Evidence for Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors in the olfactory bulb.

alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs), a subtype of glutamate receptor, contribute to olfactory processing in the olfactory bulb (OB). These ion channels consist of various combinations of the subunits GluR1-GluR4, which bestow certain properties. For example, AMPARs that lack GluR2 are highly permeable to Ca(2+) and generate inwardly rectifying currents.

[Defecography by spiral computed tomography].

Purpose: We investigated the possible role of helical CT defecography in pelvic floor disorders by comparing our results with those of conventional defecography.

Material And Methods: Our series consisted of 90 patients, namely 62 women and 28 men, ranging in age 24-82 years. They were all submitted to conventional defecography, and 18 questionable cases were also studied with helical CT defecography.

[Preoperative imaging of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta. Role of CT scan].

The reliability of helical CT as sole preoperative diagnostic technique for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and its accuracy in detecting vascular anomalies in the abdominal region was evaluated retrospectively in 42 patients with asymptomatic AAA > 40 mm. A single breath-holding helical scan was performed with 5 mm slice thickness, during a single injection of contrast medium, resulting in a 20 cm z-axis coverage. Axial images were reconstructed and used to generate high quality multiplanar reformatted images.

[Postoperative evaluation of vascular bifurcation prostheses by means of helical CT].

The dilatation of the vascular grafts is a well known phenomenon. It is usually evaluated by means of ultrasounds or, in selected cases, by CT scans or MRI; nevertheless its characteristics are far beyond to be fully recognized. Following our promising preliminary experience with helical CT as sole preoperative imaging for AAA, we have evaluated its reliability in the postoperative follow-up.

Role of blood groups as prognostic factors in primary breast cancer.

The role of blood groups as risk factors for breast cancer and their predictive value after radical surgery have been retrospectively evaluated in 315 breast cancer patients. The AB0 group distribution in these breast cancer patients was not significantly different from that of control women. Patients with blood group 0 showed a significantly lower risk of death than those with groups A, B and AB.

Phase II study of tamoxifen and high-dose retinyl acetate in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Retinoids have shown a tumor growth inhibition and a synergistic activity with hormonal manipulations in human breast cancer cell lines and rat mammary carcinoma. To investigate the potential usefulness of this synergistic activity in human breast cancer, 33 postmenopausal patients with advanced disease were treated with the combination of tamoxifen (10 mg p.o.

Plasma retinol levels and side effects following high-dose retinyl acetate in breast cancer patients.

Plasma retinol levels and toxicity were evaluated in thirteen metastatic breast cancer patients treated orally with high-dose (300,000 I.U./day) retinyl acetate in combination with oral tamoxifen.