Publications by authors named "Pellizzari E"

Melamine, its analogues, and aromatic amines (AAs) were commonly detected in a previous study of pregnant women in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. While these chemicals have identified toxicities, little is known about their influences on fetal development. We measured these chemicals in gestational urine samples in 3 ECHO cohort sites to assess associations with birth outcomes (n = 1,231).

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Background: In type 1 diabetes therapy, precise tuning of postprandial corrective insulin boluses (CIBs) is crucial to mitigate hyperglycemia without inducing dangerous hypoglycemic events. Several heuristic formulas accounting for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) trend have been proposed in the literature. However, these formulas suggest a lot of quantized CIB adjustments, and they lack personalization.

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Earth system models and various climate proxy sources indicate global warming is unprecedented during at least the Common Era. However, tree-ring proxies often estimate temperatures during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (950-1250 CE) that are similar to, or exceed, those recorded for the past century, in contrast to simulation experiments at regional scales. This not only calls into question the reliability of models and proxies but also contributes to uncertainty in future climate projections.

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Sertoli cells (SCs) provide an adequate environment for germ cell development. SCs possess unique features that meet germ cells' metabolic demands: they produce lactate from glucose, which is delivered as energy substrate to germ cells. SCs store fatty acids (FAs) as triacylglycerols (TAGs) in lipid droplets (LDs) and can oxidize FAs to sustain their own energetic demands.

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Sertoli cells provide structural and nutritional support for germ cell development. They actively metabolize glucose and convert it into lactate, which is an important source of energy for germ cells. They also oxidize fatty acids (FA), stored as triacylglycerides (TAGs) within lipid droplets (LD), to fulfill their own energy requirements.

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Background: Melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amines are nitrogen-containing compounds with known toxicity and widespread commercial uses. Nevertheless, biomonitoring of these chemicals is lacking, particularly during pregnancy, a period of increased susceptibility to adverse health effects.

Objectives: We aimed to measure melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amine exposure in pregnant women across the United States (U.

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Article Synopsis
  • Prenatal exposures to chemicals can significantly impact the health of both mothers and children, yet few industrial chemicals are consistently monitored in the U.S.
  • A study involving 171 pregnant women across the U.S. and Puerto Rico measured urinary concentrations of 89 chemicals from various groups, revealing that many chemicals were present in over half the participants.
  • Notably, concentrations of certain chemicals differed by ethnicity, with Hispanic women generally showing higher levels than non-Hispanic White women, and the study highlighted the presence of 5 analytes not currently included in official biomonitoring efforts.
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  • The study aimed to investigate the effects of glyphosate (G) and Roundup (R) on male fertility by treating juvenile male rats and assessing the impact on blood-testis barrier function and sperm production.
  • No significant differences in body and testis weight were found, but treated groups exhibited disorganized testis histology and increased blood-testis barrier permeability.
  • Ultimately, the findings indicated that juvenile exposure to G or R did not have lasting negative effects on adult male fertility, as normal spermatogenesis and sperm quality were maintained in treated rats.
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Background: The direct correlation between Sertoli cell number and sperm production capacity highlights the importance of deciphering external factors that modify Sertoli cell proliferation. A growing body of evidence in vitro suggests that metformin, the main pharmacological agent for type 2 diabetes treatment in children, exerts anti-proliferative effects on Sertoli cells.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of metformin administration during postnatal period on Sertoli cell proliferation and on cell cycle regulators expression and to analyze the impact of this treatment on the sperm production capacity in adulthood.

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  • The ECHO Program is a large-scale initiative evaluating how environmental factors impact the health of over 50,000 children in the U.S., focusing on areas like neurodevelopment and obesity.
  • The program collects extensive data on chemical exposure from 56 different cohorts, measuring substances like phthalates and metals primarily during pregnancy and childhood.
  • To enhance the understanding of child health, the program suggests incorporating biomonitoring for emerging chemicals and conducting more comprehensive analyses using various biological samples and environmental monitoring.
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Background: The National Institutes of Health's Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) initiative aims to understand the impact of environmental factors on childhood disease. Over 40,000 chemicals are approved for commercial use. The challenge is to prioritize chemicals for biomonitoring that may present health risk concerns.

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Roundup (R), a formulation that contains glyphosate (G) as the active ingredient, is a commonly used nonselective herbicide that has been proposed to affect male fertility. It is well known that an adequate Sertoli cell function is essential to maintain germ cell development. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether G and R are able to affect Sertoli cell functions, such as energy metabolism and blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity.

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High latitude and altitude environments are universally recognized as particularly sensitive to environmental changes and the current climate warming is inducing remarkable transformations on vegetation assemblage in these temperature-limited regions. However, next to the wealth of studies describing the effect of rising growing season temperature on trees, much less is known about the concurrent effects of precipitation and snowpack dynamics on the other key component of alpine vegetation represented by prostrate life forms. Selecting the most widespread shrub species in the North Hemisphere, we assembled a monospecific (Juniperus communis L.

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The presence of lipid droplets (LD) and the utilization of fatty acids (FA) as a source of energy are Sertoli cell (SC) putative characteristics. It is well known that SCs can phagocyte and degrade apoptotic germ cells (AGC) resulting in increasing lipid content and ATP levels. A relationship between the regulation of lipid storage and of lipid oxidation in SC might be envisaged.

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The final number of Sertoli cells reached during the proliferative periods determines sperm production capacity in adulthood. It is well known that FSH increases the rate of proliferation of Sertoli cells; however, little is known about the transcription factors that are activated by the hormone in order to regulate Sertoli cell proliferation. On the other hand, Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIFs) are master regulators of cell growth.

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  • Metformin (MET) is a common medication for type 2 diabetes that's now being studied in younger patients, particularly those where Sertoli cells are still growing.
  • The study aims to explore how MET affects the way follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) influences Sertoli cell growth, focusing on molecular mechanisms in eight-day-old rat cultures.
  • Findings indicate that MET reduces the proliferation of Sertoli cells stimulated by FSH and alters related molecular signals, suggesting it can counteract FSH's effects on these cells' growth.
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  • Variations in the carbohydrate structure of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) significantly influence the behavior and function of Sertoli cells during sexual maturation, which is crucial for male reproductive health.
  • The study examined how different forms of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) affect the production of inhibin, particularly how the oligosaccharide structure interacts with other gonadal factors during Sertoli cell development stages.
  • Results showed that less acidic rhFSH variants were most effective in stimulating inhibin production, with more mature Sertoli cells responding positively to all rhFSH forms, highlighting the importance of FSH glycosylation in male gonadal function.
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Sertoli cells provide the structural and nutritional support for germ cell development; they actively metabolize glucose and convert it to lactate, which is an important source of energy for germ cells. Furthermore, Sertoli cells can oxidize fatty acids, a metabolic process that is assumed to fulfill their own energy requirements. Fatty acids are stored as triacylglycerides within lipid droplets.

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Paracrine regulation of Sertoli cell function by germ cells is an outstanding characteristic of testicular physiology. It has been demonstrated that Sertoli cells produce ketone bodies and that germ cells may use them as energy source. The aim of the study was to analyze a possible regulation by germ cells of ketogenesis in Sertoli cells.

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  • Climate warming is predicted to boost the growth of woody plants, especially in northern areas where temperatures are usually limited, but this warming affects different regions and plant types differently.
  • A study was conducted analyzing the growth responses of junipers and trees (like larch and pine) to rising temperatures over a 5000-km range from Polar to Mediterranean regions.
  • The findings revealed that junipers showed better growth than trees in Mediterranean sites, and that tree growth decline in these areas post-1980s was likely due to drought stress influenced by climate change, while junipers remained unaffected.
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Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIFs) are master regulators of glycolytic metabolism. HIFs consist of a constitutive HIFbeta (HIFβ) subunit and a HIFalpha (HIFα) subunit, whose half-life depends on prolyl-hydroxylases activity. Inhibition of prolyl-hydroxylases by hypoxia or transition metals, or augmentation of HIFα subunit levels by hormonal stimuli lead to a higher HIF transcriptional activity.

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Hydraulic impairment due to xylem embolism and carbon starvation are the two proposed mechanisms explaining drought-induced forest dieback and tree death. Here, we evaluate the relative role played by these two mechanisms in the long-term by quantifying wood-anatomical traits (tracheid size and area of parenchyma rays) and estimating the intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) from carbon isotopic discrimination. We selected silver fir and Scots pine stands in NE Spain with ongoing dieback processes and compared trees showing contrasting vigour (declining vs nondeclining trees).

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