Search results for "ANSM"
showing 10 items of 3078 documents
Circadian and Dopaminergic Regulation of Fatty Acid Oxidation Pathway Genes in Retina and Photoreceptor Cells.
2016
The energy metabolism of the retina might comply with daily changes in energy demand and is impaired in diabetic retinopathy-one of the most common causes of blindness in Europe and the USA. The aim of this study was to investigate putative adaptation of energy metabolism in healthy and diabetic retina. Hence expression analysis of metabolic pathway genes was performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, semi-quantitative western blot and immunohistochemistry. Transcriptional profiling of key enzymes of energy metabolism identified transcripts of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes, i.e. carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1α (Cpt-1α) and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (A…
The gliotransmitter ACBP controls feeding and energy homeostasis via the melanocortin system
2019
International audience; Glial cells have emerged as key players in the central control of energy balance and etiology of obesity. Astrocytes play a central role in neural communication via the release of gliotransmitters. Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP)-derived endozepines are secreted peptides that modulate the GABAA receptor. In the hypothalamus, ACBP is enriched in arcuate nucleus (ARC) astrocytes, ependymocytes and tanycytes. Central administration of the endozepine octadecaneuropeptide (ODN) reduces feeding and improves glucose tolerance, yet the contribution of endogenous ACBP in energy homeostasis is unknown. We demonstrated that ACBP deletion in GFAP+ astrocytes, but not in Nkx2.1-l…
Androgen-inducible gene 1 increases the ER Ca(2+) content and cell death susceptibility against oxidative stress.
2016
Androgen-induced gene 1 (AIG1) is a transmembrane protein implicated with survival (its expression level was shown to correlate with the survival of patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma) and Ca(2+) signaling (over-expression of AIG1 increased transcription mediated by the Ca(2+)-dependent nuclear factor of activated T cells). We aimed to shed light on this less-studied protein and investigated its tissue expression, genomic organization, intracellular localization and membrane topology as well as its effects on cell death susceptibility and the Ca(2+) content of the endoplasmic reticulum. Immunoblotting of mouse tissues demonstrated highest expression of AIG1 in the liver, lung …
Case-based surveillance of measles in Sicily during 2012-2017: The changing molecular epidemiology and implications for vaccine strategies.
2018
Following the indication of the World Health Organization, a national plan for the elimination of measles was approved in Italy and this included the improvement of the molecular surveil- lance of measles viruses and the interruption of indigenous transmission of the disease. Nevertheless, large outbreaks continue to occur in almost all regions of the country, includ- ing Sicily. Here we describe the epidemiology and molecular dynamics of measles viruses as a result of the measles surveillance activity carried out by the “Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella” in Sicily over a 5-year period. Biological samples of 259 suspected measles cases were tested for viral RNA detection and a t…
Synaptic Regulator α-Synuclein in Dopaminergic Fibers Is Essentially Required for the Maintenance of Subependymal Neural Stem Cells.
2018
Synaptic protein -synuclein (-SYN) modulates neurotransmission in a complex and poorly understood manner and aggregates in the cytoplasm of degenerating neurons in Parkinsons disease. Here, we report that -SYN present in dopaminergic nigral afferents is essential for the normal cycling and maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the brain subependymal zone of adult male and female mice. We also showthat premature senescence of adult NSCs into non-neurogenic astrocytes in mice lacking-SYN resemblesthe effects of dopaminergic fiber degeneration resulting from chronic exposure to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine or intranigral inoculation of aggregated toxic -SYN. Interestingly…
Evolution of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance and viral subtypes circulation in Italy from 2006 to 2016
2018
Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the evolution of transmitted HIV-1 drug resistance (TDR) prevalence in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients from 2006 to 2016. Methods: HIV-1 sequences were retrieved from the Antiviral Response Cohort Analysis (ARCA) database and TDR was defined as detection of at least one mutation from the World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance list. Results: We included protease/reverse transcriptase sequences from 3573 patients; 455 had also integrase sequences. Overall, 68.1% of the patients were Italian, the median CD4 count was 348 cells/μL [interquartile range (IQR) 169–521 cells/μL], and the median viral load was 4.7 log 10 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL (IQR …
Structural Heteropolysaccharide Adhesion to the Glycocalyx of Visceral Mesothelium
2018
Bioadhesives are biopolymers with potential applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Pectin, a plant-based heteropolysaccharide, has recently demonstrated potential as a mucoadhesive in the gut. Since mucoadhesion is a process likely involving the interpenetration of the pectin polymer with mucin chains, we hypothesized that pectin may also be effective at targeting the glycocalyx of the visceral mesothelium. To explore the potential role of pectin as a mesothelial bioadhesive, we studied the interaction of various pectin formulations with the mesothelium of the lung, liver, bowel, and heart. Tensile strength, peel strength, and shear resistance of the bioadhesi…
Hyperammonemia alters the mismatch negativity in the auditory evoked potential by altering functional connectivity and neurotransmission
2020
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome produced by central nervous system dysfunction subsequent to liver disease. Hyperammonemia and inflammation act synergistically to alter neurotransmission, leading to the cognitive and motor alterations in MHE, which are reproduced in rat models of chronic hyperammonemia. Patients with MHE show altered functional connectivity in different neural networks and a reduced response in the cognitive potential mismatch negativity (MMN), which correlates with attention deficits. The mechanisms by which MMN is altered in MHE remain unknown. The objectives of this work are as follows: To assess if rats with chronic hyperammonemia rep…
Evaluation of HIV transmission clusters among natives and foreigners living in Italy
2020
We aimed at evaluating the characteristics of HIV-1 molecular transmission clusters (MTCs) among natives and migrants living in Italy, diagnosed between 1998 and 2018. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on HIV-1 polymerase (pol) sequences to characterise subtypes and identify MTCs, divided into small (SMTCs, 2&ndash
GABA-containing compound gammapyrone protects against brain impairments in Alzheimer's disease model male rats and prevents mitochondrial dysfunction…
2018
Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, decreased glucose/energy metabolism, and disrupted neurotransmission are changes that occur early in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), manifesting as mild cognitive impairment. Recently, the imbalanced function of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system was identified as a critical factor in AD progression. Thus, maintaining balance among neurotransmitter systems, particularly the GABA system, can be considered a beneficial strategy to slow AD progression. The present study investigated the effects of the compound gammapyrone, a molecule containing three GABA moieties: "free" moiety attached to the position 4 of the 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) ring, and…