Low nanomolar concentrations of a quercetin oxidation product, which naturally occurs in onion peel, protect cells against oxidative damage.

The occurrence of the quercetin oxidation metabolite 2-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranone (BZF), whose antioxidant potency is notably higher than the antioxidant potency of quercetin, was investigated in twenty quercetin-rich plant foods. BZF was identified (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) only in the dry outer scales of onions and shallots. Aqueous extracts of onions (OAE) and shallots (SAE) were evaluated for their antioxidant and cytoprotective properties. OAE, whose potency did not differ from SAE, protected ROS-exposed Caco2 cells against oxidative (78%) and cellular (90%) damage at a 3 µg/L concentration (corresponding to 0.03 nM of BZF). After chromatographic resolution of OAE, the BZF peak accounted fully and exclusively for its antioxidant effect. The antioxidant effects of OAE and of a pure BZF were described by two perfectly overlapping curves whose concentration-dependence was within the 3 × 10-4 to 102 nM BZF range. Such unprecedented low concentrations place BZF-containing plants on the frontier of the search for novel sources of antioxidants.

Assessment of the sanitary and environmental risks posed by a contaminated industrial site.

Sites contaminated with hazardous material are a topical and urgent problem all over the world. In accordance with recent Italian regulations, appropriate risk assessment is required in order to determine health risks associated with contaminated sites. The paper presents a case study regarding a disused industrial plant contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls. The site is characterized by three different topographical levels. Therefore both the characterization and the conceptual model had to be adapted to the site conditions: we divided the site into three discrete areas and we developed a separate risk assessment for each area. Besides health risk assessment, we performed ecological risk assessment for both groundwater and surface water targets, as required by Italian regulations. The future reuse scenario has not yet been defined and, consequently, risk assessment results will be useful for the remediation program. Risk assessment was supported by leaching tests and hydrocarbon "finger printing". Leaching tests allowed us to determine site-specific soil-water partition coefficient. Hydrocarbon "finger printing" allowed us to differentiate the mobility of the different hydrocarbon groups in migration analyses. We found the site required remediation based on Italian standard. We propose a simple risk-based remediation action consisting in the replacement of the upper 1m with "clean" soil and the placement of a barrier to vapors.

Respiratory pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage in a Puerto Rican population infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

OBJECTIVE: To describe the respiratory pathogens found in the bronchoalveolar lavage of a Puerto Rican population infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). BACKGROUND: Empirical treatment is an accepted strategy for management of HIV-related pneumonia, but it is usually recommended for countries that have knowledge of the prevalent organisms in their population. In Puerto Rico, we have relied on data from the United States, but ethnic and geographical differences have been reported. DESIGN: Case series of a HIV-infected population admitted to an academic hospital in Puerto Rico because of respiratory symptoms and who underwent diagnostic standard bronchoalveolar lavage. RESULTS: From August 1998 to March 2000, 32 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were performed in 31 Puerto Rican HIV patients. Nine (31) were female. Mean age was 37 years old. Predominant mode of infection of the virus was intravenous drug use in men and heterosexual contact in women. BAL was diagnostic in 17/32 (53) of the cases. Identified respiratory pathogens were Pneumocystis carinii (5), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4), Staphylococcus aureus (2), Pseudomonas aeuruginosa (1), Bordetella bronchiseptica (1), viridans streptococcus (1), Histoplasma capsulatum (1), Cytomegalovirus (1), and, Mycobacterium kansassi (1). Retrospective review of medical records of non bronchoscoped patients for the period added six culture confirmed tuberculosis cases increasing tuberculosis rate to 18(10/56). CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis appears to be a more frequent pathogen in Puerto Rico than is reported in the United States. A larger study is needed to confirm this finding and thus to clarify whether an initial presumption of tuberculosis should be assumed in the Puerto Rican HIV population.

The microbial etiologies of diarrhea in hospitalized patients from the Puerto Rico Medical Center Hospitals

The development of diarrhea in hospitalized patients is a frequently encountered clinical problem, which may be due to infectious or non-infectious causes. The purpose of this study was to identify which common community enteric pathogens, if any, are responsible for diarrheal episodes in hospitalized patients. Stool samples from 76 consecutive, hospitalized patients were analyzed utilizing routine bacterial cultures, smears for identification of ova and parasites and Enzyme-Link Immunoadsorbent Assay (ELISA) for enteric bacteria, parasites and viruses. The results obtained demonstrated that the usual community enteric pathogens were not identified as a major cause of nosocomial diarrhea. In hospital-acquired diarrhea, Clostridium difficile toxins assay was the only clinically significant test in the evaluation of these patients. As a result of this study a guideline for the management of this condition in hospitalized patients is presented.

Improved compression properties of propyphenazone spherical crystals.

Spherical propyphenazone crystals were produced by an agglomeration technique using a three solvents system. After selecting the best propyphenazone solvent (ethyl alcohol), non-solvent (demineralized water) and bridging liquid (isopropyl acetate), several of their ratios were tested by a Sheffé ternary diagram. Micromeritic properties of agglomerates such as flowability, were improved and their compression behavior was investigated and compared to that of raw crystals. By compression and densification studies, along with tablet SEM analysis, we have been able to explain the compression mechanism of propyphenazone spherical crystals and have shown that their better tablet/ability can be due to the small size of individual particles in the agglomerates

[Pulmonary involvement in scleroderma assessed with high-resolution computerized tomography and functional tests]. / Danno polmonare nella sclerodermia valutato con Tomografia Computerizzata con alta risoluzione e prove funzionali.

This study was aimed at investigating and analyzing lung involvement in scleroderma patients with different imaging methods, toward a rational diagnostic approach. Twenty-four patients with systemic sclerosis were examined with pulmonary function tests (PFT), spirometry and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), chest radiography and high-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT). Abnormal findings were present in 42% of cases on X-ray films and in 71% of cases on HRCT images. PFT was abnormal in the spirometries of 42% of cases and in DLCO tests in 50% of cases. The most common findings at HRCT were the small reticular and the ground-glass patterns. HRCT emerged as the most effective method to evaluate lung involvement in systemic sclerosis. In our series, HRCT allowed possibly curable lung lesions to be differentiated from incurable ones. However, HRCT is suggested in the patients with impaired pulmonary function to allow treatment choice; on the contrary, in the patients with no functional impairment, HRCT adds little information to clinical findings, showing only limited focal lesions.

[Dynamic computed tomography in the prognostic assessment of acute pancreatitis]. / Tomografia Computerizzata dinamica nella valutazione prognostica delle pancreatiti acute.

Pancreatic necrosis is a well-known risk factor for infectious complications in the patients affected with acute pancreatitis. Dynamic CT with i.v. administration of a large bolus of contrast medium can establish the diagnosis of necrotizing pancreatitis. A series of 49 cases of severe acute pancreatitis was reviewed, and early CT investigations were seen to fail to detect pancreatic necrosis in 22 instances, versus 27 positive cases. In the group of patients with no necrosis, the clinical course was uneventful or characterized by mild complications which regressed spontaneously or by means of adjuvant medical treatment. On the contrary, 17 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis developed severe complications requiring intensive treatment. These complications occurred in 50% of the patients with < 50% of pancreatic necrosis, while the figure rose to 77% whenever more extensive involvement was observed. Our results show that the presence and extent of pancreatic necrosis must be diagnosed as early as possible for prognostic and therapeutic purposes; this can be done by the routinary use of dynamic CT with the administration of large amounts of contrast media at high flow rates.

[Changes in the activity of histamine-liberating enzymes in acute experimental anaphylaxis]. / Vurkhu promenite v aktivnostta na niakoi khistaminrazgrazhdashti enzimi v usloviiata na ostrata eksperimentalna anafilaksiia.

The authors examined the changes in the histamine level, DAO (diaminoxidase) activity and N--MT (N-methyltransferase) activity in blood (plasma) and tissues of lung and liver (N--MT was examined only in the indicated tissues) in 105 guinea pigs, 45 of whom were healthy and 60 sensibilised and examined during the anaphylactic shock. It was established that during the acute anaphylactic shock there was demonstrative hyperhistanemia and hyperhistaminasemia, which were not observed during experimental anaphylactic shock with subacute course. The activity of lung and liver N--MT in animals with acute and subacute anaphylactic shock did not differ from that of the healthy guinea pigs. The complete inhibition of DAO activity in healthy animals and those with anaphylactic shock did not induce change in the activity of N--MT as well. The latter did not alter after sharp or high level or moderate elevation of the tissue histamine for several days. This histamine was a specific substrate for this enzyme. N--MT is an inductive enzyme, which apparently does not participate in histamine metabolism during acute and subacute anaphylaxis in guinea pigs. For its change, probably, is necessary longer time.