Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure.

The purpose of the study was to examine psychobiosocial states, cognitive functions, endocrine responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and chromogranin A), and performance under competitive pressure in orienteering athletes.

IL-6 Activates PI3K and PKCζ Signaling and Determines Cardiac Differentiation in Rat Embryonic H9c2 Cells.

Introduction: IL-6 influences several biological processes, including cardiac stem cell and cardiomyocyte physiology. Although JAK-STAT3 activation is the defining feature of IL-6 signaling, signaling molecules such as PI3K, PKCs, and ERK1/2 are also activated and elicit different responses. Moreover, most studies on the specific role of these signaling molecules focus on the adult heart, and few studies are available on the biological effects evoked by IL-6 in embryonic cardiomyocytes.

Novel evidence of ghrelin and growth hormone segretagogue receptor expression by human ocular tissues.

Aim Of The Study: The gastrointestinal peptide hormone ghrelin (Ghr) was discovered in 1999 as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a). It is a pleiotropic peptide that modulates a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as growth hormone (GH) release, feeding stimulation, adiposity and cardiovascular actions. The presence of Ghr mRNA in the iris and ciliary body (CB) epithelium was recently demonstrated in animal models, where a possible myorelaxing effect on the iris muscles has been suggested.

Biological function and clinical relevance of chromogranin A and derived peptides.

Chromogranin A (CgA (CHGA)) is the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released with catecholamines and can function as a pro-hormone by giving rise to several bioactive peptides. This review summarizes the physiological functions, the pathogenic implications, and the recent use of these molecules as biomarkers in several pathological conditions. A thorough literature review of the electronic healthcare databases MEDLINE, from January 1985 to September 2013, was conducted to identify articles and studies concerned with CgA and its processing.

Human second trimester amniotic fluid cells are able to create embryoid body-like structures in vitro and to show typical expression profiles of embryonic and primordial germ cells.

Human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSCs) represent a novel class of broadly multipotent stem cells sharing characteristics of both embryonic and adult stem cells. However, both the origin of these cells and their actual properties in terms of pluripotent differentiation potential are still debated. In order to verify the presence of features of pluripotency in human second trimester AFSCs, we have investigated the ability of these cells to form in vitro three-dimensional aggregates, known as embryoid bodies (EBs), and to express specific genes of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primordial germ cells (PGCs).

Effects of ACE I/D polymorphism and aerobic training on the immune-endocrine network and cardiovascular parameters of postmenopausal women.

Context: Estrogen deficiency, systemic low-grade inflammation, and reduction of adrenal gland function have central roles in noncommunicable chronic disease (NCD) development. With angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, the deletion variant (DD) is related to higher levels of circulating angiotensin II than I allele carriers (II/ID), which might interact with all of these molecular pathways to increase NCDs risk. On the other hand, physical exercise counteracts the occurrence of NCDs, potentially acting on the same pathways.

Walking training affects dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and inflammation independent of changes in spontaneous physical activity.

Objective: We hypothesized that physical exercise in postmenopausal women could interfere with the molecular interrelationship of the immune-endocrine system and be effective even in women in whom training determined a reduction of spontaneous physical activity (SPA). For this reason, we investigated the effects of an aerobic program on plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and cytokine levels in relationship to SPA modification.

Methods: Thirty-two postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 56.

Functional mitral regurgitation: from normal to pathological anatomy of mitral valve.

Mitral valve (MV) is composed of several structures working in synchrony to open during diastole and close in systole within the high-pressure systemic environment. Its morphological features ensure a normal leaflet closure that prevents regurgitation of blood back into the left atrium causing loss of ventricular pressure and forward flow. The complex interactions of the normal MV are reliant on each component playing a complete role for the efficient working of the valve.

Salivary chromogranin A, but not α-amylase, correlates with cardiovascular parameters during high-intensity exercise.

Introduction: Several studies have shown that activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in the increased secretion of α-amylase (sAA), an enzyme produced by salivary glands. Recently, chromogranin A (CgA), a soluble protein costored and coreleased with catecholamines from the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerve endings, has been proposed as a marker of sympathoadrenal medullary system (SAM) activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of salivary chromogranin A (sCgA) and sAA during high-intensity exercise and to analyse their possible correlation with cardiovascular and psychological parameters.