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There is a growing interest in the debate on nanoparticle safety for topical use. The benefits of nanoparticles have been shown in several scientific fields, but little is known about their potential to penetrate the skin lies. This study aims at evaluating in vitro silver nanoparticles skin penetration. Experiments were performed using the Franz diffusion cell method with intact and damaged human skin. Physiological solution was used as receiving phase and 70 microg/cm2 of silver nanoparticles dispersed in synthetic sweat were applied as donor phase to the outer surface of the skin for 24h. The receptor fluid measurements were performed by Electro Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (ETAAS). Silver concentration of 0.2 microg/L was found in the receiving solutions of two cells, in which damaged skin membranes were set up. In the other tests, we obtained a silver concentration below the limit of detection in the receiving cells. Our experimental data show that silver nanoparticles permeation through intact and damaged skin is negligible. These findings are consistent with previously published results. Further researches are necessary to explore skin absorption of silver nanoparticles.

Occupational chromium dermatitis occurs frequently among cement and metal workers, workers dealing with leather tanning and employees in the ceramic industry. The present study, using an in-vitro system, evaluated percutaneous absorption of chromium powder and the effect of rapid skin decontamination with a common detergent. Experiments were performed using the Franz diffusion cell method with human skin. Physiological solution was used as receiving phase and a suspension of chromium powder in synthetic sweat was used as donor phase. The tests were performed without or with decontamination using the cleanser 30 minutes after the start of exposure. The amount of chromium permeated through the skin was analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Electro Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Speciation analysis and measurements of chromium skin content were also performed. We calculated a permeation flux of 0.843 +/- 0.25 ng cm(-2) h(-1) and a lag time of 1.1 +/- 0.7 h. The cleaning procedure significantly increased chromium skin content, whereas skin passage was not increased. These results showed that chromium powder can pass through the skin and that skin decontamination did not decrease skin absorption. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent skin contamination when using toxic agents.

Background: To investigate the frequency of night eating among obese patients, its biological correlates and its relationships with binge eating., Methods: The eating behavior of a group of patients enrolled in a weight-loss program was evaluated by Eating Inventory (EI) and by semistructured interviews designed to detect binge and night eating; in all cases body weight (BW) and energy expenditure (REE) were measured., Results: Night eating was more frequent among binge eating patients, than in among non-binge ones. However, two-way ANOVA demonstrated that in binge eating patients the EI disinhibition and hunger score was higher than in their no-bingeing counterparts and in night eating individuals. Furthermore, between night eating and non-night eating patients, no differences in BW and REE were found., Conclusions: Binge eating and night eating appear to be related to different psychological constructs, the overlapping between the two behaviors, however, being quite frequent.

Background: An increasing number of women in childbearing age are submitted to surgical treatment of obesity; for this reason pregnancy represents a frequent event in operated patients., Methods: In this study pregnancy in patients with morbid obesity submitted to jejunoileal bypass (JIB) and gastric bypass (GB) are reviewed from the literature and the analysis of our experience with biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) is reported., Results: In 113 pregnancies after JIB reviewed from the literature, the results seem to be debated either about the course of pregnancy or about maternal and neonatal status. The data of literature concerning the pregnancies following GB are less debated but rather slight. One hundred and fifty-two pregnancies after BPD have a complete documentation concerning maternal conditions, modality of outcome and neonatal situation., Conclusions: Pregnancy occurred in the obese women represents an increased maternal-fetal risk. The excess weight loss, the weight maintenance and the reduced weight changes during pregnancy are an advantage in the operate women who, in any case, need accurate controls of the nutritional status during the whole gestational period. Keeping these cautions pregnancy following surgical treatment of obesity represents an event not only possible but even with less problems than in pregnancy in obese women.

The relationships between the cognitive restraint and the tendency to disinhibition prior to gastric banding for obesity, as assessed by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, and the weight loss at one year following the operation were investigated. The amount of overall weight loss was correlated positively to the disinhibition and negatively to the cognitive restraint score. When the food consumption overtakes the proximal gastric pouch capacity, the patient feels a strong aversive stimulus, thus stopping eating. Therefore, more is the patient's tendency to lose the control on food intake more is the postoperative weight loss. On the contrary, the high restraint patient only seldom feels such an aversive stimulus, and only seldom stops eating, thus the weight loss is smaller. Except for the overeating due to the disinhibition, the aversive stimulus arising from the gastric restriction cannot influence by itself any other aspect of eating behavior.

The relationships between the resting energy expenditure (REE), measured by indirect calorimetry, and eating behavior, assessed by the "Three Factor Eating Questionnaire" were evaluated. The study was carried out in a group of healthy never-obese subjects and in two groups of formerly obese people, who have maintained a normal weight for more than two years. The subjects of the first formerly obese group had brought their body weight to normal by dieting. The second one comprised subjects following biliopancreatic diversion for obesity (BPD) in the long term, who maintain a normal weight because of the intestinal malabsorption due to the operation regardless of food consumption. In comparison with the other subjects, significantly higher cognitive restraint score values were observed in the post-diet subjects. Furthermore, a negative significant correlation between cognitive restraint and REE was found in the non operated subjects, while such correlation was not present in the BPD subjects. Therefore, in normal people cognitive restraint has to be considered to be related to behavioral-cognitive factors rather than biologically driven by energy requirements.

Following gastric surgery for obesity, a satisfactory weight loss and, above all, long-term weight maintenance can only be achieved in patients who have succeeded in radically changing their preoperative eating habits. In this preliminary study gastric banding is associated with rehabilitative training which was carried out using similar methods to the programs used for eating disorders. One year after surgery the results were substantially the same as those reported in the literature, with an overall weight loss of approximately 50%. The lack of correlation between weight loss and the degree of gastric banding underlines, even after a short interval, the efficacy and importance of postoperative re-educational training. The utility of this integrated approach will only be more fully evaluated after a longer period.

Biliopancreatic bypass for obesity entails a 2/3 distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction, being the small bowel transected at its midpoint and the enteroenteroanastomosis placed 50 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve. Insulin and GIP fasting and meal-stimulated plasma concentrations were determined in 13 nonobese healthy volunteers, in 13 nonoperated obese patients, in 11 subjects within two months, in 12 subjects four to twelve months, and in 7 subjects fifteen to twenty months after operation. Insulin in the obese patients was significantly higher than in the control group. Postoperatively these patients showed a sharp reduction in basal and postprandial values. Plasma insulin levels, both basally and following the test meal, were very similar in the 15-20 month and the control group. Plasma GIP fasting level, meal-stimulated peak and integrated response in the obese group were higher than in control group. Due to the extreme variability among subjects in the obese group, the difference was significant only for the mean peak response. All values were greatly reduced after surgery. The mean fasting level in the 15-20 month group was very similar to that in the control group, and both peak and integrated responses were significantly lower than in the preoperative and control groups.

The correlation between state of preoperative immunity assessed by in vitro test and the onset of postoperative septic complications has been evaluated. 153 patients subjected to surgery of choice have been examined. Before the operation cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity tests with recall antigens (streptokinase-streptodornase, purified tuberculoprotein and candidine) were carried out. 111 patients were classed as immunologically normal (at least one positive test) and 42 were anergic (no positive test) Among the former, 12 cases (10.8%) showed post-surgical septic complications, while among the latter, fully 24 (57%) suffered from infectious processes. It is concluded that, although numerous factors make patients prone to infection during the postoperative course, immunitary conditions play a very important part. Prophylactic measures are therefore suggested for anergic patient prior to surgery, measures that are essentially represented by parenteral support feeding and immunostimulation.

A controlled study was mounted to assess the possible benefit of a single phlebo administration of 600 mg lincomycin 1 hr prior to colon surgery, in addition to the erythromycin + neomycin combination proposed by Nichols, as a means of constituting a further pharmacological barrier to the spread of anaerobic bacteria. The study currently comprises two groups of 15 patients fully comparable with regard to pathology distribution and randomly assigned to the E.N. and the E.N.L. protocol respectively. Six instances of septic complication have been observed, five in the group prepared with E.N. and 1 prepared with E.N.L. No significance can be attached to the different incidence of complications in the two arms of the study, owing to the small number of cases examined.

Bioelectric impedance was analysed before and after dialysis to assess the body composition of 36 patients suffering from chronic kidney failure in fair nutritional condition: resistance values were used to quantify total body water and reactance values as dimensional indices of the intracellular spaces and cell mass. Before dialysis, total body water was significantly higher than that of healthy subjects comparable for height, sex, age and weight, while it was not possible to obtain direct data on the dimensions of the cell mass. After dialysis, total body water values normalised and the dimensions of the intracellular spaces and cell mass became almost comparable to those of the controls: data analysis shows that during treatment, weight loss occurs almost exclusively in the extracellular compartments of the organism. Notwithstanding the fact that the absolute values are similar to those of the controls, body composition did not normalise as relationships between the dimensions of the various sectors remain altered.

The immune conditions of seriously obese patients have been studied by means of delayed hypersensitivity skin tests. A significant increase was observed in skin reactivity after inoculation of Streptokinase/Streptodornase and Candidine (p < 0.05). The pathogenetic hypotheses put forward to explain the phenomenon are discussed.