Dynamic roles of neutrophil extracellular traps in cancer cell adhesion and activation of Notch 1-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in EGFR-driven lung cancer cells.

Introduction: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are complex structures released by activated neutrophils that may modulate different steps of the metastatic cascade. The aim of our study was to investigate how NETs can modulate the adhesion properties of cancer cells and whether cell exposure to NETs can activate the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program thus enhancing the migratory and invasive properties of tumor cells.

Materials And Methods: Different cancer cell lines were subjected to a solid-phase adhesion assay using NET-coated plates with or without the addition of antibodies against α5β1 or CCDC25 receptor.

Guardians and Mediators of Metastasis: Exploring T Lymphocytes, Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells, and Tumor-Associated Macrophages in the Breast Cancer Microenvironment.

Breast cancers (BCs) are solid tumors composed of heterogeneous tissues consisting of cancer cells and an ever-changing tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME includes, among other non-cancer cell types, immune cells influencing the immune context of cancer tissues. In particular, the cross talk of immune cells and their interactions with cancer cells dramatically influence BC dissemination, immunoediting, and the outcomes of cancer therapies.

ATM inhibition blocks glucose metabolism and amplifies the sensitivity of resistant lung cancer cell lines to oncogene driver inhibitors.

Background: ATM is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that in addition to its well-established role in DNA repair mechanisms is involved in a number of signaling pathways including regulation of oxidative stress response and metabolic diversion of glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway. Oncogene-driven tumorigenesis often implies the metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis which provides metabolic intermediates to sustain cell proliferation. The aim of our study is to elucidate the role of ATM in the regulation of glucose metabolism in oncogene-driven cancer cells and to test whether ATM may be a suitable target for anticancer therapy.

Infiltrating macrophages amplify doxorubicin-induced cardiac damage: role of catecholamines.

Background: The functional contribution of non-myocyte cardiac cells, such as inflammatory cells, in the setup of heart failure in response to doxorubicin (Dox) is recently becoming of growing interest.

Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the role of macrophages in cardiac damage elicited by Dox treatment.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with one intraperitoneal injection of Dox (20 mg/kg) and followed up for 5 days by cardiac ultrasounds (CUS), histological, and flow cytometry evaluations.

β3AR-Dependent Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Generation Limits Chronic Postischemic Heart Failure.

Background: Loss of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB (tropomyosin kinase receptor B) signaling accounts for brain and cardiac disorders. In neurons, β-adrenergic receptor stimulation enhances local BDNF expression. It is unclear if this occurs in a pathophysiological relevant manner in the heart, especially in the β-adrenergic receptor-desensitized postischemic myocardium.

Use of Natural Agents and Agrifood Wastes for the Treatment of Skin Photoaging.

Photoaging is the premature aging of the skin caused by repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The harmful effects of UV rays-from the sun or from artificial sources-alter normal skin structures and cause visible damage, especially in the most exposed areas. Fighting premature aging is one of the most important challenges of the medical landscape.

Exploring patient experience and satisfaction with depot buprenorphine formulations: A mixed-methods study.

Introduction: The introduction of depot buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence allows for reduced dosing frequency compared with conventional treatments, such as oral methadone and sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone. Reduced dosing frequency is perceived to reduce issues such as high out-of-pocket costs, frequent attendance to pharmacies, stigmatisation and the risk of diversion for unsanctioned opioid use. This study aims to explore the experiences of patients receiving depot buprenorphine from an Australian publicly operated drug and alcohol service.

Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Kinases in the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Pineal Gland: An Overview.

We review the literature on the little-known roles of specific CaMKs in regulating endocrine functions of the pineal gland, the pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus. Melatonin activates hippocampal CaMKII, which then influences dendritogenesis. In the pituitary gland, the signal pathways activated by the CaMK in lower vertebrates, such as fishes, differ from those of mammals.

What molecular imaging of cancer patients can teach us about COVID-19.

COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on health systems and cancer care worldwide. Patients with cancer who develop COVID-19 are at high risk of severe outcomes and clarifying the determinants of such vulnerability of cancer patients would be of great clinical benefit. While the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been elucidated, the pathogenetic pathways leading to severe manifestations of the disease are largely unknown.

Female parental consanguinity is associated with a reduced ovarian reserve.

Research Question: Is parental consanguinity associated with a reduced ovarian reserve in women from the Arabian Peninsula, comparing anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC)?

Design: Retrospective large-scale observational study including 2482 women from the Arabian Peninsula, aged 19-49 years, who had their serum AMH and AFC measured as part of their fertility assessment, from May 2015 to November 2019. Consanguinity was defined as women whose parents were first-degree or second-degree cousins. Serum AMH was measured for all participants.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases can regulate the TSH expression in the rat pituitary.

Purpose: The endocrine secretion of TSH is a finely orchestrated process controlled by the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Its homeostasis and signaling rely on many calcium-binding proteins belonging to the "EF-hand" protein family. The Ca/calmodulin (CaM) complex is associated with Ca/CaM-dependent kinases (Ca/CaMK).

Copper/Zinc Superoxide Dismutase in Human Skin: Current Knowledge.

Superoxide dismutase is widespread in the human body, including skin and its appendages. Here, we focus on human skin copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, the enzyme that protects skin and its appendages against reactive oxygen species. Human skin copper/zinc superoxide dismutase resides in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes, where up to 90% of cellular reactive oxygen species is produced.

Copper/Zinc-Superoxide Dismutase in Human Epidermis: An Immunochemical Study.

The localization of copper and zinc-superoxide dismutase in normal and neoplastic human skin was examined with immunochemical techniques. Skin samples were taken from males and females of different ages, UV exposed and non-exposed areas and basal-/spino-cellular carcinomas. The enzyme was localized diffusely in the cytoplasm and was also found in the nuclei of epidermal cells, endothelial cells and other dermis cell types.

Calretinin Immunoreactivity in the Human Testis Throughout Fetal Life.

The main functions of the testis are sex hormone and sperm cell production. Steroidogenesis occurs in the Leydig interstitial cells and spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubules. Male gonad morphogenesis is a finely orchestrated process, mainly coordinated by hormones, whose actions can significantly affect post-pubertal testicular function.

Analysis of calretinin early expression in the rat hippocampus after beta amyloid (1-42) peptide injection.

It has already been reported that cannabinoids are neuroprotective agents against excitotoxicity in vitro and increase after acute brain damage in vivo. This background prompted us to study the localization and expression of the calcium -binding protein calretinin in a condition similar to Alzheimer disease and its possible relationship with cannabinoids and their supposed protective role. We carried out quantitative analysis of the transient changes in calretinin expression shown by hybridochemistry within neuronal cell populations in the hippocampus of a beta amyloid-treated rat model of Alzheimer's disease and their correlation with endocannabinoid increase.

Genome-wide methylation and gene expression changes in newborn rats following maternal protein restriction and reversal by folic acid.

A large body of evidence from human and animal studies demonstrates that the maternal diet during pregnancy can programme physiological and metabolic functions in the developing fetus, effectively determining susceptibility to later disease. The mechanistic basis of such programming is unclear but may involve resetting of epigenetic marks and fetal gene expression. The aim of this study was to evaluate genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression in the livers of newborn rats exposed to maternal protein restriction.

Outcomes of digital zone IV and V and thumb zone TI to TIV extensor tendon repairs using a running interlocking horizontal mattress technique.

Purpose: Biomechanical evidence has demonstrated that the running interlocking horizontal mattress (RIHM) repair for extensor tendon lacerations is significantly stronger, with higher ultimate load to failure and less tendon shortening compared with other techniques. We investigated the efficacy and safety of primary extensor tendon repair using the RIHM repair technique in the fingers followed by the immediate controlled active motion protocol, and in the thumb followed by a dynamic extension protocol.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients undergoing extensor tendon repair from August 2009 to April 2012 by single surgeon in an academic hand surgery practice.