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Oriol A, Dimopoulos M, Schjesvold F, Beksac M, Facon T, Dhanasiri S, Guo S, Mu Y, Hong K, Gentili C, Galli M, Yagci M, Larocca A, Richardson P, Weisel K. Pomalidomide, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone in Lenalidomide-Pretreated Multiple Myeloma: A Subanalysis of OPTIMISMM by Frailty and Bortezomib Dose Adjustment. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 2024; 24:165-176.e4. [PMID: 38072743 DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A proportion of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are older and/or have comorbidities, requiring dose adjustments. Data from OPTIMISMM (NCT01734928) supported the use of pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (PVd) for treating relapsed/refractory MM. This subanalysis of OPTIMISMM assessed outcome by frailty and/or bortezomib dose adjustment. METHODS Patient frailty (nonfrail vs. frail) was classified using age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. Data from patients requiring a bortezomib dose reduction, interruption, and/or withdrawal during PVd treatment were assessed. RESULTS Among 559 patients, 93 of 281 (33.1%) and 93 of 278 (33.5%) patients who received PVd and bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd), respectively, were frail. Overall response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were higher in nonfrail vs. frail with PVd treatment (ORR, 82.8% vs. 79.6%; PFS, 14.7 vs. 9.7 months); significantly higher than with Vd regardless of frailty. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were higher with PVd vs. Vd, regardless of frailty. Discontinuations of PVd were lower in nonfrail vs. frail patients (19.2% vs. 30.1%); the median duration of treatment was similar (DoT; 8.8 vs. 8.9 months, respectively). Patients who received PVd with a bortezomib dose adjustment (n = 240) had a longer median DoT (9.3 vs. 4.5 months) and PFS (12.1 vs. 8.4 months) vs. those without. CONCLUSION Frail patients treated with PVd demonstrated a higher ORR and a longer PFS and DoT vs. Vd, despite a higher frequency of grade ≥ 3 TEAEs leading to pomalidomide, bortezomib, and/or dexamethasone discontinuation. Therefore, PVd treatment may improve patient outcomes, regardless of frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Oriol
- Institut Català d'Oncologia and Institut Josep Carreras, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Fredrik Schjesvold
- Oslo Myeloma Center, Department of Hematology, Oslo University Hospital and KG Jebsen Center for B Cell Malignancies, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Meral Beksac
- Ankara Üniversitesi Tip Fakültes, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Sujith Dhanasiri
- Celgene International Sàrl, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Boudry, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Munci Yagci
- Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | | - Katja Weisel
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Frega A, Gentili C, Proietti S, Lepore E, Unfer V, Fuso A. Author Correction: Epigallocatechin gallate, folic acid, vitamin B12, and hyaluronic acid significantly increase apoptosis and p53 expression in HeLa cells. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2023; 27:11201. [PMID: 38095369 DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202312_34558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Correction to: Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2023; 27 (11): 5240-5245-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202306_32642-PMID: 37318498-published online on June 13, 2023. After publication, the authors discovered that Prof. C. Gentili's affiliation was wrong as he has never been a member of the Italian Society of Colposcopy and Cervicovaginal Pathology (SICPCV). The authors never found the mistake during the review process nor requested a correction before publication. Therefore, the second affiliation has been corrected as follows: Pathologist, Independent Practitioner, Carrara, Italy. There are amendments to this paper. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/32642.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Frega
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
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Matheson EL, Schneider J, Tinoco A, Gentili C, Silva-Breen H, LaVoi NM, White P, Diedrichs PC. The co-creation, initial piloting, and protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of a coach-led positive body image intervention for girls in sport. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1467. [PMID: 37525161 PMCID: PMC10391850 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16360-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, girls disengage from sports at an earlier age and higher rate than boys. This is, in part, due to the unique body image challenges that girls face, relative to their male peers. Existing intervention efforts that aim to reduce girls' negative body image and movement experiences have proven marginally effective, if not ineffective. This paper outlines the co-creation, initial piloting and protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of Body Confident Athletes (BCA); an in-person, coach-led intervention that aims to foster positive body image and sports enjoyment among girls. METHODS Following co-creation and an initial pilot, a two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial will assess the immediate (post-intervention) and short-term (1-month and 3-month follow-up) impact of BCA on girls' (N = 1,036; 11-17 years old) body image, sports enjoyment, and affect. Sport organisations will be randomly allocated (1:1) into either an intervention or waitlist control condition. Girls and coaches in the intervention condition will complete three 60-minute sessions over three consecutive weeks. The primary outcome will be the immediate change in girls' body esteem, with secondary outcomes assessing the immediate and short-term changes in girls' body appreciation, self-objectification, attuned self-care, sports enjoyment, and affect. DISCUSSION This research is the first to utilise an international multi-stakeholder partnership to co-create and evaluate an intervention that addresses the intersection of girls' body image and sport experiences. The theoretical and methodological considerations of this research have led to a feasible intervention and trial protocol, and if proven effective, BCA may assist in reducing the global gender disparity in sports participation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05594524 , registered 25th October 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Matheson
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK.
| | - J Schneider
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - A Tinoco
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - C Gentili
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - H Silva-Breen
- Department of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - N M LaVoi
- Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, University of Minnesota, 1900 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - P White
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - P C Diedrichs
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
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Frega A, Gentili C, Proietti S, Lepore E, Unfer V, Fuso A. Epigallocatechin gallate, folic acid, vitamin B12, and hyaluronic acid significantly increase apoptosis and p53 expression in HeLa cells. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2023; 27:5240-5245. [PMID: 37318498 DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202306_32642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the etiological agent of cervical cancer in more than 95% of cases worldwide. Although most HPV infections clear up on their own and most pre-cancerous lesions spontaneously resolve, in some cases, they can persist, leading to lesions which may progress towards invasive cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We evaluated the effects of the association of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) + folic acid (FA) + vitamin B12 (B12) + hyaluronic acid (HA) on HPV-positive cervical cancer cells (HeLa). RESULTS The association of EGCG + FA + B12 + HA induced a significant increase of apoptosis and p53 gene expression with a concomitant decrease of E6/E7 gene expression, a marker of HPV infection. CONCLUSIONS This study provides for the first-time evidence on the potential additive activity of EGCG + FA + B12 + HA in counteracting HPV infection, by increasing apoptosis and p53 expression in HPV-infected cervical HeLa cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Frega
- Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
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Ghiasi S, Dell'Acqua C, Benvenuti SM, Scilingo EP, Gentili C, Valenza G, Greco A. Classifying subclinical depression using EEG spectral and connectivity measures. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2021; 2021:2050-2053. [PMID: 34891691 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9630044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Detecting depression on its early stages helps preventing the onset of severe depressive episodes. In this study, we propose an automatic classification pipeline to detect subclinical depression (i.e., dysphoria) through the electroencephalography (EEG) signal. To this aim, we recorded the EEG signals in resting condition from 26 female participants with dysphoria and 38 female controls. The EEG signals were processed to extract several spectral and functional connectivity features to feed a nonlinear Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier embedded with a Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) algorithm. Our recognition pipeline obtained a maximum classification accuracy of 83.91% in recognizing dysphoria patients with a combination of connectivity and spectral measures. Moreover, an accuracy of 76.11% was achieved with only the 4 most informative functional connections, suggesting a central role of cortical connectivity in the theta band for early depression recognition. The present study can facilitate the diagnosis of subclinical conditions of depression and may provide reliable indicators of depression for the clinical community.
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Novoa Díaz B, Zwenger A, Carriere P, Martin M, Calvo N, Gigola G, Gomez L, Gentili C. 43P Molecular mechanisms related to chemoresistance of colorectal cancer cells. Ann Oncol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.08.2202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Klinkert K, Levernier N, Gross P, Gentili C, von Tobel L, Pierron M, Busso C, Herrman S, Grill SW, Kruse K, Gönczy P. Aurora A depletion reveals centrosome-independent polarization mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2019; 8:e44552. [PMID: 30801250 PMCID: PMC6417861 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
How living systems break symmetry in an organized manner is a fundamental question in biology. In wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes, symmetry breaking during anterior-posterior axis specification is guided by centrosomes, resulting in anterior-directed cortical flows and a single posterior PAR-2 domain. We uncover that C. elegans zygotes depleted of the Aurora A kinase AIR-1 or lacking centrosomes entirely usually establish two posterior PAR-2 domains, one at each pole. We demonstrate that AIR-1 prevents symmetry breaking early in the cell cycle, whereas centrosomal AIR-1 instructs polarity initiation thereafter. Using triangular microfabricated chambers, we establish that bipolarity of air-1(RNAi) embryos occurs effectively in a cell-shape and curvature-dependent manner. Furthermore, we develop an integrated physical description of symmetry breaking, wherein local PAR-2-dependent weakening of the actin cortex, together with mutual inhibition of anterior and posterior PAR proteins, provides a mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking without centrosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Klinkert
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Levernier
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | | | - Christian Gentili
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Lukas von Tobel
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Marie Pierron
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Sarah Herrman
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Stephan W Grill
- BIOTECTU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of LifeTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Karsten Kruse
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- National Center of Competence in Research Chemical Biology, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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Gentili C, Vanello N, Cristea I, Pietrini P, Bianconi S, Dal Bò E, David D. The application of non-linear metrics to resting state fMRI data analysis. Int J Psychophysiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.07.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Gentili C, Messerotti Benvenuti S, Greco A, Palomba D, Scilingo E, Valenza G. Exploiting HRV measures for clinical evaluation of depressive symptomatology. Int J Psychophysiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.07.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Citi L, Gentili C, Lanatá A, Scilingo EP, Barbieri R, Valenza G. Point-process Nonlinear Autonomic Assessment of Depressive States in Bipolar Patients. Methods Inf Med 2018; 53:296-302. [DOI: 10.3414/me13-02-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
SummaryIntroduction: This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on “Biosignal Interpretation: Advanced Methods for Studying Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems”.Objectives: The goal of this work is to apply a computational methodology able to characterize mood states in bipolar patients through instantaneous analysis of heartbeat dynamics.Methods: A Point-Process-based Nonlinear Autoregressive Integrative (NARI) model is applied to analyze data collected from five bipolar patients (two males and three females, age 42.4 ± 10.5 range 32−56) undergoing a dedicated affective elicitation protocol using images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The study was designed within the European project PSYCHE (Personalised monitoring SYstems for Care in mental HEalth).Results: Results demonstrate that the inclusion of instantaneous higher order spectral (HOS) features estimated from the NARI nonlinear assessment significantly improves the accuracy in successfully recognizing specific mood states such as euthymia and depression with respect to results using only linear indices. In particular, a specificity of 74.44% using the instantaneous linear features set, and 99.56% using also the nonlinear feature set were achieved. Moreover, IAPS emotional elicitation resulted in a more discriminant procedure with respect to the TAT elicitation protocol.Conclusions: A significant pattern of instantaneous heartbeat features was found in depressive and euthymic states despite the inter-subject variability. The presented point-process Heart Rate Variability (HRV) nonlinear methodology provides a promising application in the field of mood assessment in bipolar patients.
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Guidi A, Schoentgen J, Bertschy G, Gentili C, Scilingo E, Vanello N. Features of vocal frequency contour and speech rhythm in bipolar disorder. Biomed Signal Process Control 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2017.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Murphy M, Barry F, Leschke C, Vaughan B, Gentili C, O'Dea J, Ogourtsov V, Rafiq Q, Ochs J, Kulik M, Koenig N. The AUTOSTEM platform for closed manufacture of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells using a closed, scalable and automated robotic system. Cytotherapy 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2017.02.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Baiardi S, Sciamanna L, Mondini S, Gentili C, Signorelli R, Trentin L, Cirignotta F. 0664 VIDEO MONITORING DURING MAINTENANCE OF WAKEFULNESS TEST: MAY THE BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS BE AN ADDITIONAL TOOL FOR RESULTS INTERPRETATION? Sleep 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/sleepj/zsx050.663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Valenza G, Greco A, Gentili C, Lanata A, Toschi N, Barbieri R, Sebastiani L, Menicucci D, Gemignani A, Scilingo EP. Brain-heart linear and nonlinear dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2017; 2016:5497-5500. [PMID: 28269502 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7591971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates brain-heart dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects through linear and nonlinear coupling measures of EEG spectrogram and instantaneous heart rate estimates. To this extent, affective pictures including different combinations of arousal and valence levels, gathered from the International Affective Picture System, were administered to twenty-two healthy subjects. Time-varying maps of cortical activation were obtained through EEG spectral analysis, whereas the associated instantaneous heartbeat dynamics was estimated using inhomogeneous point-process linear models. Brain-Heart linear and nonlinear coupling was estimated through the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC), considering EEG time-varying spectra and point-process estimates defined in the time and frequency domains. As a proof of concept, we here show preliminary results considering EEG oscillations in the θ band (4-8 Hz). This band, indeed, is known in the literature to be involved in emotional processes. MIC highlighted significant arousal-dependent changes, mediated by the prefrontal cortex interplay especially occurring at intermediate arousing levels. Furthermore, lower and higher arousing elicitations were associated to not significant brain-heart coupling changes in response to pleasant/unpleasant elicitations.
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Menicucci D, Gentili C, Piarulli A, Laurino M, Pellegrini S, Mastorci F, Bedini R, Montanaro D, Sebastiani L, Gemignani A. Brain connectivity is altered by extreme physical exercise during non-REM sleep and wakefulness: indications from EEG and fMRI studies. Arch Ital Biol 2016; 154:103-117. [PMID: 28306130 DOI: 10.12871/00039829201641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Brain connectivity is associated to behavioral states (e.g. wake, sleep) and modified by physical activity although, to date, it is not clear which components (e.g. hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones, cytokines) associated to the exercise are involved. In this pilot study, we used extreme exercise (UltraTriathlon) as a model to investigate physical-activity-related changes of brain connectivity. We studied post-race brain synchronization during wakefulness and sleep as well as possible correlations between exercise-related cytokines/hormones and synchronization features. For wakefulness, global synchronization was evaluated by estimating from fMRI data (12 athletes) the brain global connectivity (GC). GC increased in several brain regions, mainly related to sensory-motor activity, emotional modulation and response to stress that may foster rapid exchange of information across regions, and reflect post-race internally-focused mental activity or disengagement from previous motor programs. No significant correlations between cytokines/hormones and GC were found. For sleep (8 athletes), synchronization was evaluated by estimating the local-(cortical) and global-related (thalamo- cortical) EEG features associated to the phenomenon of Sleep Slow Oscillations (SSO) of NREM sleep. Results showed that: power of fast rhythms in the baseline preceding the SSO increased in midline and parietal regions; amplitude and duration of SSOs increased, mainly in posterior areas; sigma modulation in the SSO up state decreased. In the post race, IL-10 positively correlated with fast rhythms baseline, SSO rate and positive slope; IL-1ra and cortisol inversely correlated with SSO duration; TNF-α and C-reactive protein positively correlated with fast rhythm modulation in the SSO up state. Sleep results suggest that: arousal during sleep, estimated by baseline fast rhythms, is increased; SSO may be sustained by cortical excitability, linked to anti-inflammatory markers (IL-10); thalamo-cortical entrainment, (sigma modulation), is impaired in athletes with higher inflammatory markers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, via Savi 10, 56126, Pisa, Italy -
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of cognitive behavioural therapy of anxiety disorders on depression has been examined in previous meta-analyses, suggesting that these treatments have considerable effects on depression. In the current meta-analysis we examined whether the effects of treatments of anxiety disorders on depression differ across generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD). We also compared the effects of these treatments with the effects of cognitive and behavioural therapies of major depression (MDD). METHOD We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and the Cochrane database, and included 47 trials on anxiety disorders and 34 trials on MDD. RESULTS Baseline depression severity was somewhat lower in anxiety disorders than in MDD, but still mild to moderate in most studies. Baseline severity differed across the three anxiety disorders. The effect sizes found for treatment of the anxiety disorders ranged from g = 0.47 for PD, g = 0.68 for GAD and g = 0.69 for SAD. Differences between these effect sizes and those found in the treatment of MDD (g = 0.81) were not significant in most analyses and we found few indications that the effects differed across anxiety disorders. We did find that within-group effect sizes resulted in significantly (p < 0.001) larger effect sizes for depression (g = 1.50) than anxiety disorders (g = 0.73-0.91). Risk of bias was considerable in the majority of studies. CONCLUSIONS Patients participating in trials of cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders have high levels of depression. These treatments have considerable effects on depression, and these effects are comparable to those of treatment of primary MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology,Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,The Netherlands
| | - I A Cristea
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy,Babes-Bolyai University,Cluj-Napoca,Romania
| | - E Weitz
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology,Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,The Netherlands
| | - C Gentili
- Department of General Psychology,University of Padova,Padova,Italy
| | - M Berking
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy,Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg,Germany
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Abstract
The implementation of decisions affecting cell viability and proliferation is based on prompt detection of the issue to be addressed, formulation and transmission of a correct set of instructions and fidelity in the execution of orders. While the first and the last are purely mechanical processes relying on the faithful functioning of single proteins or macromolecular complexes (sensors and effectors), information is the real cue, with signal amplitude, duration, and frequency ultimately determining the type of response. The cellular response to DNA damage is no exception to the rule. In this review article we focus on DNA damage responses in G2 and Mitosis. First, we set the stage describing mitosis and the machineries in charge of assembling the apparatus responsible for chromosome alignment and segregation as well as the inputs that control its function (checkpoints). Next, we examine the type of issues that a cell approaching mitosis might face, presenting the impact of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the correct and timely functioning of pathways correcting errors or damage before chromosome segregation. We conclude this essay with a perspective on the current status of mitotic signaling pathway inhibitors and their potential use in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Ferrari
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Gentili
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
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Valenza G, Greco A, Gentili C, Lanata A, Sebastiani L, Menicucci D, Gemignani A, Scilingo EP. Combining electroencephalographic activity and instantaneous heart rate for assessing brain-heart dynamics during visual emotional elicitation in healthy subjects. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2016; 374:rsta.2015.0176. [PMID: 27044990 PMCID: PMC4822439 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Emotion perception, occurring in brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, involves autonomic responses affecting cardiovascular dynamics. However, how such brain-heart dynamics is further modulated by emotional valence (pleasantness/unpleasantness), also considering different arousing levels (the intensity of the emotional stimuli), is still unknown. To this extent, we combined electroencephalographic (EEG) dynamics and instantaneous heart rate estimates to study emotional processing in healthy subjects. Twenty-two healthy volunteers were elicited through affective pictures gathered from the International Affective Picture System. The experimental protocol foresaw 110 pictures, each of which lasted 10 s, associated to 25 different combinations of arousal and valence levels, including neutral elicitations. EEG data were processed using short-time Fourier transforms to obtain time-varying maps of cortical activation, whereas the associated instantaneous cardiovascular dynamics was estimated in the time and frequency domains through inhomogeneous point-process models. Brain-heart linear and nonlinear coupling was estimated through the maximal information coefficient (MIC). Considering EEG oscillations in theθband (4-8 Hz), MIC highlighted significant arousal-dependent changes between positive and negative stimuli, especially occurring at intermediate arousing levels through the prefrontal cortex interplay. Moreover, high arousing elicitations seem to mitigate changes in brain-heart dynamics in response to pleasant/unpleasant visual elicitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Valenza
- University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A Greco
- University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Gentili
- University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Pierroz V, Rubbiani R, Gentili C, Patra M, Mari C, Gasser G, Ferrari S. Dual mode of cell death upon the photo-irradiation of a Ru II polypyridyl complex in interphase or mitosis. Chem Sci 2016; 7:6115-6124. [PMID: 27708751 PMCID: PMC5032677 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc00387g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an attractive, complementary medical technique to chemotherapy. Among the different photosensitizers (PSs) employed, Ru(ii) polypyridyl complexes were found to be valid substitutes to porphyrin-based or phthalocyanine-based PSs. Here, we confirm that one such complex, namely [Ru(bipy)2-dppz-7-methoxy][PF6]2 (Ru65), which localizes in the nucleus of various cancer and normal cells, displays cytotoxicity only upon UV-A irradiation. Importantly, we disclose the molecular mechanism of the UV-A mediated cytotoxic action of Ru65. We demonstrate that Ru65 intercalates in DNA and, upon light irradiation, promotes guanine oxidation, resulting in nicks in the double helix. We confirm this mechanism of action in living cells, showing that the UV-A irradiation of cells loaded with Ru65 results in a transient DNA damage response and cell death. Strikingly, the photo-irradiation of Ru65 triggered distinct mechanisms of cell death in interphase or mitotic cells. The former underwent cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and massive cytoplasmic vacuolation, which was paralleled by an unfolded-protein stress response, resulting in a reduction of viability and cell death through a paraptosis-like mechanism. On the other hand, the UV-A irradiation of Ru65 in cells synchronized by G2/M block-release with a selective CDK1 inhibitor led to blocking mitotic entry and rapid cell death through classic apoptotic pathways. Importantly, targeting mitotic cells with Ru65 allowed increasing its photo-toxicity by a factor of 3.6. Overall, our findings show that the use of a combination of a cell cycle inhibitor and a PS targeting the nucleus could open up new avenues in PDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Pierroz
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.imcr.uzh.ch/research/Ferrari.html ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 3471 ; Department of Chemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.gassergroup.com ; Fax: +41 44 635 6803 ; Tel: +41 44 635 4630
| | - Riccardo Rubbiani
- Department of Chemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.gassergroup.com ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 4630
| | - Christian Gentili
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.imcr.uzh.ch/research/Ferrari.html ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 3471
| | - Malay Patra
- Department of Chemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.gassergroup.com ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 4630
| | - Cristina Mari
- Department of Chemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.gassergroup.com ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 4630
| | - Gilles Gasser
- Department of Chemistry , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.gassergroup.com ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 4630
| | - Stefano Ferrari
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190 , CH-8057 Zurich , Switzerland . ; http://www.imcr.uzh.ch/research/Ferrari.html ; ; Tel: +41 44 635 3471
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Gentili C, Castor D, Kaden S, Lauterbach D, Gysi M, Steigemann P, Gerlich DW, Jiricny J, Ferrari S. Chromosome Missegregation Associated with RUVBL1 Deficiency. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133576. [PMID: 26201077 PMCID: PMC4511761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
RUVBL1 (RuvB-like1) and RUVBL2 (RuvB-like 2) are integral components of multisubunit protein complexes involved in processes ranging from cellular metabolism, transcription and chromatin remodeling to DNA repair. Here, we show that although RUVBL1 and RUVBL2 are known to form heterodimeric complexes in which they stabilize each other, the subunits separate during cytokinesis. In anaphase-to-telophase transition, RUVBL1 localizes to structures of the mitotic spindle apparatus, where it partially co-localizes with polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1). The ability of PLK1 to phosphorylate RUVBL1-but not RUVBL2-in vitro and their physical association in vivo suggest that this kinase differentially regulates the function of the RuvB-like proteins during mitosis. We further show that siRNA-mediated knock-down of RuvB-like proteins causes severe defects in chromosome alignment and segregation. In addition, we show that the ATPase activity of RUVBL1 is indispensable for cell proliferation. Our data thus demonstrate that RUVBL1 is essential for efficient mitosis and proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gentili
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dennis Castor
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Svenja Kaden
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David Lauterbach
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Gysi
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Steigemann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Schafmattstrasse 18, HPM E17.2, Swiss Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel W. Gerlich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Schafmattstrasse 18, HPM E17.2, Swiss Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Josef Jiricny
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Ferrari
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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Bologna S, Altmannova V, Valtorta E, Koenig C, Liberali P, Gentili C, Anrather D, Ammerer G, Pelkmans L, Krejci L, Ferrari S. Sumoylation regulates EXO1 stability and processing of DNA damage. Cell Cycle 2015; 14:2439-50. [PMID: 26083678 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2015.1060381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA double-strand break repair by the error-free pathway of homologous recombination (HR) requires the concerted action of several factors. Among these, EXO1 and DNA2/BLM are responsible for the extensive resection of DNA ends to produce 3'-overhangs, which are essential intermediates for downstream steps of HR. Here we show that EXO1 is a SUMO target and that sumoylation affects EXO1 ubiquitylation and protein stability. We identify an UBC9-PIAS1/PIAS4-dependent mechanism controlling human EXO1 sumoylation in vivo and demonstrate conservation of this mechanism in yeast by the Ubc9-Siz1/Siz2 using an in vitro reconstituted system. Furthermore, we show physical interaction between EXO1 and the de-sumoylating enzyme SENP6 both in vitro and in vivo, promoting EXO1 stability. Finally, we identify the major sites of sumoylation in EXO1 and show that ectopic expression of a sumoylation-deficient form of EXO1 rescues the DNA damage-induced chromosomal aberrations observed upon wt-EXO1 expression. Thus, our study identifies a novel layer of regulation of EXO1, making the pathways that regulate its function an ideal target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Bologna
- a Institute of Molecular Cancer Research; University of Zurich ; Zurich , Switzerland
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23
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Guidi A, Vanello N, Bertschy G, Gentili C, Landini L, Scilingo E. Automatic analysis of speech F0 contour for the characterization of mood changes in bipolar patients. Biomed Signal Process Control 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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24
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Gentili C, Cristea I, Ricciardi E, Pietrini P. EPA-1111 - Trait social anxiety modulates spontaneous brain activity in healthy volunteers: A fMRI study. Eur Psychiatry 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(14)78382-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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25
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Kreuz PC, Gentili C, Samans B, Martinelli D, Krüger JP, Mittelmeier W, Endres M, Cancedda R, Kaps C. Scaffold-assisted cartilage tissue engineering using infant chondrocytes from human hip cartilage. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2013; 21:1997-2005. [PMID: 24096178 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2013.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Studies about cartilage repair in the hip and infant chondrocytes are rare. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of infant articular hip chondrocytes for tissue engineering of scaffold-assisted cartilage grafts. METHOD Hip cartilage was obtained from five human donors (age 1-10 years). Expanded chondrocytes were cultured in polyglycolic acid (PGA)-fibrin scaffolds. De- and re-differentiation of chondrocytes were assessed by histological staining and gene expression analysis of typical chondrocytic marker genes. In vivo, cartilage matrix formation was assessed by histology after subcutaneous transplantation of chondrocyte-seeded PGA-fibrin scaffolds in immunocompromised mice. RESULTS The donor tissue was heterogenous showing differentiated articular cartilage and non-differentiated tissue and considerable expression of type I and II collagens. Gene expression analysis showed repression of typical chondrocyte and/or mesenchymal marker genes during cell expansion, while markers were re-induced when expanded cells were cultured in PGA-fibrin scaffolds. Cartilage formation after subcutaneous transplantation of chondrocyte loaded PGA-fibrin scaffolds in nude mice was variable, with grafts showing resorption and host cell infiltration or formation of hyaline cartilage rich in type II collagen. Addition of human platelet rich plasma (PRP) to cartilage grafts resulted robustly in formation of hyaline-like cartilage that showed type II collagen and regions with type X collagen. CONCLUSION These results suggest that culture of expanded and/or de-differentiated infant hip cartilage cells in PGA-fibrin scaffolds initiates chondrocyte re-differentiation. The heterogenous donor tissue containing immature chondrocytes bears the risk of cartilage repair failure in vivo, which may be possibly overcome by the addition of PRP.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Kreuz
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Center Rostock, Doberanerstrasse 142, 18057 Rostock, Germany
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26
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Gentili C, Vanello N, Cristea I, Ricciardi E, David D, Pietrini P, Guazzelli M. Emotional dysregulation in social anxiety insights from an fMRI resting-state study. Int J Psychophysiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.06.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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27
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Cristea I, Valenza G, Gentili C, Tatar AS, Scilingo E, David D. Cognitive reappraisal and acceptance distinctively impact heart rate variability in socially anxious individuals. Int J Psychophysiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.06.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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28
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De Benedictis P, Perboni G, Gentili C, Gaetti L, Zaffanella F, Mutinelli F, Capua I, Cattoli G. Fatal case of human rabies imported to Italy from India highlights the importance of adequate post-exposure prophylaxis, October 2011. Euro Surveill 2012; 17:20168. [PMID: 22607965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In October 2011, an Indian man resident in Italy was admitted to a hospital in Mantua, Italy with symptoms of acute encephalitis. Due to a recent history of bite by a suspected rabid dog in India, where he had received incomplete post-exposure treatment, rabies was suspected. The patient died after 22 days of intensive care treatment and rabies was confirmed post mortem. This report stresses the need of appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis in rabies-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- P De Benedictis
- National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
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De Benedictis P, Perboni G, Gentili C, Gaetti L, Zaffanella F, Mutinelli F, Capua I, Cattoli G. Fatal case of human rabies imported to Italy from India highlights the importance of adequate post-exposure prophylaxis, October 2011. Euro Surveill 2012. [DOI: 10.2807/ese.17.19.20168-en] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In October 2011, an Indian man resident in Italy was admitted to a hospital in Mantua, Italy with symptoms of acute encephalitis. Due to a recent history of bite by a suspected rabid dog in India, where he had received incomplete post-exposure treatment, rabies was suspected. The patient died after 22 days of intensive care treatment and rabies was confirmed post mortem. This report stresses the need of appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis in rabies-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- P De Benedictis
- National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - G Perboni
- Azienda Ospedaliera “Carlo Poma”, Mantua, Italy
| | - C Gentili
- Azienda Ospedaliera “Carlo Poma”, Mantua, Italy
| | - L Gaetti
- Azienda Ospedaliera “Carlo Poma”, Mantua, Italy
| | - F Zaffanella
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) di Mantova, Mantua, Italy
| | - F Mutinelli
- National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - I Capua
- National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - G Cattoli
- National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
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30
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Gobbini M, Gentili C, Ricciardi E, Bellucci C, Salvini P, Laschi C, Guazzelli M, Haxby J, Pietrini P. OVERLAPPING NEURAL RESPONSES TO ROBOTIC AND HUMAN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)71321-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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31
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Gentili C, Ricciardi E, Gobbini MI, Haxby JV, Pietrini P, Guazzelli M. Beyond Amygdala: Default mode network activity differs between patients with Social Phobia and healthy controls. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)70110-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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32
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Sani L, Ricciardi E, Gentili C, Vanello N, Guazzelli M, Haxby J, Pietrini P. The effects of visual experience on the functional connectivity of human MT complex (hMT+) in relation to visual and tactile perception of motion. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)70973-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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33
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Rota G, Gentili C, Sitaram R, Veit R, Guazzelli M, Birbaumer N, Dogil G. The default-mode network during learning of volitional control over regional brain activity. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)71143-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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34
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Rota G, Ricciardi E, Sani L, Gentili C, Vanello N, Guazzelli M, Pietrini P. Neural correlates of extinction of moral pain through forgiveness. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)72166-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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35
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Pereira RC, Scaranari M, Castagnola P, Grandizio M, Azevedo HS, Reis RL, Cancedda R, Gentili C. Novel injectable gel (system) as a vehicle for human articular chondrocytes in cartilage tissue regeneration. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2009; 3:97-106. [PMID: 19172577 DOI: 10.1002/term.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
We developed a novel injectable carrageenan/fibrin/hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel with in situ gelling properties to be seeded with chondrogenic cells and used for cartilage tissue engineering applications. We first analysed the distribution within the hydrogel construct and the phenotype of human articular chondrocytes (HACs) cultured for 3 weeks in vitro. We observed a statistically significant increase in the cell number during the first 2 weeks and maintenance of cell viability throughout the cell culture, together with the deposition/formation of a cartilage-specific extracellular matrix (ECM). Taking advantage of a new in vivo model that allows the integration between newly formed and preexisting cartilage in immunodeficient mice to be investigated, we showed that injectable hydrogel seeded with human articular chondrocytes was able to regenerate and repair an experimentally made lesion in bovine articular cartilage, thus demonstrating the potential of this novel cell delivery system for cartilage tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Pereira
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Oncologia e Genetica, University of Genova, Italy
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36
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Pruneti C, Vanello N, Morese R, Gentili C, Fontana F, Ricciardi E, Fante C, Paterni M, Pietrini P, Guazzelli M, Landini L, Ferdeghini E. Psychophysiological and fMRI neural correlates to stress response: A pilot study. Int J Psychophysiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Bonino D, Ricciardi E, Sani L, Gentili C, Vanello N, Guazzelli M, Vecchi T, Pietrini P. Tactile spatial working memory activates the dorsal extrastriate cortical pathway in congenitally blind individuals. Arch Ital Biol 2008; 146:133-146. [PMID: 19378878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In sighted individuals, both the visual and tactile version of the same spatial working memory task elicited neural responses in the dorsal "where" cortical pathway (Ricciardi et al., 2006). Whether the neural response during the tactile working memory task is due to visually-based spatial imagery or rather reflects a more abstract, supramodal organization of the dorsal cortical pathway remains to be determined. To understand the role of visual experience on the functional organization of the dorsal cortical stream, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) here we examined brain response in four individuals with congenital or early blindness and no visual recollection, while they performed the same tactile spatial working memory task, a one-back recognition of 2D and 3D matrices. The blind subjects showed a significant activation in bilateral posterior parietal cortex, dorsolateral and inferior prefrontal areas, precuneus, lateral occipital cortex, and cerebellum. Thus, dorsal occipito-parietal areas are involved in mental imagery dealing with spatial components in subjects without prior visual experience and in response to a non-visual task. These data indicate that recruitment of the dorsal cortical pathway in response to the tactile spatial working memory task is not mediated by visually-based imagery and that visual experience is not a prerequisite for the development of a more abstract functional organization of the dorsal stream. These findings, along with previous data indicating a similar supramodal functional organization within the ventral cortical pathway and the motion processing brain regions, may contribute to explain how individuals who are born deprived of sight are able to interact effectively with the surrounding world.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Bonino
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno, 61, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
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Gentili C, Handjaras G, Danti S, Vanello N, Gemignani A, Guazzelli M. Artificial neural networks for nonlinear time-series forecasting of fMRI signal. Int J Psychophysiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.05.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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39
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Gentili C, Gobbini M, Ricciardi E, Vanello N, Pietrini P, Haxby J, Guazzelli M. Imbalanced activation of the distributed neural system for face perception in social phobia. Int J Psychophysiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2008.05.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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40
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Casarotto S, Bianchi AM, Ricciardi E, Gentili C, Vanello N, Guazzelli M, Pietrini P, Chiarenza GA, Cerutti S. Spatiotemporal dynamics of single-letter reading: a combined ERP-FMRI study. Arch Ital Biol 2008; 146:83-105. [PMID: 18822797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This work investigates the neural correlates of single-letter reading by combining event-related potentials (ERPs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), thus exploiting their complementary spatiotemporal resolutions. Three externally-paced reading tasks were administered with an event-related design: passive observation of letters and symbols and active reading aloud of letters. ERP and fMRI data were separately recorded from 8 healthy adults during the same experimental conditions. Due to the presence of artifacts in the EEG signals, two subjects were discarded from further analysis. Independent Component Analysis was applied to ERPs, after dimensionality reduction by Principal Component Analysis: some independent components were clearly related to specific reading functions and the associated current density distributions in the brain were estimated with Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography Analysis method (LORETA). The impulse hemodynamic response function was modeled as a linear combination of linear B-spline functions and fMRI statistical analysis was performed by multiple linear regression. fMRI and LORETA maps were superimposed in order to identify the overlapping activations and the activated regions specifically revealed by each modality. The results showed the existence of neuronal networks functionally specific for letter processing and for explicit verbal-motor articulation, including the temporo-parietal and frontal regions. Overlap between fMRI and LORETA results was observed in the inferior temporal-middle occipital gyrus, suggesting that this area has a crucial and multifunctional role for linguistic and reading processes, likely because its spatial location and strong interconnection with the main visual and auditory sensory systems may have favored its specialization in grapheme-phoneme matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Casarotto
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental Pathology, Medical Biotechnologies, Infectivology, and Epidemiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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41
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Mocini D, Muso P, Guendouz E, De Marco L, Mele L, Cini R, Sordini P, Alois A, Costantino A, Arima S, Gentili C, Santini M. Endogenous erythropoietin and a single bolus of 40,000 IU of epoetin alpha do not protect the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury during extracorporeal circulation for cardiac surgery. Perfusion 2008; 23:187-92. [DOI: 10.1177/0267659108097627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Erythropoietin (EPO) exerts a tissue-protective activity in several non-haematopoietic tissues such as heart, brain, spinal cord and muscle. We evaluated the relationship between pre-operative endogenous EPO blood levels and myocardial damage in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Furthermore, we investigated whether pre-operative administration of a single bolus of 40,000 IU epoetin alpha (EPOα) would reduce troponin I or creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) after on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Sixty-seven patients (45 CABG, 22 valvular surgery) were enrolled. EPO was measured in the pre-surgical period and correlated to post-surgical troponin I and CK-MB peaks. Subsequently, forty patients scheduled for CABG were randomized into two groups, receiving, respectively, a) standard medical and surgical treatment (20 patients) and b) the same treatment plus 40,000 IU of EPOα in a single bolus injection in the immediate pre-surgical period (20 patients). In our population, we did not find any correlation between pre-surgical EPO and post-surgical troponin I or CK-MB peaks (p Pearson > 0.05). Furthermore, patients treated with EPOα did not show differences compared to the control group in either troponin I (1.7±1.8 vs 2.6±3.4, p>0.05) or CK-MB (19.6 ±13.2 vs 17.1±12.6, p>0.05) peaks measured in the post-surgical period.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mocini
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - P Muso
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - E Guendouz
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - L De Marco
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - L Mele
- Laboratory Medicine Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - R Cini
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - P Sordini
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - A Alois
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - A Costantino
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - S Arima
- The “Sapienza” University of Rome. Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - C Gentili
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - M Santini
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Department, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy
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Ricciardi E, Bonino D, Gentili C, Sani L, Pietrini P, Vecchi T. Neural correlates of spatial working memory in humans: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study comparing visual and tactile processes. Neuroscience 2006; 139:339-49. [PMID: 16324793 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2005] [Revised: 07/22/2005] [Accepted: 08/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies of neural correlates of working memory components have identified both low-level perceptual processes and higher-order supramodal mechanisms through which sensory information can be integrated and manipulated. In addition to the primary sensory cortices, working memory relies on a widely distributed neural system of higher-order association areas that includes posterior parietal and occipital areas, and on prefrontal cortex for maintaining and manipulating information. The present study was designed to determine brain patterns of neural response to the same spatial working memory task presented either visually or in a tactile format, and to evaluate the relationship between spatial processing in the visual and tactile sensory modalities. Brain activity during visual and tactile spatial working memory tasks was measured in six young right-handed healthy male volunteers by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results indicated that similar fronto-parietal networks were recruited during spatial information processing across the two sensory modalities-specifically the posterior parietal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. These findings provide a neurobiological support to behavioral observations by indicating that common cerebral regions subserve generation of higher order mental representations involved in working memory independently from a specific sensory modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ricciardi
- Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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Abstract
AIMS We investigated drinking habits, and heavy and problem drinking prevalence in a sample of individuals attending the consulting rooms of local General Practitioners in three Italian villages. METHODS The samples were selected to be representative of the entire population of the three villages. Information on alcohol-drinking patterns was collected using a questionnaire that included a masked form of the CAGE rating scale. According to the frequency of alcohol intake, subjects were grouped in three categories: abstainers, occasional drinkers, and daily drinkers. In agreement with WHO guidelines, 40 g/day for males and 20 g/day for females were taken as cut-off for 'heavy drinking' and consumptions of > 80 g/day for males and 40 g/day for females were used to define 'problem drinking'. RESULTS A total of 2972 individuals were included in the survey (19% of the population). Of these, 44% were abstinent, 20% occasional drinkers, and 36% daily drinkers. Daily drinking was found to be more common in males than in females but heavy drinking was significantly higher in females compared with males (P > or = 0.0001). The problem drinkers were 12% of the entire population and the CAGE-positive subjects (> or = 2 positive answers) were 3.5%. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that alcohol drinking is widely diffused in the three communities. A large layer of the population drinks above the WHO-established cut-off. The incidence of heavy and problem drinking seems to have significant gender and regional differences that are important to consider when planning effective prevention programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Guerrini
- Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Mental Health Sciences, Royal Free and University College London, 46 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JF, UK.
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Abstract
The frequent association
between primary headaches and
psychiatric disorders is consistently
reported in the literature. There is
increasing evidence that a bi–directional
relationship links these
somatic conditions to psychopathological
events. Prospective studies
show that several psychiatric disorders
are severe risk factors for both
the onset and chronicisation of primary
headache, and for a long time
it has been suspected that headache
triggers psychiatric disorders, mostly
of affective nature, and affects
both their course and outcome.
Researchers are actively involved in
investigating the biological basis of
such a relationship while clinicians
still need to strengthen their interest
in psychiatric comorbidity of their
primary headache patients to
improve clinical outcome and to
prevent chronic evolutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Gentili
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology,
Pharmacology and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa Medical School, Via Roma 67, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - P. Panicucci
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology,
Pharmacology and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa Medical School, Via Roma 67, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - M. Guazzelli
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology,
Pharmacology and Biotechnologies, University of Pisa Medical School, Via Roma 67, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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Gobbini MI, Gentili C, Pietrini P, Ricciardi E, Guazzelli M, Haxby JV. Distributed representation of facial expression in the superior temporal sulcus: An fMRI study. J Vis 2005. [DOI: 10.1167/5.8.824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Gentili C, Tutolo G, Zerega B, Di Marco E, Cancedda R, Cancedda FD. Acute phase lipocalin Ex-FABP is involved in heart development and cell survival. J Cell Physiol 2005; 202:683-9. [PMID: 15455366 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.20165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Ex-FABP is an extracellular fatty acid binding protein, expressed during chicken embryo development in cartilage, muscle fibers, and blood granulocytes. Transfection of chondrocytes and myoblasts with anti-sense Ex-FABP cDNA results in inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis induction. Ex-FABP expression is dramatically enhanced by inflammatory stimuli and in pathological conditions. In this paper, by in situ whole mount and immunohistochemistry analysis we show that, at early developmental stage, Ex-FABP is diffuse in all tissues of chick embryos. Particularly high level of transcript and protein are expressed in the heart. During acute phase response (APR) induced by endotoxin LPS injection, a marked increase of Ex-FABP mRNA was observed in embryos, highest Ex-FABP expression being in heart and liver. To investigate in vivo the biological role of Ex-FABP, we have directly microinjected chicken embryos with antibody against Ex-FABP. Almost 70% of chicken embryos died and the target tissue was the heart. We detected in heart of the treated embryos a significant increase of apoptotic cells and high level of fatty acids. We propose that the accumulation of fatty acid, specific ligand of Ex-FABP, in the cell microenvironment is responsible of heart cell death, and we suggest that Ex-FABP may act as a survival protein by playing a role as scavenger for fatty acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gentili
- Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.
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Gentili C, Tutolo G, Pianezzi A, Cancedda R, Descalzi Cancedda F. Cholesterol secretion and homeostasis in chondrocytes: a liver X receptor and retinoid X receptor heterodimer mediates apolipoprotein A1 expression. Matrix Biol 2005; 24:35-44. [PMID: 15749000 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2004.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2004] [Revised: 12/14/2004] [Accepted: 12/14/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cholesterol is required for chondrocyte differentiation and bone formation. Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA-1) plays a major role in lipoprotein clearance and cholesterol redistribution. We report here that apoA-1 is expressed during chondrocyte differentiation in vitro and in vivo. In differentiating chondrocytes, the expression of the liver X receptor (LXR) is modulated and its expression correlates to the expression of apoA-1. The expression of other LXR target genes related to cholesterol homeostasis such as ABCA1 cholesterol transporter and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) is similarly regulated. Small molecule ligands activating either LXR or retinoid X receptor (RXR) lead to a dramatic increase in apoA-1 mRNA and protein expression in cultured chondrocytes. These ligands strongly induce ABCA1 cholesterol transporter expression and effectively mediate cholesterol efflux from hypertrophic chondrocytes. In addition, we report that, in the same cells, the ligands down modulate Serum Amyloid A expression induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Our studies provide evidence that LXR/RXR mediate a fine regulation of cholesterol homeostasis in differentiating chondrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gentili
- Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy
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Iwamoto M, Kitagaki J, Tamamura Y, Gentili C, Koyama E, Enomoto H, Komori T, Pacifici M, Enomoto-Iwamoto M. Runx2 expression and action in chondrocytes are regulated by retinoid signaling and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2003; 11:6-15. [PMID: 12505482 DOI: 10.1053/joca.2002.0860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Runx2 (also known as Cbfa1) is a transcription factor required for chondrocyte maturation and osteoblast differentiation. While there is information on the regulation of its expression during osteogenesis, much less is known about it during cartilage maturation. Here we asked whether Runx2 expression and function are affected by retinoic acid (RA) and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), which represent an important stimulator and inhibitor of chondrocyte maturation, respectively. DESIGN We first cloned and characterized Runx2 expressed by chick chondrocytes (cRunx2). We then constructed expression vectors of cRunx2 and a dominant-negative form (DN-cRunx2) and determined their effects on chondrocyte maturation in culture before and during retinoid and PTHrP treatment. RESULTS cRunx2 showed similar transactivation activity to that of its mammalian counterparts although it has a very short QA domain and lacks a small portion of the PST domain. cRunx2 over-expression stimulated chondrocyte maturation, as indicated by increases in alkaline phosphatase activity (APase), mineralization, and type X collagen and MMP-13 expression, and by maintenance of Indian hedgehog (Ihh) expression. RA treatment stimulated cRunx2 gene expression and boosted its pro-maturation effects. PTHrP treatment blocked Runx2 expression and its pro-maturation effects. Over-expression of DN-cRunx2 inhibited maturation and even prevented RA from exerting its pro-maturation role. CONCLUSIONS As previously indicated by mammalian studies, cRunx2 has chondrocyte pro-maturation activity. Its expression and roles are favorably modulated by retinoid signaling but are completely inhibited by PTHrP. A model integrating cRunx2 with PTHrP, Ihh and retinoid signaling and operating during skeletogenesis is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Iwamoto
- Department of Oral Anatomy & Developmental Biology, Osaka University Faculty of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Gentili C, Morelli S, Boland R, de Boland AR. Parathyroid hormone activation of map kinase in rat duodenal cells is mediated by 3',5'-cyclic AMP and Ca(2+). Biochim Biophys Acta 2001; 1540:201-12. [PMID: 11583815 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4889(01)00134-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study, we demonstrated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates in rat duodenal cells (enterocytes) the phosphorylation and activity of extracellular signal-regulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) isoforms ERK1 and ERK2. As PTH activates adenylyl cyclase (AC) and phospholipase C and increases intracellular Ca(2+) in these cells, in the present study we evaluated the involvement of cAMP, Ca(2+) and protein kinase C (PKC) on PTH-induced MAPK activation. We found that MAPK phosphorylation by the hormone did not depend on PKC activation. PTH response could, however, be mimicked by addition of forskolin (5-15 microM), an AC activator, or Sp-cAMP (50-100 microM), a cAMP agonist, and suppressed to a great extent by the AC inhibitor, compound Sq-22536 (0.2-0.4 mM) and the cAMP antagonist Rp-cAMP (0.2 mM). Removal of external Ca(2+) (EGTA 0.5 mM), chelation of intracellular Ca(2+) with BAPTA (5 microM), or blockade of L-type Ca(2+)-channels with verapamil (10 microM) significantly decreased PTH-activation of MAPK. Furthermore, a similar degree of phosphorylation of MAPK was elicited by the Ca(2+) mobilizing agent thapsigargin, the Ca(2+) ionophore A23187, ionomycin and membrane depolarization with high K(+). Inclusion of the calmodulin inhibitor fluphenazine (50 microM) did not prevent hormone effects on MAPK. Taken together, these results indicate that cAMP and Ca(2+) play a role upstream in the signaling mechanism leading to MAPK activation by PTH in rat enterocytes. As Ca(2+) and cAMP antagonists did not block totally PTH-induced MAPK phosphorylation, it is possible that linking of the hormone signal to the MAPK pathway may additionally involve Src, which has been previously shown to be rapidly activated by PTH. Of physiological significance, in agreement with the mitogenic role of the MAPK cascade, PTH increased enterocyte DNA synthesis, and this effect was blocked by the specific inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK) PD098059, indicating that hormone modulation of MAPK through these messenger systems stimulates duodenal cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gentili
- Departamento de Biologia, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Juan 670, 8000, Bahia Blanca, Argentina
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50
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Abstract
Articular cartilage has a fundamental role in joint function. While much is known about its structure, organization and biomechanical properties, there is a very poor understanding of how articular chondrocytes develop during embryogenesis and acquire the unique ability to organize and maintain the articular tissue. Given that articular cartilage forms in close juxtaposition with the joint, here we review past studies on limb joint determination and morphogenesis and more recent studies on a number of factors thought to have roles in joint and epiphysis development. These factors include: the homeobox gene Barx-1; the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family member GDF-5; the growth factors HGF and PTHrP; and the transcription factor ERG. We summarize current thinking on how these factors participate in joint development and how some of these factors may influence development and behavior of epiphyseal chondrocytes. We also describe pertinent recent studies from our laboratories on ERG and the newly-identified alternatively spliced variant C-1-1, and finally propose a sequela of events that may subtend the process of determination and emergence of articular chondrocytes during limb synovial joint development.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pacifici
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 4001 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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