The p66Shc Protein Mediates Insulin Resistance and Secretory Dysfunction in Pancreatic β-Cells Under Lipotoxic Conditions.

We evaluated the role of the p66Shc redox adaptor protein in pancreatic β-cell insulin resistance that develops under lipotoxic conditions and with excess body fat. Prolonged exposure to palmitate in vitro or the presence of overweight/obesity augmented p66Shc expression levels and caused an impaired ability of exogenous insulin to increase cellular insulin content and secreted C-peptide levels in INS-1E cells and human and murine islets. In INS-1E cells, p66Shc knockdown resulted in enhanced insulin-induced augmentation of insulin content and C-peptide secretion and prevented the ability of palmitate to impair these effects of insulin.

Irisin increases the expression of anorexigenic and neurotrophic genes in mouse brain.

Background: Irisin, a newly discovered muscle-derived hormone, acts in different organs and tissues, improving energy homeostasis. In this study, we assessed, for the first time, the effects of intraperitoneal irisin injections on circulating levels of leptin and ghrelin, mRNA expression of the major hypothalamic appetite regulators and brain neurotrophic factors, as well as feeding behaviour in healthy mice.

Methods: Twelve male 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomized into two groups and intraperitoneally injected daily with irisin (0.

Clinical biomarkers for cancer recognition and prevention: A novel approach with optical measurements.

Cancer is the most important cause of death worldwide, and early cancer detection is the most fundamental factor for efficacy of treatment, prognosis, and increasing survival rate. Over the years great effort has been devoted to discovering and testing new biomarkers that can improve its diagnosis, especially at an early stage. Here we report the potential usefulness of new, easily applicable, non-invasive and relatively low-cost clinical biomarkers, based on abnormalities of oral mucosa spectral reflectance and fractal geometry of the vascular networks in several different tissues, for identification of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer carriers as well for detection of other tumors, even at an early stage.

Exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate and bisphenol A through infant formulas.

Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are ubiquitous contaminants identified as endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are worldwide used as plasticizers, in particular to improve the mechanical properties of polymers such as polyvinyl chloride. Because they are not chemically bound to the polymer, they tend to leach out with time and use.

First day of life reference values for pleth variability index in spontaneously breathing term newborns.

Background: The perfusion index (PI), derived from the pulse oximetry signal, has been shown to be an accurate predictor for identifying high illness severity in neonates. The plethysmographic variability index (PVI) is a measure of the dynamic change in PI occurring during a complete respiratory cycle.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the reference range of PVI in spontaneously breathing term newborns.

Indications and limitations for a neonatal pulse oximetry screening of critical congenital heart disease.

Aims: Critical congenital cardiovascular malformations (CCVMs) require surgical correction during the first month of life, physical examination is unable to detect >50% of affected infants. An oximetry screening has been previously proposed. Our aim was to verify the usefulness and consistency of a pulse oximetry screening for early detection of CCVMs in a small size nursery.