Functional responses and scope for growth of two non-indigenous bivalve species in the Sacca di Goro (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy).

A comparative study was carried out on the functional feeding behaviour of the infaunal Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, and the epifaunal Asian date mussel, Musculista senhousia, inhabiting the Sacca di Goro lagoon, in response to changing temperature and variable quantity of food. The rates of clearance (CR), ingestion (IR), absorption (AR), respiration (RR), and energy budget (scope for growth, SFG) were measured and compared. The two non-indigenous species show a similar trend for all parameters measured in the two seasons considered (late winter and summer). SFG followed a clear seasonal trend, reaching higher values in the warmer period (July) for M. senhousia and in the cooler period (March) for R. philippinarum. Probably, this seasonal divergence was a consequence of the two species’ different reproductive cycle

Renal involvement in chronic pancreatic disease: effects on trypsin and amylase plasma-urine transfer

This study was undertaken in order to ascertain the behaviour of amylase and trypsin fractional clearances in chronic pancreatic disease and to speculate on the factors involved. Renal tubular function was also assessed in these patients. An increase of both clearances was found in a number of patients with pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. Amylase urinary output seems to be mainly related to the circulating enzyme levels; urinary IRT is principally accounted for by a functional tubular impairment. Tubular damage was observed in a number of patients with chronic pancreatic disease. This was related to pancreatic inflammation in chronic pancreatitis and to several factors, among which jaundice and pancreatic damage, in pancreatic cancer

Urinary elastase 1 in chronic pancreatic disease

Serum and urine elastase 1, its renal output and clearance and urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase and ribonuclease excretions were measured in 16 patients with pancreatic cancer, 23 with chronic pancreatitis and in 22 healthy controls in order to evaluate elastase 1 plasma-urine transfer in chronic pancreatic disease and to investigate any factors that might influence the clearance of this enzyme. In an additional group of 17 patients with different pancreatic diseases the serum molecular size distribution of elastase 1 after chromatography was ascertained. An increased urinary elastase 1 output was found in 4/16 patients with pancreatic cancer and in 6/23 with chronic pancreatitis. No correlation was found between circulating elastase 1 and its urinary output; a negative correlation was detected between the serum levels of this enzyme and its clearance. The excretion of ribonuclease and gamma-glutamyltransferase was correlated with elastase 1 output and clearance. While the majority of elastase 1 in serum was accounted for by high molecular forms, probably the expression of complexes with serum inhibitors, free circulating enzyme was present in all patients with high serum elastase 1. Our findings suggest that elastase 1 urinary excretion increases in some patients with chronic pancreatic disease regardless of the neoplastic or inflammatory nature of the illness. Although the availability of different amounts of ultrafiltrable enzyme may play a role in influencing elastase 1 plasma-urine transfer, renal tubular damage appears to be the most important factor influencing the increase in the urinary output of elastase 1