Deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) catalyzes the initial step of hypusine incorporation into the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), leading to its activation. The activated eIF5A, in turn, plays a key role in regulating the protein translation of selected mRNAs and therefore appears to be a suitable target for therapeutic intervention strategies. In the present study, we analyzed the role of DHPS-mediated hypusination in regulating neuronal homeostasis using lentivirus-based gain and loss of function experiments in primary cortical cultures from rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cGAS-STING pathway is a pivotal element of the innate immune system, recognizing cytosolic DNA to initiate the production of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study investigates the alterations of the cGAS-STING signaling components in the cortex and hippocampus of mice aged 24 and 108 weeks. In the cortex of old mice, an increase in the dsDNA sensor protein cGAS and its product 2'3'-cGAMP was observed, without corresponding activation of downstream signaling, suggesting an uncoupling of cGAS activity from STING activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPer- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of anthropogenic chemicals used in a range of industrial processes and consumer products. Recently, their ubiquitous presence in the environment as well as their toxicological effects in humans have gained relevant attention. Although the occurrence of PFASs is widely investigated in scientific community, the standardization of analytical method for all matrices still remains an important issue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAir pollution and the increasing production of greenhouse gases has prompted greater use of renewable energy sources; the EU has set a target that the use of green energy should be at 32 percent by 2030. With this in mind, in the last 10 years, the demand for pellets in Italy has more than doubled, making Italy the second largest consumer in Europe. The quality of the pellets burned in stoves is crucial to indoor and outdoor pollution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
March 2023
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and plasticizer residues are continuously released into the environment. The use of living organisms, such as Apis mellifera L. and honey, is advantageous as bioindicator of the environmental health status, instead of traditional monitoring methods, showing the ability to record spatial and temporal pollutant variations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper would like to show all the data related to an intensive field campaign focused on the characterization of the Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) composition profile in almost 60 honey samples collected in Central Italy. The analytical data here reported are the base for a study aimed to identify the pollution sources in a region. 22 PAHs were analyzed by means of ultrasound-vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) procedure followed by a triple quadrupole gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC-MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe quality of honey is assessed through the determination of some commodity parameters: a certain importance is to be attributed to the absence of contaminating residues, in particular of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). This paper deeply investigates the presence of 22 PAHs in 57 honey samples collected in Central Italy and identifies the possible source apportionment and fingerprint identification by DLLME-GC-MS analysis and a chemometric approach. Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis have allowed to identify the main PAHs responsible of the contamination, benzo[a]anthracene and phenanthrene, characteristics pollutants of areas constantly exposed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this paper, an analytical protocol was developed for the simultaneous determination of phthalates (di-methyl phthalate DMP, di-ethyl phthalate DEP, di-isobutyl phthalate DiBP, di--butyl phthalate DBP, bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP, di--octyl phthalate DNOP) and bisphenol A (BPA). The extraction technique used was the ultrasound vortex assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (UVA-DLLME). The method involves analyte extraction using 75 µL of benzene and subsequent analysis by gas chromatography combined with ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT/MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the years, anthropogenic sources have increasingly affected food quality. One of the most sensitive and nutritional matrices affected by chemical contamination is honey, due to the use of acaricides. Recently, the attention has moved to the presence of phthalates (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BP-A), molecules present in plastic materials used both in the production phase and in the conservation of honey.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder responsible for the majority of dementia cases in elderly people. It is widely accepted that the main hallmarks of AD are not only senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles but also reactive astrogliosis, which often precedes detrimental deposits and neuronal atrophy. Such phenomenon facilitates the regeneration of neural networks; however, under some circumstances, like in AD, reactive astrogliosis is detrimental, depriving neurons of the homeostatic support, thus contributing to neuronal loss.
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