44,350 research outputs found
Bioactive scaffolds based on bioartificial biodegradabile hollow microfibers
No full textBiodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds were prepared using hollow microfibers based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and containing drug-loaded poly(L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles. The addition of biological macromolecules to PLLA, to produce "bioartificial" fibers, was evaluated to give to the fibers a better cell affinity. The fibers were produced through a dry-wet spinning procedure expressly set up, and their inner cavity was loaded with PLGA microparticles containing dexamethasone. The entrapment of the particles allows the obtainment of fibers useful in the realization of "bioactive" scaffolds. The morphology of the fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and their mechanical properties were investigated by tensile tests. The drug release from the fibers loaded with the particles was evaluated in vitro. The viability of ovine fibroblasts onto the scaffolds at different times after seeding was evaluated
Effects of single and repeated electroconvulsive shock on isoproterenol-stimulated pineal N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin production in rats
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Urease loaded alginate microparticles for blood purification
No full textIn this paper a device, based on urease-loaded microspheres, is presented. The first task of this work was the optimization of a procedure for the alginate microspheres realization, having a radius as close as possible to the optimal one necessary to achieve the maximum enzyme exploitation. This optimal radius was calculated theoretically through a mathematical model which describes the concentration of substrate (urea) inside the microspheres on the assumption of a diffusion-reaction mechanism. The enzyme-loaded microspheres were successfully tested in a prototypal device aimed at the depletion of urea from a circulating fluid simulating blood flow: the results showed that urea concentration in the circulating fluid drops down to less than 25% of the initial value after 5 h
Peyronie's disease and autoimmunity-a real-life clinical study and comprehensive review
No full textIntroduction: Although heavily investigated over the last decades, Peyronie's disease (PD) pathogenesis remains unclear. Aim: We sought to investigate the association between PD and autoimmune diseases (ADs) in men seeking medical help for sexual dysfunction in the real-life setting. Methods: Complete sociodemographic and clinical data from a homogenous cohort of 1,140 consecutive Caucasian-European men were analyzed. Health-significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index and ADs were stratified according to International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision classification. Main Outcome Measures: Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models tested the association between ADs and PD. Results: PD was diagnosed in 148 (13%) of the 1,140 men; of PD patients, 14 (9.5%) had a comorbid AD; conversely, the rate of ADs in non-PD patients was significantly lower (χ2=24.7; P<0.01). Both patient age and AD comorbidity achieved multivariable independent predictor status for PD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05; P<0.01 and OR: 4.90; P<0.01, respectively). Conclusions: Our observational findings showed that ADs are highly comorbid with PD in a large cohort of same-race individuals seeking medical help for sexual dysfunction in the real-life setting. Ventimiglia E, Capogrosso P, Colicchia M, Boeri L, Serino A, La Croce G, Russo A, Capitanio U, Briganti A, Cantiello F, Mirone V, Damiano R, Montorsi F, and Salonia A. Peyronie's disease and autoimmunity-A real-life clinical study and comprehensive review. J Sex Med 2015;12:1062-1069
Bioactive scaffolds based on bioartificial biodegradable hollow microfibers
No full textBiodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds were prepared using hollow microfibers based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and containing drug-loaded poly(L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles. The addition of biological macromolecules to PLLA, to produce "bioartificial" fibers, was evaluated to give to the fibers a better cell affinity. The fibers were produced through a dry-wet spinning procedure expressly set up, and their inner cavity was loaded with PLGA microparticles containing dexamethasone. The entrapment of the particles allows the obtainment of fibers useful in the realization of "bioactive" scaffolds. The morphology of the fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and their mechanical properties were investigated by tensile tests. The drug release from the fibers loaded with the particles was evaluated in vitro. The viability of ovine fibroblasts onto the scaffolds at different times after seeding was evaluated
Sigma receptor modulation of noradrenergic-stimulated pineal melatonin biosynthesis in rats
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