L. and (L.) Scop.: Phytochemical Content and In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential.

Spontaneous edible plants have an old history of use in popular traditions all around the world, and the rediscovery of these species could also be useful for the search of new drugs. L. (Amaranthaceae) and (L.

From surveillance to development of nutritional guidelines.

In Italy, like in most parts of the world, 30% of children and almost 50% of adults are overweight. This condition is one of the causes of non-communicable diseases responsible for over two thirds of DALYs, deaths and costs for healthcare. Current surveys confirm that overweight and obesity are associated with food habits which have changed, in Italy, in the last fifty years.

[Assuring food safety and nutritional quality].

Nutrition needs increasingly integration between Food Safety and Nutritional Prevention, duties, in Italy, since I 998 the Food Hygiene and Nutrition services (SIAN) do. Furthermore, working in Evidence Based Prevention (EBP) is necessary to improve the prevention and make it more useful to people health, so it must be used tested efficacy methods, above all in a unsuitable economic and human sources contest. In order to improve the prevention and working in EBP, SIAN have devised and achieved some Nutritional Prevention Projects, interregional, regional and local wide net-working, by using process and efficacy indicators, in some projects also user's satisfaction indicators are used.

[Improving dietary habits in the effective prevention of excess weight and obesity].

The new research survey "Okkio alla salute", conducted in children in the 3rd year of elementary school, has confermed the worrisome phenomenon of the high number of obese and overweight children. Therefore, it is necessary, also in light of the few available resources, to fight back against this phenomenon that has been demonstrated to be a cause of disabling illnesses in adults. There must therefore be collaboration between Departments of Prevention and Hygiene and Nutrition services (SIAN) to build valid and efficient pathways.

Brain nitric oxide production by a proline-rich decapeptide from Bothrops jararaca venom improves baroreflex sensitivity of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Baroreflex sensitivity is disturbed in many people with cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Brain deficiency of nitric oxide (NO), which is synthesized by NO synthase (NOS) in the citrulline-NO cycle (with argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) activity being the rate-limiting step), contributes to impaired baroreflex. We recently showed that a decapeptide isolated from Bothrops jararaca snake venom, denoted Bj-PRO-10c, exerts powerful and sustained antihypertensive activity.

[Obesity and Eating Disorders. Indications for the different levels of care. An Italian Expert Consensus Document].

This paper is an Italian Expert Consensus Document on multidimensional treatment of obesity and eating disorders. The Document is based on a wide survey of expert opinion. It presents, in particular, considerations regarding how clinicians go about choosing the most appropriate site of treatment for a given patient suffering from obesity and/or eating disorders: outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential rehabilitation centre, inpatient hospitalization.

The central nervous system as target for antihypertensive actions of a proline-rich peptide from Bothrops jararaca venom.

Pyroglutamyl proline-rich oligopeptides, present in the venom of the pit viper Bothrops jararaca (Bj-PROs), are the first described naturally occurring inhibitors of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). The inhibition of ACE by the decapeptide Bj-PRO-10c ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treatment of hemorrhagic shock with hypertonic saline solution modulates the inflammatory response to live bacteria in lungs.

Shock and resuscitation render patients more susceptible to acute lung injury due to an exacerbated immune response to subsequent inflammatory stimuli. To study the role of innate immunity in this situation, we investigated acute lung injury in an experimental model of ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) followed by an early challenge with live bacteria. Conscious rats (N = 8 in each group) were submitted to controlled hemorrhage and resuscitated with isotonic saline (SS, 0.

Transmitting tissue architecture in basal-relictual angiosperms: Implications for transmitting tissue origins.

Carpel transmitting tissue is a major floral innovation that is essential for angiosperm success. It facilitates the rapid adhesion, hydration, and growth of the male gametophyte to the female gametophyte. As well, it functions as a molecular screen to promote male gametophytic competition and species-specific recognition and compatibility.

Platelet-derived exosomes from septic shock patients induce myocardial dysfunction.

Introduction: Mechanisms underlying inotropic failure in septic shock are incompletely understood. We previously identified the presence of exosomes in the plasma of septic shock patients. These exosomes are released mainly by platelets, produce superoxide, and induce apoptosis in vascular cells by a redox-dependent pathway.

The herbal drug Catuama reverts and prevents ventricular fibrillation in the isolated rabbit heart.

Introduction: Catuama, an herbal drug very popular in Brazil, was tested on the reversion and prevention of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the isolated rabbit heart.

Materials And Methods: Catuama (a mixture of Trichilia catigua, Paullinia cupana, Ptychopetalum olacoides, and Zinziber officinalis) was perfused in the isolated perfused rabbit heart. Its effects on intraventricular conduction, heart rate, and monophasic action potential (MAP) duration were evaluated, and sustained VF was induced.

Hypertonic saline solution increases the expression of heat shock protein 70 and improves lung inflammation early after reperfusion in a rodent model of controlled hemorrhage.

Hypertonic saline solution (HS solution, NaCl 7.5%) has shown to restore hemodynamic parameters in hemorrhagic shock and to decrease the inflammation triggered by ischemia-reperfusion injury (I-R). Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effects of HS solution on the mechanisms involved in I-R, in an experimental model of controlled hemorrhagic shock.

Local and systemic effects of hypertonic solution (NaCl 7.5%) in experimental acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: Severe acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by hemodynamic alterations and a systemic inflammatory response, leading to a high mortality rate. Treatment of hemorrhagic shock with hypertonic saline solutions significantly reduces mortality through an improvement in the hemodynamic conditions and possibly by an anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, hypertonic solutions could be effective in AP.

New model of ventricular fibrillation.

The purpose of this study was to develop a more efficient and stable model of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the isolated rabbit heart, because there is not a satisfactory model with this animal. We also observed the effects of increasing extracellular calcium in the stability and reversibility of the arrhythmia. After suspending the hearts in a classical Langendorff preparation, VF was induced by burst stimulation (current = 2.

Light induction of cell type differentiation and cell-type-specific gene expression in cotyledons of a C(4) plant, Flaveria trinervia.

In Flaveria trinervia (Asteraceae) seedlings, light-induced signals are required for differentiation of cotyledon bundle sheath cells and mesophyll cells and for cell-type-specific expression of Rubisco small subunit genes (bundle sheath cell specific) and the genes that encode pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (mesophyll cell specific). Both cell type differentiation and cell-type-specific gene expression were complete by d 7 in light-grown seedlings, but were arrested beyond d 4 in dark-grown seedlings. Our results contrast with those found for another C(4) dicot, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, in which light was not required for either process.

Role of endogenous nitric oxide in the nucleus tratus solitarii on baroreflex control of heart rate in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Objective: Toinvestigate the modulatory effect of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) on the baroreceptor reflex control of heart rate in conscious spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive (WKY) rats.

Design And Methods: Male age- and weight-matched SHR and WKY chronically instrumented with cannulas in the NTS, artery and vein were used. Basal pressure (AP), heart rate (HR) and reflex HR responses during loading/unloading of baroreceptors (phenylephrine/sodium nitroprusside, iv) were recorded during vehicle (3 nl/min) NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and L-arginine (L-Arg) infusions into the NTS.

Losartan improves baroreflex control of heart rate of coarcted hypertensive rats.

To assess the role of angiotensin (ANG) II in both the increased heart rate (HR) and the impaired baroreceptor reflex control of HR that characterize the chronic phase of coarctation hypertension (CH), we compared basal HR, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and baroreflex sensitivity of coarcted hypertensive rats treated chronically with losartan, captopril, or vehicle. Baseline HR was recorded daily, and MAP and reflex HR changes and plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured in coarcted and sham-coarcted rats on the 5th day after coarctation. Both captopril (10 mg.

Hypotensive effect of captopril. Role of bradykinin and prostaglandinlike substances.

Captopril (0.15-10 mg/kg) administration in the anesthetized dog causes immediate hypotension concomitant with an increase in tonus of the assay tissue (cat terminal ileum) superfused with circulating blood (Vane's cascade method). The increase in cat terminal ileum tonus was antagonized by a bradykinin receptor antagonist, L-349b.

Effects of aspirin-like drugs on Walker 256 tumor growth and cachexia in rats.

Several studies have shown the relationship between prostaglandins (PGs) and cell proliferation. Some PGs may trigger cell division or are involved in this process. This study analyzes the effect of PG biosynthesis inhibitors on tumor growth in vivo and cachexia in Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats.

Hypertonic resuscitation from severe hemorrhagic shock: patterns of regional circulation.

Severe blood loss can be reverted to normal circulatory function and indefinite survival by a small volume of 2,400 mOsm/liter NaCl (7.5%). This response requires functioning cervical vagal trunks at the time of hypertonic injection.

Hyperosmotic NaCl and severe hemorrhagic shock: role of the innervated lung.

Infusions of hyperosmotic NaCl (2,400 mosmol/l; 4 ml/kg) were given to dogs in severe hemorrhagic hypotension by intravenous injection (72 expts) or intra-aortic injection (25 expts). In 46 experiments intravenous infusions were given during bilateral blockage of the cervical vagal trunks (local anesthesia or cooling). Intravenous infusions (without vagal blockade) restore arterial pressure, cardiac output, and acid-base equilibrium to normal and cause mesenteric flow to overshoot prehemorrhage levels by 50%.

Hyperosmotic NaCl and severe hemorrhagic shock.

Intravenous infusions of highly concentrated NaCl (2,400 mosmol/l; infused volume 4 ml/kg; equivalent to 10% of shed blood), given to lightly anesthetized dogs in severe hemorrhagic shock, rapidly restore blood pressure and acid base equilibrium toward normality. No appreciable plasma volume expansion occurs for at least 12 h, indicating that fluid shift into the vascular bed plays no essential role in this response. Initial effects wee sustained indefinitely; long term survival was 100%, compared to 0% for a similar group of controls treated with saline.