Thyromimetic actions of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in steatotic FaO rat hepatoma cells

Tetrabromobisphenol A (2,2-bis(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenyl propane-TBBPA) is the most produced brominated flame retardant, detected in the environment and in biological samples. TBBPA shares structural similarities with thyroid hormones (THs), and it has been shown to interfere with different aspects of TH physiology, this raising concern on its possible effects as an endocrine disruptor in humans and wildlife. THs play a major role in lipid metabolism, with the liver representing one of their main target tissues. At the cellular level, THs act through interactions with TH receptors (TRs), as well as through TR-independent mechanisms. Rat hepatoma FaO cells (a liver cell line defective for functional TRs) overloaded with lipids have been utilized as a model to investigate the anti-steatotic effects of THs in the hepatocyte. In this work, the possible effects of TBBPA in steatotic FaO cells were investigated. Exposure to TBBPA for 24 h reduced triglyceride (TAG) content and the size of lipid droplets (LDs); similar effects were obtained with equimolar doses (10(-6) M) of T3 (3,3',5-L-triiodothyronine). TBBPA and T3 showed common effects on transcription of genes involved in lipid homeostasis. In particular, TBBPA mainly up-regulated mRNA levels for LD-associated oxidative tissue-enriched PAT protein (OXPAT), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoform β/δ, and the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2). The results demonstrate that TBBPA can decrease lipid accumulation in steatotic cells through stimulation of oxidative pathways. These data identify novel thyromimetic actions of TBBPA at the cellular level.

A wide range of 3243A>G/tRNALeu(UUR) (MELAS) mutation loads may segregate in offspring through the female germline bottleneck

Segregation of mutant mtDNA in human tissues and through the germline is debated, with no consensus about the nature and size of the bottleneck hypothesized to explain rapid generational shifts in mutant loads. We investigated two maternal lineages with an apparently different inheritance pattern of the same pathogenic mtDNA 3243A>G/tRNA^Leu(UUR) (MELAS) mutation. We collected blood cells, muscle biopsies, urinary epithelium and hair follicles from 20 individuals, as well as oocytes and an ovarian biopsy from one female mutation carrier, all belonging to the two maternal lineages to assess mutant mtDNA load, and calculated the theoretical germline bottleneck size (number of segregating units). We also evaluated “mother-to-offspring” segregations from the literature, for which heteroplasmy assessment was available in at least three siblings besides the proband. Our results showed that mutation load was prevalent in skeletal muscle and urinary epithelium, whereas in blood cells there was an inverse correlation with age, as previously reported. The histoenzymatic staining of the ovarian biopsy failed to show any cytochrome-c-oxidase defective oocyte. Analysis of four oocytes and one offspring from the same unaffected mother of the first family showed intermediate heteroplasmic mutant loads (10% to 75%), whereas very skewed loads of mutant mtDNA (0% or 81%) were detected in five offspring of another unaffected mother from the second family. Bottleneck size was 89 segregating units for the first mother and 84 for the second. This was remarkably close to 88, the number of “segregating units” in the “mother-to-offspring” segregations retrieved from literature. In conclusion, a wide range of mutant loads may be found in offspring tissues and oocytes, resulting from a similar theoretical bottleneck size.

Ovarian tissue collection for cryopreservation in pediatric age: laparoscopic technical tips

As the number of young girls subjected to chemo and radiotherapy is steadily increasing it is our duty to try to preserve their future fertility and ovarian function. A possibility is to collect ovarian samples, cryopreserve them and reimplant the tissue when the treatments are over. We report our 11 year experience with the use of laparoscopy to collect ovarian tissue samples. In particular we focus on the details of the surgical technique. The procedure was performed in 54 patients affected by malignancies or pathologies requiring chemo or radiotherapy, with good results. Cryopreservation seems to be a good option to preserve future fertility although it is still an experimental method.

Autotransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue in oncological patients: recovery of ovarian function

ABSTRACT: 

Aim: To present preliminary results of autotransplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue performed at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy. Materials & methods: Orthotopic transplantation was performed in two women with colorectal and breast cancer, and heterotopic transplantation was performed in one Hodgkin’s lymphoma woman. The presence of micrometastasis in the ovarian tissue was checked, and morphological features of ovarian tissue were evaluated before transplantation. Ovarian function was monitored by hormonal and ultrasound-color Doppler examination after transplantation. Results: In all three women, no micrometastasis was found; light and transmission electron microscopy showed well-preserved thawed ovarian tissue. Ovarian function recovery was observed 2–4 months after transplantation. Spontaneous menstrual cycles occurred in two women with normal follicular densities. No periods occurred in the woman with low follicular density at the time of tissue collection. Conclusion: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation is a promising approach for preserving ovarian function in women with cancer.

Cigarette smoking and cardiovascular risk in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND

To verify if in lean polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, the smok- ing habitude might increase the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective observational study, eighty-one women were divided into the following three groups: group I with 27 non-smokers, group II with 26 light-smokers (1-10 cigarettes/day), and group III with 28 heavy smokers (>10 cigarettes/ day). They were submitted to fasting blood sampling; blood measurement of nitrites/ni- trates (NO2-/ NO3), biochemical and hormonal parameters; ovarian ultrasonographic (US) analysis; doppler evaluation of uterine and ophthalmic arteries; brachial artery flow-medi- ated vasodilatation; 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; and oral glucose toler- ance test (OGTT).

RESULTS

Doppler analysis revealed higher uterine and ophthalmic arteries pulsatility in- dex (PI) and ophthalmic artery back pressure in group III compared with group I. The brachial artery diameter and PI, at baseline, was similar among all groups. After the re- active hyperemia, a more intense vasodilatation was observed in group I in comparison with group III. The 24-hour blood pressure demonstrated that, in group III patients, the 24-hour, day- and night-time diastolic blood pressure (DBP), was higher in comparison with non-smokers. The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) was higher in heavy smokers than in non-smokers. The leukocytes and homocysteine (HCY) values were increased in group III. The NO2-/ NO3- plasma levels were reduced in heavy smokers in compari- son with non-smokers. The insulin, glucose and C-peptide plasma values were higher in group III than in other groups. In heavy smokers, the estimates of insulin sensitivity (ISI) and pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-B) were higher compared to the other groups.

CONCLUSION

Smoking habitude in lean PCOS patients may increase the soft markers of CV risk.

Interactions between Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes and the bivalve pathogens Vibrio aestuarianus 01/032 and Vibrio splendidus LGP32

Marine bivalves can accumulate large numbers of bacteria, in particular Vibrio species, whose persistence in bivalve tissues largely depends on their sensitivity to the bactericidal activity of circulating hemocytes and hemolymph soluble factors. The interactions between vibrios and hemolymph have been investigated, in particular in bivalve species susceptible to infection by certain Vibrio spp. and strains. In this work, the effects of two bivalve pathogens, Vibrio splendidus LGP32 (V.s.) and Vibrio aestuarianus 01/032 (V.a.), isolated from oyster mortality outbreaks, on the hemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis were investigated. In vitro, V.s., but not V.a., induced a dramatic decrease in lysosomal membrane stability-LMS in the hemocytes; both vibrios induced a moderate lysozyme release, with V.s. > V.a.. The V.s.-induced decrease in LMS was mediated by activation of PI-3Kinase, as shown by use of different kinase inhibitors. TEM analysis showed rapid internalization of both vibrios; however, V.s. lead to cellular and lysosomal damage and was able to survive within the hemocytes, whereas significant killing of V.a. was observed. In vivo, in mussels challenged with either vibrio and sampled at 6, 24 and 96 h post-injection, transient decreases in hemocyte LMS and progressive increases in serum lysozyme activity were observed, with V.s. > V.a.. Moreover, whereas V.a. was efficiently cleared from hemolymph, V.s. showed significant growth, that was maximal at 24 h p.i. when lowest LMS values were recorded in the hemocytes. Both vibrios also induced significant decreases in LMS in the digestive gland, again with V.s. > V.a.. The results indicate distinct interactions between mussel hemocytes and the two vibrio strains tested. The effects of V.s. may be due to the capacity of this strain to interfere with the signaling pathways involved in hemocyte function, thus escaping the bactericidal activity of the host cell, as observed for certain mammalian pathogens. Although V.s. is considered not pathogenic to Mytilus, this vibrio strain can affect the lysosomal function at the cellular and tissue level, thus leading to stressful conditions.

Body imaging and sexual behavior in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome

INTRODUCTION

In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), changes in body appearance may influence the feminine identity of the patients with possible consequent depression and sexual dysfunction.

AIM

The study aims to examine the differences in mood, perceived body image, sexual behavior, and clitoral vascularization between lean PCOS patients and healthy eumenorrheic controls.

METHODS

Thirty-three lean PCOS women (Group I) and 22 healthy nonhirsute volunteers (Group II) were submitted, on day 3-5 of the cycle, to ultrasonographic (US) and Doppler analyses, to clinical, hormonal, and biochemical evaluations, and to psychometric tests.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Main outcome measures are Ferriman-Gallwey score (FG), clitoral volume, clitoral artery Pulsatility Index, the two-factor Italian McCoy female questionnaire (MFSQ), the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (FRS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire.

RESULTS

The FG score and the androgens resulted, as expected, more elevated in PCOS patients than in controls. However, the US assessment of the clitoral body volume and the resistances registered at the level of the dorsal clitoral artery did not show any difference between Group I and Group II patients. Moreover, the two-factor Italian MFSQ, the FRS, and the BDI were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that in lean PCOS women, the moderate hirsutism and hyperandrogenism do not have any important influence on body image and self-esteem and, as a consequence, on sexual function.

Ovulatory effects of flutamide in the polycystic ovary syndrome

The long-term effects and tolerability of flutamide (Flu) on the menstrual cycle and the ovulatory function of hyperandrogenic women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were investigated. The study included 118 white women with the diagnosis of various forms of hyperandrogenism (80 PCOS and 38 non-PCOS patients). Patients received Flu for three years at dosages that declined each of the three years (250, 125 and 62.5 mg/day). Sex steroid, ovulatory function and menstrual profile at baseline and during each year of Flu treatment were evaluated. Flu therapy showed a significant increase in the percentage of cycles that were ovulatory (with progesterone concentrations greater than 4 ng/ml in mid-luteal phase) and concomitant regularization of the menstrual profile in PCOS patients. A luteinizing hormone decrease and an estrone, estradiol and 17-hydroxyprogesterone increase are also observed during treatment. Regular cycles persisted in non-PCOS patients. The results were maintained during the three years of treatment. The study suggests that Flu is a satisfactory therapeutic regimen of the chronic anovulation and the irregularities of the menstrual cycle in hyperandrogenic PCOS patients in the long run.

Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue in breast cancer patients: 10 years of experience

Aim: To present a decade of experience with ovarian tissue cryopreservation in breast cancer patients. Materials & methods: The safety of the procedure was histologically evaluated before and after freezing in 94 patients. Out of 94 patients, 48 prechemotherapy patients were randomly selected to determine stroma and follicle preservation and follicular density. Results: The ovarian tissue from 94 patients did not identify any micrometastases. After cryopreservation, morphology of the ovarian tissue and density of healthy follicles were similar in fresh and frozen tissue. Follicular density decreased with the increasing age of patients in both fresh and frozen tissue (p < 0.0001). A variation in follicular density was observed between fresh and frozen tissue (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that ovarian tissue cryopreservation is highly feasible for preserving the fertility of young breast cancer patients.

Immunomodulation in Mytilus galloprovincialis by non-toxic doses of hexavalent chromium

In aquatic organisms, the immune function can be affected by exposure to environmental pollutants, including heavy metals. In vertebrate systems, different forms of Cr have been shown induce either immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive processes. Hexavalent Cr, Cr(VI), is an important contaminant released from both domestic and industrial effluents, and the predominant chemical form of the metal in aquatic ecosystems. In this work, the in vitro and in vivo effects of Cr(VI) on immune parameters of the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis were evaluated. Hemocyte incubation with different concentrations of Cr(VI) (0.1-1-10-100 μM) induced a dose-dependent decrease in lysosomal membrane stability (LMS). Decreases in extracellular lysozyme release and phagocytic activity were also observed, with stronger effects at lower metal concentrations. On the other hand, in these conditions, Cr(VI) stimulated extracellular superoxide production and nitrite accumulation. The effects of Cr(VI) were also evaluated in mussels exposed to the metal (0.1-1-10 μg L(-1), corresponding to nanomolar concentrations) for 96 h. Decreases in hemocyte LMS values and in serum lysozyme activity were observed with increasing metal concentrations. Decreased phagocytic activity and increased NO production were recorded, with stronger effects at lower concentrations. In these conditions, decreased Total Hemocyte Counts (THC), but no necrotic/apoptotic processes were observed. Moreover, Cr(VI) at both 0.1 and 1 μg L(-1) seemed to induce significant changes in transcription of immune genes (lysozyme, Mytilin C, Myticin B, defensin, MgC1q), of the serotonin receptor (5-HTR) and of the stress protein HSP70, whereas that of the anti-apoptotic gene p53 was unaffected. Overall, the results indicate that exposure to non-toxic, environmentally relevant concentrations of Cr(VI) can modulate functional and molecular immune parameters in M. galloprovincialis.

Retrospective, observational study on the effects and tolerability of flutamide in a large population of patients with acne and seborrhea over a 15-year period

The long-term effects and tolerability of flutamide (Flu) in women with acne and seborrhea were evaluated. Over the 15-year period, which spans from January 1991 to January 2006, a total of 230 Caucasian women with acne, 211 of which also with seborrhea, received yearly reducing doses (250, 125, and 62.5 mg/day) of Flu alone or combined with oral contraceptive for a period varying from 3 to 6 years and more. Clinical and endocrine evaluations were performed half-yearly and yearly, respectively, in the first 3 years of the study, and yearly in the following years. Liver function evaluations were performed quarterly. Both the groups of patients under Flu therapy showed a similar, marked decrease in acne and seborrhea scores after 6 months of treatment compared with basal values. The maximum drug effect was observed after 1 year, and it was maintained during the following years of treatment. Androgens were strongly suppressed during treatment. During the first year of treatment with 250 mg/day, 4.8% of patients interrupted the study due to hepatic disorders. During the following years on the 125 and 62.5 mg/day doses, no transaminase elevation was observed. The study supports very low-dose Flu as a first-line therapy for women with acne and seborrhea.

Prospective Cohort Study on the Effects and Tolerability of Flutamide in Patients with Female Pattern Hair Loss

Background

Flutamide has been rarely used (or the treatment of female pattern hair loss (FPHL). Flutamide treatment for FPHL has not been evaluated in long-term studies with sufficiently large numbers of women.

Objective:

To evaluate long-term effects, safety, and tolerability of flutamide in women with FPHL.

Methods:

A prospective cohort study was conducted in our tertiary care university hospital. The cohort included 101 women diagnosed with FPHL from January 1991 to January 2006. These women received yearly reducing doses (250, 125, and 62.5 mg/day) of flutamide for 4 years. The cohort included 33 patients treated with flutamide alone and 68 treated with flutamide combined with an oral contraceptive. Clinical and endocrine evaluations were assessed semiannually and annually, respectively, in the first 3 years of the study, and once in the following year. Liver function was evaluated quarterly.

Results:

Both groups showed a marked decrease in alopecia scores after 12 months of flutamide therapy, compared with baseline values. The maximum drug effect occurred after 2 years and was maintained during the following 2 years of treatment. Androgens were strongly suppressed. During the first year of treatment, 4% of patients abandoned the study due to hepatic disorders related to the drug. During the following years, with the lower treatment regimen, no patient abandoned the study because of hepatic alterations.

Conclusions:

Flutamide is a satisfactory therapeutic regimen for treatment of FPHL in the long run. Moreover, the use of very low doses (62.5 mg/day) of flutamide is associated with complete hepatic tolerability and high adherence.

Biomarkers in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to suspensions of selected nanoparticles (Nano carbon black, C60 fullerene, Nano-TiO2, Nano-SiO2)

The potential for ecological toxicity associated with nanomaterials is a growing area of investigation, in particular in the aquatic environment. In suspension feeding invertebrates, the cellular immune system and digestive gland are likely to be targeted, due to their highly developed processes for the cellular internalisation of nano- and micro-scale particles that are integral to key physiological functions such as cellular immunity and intracellular digestion. We have recently demonstrated that suspensions of selected commercial nanomaterials, namely Nano carbon black (NCB), C60 fullerene (C60), Nano-titanium dioxide (n-TiO2) and Nanosilica (n-SiO2) induce oxyradical production and lysosomal enzyme release in the hemocytes of the marine mussel Mytilus in vitro. In this work the possible effects of in vivo exposure to these NPs were investigated. Mussels were exposed to different concentrations (0.05-0.2-1-5mg/l) of NP suspensions for 24h and different biomarkers were evaluated in hemocytes, digestive gland and gills. Characterisation of NP suspensions in artificial sea water (ASW) was performed, indicating the formation of agglomerates of different sizes in the nano-micromolar range for different types of NPs. Formation of larger agglomerates was observed at the end of exposure. The results show that all NP suspensions induced significant lysosomal membrane destabilisation in both the hemocytes and the digestive gland, with NCB>>C60>n-TiO2, >n-SiO2. In the digestive gland, all NPs induced lysosomal lipofuscin accumulation only at the highest concentrations tested to a different extent depending on the NP type. NCB, TiO2 and SiO2 also induced lysosomal neutral lipid accumulation. Moreover, all NPs increased the activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase, with n-SiO2>NCB≅TiO2>C60; NCB and n-TiO2 also stimulated glutathione transferase (GST). Changes in catalase and GST activities were also observed in gills, with both increases and decreases depending on NP type and concentration. The reported results demonstrate that in mussels responses to exposure to NP suspensions involve changes in lysosomal and oxidative stress biomarkers in the digestive gland, suggesting uptake of NP aggregates/agglomerates mainly through the digestive system. Overall, these data further support the hypothesis that suspension feeding invertebrates represent a significant target for NPs in the aquatic environment.