Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain is Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Independent of Physical Activity.

Background: Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms in adults is high; however, whether there is an association between these conditions in older adults is unknown.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and specifically with chronic LBP and knee osteoarthritis (OA), in community-dwelling older adults. In addition, we explored whether physical activity can mitigate these associations.

Amyloid-β42/Neurogranin Ratio as a Potential Index for Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Synaptopathy is critical in pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of neurogranin (NG) and amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) are considered markers of synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective: To evaluate the CSF synaptopathy-related biomarkers, especially the novel Aβ42/NG ratio, in PD, establishing possible associations with cognitive level and other clinical parameters.

Proposed Tandem Effect of Physical Activity and Sirtuin 1 and 3 Activation in Regulating Glucose Homeostasis.

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are seven nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent protein deacetylases enzymes (SIRT1-7) that play an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Among those, the most studied are SIRT1 and SIRT3, a nuclear SIRT and a mitochondrial SIRT, respectively, which significantly impact with an increase in mammals' lifespan by modulating metabolic cellular processes. Particularly, when activated, both SIRT1 and 3 enhance pancreatic β-cells' insulin release and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress pancreatic damage, maintaining then glucose homeostasis.

The effect of postural deformities on back function and pain in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Postural deformities, such as Pisa syndrome (PS), and camptocormia and antecollis (C&A) are common in patient with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). These deformities can lead to back disability and pain with different mechanisms, including abnormal loading or stress on soft tissues as muscles, lumbar discs and ligaments.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of different postural deformities including PS and C&A on back function and pain in PwPD.

Dietary Vitamin E as a Protective Factor for Parkinson's Disease: Clinical and Experimental Evidence.

Effective disease-modifying treatments are an urgent need for Parkinson's disease (PD). A putative successful strategy is to counteract oxidative stress, not only with synthetic compounds, but also with natural agents or dietary choices. Vitamin E, in particular, is a powerful antioxidant, commonly found in vegetables and other components of the diet.

Association between physical activity and dementia's risk factors in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) exerts beneficial effects on neurodegenerative processes, either as symptomatic relief or disease-modifying strategy. Actually, it may represent a viable neuroprotective intervention in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), a severe, frequent, and untreatable complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). According to such hypothesis, this cross-sectional study tested, in PD patients, the association between levels of PA and well-known risk factors for PDD, such as mood disorders and amyloid-β42 CSF content.

The influence of postural deformities on neck function and pain in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Trunk alignment is thought to contribute to neck function. However, this common assumption is not clear in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) suffering from different postural deformities such as: Pisa syndrome (PS), Camptocormia & Antecollis (C&A).

Objectives: to investigate the effect of different postural deformities including PS and C&A on neck function and pain in patient (PwPD).

Influence of FTO rs9939609 and Mediterranean diet on body composition and weight loss: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MeD) plays a key role in the prevention of obesity. Among the genes involved in obesity, the Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is one of the most known, but its interaction with MeD remained uncertain so far.

Methods: We carried out a study on a sample of 188 Italian subjects, analyzing their FTO rs9939609 alleles, and the difference in body composition between the baseline and a 4-weeks nutritional intervention.

Effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training on motor impairments in people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on motor impairments in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). A computer-based systematic literature search was performed in six databases according to PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effects of RAGT on motor impairments in people with PD were included.

Alcoholic Beverage and Meal Choices for the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases: A Randomized Nutrigenomic Trial.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the first cause of death worldwide. Mediterranean diet may play a crucial role in the prevention of NCDs, and the presence of wine in this diet could play a positive role on health.

Methods: 54 healthy volunteers consumed one of the following beverages: red (RW) or white wine (WW), vodka (VDK), and/or Mediterranean meal (MeDM) and high-fat meal (HFM).

Evidences of a New Psychobiotic Formulation on Body Composition and Anxiety.

Background: Gut microbiota is implied in obesity, because of its ability to harvest energy from diet, and in the regulation of behavior. Given the link between gut microbiota, body composition, obesity, and anxiety, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new psychobiotic formulation.

Methods: Eligible patients were randomly divided into three groups: psychobiotics oral suspension group (POSG); dietary treatment group (DTG); combined treatment group (CTG).

Antioxidant Effects of a Hydroxytyrosol-Based Pharmaceutical Formulation on Body Composition, Metabolic State, and Gene Expression: A Randomized Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial.

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) plays a significant role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) protection, and its metabolites are able to protect from the endothelial dysfunction commonly present in atherosclerosis. This randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial determined the effect in healthy volunteers of two gastroresistant capsules containing 15 mg/day of HT, for a 3-week period (HTT). Evaluation of nutritional status, serum metabolites, oxidative stress biomarkers, and gene expression of 9 genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and CVDs was performed.

Effects of long-term stimulation of textured insoles on postural control in health elderly.

Background: The aim of this study was to confirm the effects of long term (chronic) stimulating surface (textured insole) on body balance of elderly people.

Methods: Twenty-four healthy elderly individuals were randomly distributed in two groups: control and experimental (67.75±6.

Training-Load Distribution in Endurance Runners: Objective Versus Subjective Assessment.

Purpose: To assess the distribution of exercise intensity in long-distance recreational athletes (LDRs) preparing for a marathon and to test the hypothesis that individual perception of effort could provide training responses similar to those provided by standardized training methodologies.

Methods: Seven LDRs (age 36.5 ± 3.

Sphingosine kinase 1 overexpression is regulated by signaling through PI3K, AKT2, and mTOR in imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cells.

Objective: As a better understanding of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis has emerged, oncogene-specific cell-signaling pathways have been successfully targeted to treat human malignances. Despite impressive advances in oncogene-directed therapeutics, genetic instability in cancer cells often manifest acquired resistance. This is particularly noted in the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapies and not more evident than for chronic myeloid leukemia.

Pyrrolo[1,2-b][1,2,5]benzothiadiazepines (PBTDs) exert their anti-proliferative activity by interfering with Akt-mTOR signaling and bax:bcl-2 ratio modulation in cells from chronic myeloid leukemic patients.

In our study we found that pyrrolo[1,2-b][1,2,5]benzothiadiazepines (PBTDs) mediated apoptosis in primary leukemia cells from 27 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients at onset through the activation of the caspase-9 and -3, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The bax:bcl-2 ratio was increased as a consequence of down-regulation of bcl-2 and up-regulation of bax proteins in response to treatment with PBTDs. In addition, PBTDs were able to induce cell death in primary leukemia cells derived from 23 CML-chemoresistant patients.

The effect of marathon on mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins and sirtuins family in male recreational long-distance runners.

Background: A large body of evidence shows that a single bout of strenuous exercise induces oxidative stress in circulating human lymphocytes leading to lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, mitochondrial perturbations, and protein oxidation.In our research, we investigated the effect of physical load on the extent of apoptosis in primary cells derived from blood samples of sixteen healthy amateur runners after marathon (a.m.

Kaempferol induces apoptosis in two different cell lines via Akt inactivation, Bax and SIRT3 activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Kaempferol (3,4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid with anti- and pro-oxidant activity present in various natural sources. Kaempferol has been shown to posses anticancer properties through the induction of the apoptotic program. Here we report that treatment of the chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 and promyelocitic human leukemia U937 with 50 microM kaempferol resulted in an increase of the antioxidant enzymes Mn and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Sorbitol-induced apoptosis of human leukemia is mediated by caspase activation and cytochrome c release.

It has been reported that sorbitol induces apoptosis in several cancer cell lines. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the sorbitol-induced apoptotic process is not yet clearly understood. In the present study, the intracellular signaling pathways of sorbitol-induced apoptosis in human K562 cells were investigated using both morphological analysis and DNA fragmentation technique.

PYRROLO[1,2-b][1,2,5]BENZOTHIADIAZEPINES (PBTDs) induce apoptosis in K562 cells.

Background: The objective of this study was to gain insight into the molecular mechanism of induced cell death (apoptosis) by PYRROLO [1,2-b][1,2,5]BENZOTHIADIAZEPINES (PBTDs) series compounds, using human (K562) cells as a model.

Methods: We focused our attention on some members of the PBTDs family to test their potential apoptotic activity in K562 cells. Important apoptotic activity was demonstrated, as evidenced by the concentration and percentage of cell death quantified by measuring PI-uptake by flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, generating a characteristic ladder pattern of discontinuous DNA fragments.

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are involved in sorbitol-induced apoptosis of human erithroleukaemia cells K562.

In this study, we found that production of both reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species is a very early event related to treatment with hyperosmotic concentration of sorbitol. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was paralleled by the increase of the mRNA and protein level of the inducible form of the nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). ROS and RNS enhancement, process concomitant to the failure of mitochondrial trans-membrane potential (DeltaPsi), was necessary for the induction of apoptosis as demonstrated by the protection against sorbitol-mediated toxicity observed after treatment with ROS scavengers or NOS inhibitors.