Search

M Guida,1 D Maffucci,1 G Iannuzzi,1 M Giordano,1 G Luciano,1 L Di Benedetto,2 R Cantarella,3 A Rescigno,3 L Giugliano1 1Università degli studi di Salerno – Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, Salerno, Italy; 2Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza” – Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Chirurgiche e di Medicina Traslazionale – Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia Azienda Ospedaliera Sant’ Andrea, Rome, Italy; 3Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D’Aragona, Salerno, Italy Objective: This paper reports on a rare case of pregnancy after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Debate exists about persistence of fertility in women after UAE. Adverse effects of this technique can modify both uterine echostructure, inducing necrosis and infarction, endometrial atrophy and uterine artery rupture, and ovarian reserve, causing persistent amenorrhea. Ovarian reserve appears to be affected by UAE in premenopausal women. However, younger ovaries (according to biological ovarian age) exhibit a greater capacity for recovery after ovarian damage. Therefore, larger studies are needed for more conclusive results. Case report: A 28-year-old woman was admitted to our department due to life-threatening uterine bleeding, resulting in tachycardia, pallor, and sweating. The patient came with a history of two spontaneous miscarriages. After sonography and computed tomography, AVMs were identified at uterine fundus and anterior wall. Conclusion: The pathogenesis of infertility after UAE is not yet known. The peculiarity of this case was that, only few months later, the patient became pregnant and gave birth to a live fetus at 37 weeks with cesarean delivery. Keywords: uterine artery embolization, fertility, uterine arteriovenous malformation, pregnancy, angiography

M Guida,1 D Maffucci,1 G Iannuzzi,1 M Giordano,1 G Luciano,1 L Di Benedetto,2 R Cantarella,3 A Rescigno,3 L Giugliano1 1Università degli studi di Salerno – Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria “Scuola Medica Salernitana”, Salerno, Italy; 2Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza” – Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Chirurgiche e di Medicina Traslazionale – Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia Azienda Ospedaliera Sant’ Andrea, Rome, Italy; 3Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D’Aragona, Salerno, Italy Objective: This paper reports on a rare case of pregnancy after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Debate exists about persistence of fertility in women after UAE. Adverse effects of this technique can modify both uterine echostructure, inducing necrosis and infarction, endometrial atrophy and uterine artery rupture, and ovarian reserve, causing persistent amenorrhea. Ovarian reserve appears to be affected by UAE in premenopausal women. However, younger ovaries (according to biological ovarian age) exhibit a greater capacity for recovery after ovarian damage. Therefore, larger studies are needed for more conclusive results. Case report: A 28-year-old woman was admitted to our department due to life-threatening uterine bleeding, resulting in tachycardia, pallor, and sweating. The patient came with a history of two spontaneous miscarriages. After sonography and computed tomography, AVMs were identified at uterine fundus and anterior wall. Conclusion: The pathogenesis of infertility after UAE is not yet known. The peculiarity of this case was that, only few months later, the patient became pregnant and gave birth to a live fetus at 37 weeks with cesarean delivery. Keywords: uterine artery embolization, fertility, uterine arteriovenous malformation, pregnancy, angiography

o-Aminophenols have been long recognised as tyrosinase substrates. However their exact mode of interaction with the enzyme's active site is unclear. Properly vic-substituted o-aminophenols could help gain some insight into tyrosinase catalytic mechanism. Methods: Eight vic-substituted o-aminophenols belonging to two isomeric series were systematically evaluated as tyrosinase substrates and/or activators and/or inhibitors, by means of spectrophotometric techniques and HPLC-MS analysis. Some relevant kinetic parameters have also been obtained. Results: Four o-aminophenolic compounds derived from 3-hydroxyorthanilic acid (2-amino-3-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid) and their four counterparts derived from the isomeric 2-hydroxymetanilic acid (3-amino-2- hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid) were synthesised and tested as putative substrates for mushroom tyrosinase. While the hydroxyorthanilic derivatives were quite inactive as both substrates and inhibitors, the hydroxymetanilic compounds on the contrary all acted as substrates for the enzyme, which oxidised them to the corresponding phenoxazinone derivatives. General significance: Based on the available structures of the active sites of tyrosinases, the different affinities of the fourmetanilic derivatives for the enzyme, and their oxidation rates,we propose a new hypothesis regarding the interaction between o-aminophenols and the active site of tyrosinase that is in agreement with the obtained experimental results.

Laccases are members of the blue copper oxidases family found in nature. They commonly oxidise a wide range of phenol and aniline derivatives, which in turn are involved in oxidative coupling reactions. Yet, laccases remain rarely described as biocatalysts in organic synthesis. This paper describes the chemical preparation of original sulfonated aminophenol substrates and their enzyme-mediated dimerisation into phenoxazine chromophores that feature tuneable water solubility as a function of the sulfonyl substituent. The scope and limitations of the biocatalysed synthetic process are outlined. Kinetic data were collected to evaluate the influence of physicochemical parameters. The structure of the novel phenoxazine dyes ("head-to-head" or "head-to-tail" dimer) was assessed by NMR spectroscopic analysis. Two crystalline compounds were analysed by X-ray diffraction. Such laccase-mediated synthesis (a green chemistry process) was proven to be more efficient than the chemical oxidation of o-aminophenols with silver oxide.