Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) in Osteoporosis Patients: Report of Delayed Diagnosis of a Multisite Case and Commentary about Risks Coming from a Restricted ONJ Definition.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) in osteoporosis patients has been defined as rare, but the number of reported cases is increasing. We report a case of delayed ONJ diagnosis in a patient, who was being treated with alendronate, developing bone alterations both in maxilla and in mandible. Underestimation of ONJ incidence and missed or delayed ONJ diagnosis in osteoporosis patients might derive from lack of awareness of health providers as well as from an ONJ definition that is too restricted.

Physical activity and dietary habits during pregnancy: effects on glucose tolerance.

Objectives: We designed this study to assess the potential effects of physical activity and dietary habits on glucose tolerance during pregnancy.

Methods: This is an observational study involving 268 women who underwent a 50-g oral glucose challenge test (GCT) at 27±6.9 week of gestation.

Modulation of palmitic acid-induced cell death by ergothioneine: evidence of an anti-inflammatory action.

Inflammation and reactive oxygen species have been implicated in pathogenesis of vascular diabetic complications. However, treatment with classic free-radical scavengers and antioxidants has not been yet proved to reduce the risk of developing such complications. In search of more effective treatment we have tested the protective role of Ergothioneine (EGT), in vitro, on C2C12 cells model on FFA-induced lipotoxicity.

Optimizing management of metabolic syndrome to reduce risk: focus on life-style.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is increasing all over the world and its incidence is expected to rise in the next years. Although genetic predisposition appears to play an important role in the regulation of metabolic parameters and in particular of body weight, the rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity and MS suggests that ecological factors (social, economic, cultural and physical environment) are promoting those conditions in susceptible individuals. People with MS are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and therefore they represent a priority target for preventive strategies.

High insulin levels impair intracellular receptor trafficking in human cultured myoblasts.

Chronic hyperinsulinemia is both a marker and a cause for insulin resistance. This study analyzes the effect of long-term exposure to high insulin levels on insulin-insulin receptor metabolism in human myoblasts. Cells were grown in the presence of low (107 pM, SkMC-L) or high (1430 pM, SkMC-H) insulin concentrations.

Early impairment of beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity characterizes normotolerant Caucasian women with previous gestational diabetes.

Background And Aims: Women with previous gestational diabetes (pGDM) are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate insulin action and insulin secretion in women with pGDM.

Methods And Results: One hundred and fifty-three pGDM women and 45 with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy (controls) were studied 1-3years after delivery.

Molecular effects of fermented papaya preparation on oxidative damage, MAP Kinase activation and modulation of the benzo[a]pyrene mediated genotoxicity.

The involvement of oxidative and nitrosative stress mechanisms in several biological and pathological processes including aging, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases has continued to fuel suggestions that processes can potentially be modulated by treatment with free-radical scavengers and antioxidant. The fermented papaya preparation (FPP) derived from Carica papaya Linn was investigated for its ability to modulate oxidative DNA damage due to H2O2 in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and protection of brain oxidative damage in hypertensive rats. Cells pre-treated with FPP (50 microg/ml) prior to incubation with H2O2 had significantly increased viability and sustenance of morphology and shape.

Modulation of hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage, MAPKs activation and cell death in PC12 by ergothioneine.

Background & Aims: Ergothioneine (EGT) is a natural occurring compound, synthesized by soil bacteria in fungal substrates, exhibiting antioxidant functions in many cell models. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of EGT in the prevention of H2O2-dependent cell death and oxidative damage on a model of neural cell derived from rat pheocromocytoma, the PC12.

Methods: The ability of EGT was tested by the 3 (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Comet assay.

Continually high insulin levels impair Akt phosphorylation and glucose transport in human myoblasts.

Chronic hyperinsulinemia is both a marker and a cause for insulin resistance. This study analyzes the effect of long-term exposure to high insulin levels on the insulin-signaling pathway and glucose transport in cultured human myoblasts. Human myoblasts were grown in the presence of low (107 pmol/L, SkMC-L) or high (1430 pmol/L, SkMC-H) insulin concentrations for 3 weeks.

Expression and localization of myotonic dystrophy protein kinase in human skeletal muscle cells determined with a novel antibody: possible role of the protein in cytoskeleton rearrangements during differentiation.

Myotonic dystrophy is a multisystemic disorder, due to a CTG triplet expansion at the 3'UTR of the DM1 gene encoding for myotonic dystrophy protein kinase. Recent studies indicate that decreased DMPK levels could account for part of the symptoms suggesting a role of this protein in skeletal muscle differentiation. To investigate this aspect, polyclonal antibodies were raised against two peptides of the catalytic domain and against the human full-length DMPK (DMFL).

Effects of prolonged in vitro exposure to sulphonylureas on the function and survival of human islets.

The direct effects of prolonged exposure to sulphonylureas on the function and survival of human islets are unknown. This study assessed the insulin content, glucose-stimulated insulin release, islet cell apoptosis, and mRNA expression of insulin and GLUT-1 in isolated human islets cultured in the presence of therapeutical concentrations of glimepiride (10 microM), glibenclamide (10 microM), or chlorpropamide (600 microM). Islets were prepared by collagenase digestion and density gradient purification from 18 multiorgan donors and were then exposed for 24 h to the different sulphonylureas.

Intraocular delivery of BDNF following visual cortex lesion upregulates cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCATc) in the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.

Visual cortex ablation in newborn rats determines the almost complete degeneration of neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), as a consequence of the axotomy of the geniculo-cortical fibres. Death of dLGN neurons is massive and rapid, and occurs by apoptosis. We recently showed that exogenous administration of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the eye prevents the degeneration of dLGN neurons occurring after visual cortex lesion in newborn rats.

Identification of cathepsin K as a novel marker of adiposity in white adipose tissue.

In obesity, adipocytes undergo dramatic morphological and molecular changes associated with alterations in their gene expression profile. To identify genes differentially modulated in white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese db/db mice compared to wild type (wt) mice, we utilized RNA fingerprinting. Among the 52 candidates that we identified, we focused here on cathepsin K (ctsk), a cysteine protease, prevalently localized in lysosomes and involved in bone extracellular matrix degradation.

Insulin permeability across an in vitro dynamic model of endothelium.

Purpose: Endothelium insulin permeability was investigated using in vitro, dynamic culture of endothelial cells.

Methods: Endothelial cells were cultured in a hollow fiber apparatus and continuously exposed to a flow. Transendothelial electrical resistance and permeability to [14C]sucrose and [14C]inulin were used to monitor the integrity of the endothelial monolayer.

Obesity modulates the expression of haptoglobin in the white adipose tissue via TNFalpha.

Increase in adipose mass results in obesity and modulation of several factors in white adipose tissue (WAT). Two important examples are tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and leptin, both of which are upregulated in adipose tissue in obesity. In order to isolate genes differentially expressed in the WAT of genetically obese db/db mice compared to their lean littermates, we performed RNA fingerprinting and identified haptoglobin (Hp), which is significantly upregulated in the obese animals.