CCL5(RANTES) inhibits TGFbeta1 induced collagen production in human bronchial epithelial cells by action of Smad protein

Airway epithelial cells modulate bronchial remodelling in COPD and asthma. TGF-β1 up-regulation was observed in the bronchial epithelial cells of asthmatics and COPD patients. TGF-β is involved in airways remodelling mainly acting via the Smad pathway. Increased CCL5 was also observed in bronchi of patients with severe COPD. We investigated the effects of TGF-β1 on collagen type I, Smad 3-4 and 7 expression and the effects of CCL5 on TGF-β1-induced collagen production in human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE).Cells were treated with 10ng/ml of TGF-β1, 10ng/ml of CCL5 and 10ng/ml of both TGF-β1 and CCL5 for 0,3 and 24 hours.TGF-b1 increased Smad3,Smad4 and collagen type I(p=0.0472, p=0.043…

La diminuzione di espressione di Hsp60 e Hsp10 è associata a carcinogenesi epiteliale bronchiale in fumatori con BPCO

Extended characterization of hypoimmunogenic mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the subendocardial layer of human hearts from chronic heart failure patients

Purpose: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are pluripotent cells which are known to reside in a number of adult organs. In human heart, various populations of stem/progenitor cells have been isolated by different groups. Several efforts still need to be made to better characterize resident or migrating MSC populations in terms of markers expression and immunogenic potential prior to their use for regenerative medicine applications in heart diseases. Methods: MSC were isolated from the sub-endocardial layer of left ventricle sections of hearts explanted from patients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF). The expression of several markers characteristic of the MSC lineage was assessed at both t…

Recent Patents on Oxidative Stress-Related Biomarkers in Chronic Heart Failure: The Central Role of Endothelium and Myeloperoxidase

Endothelial cells are key modulators of multiple physiological processes, and their impairment may result in the generation of endothelial dysfunction and ultimately cardiovascular diseases. Under physiologic conditions, reactive oxygen and nitrogen mediators of endothelial cells act to propagate signals driven by different stimuli, by forming molecules with a longer half-life like hydrogen peroxide. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are constantly produced as a consequence of aerobic metabolism. Under physiologic conditions, their tendency to cause oxidative damage is counterbalanced by the action of antioxidants or oxidant-scavenging enzymes. An imbalance in favour of oxidants leads to oxidat…

Isolation, characterization, differentiative properties of human mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the sub-endocardial layer of post-infarct chronic heart failure-affected patients

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are pluripotent cells which reside in several adult organs, including heart, even if heart regeneration in vivo is still a poorly comprised phenomenon. Contrasting literature reports suggest that several efforts should be made to better characterize resident or migrating MSC populations (for both markers expression and immunogenic potential) prior to their effective use for regenerative medicine applications in heart diseases. We developed a new protocol to obtain human sub-endocardial MSC (HSE-MSC) from post-infarct hearts explanted from chronic heart failure (CHF) patients undergoing heart transplantation. We characterized HSE-MSC by immunocytochemistry (ICC) …

A multipronged approach to unveil the emerging role of Hsp60 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Inflammation is a major component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its cause and mechanisms are still incompletely understood. For example, the role of heat shock proteins (Hsps), many of which are molecular chaperones, has not been explored in detail in COPD, despite the fact that these molecules are known to participate in inflammation in other diseases. It has been shown that extracellular Hsps can signal certain types of T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils and, thereby, elicit inflammation and immunity. However, these phenomena have not been investigated in COPD despite: a) the increasing awareness of Hsp participation in inflammation and immunity; …

Innate immunity but not NLRP3 inflammasome activation correlates with severity of stable COPD.

Background In models of COPD, environmental stressors induce innate immune responses, inflammasome activation and inflammation. However, the interaction between these responses and their role in driving pulmonary inflammation in stable COPD is unknown. Objectives To investigate the activation of innate immunity and inflammasome pathways in the bronchial mucosa and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of patients with stable COPD of different severity and control healthy smokers and non-smokers. Methods Innate immune mediators (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, IL-10, IL-27, IL-37, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interferon γ and their receptors, STAT1 and pSTAT1) and inflammasome components (NLRP3, NA…

Astrochronology of Late Middle Mediterranean sections

Extending the usefulness of extraembryonic mesenchymal stem cellsin regenerative medicine: expression of novel markers, immunoregulatory molecules, and novel differentiation capacities.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are considered promising tools in regenerative medicine applications. Even if they are already applied clinically, their extended characterization is being increasingly viewed as a needed feature, in order to avoid contrasting results when translating “in vitro” experiments to “in vivo” approaches. We recently demonstrated in human MSC isolated from the umbilical cord matrix (HEMSC) the expression of novel markers indicative of their stemness, as well as differentiative and immune properties [1]. HEMSC were cultured and subject to multiple molecular and morphological analyses to determine the expression of markers of interest. Undifferentiated HEMSC expressed im…

A novel isolation technique and extended characte-rization of mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cord matrix: disclosing new potentials for regenerative medicine applications.

Oxidative stress induces myeloperoxidase expression by HUVEC and chronic heart failure endocardial endothelial cells. Active contribution of endothelium to an inflammatory heart disease.

In vitro and in vivo detection of end-products of MPO-driven oxidative and nitrosative stress in human endocardial endothelial cells from patients affected by chronic heart failure

Th17-related cytokine expression is increased in the bronchial mucosa of stable COPD patients

Background: There is an increased number of activated Tl lymphocytes in the bronchial mucosa of stable COPD patients but are absent studies on Th17 cells and their effector cytokines.Objectives: To investigate the expression of retinoic orphan receptor(ROR)C2, interleukin(IL)-17A,IL-17F,IL-21,IL-22 and IL-23 in bronchial biopsies from patients with stable COPD of different severity(stage 2 to 4)compared with age-matched control subject(smokers with normal lung function and lifelong non-smokers).Methods: The expression of RORC2,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-21,IL-22 and IL-23 was measured in the bronchial mucosa using immunohistochemistry and/or real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: …

Isolation and characterization of human extraembryonal mesoderm mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord

TGFbeta signaling: roles of Smads

Oxidative stress-driven expression of myeloperoxidase in endothelial cells results in accumulation of markers of oxidative and nitrosative stress in vitro and in vivo

Endothelial cells (ECs), are able to manage with higher concentrations of ROS as well as reactive nitrogen species, respect to the other cell types. The unbalance between oxidizing species and antioxidant cellular defences has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. While the role of MPO in the oxidative burst is well established, the effects of this enzyme on endothelial biology have only recently come to light. MPO can interact with endothelial –derived NO causing its depletion and favouring its conversion to nitrogen dioxide radical, a compound responsible of protein nitration generating 3-nitrotyrosine. Moreover, MPO is the only enzyme capable to form hypoclorous…

Bacterial load and inflammatory response in sputum of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency patients with COPD

Bruno Balbi,1 Claudia Sangiorgi,1 Isabella Gnemmi,1 Ilaria Ferrarotti,2 Davide Vallese,1 Elena Paracchini,1 Lorena Delle Donne,1 Luciano Corda,3 Paolo Baderna,4 Angelo Corsico,2 Mauro Carone,1 Paola Brun,5 Francesco Cappello,6,7 Fabio LM Ricciardolo,8 Paolo Ruggeri,9 Sharon Mumby,10 Ian M Adcock,10 Gaetano Caramori,9 Antonino Di Stefano11Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Division of Pneumology and Laboratory of Cytoimmunopathology of the Heart and Lung, Veruno, Italy; 2Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 3Medicina Respiratoria, Seconda Medicina Interna, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; 4Division of Pneumology, Aosta Hospital, Aos…

Effects of oxidative stress on primary human endothelial cells. Potential active contribution of endothelium to inflammatory heart diseases

Smoke exposure affects gelatinase A and B activity levels in two lung epithelial cell lines

Test procedures for use of wireless partial discharges instrumentation in HV networks

On-field diagnostic methods based on Partial Discharge (PD) measurements for asset assessment in High Voltage (HV) sectors are experiencing a constant growth in recent years. This rise of interest motivated the research toward faster, reliable and less expensive methods and technologies to perform PD measurements. Recently, a portable instrument based on a wideband antenna sensor, intended for accurate partial discharge measurements, has been developed by the authors. This sensor allows to capture electromagnetic waves in a bandwidth ranging from 0.1-100 MHz as well as the electric field of the AC supply voltage to be used as a phase reference. This approach completely avoid the need of a d…

Integrated micropaleontological and stratigraphical study of the Late Quaternary Arcose C_33 core (offshore SW Sardinia)