Effect of dietary supplementation with rumen-protected amino acids, lysine and methionine, on the performance of Comisana ewes and on the growth of their lambs.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing the diets of Comisana ewes with rumen protected methionine and lysine (RP-ML) for a duration of 60 days on quantitative-qualitative production of milk, antioxidant parameters of milk and blood, biochemical parameters of blood, and lambs' growth performance. Two groups of 15 ewes with equal average body weight were considered for the trial. The control group was administered a standard diet (Control, C) and the experimental group the standard diet supplemented with 1.

The natural history of untreated X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus with mutation in the vasopressin V2 receptor gene.

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) results from the kidneys' inability to concentrate urine. We describe a 6-month-old male with a history of poor weight gain who presented with an incidental finding of hypernatremia (155 mEq/L) during an episode of acute gastroenteritis. The arginine vasopressin (AVP) test, along with molecular analysis revealing the M272R mutation in the AVP receptor 2 (AVPR2) gene, confirmed the diagnosis of congenital NDI.

Tandem upregulation of ion transporters in thick ascending limb of Henle's loop of young Milan hypertensive strain of rats.

Introduction: Milan hypertensive strain (MHS) of rat represents as one of the ideal rat models to study the genetic form of hypertension associated with aberrant renal salt reabsorption. In contrast to Milan normotensive strain (MNS), MHS rats possess missense mutations in three adducin genes and develop hypertension at 3 months old due to upregulation of sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC). At pre-hypertensive stage (23-25 days old), MHS rats show enhanced protein abundance of Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC2) but retain blood pressure comparable to MNS probably through enhanced GFR and reduced NCC and α-subunit of epithelial sodium channel (α-ENaC) expressed in distal convoluted tubule (DCT) and collecting duct (CD).

Focal adhesion kinase as a new player in the biology of onco-hematological diseases: the starting evidence.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase mainly found in the focal adhesion regions of the plasma membrane and it has a crucial role in migration and the remodeling of cellular morphology. FAK is also linked to several aspects of cancer biology, from cytokine production to angiogenesis, drug resistance, invasion, and metastasis, as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. The gene locus of FAK is frequently amplified in several human tumors, thus causing FAK overexpression in several cancers.

Rationale and Design of PURE: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate Peritoneal Ultrafiltration with PolyCore™ in Refractory Congestive Heart Failure.

Introduction: Peritoneal ultrafiltration (PUF) has been proposed as an additional therapeutic option for refractory congestive heart failure (RCHF) patients. Despite promising observational studies and/or case report results, limited clinical trial data exist, and so far, PUF solutions remain only indicated for chronic kidney diseases. In this article, we described a multicenter, randomized, controlled, unblinded, adaptive design clinical trial, about to start, investigating the effects of PolyCore™, an innovative PUF solution, in the treatment of RCHF patients.

The VLA-4 integrin is constitutively active in circulating chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells via BCR autonomous signaling: a novel anchor-independent mechanism exploiting soluble blood-borne ligands.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), survival of neoplastic cells depends on microenvironmental signals at lymphoid sites where the crosstalk between the integrin VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29), expressed in ~40% of CLL, and the B-cell receptor (BCR) occurs. Here, BCR engagement inside-out activates VLA-4, thus enhancing VLA-4-mediated adhesion of CLL cells, which in turn obtain pro-survival signals from the surrounding microenvironment. We report that the BCR is also able to effectively inside-out activate the VLA-4 integrin in circulating CD49d-expressing CLL cells through an autonomous antigen-independent BCR signaling.

Prevalence and determinants of failure to thrive in children with vesico-ureteral reflux.

Aim: To assess the prevalence and determinants of failure to thrive (FTT) among patients with vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) and evaluating the effects of supplementation on growth in patients with urinary solute losses.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 1277 patients with VUR (mean age at diagnosis = 6.5 months).

Effects of Rheopheresis in dialysis patients with peripheral artery disease and diabetic foot ulcers: A multicentric Italian study.

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) in hemodialysis (HD) patients has a significant social impact due to its prevalence, poor response to standard therapy and dismal prognosis. Rheopheresis is indicated by guidelines for PAD treatment.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five HD patients affected by PAD stage IV Lerichè-Fontaine and ischemic ulcer 1C or 2C according to the University of Texas Wound Classification System (UTWCS), without amelioration after traditional medical therapy and/or revascularization, were selected and underwent 12 Rheopheresis sessions in 10 weeks.

Genetic biomarkers of cognitive impairment and dementia of potential interest in CKD patients.

This review discusses genetic variants associated with cognitive dysfunction in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, emphasising the limited research in this area. Four studies have explored genetic markers of cognitive dysfunction in CKD, with findings suggesting shared genetic biomarkers between Alzheimer's Disease and CKD.Because of the limited specific research on genetic markers of cognitive dysfunction and dementia in CKD, we extracted data from the current literature studies on genetic markers in the general population that may be relevant to the CKD population.

Bone mineral density assessment in patients with cystinuria.

Background: Cystinuria is a rare genetic disease characterized by impaired tubular transport of cystine. Clinical features of cystinuria mainly include nephrolithiasis and its complications, although cystinuric patients may present with other comorbidities. There are currently no data on bone features of patients with cystinuria.

How receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 meets its partners in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in western societies, recognized by clinical and molecular heterogeneity. Despite the success of targeted therapies, acquired resistance remains a challenge for relapsed and refractory CLL, as a consequence of mutations in the target or the upregulation of other survival pathways leading to the progression of the disease. Research on proteins that can trigger such pathways may define novel therapies for a successful outcome in CLL such as the receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1).

Protein kinase CK2α is overexpressed in classical hodgkin lymphoma, regulates key signaling pathways, PD-L1 and may represent a new target for therapy.

Introduction: In classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), the survival of neoplastic cells is mediated by the activation of NF-κB, JAK/STAT and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. CK2 is a highly conserved serine/threonine kinase, consisting of two catalytic (α) and two regulatory (β) subunits, which is involved in several cellular processes and both subunits were found overexpressed in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

Methods And Results: Biochemical analyses and assays showed an impaired expression of CK2 subunits in cHL, with CK2α being overexpressed and a decreased expression of CK2β compared to normal B lymphocytes.

Cognitive decline related to chronic kidney disease as an exclusion factor from kidney transplantation: results from an international survey.

Background And Hypothesis: There seems to be a lack of consensus on the necessity and the modality of psychological and specifically cognitive assessment of candidates for kidney transplantation. Both points are often delegated to individual hospitals/centres, whereas international guidelines are inconsistent. We think it is essential to investigate professionals' opinions to advance towards a consistent clinical practice.

Efficacy of erythropoietin as a neuroprotective agent in CKD-associated cognitive dysfunction: A literature systematic review.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often experience mild cognitive impairment and other neurocognitive disorders. Studies have shown that erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor have neuroprotective effects in cell and animal models of nervous system disorders. Recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO), commonly used to treat anemia in CKD patients, could be a neuroprotective agent.

Direct evidence of plant consumption in Neolithic Eastern Sudan from dental calculus analysis.

The Neolithic communities of Eastern Sudan combined intensive pastoralism with plant exploitation as their main subsistence strategies. However, to date, it remains unclear which plant species were part of the human diet during the Neolithic. This contribution presents direct data on plant consumption in Eastern Sudan from the Early to Late Neolithic, obtained through the analysis of microdebris inclusions in the dental calculus of 37 individuals, integrated by dentoalveolar pathology analysis of 78 individuals, from the sites UA53 (4th millennium BCE) and Mahal Teglinos (3rd-2nd millennium BCE), located in the Gash Delta/Kassala region.

Fabry Disease in Women: Genetic Basis, Available Biomarkers, and Clinical Manifestations.

Fabry Disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the gene on the X chromosome, leading to a deficiency in α-galactosidase A (AGAL) enzyme activity. This leads to the accumulation of glycosphingolipids, primarily globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), in vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, and nervous system. While FD was initially considered predominantly affecting males, recent studies have uncovered that heterozygous Fabry women, carrying a single mutated gene, can manifest a wide array of clinical symptoms, challenging the notion of asymptomatic carriers.