Piero Salvadori

Coronary vasodilation is impaired in both hypertrophied and nonhypertrophied myocardium of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A study with nitrogen-13 ammonia and positron emission tomography

To assess regional coronary reserve in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, regional myocardial blood flow was measured in 23 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 12 control subjects by means of nitrogen-13 ammonia and dynamic positron emission tomography. In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at baseline study, regional myocardial blood flow was 1.14 +/- 0.43 ml/min per g in the hypertrophied (20 +/- 3 mm) interventricular septum and 0.90 +/- 0.35 ml/min per g (p less than 0.05 versus septal flow) in the nonhypertrophied (10 +/- 2 mm) left ventricular free wall. These were not statistically different from the corresponding values in control subjects (1.04 +/- 0.25 and 0.91 +/- 0.21 ml/min per g, respectively, p = NS). After pharmacologically induced coronary vasodilation (dipyridamole, 0.56 mg/kg intravenously over 4 min), regional myocardial blood flow in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy increased significantly less than in control subjects both in the septum (1.63 +/- 0.58 versus 2.99 +/- 1.06 ml/min per g, p less than 0.001) and in the free wall (1.47 +/- 0.58 versus 2.44 +/- 0.82 ml/min per g, p less than 0.001). In addition, patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who had a history of chest pain had more pronounced impairment of coronary vasodilator reserve than did those without a history of chest pain. After dipyridamole, coronary resistance in the septum decreased by 38% in patients without a history of chest pain, but decreased by only 14% in those with such a history (p less than 0.05). Coronary resistance in the free wall decreased by 45% in patients without and by 27% in those with a history of chest pain (p = 0.06).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Myocardial Blood Flow Response to Pacing Tachycardia and to Dipyridamole Infusion in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy Without Overt Heart Failure A Quantitative Assessment by Positron Emission Tomography

BACKGROUND Myocardial blood flow (MBF) impairment has been documented in advanced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in which hemodynamic factors, secondary to severe ventricular dysfunction, may limit myocardial perfusion. To assess whether MBF impairment in DCM may also be present independent of hemodynamic factors, the present study was designed to quantify myocardial perfusion in patients with mild disease without overt heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS Absolute regional MBF (milliliters per minute per gram) was measured by positron emission tomography and 13N-ammonia in resting conditions, during pacing-induced tachycardia, and after dipyridamole infusion (0.56 mg/kg over 4 minutes) in 22 DCM patients and in 13 healthy subjects. Patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I-II and showed depressed left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction by radionuclide angiography (35 +/- 8%; range, 21% to 48%), normal coronary angiography, and normal or moderately increased LV end-diastolic pressure (9.2 +/- 5.5 mm Hg; range, 2 to 20 mm Hg). There were no differences in arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and rate-pressure product between patients and control subjects in the three study conditions. Compared with control subjects, DCM patients had lower mean MBF at rest (0.80 +/- 0.25 versus 1.08 +/- 0.20 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .01), during atrial pacing tachycardia (1.21 +/- 0.59 versus 2.03 +/- 0.64 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .01), and after dipyridamole infusion (1.91 +/- 0.76 versus 3.78 +/- 0.86 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .01). LV MBF values were related to baseline LV end-diastolic pressure at rest (r = -.57, P < .01) and during pacing (r = -.67, P < .01) but not after dipyridamole infusion (r = .19, P = .40). Five patients had LV end-diastolic pressure > 12 mm Hg; in 4, myocardial perfusion was severely depressed both at baseline and in response to stress. CONCLUSIONS In patients with DCM without overt heart failure, myocardial perfusion is impaired both at rest and in response to vasodilating stimuli. The abnormalities in vasodilating capability can be present despite normal hemodynamics; progression of the disease is associated with more depressed myocardial perfusion.

Synthesis and chromatographic properties of an HPLC chiral stationary phase based upon human serum albumin

SummaryA new HPLC stationary phase was synthesized by thein situ covalent immobilization of human serum albumin (HSA). The protein was immobilized on a commerically available diol column which had been activated with 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole. Initial chromatographic studies show that this phase can be used for chiral separations of enantiomeric solutes and that these separations may reflectin vitro binding to the HSA. The effects of mobile phase composition and temperature on the stereochemical resolutions are reported.

Heterogeneous asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins catalyzed by polymer-bound (salen)manganese complexes

Abstract The synthesis of three different polymer-bound chiral Mn-salen complexes (Poly- 1, -2a, -2b ) is reported, along with their application as recyclable catalysts in heterogeneous asymmetric epoxidation with m CPBA/NMO of several unfunctionalized olefins. The introduction of a spacing group between the polymeric chain and the metal centre (Poly- 2a and -2b ) considerably increased the enantioselectivity of the process.

Coronary reserve and exercise ECG in patients with chest pain and normal coronary angiograms.

BackgroundCoronary vasodilator reserve is reduced in some patients with a history of chest pain and angiographically normal coronary arteries. ECG changes suggestive of myocardial ischemia during exercise also can be demonstrated in a subset of these patients. Methods and ResultsWe have investigated the correlation between coronary vasodilator reserve, assessed with 13N-labeled ammonia and positron emission tomography, and the ECG during exercise stress in 45 patients with a history of chest pain, angiographically normal coronary arteries, and a negative ergonovine test. ST segment depression on the ECG during exercise was present in 29 of 45 patients. Mean resting left ventricular blood flow was 1.04±0.22 ml · min−1 · g−1; it increased to 1.32±0.47 ml · min−1 g−1 (p<0.01 versus baseline value) during atrial pacing and to 2.52±0.96 ml · min−1 · g−1 (p<0.01 versus baseline value) after dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg i.v.). No regional flow defects could be demonstrated in any patient during pacing or after dipyridamole. Myocardial flows after dipyridamole, however, did not show a normal frequency distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test), and two patient populations could be identified. Twenty-nine (67%) patients had a mean left ventricular flow of 3.02±0.33 ml · min−1 · g−1 after dipyridamole (range, 2.13–5.46 ml · min−1 · g−1), and 14 (33%) patients had a mean flow of 1.48±0.29 ml · min−1 · g−1 (range, 1.06–2.04 ml · min−1 · g−1, p<0.01 versus the “high-flow group”). ConclusionsApproximately one third of patients in our series showed a reduced coronary vasodilator reserve. Although 12 of 14 patients in the “low-flow group” had ST segment depression during exercise stress, 16 of 29 patients in the high-flow group also had ST segment depression during exercise stress. Therefore, despite a good sensitivity (86%) in identifying patients with a blunted increment of coronary flow, the ECG response during exercise stress appears to have a rather low specificity (45%). This suggests that factors other than reduced coronary reserve and myocardial ischemia may play a role in the genesis of the ST segment depression in these patients.

Non-covalent complexes between DNA-binding drugs and double-stranded deoxyoligonucleotides: a study by ionspray mass spectrometry

The non-covalent complexes between some DNA-binding drugs and duplex oligodeoxynucleotides were studied by ionspray mass spectrometry, with the aim of evaluating the suitability of this technique to screen rapidly a series of drugs exerting their activity through non-covalent binding to specific base sequences of DNA. Two classes of drugs were considered, distamycins (which show affinity for the minor groove of DNA) and anthracyclines (which interact through intercalation between bases). For the former, d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2 was chosen as the model oligodeoxynucleotide. Following optimization of sample preparation and instrumental conditions, the complexes of different distamycins were observed; depending on the ligand considered, 1:1 or 2:1 complexes were formed preferentially. A semi-quantitative evaluation of the relative affinities was made by measuring the ratio of the complexes signals to those of the duplex, and also by competitive binding with equimolar amounts of distamycin. For anthracyclines, the daunorubicin-d(CGATCG)2 complex was chosen as the model for a preliminary mass spectrometric study; however, the signals of the duplex and the complex were very low compared with the monomer signal. Since the complex was known to be stable in solution, this was ascribed to gas-phase instability, probably caused by electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged phosphate groups.

Polymer-bound chiral (salen)Mn(III) complex as heterogeneous catalyst in rapid and clean enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalised olefins

The application of a new polystyrene-divinylbenzene system containing an optically active (salen)Mn(III) complex in asymmetric epoxidation of unfunctionalised olefins is reported. This system showed a remarkably high reaction speed in the conditions described. Reaction outcomes drastically varied, in terms of enantioselectivity and cis-trans isomerization extent, upon the terminal oxidant employed (mCPBANMO and MMPP). Reuse of the catalyst was extremely efficient for several cycles. Interesting values of ee were obtained for styrene (15%) and cis-β-methylstyrene (41%).

Global alteration in perfusion response to increasing oxygen consumption in patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that, in coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial blood flow (MBF) regulation is abnormal in regions supplied by apparently normal coronary arteries. However, the relation between this alteration and MBF response to increasing metabolic demand has not been fully elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS MBF was assessed at baseline, during atrial pacing tachycardia, and after dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg IV over 4 minutes) in 9 normal subjects and in 24 patients with ischemia on effort, no myocardial infarction, and isolated left anterior descending (n = 19) or left circumflex (n = 5) coronary artery stenosis (> or = 50% diameter narrowing). Perfusion of both poststenotic (S) and normally supplied (N) areas was measured off therapy by positron emission tomography and [13N]ammonia. Normal subjects and CAD patients showed similar rate-pressure products at baseline, during pacing, and after dipyridamole. In CAD patients, MBF was lower in S than in N territories at rest (0.68 +/- 0.14 versus 0.74 +/- 0.18 mL.min-1.g-1, respectively, P < .05), during pacing (0.92 +/- 0.29 versus 1.16 +/- 0.40 mL.min-1.g-1, respectively, P < .01), and after dipyridamole (1.18 +/- 0.34 versus 1.77 +/- 0.71 mL.min-1.g-1, respectively, P < .01). However, normal subjects showed significantly higher values of MBF both at rest (0.92 +/- 0.13 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .05 versus both S and N areas), during pacing tachycardia (1.95 +/- 0.64 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .01 versus both S and N areas), and after dipyridamole (3.59 +/- 0.71 mL.min-1.g-1, P < .01 versus both S and N areas). The percent change in flow was strictly correlated with the corresponding change in rate-pressure product in normal subjects (r = .85, P < .01) but not in either S (r = .04, P = NS) or N regions (r = .08, P = NS) of CAD patients. CONCLUSIONS Besides epicardial stenosis, further factors may affect flow response to increasing metabolic demand and coronary reserve in patients with CAD.

A preliminary study on iron species as heterogeneous catalysts for the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acids by H2O2

Abstract Different eco-sustainable methods based on the activation of H2O2 promoted by iron species in homogeneous and heterogeneous phase, in the presence and absence of solar irradiation was compared in order to evaluate their effectiveness in the wastewater treatment. Commercial linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acids (LAS) have been chosen as model compound, being a pollutant largely used in different fields. Supported iron species were identified as new promising class of photo-activable and recyclable catalysts.

FIRST EXAMPLE OF A SILICA GEL-SUPPORTED OPTICALLY ACTIVE MN(III)-SALEN COMPLEX AS A HETEROGENEOUS ASYMMETRIC CATALYST IN THE EPOXIDATION OF OLEFINS

Abstract An optically active Mn(III)–salen complex was supported on silica gel materials: the insoluble systems obtained were employed as catalysts in the asymmetric epoxidation of some aromatic olefins. Enantiomeric excess values up to 58% were obtained.