Relationship between Nutritional Status, Food Consumption and Sarcopenia in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: Preliminary Data.

After a stroke, patients can suffer from sarcopenia, which can affect recovery. This could be closely related to an impairment in nutritional status. In this preliminary analysis of a longitudinal prospective study, we screened 110 subjects admitted to our rehabilitation center after a stroke.

Oxidative Stress Status in Post Stroke Patients: Sex Differences.

After a cerebral stroke insult, there is an overproduction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which overcome the antioxidant defenses, causing further tissues damage. The status of oxidative stress in stroke patients over time, particularly in those undergoing rehabilitation treatments, has been poorly investigated. We analyzed the oxidative stress status in 61 subacute stroke patients (33 females and 28 males) admitted to our rehabilitation center by measuring, in serum: hydroperoxides levels (d-ROMs), antioxidant activity (BAP test), and the relative antioxidant capacity (OSI index).

Role of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in a Pt(II)-resistant human breast cancer cell line.

Platinum complexes are currently used for breast cancer therapy, but, as with other drug classes, a series of intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms hinder their efficacy. To better understand the mechanisms underlying platinum complexes resistance in breast cancer, we generated a [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)]-resistant MCF-7, denoted as [Pt(acac)]R. [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] was chosen as previous works showed that it has distinct mechanisms of action from cisplatin, especially with regard to cellular targets.

[Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)]: Alternative Strategies to Overcome Cisplatin-Induced Side Effects and Resistance in T98G Glioma Cells.

Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents, used for the treatment of diverse tumors, including neuroblastoma and glioblastoma. CDDP induces cell death through different apoptotic pathways. Despite its clinical benefits, CDDP causes several side effects and drug resistance.

First Insight on the Mucus of the Annelid (Polychaeta, Sabellidae) as a Potential Prospect for Drug Discovery.

Many marine organisms, including invertebrates, produce mucosal matrices having different functions. Besides mechanical protection, the mucus of many invertebrates contains specific compounds to make the animal poisonous and/or distasteful or irritating. The presence of antibiotic molecules is more advantageous for some invertebrates to contrast bacterial attack.

[Pt('-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] Induces Autophagy in Caki-1 Renal Cancer Cells.

We have demonstrated the cytotoxic effects of [Pt(,'-acac)(γ-acac)(dimethyl sulfide (DMS))] on various immortalized cell lines, in primary cultures, and in murine xenograft models in vivo. Recently, we also showed that [Pt(-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] is able to kill Caki-1 renal cells both in vivo and in vitro. In the present paper, apoptotic and autophagic effects of [Pt(,'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] and cisplatin were studied and compared using Caki-1 cancerous renal cells.

Long-term effects after treatment with platinum compounds, cisplatin and [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)]: Autophagy activation in rat B50 neuroblastoma cells.

Cisplatin (cisPt), among the best known components of multi-drug front-line therapies used for the treatments of solid tumors, such as the childhood neuroblastoma, acts through DNA linking. Nevertheless, the cisPt effectiveness is compromised by the onset of severe side effects, including neurotoxicity that results in neurodegeneration, cell death, and drug-resistance. In the field of experimental oncology, aimed at overcoming cytotoxicity and chemoresistance, great efforts are devoted to the synthesis of new platinum-based drugs, such as [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] (PtAcacDMS), which shows a specific reactivity with sulfur residues of enzymes involved in apoptosis.

Response of Cisplatin Resistant Skov-3 Cells to [Pt(-Acac)(γ-Acac)(DMS)] Treatment Revealed by a Metabolomic ¹H-NMR Study.

The novel [Pt(,-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)], Ptac2S, Pt(II) complex has recently gained increasing attention as a potential anticancer agent for its pharmacological activity shown in different tumor cell lines, studied both in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of action of Ptac2S, operating on non-genomic targets, is known to be very different from that of -[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂], cisplatin, targeting nucleic acids. In this work, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of Ptac2S on the cisplatin resistant Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma (EOC), SKOV-3 cells, by the MTT assay.

Correction: Apoptosis by [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] requires PKC-δ mediated p53 activation in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Metabolic profile comparison of fruit juice from certified sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) of Ferrovia and Giorgia cultivars: A preliminary study.

Sweet cherries are widely appreciated for fresh consumption as well as for production of juices, jams, jelly fruits and alcoholic beverages. The sweet cherry intake (as fresh fruit and related products) is extensively encouraged for their taste and nutritional qualities, due to the presence of water-soluble (C, B) and fat-soluble (A, E and K) vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols and minerals, as well as glucose and fructose. However the market often endorses the consumption of a particular sweet cherry cultivar (as for most of vegetables) essentially for organoleptic and/or external appearance rather than nutraceutical qualities.

H NMR and MVA metabolomic profiles of urines from piglets fed with boluses contaminated with a mixture of five mycotoxins.

Metabolic profile of urine from piglets administered with single boluses contaminated with mycotoxin mixture (deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin B, fumonisin B, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A) were studied by H NMR spectroscopy and chemometrics (PCA, PLS-DA, and OPLS-DA). The mycotoxin levels were close to the established maximum and guidance levels for animal feed (2003/100/EC and 2006/576/EC). Urine samples were obtained from four groups of four piglets before (control, C) or within 24 h (treated, T) after receiving a contaminated boluses with increasing doses of mycotoxins (boluses 1-4).

Biostimulants from food processing by-products: agronomic, quality and metabolic impacts on organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Background: Biostimulants have recently gained increased attention due to their multiple benefits for sustainable agriculture. In this study, three food processing by-products - fennel processing residues (FPR), lemon processing residues (LPR) and brewer's spent grain (BSG) - were investigated as potential sources of biostimulants. Their aqueous extracts as individual and associated applications were assessed for their effects on agronomic, quality and metabolic performance of organic tomato in comparison to extract of humic substances (HS) and untreated control (CTRL).

Apoptosis by [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] requires PKC-δ mediated p53 activation in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma cancer cells have epithelioid or sarcomatoid morphology. The worst prognosis is associated with sarcomatoid phenotype and resistance to therapy is affected by cells heterogeneity. We recently showed that in ZL55 mesothelioma cell line of epithelioid origin [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] (Ptac2S) has an antiproliferative effect in vitro and in vivo.

ESI-MS studies of the reactions of novel platinum(II) complexes containing O,O'-chelated acetylacetonate and sulfur ligands with selected model proteins.

A group of mixed-ligand Pt(II) complexes bearing acetylacetonate and sulphur ligands were recently developed in the University of Lecce as a new class of prospective anticancer agents that manifested promising pharma-cological properties in preliminary in vitro and in vivo tests. Though modelled on the basis of cisplatin, these Pt(II) complexes turned out to exhibit a profoundly distinct mode of action as they were found to act mainly on non-genomic targets rather than on DNA. Accordingly, we have explored here their reactions with two representative model proteins through an established ESI-MS procedure with the aim to describe their general interaction mechanism with protein targets.

Nanostructured polysaccharidic microcapsules for intracellular release of cisplatin.

Carbohydrate polimeric microcapsules were assembled using a LbL approach onto a CaCO core. The microcapsules were used to delivery the anticancer drug cisplatin into HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Drug encapsulation, measured by ICP spectroscopy, was around 50% of the charging solution.

Harvest year effects on Apulian EVOOs evaluated by H NMR based metabolomics.

Nine hundred extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) were extracted from individual olive trees of four olive cultivars (Coratina, Cima di Mola, Ogliarola, Peranzana), originating from the provinces of Bari and Foggia (Apulia region, Southern Italy) and collected during two consecutive harvesting seasons (2013/14 and 2014/15). Following genetic identification of individual olive trees, a detailed Apulian EVOO NMR database was built using 900 oils samples obtained from 900 cultivar certified single trees. A study on the olive oil lipid profile was carried out by statistical multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis, PCA, Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis, PLS-DA, Orthogonal Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis, OPLS-DA).

The Potential Exploitation of the Mediterranean Invasive Alga Caulerpa cylindracea: Can the Invasion Be Transformed into a Gain?

Recently, there is a growing interest towards the development of strategies for invasive seaweed control and exploitation as source of secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the potential of exploitation in biotechnology and recycling options in eradication programs of the lipidic extract of the Mediterranean invasive seaweed (Chlorophyta). The chemical characterization was carried out by means of multinuclear and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy.

In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy highly resistant to chemotherapy. There is an urgent need for effective therapy inasmuch as resistance, intrinsic and acquired, to conventional therapies is common. Among Pt(II) antitumor drugs, [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] (Ptac2S) has recently attracted considerable attention due to its strong in vitro and in vivo antiproliferative activity and reduced toxicity.

Comparative analysis of the proximate and elemental composition of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, the warty crab Eriphia verrucosa, and the edible crab Cancer pagurus.

The proximate composition and element contents of claw muscle tissue of Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were compared with the native warty crab (Eriphia verrucosa) and the commercially edible crab (Cancer pagurus). The scope of the analysis was to profile the chemical characteristics and nutritive value of the three crab species. Elemental fingerprints showed significant inter-specific differences, whereas non-significant variations in the moisture and ash contents were observed.

Antitumour and antiangiogenic activities of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] in a xenograft model of human renal cell carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: It is thought that the mechanism of action of anticancer chemotherapeutic agents is mainly due to a direct inhibition of tumour cell proliferation. In tumour specimens, the endothelial cell proliferation rate increases, suggesting that the therapeutic effects of anticancer agents could also be attributed to inhibition of tumour angiogenesis. Hence, we investigated the potential effects of [Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] ([Pt(DMS)]), a new platinum drug for non-genomic targets, on human renal carcinoma and compared them with those of the well-established anticancer drug, cisplatin.

Robustness of NMR-based metabolomics to generate comparable data sets for olive oil cultivar classification. An inter-laboratory study on Apulian olive oils.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful technique in olive oil fingerprinting, but its analytical robustness has to be proved. Here, we report a comparative study between two laboratories on olive oil (1)H NMR fingerprinting, aiming to demonstrate the robustness of NMR-based metabolomics in generating comparable data sets for cultivar classification. Sample preparation and data acquisition were performed independently in two laboratories, equipped with different resolution spectrometers (400 and 500 MHz), using two identical sets of mono-varietal olive oils.

[Pt(O,O'-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] versus cisplatin: apoptotic effects in B50 neuroblastoma cells.

Cisplatin is one of the most active chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of childhood and adult malignancies. Cisplatin induces cell death through different pathways. Despite its effectiveness, the continued clinical use of cisplatin is limited by onset of severe side effects (nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and neurotoxicity) and drug resistance.

(1)H NMR metabolomic profiling of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) from the Adriatic Sea (SE Italy): A comparison with warty crab (Eriphia verrucosa), and edible crab (Cancer pagurus).

The metabolomic profile of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) captured in the Acquatina lagoon (SE Italy) was compared to an autochthonous (Eriphia verrucosa) and to a commercial crab species (Cancer pagurus). Both lipid and aqueous extracts of raw claw muscle were analyzed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and MVA (multivariate data analysis). Aqueous extracts were characterized by a higher inter-specific discriminating power compared to lipid fractions.