Searching for airways biomarkers useful to identify progressive pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive disorder with unknown etiology. To date, the identification of new diagnostic, prognostic and progression biomarkers of IPF turns out to be necessary. MicroRNA (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs which negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in several biological and pathological processes.

Central Venous Pressure Estimation by Ultrasound Measurement of Inferior Vena Cava and Aorta Diameters in Pediatric Critical Patients: An Observational Study.

Objectives: To evaluate the ability to predict central venous pressure by ultrasound measured inferior vena cava and aortic diameters in a PICU population and to assess interoperator concordance.

Design: Noninterventional observational study.

Setting: PICU of a tertiary-care academic center.

Protecting healthcare workers from SARS-CoV-2 infection: practical indications.

The World Health Organization has recently defined the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection a pandemic. The infection, that may cause a potentially very severe respiratory disease, now called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has airborne transmission droplets. The rate of transmission is quite high, higher than common influenza.

Activation of AMPK/SIRT1 axis is required for adiponectin-mediated preconditioning on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.

Background: Adiponectin (AD) cardioprotective activities are mediated by AMPK, a fuel-sensing molecule sharing common targets and cellular activities with SIRT-1. Whether AD preconditioning may involve SIRT-1 activity is not known; however, the protective role of SIRT-1 during ischemia and the potential interplay between AMPK and SIRT-1 suggest this possibility.

Methods: Isolated hearts from male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 85) underwent ischemia/reperfusion (I/R, 30/180 min).

The quality of life in extracorporeal life support survivors: single-center experience of a long-term follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate the health-related quality of life on a very long-term follow-up in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during neonatal and pediatric age.

Design: Prospective follow-up study.

Setting: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary-care University-Hospital.

Carbon monoxide contributes to the constipating effects of granisetron in rat colon.

Aim: To investigate the mechanisms underlying the potential contribution of the heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide (HO/CO) pathway in the constipating effects of granisetron.

Methods: For studies, gastrointestinal motility was evaluated in male rats acutely treated with granisetron [25, 50, 75 μg/kg/subcutaneous (sc)], zinc protoporphyrin IX [ZnPPIX, 50 μg/kg/intraperitoneal (ip)] and hemin (50 μmol/L/kg/ip), alone or in combination. For studies, the contractile neurogenic response to electrical field stimulation (EFS, 3, 5, 10 Hz, 14 V, 1 ms, pulse trains lasting 10 s), as well as the contractile myogenic response to acetylcholine (ACh, 0.

Infliximab therapy restores adiponectin expression in perivascular adipose tissue and improves endothelial nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation in mice with type 1 diabetes.

Increased TNFα-mediated JNK signaling in the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) may contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular complications in T1DM by reducing adiponectin (Ad) synthesis and therefore impairing Ad-mediated activity in the contiguous blood vessel system. We evaluated whether in vivo treatment with the TNFα blocking antibody infliximab normalized expression of Ad and Ad receptors in various fat depots, and whether this effect correlated with improved endothelial activity and vasodilator function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. STZ mice were studied at 1 and 2weeks after diabetes onset, and compared to age-matched infliximab-treated diabetic (I-STZ) and control animals (CTRL) (n=10 each group).

Galloyl benzamide-based compounds modulating tumour necrosis factor α-stimulated c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways.

Objectives: The aim of this work is to investigate whether and how two newly synthesized 3,4,5-trimethoxygalloyl-containing compounds 1 and 3 interfere with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways involved in several pathological events, ranging from inflammatory diseases to cancer.

Methods: The effects on the phosphorylation of MAP kinases (c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), p38) and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways of 1 and its 1H-indazole-containing analogue 3, compared with those elicited by the known Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)-competitive JNK inhibitor SP600125, were evaluated through Western blot analysis in murine fibroblasts NIH-3T3 and human endothelial cells EA.hy926 acutely treated with tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).

Intermittent losartan administration triggers cardiac post-conditioning in isolated rat hearts: role of BK2 receptors.

Introduction: The angiotensin (Ang) and bradykinin (BK) tissue-system plays a pivotal role in post-conditioning, but the efficacy of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockers (ARBs) in post-ischemic strategies is still under investigation. We evaluated functional and morphological outcomes, together with activation of cytosolic RISK pathway kinases, in rat hearts subjected to losartan (LOS) or irbesartan (IRB) post-ischemic administration.

Methods: Isolated rat hearts underwent 30 min ischemia and 120 min reperfusion.

Hemin and Zinc Protoporphyrin IX Affect Granisetron Constipating Effects In Vitro and In Vivo.

Granisetron is a 5-HT3 receptors antagonist used in the management of emesis associated with anticancer chemotherapy. It affects intestinal motility with constipating effect. Since the pathway heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide (HO/CO) is involved in gastrointestinal motility, we evaluated the possible interplay between granisetron and agents affecting HO/CO pathways such as zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX), an HO inhibitor, or hemin, an HO-1 inducer.

Elevated endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels may contribute to hypoadiponectinemia in childhood obesity.

Context: Pediatric obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction and hypoadiponectinemia, but the relationship between these two conditions remains to be fully clarified. Whether enhanced release of endothelin-1 (ET-1) may directly impair adiponectin (Ad) production in obese children is not known.

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore whether and how high circulating levels of ET-1 may contribute to impair Ad production, release, and vascular activity.

Globular adiponectin counteracts VCAM-1-mediated monocyte adhesion via AdipoR1/NF-κB/COX-2 signaling in human aortic endothelial cells.

Adiponectin (Ad) is an insulin-sensitizing adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective properties. Cleavage of native full-length Ad (fAd) by elastases from activated monocytes generates globular Ad (gAd). Increased gAd levels are observed in the proximity of atherosclerotic lesions, but the physiological meaning of this proteolytic Ad fragment in the cardiovascular system is controversial.