HSP90 and eNOS partially co-localize and change cellular localization in relation to different ECM components in 2D and 3D cultures of adult rat cardiomyocytes.
Background information. Cultivation techniques promoting three-dimensional organization of mammalian cells are of increasing interest, since they confer key functionalities of the native ECM (extracellular matrix) with a power for regenerative medicine applications. Since ECM compliance influences a number of cell functions, Matrigel-based gels have become attractive tools, because of the ease with which their mechanical properties can be controlled. In the present study, we took advantage of the chemical and mechanical tunability of commonly used cell culture substrates, and co-cultures to evaluate, on both two- and three-dimensional cultivated adult rat cardiomyocytes, the impact of ECM c…
HYBRID SYSTEMS FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING
Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Endurance Training on Peripheral Blood and Bone Marrow of Trained Mice
Fat supplements, especially conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), are increasingly popular ergogenic aids among endurance athletes. To evaluate the importance of fat supplementation in the practice of endurance sports, we investigated the effects of CLA supplementation on body weight, muscle hypertrophy, peripheral blood composition, and bone marrow composition in healthy, young, endurance-trained mice. Young, healthy mice were subdivided into control, trained, and treated groups, according to their running attitudes. Training was performed over a period of 6 weeks on a treadmill, at a gradually increasing duration and speed. CLA-treated groups were gavaged with 0.425 mg x d(-1) CLA supplement fo…
Skeletal muscle HSP60 expression is fiber-type specific and increases after endurance training
Heat shock protein (Hsp) 60 is primarily localized inside mitochondrial, plays a key role in the translocation of proteins and cytoprotection, and its levels increase in skeletal muscle upon exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine muscle fiber specificity of HSP60 at rest and after an endurance training program of 6 weeks. Forth-eight young (7-weeks old) healthy mice (BALB/c) were subdivided into sedentary and trained groups. Training was performed over a period of 6 weeks on a rota-rod, at a gradually increasing duration and speed. Eight mice of each group were sacrificed after 15, 30 and 45 days. Two days after the last exercise session all mice were sacrificed by cervical disl…
Endurance training damages small airway epithelium in mice.
RATIONALE: In athletes, airway inflammatory cells were found to be increased in induced sputum or bronchial biopsies. Most data were obtained after exposure to cold and dry air at rest or during exercise. Whether training affects epithelial and inflammatory cells in small airways is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To test whether endurance training under standard environmental conditions causes epithelial damage and inflammation in the small airways of mice. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung sections were obtained in sedentary (n = 14) and endurance-trained (n = 16) Swiss mice at baseline and after 15, 30, and 45 days of training. The following variables were assessed (m…
Soccer players have a better standing balance in nondominant one-legged stance
Rosario Barone1, Filippo Macaluso2, Marcello Traina3,4, Vincenza Leonardi4,5, Felicia Farina1, Valentina Di Felice11Human Anatomy Section 'E. Luna', BioNeC, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 2Department of Physiological Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases, 4Methods and Didactics of Motory Activities, DISMOT, 5Department of General Surgery, Emergency and Organ Transplants (GENURTO), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy  Rosario Barone and Filippo Macaluso contributed equally to the workAbstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in standing balan…
Analysis of myoD and connexin-43 expression in gluteus maximum muscle of young mice after endurance training
Cardiac Stem Cell Research: An Elephant in the Room?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the industrialized world, and stem cell therapy seems to be a promising treatment for injured cardiac tissue. To reach this goal, the scientific community needs to find a good source of stem cells that can be used to obtain new myocardium in a very period range of time. Since there are many ethical and technical problems with using embryonic stem cells as a source of cells with cardiogenic potential, many laboratories have attempted to isolate potential cardiac stem cells from several tissues. The best candidates seem to be cardiac "progenitor" and/or "stem" cells, which can be isolated from subendocardial biopsies from the same patient or from…
SFRR-E Young Investigator AwardeeαB-crystallin modulation after acute exercise in skeletal muscle: the role of oxidative stress and fiber composition.
αB-crystallin (CRYAB) is a member of the small heat shock proteins implicated in various biological functions, particularly in skeletal muscle where it is involved in adaptive remodelling processes, activation of gene transcription and stabilization of nascent proteins.In this research we analysed αB-crystallin' response in mouse gastrocnemius at 15' and 30' of recovery from an acute aerobic exercise (1hour), correlating its modulation with oxidative stress level and fiber composition, red (RG) and white gastrocnemius (WG).We found for the first time that the acute exercise lead to a short term, specific increase of phospho-αB-crystallin level (pCRYAB) in the RG, while no changes were obser…
Vasostatin-1 may bind to an extracellular matrix interacting protein
Study of the effects of Pleurotuseryngii var. eryngii on heat shock proteins and cytokines levels in a mouse model of colon carcinoma
Medicinal mushrooms are wonderful source of nutraceuticals with a wide range of benefit for human health. The current anti-cancer therapy is not always target specific and often is associated with complications for patients. Therefore new effective and less toxic therapeutic approaches are needed. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly expressed in a variety of cancer types contributing to tumor cell propagation. Here, we treated C26 colon cancer cells with a cold-water extracts of an edible mushrooms Pleurotuseryngii var. eryngii (Pleuery). Hsp90, 70, 60 and 27 levels were measured by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. Moreover, we evaluated Pleueryanti cancer effect in an an…
The early response of αB-crystallin to a single bout of aerobic exercise in mouse skeletal muscles depends upon fiber oxidative features
Besides its substantial role in eye lens, αB-crystallin (HSPB5) retains fundamental function in striated muscle during physiological or pathological modifications. In this study, we aimed to analyse the cellular and molecular factors driving the functional response of HSPB5 protein in different muscles from mice subjected to an acute bout of non-damaging endurance exercise or in C2C12 myocytes upon exposure to pro-oxidant environment, chosen as “in vivo” and “in vitro” models of a physiological stressing conditions, respectively.To this end, red (GR) and white gastrocnemius (GW), as sources of slow-oxidative and fast-glycolytic/oxidative fibers, as well as the soleus (SOL), mainly composed …
Soccer players have a better standing balance in nondominant one-legged stance
Rosario Barone1, Filippo Macaluso2, Marcello Traina3,4, Vincenza Leonardi4,5, Felicia Farina1, Valentina Di Felice11Human Anatomy Section 'E. Luna', BioNeC, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 2Department of Physiological Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases, 4Methods and Didactics of Motory Activities, DISMOT, 5Department of General Surgery, Emergency and Organ Transplants (GENURTO), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy  Rosario Barone and Filippo Macaluso contributed equally to the workAbstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in standing balan…
Increased Cx43 and Angiogenesis in Exercised Mouse Hearts
Several studies focused on the macroscopic architecture of increased cardiac wall induced by exercise training. Our goal was to evaluate myocardiocyte, interstitial and vascular component, and connexin-43 expression in endurance-trained mouse hearts. Sixty-three 10-week-old male Swiss mice were divided into four sedentary groups (C0, C15, C30 and C45) and three groups exercised respectively for 15 (T15-D; running intensity [RI]: 3.18 m/min; running duration [RD]: 75 min/first week and 150 min/second week), 30 (T30-D; RI: 3.96 m/min; RD: 150 min/third week and 225 min/fourth week) and 45 days (T45-D; RI: 3.96 m/min and 4.8 m/min, respectively for the fifth and sixth week; RD: 300 min) on a t…
A mouse model of alcoholic liver disease reveals protection by Lactobacillus fermentum
The knowledge and treatment of alcoholic liver disease is still plagued with gaps mostly due to the inherent limitations of research with patients. We developed an animal model for studying liver histopathology, Hsp-chaperones involvement, and response to treatment. The system was standardized using mice to which ethanol was orally administered alone or in combination with Lactobacillus fermentum for 4, 8 and 12 weeks and applying a battery of techniques (histology, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, real-time PCR, immunoprecipitation, 3-nitrotyrosine labeling) to assess liver pathology and Hsp60, iNOS gene expression and protein levels, and Hsp60 post-translational modifications. Stea…
Poly-lactic acid and fibrinoin scaffolds as three-dimensional device to differentiate cardiac stem cells: in vitro and in vivo studies
Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, Vol 115, No 1/2 (Supplement) 2010
Acute change of titin at mid-sarcomere remains despite 8 wk of plyometric training
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate skeletal muscle changes induced by an acute bout of plyometric exercise (PlyEx) both before and after PlyEx training, to understand if titin is affected differently after PlyEx training. Methods: Healthy untrained individuals (N=11) completed the 1stPlyEx (10x10 squat-jumps, 1min rest). Thereafter, 6 subjects completed 8 weeks of PlyEx, while 5 controls abstained from any jumping activity. Seven days after the last training session all subjects completed the 2ndPlyEx. Blood samples were collected before, 6 hours and 1, 2, 3 and 4 days after each acute bout of PlyEx, and muscle biopsies 4 days before and 3 days after each acute bout of Pl…
Beneficial effects of low intensity endurance training in adult mdx mise
Exercise-Induced Activation and Translocation of αB-Crystallin in Skeletal Muscle Depends upon Fiber Type and Oxidative Stress
Alpha B-crystallin (CRYAB) is a member of the small heat shock proteins implicated in various biological functions, particularly in skeletal muscle tissue [1], where it results to be modulated following exercise-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) [2]. In this work we aimed to analyse the CRYAB response to acute exercise with respect muscle fiber composition and to identify the underlying molecular mechanism by the utilization of the C2C12 “in vitro” cellular model. Our results highlighted as acute exercise determines a specific increase of phospho-CRYAB both in the red, but not white, gastrocnemius (GS), with an higher amount of oxidative and oxidative-glycolytic fibers, and in soleus (S…
Cytokine- and Interferon-Modulating Properties of Echinacea spp. Root Tinctures Stored at −20°C for 2 Years
Echinacea spp. phytomedicines are popular for treating upper respiratory infections. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the immunomodulatory properties of Echinacea tinctures from seven species after being stored at -20 degrees C for 2 years. Two experimental techniques were employed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In the first set of experiments, PBMCs were stimulated in vitro with tinctures alone and assayed for proliferation and production of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). In the second set of experiments, subjects were immunized with influenza vaccine. PBMCs from vaccinated individuals were stimulated in v…
Effetti dell’allenamento di endurance sulla microvascolarizzazione del miocardio di topo
Effect of Exercise on Fatty Acid Metabolism and Adipokine Secretion in Adipose Tissue
Increased physical activity is an optimal way to maintain a good health. During exercise, triacylglycerols, an energy reservoir in adipose tissue, are hydrolyzed to free fatty acids (FAs) which are then released to the circulation, providing a fuel for working muscles. Thus, regular physical activity leads to a reduction of adipose tissue mass and improves metabolism. However, the reduction of lipid reservoir is also associated with many other interesting changes in adipose tissue FA metabolism. For example, a prolonged exercise contributes to a decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity and resultant reduction of FA uptake. This results in the improvement of mitochondrial function and upregul…
Endurance training increases inflammatory cells in small airways of mice
Effetti della temperatura dell'acqua sull'idratazione di nuotatori di fondo
Effects of conjugated linoleic acid and endurance training on peripheral blood and bone marrow of trained mice
Fat supplements, es- pecially conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), are increasingly popular ergogenic aids among endurance athletes. To evaluate the im- portance of fat supplementation in the practice of endurance sports, we investigated the effects of CLA supplementation on body weight, muscle hypertrophy, peripheral blood composition, and bone marrow composition in healthy, young, endurance- trained mice. Young, healthy mice were subdivided into control, trained, and treated groups, according to their running atti- tudes. Training was performed over a period of 6 weeks on a treadmill, at a gradually increasing duration and speed. CLA- treated groups were gavaged with 0.425 mg·d 1 CLA supplemen…
Exercise and Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation Induce Changes in the Composition of Liver Fatty Acids
Exercise and supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are used to reduce body weight and to improve health. Applied together, they may exert a synergistic effect. However, the effects of exercise and CLA supplementation on liver metabolism are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of exercise and CLA supplementation on fatty acids (FA) composition in mouse liver. We analyzed 44 of known FAs of this organ by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrated that exercise contributed to a decrease in odd-chain FA and an increase in n-6 polyunsaturated FA contents. In turn, CLA stimulated an increase in branched-chain FAs and n-3 polyunsa…
Maximum Water Temperature Limit in Open-Water Swimming Events
Nestin as a marker of adult rat cardiac stem cells
Muscle Histopathological Abnormalities in a Patient With a CCT5 Mutation Predicted to Affect the Apical Domain of the Chaperonin Subunit.
Recognition of diseases associated with mutations of the chaperone system genes, e.g., chaperonopathies, is on the rise. Hereditary and clinical aspects are established, but the impact of the mutation on the chaperone molecule and the mechanisms underpinning the tissue abnormalities are not. Here, histological features of skeletal muscle from a patient with a severe, early onset, distal motor neuropathy, carrying a mutation on the CCT5 subunit (MUT) were examined in comparison with normal muscle (CTR). The MUT muscle was considerably modified; atrophy of fibers and disruption of the tissue architecture were prominent, with many fibers in apoptosis. CCT5 was diversely present in the sarcolem…
Sex-based differences after a single bout of exercise on PGC1α isoforms in skeletal muscle: A pilot study
To date, there are limited and incomplete data on possible sex-based differences in fiber-types of skeletal muscle and their response to physical exercise. Adult healthy male and female mice completed a single bout of endurance exercise to examine the sex-based differences of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α), heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression, as well as the Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) fiber-type distribution in soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Our results showed for the first time that in male soleus, a muscle rich of type IIa fibers, endurance exercise activates specifically genes involved in mito…
European Week of Sport: innovative initiative of European Commission that inspires children to be active
BAC KGROU ND: Estimates indicate that more than one third of European adults are inactive, despite the known benefits of physical activity. In 2015 the European Commission launched the European Week of Sport (EWoS), to encourage people to engage in sport and physical activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate if participation in the EWoS could motivate children to participate in physical activity in future. METHOD S: A total of 10,892 children (aged 6-14), from 6 EU cities (Palermo, Italy; Ankara, Turkey; Lousada, Portugal; Gardabaer, Iceland; Rijeka, Croatia; Albacete, Spain), were enrolled in sport activities (running sport event, extra hours of physical activity, seminars on physica…
Hsp60 in Skeletal Muscle Fiber Biogenesis and Homeostasis: From Physical Exercise to Skeletal Muscle Pathology
Hsp60 is a molecular chaperone classically described as a mitochondrial protein with multiple roles in health and disease, participating to the maintenance of protein homeostasis. It is well known that skeletal muscle is a complex tissue, rich in proteins, that is, subjected to continuous rearrangements, and this homeostasis is affected by many different types of stimuli and stresses. The regular exercise induces specific histological and biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle fibers, such as hypertrophy and an increase of mitochondria activity and oxidative capacity. The current literature is lacking in information regarding Hsp60 involvement in skeletal muscle fiber biogenesis and reg…
Physiactisome: A New Nanovesicle Drug Containing Heat Shock Protein 60 for Treating Muscle Wasting and Cachexia.
Currently, no commercially available drugs have the ability to reverse cachexia or counteract muscle wasting and the loss of lean mass. Here, we report the methodology used to develop Physiactisome—a conditioned medium released by heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60)—overexpressing C2C12 cell lines enriched with small and large extracellular vesicles. We also present evidence supporting its use in the treatment of cachexia. Briefly, we obtain a nanovesicle-based secretion by genetically modifying C2C12 cell lines with an Hsp60-overexpressing plasmid. The secretion is used to treat naïve C2C12 cell lines. Physiactisome activates the expression of PGC-1α isoform 1, which is di…
Effect of conjugated linoleic acid on testosterone synthesis
Preferential Type II Muscle Fiber Damage From Plyometric Exercise
Context: Plyometric training has been successfully used in different sporting contexts. Studies that investigated the effect of plyometric training on muscle morphology are limited, and results are controversial with regard to which muscle fiber type is mainly affected. Objective: To analyze the skeletal muscle structural and ultrastructural change induced by an acute bout of plyometric exercise to determine which type of muscle fibers is predominantly damaged. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Eight healthy, untrained individuals (age = 22 ± 1 years, height = 179.2 ± 6.4 cm, weight = 78.9 ± 5.9 kg). Intervention(s): Partici…
Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Associated With Endurance Exercise on Muscle Fibres and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator 1 α Isoforms
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to improve muscle hypertrophy, steroidogenesis, physical activity, and endurance capacity in mice, although the molecular mechanisms of its actions are not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to identify whether CLA alters the expression of any of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) isoforms, and to evaluate the possible existence of fibre-type-specific hypertrophy in the gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups: placebo sedentary, CLA sedentary, placebo trained, or CLA trained. The CLA groups were gavaged with 35 μl per day of Tonalin® FFA 8…
Silk-based matrices and c-Kit positive cardiac progenitor cells for a cellularized silk fibroin scaffold: study of an in vivo model.
The production of a cellularized silk fibroin scaffold is very difficult because it is actually impossible to differentiate cells into a well-organized cardiac tissue. Without vascularization, not only do cell masses fail to grow, but they may also exhibit an area of necrosis, indicating a lack of oxygen and nutrients. In the present study, we used the so-called tyrosine protein kinase kit (c-kit)-positive cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) to generate cardiac cellularized silk fibroin scaffolds, multipotent cells isolated from the adult heart to date that can show some degree of differentiation toward the cardiac phenotype. To test their ability to differentiate into the cardiac phenotype in …
Do Fat Supplements Increase Physical Performance?
Fish oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) belong to a popular class of food supplements known as "fat supplements", which are claimed to reduce muscle glycogen breakdown, reduce body mass, as well as reduce muscle damage and inflammatory responses. Sport athletes consume fish oil and CLA mainly to increase lean body mass and reduce body fat. Recent evidence indicates that this kind of supplementation may have other side-effects and a new role has been identified in steroidogenensis. Preliminary findings demonstrate that fish oil and CLA may induce a physiological increase in testosterone synthesis. The aim of this review is to describe the effects of fish oil and CLA on physical performan…
C-Reactive Protein Is Elevated Only in High Creatine Kinase Responders to Muscle Damaging Exercise.
The purpose of this study was to investigate if exertional rhabdomyolysis induced by an acute bout of plyometric exercise in untrained individuals was associated with histological characteristics of skeletal muscle, creatine kinase (CK) polymorphism or secondary damage. Twenty-six healthy male untrained individuals completed a bout of plyometric exercise (10 sets of 10 maximal squat jumps, with each standardized to achieve at least 95% of individual maximal jump height). Blood samples were taken, and perceived pain was scored immediately before the exercise intervention and 6 h, 1, 2, and 3 days post-intervention. Muscle biopsies were collected 9 or 4 days before (baseline) and 3 days after…
Effect of Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Testosterone Levels In Vitro and In Vivo After an Acute Bout of Resistance Exercise
The purposes of the present study were to investigate the effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on testosterone levels in vitro on a cell line derived from Leydig cells (R2C) and in vivo in the blood of physically active subjects before and after a resistance exercise bout. In vitro R2C cells were treated with different CLA concentrations (0-30 μM) for 24 and 48 hours. After treatment, supernatant media were tested to determine testosterone secretion. The CLA increased the testosterone secretion only after 48 hours. In vivo, 10 resistance-trained male subjects, in a double-blind placebo-controlled and crossover study design were randomized for 3 weeks of either 6 g·d⁻¹ CL…
αB-crystallin activation in cardiac muscle by acute exercise mirrors the sHSP kinetic in oxidative skeletal muscle fibers: animal and cellular study
Alpha-B-Crystallin (CRYAB), a Small Heat Shock Protein sensitive to oxidative stress, is implicated in various biological processes in many tissues. In cardiac muscle, CRYAB exerts a cardio protective role in ischemia-induced damage preventing apoptosis and necrosis. We aimed to study αB-crystallin’ response in mouse cardiac tissue (H), at different time of recovery from an acute aerobic exercise (1 hour), correlating its modulation with oxidative stress level. We found that a single bout exercise lead to a specific short-term increase of phospho-αB-crystallin level (pCRYAB), without changes of its total expression. Further, the level of 4-hydroxynonenal, a marker of lipidic peroxidation, h…
ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE: A MOUSE MODEL REVEALS PROTECTION BY LACTOBACILLUS FERMENTUM
Objectives Alcoholism is one of the most devastating diseases with high incidence, but knowledge of its pathology and treatment is still plagued with gaps mostly because of the inherent limitations of research with patients. We developed an animal model for studying liver histopathology, Hsp (heat-shock protein)-chaperones involvement, and response to treatment. Methods The system was standardized using mice to which ethanol was orally administered alone or in combination with Lactobacillus fermentum following a precise schedule over time and applying, at predetermined intervals, a battery of techniques (histology, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, real-time PCR, immunoprecipitation, …
Recovery of Damaged Skeletal Muscle in mdx Mice through Low-intensity Endurance Exercise
The lack of dystrophin in mdx mice leads to cycles of muscle degeneration and regeneration processes. Various strategies have been proposed in order to reduce the muscle-wasting component of muscular dystrophy, including implementation of an exercise programme. The aim of this study was to examine how low-intensity endurance exercise affects the degeneration-regeneration process in dystrophic muscle of male mdx mice. Mice were subjected to low-intensity endurance exercise by running on a motorized Rota-Rod for 5 days/week for 6 weeks. Histomorphological analysis showed a signifi cant reduction of measured inflammatory-necrotic areas in both gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle of exercised m…
HSP90 AND ENOS PARTIALLY CO-LOCALIZE AND CHANGE CELLULAR LOCALIZATION IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT ECM COMPONENTS IN 2D AND 3D CULTURES OF ADULT RAT CARDIOMYOCYTES.
JNK pathway and heat shock response mediate the survival of C26 colon carcinoma bearing mice fed with the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii without affecting tumor growth or cachexia.
In the last few years, there has been emerging interest in developing treatments against human diseases using natural bioactive content. Here, the powder of the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii was mixed with the normal diet of mice bearing C26 colon carcinoma. Interestingly, it was evidenced by a significant increase in the survival rate of C26 tumor-bearing mice accompanied by a significant increase in Hsp90 and Hsp27 protein levels in the tumors. These data were paralleled by a decrease in Hsp60 levels. The mushroom introduced in the diet induced the inhibition of the transcription of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1 exerting an anti-inflammatory action. The eff…
Aerobic Exercise and Pharmacological Treatments Counteract Cachexia by Modulating Autophagy in Colon Cancer
Recent studies have correlated physical activity with a better prognosis in cachectic patients, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. In order to identify the pathways involved in the physical activity-mediated rescue of skeletal muscle mass and function, we investigated the effects of voluntary exercise on cachexia in colon carcinoma (C26)-bearing mice. Voluntary exercise prevented loss of muscle mass and function, ultimately increasing survival of C26-bearing mice. We found that the autophagic flux is overloaded in skeletal muscle of both colon carcinoma murine models and patients, but not in running C26-bearing mice, thus suggesting that exercise may release the auto…
Effects of three different water temperatures on dehydration in competitive swimmers
Summary Aims The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of three different water temperatures on physiological responses (dehydration, sweat rate, urine output, rectal temperature and plasma electrolytes) of competitive athletes during a “simulated” race of 5 km in an indoor swimming pool. Methods Nine male competitive master swimmers swam 5 km with the water at temperatures of 23, 27 and 32 C. Immediately before (Pre) and after (Post) each trial, samples of blood and urine were collected, body weight was recorded and rectal temperature was measured. The dehydration percentage and sweat rate were the highest at 32 C and the lowest at 23 C (23 C: −0.9 ± 0.5; 27 C: −1.3 ± 0.6; 32 C…
Nestin as a marker of adult rat cardiac cells
c-Kit positive cells isolated from Adult Rat Myocardium can organze them-selves into a tissue-like cell mass.
Endurance Exercise and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplementation Up-Regulate CYP17A1 and Stimulate Testosterone Biosynthesis
A new role for fat supplements, in particular conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), has been delineated in steroidogenesis, although the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. The aims of the present study were to identify the pathway stimulated by CLA supplementation using a cell culture model and to determine whether this same pathway is also stimulated in vivo by CLA supplementation associated with exercise. In vitro, Leydig tumour rat cells (R2C) supplemented with different concentrations of CLA exhibited increasing testosterone biosynthesis accompanied by increasing levels of CYP17A1 mRNA and protein. In vivo, trained mice showed an increase in free plasma testosterone…
OPLA scaffold, collagen I, and horse serum induce a higher degree of myogenic differentiation of adult rat cardiac stem cells
In the last few years, a major goal of cardiac research has been to drive stem cell differentiation to replace damaged myocardium. Several research groups have attempted to differentiate potential cardiac stem cells (CSCs) using bi- or three-dimensional systems supplemented with growth factors or molecules acting as differentiating substances. We hypothesize that these systems failed to induce a complete differentiation because they lacked an architectural space. In the present study, we isolated a pool of small proliferating and fibroblast-like cells from adult rat myocardium. The phenotype of these cells was assessed and the characterized cells were cultured in a collagen I/OPLA scaffold …
Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Associated With Endurance Exercise on Muscle Fibres and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Coactivator 1 α Isoforms
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to improve muscle hypertrophy, steroidogenesis, physical activity, and endurance capacity in mice, although the molecular mechanisms of its actions are not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to identify whether CLA alters the expression of any of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α) isoforms, and to evaluate the possible existence of fibre-type-specific hypertrophy in the gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups: placebo sedentary, CLA sedentary, placebo trained, or CLA trained. The CLA groups were gavaged with 35 μl per day of Tonalin® FFA 8…
A single bout of endurance exercise induces αB-crystallin (CRYAB) modulation in cardiac muscle as it happens in oxidative skeletal muscle fibers
CRYAB is a small Heat Shock Protein, expressed in various tissues such as skeletal and cardiac muscles, activated as phosphorylated CRYAB (pCRYAB) and involved in several pathophysiological processes. In mammals there are no reports to date on CRYAB activation following an acute endurance exercise, so the aim of my study was to explore in mouse cardiac tissue the pCRYAB levels as effect of this exercise at 0’, 15’ and 120’ of recovery. H2O2 - treated HL-1 cardiomyocytes have been utilized as in vitro model to identify the underlying molecular mechanism/s. Both in vivo and in vitro models showed no changes in CRYAB protein expression level but its phosphorylation state was significantly incr…
Skeletal muscle Heat shock protein 60 increases after endurance training and induces peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 α1 expression
AbstractHeat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) is a chaperone localizing in skeletal muscle mitochondria, whose role is poorly understood. In the present study, the levels of Hsp60 in fibres of the entire posterior group of hindlimb muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris) were evaluated in mice after completing a 6-week endurance training program. The correlation between Hsp60 levels and the expression of four isoforms of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) were investigated only in soleus. Short-term overexpression of hsp60, achieved by in vitro plasmid transfection, was then performed to determine whether this chaperone could have a role in the activa…
Effects of Pleurotus eryngii var. eryngii in "in vitro" and "in vivo" cancerogenetic models
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly expressed in a variety of cancer types contributing to tumor cell propagation and protection against apoptosis [1]. The current anti-cancer therapy is not always target specific and often is associated with complications for patients, Therefore new effective, specific and less toxic therapeutic approaches are needed. Medicinal mushrooms have emerged as wonderful source of nutraceuticals, anti-oxidants, anticancer, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, anti-microbial, and anti-diabetic. The ongoing research projects are aimed to promote mushrooms as new generation ‘‘biotherapeutics’’[2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the cold-wate…
Endurance training increases infiammatori cells in small airways of mice.
Effects of endurance training on small airways of mice
Heat stroke risk for open-water swimmers during long-distance events.
Open-water swimming is a rapidly growing sport discipline worldwide, and clinical problems associated with long-distance swimming are now better recognized and managed more effectively. The most prevalent medical risk associated with an open-water swimming event is hypothermia; therefore, the Federation Internationale De Natation (FINA) has instituted 2 rules to reduce this occurrence related to the minimum water temperature and the time taken to complete the race. Another medical risk that is relevant to open-water swimmers is heat stroke, a condition that can easily go unnoticed. The purpose of this review is to shed light on this physiological phenomenon by examining the physiological re…
αB-crystallin response to a pro-oxidant non-cytotoxic environment in murine cardiac cells: An "in vitro" and "in vivo" study.
The αB-crystallin (HSPB5) protein is modulated in response to a wide variety of stressors generated by multiple physio-pathological conditions, sustained by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In cardiac muscle tissue, this protein regulates various cellular processes, such as protein degradation, apoptosis and the stabilization of cytoskeletal elements. In this work, we studied the role of HSPB5 expression, activation and localization in HL-1 murine cardiomyocytes exposed to pro-oxidant and non-cytotoxic H2O2 concentration, as well as in cardiac tissue isolated from mice following an acute, non-damaging endurance exercise. Our results demonstrated that HSPB5 is the most abundant HSP …
HSP90 AND ENOS PARTIALLY CO-LOCALIZE AND CHANGE CELLULAR LOCALIZATION IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT ECM COMPONENTS IN 2D AND 3D CULTURES OF ADULT RAT CARDIOMYCYTES
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Cultivation techniques promoting three-dimensional organization of mammalian cells are of increasing interest, since they confer key functionalities of the native ECM (extracellular matrix) with a power for regenerative medicine applications. Since ECM compliance influences a number of cell functions, Matrigel-based gels have become attractive tools, because of the ease with which their mechanical properties can be controlled. In the present study, we took advantage of the chemical and mechanical tunability of commonly used cell culture substrates, and co-cultures to evaluate, on both two- and three-dimensional cultivated adult rat cardiomyocytes, the impact of ECM c…