[Dietetic fiber in nutrition. Prophylactic and therapeutic activity and mechanism of action]. / La fibra dietetica nella alimentazione. Attività profilattico-terapeutiche e meccanismi d'azione.

The unabsorbable carbohydrates (dietary fibre) are contained in variable degrees in the vegetable foodstuffs. It seems by now clearly demonstrated that high residue diets (rich in unabsorbable carbohydrates) significantly prevents, although in different ways, some organic intestinal and metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

[Activity of fenfluramine in obese subjects. Relation between dosage, plasma concentration of the drug and its effect on weight loss]. / Attività della fenfluramina in soggetti obesi. Rapporti tra dosi, concentrazioni plasmatiche di farmaco e suoi effetti sul calo ponderale.

Twenty-one patients have been submitted to hypocaloric diet and anorexigenic treatment with fenfluramine at variable doses. The weight loss, the plasma level concentration of fenfluramine (F) and norfenfluramine (NF) have been evaluated during a period of about 9 weeks. Statistical analysis demonstrates a significant weight loss and a highly significant correlation between the dose of administered drug and plasma level concentration of F and NF. No correlation instead has been found between weight loss and the dose administered of F, nor between weight loss and the dose administered of F, nor between weight loss and F and/or NF plasma level concentration.

Improved oral glucose tolerance following antiserotonin treatment in patients with chemical diabetes.

The effects of short-term treatment with either placebo or two serotonin antagonists, cyproheptadine and metergoline, on oral glucose tolerance and insulin secretion have been evaluated in normal subjects and in patients with chemical diabetes. Placebo treatment was not associated with any significant change in the parameters examined. Glucose tolerance in chemical diabetics was significantly improved both after cyproheptadine and metergoline; fasting plasma glucose was also reduced by metergoline. Treatment with the latter drug was also associated with a significant decrease in incremental glucose area in healthy subjects, which was not affected by cyproheptadine. Basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were not affected by either drug in any subjects. Cyproheptadine and metergoline improve glucose metabolism in chemical diabetes probably by reducing insulin resistance. This may depend either on decreased secretion of counter-regulatory hormones or on a direct pharmacological action of the drugs on glucose utilization, possibly mediated by their common antiserotoninergic properties.

Effect of fenfluramine on prolactin secretion in obese patients: evidence for serotoninergic regulation of prolactin in man.

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of serotoninergic stimulation on prolactin (PRL) secretion in man. Fenfluramine (60 mg, orally), an anorexiant drug which under acute circumstances stimulates the serotoninergic system, was administered to eight obese patients. Compared with placebo, drug administration increased PRL significantly (P less than 0.05 at 180 and 300 min, P less than 0.01 at 240 min). No significant changes were observed after fenfluramine in blood pressure, plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma cortisol, plasma renin activity, serum electrolytes or growth hormone. Since it has been reported that dopaminergic blockade raises PA concentration, the lack of change in PA in obese patients treated with fenfluramine suggests that the observed increase in PRL induced by fenfluramine is likely to be mediated by serotoninergic stimulation.