Digital angiography of erectile failure.

Digital angiography of pudendal and penile arteries was performed in 44 consecutive patients with erectile failure of suspected vascular origin. Intra-arterial injection of contrast medium via selective catheterisation of the hypogastric arteries was used in six cases. In 39 patients, one of whom had already had arterial catheterisation, contrast medium was administered by the intravenous route, using a single, large volume, high speed bolus. In 12/44 cases (27%), digital angiography showed a normal vascular picture at the pudendal and penile level but the remaining 32 patients (73%) had steno-occlusive lesions of different degrees of severity. The pictures obtained after administration of intravenous contrast were diagnostically as good as the studies with selective arterial catheterisation. In addition, the intravenous route allowed the simultaneous representation of the arterial network on both sides and was quicker and less invasive. In 31/44 patients (79%), functional determinations of nocturnal penile tumescence and of penile blood flow with Doppler ultrasonography were performed for comparison. Nocturnal penile tumescence results correlated well with the angiographic picture. Penile blood flow measurements with the Doppler technique were less sensitive than digital angiography.

[Digital angiography of the pudendal arteries in erectile impotence]. / L'angiografia digitale delle arterie pudende nello studio della impotenza erettile.

Digital angiography of pudendal and penile arteries was performed on 32 consecutive patients with erectile failure of suspected vascular origin. Intra-arterial injection of contrast medium via selective catheterization of the hypogastric arteries was used in 6 cases. In 27 cases, one of which already submitted to arterial catheterism, the intravenous route was employed for contrast administration, using a single, large volume, high speed bolus. In one case, digital angiography was diagnostically unreliable due to patient's motion and to blurring artifacts. Among the remaining cases, 9/31 (29%) showed a normal angiographic picture, while 22/31 (71%) possessed stenotic-obstructive lesions of different severity. The pictures obtained after intravenous contrast administration were diagnostically equivalent to those obtained with arterial catheterism: in addition, intravenous route allowed the simultaneous representation of the arterial network of both sides and the overall examination resulted less invasive and quicker. In 22/32 patients (69%), functional determinations of erectile capability and of penile blood flow were performed for comparison. Nocturnal penile tumescence (12 cases diagnostically useful) was well correlated with the angiographic picture. Penile blood flow measurements with the Doppler technique (21 cases) seemed on the contrary to be less sensitive than digital angiography.

A follow-up of the protein pattern after operations in patients treated with an oral enzyme.

The sera of 32 patients have been studied in order to assess the behaviour of the main proteins, which could be identified with a two-dimensional electrophoresis, after operation. 20 of them were given an oral enzyme preparation of trypsin/chymotrypsin (Chymoral 100/F); the others were given no therapy. The analysis was performed comparing the relative concentration of 17 proteins in the pre-operative phase and the fifth day after the operation. Some variations known already and induced by this therapy (like the increase of alpha-1-antitrypsin), have been confirmed, but it has also been demonstrated, in the patients treated with Chymoral, a clear reduction of the constant loss of albumin and pre-albumin, which occurs after an operation.

Changes in the lung alveolar proteins in some experimental conditions.

The Authors have directed their research to the alveolar lining (the surfactant) proteins and they have particularly studied its alterations in shock pathological conditions. Some rats have been subjected to haemorrhagic and toxic shock, by Escherichia Coli's lipopolysaccharide; then lung washing has been performed and on extracted liquid proteins have been studied by two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis (TDI). The obtained data have been encouraging and very useful for studies process.

The proteins of the lung alveolar lining.

The protein composition of the lung washing has been analysed by immunochemical methods: it has been possible to demonstrate the presence of many proteins, mainly albumin, immunoglobulins and beta-globulins, some of them seem laying in the alveolar lining and having the function of stabilizing the surfactant system.