Brassinosteroids interact with nitric oxide in the response of rice root systems to arsenic stress

Brassinosteroids (BRs), an emerging class of phytohormones, affect numerous plant physiological and metabolic processes and can improve plant defense systems to counteract metalloid phytotoxicity. Nitric oxide (NO), a reactive nitrogen species (RNS), behaves as a signalling molecule activating plant cellular responses to various environmental conditions. Brassinosteroids induce NO synthesis through nitrate reductase (NR) and NO synthase (NOS) activities. Arsenite and arsenate, inorganic forms of the metalloid arsenic (As), cause both soil pollution and many disorders in numerous plants, including important crops like rice, due to the oxidative stress generated by the imbalance between RNS and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Rice is very susceptible to As toxicity because both As availability and solubility are high in flooded paddy fields in many cultivated areas. The research aims to investigate the effects of BRs on the rice root systems exposed to 10-4 M Na2HAsO40.7 H2O [As(V)] or 2.5 × 10-5 M NaAsO2 [As(III)], highlighting the induced cyto-histological events and dissecting the NO role in the root response. A specific concentration (10-7 M) of 24-epibrassinolide (24-eBL), an exogenously applied BR, increases lateral root (LR) formation of more than 50% in the presence of As(III) or As(V). In addition, eBL attenuates the thickening of the cell walls induced by As in the outermost root cortical layers of LRs and in the adventitious roots (ARs) by reducing of ⁓ 50% the lignin deposition, while it restores the As(v)-altered NO levels by increasing OsNOS1 expression and the cellular NO distribution

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOSI Register

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with HF and COPD than in patients affected by HF alone, both at admission and at discharge (admission, 36.9% vs. 51.3%; discharge, 38.0% vs. 51.7%). In addition, no further BB users were found at discharge. The probability to being treated with a BB was significantly lower in patients with HF also affected by COPD (adj. OR, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.37-0.67), while the diagnosis of COPD was not associated with the choice of selective β1-BB (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 0.76-2.34). Despite clear recommendations by clinical guidelines, a significant underuse of BBs was also observed after hospital discharge. In COPD affected patients, physicians unreasonably reject BBs use, rather than choosing a β1-BB. The expected improvement of the BB prescriptions after hospitalization was not observed. A multidisciplinary approach among hospital physicians, general practitioners, and pharmacologists should be carried out for better drug management and adherence to guideline recommendations

Anales del III Congreso Internacional de Vivienda y Ciudad "Debate en torno a la nueva agenda urbana"

Acta de congresoEl III Congreso Internacional de Vivienda y Ciudad “Debates en torno a la NUEVa Agenda Urbana”, ha sido una apuesta de alto compromiso por acercar los debates centrales y urgentes que tensionan el pleno ejercicio del derecho a la ciudad. Para ello las instituciones organizadoras (INVIHAB –Instituto de Investigación de Vivienda y Hábitat y MGyDH-Maestría en Gestión y Desarrollo Habitacional-1), hemos convidado un espacio que se concretó con potencia en un debate transdisciplinario. Convocó a intelectuales de prestigio internacional, investigadores, académicos y gestores estatales, y en una metodología de innovación articuló las voces académicas con las de las organizaciones sociales y/o barriales en el Foro de las Organizaciones Sociales que tuvo su espacio propio para dar voz a quienes están trabajando en los desafíos para garantizar los derechos a la vivienda y los bienes urbanos en nuestras ciudades del Siglo XXI

Anabolic Deficiencies in Heart Failure: Ready for Prime Time?

: "Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome characterized by symptoms and signs supported by different forms of cardiac impairment. The link between multiple hormonal and metabolic derangements and the development of CHF and the beneficial effects seen with hormonal replacement therapy suggest that a reduction of anabolic pathways might contribute to the onset of CHF. Therefore, an imbalance between anabolic and catabolic forces could be responsible for the development of CHF. There are sufficient evidence to support the screening in patients with CHF of hormonal deficiencies and their correction with replacement therapy.

[The portopulmonary hypertension: an overview from diagnosis to treatment]

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) refers to the condition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in association with portal hypertension. Among patients with portal hypertension, reported incidence rates of POPH range from 2 to 10% and long-term prognosis in cases of POPH is poor. Fundamental issues of management of POPH include identification of patients likely to benefit from liver transplantation (LTx) and treatment with specific pulmonary vasodilators before and after LTx. This review presents as an overview of the current knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients with portopulmonary hypertension

The portopulmonary hypertension: an overview from diagnosis to treatment

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) refers to the condition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in association with portal hypertension. Among patients with portal hypertension, reported incidence rates of POPH range from 2 to 10% and long-term prognosis in cases of- POPH is poor. Fundamental issues of management of POPH include identification of patients likely to benefit from liver transplantation (LTx) and treatment with specific pulmonary vasodilators before and after LTx. This review presents as an overview of the current knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients with portopulmonary hypertension

Nitric oxide and phytohormones interaction in the response of the rice root to toxic metals

To deal with environmental challenges, plants must rely on a sophisticated and tightly regulated defense system to protect cells/tissues/organs in close contact with the stressor. Under stress conditions, changes in the intracellular content and distribution of phytohormones such as auxins and brassinosteroids, are critical in modulating morphogenic responses that eventually lead to adaptation. In addition, increasing evidence indicates that hormones often interact with other endogenous molecules, originating complex signaling cascades which ensure the fast and efficient perception of the stress signal [1]. Among these signaling molecules, the gaseous nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide – NO) is ubiquitous in plant systems and is involved in a plethora of mechanisms ranging from development to resistance and defense to biotic and abiotic stresses. Depending on its cellular levels, NO protects plants from the stress-induced oxidative damage either by directly reacting with reactive oxygen species (ROS) or by increasing the enzymatic or non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. In addition, by chaining the structure of target proteins through S-nitrosylation, NO can influence their activities and cellular functions, ultimately leading to the plant response [2]. Through the employment of pharmacological and genetic approaches in different plant species, it has been demonstrated that NO and auxins or brassinosteroids strongly interact at multiple, diversified levels during the regulation of plant developmental processes, such as during root organogenesis [1]. However, the complex mechanisms underlying NO action in interacting with auxins or brassinosteroids, during pollutant stress responses are still poorly understood and need to be better investigated, especially in the root system, which is the first plant organ system to be exposed to soil pollution. Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) are toxic pollutants often found in contaminated soils with an adverse impact on food security by reducing crop yields and by making food unsafe for consumption. Oryza sativa L. (rice), being one of the most consumed food in the world, constitutes an important source of potential Cd or As contamination, since it is often grown in contaminated paddy fields [3]. In this sense, increasing the knowledge of the mechanisms through which plants cope with stress conditions will help to create correct agricultural practices aimed at increasing food security to meet the world’s growing demand for food. The aim of the study was to evaluate if exogenous supplementations with a specific NO-donor (sodium nitroprusside, SNP) mitigate Cadmium (Cd) or Arsenic (As) in the root system of rice seedlings grown in vitro as well as to understand if the molecule interacts with auxins or brassinosteroids during the root stress response. Our results show that exogenous treatments with SNP mitigate the inhibition of the rice root system induced by Cd, but not that induced by As, through an increase of the intracellular NO levels. Also, SNP treatments restore the root IAA distribution monitored by the OsDR5::GUS system altered by both the pollutants, highlighting an interaction between NO and auxin. In addition, exogenous brassinosteroid treatments strongly increase the root endogenous NO levels, reduced by As, and the transcript of OsNOS1, a gene involved in NO biosynthesis suggesting that NO acts downstream of the hormone signal. However, the brassinosteroid-mediated increase of NO does not result in a better morpho/histological response of the root system to the pollutant. In animal systems, NO has been shown to influence key aspects of epigenetic regulation that include histone posttranslational modifications, DNA methylation, and microRNA levels, up to being considered the new architect of epigenetic landscapes. There is evidence that NO may be a similar key regulator of epigenetic modifications also in plants [4]. In this sense, further analyses are needed to better evaluate the nature of the NO role in the adaptative response of the root system to Cd and As. The research is supported by Progetti Ateneo Sapienza University of Rome, grant number: RM1221815D29A54

Exploring Response to Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Delta-Radiomics

Delta-radiomics is a branch of radiomics in which features are confronted after time or after introducing an external factor (such as treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy) to extrapolate prognostic data or to monitor a certain condition. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are currently revolutionizing the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, there are still many issues in defining the response to therapy. Contrast-enhanced CT scans of 33 NSCLC patients treated with ICIs were analyzed; altogether, 43 lung lesions were considered. The radiomic features of the lung lesions were extracted from CT scans at baseline and at first reassessment, and their variation (delta, Δ) was calculated by means of the absolute difference and relative reduction. This variation was related to the final response of each lesion to evaluate the predictive ability of the variation itself. Twenty-seven delta features have been identified that are able to discriminate radiologic response to ICIs with statistically significant accuracy. Furthermore, the variation of nine features significantly correlates with pseudo-progression

Rhodium and iridium salts inhibit proliferation and induce DNA damage in rat fibroblasts in vitro

Environmental concentration of the platinum group elements is increased in the last years due to their use in automobile catalytic converters. Limited data are available on the effects of such elements at a cellular level and on their toxicity, especially for rhodium and iridium which have been more recently introduced in use. The toxic effects of rhodium and iridium salts were analyzed on a normal diploid rat fibroblast cell line in vitro. Both salts halted cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent fashion by inhibiting cell cycle progression, inducing apoptosis and modulating the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins. In fact, they both caused an accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and affected the expression levels of pRb, cyclins D1 and E, p21(Waf1) and p27(Kip1). DNA strand breaks, as assessed by comet test, and an increase in the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species also occurred in exposed cell cultures. These findings suggest a potential toxicity of both iridium and rhodium salts and emphasize the need for further studies to understand their effects at a cellular level to enable a better assessment of their toxic effects and to identify ways for their modulation and/or prevention