Distribution of Cr and Pb in artificial sea water and their sorption in marine sediments: an example from experimental mesocosms.

The uptake of two heavy metals (chromium and lead) in sediments in experimental mesocosms under exposure to different metal concentrations was evaluated by monitoring their concentrations over time both in seawater and in sediment. Two separate experiments under laboratory-controlled conditions were carried out for the two metals. Sediments were collected from a protected natural area characterized by low anthropic influence and were placed in mesocosms that were housed in aquaria each with seawater at a different metal concentration. At pre-established time intervals, seawater and sediment samples were collected from each mesocosm for chemical analyses. Quantification of chromium and lead concentration in seawater and sediment samples was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometer with graphite furnace. Low doses of chromium and lead (<1 mg L-1) do not entail an uptake in sediments and waters. At doses ≥1 mg L-1, evolution of concentrations over time shows significant differences between these two metals: (i) chromium absorption from seawater is twice faster than lead; (ii) lead accumulates in considerable amount in sediments. The different behaviour of the two investigated heavy metals could be ascribed to different interactions existing between metal ions and different components of sediment.

Improvement of intestinal metaplasia six month after misoprostol treatment.

PURPOSE: To establish whether misoprostol (a synthetic prostanoid) is effective in improving intestinal metaplasia of dyspeptic patients. PATIENTS: Of the 206 dyspeptic patients without Helicobacter pylori, 18 (7.1%) had histological evidence of intestinal metaplasia (2 presented mild metaplasia, 9 moderate and 7 severe). They were treated with misoprostol 200 mg twice daily for six months and, after stopping the treatment, they all underwent endoscopic control. RESULTS: There was a statistical significant improvement of intestinal metaplasia (p < 0.001) and of the activity of antral gastritis (p = 0.03). There were no significant changes in antral and body specimens during follow-up. DISCUSSION: Though the small number of the patients and the lack of control group, our results suggest that misoprostol allows regression and/or improvement of histological IM (p < 0.001). It has proved to be effective in prevention of both gastric and duodenal ulcers induced by NSAID therapy, probably related largely to replacement of endogenous prostaglandins inhibited by the use of NSAID and it may also exerts its protective effects through inhibition of gastric acid secretion. Moreover, misoprostol showed to increase the rate of gastric blood flow, inducing a mucosal protective effect against the factors damaging gastric mucosa. It has been also documented that misoprostol regulates inflammatory cytokines and prolonged the survival of transplants, reflecting both its immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effect. In conclusion, since intestinal metaplasia increases the risk of gastric cancer, the use of misoprostol, in this pathology, would be of some interest.

[Evaluation of regression of left ventricular hypertrophy after antihypertensive therapy. Comparative echo-Doppler study of ace inhibitors and calcium antagonists]. / Valutazione della regressione della ipertrofia ventricolare sinistra dopo trattamento antipertensivo. Studio comparativo eco-Doppler tra Ace-inibitore e calcio-antagonista.

This study evaluates 33 patients suffering from mild-moderate arterial hypertension (systolic blood pressure over 160 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure over 95 mmHg) and with concomitant indications of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy at echocardiography. Twenty patients completed the trial according to the criteria established in the protocol and were found suitable for evaluation of the results at the end of the study. Ten patients were treated with 40 mg of nifedipine retard tablets, administered twice (1 x 20 mg tablet twice daily) and 10 patients were treated with a single administration of 20 mg quinapril (1 x 20 mg tablet per day). Total follow-up was performed for one year (variability 12-14 months) with evaluation of the pressure response at 1-3-6-12 months and clinical evaluation and echocardiographic control for comparison with the baseline at the end of the study. The left ventricular mass values measured at the end of the study presented a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.001) with respect to the baseline in both groups. In the patients treated with quinapril the percentage regression of left ventricular hypertrophy was 19.39%, and slightly higher (19.5%) in the patients treated with nifedipine. Finally, although the series is perhaps too limited to draw conclusions, the finding that the indicators of diastolic filling of the left ventricle improved, and, in particular, were correlated with an increase in the speed of the first fast filling phase, and thus that there was a partial improvement in left ventricular compliance, is important.

[Trends in the incidence of acute appendicitis in Italy during the past 30 years]. / Andamento dell'incidenza dell'appendicite acuta in Italia negli ultimi 30 anni.

The incidence and mortality rate of acute appendicitis for the years 1955 and 1987 were calculated on the basis of data used by ISTAT. In 1955 the incidence was 5.7 per 1000 whereas in 1987 this had fallen to 3.7 per 1000. In both years examined there was a prevalence of females (in 1987 females accounted for 4.3 per 1000 in comparison to 3 per 1000 recorded for for males). In 1987 the lowest incidence was recorded in the over 60 years olds, whereas the highest incidence was in males between 1 and 14 years old (7.57 per 1000) and females between 15 and 24 years old (12.17 per 1000). Mortality diminished from 0.42% in 1955 to 0.05% in 1987. The highest rate of mortality was recorded in those patients over 60 years old (1.5%).

[The effects of eradication therapy in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and seropositivity for anti-HP antibodies and histological negativity for Helicobacter pylori]. / Effetti della terapia eradicante in pazienti affetti da gastrite cronica atrofica con sieropositività per gli anticorpi anti-HP e negatività istologica per l'Helicobacter pylori.

PURPOSE: The present study was undertaken to analyze both whether the elevated Helicobacter pylori levels in patients with atrophic gastritis without histologic evidence of Helicobacter pylori would be a sign of an ongoing infection and the effects of eradication on gastric atrophy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (10 M e 10 F; mean age 57.25 SD 12.19) with atrophic gastritis and elevated Helicobacter pylori titers without histological evidence for Helicobacter-like organisms were included in the study. Ten patients were randomized into eradication group (Group 1) (amoxicillin at 500 mg twice a day for 14 days, metronidazole at 500 mg twice a day for 10 days and omeprazole at 20 mg twice a day for 20 days) and 10 patients were randomized into the control group (Group 2). For all subjects, serum samples and duplicate biopsy specimens (obtained endoscopically) were collected prior the study period and approximately 6 months after the therapy or the follow-up for serum samples and 8 weeks for biopsy specimens. RESULTS: In the Group 1, the Helicobacter pylori antibody titers dropped significantly in 73.39% of the patients (p < 0.0001), while in the Group 2, the antibody titers declined only in a patient who received antibiotics during the study period (p < 0.00006). In both groups, no significant improvement of atrophic gastritis was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, in patients with atrophic gastritis, the only histological evaluation of Helicobacter-like organisms colonization in gastric biopsy specimens, appeared in our study to underestimate the true prevalence of current HP infection and the importance of the bacterium in the pathogenesis and progression of such disease. Since HP infection is often associated with an increase of proliferative index, the eradication of HP could induce a mucosal protective effect against the other carcinogen factors, although it is extremely unlikely that it can promote the regeneration of a normal gastric mucosa.

Management of diarrhoeic type of irritable bowel syndrome with exclusion diet and disodium cromoglycate.

Several studies have stressed the role of food intolerance as one of the major factors in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of patients with IBS that can respond well to an exclusion diet with/without oral disodium cromoglycate and to document the effects of this combination. We selected 120 ambulatory patients with diarrhoeic type IBS; 66 of them (55%) had a concomitant food intolerance (assessed by skin prick test), showing a positive reaction to one (32%) or more foods (68%). Sixty-three (52.5%) tested by cytotoxic test showed more positive reactions. The results were evaluated by means of semiquantitative subjective and objective scores. Thirty patients were randomly treated with a strict exclusion diet, while the other 36 were treated with both exclusion diet and oral disodium cromoglycate (250 mg four times daily) for four months. We observed an improvement of symptoms in 18 (60%) of the 30 patients that had received the only exclusion diet, whereas thirty-two of 36 patients (89%) who had undergone both dietary and cromoglycate treatments showed an improvement that was clinically and statistically significant (p = 0.01).Thus it is concluded that dietary exclusion in association with disodium cromoglycate is most effective in carefully selected patients with diarrhoeic type IBS, with a very high probability of prolonged symptomatic benefit in those subjects that do respond.