Developmental pathways of vertebral centra and neural arches in human embryos and fetuses.

The ossification pathways of both vertebral centra (i.e., vertebral bodies) and neural arches were studied in human embryos and fetuses (CR-length between 38 and 116 mm).

[The role of HBV and HCV viruses in the pathogenesis of hepatic lesions in alcoholics].

Due to the high prevalence in the population of both viral hepatitis and alcoholism it is not uncommon to find patients with chronic hepatitis in whom both these stigmata are simultaneously present. In such cases, the risk of evolution to cirrhosis is thought to be greater. In this study was evaluated 104 alcoholic patients (50 of whom had hepatic biopsy), with or without antibodies (ab) to hepatitis C virus (HCV).

DNA torsional dynamics by multifrequency phase fluorometry.

The time decay of the fluorescence polarization anisotropy of calf thymus DNA-ethidium complexes is obtained from measurements with sine-modulated excitation employing the so-called multifrequency phase fluorometry. A torsional dynamics model developed by J. M.

[Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes and alveolar inflammation in acute severe bronchiolitis in infants].

The authors have tried to value in 17 children (age: 1-11 months) affected by a severe acute viral bronchiolitis, if the measurement of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzymes could have been used to reveal alveolar injury. In the 76.4% (13/17) of subjects areas of consolidation were demonstrated by chest's radiographic examination due either to atelectasis secondary to obstruction or to inflammation of the alveoli.

[Chronic alcoholism and arterial hypertension. Contribution to the comprehension of the phenomenon and practical implications].

Alcohol abuse is a frequent contributor to elevated blood pressure. 710 chronic alcoholics, aged 26-60 years, admitted for detoxification were studied. We compared hypertension prevalence in alcoholics with that in a similar group of non-alcoholics matched for age, sex, and miscellaneous diseases.

Cloning of a Rab3 isotype predominantly expressed in adipocytes.

We have isolated the cDNA for Rab3D, an additional member of the small molecular weight GTP-binding protein family. Rab3D message is abundant in mouse adipocytes. It is increased during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes, temporally coincident with the appearance of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter GLUT4.

[Lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in respiratory diseases in children].

Total Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD, EC 1.1.1.

Serological and molecular studies of HLA in Sardinian patients with Graves' disease.

HLA Class I and Class II antigens were studied in 103 unrelated Sardinian patients with Graves' disease (GD), 71 of whom had ophthalmopathy, and in 220 healthy controls. Molecular typing of the DQB1 allelic variants was carried out on 34 GD patients and 35 healthy controls, selected for the HLA-DR2-DQw1 phenotype. The results of the serological typing showed a positive association with the DR2 and the DQw1 antigens and a negative association with DR3 and DQw2 antigens.

[Risks related to the use of ergotamine in the therapy of hemicrania. Description of a case].

The ergotamine tartrate used for the migraine headache therapy can induce to a condition of chronic intoxication (ergotism) similar to what occurs after the ingestion of Claviceps purpurea contaminated rye. The case of an Italian woman affected by chronic migraine rectally treated with ergotamine showed cerebral and legs ischaemic indications--angiographically documented--vasospasm in the carotid and femoral arterial area. The withdrawal of the drug produced complete remission.

Insulin and nonhydrolyzable GTP analogs induce translocation of GLUT 4 to the plasma membrane in alpha-toxin-permeabilized rat adipose cells.

Rat adipose cells treated with Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin are permeable and retain their ability to respond to insulin after hormone treatment. The GLUT 4 glucose transporter isoform, specific to fat and muscle cells, is translocated normally from low density microsomes to the plasma membrane in permeabilized cells. Addition of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), guanylyl imidodiphosphate, or guanylyl beta, gamma-methylenediphosphate to permeabilized adipocytes induces an insulin-like translocation of GLUT 4 to the plasma membrane; GTP or adenosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imino)triphosphate has no effect.

Conformation of intercalated DNA plasmids investigated by circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering.

Two DNA plasmids, pEGF and pACL29, intercalated with ethidium bromide (EB), have been examined by circular dichroism (CD) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). CD and DLS data show significant changes when the EB/DNA (phosphates) ratio reaches a value of r approximately equal to 0.13.

[Estrogen receptors in the human liver].

Human hepatic estrogen receptors (ER) were investigated in 17 healthy subjects (13 males and 4 females) and 70 patients with chronic liver disease (45 males and 25 females). Characterization of the estrogen binders in cytosol from human male liver showed two classes of binders, the first of them corresponding to estrogen receptor (Kd = 10(-10) M), and the second representing a low affinity binder (KD = 10(-8) M). Increased ER levels were found in males with chronic liver disease, patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) having about twice the levels of normal males.

Bilitranslocase is the protein responsible for the electrogenic movement of sulfobromophthalein in plasma membrane vesicles from rat liver: immunochemical evidence using mono- and poly-clonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies raised against bilitranslocase, may display either inhibitory or enhancing activity on the electrogenic transport of sulfobromophthalein, evoked in rat liver plasma-membrane vesicles by the addition of valinomycin in the presence of K+. In both cases, the target protein is identified with a 37 kDa band in SDS-mercaptoethanol gel electrophoresis of solubilized membranes. The electrophoretically homogeneous protein isolated by ion-exchange chromatography, corresponds in all respects to the 37 kDa protein band of bilitranslocase, obtained in the past by different techniques.

Characterization of estrogen receptor from human liver.

Characterization of the estrogen receptor in cytosol from human male liver was undertaken to further understanding of the molecular basis of estrogen action in this tissue. By analysis of estrogen binding data of crude cytosol, saturable estrogen binding showed a Kd = 4.7 X 10(-10) M.

[A controlled study on the action of a new formulation of ambroxol in asthmatiform bronchitis in children].

A comparison between the action of Ambroxol and Acetylcysteine was carried out in 28 children aged 2 to 13 (mean 7 years 3 months) affected with spastic bronchitis. 14 patients were treated daily for 10 days by the oral route with 30 mg of Ambroxol (2 sachets) and 14 with 200-300 mg of Acetylcysteine (2-3 sachets). Quantity and quality of sputum, difficulty in expectorating, cough, dyspnea, bronchial bruits, were assessed before the treatment, 5 days into it and at the end.

Ethanol-induced increase in cytosolic estrogen receptors in human male liver: a possible explanation for biochemical feminization in chronic liver disease due to alcohol.

The hepatic cytosolic estrogen receptor content was measured in liver samples from patients with normal livers and from patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. The estrogen receptor content of normal liver was 5.2 +/- 3.

Mischarging Escherichia coli tRNAPhe with L-4'-[3-(trifluoromethyl)-3H-diazirin-3-yl]phenylalanine, a photoactivatable analogue of phenylalanine.

The Boc-protected derivative of a photoactivatable, carbene-generating analogue of phenylalanine, L-4'-[3-(trifluoromethyl)-3H-diazirin-3-yl]phenylalanine [(Tmd)Phe], was used to acylate 5'-O-phosphorylcytidylyl(3'-5')adenosine (pCpA). A diacyl species was isolated which upon successive treatments with trifluoroacetic acid and 0.01 M HCl yielded a 1:1 mixture of 2'(3')-O-(Tmd)phenylalanyl-pCpA and of its 2'-5'-phosphodiester isomeric form.

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Italy. Male sex, hepatitis B virus, non-A non-B infection, and alcohol.

To investigate risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Italy--a country with medium (south: 5% to 10%) to low (north: 1% to 2%) incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection--we studied 646 consecutive patients: 58 chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 428 cirrhosis, and 160 HCC, 49% from Southern and 51% from Northern Italy. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive in 41.4% of the CAH, in 23.

Nonspecific interactions in dye binding to DNA. Influence of alcohols and amides.

The binding of a few drugs (ethidium bromide, propidium diiodide, proflavine and actinomycin D) to DNA has been investigated in aqueous solutions to which cosolvents of different polarity have been added. It is found that both alcohols (less polar than water) and amides (more polar) lower the binding constant according to a linear relationship between the intercalation free energy and cosolvent concentration. The main action of cosolvents cannot be described in terms of electrostatic effects, since they predict much smaller changes in the binding constant than those observed.

Serum free fatty acids and bilirubin concentration during fasting in patients with Gilbert's syndrome and normal controls.

The increments in serum concentrations of unconjugated bilirubin and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured 24 and 48 h after reduction of the caloric intake (400 cal/day) in 17 patients with Gilbert's syndrome (GS) and in 12 healthy control subjects. In males, both normal and with GS, the rise in serum bilirubin was statistically higher (p less than 0.01) as compared to females.