Search results for "traction"

Are the Myokines the Mediators of Physical Activity-Induced Health Benefits?

2016

BACKGROUND: The concept of the muscle as a secretory organ, developed during the last decades, partially answers to the issue of how the crosstalk between skeletal muscle and distant tissues happens. The beneficial effects of exercise transcend the simple improved skeletal muscle functionality: systemic responses to exercise have been observed in distal organs like heart, kidney, brain and liver. Increasing data have accumulated regarding the synthesis, the kinetics of release and the biological roles of muscular cytokines, now called myokines. The most recent techniques have meaningfully improved the identification of the muscle cell secretome, but several issues regarding the extent of se…

A useful procedure for detection of polyamines in biological samples as a potential diagnostic tool in cancer diagnosis

2017

Abstract Background Polyamines present in human body are frequently considered as markers of occurrence of cancer. Therefore, the availability of simple and efficient method for determination of their level in body liquids and tissues is of some interest. Methods Supported liquid membrane technology coupled with HPLC seems to be an appropriate technique to follow the level of polyamines in human blood and urine. Thus, the membranes of two different geometries: flat sheet and hollow fiber were studied as a mean for separation and enrichment of studied polyamines from urine and tissue samples in order to prepare samples to be analyzed by HPLC. Conclusions Developed extraction systems offer an…

2016

RNA 2'-O-methylation is one of the ubiquitous nucleotide modifications found in many RNA types from Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. RNAs bearing 2'-O-methylations show increased resistance to degradation and enhanced stability in helices. While the exact role of each 2'-O-Me residue remained elusive, the catalytic protein Fibrillarin (Nop1 in yeast) responsible for 2'-O-methylation in eukaryotes, is associated with human pathologies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to precisely map and quantify hundreds of 2'-O-Me residues in RNA using high-throughput technologies. Here, we develop a reliable protocol using alkaline fragmentation of total RNA coupled to a commonly used ligation approach, …

TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Library Preparation Kit for SiRe NGS panel: An international performance evaluation study

2021

AimNext generation sequencing (NGS) represents a key diagnostic tool to identify clinically relevant gene alterations for treatment-decision making in cancer care. However, the complex manual workflow required for NGS has limited its implementation in routine clinical practice. In this worldwide study, we validated the clinical performance of the TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Library Preparation Kit for NGS analysis. Impressively, this new assay obviates the need for separate, labour intensive and time-consuming pre-analytical steps of DNA extraction, purification and isolation from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) specimens in the NGS workflow.MethodsThe TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Libr…

Sicilian Opuntia ficus‐indica Seed Oil: Fatty Acid Composition and Bio‐Economical Aspects

2017

The fatty acid composition of the seed oil from the yellow fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica widely grown in Sicily shows several distinctive features. The oil obtained comprises significant amounts of vaccenic acid along with several other unsaturated fatty acids showing several health benefits, including linolenic, trans-13-octadecenoic, gondoic, 7Z,10Z-hexadecadienoic, and gadoleic acid. The economic analysis shows the significant advantage of carrying out the extraction from fruits considered unfit for consumption. Practical applications: The fatty acid composition of Sicilian Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil is similar to that of fruits grown in Tunisia, while it has a completely different pr…

Macrophage-induced reactive oxygen species promote myometrial contraction and labor-associated mechanisms

2020

AbstractAt labor, the myometrium is infiltrated by a massive influx of macrophages that secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines inducing the expression of specific labor-associated markers. However, the interactions between myocytes and macrophages and the role of macrophages in the myometrium at labor remain to be elucidated. In this work, we studied the role of myometrium-infiltrated macrophages and their interaction with myocytes in lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm labor. A co-culture model of human primary myometrial cells and macrophages was developed and validated. Collagen lattices were used to evaluate myocyte contraction. Differentiation steps were assessed by (i) phall…

TRPM8 Channel Activation Reduces the Spontaneous Contractions in Human Distal Colon

2020

The transient receptor potential-melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a non-selective Ca2+-permeable channel, activated by cold, membrane depolarization, and different cooling compounds. TRPM8 expression has been found in gut mucosal, submucosal, and muscular nerve endings. Although TRPM8 plays a role in pathological conditions, being involved in visceral pain and inflammation, the physiological functions in the digestive system remain unclear as yet. The aims of the present study were: (i) to verify the TRPM8 expression in human distal colon

Levosimendan prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in time- and dose-dependent manner: implications for inotropy.

2019

Abstract Aims Levosimendan (LEVO) a clinically-used inodilator, exerts multifaceted cardioprotective effects. Case-studies indicate protection against doxorubicin (DXR)-induced cardiotoxicity, but this effect remains obscure. We investigated the effect and mechanism of different regimens of levosimendan on sub-chronic and chronic doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. Methods and results Based on preliminary in vivo experiments, rats serving as a sub-chronic model of doxorubicin-cardiotoxicity and were divided into: Control (N/S-0.9%), DXR (18 mg/kg-cumulative), DXR+LEVO (LEVO, 24 μg/kg-cumulative), and DXR+LEVO (acute) (LEVO, 24 μg/kg-bolus) for 14 days. Protein kinase-B (Akt), endothelial nitric oxi…

Angiotensin II type II receptors and colonic dysmotility in 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats

2016

Background: Angiotensin II (Ang II), the main peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has been suggested to be involved in inflammatory bowel diseases. Since RAS has emerged as gut motility regulator, and dysmotility is associated with intestinal inflammation, our objective was to investigate in rat 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis the functionality of RAS and its contribution to colonic motor alterations. Methods: The effects of Ang II on the longitudinal colonic muscular contractility of control and DNBS-treated rats were characterized in vitro. Transcripts encoding for Ang II receptors were investigated by RT-PCR. Key Results: Inflamed preparations showed a l…

Opposite effects of dopamine on the mechanical activity of circular and longitudinal muscle of human colon.

2020

Background Because dopamine (DA) has gained increasing evidence as modulator of gut motility, we aimed to characterize dopaminergic response in human colon, evaluating function and distribution of dopamine receptors in circular vs longitudinal muscle strips. Methods Mechanical responses to DA and dopaminergic agonists on slow phasic contractions and on basal tone were examined in vitro as changes in isometric tension. RT-PCR was used to reveal the distribution of dopaminergic receptors. Key results In spontaneous active circular muscle, DA induced an increase in the amplitude of slow phasic contractions and of the basal tone, via activation of D1-like receptors. DA contractile responses wer…