Drug prescriptions in elderly hospitalized patients with cognitive impairment in the Italian Dementia Friendly Hospital project.

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize drug prescription patterns in elderly patients hospitalized in acute wards as a function of cognitive status and staff training.

Methods: We recorded clinical parameters reflecting health status and drug prescriptions at admission, during hospital stay, and at discharge before and after a short staff training on the needs of aged cognitively impaired patients. Participants aged 65 and older had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥16.

Walking around the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy): An Ethnobotanical Investigation.

The Trentino-South Tyrol region is a special statute region of northeastern Italy. This territory is of particular interest for its morphology, flourishing vegetation, and history, having been a meeting area among different civilizations. Hence, Trentino is characterized by an ethnic plurality and a rich ethnobotanical knowledge, even if the available information is fragmentary, widely dispersed, and often guarded in oral popular culture.

Microwave-Assisted and Conventional Extractions of Volatile Compounds from Mill. Fresh Petals for Cosmetic Applications.

Mill. essential oil is mainly used in the cosmetics and perfumery industry, but it also finds application in the food industry as a flavoring agent. The chemical composition of essential oils is affected by environment, soil, harvesting technique, storage condition, and extraction methods.

Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Flowers of Five Fragrant (Orchidaceae).

A detailed chemical composition of essential oil has been only reported for a few main species. This article is the first to evaluate the essential oil composition, obtained by steam distillation, of five Indian species: Lindl., Rchb.

Beta-amyloid short- and long-term synaptic entanglement.

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) is a peptide that derives from the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by several secretases. Since its isolation and sequencing from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, Aβ has been intensively investigated in the context of AD as the main pathogenic marker responsible for neurodegenerative processes. During the last three decades, results from several independent studies have converged to form the so-called amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD and several therapeutic strategies designed to modulate the APP amyloidogenic pathway have been developed.

Stromal Vascular Fraction Loaded Silk Fibroin Mats Effectively Support the Survival of Diabetic Mice after Pancreatic Islet Transplantation.

The aim of this study is to assess whether stromal vascular fraction (SVF)-soaked silk fibroin nonwoven mats (silk-SVF) can preserve the functionality of encapsulated pancreatic endocrine cells (alginate-PECs) after transplantation in the subcutaneous tissue of diabetic mice. Silk scaffolds are selected to create an effective 3D microenvironment for SVF delivery in the subcutaneous tissue before diabetes induction: silk-SVF is subcutaneously implanted in the dorsal area of five healthy animals; after 15 d, mice are treated with streptozotocin to induce diabetes and then alginate-PECs are implanted on the silk-SVF. All animals appear in good health, increasing weight during time, and among them, one presents euglycemia until the end of experiments.

Multidimensional Effects of Soy Isoflavone by Food or Supplements in Menopause Women: a Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis.

Isoflavones can exert their action on various levels: on cardiovascular system, bone and muscle health, on cancer, on menopausal symptoms, on obesity, on thyroid and on cognitive function. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the multidimensional effects of phytoestrogens in postmenopausal woman, and specifically to explore the impact on scientific literature. A research strategy was planned on PubMed and Scopus by defining the following key words:: menopause, climacteric, soy, isoflavone, phytoestrogens, cardiovascular system, bone mineral density, muscle mass, cancer, thyroid, obesity, cognitive.

Effects of soluble β-amyloid on the release of neurotransmitters from rat brain synaptosomes.

Contradictory results have been reported on the interaction of beta-amyloid (Aβ) with cholinergic receptors. The present paper investigates the modulatory effect of Aβ1-40 on the neurotransmitter release evoked by nicotinic (nAChRs) and muscarinic (mAChRs) receptors. Aβ1-40 inhibits both nicotinic and muscarinic-evoked [(3)H]DA overflow from rat nerve endings.

Inhibitory effects of beta-amyloid on the nicotinic receptors which stimulate glutamate release in rat hippocampus: the glial contribution.

We investigated on the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes involved in the cholinergic control of in vivo hippocampal glutamate (GLU), aspartate (ASP) and inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) overflow. We also investigated on the possible contribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors subtypes present on astrocytes in the regulation of the three neurotransmitter amino acids overflow using hippocampal gliosomes and on the effects of beta-amyloid (Aβ) 1-40 on the nicotinic control of amino acid neurotransmitter release. Nicotine was able to enhance the in vivo overflow of the three amino acids being more potent in stimulating GLU overflow.

Dangerous liaisons between beta-amyloid and cholinergic neurotransmission.

The review examines the multifaceted interactions between cholinergic transmission and beta-amyloid suggesting a continuum in the action of the peptide that at low concentrations (picomolar-low nanomolar) may directly stimulate nicotinic cholinergic receptor while desensitizing them at increasing concentrations (high nanomolar-low micromolar). In addition high beta-amyloid concentrations may reduce the synaptic release of several neurotransmitters, including glutamate, aspartate, GABA, glycine and dopamine, when the release is elicited through cholinergic stimulation but not following depolarization. The effect of beta-amyloid has been observed both in vitro and in vivo in at least three different brain areas (nucleus accumbens, striatum, hippocampus) suggesting that the peptide may exert some general effects even if not all the brain areas have been evaluated.

Beta Amyloid Differently Modulate Nicotinic and Muscarinic Receptor Subtypes which Stimulate in vitro and in vivo the Release of Glycine in the Rat Hippocampus.

Using both in vitro (hippocampal synaptosomes in superfusion) and in vivo (microdialysis) approaches we investigated whether and to what extent β amyloid peptide 1-40 (Aβ 1-40) interferes with the cholinergic modulation of the release of glycine (GLY) in the rat hippocampus. The nicotine-evoked overflow of endogenous GLY in hippocampal synaptosomes in superfusion was significantly inhibited by Aβ 1-40 (10 nM) while increasing the concentration to 100 nM the inhibitory effect did not further increase. Both the Choline (Ch; α7 agonist; 1 mM) and the 5-Iodo-A-85380 dihydrochloride (5IA85380, α4β2 agonist; 10 nM)-evoked GLY overflow were inhibited by Aβ 1-40 at 100 nM but not at 10 nM concentrations.

Dual effect of beta-amyloid on α7 and α4β2 nicotinic receptors controlling the release of glutamate, aspartate and GABA in rat hippocampus.

Background: We previously showed that beta-amyloid (Aβ), a peptide considered as relevant to Alzheimer's Disease, is able to act as a neuromodulator affecting neurotransmitter release in absence of evident sign of neurotoxicity in two different rat brain areas. In this paper we focused on the hippocampus, a brain area which is sensitive to Alzheimer's Disease pathology, evaluating the effect of Aβ (at different concentrations) on the neurotransmitter release stimulated by the activation of pre-synaptic cholinergic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs, α4β2 and α7 subtypes). Particularly, we focused on some neurotransmitters that are usually involved in learning and memory: glutamate, aspartate and GABA.

Different presynaptic nicotinic receptor subtypes modulate in vivo and in vitro the release of glycine in the rat hippocampus.

In the present study, using an in vivo approach (a microdialysis technique associated to HPLC with fluorimetric detection) and in vitro purified hippocampal synaptosomes in superfusion, we investigated the glycinergic transmission in the hippocampus, focusing on the nicotinic control of glycine (GLY) release. The acute administration of nicotine in vivo was able to evoke endogenous GLY release in the rat hippocampus. The specific nicotinic agonists PHA-543613 hydrochloride (PHA543613) selective for the α7 nicotinic receptor subtype administered in vivo also elicited GLY release in a similar extent, while the α4β2 agonist 5-IA85380 dihydrochloride (5IA85380) was less effective.

Specific neuromodulatory actions of amyloid-beta on dopamine release in rat nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen.

We previously demonstrated that amyloid-beta (Abeta) has a neuromodulatory action in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). In this area of the brain, the peptide disrupts the cholinergic control of dopamine (DA) release both in vivo and in vitro. The aim of the present work was to extend the research on the neuromodulatory effect of Abeta (1-40) on DA transmission to different release stimuli and to another dopaminergic brain area, the caudate putamen (CPu), in order to clarify whether the effect of the peptide is stimulus- or brain area-selective.

Acute beta-amyloid administration disrupts the cholinergic control of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

The clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory deficits but it also involves the impairment of several cognitive functions. Some of these cognitive and executive functions are mediated by limbic areas and are regulated by dopaminergic neurotransmission. Furthermore, literature data suggest that beta-amyloid (Abeta) can influence synaptic activity in absence of neurotoxicity and in particular can impair cholinergic modulation of other neurotransmitter actions.

Catecholamines increase in the urine of non-segmental vitiligo especially during its active phase.

Neural factors appear to play a major role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. To investigate the possible correlation between vitiligo and peripheral monoaminergic system activity, we used high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrochemical detector methods to evaluate the basal urine excretion values of catecholamines [norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine and dopamine (DA)], their relative metabolites [3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), normetanephrine (NMN), metanephrine (MN), vanilmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid], as well as 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), in 35 healthy subjects and in 70 patients, suffering from non-segmental vitiligo at different stages of the disease. Levels of NE, DA, NMN, MN, MHPG, VMA and 5-HIAA were found to be significantly higher in patients than in controls.