Emangioma epitelioide perineurale del fascio nervo-vascolare dorsale del pene. Esempio di rara localizzazione

We report the case of a 32-year-old man with penile pain during erection. Examination revealed nodular lesion at the base of the penis, which ultrasound indicated as hypoechoic. At surgical approach we found a grey nodule between the fibres of the dorsal nerve of the penis. Histological examination revealed epithelioid hemangioma.

Follow-Up Del Carcinoma Vescicale Superficiale: Approccio Integrato e Ipotesi Prognostiche

The follow-up of superficial bladder cancer, after TUR and endovesical administration of BCG or other drugs, involves many methods: we studied two groups of patients who underwent TUR for superficial bladder cancer. A group of 54 patients underwent cystoscopy, urine cytologic examination and cytometry; a second group of 30 patients underwent mapping too. The results of the three examinations were compared: high ploidy values were related both with recurrence and progression. The results of cytology plus cytometry were predictive of mapping results and bladder biopsies were useless in up to 50% of cases. Our results indicate that the association of cytology and cytometry reveals good sensitivity, specificity and prognostic indications.

Effects of omeprazole on ethanol metabolism: an in vitro and in vivo rat and human study

Since some H2-receptor antagonists, like cimetidine or ranitidine, affect ethanol metabolism by interference with gastric and/or hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) it was investigated whether omeprazole has a similar effect and its effects were compared with those of cimetidine, an inhibitor of gastric ADH. The first-pass metabolism (FPM), quantified by measuring the difference between areas under the curve (AUC) of ethanol blood concentrations after oral intake or intravenous administration of the same amount (0.3 g kg-1 b.w.) of ethanol (EtOH), was studied before and after 1 week of omeprazole (20 mg daily) or cimetidine (800 mg daily) administration in 10 normal male volunteers. ADH activity was determined in gastric mucosal samples, collected during endoscopy, before and after 1 month of omeprazole treatment. The effect of the drugs on gastric and hepatic ADHs was studied in vitro in both rat and man. No significant effect of omeprazole was found on AUCs of the blood EtOH concentrations. The ADH activity in antral mucosa before and after omeprazole therapy did not show significant differences. In vitro, omeprazole reduced the activity of the low Km gastric ADH with a Ki of 5.6 mM in rat and the hepatic ADH activity with a Ki of 2.4 mM in man, whereas the drug did not show any effect on hepatic ADH in rat and gastric ADH in man. On the contrary, cimetidine increased the AUCs of EtOH blood concentrations after both gastric and intravenous route and, in the in vitro assay, inhibited gastric and hepatic ADH in both man and rat. These results indicate that omeprazole does not affect EtOH metabolism in man and seems to be safer than cimetidine in subjects unable to reduce ethanol intake during the therapy for peptic ulcer or other hypersecretory conditions.

Efficacy and tolerability of brodimoprim in respiratory tract infections

Brodimoprim is a new diaminopyridine derivative suitable for oral therapy which shows good in-vitro activity against most Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. The efficacy and tolerability of brodimoprim in acute lower respiratory tract infections was tested in controlled clinical trials in comparison with different classes of antibiotics. Acute bacterial infections or infective exacerbations of chronic obstructive bronchitis were included in the studies. Brodimoprim in a single dose was compared to different oral treatments which included co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim 160 mg+sulphamethoxazole 800 mg every 12 hours) and erythromycin (600 mg three times a day). In the studies criteria of efficacy such as daily temperature curve, intensity and frequency of cough, degree of dyspnea, intensity of thoracic pain, difficulty of expectoration, sputum production, thoracic semiology were examined. Brodimoprim was more effective than cotrimoxazole and erythromycin at the end of the treatment, induring a more significant and prompt reduction of axillary temperature, daily sputum volume, degree of dyspnea. There was no difference among treatments in the mean period of therapy to obtain the resolution of the infective process (8 days on average). Brodimoprim had a significantly lower percentage of side effects during the treatment in comparison with cotrimoxazole or erythromycin. Hence brodimoprim was better accepted by patients.

Anti-peptide specific antibodies for the characterization of different alpha subunits of alpha-bungarotoxin binding acetylcholine receptors present in chick optic lobe

Chick optic lobe express alpha-Bungarotoxin receptors. We have recently purified these receptors which, when reconstituted in a lipid bilayer, behave as functional acetylcholine gated channels. In order to characterize this purified preparation, we raised polyclonal antibodies against peptides obtained from the putative cytoplasmic domain between the hydrophobic sequence M3 and M4 of two previously cloned alpha-Bungarotoxin receptor subunits, alpha 7 and alpha 8. Both antibodies recognized the receptors present in the membrane extract and in the purified preparation, although the amount of the alpha-Bungarotoxin receptors precipitated by the two antibodies was quantitatively different. In Western blots of both purified and membrane-bound receptors, these antibodies specifically reacted with an M(r) 57000-55000 band. A study was also undertaken to quantify the receptors containing these subunits in different chick brain areas; it was found that the number of these subunits, as well as their ratio, was similar in all the tested areas. Furthermore, the alpha-Bungarotoxin receptors were present in at least two subtypes, one containing only the alpha 7 subunit and the other both alpha 7 and alpha 8 subunits.

Influence of acid-secretion blockers on gastric and hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase in rat

The effects of Cimetidine, Ranitidine, and Omeprazole on gastric and hepatic alcohol-dehydrogenase (ADH) activity was studied in rat. Two apparent values for Km were found for gastric ADH (220 mmol l-1 and 1043 mmol l-1 respectively) and one for hepatic ADH (0.54 mmol l-1). Cimetidine was shown to exert an uncompetitive inhibition of low Km gastric ADH with a Ki of 0.167 mmol l-1 and a competitive inhibition of high Km gastric ADH with a Ki 2.3 mmol l-1. Ranitidine was found to present non-competitive inhibition only on low Km gastric ADH with a Ki of 12 mmol l-1. Omeprazole affects only low Km gastric ADH with a Ki of 5.6 mmol l-1 and presents a linear-mixed type of inhibition. Hepatic ADH was shown to be competitively inhibited only by Cimetidine with a Ki of 6.0 mmol l-1 whereas no inhibition for either Ranitidine and Omeprazole was observed. These results confirm the inhibitory action of Cimetidine on both gastric and hepatic ADH; Ranitidine and Omeprazole show minor effects on ADHS activity and probably on first-pass metabolism.

Low-dose "natural" alpha-interferon in B-cell derived chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BACKGROUND

Alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) was found to have a good antiproliferative effect in early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but recombinant alpha-IFN administration may induce serious side effects. Therefore low-dose "natural" IFN was evaluated in terms of efficacy and safety.

METHODS

Fifteen patients affected by stage A (according to Binet) B-CLL underwent the treatment: natural IFN 1 MU three times a week for 6 months.

RESULTS

Overall lymphocyte count decreased from 13,050 +/- 3,200 to 7,500 +/- 2,940 within 6 months. One patient did not respond to IFN therapy. No one complained of side effects.

CONCLUSION

Low dose "natural" alpha-IFN seems useful and well tolerated in CLL, but the potential curative role of IFN in CLL remains to be established.

A functional α-bungarotoxin receptor is present in chick cerebellum: Purification and characterization

It has recently been demonstrated that alpha-bungarotoxin receptors, which behave as functional nicotinic receptors, are present in chick CNS. In this paper, we report the purification and characterization of a functional alpha-bungarotoxin receptor from chick cerebellum, a nervous tissue in which a clear inhibition of induced nicotine effects has been reported in vivo. This receptor contains at least three subunits of apparent mol. wt 52,000, 57,000 and 67,000. The use of monoclonal antibodies specific for the alpha 7 subunit demonstrated that 75% of the molecules present in our purified preparation belong to the alpha 7 subtype and that this antibody labels the 57,000 band in western blot, thus indicating that this is the toxin binding subunit. Reconstruction experiments in planar lipid bilayers show that this alpha-bungarotoxin receptor forms a cation selective channel whose opening is blocked by d-tubocurarine. Binding experiments on immobilized receptors over an alpha-bungarotoxin-Sepharose affinity column show that the ligand binding subunit is present in vivo in two copies per receptor. Immunological, pharmacological and functional experiments show that this purified receptor is very similar, but not identical, to the previously characterized chick optic lobe receptor, thus indicating the heterogeneity of these alpha-bungarotoxin receptors in the CNS.

Prostate-specific Antigen and Prostate Cancer: How can We Improve Specificity and Predictive Power of the Marker?

PSA is commonly used in diagnosing prostate cancer but it lacks both specificity and sensitivity; PSA values rise in benign prostatic affections and up to 30% prostate cancers show normal PSA values. Preliminary reports indicate that PSA DENSITY (PSAD), i.e. PSA/prostate-volume ratio, can improve specificity of PSA in diagnosing prostate cancer. We considered PSAD in 55 patients of 160 observed for prostatism: all of them underwent digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasound and multiple biopsies of the gland. We found cancer in 19 patients (PSAD ranging from 0.17 to 1.77, with a mean value of 0.45), 26 prostatic hyperplasia (PSAD from 0.003 to 0.75, with a mean of 0.13), 6 dysplasia (PSAD from 0.07 to 0.30, with a mean of 0.19). In our experience PSAD > 0.17 or mean value > 0.45 indicate cancer in the absence of significant digital rectal examination and ultrasound findings or normal and borderline PSA values.

Umbilical artery and uteroplacental velocimetry in pregnancies complicated by idiopathic low birthweight centile

Umbilical artery and uteroplacental Doppler flow velocity waveforms were studied in 35 pregnancies complicated by idiopathic low birthweight centile. Thirty fetuses (86%) were below the 5th centile birthweight for gestation. Fifteen (43%) had an abnormal umbilical artery systolic to diastolic ratio. Uteroplacental waveforms were recorded in 29 of the 35 pregnancies and five (17%) showed an abnormal systolic to diastolic ratio. Abnormal uteroplacental systolic to diastolic ratios were associated with a significantly earlier gestational age at delivery and significantly more cesarean sections for fetal distress compared with normal uteroplacental systolic to diastolic ratios (p less than or equal to 0.01). The absence of umbilical artery end-diastolic frequencies was associated with a significantly earlier gestational age at delivery compared with the presence of umbilical artery end-diastolic frequencies (p less than 0.005). No differences in pregnancy outcome were observed comparing normal with abnormal amniotic fluid volume assessment. These findings suggest that Doppler studies may be useful in estimating the risk of adverse perinatal outcome for small for gestational age fetuses with no identifiable cause.

Purification and characterization of an alpha-bungarotoxin receptor that forms a functional nicotinic channel

Neither the structure nor the function of alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha Bgtx) binding molecules in the nervous system have yet been completely defined, although it is known that some of these molecules are related to cation channels and some are not. Using an improved method of affinity chromatography, we have isolated a toxin binding molecule from chicken optic lobe that contains at least three subunits with apparent Mr values of 52,000, 57,000, and 67,000. The Mr 57,000 subunit binds alpha Bgtx and seems to be present in two copies per receptor. The receptor is recognized by antibodies raised against the alpha Bgtx receptors of human neuroblastoma cells, fetal calf muscle, and chicken optic lobe but not by antibodies raised against Torpedo acetylcholine receptor, the serum of myasthenic patients, or monoclonal antibody, 35. 125I-labeled alpha Bgtx binding to the isolated receptor is blocked, with the same potency, by nicotinic agonists and antagonists, such as nicotine, neuronal bungarotoxin and, d-tubocurarine. When reconstituted in a planar lipid bilayer, the purified alpha Bgtx receptor forms cationic channels with a conductance of 50 pS. These channels are activated in a dose-dependent manner by carbamylcholine and blocked by d-tubocurarine.