Search results for "STAI"
showing 10 items of 5922 documents
Betulinic acid induces a novel cell death pathway that depends on cardiolipin modification
2016
Cancer is associated with strong changes in lipid metabolism. For instance, normal cells take up fatty acids (FAs) from the circulation, while tumour cells generate their own and become dependent on de novo FA synthesis, which could provide a vulnerability to target tumour cells. Betulinic acid (BetA) is a natural compound that selectively kills tumour cells through an ill-defined mechanism that is independent of BAX and BAK, but depends on mitochondrial permeability transition-pore opening. Here we unravel this pathway and show that BetA inhibits the activity of steroyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD-1). This enzyme is overexpressed in tumour cells and critically important for cells that utilize de n…
Hepatitis C Virus Eradication by Direct Antiviral Agents Improves Carotid Atherosclerosis in patients with Severe Liver Fibrosis.
2018
Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recent studies suggest an association between HCV infection and cardiovascular damage, including carotid atherosclerosis, with a possible effect of HCV clearance on cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to examine whether HCV eradication by direct antiviral agents (DAA) improves carotid atherosclerosis in HCV-infected patients with advanced fibrosis/compensated cirrhosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-two consecutive HCV patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis were evaluated by virological, anthropometric and metabolic measurements. All patients underwent DAA-based antiviral therapy according to AISF/EASL guidelines. Intima-media thickne…
Immunohistochemistry of Human Hsp60 in Health and Disease: From Autoimmunity to Cancer
2017
Hsp60 (also called Cpn60) is a chaperonin with essential functions for cell physiology and survival. Additionally, its involvement in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases (e.g., some autoimmune disorders and cancer) is becoming evident with new research. For example, the distribution and levels of Hsp60 in cells and tissues have been found altered in many pathologic conditions, and the significance of these alterations is being investigated in a number of laboratories. The aim of this ongoing research is to determine the meaning of these Hsp60 alterations with regard to pathogenetic mechanisms, diagnosis, classification of lesions, and assessing prognosis and response to treatment. Hsp…
Comparative study of the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells derived from different sources
2017
Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can regenerate missing tissues and treat diseases. Hence, the current work aimed to compare the proliferation rate and the osteogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs), gingival MSCs (GMSCs) and submandibular MSCs (SMSCs). Material and Methods MSCs derived from bone marrow, gingiva and submandibular salivary gland were isolated and cultured from rats. The proliferation capacity was judged by MTT proliferation Assay. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed by Alzarin red stain and quantitative RT-PCR was performed for Runx-2 and MMP-13. Results The highest significant proliferation was estimated in the BMSCs compared to GMSCs and S…
Neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor protein is expressed in oligodendrocytes and regulates cell proliferation and process formation.
2017
The neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor protein Merlin functions as a negative regulator of cell growth and actin dynamics in different cell types amongst which Schwann cells have been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence and the role of Merlin in oligodendrocytes, the myelin forming cells within the CNS, have not been elucidated. In this work, we demonstrate that Merlin immunoreactivity was broadly distributed in the white matter throughout the central nervous system. Following Merlin expression during development in the cerebellum, Merlin could be detected in the cerebellar white matter tract at early postnatal stages as shown by its co-localization with Olig2-positi…
Visualizing In Vitro Type I Collagen Fibrillogenesis by Transmission Electron Microscopy
2017
Techniques and protocols for the in vitro formation of collagen type I fibrils and the extensive biochemical variation of the fibrillogenesis conditions are presented. In all cases, the incubation and fibrillogenesis product can be readily monitored by transmission electron microscopic study of negatively stained specimens. Representative TEM data is presented and discussed within the context of the products of the fibrillogenesis protocols, from which the extensive biochemical and structural possibilities of this integrated approach can be appreciated.
A swift, easy and cheap protocol to evaluate the tooth bleaching in vitro
2018
Background: This study aims to develop a protocol that optimizes in vitro dental bleaching procedures in a cheap, fast and accessible manner. Material and Methods: 18 bovine incisors were cut and polished in enamel/dentin and submitted to staining in coffee solution during 72 hours. After the standardization and staining of the enamel surfaces, three groups (n = 6) were formed to receive three different gels, WHITENESS (commercial gel); H 2 O 2 - 5% (manipulated gel); CAR - BOPOL GEL (manipulated gel and without H 2 O 2 ). The color of the enamel surfaces was evaluated using digital images, obtained with digital camera and controlled luminosity, before and after staining, as well as after e…
Staining SDS-PAGE gels of skeletal matrices after western blot: a way to improve their sharpness.
2015
7 pages; International audience; Denaturing 1D electrophoresis on acrylamide gels - also referred as SDS-PAGE - is a classical technique for fractionating and visualizing the macromolecular constituents of matrices associated to calcified tissues. This technique has been widely used in association with the subsequent silver nitrate staining. But because matrices associated to calcified tissues are very often glycosylated and constituted of numerous polydisperse macromolecules, the obtained pattern is frequently 'smeary' and discrete bands, when present on the gel, are often blurred, thickened or totally masked by the polydisperse macromolecules. In this paper, we present a simple protocol t…
Uptake of polyphosphate microparticles in vitro (SaOS-2 and HUVEC cells) followed by an increase of the intracellular ATP pool size
2017
Recently two approaches were reported that addressed a vitally important problem in regenerative medicine, i. e. the successful treatment of wounds even under diabetic conditions. Accordingly, these studies with diabetic rabbits [Sarojini et al. PLoS One 2017, 12(4):e0174899] and diabetic mice [Müller et al. Polymers 2017, 9, 300] identified a novel (potential) target for the acceleration of wound healing in diabetes. Both studies propose a raise of the intracellular metabolic energy status via exogenous administration either of ATP, encapsulated into lipid vesicles, or of polyphosphate (polyP) micro-/nanoparticles. Recently this physiological polymer, polyP, was found to release metabolic …
Consensus paper on the “executive summary of the international conference on Mediterranean diet and health: a lifelong approach” an Italian initiativ…
2018
The Mediterranean Diet Foundation, in collaboration with the International Menarini Foundation, organized the “International Conference on Mediterranean Diet and Health: A Lifelong Approach.” The Conference was held in Ostuni (Puglia, Italy) from March 30 to April 1, 2017. The event received the endorsement of the American Federation for Aging Research, the Research Consortium “Luigi Amaducci,” the European Nutrition for Health Alliance, the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, the Clinical Section of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics—European Region, the National Research Council Research Project on Aging, the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, a…