Association Between Motor and Cognitive Performances in Elderly With Atrial Fibrillation: Strat-AF Study.

Growing evidence suggests a close relationship between motor and cognitive abilities, but possible common underlying mechanisms are not well-established. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with reduced physical performance and increased risk of cognitive decline. The study aimed to assess in a cohort of elderly AF patients: (1) the association between motor and cognitive performances, and (2) the influence and potential mediating role of cerebral lesions burden.

Interindividual variability in the expression of surfactant protein A and B in the human lung during development.

The surfactant complex, thanks to its multiple actions including decrease of surface- tension and antimicrobial activity, plays a fundamental role in newborn survival, lowering the risk of respiratory distress syndrome. The aim of this work was to determine if the synthesis of two surfactant proteins (SP), SPA and pro-SPB, shows some inter-individual variability during lung development in the intrauterine life. Immunoreactivity for SPA and pro-SPB was investigated in the lungs of  40 subjects, including 15 fetuses, ranging from 14 to 22 weeks of gestation, and 25 neonates, from 24 to 41 weeks.

The triple-I (interactive, intersectorial, interdisciplinary) approach to validate "omics" investigations on body fluids and tissues in perinatal medicine.

Proteomics and metabolomics are emerging in recent years as one of the most challenging topics in neonatology. They are characterized by a large amount of data that reflect the complexity of all biological systems more accurately than traditional methods utilized in clinical chemistry. In this review paper we present the modifications of the salivary proteome, which represents an easy and non-invasive method that offers the opportunity to investigate changes in the metabolism of preterm infants and in pediatric patients.

A novel pathway for formation of thiol metabolites and cysteine conjugates from cysteine conjugate sulphoxides.

p-Bromothiophenol and S-(p-bromophenyl)-L-cysteine were formed enzymatically from S-(p-bromophenyl)-L-cysteine sulphoxide in the in vitro systems with isolated rat hepatocytes or purified cysteine conjugate beta-lyases. Isotope dilution study with non-radiolabelled carrier of each product suggested the initial liberation of the thiol and subsequent formation of the cysteine conjugate. C-S bond cleavage pathway to liberate sulphenic acid and thiol are postulated to play an important role in in vivo generation of toxic intermediates and products from cysteine conjugates.

Purification and characterization of 3-mercaptolactic acid S-conjugate oxidases.

Two enzymes catalysing the oxidative formation of 3-mercaptopyruvic acid S-conjugates from L-3-mercaptolactic acid S-conjugates were purified to apparent homogeneity from rat liver cytosol. The two enzymes, tentatively designated MLO-I and MLO-II, showed a molecular mass of 160 and 250 kDa and were composed of four and six subunits of 41 and 39 kDa, respectively. Both enzymes possessed flavin mononucleotide as prosthetic group and oxidized several aromatic and aliphatic S-substituted L-3-mercaptolactic acids as well as alpha-hydroxy acids such as L-3-phenyllactic acid and L-2-hydroxyisocaproic acid.