Loggerhead sea turtle (
C. caretta
) is the official European bioindicator of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2019, 8 sea turtles, out of 28 specimens loggerhead on the Adriatic coast of ...Molise, were subjected to necropsy. The intestinal contents were collected and the microplastics until 0.45 μm were extracted. Qualitative and quantitative assessments were performed by stereomicroscope observation and spectroscopic analyses (attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy, RMS). Moreover, the analytical quantification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), para phthalic acid (PTA) and bisphenol A (BPA) in fat and liver tissues was performed by LC-MS/MS. Microparticles ranging from 0.45 μm to 1 mm were found in all turtles, for a total of 623, while plastic litter greater than 1 mm were found only in 4 specimens (ranging from 0.03 to 0.11 g). Nineteen different polymers and 10 pigments, including polyester (100% of animals), high-density polyethylene (50%) and polypropylene (50%) were identified. BPA, PTA and PET were detected in fat and liver tissues of all animals, while PC was found only in 50%. A major prevalence was registered in the abdominal fat tissue, although only PC compounds were significantly higher in abdominal tissue (
p
< 0.05), except for free PTA with liver tissue being the most contaminated (
p
< 0.05). Microplastics and additives surely impact the health status of turtles that showed gastrointestinal impairment and an important level of contamination in tissues.
Graphical abstract
Background. Probiotic oral intake, via modulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, can impact brain activity, mood, and behavior; therefore, it may be beneficial against psychological distress and ...anxiety disorders. Inflammatory cytokines can influence the onset and progression of several neurodegenerative mood disorders, and the IL-1β rs16944 SNP is related to high cytokine levels and potentially affects mood disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the combined effect of IL-1β polymorphism and probiotic administration in mood disorder phenotypes in the Italian population. Methods. 150 subjects were randomized into two different groups, probiotic oral suspension group (POSG) and placebo control group (PCG), and received the relative treatment for 12 weeks. Psychological profile assessment by Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL90R) was administered to all volunteers. Genotyping was performed on DNA extracted from salivary samples. Results. After 12 weeks of intervention, a significant reduction of HAM-A total score was detected in the POSG (p<0.01), compared to the PCG. Furthermore, IL-1β carriers have moderate risk to develop anxiety (OR=5.90), and in POSG IL-1β carriers, we observed a reduction of HAM-A score (p=0.02). Conclusions. Consumption of probiotics mitigates anxiety symptoms, especially in healthy adults with the minor A allele of rs16944 as a risk factor. Our results encourage the use of probiotics in anxiety disorders and suggest genetic association studies for psychobiotic-personalized therapy.
Cucullanus carettae
Baylis, 1923 (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) is found worldwide in loggerhead turtles (
Caretta caretta
). Regarding the Mediterranean,
C. carettae
has been identified in the Tyrrhenian ...and the Ionian Sea and a unique description of a
Cucullanus
sp. specimen in loggerheads from the Adriatic Sea has been reported in the literature so far. In the framework of a bio-monitoring project of the Abruzzo and Molise coasts, a parasitological survey was performed on stranded and by-caught sea turtles, at the Istituto Zooprofilattico of Abruzzo and Molise “G. Caporale.” During necropsy, the gastrointestinal system of 72 stranded loggerhead turtles was analyzed for the presence of endoparasites and fecal samples were collected for coprological examination. Adult
C. carettae
(
n
= 123) was found in the upper intestine of one loggerhead turtle, associated with chronic lymphoplasmocytic enteritis. Additionally, five stool samples (6.9%) were positive for
Cucullanus
sp. eggs. Molecular characterization of adult nematodes was carried out to study phylogenetic relationships among the
Cucullanus
species. To our knowledge, this is the first morphological and molecular identification of
C. carettae
in loggerhead turtles from the Adriatic Sea. Additional studies on the distribution of this parasite in the Mediterranean are encouraged.
During chronic kidney disease (CKD), typical alterations in the gut microbiota are observed. The kidney no longer plays the role of the main excretory organ as this function is performed by the ...intestine. In CKD patients, an alteration of intestinal permeability and a degradation of the protective mucous layer are observed. These changes in the intestinal barrier allow the passage of bacterial material from the intestine to the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. This phenomenon contributes to the induction of the chronic inflammatory state, typical of CKD. In nephropathic patients, there is an increase in circulation of p-cresyl sulfate (p-CS), indoxyl sulphate (IS), indole-3 acetic acid (IAA) and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), all gut-derived uremic toxins. The changes in gut microbiota composition are related to CKD stage and this phenomenon is exacerbated in hemodialysis (HD) adult and pediatric patients. Interestingly, it is observed a positive shift in gut microbiota composition after renal transplantation and at the same time a reduction of circulating gut-derived uremic toxins. Either gut dysbiosis or uremic toxins accumulation contribute to the CKD onset and progression.
This study examines the role of MTHFR gene polymorphism (rs1801133) in women with lipedema (LIPPY) body composition parameters compared to a control group (CTRL).
We carried out a study on a sample ...of 45 LIPPY and 50 women as a CTRL. Body composition parameters were examined by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). A genetic test was performed for the MTHFR polymorphism (rs1801133, 677C>T) using a saliva sample for LIPPY and CTRL groups. Mann-Whitney tests evaluated statistically significant differences between four groups (carriers and non-carriers of the MTHFR polymorphism for LIPPY and CTRL groups) on anthropometric/body composition parameters to identify patterns.
LIPPY showed significantly higher (p<0.05) anthropometric parameters (weight, BMI, waist, abdominal, hip circumferences) and lower waist/hip ratio (p<0.05) compared to the CTRL group. The association between the polymorphism alleles related to the rs1801133 MTHFR gene and the body composition values LIPPY carriers (+) showed an increase in fat tissue of legs and fat region of legs percentage, arm's fat mass (g), leg's fat mass (g), and leg's lean mass (g) (p<0.05) compared to CTRL (+). Lean/fat arms and lean/fat legs were lower (p<0.05) in LIPPY (+) than in CTRL (+). In the LIPPY (+), the risk of developing the lipedema disease was 2.85 times higher (OR=2.85; p<0.05; 95% confidence interval = 0.842-8.625) with respect to LIPPY (-) and CTRL.
The presence or absence of MTHFR polymorphism offers predictive parameters that could better characterize women with lipedema based on the association between body composition and MTHFR presence.
Lipid peroxidation has supposed as the major biochemical alteration underling oxidant-induced cell injury in stress including numerous diseases. One of the natural molecules know to prevent or retard ...oxidation is alpha-lipoic acid (LA) and, therefore, the lipoic acid/dihydrolipoic acid (LA/DHLA) redox couple has received considerable attention. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of free LA and DHLA as powerful metabolic antioxidants that are able to scavenge the reactive oxygen species, to recycle other antioxidants. Our aim was to investigate the beneficial effects of LA in the treatment of Italian pre-obese and obese subjects. We screened 1612 subjects for enrollment; of these, 1127 subjects (445 men and 682 women, 18-60 age) met enrolment criteria and were enrolled in the study. According to body mass index (BMI) the 53% was obese and the 43% was pre-obese. The subjects were treated for 4 month with 800 mg/day of LA. In pre-obese subject significant reduction (p<0.001) of weight (8%, both gender), BMI (2 points), blood pressure, and abdominal circumference (female 6 cm, male 7 cm) were observed. In obese subjects significant reductions (p<0.001) of weight (9%, both gender), BMI (female 3 point, male 4 point), blood pressure and abdominal circumference (female 9 cm, male 11 cm) were observed. Our study indicated that LA is an ideal antioxidant candidate for the therapy of obesity related diseases. Further clinical studies should be considered to highlight the role and efficacy of LA treatment.
Summary
We aimed at molecularly dissecting the anatomical heterogeneity of small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), by analysing a cohort of 12 patients for whom paired DNA from a lymph node biopsy and ...circulating cells, as well as plasma‐circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) was available. Notably, the analyses of the lymph node biopsy and of circulating cells complement each other since a fraction of mutations (20·4% and 36·4%, respectively) are unique to each compartment. Plasma ctDNA identified two additional unique mutations. Consistently, the different synchronous sources of tumour DNA complement each other in informing on driver gene mutations in SLL harbouring potential prognostic and/or predictive value.
Adaptation to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress relies on activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and induction of autophagy. Indeed, cells die if ER stress is not countered by the UPR. ...Here we show in U937 cells that the ER stressors tunicamycin and thapsigargin cause increased expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 (JNK2), which allows regulation of the UPR, whose silencing or pharmacological inhibition delays BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein) upregulation, and causes earlier and greater expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (CHOP). Furthermore, we show that pharmacological inhibition or silencing of JNK2 causes accumulation of both p62 and the acidic compartment, caspase 3 activation and apoptosis. Our results reveal that JNK2 prevents accumulation of the acidic compartment in U937 cells undergoing autophagic flux and, by this mechanism, it keeps stressed cells alive. Our findings highlight a potential role for JNK2 in tumor cell survival, senescence and neurodegenerative diseases, in which ER stress, autophagy and lysosome activity are known to interplay.
Heat-shock protein (HSP) 70 is aberrantly expressed in different malignancies and has a cancer-specific cell-protective effect. As such, it has emerged as a promising target for anticancer therapy. ...In this study, the effect of the HSP70-specific inhibitor (PES), also Pifitrin-μ, on primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell viability was analyzed. PES treatment induced a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect in BC3 and BCBL1 PEL cells by inducing lysosome membrane permeabilization, relocation of cathepsin D in the cytosol, Bid cleavage, mitochondrial depolarization with release and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-activating factor. The PES-induced cell death in PEL cells was characterized by the appearance of Annexin-V/propidium iodide double-positive cells from the early times of treatment, indicating the occurrence of an additional type of cell death other than apoptosis, which, accordingly, was not efficiently prevented by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk. Conversely, PES-induced cell death was robustly reduced by pepstatin A, which inhibits Bid and caspase 8 processing. In addition, PES was responsible for a block of the autophagic process in PEL cells. Finally, we found that PES-induced cell death has immunogenic potential being able to induce dendritic cell activation.
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