We investigated whether spray-dried plasma (SDP) improved growth and health of piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 (ETEC). Forty-eight pigs weaned at 21 d (BW = 4.88 +/- 0.43 ...kg) received one of four diets containing 6% SDP or fish proteins (as-fed basis) either nonmedicated (SDP-NM and FP-NM diets) or medicated with 0 or 250 mg/kg of colistine + 500 mg/kg of amoxycycline (SDP-M and FP-M diets), for 15 d. On d 4, pigs were orally challenged with ETEC. On d 15, eight pigs per dietary group were killed, blood and saliva were collected for analysis of K88 fimbriae-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)-A, and jejunum was removed for villi preparation, histological analysis, and cytokine expression. The presence or absence of K88 receptors (K88(+) and K88(-) pigs respectively) was determined by villous adhesion assay. Effects of protein source on ADG (P = 0.04) and ADFI (P < 0.01), as well of medication on ADFI (P < 0.02), of all pigs were observed. In sacrified pigs, there was an effect of protein source on ADG (P = 0.03) and ADFI (P < 0.001), as well an interaction between medication and presence of K88 receptor (P = 0.02) for feed:gain ratio. Plasma K88 specific IgA were low in all K88(-) pigs and higher in K88(+) pigs fed FP-NM compared with all the other groups (P < 0.05), except SDP-M. An interaction was found among protein source, medication, and presence of K88 receptors (P = 0.04). Saliva IgA concentrations were high in all pigs fed FP-NM and low in all other pigs. Jejunum of pigs fed FP-NM showed some ulcerations, edema, and mild inflammatory cell infiltration (ICI). In pigs fed FP-M, edema was reduced. Conversely, only a mild ICI was observed in pigs fed SDP-NM and SDP-M. Crypt depth was increased in K88(+) pigs fed SDP-NM and an interaction between protein source and presence of K88 receptors was observed (P < 0.05). Expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin (IL)-8 were lower in pigs fed SDP-NM and SDP-M than in those fed FP-NM and FP-M, either K88(-) or K88(+) (P < 0.01). In pigs fed FP diets, expression of IL-8 tended to increase (P = 0.08) in K88(+) compared with K88(-) subjects. Expression of interferon-gamma increased in K88(-) and K88(+) pigs fed FP-M as compared with other pigs (P < 0.01). These results indicate that feeding with SDP improved growth performance and protected against E. coli-induced inflammatory status, and suggest that use of SDP-NM can be considered a valid antibiotic alternative.
Particulate matter (PM) is considered an atmospheric pollutant that mostly affects human health. The finest fractions of PM (PM2.5 or less) play a major role in causing chronic diseases.
The aim of ...this study was to investigate the genotoxic effects of PM0.5 collected in five Italian towns using different bioassays. The role of chemical composition on the genotoxicity induced was also evaluated.
The present study was included in the multicentre MAPEC_LIFE project, which aimed to evaluate the associations between air pollution exposure and early biological effects in Italian children.
PM10 samples were collected in 2 seasons (winter and spring) using a high-volume multistage cascade impactor. The results showed that PM0.5 represents a very high proportion of PM10 (range 10–63%). PM0.5 organic extracts were chemically analysed (PAHs, nitro-PAHs) and tested by the comet assay (A549 and BEAS-2B cells), MN test (A549 cells) and Ames test on Salmonella strains (TA100, TA98, TA98NR and YG1021).
The highest concentrations of PAHs and nitro-PAHs in PM0.5 were observed in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter. The Ames test showed low mutagenic activity. The highest net revertants/m3 were observed in the Torino and Brescia samples (winter), and the mutagenic effect was associated with PM0.5 (p < 0.01), PAH and nitro-PAH (p < 0.05) concentrations. The YG1021 strain showed the highest sensitivity to PM0.5 samples. No genotoxic effect of PM0.5 extracts was observed using A549 cells except for some samples in winter (comet assay), while BEAS-2B cells showed light DNA damage in the Torino, Brescia and Pisa samples in winter, highlighting the higher sensitivity of BEAS-2B cells, which was consistent with the Ames test (p < 0.01).
The results obtained showed that it is important to further investigate the finest fractions of PM, which represent a relevant percentage of PM10, taking into account the chemical composition and the biological effects induced.
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•The genotoxic effects of PM0.5 collected in 5 Italian towns were evaluated.•PM0.5 represents a very high proportion of PM10.•PM0.5 organic extracts induced low mutagenic and genotoxic effects.•The YG1021 strain and BEAS-2B cells showed a greater sensitivity to PM0.5 samples.•The biological effects were associated with levels of PM0.5, PAHs and nitro-PAHs.
Results highlighted the importance to further investigate the finest fractions of PM, which represent a relevant percentage of PM10, taking into account its chemical composition and the biological effects induced.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
494.
Foot Angiosomes: Instructions for Use Ferraresi, Roberto; Clerici, Giacomo; Casini, Andrea ...
International journal of lower extremity wounds,
12/2020, Volume:
19, Issue:
4
Book Review, Journal Article
Peer reviewed
In the last 15 years an abundance of literature has demonstrated that angiosome-targeted revascularization, either endovascular or open, can lead to better clinical results in patients with chronic ...limb-threatening ischemia. According to this literature, the angiosome concept should guide our treatment strategy in every chronic limb-threatening ischemia patient. However, in our daily practice, its application is often difficult or impossible. Most foot wounds spread over multiple angiosomes and, moreover, the value of an angiosome-guided revascularization approach can vary according to vascular anatomy, collateral vessel network, type of revascularization, and wound. The aim of this article is to explore values and limits of the angiosome concept, and to propose some “instructions for use” regarding its application in our daily practice.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and Aim: Digital health technologies (DHTs) are one of the most promising perspectives in healthcare. On the other hand, the investment in of DHTs has an impact on the (ethical, economic, ...organizational, environmental) sustainability of National Healthcare Systems (NHSs). A relevant tool for supporting healthcare decision-makers is Health Technology Assessment (HTA), 'a multidisciplinary process that summarizes information about the medical, social, economic and ethical issues related to the use of a health technology in a systematic, transparent, unbiased, robust manner' (EUnetHTA 2007). The aim of our contribution is to deal with HTA around DHTs, particularly ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI). Materials and Methods: The literature/documentation review on HTA and DHTs was carried out on PubMed database through a query, merging the following MESH terms: "digital technolog·"; healthcare; health technology assessment; HTA (last access. August 17, 2021). Results: 90 items were found: 4 were considered relevant for our analysis. The literature on our focus is at the very beginning. Early contributions underline as follows: 1. current HTA frameworks are not well equipped for assessing DHTs. The development of DHT-specific content for HTA frameworks is hampered by DHTs having varied benefit and risk profiles (von Huben et al., 2021); 2. existing HTA process should be adapted for assessing DHTs, including to make provisions for an assessment of app cybersecurity, the impact on DHT clinical utility of software updates, and compatibility issues (Moshi et al., 2020) as well as the need for standardization of reporting characteristics of eHealth services, and specifying assessment outcomes and methods following a stepped-approach tailored to the functional characteristics of eHealth services (Vis et al., 2020); 3. attention should also be paid to ethical issues, such as data privacy, and technology specific characteristics (Moshi et al., 2018).
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.
Background
The sodium channel blocker mexiletine can reduce late sodium current (INa) in patients with LQT3 syndrome, and additionally ...restore the decreased peak INa associated with SCN5A loss of function mutations.
Purpose
To investigate whether mexiletinecan rescue the mixed phenotype associated with the SCN5A-1795insD mutation in human induced pluripotent stem cells derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs).
Methods and Results
HEK293 cells transfected with SCN5A-1795insD and SCN5A-WT and hiPSC-CMs from a patient carrying the SCN5A-1795insD mutation were incubated with a therapeutic dose of mexiletine (10 µM) or vehicle (H2O) for 48h. Peak INa, late INa and action potential (AP) properties were assessed by patch-clamp analysis. In HEK-293 cells transfected with SCN5A-1795insD or SCN5A-WT, exposure to mexiletine caused a significant increase in peak INa, in addition to a small increase in late INa in HEK-293 cells transfected with SCN5A-1795insD. In 1795insD hiPSC-CMs, peak INa was significantly increased whereas late INa was unchanged after mexiletine treatment. Accordingly, mexiletine increased AP upstroke velocity in SCN5A-1795insD hiPSC-CMs (indicating a rescue of INa availability), while AP amplitude, resting membrane potential and AP duration were unaffected.
Conclusions
Chronic treatment with a therapeutic concentration of mexiletine is capable of rescuing the mixed phenotype in SCN5A-1795insD hiPSC-CMs.
AIMS:Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) has recently been shown to reduce muscle sympathetic nerve activity and hospitalization rate while improving clinical variables through 6 months of therapy in ...patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The objective of the present study is to extend the information on this patient cohort over a long-term follow-up.
METHODS AND RESULTS:Eleven patients were enrolled in the study and presented with optimized, stable medical therapy, New York Heart Association Class III HFrEF with left ventricular ejection fraction 40% or less, impaired functional capacity and no active cardiac resynchronization therapy. For the present report, muscle sympathetic nerve activity, baroreflex sensitivity data and hospitalization rate together with standard clinical data were collected at 12 and 21.5 ± 4.2 months following BAT activation. Two patients died during long-term follow-up. The remaining nine patients maintained the improvements observed at 6 months, including reduced sympathetic activity and rates of hospitalization.
CONCLUSION:BAT provides long-term chronic reductions in sympathetic activity and utilization of hospital resources in patients with HFrEF. General clinical presentation, quality of life and functional capacity are likewise improved and maintained. The temporal association of BAT with sympathetic drive diminution and improvement in objective clinical measures suggests a cause-and-effect relationship that will be verified in future randomized controlled trials of outcome.
Nutritional quality parameters (proximate and mineral composition, contents of glycogen, fatty acids, cholesterol, plant sterols, fat-soluble vitamins, carotenes) and ecophysiological and commercial ...quality indicators (Condition Index, percent content of meat and intervalvar fluid) of the striped venus clam,
Chamelea gallina, from the central Adriatic coast of Italy were studied at seasonal intervals over a 1-year period. Contents of protein (8.55–10.7
g/100
g), total lipid (0.73–1.59
g/100
g), glycogen (2.25–4.96
g/100
g) and non-protein nitrogen (0.54–0.78
g/100
g) varied significantly during the year, reaching the highest values in winter, in coincidence with a peak of Condition Index. Gas chromatography of total lipids showed high percentages of
n
−
3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (33.7–41.9% of total fatty acids), in particular eicosapentaenoic (8.16–20.0% of total fatty acids) and docosahexaenoic acids (12.5–20.3% of total fatty acids) and low levels of total
n
−
6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (3.61–7.87% of total fatty acids). HPLC analysis of the unsaponifiable lipids showed low levels of cholesterol, the dominant sterol (28.3–34.2
mg/ 100
g), and variable amounts of plant sterols (stigmasterol
+
campesterol, β-sitosterol, fucosterol
+
brassicasterol), α-tocopherol and carotenes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
To evaluate the possible association between dietary habits and progenitor cells using data obtained from a randomized crossover trial using two different diets, lacto-ovo-vegetarian (VD) and ...Mediterranean (MD), the CARDIVEG study.
Eighty clinically healthy subjects with a low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk profile (61 F; 19 M; mean age: 50.7 ± 11.6 years) were randomly assigned to isocaloric VD and MD diets lasting three months each, and then crossed. The two diets showed no effects on endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells but opposite effects on circulating progenitor cells. In fact, VD determined significant (p < 0.05) and negative changes on circulating progenitor cells, with an average geometric variation of −130 cells/106 events for CD34+/CD45–/dim, −80 cells/106 events for CD133+/CD45–/dim, and −84 cells/106 events for CD34+/CD133+/CD45–/dim while MD determined significant (p < 0.05) and positive changes for CD34+/CD45–/dim levels, with a geometric mean increase of +54 cells/106 events. No significant correlations were observed between changes in progenitor cells and changes in inflammatory parameters during the VD phase. On the other hand, during the MD phase negative correlations between changes of CD34+/CD45–/dim and interleukin-6 (R = −0.324; p = 0.004) as well as interleukin-8 (R = −0.228; p = 0.04) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (R = −0.277; p = 0.01), were observed. These correlations remained significant also after adjustment for confounding factors only for CD34+/CD45–/dim and interleukin-6 (β = −0.282; p = 0.018) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (β = −0.254; p = 0.031).
MD, but not VD, reported a significant and positive effect on circulating progenitor cells in a group of subjects at low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk, probably acting through the modulation of inflammatory parameters.
•Mediterranean diet is able to determine an increase of circulating progenitor cells.•Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet for 3 months in omnivores did not result in significant improvement of progenitor cells.•Negative correlation between progenitor cells and inflammatory cytokines during Mediterranean diet has been reported.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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