Search results for "Dino"
showing 10 items of 490 documents
Anti-inflammatory and joint protective effects of extra-virgin olive-oil polyphenol extract in experimental arthritis
2014
The consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in Mediterranean countries has shown beneficial effects. A wide range of evidence indicates that phenolic compounds present in EVOO are endowed with anti-inflammatory properties. In this work, we evaluated the effects of EVOO-polyphenol extract (PE) in a model of rheumatoid arthritis, the collagen-induced arthritis model in mice. On day 0, DBA-1/J mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen. On day 21, mice received a booster injection. PE (100 and 200 mg/kg) was orally administered once a day from days 29 to 41 to arthritic mice. We have demonstrated that PE decreases joint edema, cell migration, cartilage degradation and bone erosion. …
Enhanced lipid peroxidation and platelet activation as potential contributors to increased cardiovascular risk in the low-HDL phenotype
2013
Background Low high‐density lipoprotein ( HDL ) levels are major predictors of cardiovascular ( CV ) events, even in patients on statin treatment with low‐density lipoprotein ( LDL ) at target. In animal models HDL s protect LDL from oxidation and blunt platelet activation. Our study aimed to examine whether HDL levels are related to in vivo oxidative stress and platelet activation, as determinants of atherothrombosis. Methods and Results Urinary 8‐iso‐PGF 2α and 11‐dehydro‐TXB 2 , in vivo markers of oxidative stress and platelet activation, respectively, were measured in 65 coronary heart disease (CHD) normocholesterolemic patients with HDL ≤35 mg/ dL , and in 47 CHD patients with HDL >…
Subclinical atherosclerosis and fetuin-A plasma levels in essential hypertensive patients
2012
The intima-media thickness (IMT) is considered as a surrogate marker for atherosclerotic disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of carotid IMT with fetuin-A in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and normal renal function. The plasma levels of fetuin-A, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the biomarker of oxidative stress 8-iso-PGF2alpha were assayed in samples from 105 untreated EH patients. Carotid IMT measurements were also performed. EH was studied overall and after dividing in EH with IMT ≥ and 0.9 mm (AUC (area under the curve) 0.738, P<0.0001). Our results suggest that in EH, fetuin-A is associated with the IMT independently of oxid…
Immunoproteasome LMP2 60HH Variant Alters MBP Epitope Generation and Reduces the Risk to Develop Multiple Sclerosis in Italian Female Population
2010
BackgroundAlbeit several studies pointed out the pivotal role that CD4+T cells have in Multiple Sclerosis, the CD8+ T cells involvement in the pathology is still in its early phases of investigation. Proteasome degradation is the key step in the production of MHC class I-restricted epitopes and therefore its activity could be an important element in the activation and regulation of autoreactive CD8+ T cells in Multiple Sclerosis.Methodology/principal findingsImmunoproteasomes and PA28-alphabeta regulator are present in MS affected brain area and accumulated in plaques. They are expressed in cell types supposed to be involved in MS development such as neurons, endothelial cells, oligodendroc…
Homoarginine Levels are Regulated by L-Arginine: Glycine Amidinotransferase and Affect Stroke Outcome: Results from Human and Murine Studies
2013
Background— Endogenous arginine homologues, including homoarginine, have been identified as novel biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and outcomes. Our studies of human cohorts and a confirmatory murine model associated the arginine homologue homoarginine and its metabolism with stroke pathology and outcome. Methods and Results— Increasing homoarginine levels were independently associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality in patients with ischemic stroke (7.4 years of follow-up; hazard ratio for 1-SD homoarginine, 0.79 [95% confidence interval, 0.64–0.96]; P =0.019; n=389). Homoarginine was also independently associated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale+age score …
Low Homoarginine Levels in the Prognosis of Patients With Acute Chest Pain.
2016
Background The endogenous amino acid homoarginine predicts mortality in cerebro‐ and cardiovascular disease. The objective was to explore whether homoarginine is associated with atrial fibrillation ( AF ) and outcome in patients with acute chest pain. Methods and Results One thousand six hundred forty‐nine patients with acute chest pain were consecutively enrolled in this study, of whom 589 were diagnosed acute coronary syndrome ( ACS ). On admission, plasma concentrations of homoarginine as well as brain natriuretic peptide ( BNP ), and high‐sensitivity assayed troponin I (hsTnI) were determined along with electrocardiography ( ECG ) variables. During a median follow‐up of 183 days, 60 ma…
Improved Bone Biomechanical Properties in Rats after Oral Xylitol Administration
1999
The effects of 5, 10, and 20% dietary xylitol supplementations on the biomechanical properties, histological architecture, and the contents of collagen, pyridinoline, and deoxypyridinoline in long bones of rats were studied. Tibiae were used for the three-point bending test, and femurs were used for the torsion and loading test of the femoral neck. The 10 and 20% oral xylitol administrations caused a significant increase of tibial stress, femoral shear stress, and stress of the femoral neck as compared with the controls. Parallel, but not significant, effects were also seen in the 5% xylitol supplementation group. No significant differences in strain or Young's modulus of the tibiae were de…
Effects of a phytosterol-enriched dairy product on lipids, sterols and 8-isoprostane in hypercholesterolemic patients: a multicenter Italian study.
2009
Abstract Background and aims Plant sterols, added to several food sources, lower serum cholesterol concentrations. Plant sterol-induced cholesterol lowering is paralleled by a mild decrease in plasma levels of the antioxidant β-carotene, the amount of this decrease being considered clinically non-significant. Whether the effect on lipid profile of daily consumption of plant sterol-enriched low-fat fermented milk (FM) is paralleled by a concomitant variation in a reliable marker of the oxidative burden like plasma isoprostane levels is unresolved. Methods and results The effect of plant sterol consumption on plasma lipid and isoprostane levels of hypercholesterolemic patients was evaluated i…
Interleukin 6 plasma levels predict with high sensitivity and specificity coronary stenosis detected by coronary angiography
2007
SummaryIn recent years new biomarkers able to measure the coronary atherosclerotic burden have been investigated. The aim of the present study was: i) to measure plasma levels of four biomarkers: C reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), 8-isosprostane (8-ISO),in a series of patients undergoing coronary angiography; ii) to assess the power of the biomarkers to predict critical coronary stenosis detected by angiography. The study population consisted of a group of 438 subjects undergoing coronary angiography; 160 patients with 0, 1, 2, or 3 critical vessels were selected, and biomarkers plasma levels were measured in plasma samples o…
Involvement of secretory phospholipase A2 activity in the zymosan rat air pouch model of inflammation.
1996
1. In the zymosan rat air pouch model of inflammation we have assessed the time dependence of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) accumulation in the inflammatory exudates as well as cell migration, myeloperoxidase activity, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) levels. 2. A significant increase in PLA2 activity was detected in 1,200 g supernatants of exudates 8 h after injection of zymosan into rat air pouch. This event coincided with peaks in cell accumulation (mainly neutrophils) and myeloperoxidase activity in exudates and was preceded by a rise in eicosanoid levels. 3. This enzyme (without further purification) behaved as a secretory type II PLA2 with an optimum pH at 7-8 units, lack o…