Cortical hyperexcitability in mouse models and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is linked to noradrenaline deficiency.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the death of upper (UMN) and lower motor neurons (LMN) in the motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Despite decades of research, ALS remains incurable, challenging to diagnose, and of extremely rapid progression. A unifying feature of sporadic and familial forms of ALS is cortical hyperexcitability, which precedes symptom onset, negatively correlates with survival, and is sufficient to trigger neurodegeneration in rodents.

Propranolol and infantile hemangiomas: Outcome from a tricentric study.

Introduction: The introduction of propranolol as systemic therapy for infantile hemangiomas (IH) has changed the natural history of these tumors. Cases presenting with ulceration, functional limitation, and visceral or life-threatening localization are excellent indications to medical therapy. The aim was to report the medium term follow-up after the introduction of propranolol in 3 referral centers with particular attention to outcome and surgical treatments.

Meckel's diverticulum and bowel obstruction due to phytobezoar: a case report.

Meckel's diverticulum is a common anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common complications of Meckel's diverticulum are inflammation, bleeding and obstruction. We present a 12-year-old boy with bowel obstruction due to phytobezoar in a Meckel's diverticulum.

Agreement of olecranon fractures before and after the exposure to four classification systems.

Background: Although classification systems of olecranon fractures are important to help choose the best treatment and to predict prognosis, their degree of observer agreement is poorly investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of currently used classification systems for olecranon fractures. Our hypothesis is that the Colton classification presents an acceptable agreement because it is simpler to use; on the other hand, considering the AO classification's complexity, we expect it to reach a lower level of agreement.

[Acute abdomen in children: a continuous challenge. Two cases report: Meckel's diverticulum with small bowel volvolus and internal herniation related to epiploic appendagitis mimicking acute appendicitis].

Acute abdomen is a continuous clinical challenge in pediatric age. The aim of our study is to describe two pediatric rare cases: the first case is a small bowel volvolus related to Meckel's diverticulum confused with an intestinal intussusception; the second an internal herniation related to epiploic appendagitis with intestinal obstruction mimic acute appendicitis in two years old children. We review the current literature.

Iatrogenic traumas by nasogastric tube in very premature infants: our cases and literature review.

Objective: The nasogastric tube is the chosen nutritional technique in premature infants. However, it is not without complications. The aim of this study is to compare our experience in iatrogenic complications caused by nasogastric tube (especially in very low birth weight infants) to a review of the most recent literature.

Protective effect of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist in carrageenan-induced pleural inflammation in rats.

Objective: We report the effects of the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor antagonist RC-3095 in an acute inflammation model induced by carrageenan.

Methods: Male Wistar rats received saline or saline containing 2% lambda-carrageenan into the pleural cavity, with some also receiving RC-3095 3 mg/kg subcutaneously, immediately after surgery. Four hours later, the rats were killed and pleural exudate was obtained for evaluation of total cell count, lactate dehydrogenase activity, total protein, cytokines analysis and nitrite/nitrate concentrations; myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and oxidative stress were evaluated in the lung.

[Foreign body ingestion: a common problem in paediatric age].

Foreign body (F.B.) ingestion occurs very frequently in paediatric age.

Oxidative stress and metabolism in animal model of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium.

Background And Aim: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Its etiology remains unclear, but it appears to result from a dysregulated immune response, with infiltration of phagocytic leukocytes into the mucosal interstitium. The production and release of reactive oxygen species by immune cells seems to play a crucial role in physiopathology of colitis.

Levofloxacin disposition in cerebrospinal fluid in patients with external ventriculostomy.

In vitro levofloxacin exhibits both potent or intermediate activity against most of the pathogens frequently responsible for acute bacterial meningitis and synergistic activity with some beta-lactams. Since levofloxacin was shown to penetrate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during meningeal inflammation both in animals and in humans, the disposition of levofloxacin in CSF was studied in 10 inpatients with external ventriculostomy because of communicating hydrocephalus related to subarachnoid occlusion due to cerebral accidents who were treated with 500 mg of levofloxacin intravenously twice a day because of extracerebral infections. Plasma and CSF concentration-time profiles and pharmacokinetics were assessed at steady state.