Proteomic changes in Actinidia chinensis shoot during systemic infection with a pandemic Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae strain.

A pandemic, very aggressive population of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is currently causing severe economic losses to kiwifruit crops worldwide. Upon leaf attack, this Gram-negative bacterium systemically reaches the plant shoot in a week period.

Pacemakers in the upper urinary tract.

Background: Pacemakers in upper urinary tract (UUT) are still under study.

Aim: We reviewed the role of some cells that seem to be involved in the propulsion of urinary bolus from UUT to the bladder.

Materials & Methods: We focuses on evaluating studies on the mechanisms by which the UUT propels urine to the bladder via pacemaker cells.

Active PI3K pathway causes an invasive phenotype which can be reversed or promoted by blocking the pathway at divergent nodes.

The PTEN/PI3K pathway is commonly mutated in cancer and therefore represents an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. To investigate the primary phenotypes mediated by increased pathway signaling in a clean, patient-relevant context, an activating PIK3CA mutation (H1047R) was knocked-in to an endogenous allele of the MCF10A non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cell line. Introduction of an endogenously mutated PIK3CA allele resulted in a marked epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasive phenotype, compared to isogenic wild-type cells.

Effects of flavocoxid, a dual inhibitor of COX and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes, on benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Background And Purpose: Inflammation plays a key role in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Eicosanoids derived from the COX and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) pathways are elevated in the enlarging prostate. Flavocoxid is a novel flavonoid-based 'dual inhibitor' of the COX and 5-LOX enzymes.

Early metabolic, functional and histological changes in a rat ileal-augmented bladder model.

Objective: An animal model of female Wistar species of rats was developed to study the early effects of ileocystoplasty.

Materials And Methods: Bladder augmentation using ileum and a sham operation (cistostomy) were performed in 14 and 6 female Wistar rats, rispectively. Urine was obtained for culture and urinalysis in all rats at the time of operation and at the time of the sacrifice.

Long-term follow-up of neonatally diagnosed primary megaureter: rate and predictors of spontaneous resolution.

Objective: Primary megaureter (PM) represents 6-10% of all antenatal displaced urinary malformations. Spontaneous resolution of PM is a well-known event. This long-term follow-up study evaluated the incidence and rate of resolution of PM.

Relationship between the size of the bladder template and the subsequent bladder capacity in bladder exstrophy.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the size of the bladder template in infants born with bladder exstrophy and the subsequent bladder capacity at the age of 1 and 5 years.

Materials And Methods: Infants with bladder exstrophy were photographed at birth, and 2 parallel lines were drawn transversally on the photograph across the anterior-superior iliac spines and on the bladder template. The ratio between the 2 lines was calculated, and the bladder templates categorized as (a) small (≥ 4), (b) medium (3-4), and (c) large (<3).

Anterior urethral valves in the fossa navicularis in a newborn: report of a case and review of the literature.

Anterior urethral valves in the fossa navicularis is an exceptionally uncommon causes of lower urinary tract obstruction in newborn. The authors report a case of anterior urethral valves in thefossa navicularis in an 5 days-old boy, that observation of the voided stream revealed a filiform micturition and marked ballooing of the penile urethra. The meatus was located normally and of normal calibre.

Polydeoxyribonucleotide administration improves the intra-testicular vascularization in rat experimental varicocele.

Objective: To study the effect of PDRN on angiogenesis in a model of varicocele in rats.

Design: After the creation of experimental varicocele, rats were randomized to one of the four treatments: vehicle, PDRN, DMPX, and PDRN plus DMPX. Twenty-one days after randomization, all animals were euthanized and the left testis was harvested.

Mutation of a single allele of the cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 leads to genomic instability in human breast epithelial cells.

Biallelic inactivation of cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 leads to breast and ovarian carcinogenesis. Paradoxically, BRCA1 deficiency in mice results in early embryonic lethality, and similarly, lack of BRCA1 in human cells is thought to result in cellular lethality in view of BRCA1's essential function. To survive homozygous BRCA1 inactivation during tumorigenesis, precancerous cells must accumulate additional genetic alterations, such as p53 mutations, but this requirement for an extra genetic "hit" contradicts the two-hit theory for the accelerated carcinogenesis associated with familial cancer syndromes.

Cervical ripening prior to hysteroscopy: is the application of misoprostol useful?

Cervical dilatation has to be considered a fundamental step in operative hysteroscopy. Different methods are used to facilitate cervical dilatation. The aim of this review is to evaluate the efficacy of Misoprostol in cervical ripening prior to operative hysteroscopy through the evaluation of published studies.

The combination of Serenoa repens, selenium and lycopene is more effective than serenoa repens alone to prevent hormone dependent prostatic growth.

Purpose: Serenoa repens is frequently combined with other natural compounds, such as the carotenoid lycopene and the essential trace element Se, to increase its therapeutic activity in benign prostatic hyperplasia. We noted that the lycopene-Se-Serenoa repens combination has greater, enhanced anti-inflammatory activity, which might be of particular interest for benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment. Testosterone administration in rats is a suitable tool for investigating hormone dependent benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Melanocortin 4 receptor activation protects against testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury by triggering the cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway.

Melanocortins (MC) trigger a vagus nerve-mediated cholinergic-antiinflammatory pathway projecting to the testis. We tested whether pharmacological activation of brain MC receptors might protect the testis from the damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion. Adult male rats were subjected to 1-h testicular ischemia, followed by 24-h reperfusion [testicular ischemia-reperfusion (TI/R)].

One-trocar-assisted pyeloplasty.

Purpose: One-trocar-assisted pyeloplasty (OTAP) is a recent, not yet well-known surgical technique for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction, described for the first time by El Gohary in 2004. The first step of this procedure is to identify the pyeloureteral junction (PUJ) through a laparoscopic approach using one trocar, and the pelvic-ureteric anastomosis is carried out in "open" surgery. We present our experience with OTAP, an innovative technique in pediatric surgery.

Ileocystoplasty in rats: metabolic, renal and enteropatch changes in a mid- and long-term follow-up.

Introduction: Bladder augmentation predisposes humans to many metabolic, renal and enteropatch changes. Our aim was to evaluate in a rat model of ileocystoplasty mid- and long-term urinary, metabolic, renal and graft changes.

Materials And Methods: We performed an ileocystoplasty and a sham operation in 30 rats.

Effects of polydeoxyribonucleotide on the histological damage and the altered spermatogenesis induced by testicular ischaemia and reperfusion in rats.

The effects of polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), an agonist of the A2A adenosine receptors which when activated positively influences sperm activity, were tested in an experimental testicular ischaemia/reperfusion injury model. Anaesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to testicular torsion-induced ischaemia, followed by reperfusion (TI/R). Immediately after detorsion, randomized animals, including SHAM, received intraperitoneal injections of: (i) vehicle (1 mL/kg 0.

Surfome analysis of a wild-type wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, besides being an eukaryotic cell model, plays a fundamental role in the production of fermented foods. In the winemaking industry, yeast cell walls may be involved in numerous processes and contribute substantially to the final chemical and sensorial profiles of wines. Nonetheless, apart from mannoproteins, little is known on the protein components of the yeast cell wall and their changes during the fermentation of must into wine.

Response to biotic and oxidative stress in Arabidopsis thaliana: analysis of variably phosphorylated proteins.

Protein phosphorylation plays a pivotal role in the regulation of many cellular events; increasing evidences indicate that this post-translational modification is involved in plant response to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Since phosphorylated proteins may be present at low abundance, enrichment methods are generally required for their analysis. We here describe the quantitative changes of phosphoproteins present in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves after challenging with elicitors or treatments mimicking biotic stresses, which stimulate basal resistance responses, or oxidative stress.

Altered cytoskeletal structure of smooth muscle cells in ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Purpose: Ureteropelvic junction obstruction is one of the most common causes of hydronephrosis in children. A malfunction of smooth muscle cells is believed to be the underlying mechanism causing obstruction. We investigated the expression of some integrins, talin and β-dystroglycan, considered the main compound of smooth muscle cell cytoskeleton, and active caspase 3 at the level of the ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Mapping phosphoproteins in Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A.

To investigate the phosphorylation capability of serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis (MenA) and to implement our knowledge in meningococcal biology and in bacterial post-translational modifications, cell extracts were separated by 2-DE and 51 novel phosphoproteins were revealed by the use of the highly specific Ser/Thr/Tyr-phosphorylated proteins staining by Pro-Q Diamond and identified by MALDI-ToF/MS. Our results indicate that phosphorylation in MenA is comparable to that of other bacterial species. A first functional characterization of the identified modified proteins was also given, in order to understand their role in meningococcal physiopathology.

[Prevention of postoperative abdominal adhesions in gynecological surgery. Consensus paper of an Italian gynecologists' task force on adhesions].

Adhesions are the most frequent complication of abdominopelvic surgery, causing important short- and long-term problems, including infertility, chronic pelvic pain and a lifetime risk of small bowel obstruction. They also complicate future surgery with considerable morbidity and expense, and an important mortality risk. They pose serious quality of life issues for many patients with associated social and healthcare costs.

Redox proteomics of fat globules unveils broad protein lactosylation and compositional changes in milk samples subjected to various technological procedures.

The Maillard reaction between lactose and proteins occurs during thermal treatment of milk and lactosylated β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin and caseins have widely been used to monitor the quality of dairy products. We recently demonstrated that a number of other whey milk proteins essential for nutrient delivery, defense against bacteria/virus and cellular proliferation become lactosylated during milk processing. The extent of their modification is associated with the harshness of product manufacturing.

Aquaporin-9 immunohistochemistry in varicocele testes as a consequence of hypoxia in the sperm production site.

Aquaporin-9 (AQP-9) regulates tissue hydration by promoting transmembrane exchanges of both water and solutes, such as lactate. The latter is a key metabolite of primary spermatocytes and of maturing haploid germ cells (h-GCs). The present investigation was aimed at immunolocalising human AQP-9 in both normal and varicocele testes.