Possible roles of phytochemicals with bioactive properties in the prevention of and recovery from COVID-19.

Introduction: There have been large geographical differences in the infection and death rates of COVID-19. Foods and beverages containing high amounts of phytochemicals with bioactive properties were suggested to prevent contracting and to facilitate recovery from COVID-19. The goal of our study was to determine the correlation of the type of foods/beverages people consumed and the risk reduction of contracting COVID-19 and the recovery from COVID-19.

Behavioral guidance for improving dental care in autistic spectrum disorders.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) impair many aspects of everyday life and may prevent access to dental care, often limiting it to emergencies. Impaired oral health has long-lasting negative consequences on health status and on the acquisition of oral habits (e.g.

Positive or negative environmental modulations on human brain development: the morpho-functional outcomes of music training or stress.

In the last couple of decades, the study of human living brain has benefitted of neuroimaging and non-invasive electrophysiological techniques, which are particularly valuable during development. A number of studies allowed to trace the usual stages leading from pregnancy to adult age, and relate them to functional and behavioral measurements. It was also possible to explore the effects of some interventions, behavioral or not, showing that the commonly followed pathway to adulthood may be steered by external interventions.

Estimation of cAMP binding in hippocampus CA1 field by a fluorescent probe.

The hippocampus is an allocortex structure involved in many complex processes, from memory formation to spatial navigation. It starts developing during prenatal life but acquires its adult functional properties around the peripubertal age, in both humans and mice. Such prolonged maturation is accompanied by structural changes in microcircuitry and functional changes involving biochemical and electrophysiological events.

Age-Related In Vivo Structural Changes in the Male Mouse Olfactory Bulb and Their Correlation with Olfactory-Driven Behavior.

Olfactory areas in mammalian brains are linked to centers that modulate behavior. During aging, sensitivity to odors decreases and structural changes are described in olfactory areas. We explored, in two groups of male mice (young and elderly, 6 and 19 months old, respectively), the link between the changes in olfactory bulb structure, detected with magnetic resonance imaging, and behavioral changes in a battery of tests on motor, olfactory, cognitive performance, and emotional reactivity.

Not Only COVID-19: Involvement of Multiple Chemosensory Systems in Human Diseases.

Chemosensory systems are deemed marginal in human pathology. In appraising their role, we aim at suggesting a paradigm shift based on the available clinical and experimental data that will be discussed. Taste and olfaction are polymodal sensory systems, providing inputs to many brain structures that regulate crucial visceral functions, including metabolism but also endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune systems.

Traditional and Medical Applications of Fasting.

Fasting has been practiced for millennia, for religious, ethical, or health reasons. It is also commonplace among different species, from humans, to animals, to lower eukaryotes. Research on fasting is gaining traction based on recent studies that show its role in many adaptive cellular responses such as the reduction of oxidative damage and inflammation, increase of energy metabolism, and in boosting cellular protection.

Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients Who Do Not Report Olfactory Symptoms: A Pilot Study with Some Suggestions for Dentists.

Background: Smell and taste dysfunction are frequently reported by SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. The degree of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction varies from a very mild reduction to their complete loss. Several studies have been performed to determine their prevalence in COVID-19 patients, mostly using subjective measurement methods.

Are Multiple Chemosensory Systems Accountable for COVID-19 Outcome?

Chemosensory systems (olfaction, taste, trigeminus nerve, solitary chemoreceptor cells, neuroendocrine pulmonary cells, and carotid body, etc.) detect molecules outside or inside our body and may share common molecular markers. In addition to the impairment of taste and olfaction, the detection of the internal chemical environment may also be incapacitated by COVID-19.

Assessing the extent and timing of chemosensory impairments during COVID-19 pandemic.

Chemosensory impairments have been established as a specific indicator of COVID-19. They affect most patients and may persist long past the resolution of respiratory symptoms, representing an unprecedented medical challenge. Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic started, we now know much more about smell, taste, and chemesthesis loss associated with COVID-19.

Cell Differentiation and Replication during Postnatal Development of the Murine First Molar.

Various signaling molecular pathways are involved in odontogenesis to promote cellular replication and differentiation. Tooth formation is controlled mainly by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. The aim of this work was to investigate how cellular replication and differentiation ensue during the formation of the murine first molar in postnatal ages until eruption, focusing on morphogenesis, odontoblast differentiation and cellular replication.

Targeting the Regulatory Subunit R2Alpha of Protein Kinase A in Human Glioblastoma through shRNA-Expressing Lentiviral Vectors.

Glioblastoma is the most malignant and most common form of brain tumor, still today associated with a poor 14-months median survival from diagnosis. Protein kinase A, particularly its regulatory subunit R2Alpha, presents a typical intracellular distribution in glioblastoma cells compared to the healthy brain parenchyma and this peculiarity might be exploited in a therapeutic setting. In the present study, a third-generation lentiviral system for delivery of shRNA targeting the regulatory subunit R2Alpha of protein kinase A was developed.

From loss to recovery: how to effectively assess chemosensory impairments during COVID-19 pandemic.

Chemosensory impairments have been established as a specific indicator of COVID-19. They affect most patients and may persist long past the resolution of respiratory symptoms, representing an unprecedented medical challenge. Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic started, we now know much more about smell, taste, and chemesthesis loss associated with COVID-19.

TaSCA, an Agile Survey on Chemosensory Impairments for Self-Monitoring of COVID-19 Patients: A Pilot Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, smell and taste disorders emerged as key non-respiratory symptoms. Due to widespread presence of the disease and to difficult objective testing of positive persons, the use of short surveys became mandatory. Most of the existing resources are focused on smell, very few on taste or trigeminal chemosensation called chemesthesis.

Differential effects of sodium chloride and monosodium glutamate on kidney of adult and aging mice.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used as flavour enhancer, with potential beneficial effects due to its nutritional value. Given the decline in kidney functions during aging, we investigated the impact of MSG voluntary intake on the kidney of male mice, aged 6 or 18 months. For 2 months, they freely consumed water (control group), sodium chloride (0.

Processing of intraspecific chemical signals in the rodent brain.

In the rodent brain, the central processing of ecologically relevant chemical stimuli involves many different areas located at various levels within the neuraxis: the main and accessory olfactory bulbs, some nuclei in the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and brainstem. These areas allow the integration of the chemosensory stimuli with other sensory information and the selection of the appropriate neurohormonal and behavioral response. This review is a brief introduction to the processing of intraspecific chemosensory stimuli beyond the secondary projection, focusing on the activity of the relevant amygdala and hypothalamic nuclei, namely the medial amygdala and ventromedial hypothalamus.

Gingival overgrowth induced by anticonvulsant drugs: A cross-sectional study on epileptic patients.

Objective: Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of gingival overgrowth (hyperplasia) and to determine whether active molecules affect the severity of overgrowth in a group of epileptic patients.

Background: The effects of phenytoin on oral health have been explored in different studies, yet little information is available on other antiepileptic drugs.

Methods: Data were collected from 213 subjects of both sexes, from 5 to 80 years.

A smaller olfactory bulb in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

Persons with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) present different phenotypes, including early neurodegeneration, which is prominent in the brain olfactory areas, and olfactory deficit. The use of in vivo techniques in animal models allows to characterize and follow up these slowly developing phenomena. We explored by means of magnetic resonance imaging the olfactory bulb of the Ts65Dn mouse, an established model of Down syndrome, searching for possible syndrome‑related changes.

Tumors of the Central Nervous System: An Update.

The brain may be affected by a variety of tumors of different grade, which originate from different cell types at distinct locations, thus impacting on the brain structure and function [...

Protein Kinase A Catalytic and Regulatory Subunits Interact Differently in Various Areas of Mouse Brain.

Protein kinase A (PKA) are tetramers of two catalytic and two regulatory subunits, docked at precise intracellular sites to provide localized phosphorylating activity, triggered by cAMP binding to regulatory subunits and subsequent dissociation of catalytic subunits. It is unclear whether in the brain PKA dissociated subunits may also be found. PKA catalytic subunit was examined in various mouse brain areas using immunofluorescence, equilibrium binding and western blot, to reveal its location in comparison to regulatory subunits type RI and RII.

A new sensitive and subunit-selective molecular tool for investigating protein kinase A in the brain.

Despite cellular complexity, a limited number of small molecules act as intracellular second messengers. Protein kinase A (PKA) is the main transducer of the information carried by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Recently, cellular imaging has achieved major technical advancements, although the search for more specific and sensitive low-molecular-weight probes to explore subcellular events involving second messengers is still in progress.

Protein Kinase A Distribution in Meningioma.

Deregulation of intracellular signal transduction pathways is a hallmark of cancer cells, clearly differentiating them from healthy cells. Differential intracellular distribution of the cAMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA) was previously detected in cell cultures and in vivo in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. Our goal is to extend this observation to meningioma, to explore possible differences among tumors of different origins and prospective outcomes.

Symmetry of dental agenesis in Down Syndrome children.

Background/purpose: Down syndrome (DS) may affect the mouth, influencing its function, feeding and hence overall health status. We aim at investigating the frequency and type of dental agenesis in a school-age DS sample, evaluating gender, laterality, upper or lower side, and mono- or bi-laterality.

Materials And Methods: Oral clinical and radiological exams were performed.

Lentiviral Vectors as Tools for the Study and Treatment of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) has the worst prognosis among brain tumors, hence basic biology, preclinical, and clinical studies are necessary to design effective strategies to defeat this disease. Gene transfer vectors derived from the most-studied lentivirus-the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1-have wide application in dissecting GBM specific features to identify potential therapeutic targets. Last-generation lentiviruses (LV), highly improved in safety profile and gene transfer capacity, are also largely employed as delivery systems of therapeutic molecules to be employed in gene therapy (GT) approaches.