study we demonstrated the presence of NK-like activity in the mollusc Planorbarius corneus. This activity can be ascribed to round hemocytes that have a morphology similar to that of vertebrate lymphocytes. We show here that this NK-like cytotoxicity is evident in serum-free culture medium. Moreover, the type of death induced by molluscan effector cells on their targets is probably similar to that induced by vertebrate effector cells, i.e. apoptosis or programmed cell death, as assessed by the protective effect exerted by 3-aminobenzamide when both types of effector cells were used.