Antioxidants counteract lipopolysaccharide-triggered alterations of human colonic smooth muscle cells.

Gut dysmotility develops in individuals during and after recovering from infective acute gastroenteritis and it is apparently due to a direct effect of circulating lipopolysaccharides (LPS). This is an endotoxin with a prooxidant activity derived from gram-negative bacteria. Due to the lack of human models available so far, the mechanisms underlying LPS-induced gut dysmotility are, however, poorly investigated.

Metronomic ceramide analogs inhibit angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer through up-regulation of caveolin-1 and thrombospondin-1 and down-regulation of cyclin D1.

Aims: To evaluate the antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of metronomic ceramide analogs and their relevant molecular mechanisms.

Methods: Human endothelial cells [human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and human umbilical vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC)] and pancreatic cancer cells (Capan-1 and MIA PaCa-2) were treated with the ceramide analogs (C2, AL6, C6, and C8), at low concentrations for 144 hours to evaluate any antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects and inhibition of migration and to measure the expression of caveolin-1 (CAV-1) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mRNAs by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Assessment of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and Akt phosphorylation and of CAV-1 and cyclin D1 protein expression was performed by ELISA.

Influence of existing site contamination on sensitivity of Rhinella fernandezae (Anura, Bufonidae) tadpoles to Lorsban®48E formulation of chlorpyrifos.

Effects of the widely employed insecticide Lorsban(®)48E formulation of chlorpyrifos (CPF) was studied on Rhinella fernandezae tadpoles, a native species of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, under the hypothesis of a differential response of organisms from ponds of two sites with different degree of anthropogenic disturbance: S1 an unpolluted area, and S2 area with high degree of antropogenic disturbance. To collect a representative sample of the genotypic variability of each population, small portions from six clutches were taken randomly from each site when the period of clutching was finished. Embryos and tadpoles were maintained under controlled laboratory conditions.

Mixed metal copper(II)-nickel(II) and copper(II)-zinc(II) complexes of multihistidine peptide fragments of human prion protein.

Mixed metal copper(II)-nickel(II) and copper(II)-zinc(II) complexes of four peptide fragments of human prion protein have been studied by potentiometric, UV-vis and circular dichroism spectroscopic techniques. One peptide contained three histidyl residues: HuPrP(84-114) with H85 inside and H96, H111 outside the octarepeat domain. The other three peptides contained two histidyl residues; H96 and H111 for HuPrP(91-115) and HuPrP(84-114)H85A while HuPrP(84-114)H96A contained the histidyl residues at positions 85 and 111.

Aortic-neck dilation after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR): can it be predicted?

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate whether dynamic computed tomography (CT) can provide functional vessel information predicting outcomes of aortic neck in patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with and 20 without AAA were enrolled. Electrocardiographically (ECG)-gated data sets were acquired with a 64-slice CT scanner.

Parallel manifestations of neuropathologies in the enteric and central nervous systems.

Background: Neurodegenerative diseases may extend outside the central nervous system (CNS) and involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The gut would appear to be a pathological marker for neurodegeneration, as well as a site for studying the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration. In fact, both in the ENS and CNS, misfolded proteins are likely to initiate a process of neurodegeneration.

Transmission of prions within the gut and towards the central nervous system.

The prion protein is a glycoprotein characterized by a folded α-helical structure that, under pathological conditions, misfolds and aggregates into its infectious isoform as β-sheet rich amyloidic deposits. The accumulation of the abnormal protein is responsible for a group of progressive and fatal disorders characterized by vacuolation, gliosis, and spongiform degeneration. Prion disorders are characterized by a triple aetiology: familial, sporadic or acquired, although most cases are sporadic.

Reduced body condition and enzymatic alterations in frogs inhabiting intensive crop production areas.

Parameters indicative of general condition and health were compared amongst adult frogs inhabiting uncultivated lands and fields subjected to agricultural practices typical of the humid pampas of Argentina. Whereas no significant differences existed in the parasite load and external malformations prevalence rate of adult frogs from either environments, a reduced condition factor was clearly demonstrated in frogs from agricultural lands. This conclusion was reached for four frog species of different life habits: the terrestrial fossorial Rhinella fernandezae, the terrestrial Leptodactylus latinasus, the semi-aquatic Leptodactylus ocellatus, and the arborescent Hypsiboas pulchellus.

Prevalence of C-reactive protein elevation and time course of normalization in acute pericarditis: implications for the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of pericarditis.

Background: The role of inflammatory markers is not well defined for either diagnosis or treatment of pericarditis. The aim of this study is to prospectively evaluate the frequency of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) elevation in patients with acute pericarditis, its time course of normalization, and the possible importance for diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis.

Methods And Results: Two hundred consecutive patients with viral or idiopathic acute pericarditis (mean age, 53 ± 15.

Reconnecting to nursing through Reiki.

Reiki and other energy modalities are included in the scope of nursing standards in many states and could address issues of stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Nurses are increasingly vulnerable to these conditions; Reiki could assist them in healing themselves and helping others.

Effects of esomeprazole on healing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastric ulcers in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment: Characterization of molecular mechanisms.

Proton pump inhibitors promote ulcer repair in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-treated patients with ongoing NSAID-induced gastric toxicity, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the healing mechanisms of esomeprazole on NSAID-induced gastric ulcerations in the presence of a continued NSAID treatment. Ulcerations were induced in rats by oral indomethacin (6μmol/kg/day) for 14 days.

Membrane interactions and conformational preferences of human and avian prion N-terminal tandem repeats: the role of copper(II) ions, pH, and membrane mimicking environments.

The flexible N-terminal domain of the prion protein (PrP(c)) is believed to play a pivotal role in both trafficking of the protein through the cell membrane and its pathogenic conversion into the β sheet-rich scrapie isoform (PrP(sc)). Unlike mammalian PrP(c), avian prion proteins are not known to undergo any pathogenic conformational conversions. Consequently, some critical advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying prion pathogenesis are expected from comparative studies of the biophysical properties of the N-terminal domains of the two proteins.

Lethal and sublethal effects of cypermethrin to Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles.

The study of the effects of the insecticide cypermethrin (CY) technical grade and its Sherpa® commercial formulation on Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles assessing lethality, behavior, growth, and abnormalities under standardized laboratory conditions is reported. Observed behaviors were identified and categorized by means of a ranking system according to the loss of mobility. Results of acute lethal effects indicate higher potency for Sherpa® at this level of assessment.

MPTP-induced parkinsonism extends to a subclass of TH-positive neurons in the gut.

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction occurs frequently in early Parkinson's disease (PD) and it is supposed to anticipate motor symptoms. About 80% of PD patients suffer from constipation before the onset of movement disorders. Despite such a high prevalence of gut impairment in PD, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly investigated.

The blockade of adenosine deaminase ameliorates chronic experimental colitis through the recruitment of adenosine A2A and A3 receptors.

Adenosine modulates immune/inflammatory reactions. This study investigates the expression of adenosine deaminase in the inflamed colon, the effects of adenosine deaminase inhibitors on established colitis, and the recruitment of adenosine receptors by endogenous adenosine after adenosine deaminase blockade. Adenosine deaminase expression was determined by Western blot.

Nickel(II) complexes of the multihistidine peptide fragments of human prion protein.

Nickel(II) complexes of the peptide fragments of human prion protein containing histidyl residues both inside and outside the octarepeat domain have been studied by the combined application of potentiometric, UV-visible and circular dichroism spectroscopic methods. The imidazole-N donor atoms of histidyl residues are the exclusive metal binding sites below pH 7.5, but the formation of stable macrochelates was characteristic only for the peptide HuPrP(76-114) containing four histidyl residues.

Hormonal induction of spawning in 4 species of frogs by coinjection with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and a dopamine antagonist.

Background: It is well known that many anurans do not reproduce easily in captivity. Some methods are based on administration of mammalian hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin, which are not effective in many frogs. There is a need for simple, cost-effective alternative techniques to induce spawning.

[Colorectal cancer: tissutal explantation and primary cell culture].

Background: Setting of cellular cultures extracted from colorectal cancer tissue represents a valid model for in vitro study of biological and molecular characteristics of each single tumor finalized to obtain a tailored chemiotherapy. The end point of this study is to create primary cellular cultures from "fresh" cancer tissue in different stages of evolution.

Methods: Cancer tissue samples are obtained by means of surgical excisional biopsy or by means of semi-automatic biopsy instrument (Sprig-Cut).

Sublethal and lethal effects on Rhinella arenarum (Anura, Bufonidae) tadpoles exerted by the pirimicarb-containing technical formulation insecticide Aficida.

Acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity of the pirimicarb-containing commercial-formulation carbamate insecticide Aficida(R) (50% pirimicarb) were evaluated on Rhinella arenarum (Anura, Bufonidae) tadpoles exposed under laboratory conditions. Lethal and sublethal effects were employed as bioassays for acute toxicity, whereas micronuclei (MNi) induction and alterations in the ratio erythrocytes:erythroblasts were employed as end-points for genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, respectively. Cr(VI) (23 mg L(-1)) and cyclophosphamide (40 mg L(-1)) were employed as positive controls for toxicity and geno-cytotoxicity assays, respectively.

Palifermin in the management of mucositis in hematological malignancies: current evidences and future perspectives.

Background: In the management of hematological malignancies, chemotherapy-induced mucositis is an increasingly recognized problem, leading to potentially severe clinical complications, treatment delays, increased costs and impairment of patient's quality of life. Many forms of cytotoxic treatments given in this setting may induce several degrees of mucositis. In particular, conditioning therapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) induces a disruption of the mucosal barrier function throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract facilitating the spreading of bacteria and endotoxin with subsequent increased risk of septicemia and, in the allogeneic setting, a worsening of Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD).

Interaction of copper(II) with the prion peptide fragment HuPrP(76-114) encompassing four histidyl residues within and outside the octarepeat domain.

Complex formation processes between the 39-mer residue peptide fragment of human prion protein, HuPrP(76-114), and copper(II) ions have been studied by potentiometric, UV-vis, circular dichroism (CD), electron paramagnetic resonance, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry methods. This peptide consists of 39 amino acid residues and contains two histidines (His77 and His85) belonging to the octarepeat domain and two histidines (His96 and His111) outside this domain. It was found that HuPrP(76-114) is able to bind 4 equiv of metal ions and all histidyl residues are independent, except nonequivalent metal binding sites in the oligonuclear species.