0000000000164569

AUTHOR

Emanuela Turillazzi

Heterozygous nonsense SCN5A mutation W822X explains a simultaneous sudden infant death syndrome.

The sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of both members of a set of healthy twins (simultaneous sudden infant death syndrome (SSIDS)) is defined as a case in which both infants meet the definition of sudden infant death syndrome individually. A search of the world medical literature resulted in only 42 reported cases of SSIDS. We report the case of a pair of identical, male, monozygotic twins, 138 days old, who suddenly died, meeting the full criteria of SSIDS and where a genetic screen was performed, resulting in a heterozygous nonsense SCN5A mutation (W822X) in both twins. Immunohistochemistry was performed on cardiac tissue samples utilizing polyclonal antibodies anti-Na+ CP type V…

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Effects of Nandrolone Stimulation on Testosterone Biosynthesis in Leydig Cells

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are among the drugs most used by athletes for improving physical performance, as well as for aesthetic purposes. A number of papers have showed the side effects of AAS in different organs and tissues. For example, AAS are known to suppress gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle‐stimulating hormone. This study investigates the effects of nandrolone on testosterone biosynthesis in Leydig cells using various methods, including mass spectrometry, western blotting, confocal microscopy and quantitative real‐time PCR. The results obtained show that testosterone levels increase at a 3.9 μM concentration of nandrolone and return to the ba…

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Nandrolone decanoate interferes with testosterone biosynthesis altering blood-testis barrier components

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate whether nandrolone decanoate (ND) use affects testosterone production and testicular morphology in a model of trained and sedentary mice. A group of mice underwent endurance training while another set led a sedentary lifestyle and were freely mobile within cages. All experimental groups were treated with either ND or peanut oil at different doses for 6 weeks. Testosterone serum levels were measured via liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis and quantitative real‐time PCR were utilized to determine gene and protein expression levels of the primary enzymes implicated in testosterone biosynthesis and gene expression leve…

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Immunohistochemical marker for Na+ CP type Vα (C-20) and heterozygous nonsense SCN5A mutation W822X in a sudden cardiac death induced by mild anaphylactic reaction

A sudden death likely due to mild anaphylactic reaction in a young man is described. Autoptic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and laboratory findings were strongly consistent with the diagnosis of a mild anaphylactic reaction. Genetic molecular analysis, performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, showed a mutation described as W822X in a family with electrocardiographic pattern typical of Brugada Syndrome. It results in a nonsense mutation generating a truncated form of the channel protein. The mutation is due to a point substitution of a guanine with an adenine residue (G2466A). Immunohistochemistry and laser scanning confocal microscopy on sections from heart formalin-fixed…

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