Stroke Causes DNA Methylation at Heart Promoter in the Brain Via DNMT1/MeCP2/REST Epigenetic Complex.

Background: REST (Repressor-Element 1 [RE1]-silencing transcription factor) inhibits Na/Caexchanger-1 () transcription in neurons through the binding of RE1 site on brain promoter after stroke. We identified a new putative RE1 site in heart promoter sequence (-RE1) that participates in neuronal transcription. Because REST recruits DNA-methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) and MeCP2 (methyl-CpG binding protein 2) on different neuronal genes, we investigated the role of this complex in transcriptional regulation after stroke.

Infective Endocarditis: A Focus on Oral Microbiota.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is an inflammatory disease usually caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream and settling in the heart lining valves or blood vessels. Despite modern antimicrobial and surgical treatments, IE continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Thus, primary prevention and enhanced diagnosis remain the most important strategies to fight this disease.

A new synthetic dual agonist of GPR120/GPR40 induces GLP-1 secretion and improves glucose homeostasis in mice.

G-protein coupled receptors 40 and 120 (GPR40 and GPR120) are increasingly emerging as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of altered glucose homeostasis, and their agonists are under evaluation for their glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-mediated therapeutic effects on insulin production and sensitivity. Here, we characterized a new dual GPR40 and GPR120 agonist (DFL23916) and demonstrated that it can induce GLP-1 secretion and improve glucose homeostasis. Resulting from a rational drug design approach aimed at identifying new dual GPR120/40 agonists able to delay receptor internalization, DFL23916 had a good activity and a very high selectivity towards human GPR120 (long and short isoforms) and GPR40, as well as towards their mouse orthologous, by which it induced both Gαq/11-initiated signal transduction pathways with subsequent Ca intracellular spikes and G protein-independent signaling via β-arrestin with the same activity.

Altered DNA methylation associates with restricted adipogenesis in healthy first-degree relatives of Type 2 diabetes subjects.

First-degree relatives (FDR) of individuals with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) feature restricted adipogenesis, which render them more vulnerable to T2D. Epigenetics may contribute to these abnormalities. FDR pre-adipocyte and Transcriptome were investigated by MeDIP- and RNA-Seq, respectively.

Beyond Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Efficacy of the Low Fodmap Diet for Improving Symptoms in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Celiac Disease.

Background And Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of a low FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diet on patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), non-active inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD).

Methods: Dietetic interventional prospective study. IBS, IBD, and CD subjects were evaluated to check if they fulfilled the Rome III criteria.

Alcohol intake and breast cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition.

Alcohol intake has been associated to breast cancer in pre and postmenopausal women; however results are inconclusive regarding tumor hormonal receptor status, and potential modifying factors like age at start drinking. Therefore, we investigated the relation between alcohol intake and the risk of breast cancer using prospective observational data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Up to 334,850 women, aged 35-70 years at baseline, were recruited in ten European countries and followed up an average of 11 years.

beta-Blockade and increased dyslipidemia in patients bearing Glu27 variant of beta2 adrenergic receptor gene.

In this study, the effects of polymorphisms of the beta(2) and beta(3) adrenergic receptor genes on the occurrence of dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus in hypertensive patients treated with beta-blockers (atenolol or metoprolol) were evaluated. Patients who gave written informed consent were asked to return for blood sampling for estimation of serum glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides and for genotype determination. Genotyping analysis was performed by PCR-RFLP assay.

Is there a relationship between left ventricular mass and plasma glucose and lipids independent of body mass index? Results of the Gubbio Study.

Background And Aims: The association between left ventricular (LV) mass (M) and variables described as features of the insulin resistance syndrome, such as obesity and measures o lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms, has been reported in hypertensives. The aim of the present study was to investigate in a large, population based group of non hypertensive people, the prevalence of LV hypertrophy (H) and the relationship of LVM with some of the variables described in the insulin resistance syndrome, independently of obesity. For this reason we investigated the normotensive subjects in the age range 45-54 yrs (n = 435) of the total population of participants in the Gubbio Population Study.