Survey of doctors' perception of professional values.

Background: New challenges in the medical field of the third millennium emphasise the "humanization of medicine" leading to a redefinition of doctors' values, limits and roles. The study aims to assess whether there are different personality dimensions of physicians in relation to their perception of professional values and public expectations.

Methods: A questionnaire on the perception of professional values and the opinion on work in the medical field, work relationships and public expectations was administered to 374 doctors attending Continuing Medical Education courses.

Role of atrial natriuretic peptide in the pathogenesis of sodium retention in IDDM with and without glomerular hyperfiltration.

The pathogenetic determinants of sodium retention in IDDM are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the action of ANP in 11 IDDM patients with high GFR (greater than or equal to 135 ml.min-1 x 1.

Impaired response to angiotensin II in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Role of prostaglandins and sodium-lithium countertransport activity.

The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy remains elusive. A role for renal prostaglandins in antagonizing the hormonal effects of renin-angiotensin II has been postulated as a putative factor leading to hyperfiltration in patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Our aim was to elucidate the effects of angiotensin II on kidney haemodynamics and on blood pressure in eight normal subjects, in nine normotensive, in nine hypertensive with normal sodium-lithium countertransport activity in erythrocytes, in seven hypertensive without and in eight hypertensive Type 1 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and with high sodium-lithium countertransport activity in erythrocytes.

The medium-term effect of natural or extractive dietary fibres on plasma amino acids and lipids in type 1 diabetics.

We evaluated the effect of a diet rich in natural (NF) or extractive fibres (guar gum) on 12 male IDD (insulin-dependent diabetes) out-patients. The treatment lasted for 2 months. During the first month the patients were on an isocaloric diet containing 30 g of fibres and then they were randomly subdivided into two groups.