Long-term treatment for endometriosis with dienogest: efficacy, side effects and tolerability.

Background: Dienogest (DNG) improves endometriosis-associated pain (EAP) and patients' quality of life; however, the modern cornerstone of the management of endometriosis is the long-term adherence of the patient to medical treatment.

Objective: To evaluate DNG as a long-term treatment of endometriosis, focusing on patients' compliance and side effects, also correlating with different phenotypes of endometriosis.

Methods: This was a cohort study on a group of patients with endometriosis ( = 114) undergoing long-term treatment with DNG.

Lifesaving kissing stent for pulmonary trunk stenosis due to primary angiosarcoma.

A 62-year-old diabetic female was referred to our institution with a 6-month history of pulmonary hypertension and worsening right-sided heart failure. Computed tomography of the chest and pulmonary angiogram revealed a pulmonary artery mass. Due to patient's frail state, palliative kissing stenting to both pulmonary arteries was performed with optimal angiographic results and overt clinical improvement.

Kissper, a kiwi fruit peptide with channel-like activity: structural and functional features.

Kissper is a 39-residue peptide isolated from kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa). Its primary structure, elucidated by direct protein sequencing, is identical to the N-terminal region of kiwellin, a recently reported kiwi fruit allergenic protein, suggesting that kissper derives from the in vivo processing of kiwellin. The peptide does not show high sequence identity with any other polypeptide of known function.

Acetyl-[Asn30,Tyr32]-calcitonin fragment 8-32 forms channels in phospholipid planar lipid membranes.

The N-terminally truncated derivative of salmon calcitonin (sCt) (acetyl-[Asn(30),Tyr(32)]-calcitonin fragment 8-32) (AC 187) lacks hormonal activity and is a potent and selective antagonist of the hormone and amylin receptor. It was investigated for its capability to interact and form channels in palmitoleoylphosphatidylcholine:dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol planar lipid membranes. Interestingly, AC 187 exhibits channel activity, whose parameters, i.

Microscale investigations of Ni uptake by cement using a combination of scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron-based techniques.

Cement is used to condition waste materials and for the construction and backfilling of repositories for low-and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In this study, Ni uptake by hardened cement paste has been investigated with the aim of improving our understanding of the immobilization process of Ni(ll) in cement on the microscale. Information on the cement microstructure, Ni distribution, Ni concentration, and speciation of the Ni phases formed in the cement system and their association with specific cement minerals has been gained by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) and micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy (micro-XAS).

Effect of pH-variation on insertion and ion channel formation of human calcitonin into planar lipid bilayers.

Human calcitonin is the physiological hormone involved in calcium-phosphorus homeostasis. However, its use is limited by its propensity to form aggregates. We find that the type of host lipid has a pronounced influence on human calcitonin fibrillation or incorporation, as assessed by channel formation, in planar lipid membranes at neutral pH.

Effect of eel calcitonin glycosylation on incorporation and channel formation in planar phospholipid membranes.

Previous studies have shown that different calcitonins interact with planar lipid membranes to form ion channels. In this study, glycosylation of eel calcitonin (eCt) at different positions (Ct3-GlcNAc, Ct14-GlcNAc, Ct20-GlcNAc, Ct26-GlcNAc) is shown to preserve molecular structure and slightly change the energy of incorporation and channel formation in planar lipid bilayers made up of palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine:dioleoyl phosphatidyl-glycerol (85:15, w:w). The voltage needed to form channels decreased as the attached carbohydrate moved toward the C-terminal (eCt = Ct3-GlcNAc > Ct14-GlcNAc = Ct20-GlcNAc > Ct26-GlcNAc).

Frog intestinal sac: a new in vitro method for the assessment of intestinal permeability.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new experimental protocol utilizing isolated frog intestinal sacs for the assessment of intestinal drug permeability in humans. Segments of approximately 5.0 cm in length were used for these experiments.

Effect of nanomolar concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate, a catalytic inductor of alpha-helices, on human calcitonin incorporation and channel formation in planar lipid membranes.

Human Calcitonin (hCt) is a peptide hormone which has a regulatory action in calcium-phosphorus metabolism. It is currently used as a therapeutic tool in bone pathologies such as osteoporosis and Paget's disease. However, due to its amphiphilic property tends to form a gelatinous solution in water which consists of fibrils that limits its therapeutic use.

Effect of sterols on beta-amyloid peptide (AbetaP 1-40) channel formation and their properties in planar lipid membranes.

We investigate the role played by membrane composition on the interaction and self-assembly of beta-amyloid peptide (AbetaP1-40) during pore formation in planar lipid membranes (PLMs). Incorporation studies showed that AbetaP does not interact with zwitterionic membranes made up of phosphatidylcholine, whereas the addition of cholesterol or ergosterol to the membranes leads to channel formation. Among the PLMs used, a higher propensity of AbetaP to form channels at low applied potential (+/-20 mV) was observed in 7-dehydrocholesterol and in oxidized cholesterol PLMs.

Magainin 2 channel formation in planar lipid membranes: the role of lipid polar groups and ergosterol.

Magainin 2, a polycationic peptide, displays bactericidal and tumoricidal activity, presumably interacting with negatively charged phospholipids in the membrane hosts. In this work, we investigate the role played by the lipid head-group in the interactions and self-association of magainin 2 during pore formation in lipid bilayers. Two methods are used: single-channel and macroscopic incorporation into planar lipid membranes.

Mitochondrial porin incorporation into black lipid membranes: ionic and gating contribution to the total current.

We present a new ac device useful for simultaneous measurements of ionic charge movement (conductance) and gating charge displacement (capacitance) in mitochondrial porin channels incorporated in two kinds of black lipid membranes (BLMs), made up of phosphatidylinositol (charged surface) and oxidized cholesterol (neutral surface). In particular, we investigated the conductance/capacitance variations during the process of porin incorporation (VDAC) at different porin concentrations. While conductance variations are present throughout the porin concentration range investigated, a threshold value seems to be necessary in order to detect a significant capacitance variation.

Channel formation by salmon and human calcitonin in black lipid membranes.

In this study we investigated the interaction of salmon and human calcitonin (Ct) with artificial lipid bilayer membranes. Both peptides were able to form either transient or permanent channels in the model membranes. The channels formed by salmon Ct at concentration (125 nM) had, on average, a single-channel conductance of 0.

Studies of mitochondrial porin incorporation parameters and voltage-gated mechanism with different black lipid membranes.

Our work in general aims to clarify the mechanism of what can be considered as a process of the kinetics of porin incorporation into bilayer planar membranes and to identify the parameters involved. In this paper, we report the results of systematically investigating the kinetics of porin incorporation into bilayer membranes made up of phosphatidylinositol or oxidized cholesterol using a simple and low-cost ac method. By means of a mathematical model, we provide evidence that two concurrent processes are present during the kinetics which can be interpreted as positive/negative cooperativity, and we investigate the parameters' dependence on external applied voltages.

Pore formation in lipid bilayer membranes made of phosphatidylinositol and oxidized cholesterol followed by means of alternating current.

The kinetics of porin incorporation into black lipid membranes (BLM) made of phosphatidylinositol (PI) or oxidized cholesterol (Ox Ch) were studied by means of alternating current; the set-up was able to acquire resistance and capacitance simultaneously by means of a mixed double-frequency approach at 1 Hz and 1 KHz, respectively. Conductance was dependent on the interaction between protein-forming pores and lipids. For PI membranes below a porin concentration of 12.

[Hepatic artery aneurysm].

We report the case of a 45-year old man who presented a common hepatic artery aneurysm. He had alcoholic habits and after an episode of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding underwent an abdominal ultrasound study. This showed a large fluid-filled upper abdominal mass related to the pancreatic head.

Potentiation by m-cresol on transepithelial sodium transport across frog skin induced by insulin.

1. In this study we found that insulin mixed with m-cresol, normally used as pharmaceutical preparation, shows an earlier and larger stimulating effect on transepithelial sodium transport than insulin alone. 2.

The effect of ADH and insulin on active sodium transport across frog skin in the presence of alternariol mycotoxin.

1. The effect of vasopressin and insulin on active sodium transport across frog skin in the presence of internal alternariol mycotoxin was studied, using the short-circuit technique. 2.

The effect of T-2 toxin on active sodium transport across frog skin in the presence of ADH and amphotericin B.

1. The effect of T-2 toxin on active sodium transport across frog skin both in the presence and in the absence of stimulants of sodium transport, such as Amphotericin B and ADH, was studied using the short circuit current technique with the following results. 2.

[Effects of dihydrostreptomycin and gentamycin on platelet membrane Na+-K+ATPase].

The use of aminoglycosides is characterised by a bound linkage between therapeutic and toxical levels. The aim of our study was to define the influence of diidrostreptomicin and gentamicin over Na+-K+ATPase of membranes of platelets. In this study, Bounting's and Caravaggio's method has been used, while ATPase activity was expressed in n mol of hydrolized ATP/min/mg of proteins.

Effect of aminoglycoside antibiotics on sodium transport across the Rana esculenta urinary bladder.

The aminoglycoside antibiotics inhibit the short circuit current (s.c.c.

Interaction of the aminoglycoside antibiotic dihydrostreptomycin with the H+-ATPase of mitochondria.

In this paper a study is presented of the effect of dihydrostreptomycin on the H+-ATPase of the inner mitochondrial membrane. The antibiotic caused at concentrations of 1-5 X 10(-3)M a marked enhancement of the hydrolytic activity of the H+-ATPase complex in intact mitochondria and submitochondrial particles which was accompanied, in the latter, by enhancement of passive transmembrane proton conduction by the complex. The stimulation by dihydrostreptomycin of ATP hydrolysis resulted in a suppression of the sensitivity of this activity to inhibition by oligomycin.

Serosal and mucosal facilitated transport of urea in urinary bladder of of Bufo bufo: evidence for an alleged water uptake.

In Bufo bufo urinary bladder an urea facilitated transport has been localised on the luminal membrane. The transport fulfils the criteria for such a mechanism, i.e.