Publications by authors named "Clarissa Pierucci"
Article Synopsis
- This study explores how the NLRP3 inflammasome influences changes in the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) linked to obesity, particularly focusing on interactions between enteric glia and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs).
- Mice on a high-fat diet exhibited weight gain, compromised IEB integrity, increased glial cells, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation; however, NLRP3-deficient mice had less weight gain and better IEB integrity.
- The findings suggest that the NLRP3 inflammasome in enteric glia could be a potential target for new drugs to improve IEB integrity in obesity-related conditions.
Background: Elevated levels of prokineticin-2 (PK2), regarded as a protein involved in modulating immune/inflammatory responses, have been detected in the substantia nigra, serum, and olfactory neurons of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Of note, emerging evidence suggests that gut alterations, including dysbiosis and enteric inflammation, play a role in PD via the gut-brain axis.
Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the expression of PK2 in colonic biopsies of PD patients.