Relationship of exercise volume to improvements of quality of life with supervised exercise training in patients with type 2 diabetes in a randomised controlled trial: the Italian Diabetes and Exercise Study (IDES).

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: A positive impact of exercise intervention programmes on quality of life (QoL) may be important for long-term patient compliance to exercise recommendations. We have previously shown that QoL improves significantly with supervised exercise, whereas it worsens with counselling alone, in patients with type 2 diabetes from the Italian Diabetes and Exercise Study (IDES). Here, we report data on the relationship between changes in QoL and volume of physical activity/exercise in these individuals. METHODS: This multicentre parallel randomised controlled, open-label, trial enrolled sedentary patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 606 of 691 eligible) in 22 outpatient diabetes clinics. Patients were randomised by centre, age and diabetes treatment using a permuted-block design to twice-a-week supervised aerobic and resistance training plus exercise counselling (exercise group) versus counselling alone (control group) for 12 months. Health-related QoL was assessed by the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey. RESULTS: In the exercise group (n = 268 of 303 randomised), there was a trend for increasing QoL with increasing exercise volume, with significant improvement of the physical component summary (PCS) measure only above 17.5 metabolic equivalents h⁻¹ week⁻¹ and a clear volume-relationship for the mental component summary (MCS) measure. A relationship with volume of physical activity also was observed in the control group (n = 260 of 303 randomised), despite overall deterioration of all scores. Independent correlates of improvements in both PCS and MCS were exercise volume, study arm and, inversely, baseline score. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This large trial shows a relationship between changes in physical and mental health-related QoL measures and volume of physical activity/exercise, with supervised exercise training also providing volume-independent benefits.

Self glucose monitoring and physical exercise in diabetes.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, which is determined mainly by the level of physical activity, is inversely related to mortality in the general population as well as in subjects with diabetes, the incidence of which is also increased by low exercise capacity. Exercise is capable of promoting glucose utilization in normal subjects as well as in insulin-deficient or insulin-resistant diabetic individuals. In diabetic subjects treated with insulin or insulin secretagogues, exercise may also result in complications, with too much insulin causing hypoglycaemia and not enough insulin leading to hyperglycaemia and possibly ketoacidosis; both complications may also occur several hours after exercise. Therefore, self-monitoring of blood glucose before, during (for exercise duration of more than 1 h) and after physical exercise is highly recommended, and also carbohydrate supplementation may be required. In the Italian Diabetes Exercise Study (IDES), measurement of blood glucose and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels before and after supervised sessions of combined (aerobic + resistance) exercise in type 2 diabetic subjects with the metabolic syndrome showed significant reductions of these parameters, though no major hypoglycaemic or hypotensive episode was detected. The extent of reduction of blood glucose was related to baseline values but not to energy expenditure and was higher in subjects treated with insulin than in those on diet or oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA). Thus, supervised exercise training associated with blood glucose monitoring is an effective and safe intervention to decrease blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic subjects.

Central nervous system involvement in Anderson-Fabry disease: a clinical and MRI retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of alpha-galactosidase A. Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations consist mainly of cerebrovascular events. Brain MRI results are often abnormal. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to describe CNS involvement in a group of Italian patients with AFD. METHODS: Clinical and brain MRI data of 43 patients with AFD (25 men, 41.94+/-10.83 years old and 18 women, 52.48+/-17.50 years old) were analysed retrospectively. 17 male patients and 7 female patients were under treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). RESULTS: All 43 patients had signs or symptoms of AFD. 16 men (64%) and 13 women (72%) demonstrated CNS involvement, although with varying severity. Overall, 6 men and 5 women had suffered from cerebrovascular accidents with an age at onset of 33.64+/-13.65 years and 53.68+/-11.71 years, respectively. Brain MR images were abnormal in 16/25 men and in 13/16 women. During CNS monitoring, some patients receiving ERT (5/17 men and 2/6 women) demonstrated neurological deterioration, especially those who had presented with cerebrovascular disease already before starting ERT. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated a high frequency of CNS involvement in homozygous and heterozygous AFD patients, often characterised by early age at onset and abnormal brain MRIs. At present, ERT is widely used; however, potential beneficent effects may be disguised by the progression of irreversible pathology in short-term follow-up. Therefore, primary and secondary prophylaxes of cerebrovascular disease are extremely important.

Labeling and evaluation of N-[11C]methylated quinoline-2-carboxamides as potential radioligands for visualization of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors.

The novel quinoline-2-carboxamide derivatives N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-4-phenyl-N-(phenylmethyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]4), (+/-)-N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-4-phenylquinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]5), and (+/-)-N-[methyl-11C]-3-methyl-4-(2-fluorophenyl)-N-(1-methylpropyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide ([11C]6) were labeled with carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min, beta+ = 99.8%) as potential radioligands for the noninvasive assessment of peripheral benzodiazepine type receptors (PBR) in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET). The radiosynthesis consisted of N-methylation of the desmethyl precursors 3-methyl-4-phenyl-N-(phenylmethyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide (4a), (+/-)-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-4-phenylquinoline-2-carboxamide (5a), and (+/-)-4-(2-fluorophenyl)-3-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)quinoline-2-carboxamide (6a) with either [11C]methyl iodide or [11C]methyl triflate in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in dimethylformamide. The radioligands [11C]4, [11C]5, and [11C]6 were synthesized with over 99% radiochemical purity in 30 min, 30 +/- 5% radiochemical yield, calculated at the end of synthesis (EOS) non-decay-corrected, and 2.5 +/- 1.2 Ci/micromol of specific radioactivity. Inhibition studies in rats following intravenous pre-administration of 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinolinecarboxamide (PK 11195, 1) showed high specific binding to PBR of [11C]4, [11C]5, and [11C]6 in heart, lung, kidney, adrenal gland, spleen, and brain. The biological data suggest that [11C]5, [11C]6, and particularly [11C]4 are promising radioligands for PBR imaging in vivo with PET.

Evaluation of three quinoline-carboxamide derivatives as potential radioligands for the in vivo pet imaging of neurodegeneration.

The peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs) are only minimally expressed in normal brain parenchyma, where they are primarily localized in glial cells. Their basal expression rises in different neurodegenerative disorders, due to the presence of infiltrating inflammatory cells and activated microglia. [11C]PK11195, a selective PBR antagonist, has been used for the in vivo PET monitoring of neurodegeneration in clinical observations. We recently developed and labeled with carbon-11 three new carboxamide derivatives: [11C]VC193M, [11C]VC195 and [11C]VC198M. Aim of this study was to evaluate these ligands for the in vivo measuring of PBRs expression in neurodegenerations and compare their kinetic behavior with that of the reference tracer [11C]PK11195. Radioligands were evaluated in a preclinical model of Huntington's disease consisting in the monolateral striatal injection of quinolinic acid (QA). Activated microglia and astrocytic gliosis was present only within the affected striatum. A concomitant increase in radioactivity accumulation was observed for all the tracers examined (P<0.01). Among the new compounds, [11C]VC195 showed higher levels of lesioned/unlesioned striatum ratios (3.28+/-0.44), in comparison with [11C]VC193M and [11C]VC198M (2.69+/-0.53 and 1.52+/-0.36, respectively), but slightly inferior to that observed for [11C]PK11195 (3.76+/-1.41).In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that [11C]VC195 is a promising candidate for in vivo PET monitoring of neurodegenerative processes but its in vivo behavior overlap that of [11C]PK11195.

Asymmetric synthesis and preliminary evaluation of (R)- and (S)-[11C]bisoprolol, a putative beta1-selective adrenoceptor radioligand.

(+/-)-1-[4-(2-Isopropoxyethoxymethyl)-phenoxy]-3-isopropylamino-2-propanol (bisoprolol) is a potent, clinically used beta(1)-adrenergic agent. (R)-(+) and (S)-(-) enantiomers of bisoprolol were labelled with carbon-11 (t(1/2)=20.4 min) as putative tracers for the non-invasive assessment of the beta(1)-adrenoceptor subtype in the human heart and brain with positron emission tomography (PET). The radiosynthesis consisted of reductive alkylation of des-iso-propyl precursor with [2-11C]acetone in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride and acetic acid. The stereo-conservative synthesis of (R)-(+) and (S)-(-)-1-[4-(2-isopropoxyethoxymethyl)-phenoxy]-3-amino-2-propanol to be used as the precursors for the radiosynthesis of [11C]bisoprolol enantiomers was readily accomplished by the use of the corresponding chiral epoxide in three steps starting from the commercially available hydroxybenzyl alcohol. The final labelled product (either (+) or (-)-1-[4-(-isopropoxyethoxymethyl)-phenoxy]-3- [11C]isopropylamino-2-propanol) was obtained in 99% radiochemical purity in 30 min with 15+/-5% (EOS, non-decay corrected) radiochemical yield and 3.5+/-1 Ci/micromol specific radioactivity. Preliminary biological evaluation of the tracer in rats showed that about 30% of heart uptake of [11C](S)-bisoprolol is due to specific binding. The high non-specific uptake in lung might mask the heart uptake, thus precluding the use of [11C](S)-bisoprolol for heart and lung studies by PET. The remarkably high uptake of the tracer in rat brain areas rich of beta-adrenergic receptors such as pituitary (1.8+/-0.3% I.D. at 30 min) was blocked by pre-treatment with the beta-adrenergic antagonists propranolol (45%) and bisoprolol (51%, p<0.05). [11C](S)-bisoprolol deserves further evaluation in other animal models as a putative beta(1) selective radioligand for in vivo investigation of central adrenoceptors.

Evaluation of [O-methyl-(11)C]fluvoxamine as a tracer for serotonin re-uptake sites.

We evaluated [(11)C]fluvoxamine as a tracer for the serotonin re-uptake site. Studies of the distribution of the tracer in rat and primate brain showed adequate uptake of [(11)C]fluvoxamine, but failed to reveal regions with known high density of serotoninergic re-uptake sites. Pretreatment with unlabeled fluvoxamine did not substantially change the distribution. In rat brain tissue, nearly all radioactivity represented intact [(11)C]fluvoxamine. [(11)C]Fluvoxamine does not function as a tracer for serotonin re-uptake sites, owing to high nonspecific binding in the brain.

Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [11C]ICI 118551 as a putative subtype selective beta2-adrenergic radioligand.

Erytro-(+/-)-1-[2,3-(dihydro-7-methyl-1H-inden-4-yl)oxy]-3-[ iso-propylamino]-2-butanol (ICI 118551) a potent clinically used beta2 adrenergic antagonist, was labelled with carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min) as a potential radioligand for the non-invasive assessment of beta2 adrenergic receptors in the lung with positron emission tomography (PET). The radiolabelled compound was prepared by reductive N-alkylation of its des-isopropyl precursor with [2-11C]acetone. (+/-)-[11C]ICI 118551 was obtained in greater than 98% radiochemical purity in 30 min with a radiochemical yield of 15 + 5% (non-decay corrected) and a specific radioactivity 2.5 +/- 0.5 Ci/micromol. The biological evaluation of racemic erythro (+/-)-[11C]ICI 118551 in rats and Macaca Nemestrina shows a high radioactivity uptake in lung and heart. However, in both animal models no detectable displacement of lung radioactivity concentration was observed after pre-treatment with propranolol or ICI 118551, which indicates that in this organ, radioligand uptake is mostly due to non-specific binding. The biological data suggest that erythro (+/-)-[11C]ICI 118551 is not adequate to be further developed as a tracer for beta2 adrenergic receptor imaging in vivo.

Parkinson's disease and hypotension: 24-hour blood pressure recording in ambulant patients.

Continuous intra-arterial blood pressure was recorded in 5 ambulatory patients with Parkinson's disease and in 5 control subjects. The 24-h mean systolic blood pressure was 135 +/- 7.6 mmHg in controls and 123.8 +/- 8.1 mmHg (p less than 0.01) in the parkinsonian group. Similarly, diastolic blood pressure was 89 +/- 8.1 mmHg in the control group while in the parkinsonian patients it was lower, 69.4 +/- 5.8 (p less than 0.01). Averages were also calculated for 8-h periods, the results of which indicate that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower in patients than in controls in all three 8-h periods of the day. We normalized the blood pressure curve to mealtimes and arousal times and did not observe any difference between parkinsonian patients and controls. This first study reporting continuous intra-arterial blood pressure measurements in ambulant parkinsonian patients demonstrates that blood pressure in such patients is lower than the mean for their age group. This finding may be of direct relevance in the management of idiopathic parkinsonism.

Safety of echo-dipyridamole test in elderly patients with coronary artery disease.

The authors prospectively studied the feasibility and safety of high-dose dipyridamole echocardiography in 166 patients (77 younger and 89 elderly patients) referred for clinical evaluation of coronary artery disease. Echocardiographic examinations were adequate for analysis of parameters considered in 135 of the 166 patients (81.3%; 73 elderly, 62 younger patients). The feasibility of dipyridamole echocardiography test was 80.5% in young and 82% in elderly patients (P = ns). The incidence of side effects during dipyridamole echocardiography was similar in the two groups, except for dyspnea, which was observed in 20.5% of older and 3.2% of younger patients (p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that the dipyridamole test combined with echocardiographic monitoring of regional myocardial contractility may be considered a valid noninvasive method of evaluating coronary artery disease in the elderly.

[Safety of the dipyramidole echocardiography test in elderly coronary disease patients]. / Sicurezza del test eco-dipiridamolo in pazienti coronaropatici anziani.

We prospectively studied the feasibility and safety of high-dose dipyridamole echocardiography in 166 patients (77 younger and 89 elderly patients) referred for clinical evaluation of coronary artery disease. The feasibility of dipyridamole echocardiography test was 80.5% in the young and 82% in the elderly (p = n.s.). The incidence of side effects during dipyridamole echocardiography was similar in two groups, except for dyspnea which was observed in 20% in the older and 4% in the younger (p < 0.01). Our data demonstrate that the dypiridamole test combined with echocardiographic monitoring of regional myocardial contractility may be considered a valid non invasive method for evaluating coronary artery disease in the elderly.

[Treatment of ischemic heart disease in the elderly. Comparison of diltiazem, verapamil and gallopamil]. / La terapia della cardiopatia ischemica nell'anziano. Confronto diltiazem, verapamil e gallopamil.

The medical therapy of myocardial ischemia in elderly patients has not been well evaluated. We studied the age-related changes in 127 patients with proved coronary artery disease and stable effort angina the efficacy and the safety of diltiazem 120 mg tid, verapamil 120 mg tid and gallopamil 50 mg tid a medium term parallel, double blind cross-over placebo controlled study. All patients have been clinically and ergometrically evaluated. In middle-age patients diltiazem, verapamil and gallopamil induced a significant increasing of exercise duration and time to onset ST segment depression > or = 1 mm. In the elderly patients both verapamil and diltiazem as increased the exercise duration and ischemic threshold, while the diltiazem did not increased the exercise duration even if the time of onset ST segment depression > or = 1 mm is increased. At peak exercise the ST segment depression have been reduced both in middle-age and elderly patients after active drugs. Weekly angina and DNT consumption have been significantly reduced after diltiazem, verapamil and gallopamil in middle-age and elderly patients. Side effects have not been relevant even if gallopamil as a lower frequency of them in comparison to diltiazem and verapamil. No patients stopped the treatment because major side effects. Our experience suggests that diltiazem, verapamil and gallopamil have a similar efficacy and rare well tolerated. The choice of one instead of another must be suggested on the basis of side effects developing.

[Effects of antihypertensive treatment on carotid vascular changes]. / Effetti del trattamento antipertensivo sulle alterazioni vascolari del distretto carotideo.

The carotid artery is one of the most important sites in the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Atherosclerosis is known to be determined by a variety of factors, among which arterial hypertension is one of the most important. Blood pressure control by antihypertensive treatment is thus of great benefit in management of atherosclerosis, particularly in view of the direct action of some classes of antihypertensive agents on atheromatous lesions. Today, modern diagnostic technique allow a non-invasive examination of the artery wall (B-mode ultrasound and pulsed-Doppler), so that early detection of structural and functional alterations is possible. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the long term blood pressure reduction in the progression and/or in the regression of cardiovascular structural abnormalities, we studied intima-media thickness and arterial compliance during one-year antihypertensive treatment with a new calcium-antagonist, lacidipine, or a diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. In both groups we observed a comparable blood pressure reduction (lacidipine: from 166 +/- 5/100 +/- 1 to 142 +/- 4/88 +/- 2 mmHg; hydrochlorothiazide: from 154 +/- 5/102 +/- 2 to 140 +/- 4/88 +/- mmHg; both p < 0.01). On the contrary, only in patients treated with lacidipine did we obtain a significant improvement in carotid blood flow (383 +/- 16 vs 411 +/- 16 ml/min p <) and in arterial compliance (0.8 +/- 0.1 vs 1.2 +/- 0.2 cm/dyne p < 0.01). Indeed, we observed a different behaviour of the intima-media thickness in the two groups (lacidipine: 1.11 +/- 1.4 vs 1.13 +/- 1.5 mm n.s.; hydrochlorothiazide: 1.15 +/- 0.15 vs 1.21 +/- 0.17 mm p < 0.06). Our results demonstrate that an effective antihypertensive treatment with calcium antagonists may influence the progression of carotid vascular abnormalities.

Radiosynthesis of [123I]betaCIT, a selective ligand for the study of the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems in human brain.

The procedure previously reported for the radiosynthesis of [123I]betaCIT was modified in order to improve both radiochemical yield and purity of betaCIT (2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta(4-iodophenyl) tropane) to be injected for SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) analysis imaging. The overall procedure, involving a HPLC purification step, results in quite good and reproducible yields of a highly purified tracer.

Intracranial Masses with Perilesional Edema: Differential Diagnosis with Perfusion CT.

Perilesional edema (PE) is commonly observed in association with an intracranial mass. PE is thought to be determined by vasogenic effects in the cerebral parenchyma surrounding the mass due to the loss or absence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) inside the lesion. Alterations in capillary permeability induce extrusion of fluids into the extravascular space around the mass. On Computed Tomography (CT) PE corresponds to an area of low density for the increased water content, outside the margins of the lesion. It is difficult to differentiate PE from areas of parenchymal compressive ischemia and sometimes the two events could be associated. A solitary mass with PE is more commonly discovered on a non-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) study performed for the onset of stable or rapidly progressive neurological symptoms. In such cases, a supplementary CT scan with contrast (CECT) is generally indicated to complete the baseline imaging before MRI. Contrast enhancement is generally present in a mass with PE and it is not specific for differential diagnosis. Perfusion computed tomography (PCT) requires a few minutes in addition to the time needed for CECT. PCT may give information on regional microvascular density, permeability and blood flow, thus it may play a role when tumoral neo-angiogenesis or non-neoplastic altered haemodynamics are suspected. We therefore investigated the utility of PCT in the differential diagnosis of the intracranial solitary masses with PE.

Increased glomerular cell (podocyte) apoptosis in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus: role in the development of diabetic glomerular disease.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Podocyte loss by apoptosis, in addition to favouring progression of established diabetic nephropathy, has been recently indicated as an early phenomenon triggering the initiation of glomerular lesions. This study aimed to assess the rate of glomerular cell death and its relationship with renal functional, structural and molecular changes in rats with experimental diabetes. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes and coeval non-diabetic control animals were killed at 7 days and at 2, 4 and 6 months for the assessment of apoptosis, renal function, renal structure and the expression of podocyte markers and apoptosis- and cell cycle-related proteins. RESULTS: Glomerular cell apoptosis was significantly increased in diabetic vs non-diabetic rats at 4 months and to an even greater extent at 6 months, with podocytes accounting for 70% of apoptosing cells. The increase in apoptosis was preceded by increases in proteinuria, albuminuria and mean glomerular and mesangial areas, and by reductions in glomerular cell density and content of synaptopodin and Wilms' tumour protein-1. It coincided with the development of mesangial expansion and glomerular sclerosis, and with the upregulation/activation both of tumour protein p53, which increased progressively throughout the study, and of p21 (also known as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, CIP1 and WAF1), which peaked at 4 months and decreased thereafter. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Glomerular cell (podocyte) apoptosis is not an early feature in the course of experimental diabetic glomerulopathy, since it is preceded by glomerular hypertrophy, which may decrease glomerular cell density to the point of inducing compensatory podocyte hypertrophy. This is associated with reduced podocyte protein expression (podocytopathy) and proteinuria, and ultimately results in apoptotic cell loss (podocytopenia), driving progression to mesangial expansion and glomerular sclerosis.