Publications by authors named "Miluscia Berbenni"

Dietary antioxidants may be useful in counteracting the chronic inflammatory status in neurodegenerative diseases by reducing oxidative stress due to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we newly described the efficacy of a number of dietary antioxidants (polyphenols, carotenoids, thiolic compounds, and oligoelements) on viability of neuronal PC12 cells following Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) deprivation, a model of age-related decrease of neurotrophic support that triggers neuronal loss. Neuroprotection by antioxidants during NGF deprivation for 24 h was largely dependent on their concentrations: all dietary antioxidants were able to efficiently support cell viability by reducing ROS levels and restoring mitochondrial function, while preserving the neuronal morphology.

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Modulation of spinal reactive gliosis following peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a promising strategy to restore synaptic homeostasis. Oxidized ATP (OxATP), a nonselective antagonist of purinergic P2X receptors, was found to recover a neuropathic behavior following PNI. We investigated the role of intraperitoneal (i.

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Neuronal death has been reported to involve mitochondrial dysfunction and cell cycle reentry. In this report, we used Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells to investigate mechanisms linking mitochondrial dysfunction and cell cycle activation during neuronal death induced by NGF withdrawal and/or oxidative stress. We found that loss of survival following H(2) O(2) -induced oxidative stress or NGF deprivation was preceded by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), and up-regulation of cyclin D1 and phosphorylation (Ser-780) of protein retinoblastoma (P-pRb), without an increase of proliferation rates.

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