Effects of structured home-based exercise training on circulating endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial function in patients with intermittent claudication.

Introduction: Exercise training improves walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication (IC). Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), endothelial microparticles (EMPs), and endothelial dysfunction could play a role in this process.

Methods: We measured EPCs and EMPs in a group of 60 patients with IC, and in a control group of 20 individuals without IC, before a treadmill test and 2, 24, and 48 hours after the test.

Very Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet for the Treatment of Severe Obesity and Associated Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Role of Sex Differences.

Very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKDs) are an emerging nutritional treatment for severe obesity and are associated with a significant improvement in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Little is known about the effect of sex differences on weight loss induced by following a VLCKD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex differences on weight loss and NAFLD improvement in patients with severe obesity undergoing a VLCKD.

Hematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for 5 Adult Hunting Dog Breeds Using a Blood Donor Database.

Numerous studies have shown the importance of breed-related differences between hematological and biochemical results in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study is to determine hematologic and biochemical Reference Intervals (RIs) for 5 hunting dog breeds from a blood donor database, adopting an indirect sampling method, and to compare them with laboratory established and published RIs to identify possible breed and attitude-related differences. The study analyzed the blood parameters of 445 adults (222 females and 223 male, with age ranging from 2 to 8 years, mean age 5.

Chemerin predicts carotid intima-media thickening in severe obesity.

Background And Aims: Chemerin is an adipokine with an emerging role in the crosstalk between adipose tissue and immune system. It is overexpressed in severe obesity, affects adipogenesis and glucose homeostasis and it correlates with early vascular damage. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between circulating levels of chemerin and early vascular damage in subjects with severe obesity, before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

Increased plasmatic NETs by-products in patients in severe obesity.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are DNAs products involved in immune process. Obesity through a low-grade chronic inflammation determines neutrophil activation, but it is still unclear its role in NETs formation. Here we analyzed the NETs levels in healthy and morbid obese, their association with anthropometric and glyco-metabolic parameters and their changes after bariatric surgery.