ALS in Italian professional soccer players: the risk is still present and could be soccer-specific

We previously found an increased risk for ALS in Italian professional soccer players actively engaged between 1970 and 2001 (n=7325). The present study extends previous work with a prospective follow-up of the original cohort to 2006 and investigates the risk of ALS in two other cohorts of professional athletes, basketball players (n=1973) and road cyclists (n=1701). Standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) were calculated. Among soccer players three new cases of ALS were identified, reaching a total of eight ALS cases (mean age of onset, 41.6 years). The number of expected cases was 1.24, with an SMR of 6.45 (95% CI 2.78-12.70; p5 years, for midfielders, and for players engaged after 1980. No basketball player and no cyclist developed ALS. This prospective extension of the Italian soccer players cohort survey confirms the highly significant risk of developing ALS, the young age of onset, the dose-effect risk and a predilection for midfielders. The absence of ALS cases in professional road cyclists and basketball players indicates that ALS is not related to physical activity per s

Serenoa repens extracts: In vitro study of the 5α-reductase activity in a co-culture model for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objectives. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a form of benign tumor that occurs in humans mainly with ageing. It affects more than 50% of over 50 years old males and it is characterized by an increased synthesis of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), due to the 5α-reductase activity. The BPH therapeutic approach mainly uses 5α-reductase inhibitors, such as the active compounds present in the extracts deriving from species Serenoa repens. Many lipidosterolic extracts are available on the market, which are obtained with different solvents, among them ethanol is recognized as non-toxic and has less handling risks than hexane. The purpose of the present experimental study was to investigate in-vitro the potency of an ethanol extract of S. repens comparing it with an n-hexane one. Materials and methods. Two different lipido-sterolic extracts of S. repens have been tested: ethanol extract and n-hexane extract, two batches for each one. The inhibitory action of the extract was evaluated estimating in-vitro the activity of enzyme 5α-reductase type I (5α-RI), which was mainly active under the experimental condition of pH 7.5. DHT amount, synthesized from testosterone (1 μM), was evaluated in a co-culture model of epithelial cells and fibroblasts resulting from prostatic biopsy of a patient with BPH.Results. The analysis of the resulting dose-response curves showed that the entire S. repens extracts inhibited the 5α-RI showing no difference between the two kinds of extract or between the batches. The resulting IC50 values were the following: 8.809 (95% CI = 5.133-15.56) and 9.464 (95% CI = 5.094- 18.27) for ethanol extracts; 11.08 (95% CI = 6.389-19.98) and 12.72 (95% CI = 7.758-21.53) for n-hexane extracts. Conclusions. The potency of ethanol extracts of S. repens was comparable with the one of n-hexane extracts

acne ra 1 2 a novel uv selective face cream for patients with acne efficacy and tolerability results of a randomized placebo controlled clinical study

SummaryBackground General skincare measures such as the use of moisturisers and products containing adequate photoprotection are important components of acne patients' management to complement the pharmacological regimen. Acne RA-1,2 is a novel dermato-cosmetic product which contains selective photofilters and active ingredients against the multifactorial pathophysiology of acne. Objectives To evaluate the tolerability of Acne RA-1,2 and its effect on the clinical signs of acne. Methods This double-blind, placebo-controlled study randomized 40 adult patients with 10-25 comedones per half face to once-daily application of Acne RA-1,2 or placebo for 8 weeks. Evaluations after 4 and 8 weeks included the number of comedones, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), sebum production, and tolerability. Results In the Acne RA-1,2 group, there was a significant 35% decrease in the mean number of comedones from 26 at baseline to 17 at Week 8 (P<.001), a 7% significant reduction in TEWL (9.32 to 8.66 g/h/m2; P<.001), and a 24% significant reduction in sebum production (154.8 to 117.6 μg/cm2; P<.001). The reductions in TEWL and sebum production were significantly greater than those in the placebo group at Weeks 4 and 8 (P<0.05). There were no adverse events. Conclusions Acne RA-1,2 was well tolerated and effective at reducing comedones and sebum production and improving epidermal barrier function. These results suggest that Acne RA-1,2 is useful against acne-prone facial skin, particularly as it targets sebum production, which topical pharmacological acne therapies do not address

Bioavailability Study of an Innovative Orobuccal Formulation of Glutathione

Alteration of the ubiquitous thiol tripeptide glutathione (GSH) is involved in oxidative stress, which plays a role in ageing; consequently, GSH is closely related to this process characterized by progressive decline in the efficiency of physiological function and increased susceptibility to disease. When circulating GSH decreases, oral administration might be considered a therapeutic benefit. Unfortunately, due to the hydrolysis of the tripeptide by intestinal γ-glutamyltransferase, dietary glutathione is not a major determinant for its increase. Aim of this work was to evaluate improvement of GSH systemic availability testing, in vitro and in vivo, an optimized orobuccal fast-slow release formulation tablet containing pure stabilized GSH. In vitro evaluation of the penetration capability of the innovative GSH-release formulation showed that GSH was well absorbed by the reconstructed oral epithelium and its absorption has features of time-dependence. In addition, in vivo results, obtained from 15 healthy volunteers, were in favor of GSH level improvement in blood showing fast (after 30 and 60 minutes) absorption through oral mucosa. In conclusion, the intake of GSH formulated through optimized orobuccal fast-slow release tablets gave positive results in raising GSH blood concentration

I.S.Mu.L.T. Achilles Tendon Ruptures Guidelines

This work provides easily accessible guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of Achilles tendon ruptures. These guidelines could be considered as recommendations for good clinical practice developed through a process of systematic review of the literature and expert opinion, to improve the quality of care for the individual patient and rationalize the use of resources. This work is divided into two sessions: 1) questions about hot topics; 2) answers to the questions following Evidence Based Medicine principles. Despite the frequency of the pathology andthe high level of satisfaction achieved in treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures, a global consensus is lacking. In fact, there is not a uniform treatment and rehabilitation protocol used for Achilles tendon ruptures

Gut-muscle-brain axis: Molecular mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders and potential therapeutic efficacy of probiotic supplementation coupled with exercise

Increased longevity is often associated with age-related conditions. The most common neurodegenerative disorders in the older population are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), associated with progressive neuronal loss leading to functional and cognitive impairments. Although symptomatic treatments are available, there is currently no cure for these conditions. Gut dysbiosis has been involved in the pathogenesis of AD and PD, thus interventions targeting the “gut-brain axis” could potentially prevent or delay these pathologies. Recent evidence suggests that the skeletal muscle and the gut microbiota can affect each other via the “gut-muscle axis”. Importantly, cognitive functions in AD and PD patients significantly benefit from physical activity. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive picture of the crosstalk between the brain, the skeletal muscle and the gut microbiota, introducing the concept of “gut-muscle-brain axis”. Moreover, we discuss human and animal studies exploring the modulatory role of exercise and probiotics on cognition in AD and PD. Collectively, the findings presented here support the potential benefits of physical activity and probiotic supplementation in AD and PD. Further studies will be needed to develop targeted and multimodal strategies, including lifestyle changes, to prevent or delay the course of these pathologies

Action of testosterone on some biochemical parameters related to the energy metabolism of the skeletal muscle

The effect of intramuscular administration of testosterone propionate was studied on rat gastrocnemius muscle. Muscular glycolytic substrates and Krebs' cycle metabolites (glycogen, glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, lactate, citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, malate), related aminoacids (glutamate, alanine, ammonia), energy store and mediators (creatine phosphate, ATP, ADP, AMP) and the energy charge potential were evaluated. The influence of the factors: testosterone dose, time course of treatment and sex of animals was investigated, no relevant changes being notice