Bioreactor Platform for Biomimetic Culture and Monitoring of the Mechanical Response of Engineered Models of Cardiac Tissue.

In the past two decades, relevant advances have been made in the generation of engineered cardiac constructs to be used as functional models for cardiac research or drug testing, and with the ultimate but still challenging goal of repairing the damaged myocardium. To support cardiac tissue generation and maturation , the application of biomimetic physical stimuli within dedicated bioreactors is crucial. In particular, cardiac-like mechanical stimulation has been demonstrated to promote development and maturation of cardiac tissue models.

Application of 3D Printing Technology for Design and Manufacturing of Customized Components for a Mechanical Stretching Bioreactor.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing represents a key technology for rapid prototyping, allowing easy, rapid, and low-cost fabrication. In this work, 3D printing was applied for the in-house production of customized components of a mechanical stretching bioreactor with potential application for cardiac tissue engineering and mechanobiology studies. The culture chamber housing and the motor housing were developed as functional permanent parts, aimed at fixing the culture chamber position and at guaranteeing motor watertightness, respectively.

Low-molecular weight compounds in human seminal plasma as potential biomarkers of male infertility.

Study Question: Is the determination of antioxidants, oxidative/nitrosative stress-related compounds, purines, pyrimidines and energy-related metabolites in human seminal plasma of utility to evidence biomarkers related to male infertility?

Summary Answer: The determination of 26 metabolites in seminal plasma allowed to evidence that 21/26 of them are biomarkers of male infertility, as well as to calculate a cumulative index, named Biomarker Score, that fully discriminates fertile controls from infertile patients and partially differentiates infertile without from infertile with spermiogram anomalies.

What Is Known Already: Epidemiological studies indicated that a male factor is involved in ~50% of cases of pregnancy failure, with a significant percentage of infertile males having no alterations in the spermiogram. Further laboratory analyses of male infertility are mainly dedicated only to gross evaluations of oxidative stress or total antioxidant capacity.

The combined role of sinuses of Valsalva and flow pulsatility improves energy loss of the aortic valve.

Objectives: Normal aortic valve opening and closing movement is a complex mechanism mainly regulated by the blood flow characteristics and the cyclic modifications of the aortic root. Our previous in vitro observations demonstrated that the presence of the Valsalva sinuses, independently from root compliance, is important in reducing systolic pressure drop across the aortic valve. This in vitro study was designed to ascertain if this effect is dependent on the flow characteristics.

Antiretroviral therapeutic drug monitoring in HIV-infected pregnant women: maternal immunovirological outcome at delivery and during the 18 month follow-up period.

No data are available on the long-term immunovirological outcome of HIV-positive pregnant women experiencing sub-therapeutic antiretroviral drug (ARV) concentrations during pregnancy. The objective of our study was to assess the long-term virological outcome in pregnant women treated with HAART. A prospective, multi-center study enrolled 60 HIV-infected pregnant women stratified into 3 groups according to the response to HAART.

Role of the sinuses of Valsalva on the opening of the aortic valve.

Objective: The present in vitro study was designed to ascertain whether the presence of sinuses of Valsalva in the aortic root were able to regulate the valve effective orifice area and modulate the gradient across the valve independently from root compliance.

Methods: Four different root configurations were prepared. Of the 4, 2 were silicon configurations with the same compliance, 1 with and 1 without sinuses of Valsalva, in which a 25-mm Solo stentless aortic valve was sutured inside.

Role and predictive strength of transglutaminase type 2 expression in premalignant lesions of the cervix.

The demonstration that type 2 transglutaminase (TG2) can incorporate polyamine into the E7 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 has led to the hypothesis that TG2 can have a role in the host cellular response to HPV infection. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HPV-related pathology, in infected human cervical epithelium, was associated with modulation of TG2 expression. Normal controls and HPV-infected cervical biopsies were analyzed for the expression of TG2, and the findings were compared with lesion grade.

Transplacental transfer of antiretroviral drugs and newborn birth weight in HIV-infected pregnant women.

Although it is well known that antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) across the placenta in different extents, few data are available concerning the impact of the transplacental passage of ARVs on newborn outcome. The aim of this study is to evaluate the transplacental diffusion of ARVs and the clinical assessment of the newborn. Mother and cord lopinavir, nelfinavir, atazanavir and nevirapine plasma levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Lipid-rich histology in a basal-type immuno-profile breast carcinoma: a clinicopathological histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of a case.

We describe the clinicopathological and morphological features of an unusual breast carcinoma classifiable as a lipid-rich variant of ductal invasive carcinoma, with a basal-type immunohistochemical profile. Basal-type breast cancers show no hormonal receptor expression, rarely over-express HER-2 but exhibit molecular high weight cytokeratins, EGFR and c-kit positivity. Special stains and histochemistry tests were used to elucidate the nature of vescicles in the neoplastic cells.

Hepatocyte-conditioned medium sustains endothelial differentiation of human hematopoietic-endothelial progenitors.

Unlabelled: Liver neo-angiogenesis plays a fundamental role in physiological and pathological processes such as regeneration, cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease. How liver parenchymal cells influence angiogenesis is largely unknown. We studied the influence of soluble factors released by hepatocytes on hematopoietic and endothelial cell differentiation.