0000000000772640

AUTHOR

F. Rappa

Nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease patients

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a chronic disorder characterized bya relapsing-remitting course, which alternates between active and quiescent states, ultimately impairing a patient's quality of life. The two main types of IBD are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). CD shows a transmural granulomatous inflammation that can involve any segment of the intestine affecting all layers of the intestinal wall while UC is limited to the mucosa and superficial sub-mucosa of the colon. In physiologial conditions the gut is costantly exposed to various antigens, commensal microflora and pathogens and the inflammatory response is finely balanced. Anyhow in some individuals with genet…

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Hsp60 and Hsp10 down-regulation predicts bronchial epithelial carcinogenesis in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND. The relation between smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer (LC) is an open field of investigation. A higher frequency of adenocarcinoma has been reported in patients with COPD. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are implicated in tumoral cell growth and differentiation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of Hsp60 and Hsp10 in bronchial biopsies from smokers with COPD and in 10 lung cancer patients and to evaluate the association between Hsps expression and carcinogenetic steps of LC. METHODS. An immunohistochemical study was performed for Hsp60 and Hsp10 in bronchial biopsies from 35 COPD (postbronchodilator forced expiratory …

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Glucagon-like Peptide-2 and mucosal changes induced by high fat diet in mouse small intestine.

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Hsp60 and Hsp10 overexpression in metastatic colon cancer.

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Heat shock protein 60 levels in tissue and circulating exosomes in human large bowel cancer before and after ablative surgery.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) is a chaperonin involved in tumorigenesis, but its participation in tumor development and progression is not well understood and its value as a tumor biomarker has not been fully elucidated. In the current study, the authors presented evidence supporting the theory that Hsp60 has potential as a biomarker as well as a therapeutic target in patients with large bowel cancer. METHODS: The authors studied a population of 97 subjects, including patients and controls. Immunomorphology, Western blot analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed on tissue specimens. Exosomes were isolated from blood and characterized by electr…

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Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium lactis supplementation reduces tissue damage of intestinal mucosa and liver after 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid treatment in mice

Probiotics (PB) are living microorganisms that act as a commensal population in normal intestines and confer numerous beneficial effects on the host. The introduction of probiotics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) prolongs remission. The aim of this study was to investigate the intestinal and hepatic effects of PB supplementation in an experimental IBD model in mice induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). In the first step of the experimental procedure, CD-1 male mice, 5 to 6 weeks old, were randomly divided into 3 groups and inoculated intrarectally with, respectively, saline, alcohol, or TNBS to assess the experimental IBD model. In the second step, mice…

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Tumore adenomatoide

Adenomatoid tumour is a neoplastic process of discussed origin, but the immunohistochemical phenotype leads a mesothelial derivation. The preferential site of origin is the genital apparatus of both sexes, however extragenital cases have been described. The histological pattern varies from tubular formation, to solid growth, to cystic areas. In the present report we described a case of Adenomatoid tumour of the uterus body in a 46 years old patient.

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Alcohol, Cannabinoids and Nicotine in liver pathophysiology

The liver can be affected by a wide range of therapeutic and environmental chemicals and here we want to provide a summary of the complex effects of alcohol, cannabinoids and nicotine on liver function. Alcohol is the most important agent that produces liver injury, manifesting as alcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, it is one of the main etiologic agents for hepatocellular carcinoma development. Studies reviewed in this article regarding cannabinoids, show that Δ9-THC does not produce any harmful effects on the liver, while cannabidiol has hepatoprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion and alcohol-induced liver injuries. The liver is negatively affected by nicotine exposure, but s…

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Colorectal cancer: An update on the effects of lycopene on tumor progression and cell proliferation

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Various factors, including oxidative stress, where excessive productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) occur, contribute to its pathogenesis. Numerous studies have investigated the effect of antioxidant substances derived from food such as fruits and vegetables; however, data on Lycopene are still rare. Studies on HT-29 colorectal cancer cells and on animal models have shown that lycopene has effects on cell proliferation and on the progression of the CRC by interacting with various cellular signaling pathways. This analysis of the literature focused on the antioxidant effect of lycop…

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HSP-MOLECULAR CHAPERONES IN CANCER BIOGENESIS AND TUMOR THERAPY: AN OVERVIEW

Molecular chaperones, many of which are heat-shock proteins (HSPs), are an important class of molecules with various functions. Pathological conditions in which chaperones become etiological and/or pathogenic factors are called chaperonopathies, and are classified into by defect, by excess, and by "mistake". In the latter case, the chaperone is structurally and functionally normal but paqrtecipates in pathwais that favor diseases, aòlthough in some cases the chaperone may have post-translational modifications that may lead it to change its location and function and, thus, to become pathogenic. For example, HSP-chaperones are involved in acrcinogenesis in various ways, so that some forms of …

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Cytomegalovirus and BK-Virus co-infection of a clinically non-functioning adrenal adenoma: innocent bystanders or new pathogenetic agents?

We report a case of a 64-year-old woman who underwent left adrenalectomy with removal of a 8,5 cm clinically non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma and a 4-cm myelolipoma. Molecular testing for viral infection demonstrated the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA sequences in the adrenal adenoma, but not in the myelolipoma (confirmed by immunohistochemistry). Moreover, the adrenal adenoma was also positive for parvovirus B19, and both adrenal tumor samples were positive for polyomavirus BK (BKV) and adenovirus DNA sequences. This is the first report of co-infection of an adrenocortical adenoma by CMV and BKV. The role of these viruses in adrenal tumorigenesis was postulated.

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