Records of Chrysomya albiceps in Northern Italy: an ecological and forensic perspective.

Knowledge of the carrion-breeding insects present at a local level is important and necessary for defining the post-mortem interval. Climate changes and globalisation are affecting species ranges and population dynamics. In this note, we report the incidence of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on dead human bodies and carrion in Northern Italy. These data confirm the spread of this species in the Northern regions. The partial sequencing of a 583-bp region of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene of an Adriatic population did not reveal any difference compared to the same genomic region in the African and South American populations of this species.

Levels of carnitines in brain and other tissues of rats of different ages: effect of acetyl-L-carnitine administration.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2, 5, 16, 20 and 30 months and normally fed, were used for determination of carnitines in the brain, serum, heart, tibial muscle, liver and urine. With respect to 5-month-old animals, those aged 30 months exhibited a statistically significant decrement of total carnitine levels in the brain, serum, heart and tibial muscle, accompanied by a dramatic increment in the liver. This suggests impaired net transport of carnitines from the liver to the blood in old age. Urinary excretion was similar in the two age groups. One group received from 5 months on daily 75 mg/kg acetyl-L-carnitine in drinking water. At 20 months, the treated animals showed levels of brain, heart and serum carnitines similar to those of 5-month-old animals. The recovery of brain, heart and serum carnitines in the old animals treated with acetyl-L-carnitine indicates that intestinal absorption and tissue uptake remain sufficiently efficient in the course of aging. The lower level of brain lipofuscins due to acetyl-L-carnitine treatment may be related to the effect of the compound on acetylcholine metabolism.

Rapid diagnosis of anaerobic infections by gas-liquid chromatography.

It was postulated that the short chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by anaerobic bacteria might serve as microbial markers in purulent material. Eighteen pus specimens from various sources were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), and the SCFA detected were compared with the microorganisms isolated by conventional methods. It was found that the detection of propionic, isobutyric, butyric, or isovaleric acids by direct GLC of pus specimens is strong evidence for anaerobic infection but not specific for Bacteroides fragilis. It was also shown that the presence of succinic acid in pus specimens does not necessarily indicate infection by anaerobes. It can be concluded that direct GLC of purulent material provides a rapid and reliable presumptive method for the differentiation between anaerobic and aerobic infections.

Outbreak of colonization of neonates with Enterobacter sakazakii.

An outbreak of colonization of 11 neonates with Enterobacter sakazakii occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit from the 10 September to 17 October 1984. During this period Ent. sakazakii was isolated from throat and rectal swabs and tracheal aspirates, but not from blood, of the neonates. The duration of colonization ranged from 2 to 8 weeks. The isolates were resistant to amikacin and to tobramycin, but sensitive to gentamicin. Four of the 11 colonized neonates had clinical signs of severe sepsis and one of meningitis and four died in spite of intensive chemotherapy. The source and the mode of spread of Ent. sakazakii remained unknown as it was not found on the hands of staff or in the inanimate environment of the unit. Ent. sakazakii may be implicated in severe infections in neonates and should be included when screening clinical specimens.

L-carnitine effect on plasma lipoproteins of hyperlipidemic fat-loaded rats.

The effect of oral L-carnitine administration to rats fed olive oil has been studied. Carnitine significantly decreased triglyceride, cholesterol and phospholipid levels. Particularly, the levels of chylomicron and very low density lipoproteins in the blood were lowered. Low density lipoprotein levels were not affected, and high density lipoproteins were found to be decreased by 20%. Because carnitine did not change the composition of chylomicron and very low density lipoproteins fraction or affect the gastrointestinal triglyceride residue (about 1/3 of the original load), an effect of carnitine on hepatic fatty acid handling is most likely. The lowering of plasma free fatty acid levels by carnitine administration is in favor of an effect of carnitine on fatty acid handling. The effect on the liver is illustrated by the study of acetoacetate formation in in vitro perfused livers from previously olive oil loaded +/- carnitine-treated rats. Carnitine pretreatment stimulated ketogenesis. It is speculated that carnitine administration, by promoting beta-oxidation, lowers the production of very low density lipoproteins. This may be accomplished partly by an increase in the hepatic level of fatty acid binding protein, which also has been observed.

Acupuncture treatment of discopathic pain.

The authors present the effects of acupuncture in 50 patients showing discopathic pain. It is concluded that acupuncture treatment favours the reduction of drug consumption, and, implicitly, of iatrogenic pathology.

The effect of exogenous L-carnitine on biochemical parameters in serum and in heart of the hyperlipidaemic rat.

In previous experiments we have demonstrated that L-carnitine administration is capable of reducing olive oil-induced lipidaemia in the rat. In the present study we determined the effect of L-carnitine on the levels of (acyl)carnitines in heart and serum in addition to its effect on serum levels of lipids and ketone bodies after olive oil gavage feeding. L-carnitine was found to reduce the level of myocardial long-chain acylcarnitine which was increased by the olive oil treatment. It also increased the levels of carnitine and acid soluble acylarnitines in both heart and serum. L-carnitine administration caused a clearcut decrease of olive oil-induced lipidaemia and ketonaemia. These effects of added L-carnitine strongly suggest that the stimulation of the beta-oxidation in the mitochondria (at the expense of extra mitochondrial triglycerceride synthesis) is suboptimal after fat loading.

Time-related variations of some biochemical parameters in patients with short- or long-lasting post-traumatic coma.

The variation in time of some blood biochemical parameters was investigated in 100 patients with acute head injury and coma of variable duration, in parallel with the clinical course. The purpose of this study was to establish possible correlations between the severity of the trauma (assessed according to the coma classification proposed by C. Arseni) and the variation of the parameters studied. The results show complex correlations between the biochemical events in the patient and the degree of brain function impairment initially and after some time. Long lasting coma (over 14 days) is associated with complex biochemical alterations representing an additional element for defining the clinical condition.

Risk of infection associated with umbilical vein catheterization. A prospective study in 75 newborn infants.

To determine the risk of infection created by catheterization of the umbilical vein per se, 75 jaundiced, but otherwise healthy, newborn infants subjected to exchange transfusion were studied. Twenty-three were given antibiotics because of premature rupture of membranes. Fifty-three percent of the umbilici were contaminated before the insertion of the catheter, even after a very careful cleansing procedure. Sixty-two percent of the catheters were colonized upon removal. Bacteria were isolated from 44.9% of blood specimens drawn via the catheter at the onset of ET, but only in 14% of blood specimens drawn in the same way at the end of the procedure. Seven newborn infants (10%) were found to be bacteremic 4-6 after ET; four of these infants were not treated and were able to eliminate the bacteremia. Systemic antibiotic therapy did not reduce the overall prevalence of colonization of cord and catheter of positive blood cultures pre- and postexchanges transfusion or the rate of bacteremia.

Records of Chrysomya albiceps in Northern Italy: an ecological and forensic perspective

Knowledge of the carrion-breeding insects present at a local level is important and necessary for defining the post-mortem interval. Climate changes and globalisation are affecting species ranges and population dynamics. In this note, we report the incidence of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on dead human bodies and carrion in Northern Italy. These data confirm the spread of this species in the Northern regions. The partial sequencing of a 583-bp region of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene of an Adriatic population did not reveal any difference compared to the same genomic region in the African and South American populations of this species.