Publications by authors named "J Fontana"
Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is an octameric protein, comprised of eight identical protomers, that has diverse functions in reproductive biology, innate immunity and cancer. PTX3 interacts with the large polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA) to which heavy chains (HCs) of the inter-α-inhibitor (IαI) family of proteoglycans are covalently attached, playing a key role in the (non-covalent) crosslinking of HC•HA complexes. These interactions stabilise the cumulus matrix, essential for ovulation and fertilisation in mammals, and are also implicated in the formation of pathogenic matrices in the context of viral lung infections.
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- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a key role in the health benefits associated with whole-body cold stimulation (WBC), but understanding its effects is complicated due to varying methodologies and data interpretation challenges.
- A study involved 23 subjects with obesity undergoing 10 WBC sessions, with heart rate variability (HRV) analyzed to assess changes in cardiac autonomic control (CAR) at two different temperatures.
- Results indicated that both temperature treatments significantly improved CAR, as shown by an increase in the Autonomic Nervous System Index (ANSI) and enhanced heart rate variability over the course of the treatment.
: This case study investigates the effect of a five-session whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) cycle on a 55-year-old female patient with cerebral palsy (CP) and lower limb spasticity (LLS) with a typical diplegic gait pattern. CP is a common physical disability characterized by motor impairments, including spasticity, which significantly impacts mobility and quality of life. The current treatments for spasticity often have limited efficacy and considerable side effects, making alternative therapies like WBC an area of interest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) involves exposure to extremely low temperatures to reduce inflammation and pain and to enhance recovery. Despite its growing popularity and the importance of the magnitude of WBC-induced skin cooling in triggering the cascade of effects, limited research has focused on skin temperature changes in individuals with severe obesity, where body composition and sex may influence outcomes. : To examine differences in the cooling response based on sex and BMI, we conducted an observational study comparing patients with obesity to normal-weight individuals after repeated WBC sessions.
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