Evidence for the systemic diffusion of (2-chloroethyl)-ethyl-sulfide, a sulfur mustard analog, and its deleterious effects in brain.

Sulfur mustard, a chemical warfare agent known to be a vesicant of skin, readily diffuses in the blood stream and reaches internal organs. In the present study, we used the analog (2-chloroethyl)-ethyl-sulfide (CEES) to provide novel data on the systemic diffusion of vesicants and on their ability to induce brain damage, which result in neurological disorders. SKH-1 hairless mice were topically exposed to CEES and sacrificed at different time until 14 days after exposure.

Thyroid tumor cells-fibroblasts crosstalk: role of extracellular vesicles.

Tumor-stroma crosstalk leads to a tumor-promoting microenvironment. In this milieu, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are protagonists in cell-cell communication. Despite thyroid cancer being the most common endocrine malignancy, the contribution of the tumor microenvironment to thyroid cancer progression is still largely underexplored.

Tumor-stroma interaction increases CD147 expression in neoplastic B lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) microenvironment plays a critical role in disease pathogenesis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in CLL-B cell migration and survival. CD147 is associated with MMPs production by tumor and stromal cells.

Differential expression of Low density lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 (LRP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in prostate gland: From normal to malignant lesions.

Background: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are relevant modulators of inflammation, tumor microenvironment, cancer invasion and metastasis. They can be regulated by the Low density lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 (LRP-1), a receptor reported to mediate the clearance of lipoproteins, extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules and proteinases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of LRP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 across various grades of prostatic diseases as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), BPH plus prostatitis (BPH+P), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and prostate cancer (PCa).

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as regulators of tumor-host interaction in a spontaneous metastasis model in rats.

EMMPRIN has a role in invasion and metastasis through the induction of MMPs and the consequent modulation of cell-substrate and cell-cell adhesion processes. The present study evaluates the expression of EMMPRIN protein and MMP-2/9 activity in tumor and parenchymal cells in a spontaneous metastasis model in rats. Moreover, we explore the regulation of EMMPRIN and MMP-9 by tumor-epithelial cell interactions in vitro.

A prototype of a quasi-monochromatic system for mammography applications.

Improvement in image contrast and dose reduction, in mammographic x-ray imaging, can be achieved using narrow energy band x-ray beams in the 16-24 keV range. As part of an Italian Government funded project, a quasi-monochromatic system for mammography applications has been developed. The system is based on a tunable narrow energy band x-ray source operating in the 16-24 keV energy range.

Decreased expression of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1) in rats with prostate cancer.

The aim of this work was to evaluate by immunohistochemistry (IHC) the expression of both LRP-1 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) at different developmental stages of rat prostate disease by using a prostate cancer model previously developed in our laboratory. We found that LRP-1 was weakly expressed in normal prostates and in rats with hyperplastic glands. The expression of this receptor increased and correlated with the degree of premalignant lesions (PIN I, II, and III).

Prostate cancer induction in autoimmune rats and modulation of T cell apoptosis.

In this study we present an experimental model of prostate gland cancer induced by long term hormonal treatment with testosterone in combination with a chemical carcinogenic agent in male Wistar rats with autoimmune prostatitis (AIP). This system is particularly attractive in order to study the factors involved in the transition from a non-invasive to an invasive carcinoma, decisive in the risk of human cancer. At first, autoimmune prostatitis was induced by immunization in 3 months-old male Wistar rats with autologous accessory glands.

Comparative in-vitro activity of levofloxacin against isolates of bacteria from adult patients with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections.

This study was conducted to evaluate the activity of levofloxacin in comparison with a range of antibacterial agents against recent isolates obtained consecutively from patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) during the period 1995 to 1996. Susceptibility testing was carried out by either microdilution or the Etest, and interpreted according to NCCLS breakpoints. The activity of levofloxacin was compared with that of amoxycillin, amoxycillin-clavulanate, cefuroxime, cefixime, erythromycin, roxithromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin.