[L-propionylcarnitine taurine amide induces the metabolic recovery of the isolated postischemic rat heart]. / La L-propionil-carnitina-taurinammide induce il recupero metabolico del cuore isolato di ratto postischemico.

The effect of reperfusion with L-propionyl-carnitine-taurinammide 1 mM was evaluated on the metabolic recovery of the isolated postischemic rat heart. Data referring to the tissue concentration of the high-energy phosphates, oxypurines, nucleosides, nicotinic coenzymes, lactate and pyruvate indicate that L-propionyl-carnitine-taurinammide significantly improves the metabolism of the reperfused myocardium. In particular, ATP, creatinphosphate, GTP, sum of adenine nucleotides and the energy charge resulted 1.80, 1.83, 3.47, 1.47 and 1.20 times higher respectively than the corresponding values recorded in control reperfused heart (p < 0.01 all). These data, out of supplying the necessary biochemical support to the beneficial effects of L-propionyl-carnitine-taurinammide on hemodynamics obtained in previous studies, suggest that L-propionyl-carnitine-taurinammide might represent a useful tool for the pharmacological treatment of myocardial infarction.

[A formulation of iopamidol for the radiologic examination of the gastrointestinal tract. Preclinical studies]. / Formulazione di iopamidolo per l'esame radiologico del tratto gastro-intestinale. Studi preclinici.

Animal studies were carried out using an oral solution of a low osmolality non ionic contrast medium iopamidol, developed for gastrointestinal examinations. The new formulation was evaluated for image quality in studies of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Margins of safety were defined by subjecting the compound to a number of toxicological and pharmacological experiments. The experiments were designed to reveal qualitative and quantitative differences between the formulation of iopamidol and Gastrografin, a conventional ionic contrast medium. The results indicate that the formulation of iopamidol is safer than a conventional hypertonic water soluble contrast medium and diagnostically superior in the gastrointestinal tract examinations.