Novel Key Ingredients in Urinary Tract Health-The Role of D-mannose, Chondroitin Sulphate, Hyaluronic Acid, and N-acetylcysteine in Urinary Tract Infections (Uroial PLUS®)

: Urinary tract infections represent a common and significant health concern worldwide. The high rate of recurrence and the increasing antibiotic resistance of uropathogens are further worsening the current scenario. Nevertheless, novel key ingredients such as D-mannose, chondroitin sulphate, hyaluronic acid, and N-acetylcysteine could represent an important alternative or adjuvant to the prevention and treatment strategies of urinary tract infections. Several studies have indeed evaluated the efficacy and the potential use of these compounds in urinary tract health. In this review, we aimed to summarize the characteristics, the role, and the application of the previously reported compounds, alone and in combination, in urinary tract health, focusing on their potential role in urinary tract infections

Preoperative Fibrinogen-to-Albumin Ratio as Potential Predictor of Bladder Cancer: A Monocentric Retrospective Study

: Background and objective: Fibrinogen and albumin are two proteins widely used, singularly and in combination, in cancer patients as biomarkers of nutritional status, inflammation and disease prognosis. The aim of our study was to investigate the preoperative fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) as a preoperative predictor of malignancy as well as advanced grade in patients with bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent TURBT at our institution between 2017 and 2021 was conducted. FAR was obtained from preoperative venous blood samples performed within 30 days from scheduled surgery and was analyzed in relation to histopathological reports, as was the presence of malignancy. Statistical analysis was performed using a Kruskal−Wallis Test, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, assuming p < 0.05 to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 510 patients were included in the study (81% male, 19% female), with a mean age of 71.66 ± 11.64 years. The mean FAR was significantly higher in patients with low-grade and high-grade bladder cancer, with values of 80.71 ± 23.15 and 84.93 ± 29.96, respectively, compared to patients without cancer (75.50 ± 24.81) (p = 0.006). Univariate regression analysis reported FAR to be irrelevant when considered as a continuous variable (OR = 1.013, 95% CI = 1.004−1.022; p = 0.004), while when considered as a categorical variable, utilizing a cut-off set at 76, OR was 2.062 (95% CI = 1.378−3.084; p < 0.0001). Nevertheless, the data were not confirmed in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Elevated preoperative FAR is a potential predictor of malignancy as well as advanced grade in patients with bladder cancer. Further data are required to suggest a promising role of the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio as a diagnostic biomarker for bladder tumors

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in small papillary thyroid cancer. A review on novel surgical techniques

Purpose: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and negative for clinically neck lymph node metastatic involvement (N0) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive procedure to detect metastatic nodes. Methods: The MEDLINE database was searched via the PubMed interface on 10 January 2018 for the MeSH headings “sentinel lymph node biopsy” and “thyroid carcinoma”. Results: Vital blue dye, radioisotope, and the combination of both techniques are used in PTC patients. These methods and the emerging role of SPECT/CT are discussed in this review. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification rates ranged from 0 to 100% for blue dye, 83 to 100% for radioisotopes, and 66 to 100% for the combination of both techniques, respectively. Conclusions: SNB based on radioisotope technique with the use of intraoperative gamma-probe is an accurate and safe method that allows the highest SLN detection rate. There is sufficient evidence to propagate the increasing use of SNB procedure that has the potential to avoid prophylactic lymph node surgery in patients clinically N0

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction, by TEM Tomography, of the Ultrastructural Modifications Occurring in <i>Cucumis sativus</i> L. Mitochondria under Fe Deficiency

<div><p>Background</p><p>Mitochondria, as recently suggested, might be involved in iron sensing and signalling pathways in plant cells. For a better understanding of the role of these organelles in mediating the Fe deficiency responses in plant cells, it is crucial to provide a full overview of their modifications occurring under Fe-limited conditions. The aim of this work is to characterize the ultrastructural as well as the biochemical changes occurring in leaf mitochondria of cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) plants grown under Fe deficiency.</p><p>Methodology/Results</p><p>Mitochondrial ultrastructure was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron tomography techniques, which allowed a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of cellular structures. These analyses reveal that mitochondria isolated from cucumber leaves appear in the <i>cristae junction model</i> conformation and that Fe deficiency strongly alters both the number and the volume of cristae. The ultrastructural changes observed in mitochondria isolated from Fe-deficient leaves reflect a metabolic status characterized by a respiratory chain operating at a lower rate (orthodox-like conformation) with respect to mitochondria from control leaves.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>To our knowledge, this is the first report showing a 3D reconstruction of plant mitochondria. Furthermore, these results suggest that a detailed characterization of the link between changes in the ultrastructure and functionality of mitochondria during different nutritional conditions, can provide a successful approach to understand the role of these organelles in the plant response to Fe deficiency.</p></div

Three-dimensional models of leaf mitochondria from cucumber plants grown in control condition (C) or under Fe deficiency (-Fe).

<p>Different colours were used for the rendering of the different suborganellar structures: magenta for inner membranes (IM), blue for outer membranes (OM), green for cristae and red for cristae junctions. <b>(A-D)</b> Tomographic slices of mitochondria from control (A,B) and Fe-deficient (C,D) plants; the inner membrane (IM), the outer membrane (OM), and the matrix enclosed by the IM are indicated; in particular, the rendering of the mitochondria structures from control (B) and Fe-deficient (D) plants, superimposed on the tomographic slices, is reported. <b>(E,F)</b> Three-dimensional models of the mitochondria from control (E) or Fe-deficient (F) plants. <b>(G,H)</b> Details of mitochondrial cristae junctions, in red, identified in mitochondrial from control (G) or Fe-deficient (H) plants. Scale bars 100 nm.</p

Determination of the cristae number <i>per</i> mitochondrion and the relative intracristae surface area (intracristae surface area <i>per</i> mitochondrion surface area, expressed as % ratio).

<p>Mean values ± SD are from analysis of one hundred mitochondria randomly selected from inclusions obtained from three independent biological samples. Student t-test was used to analyse statistical significance with respect to controls.</p><p>***:p<0,001</p><p>Determination of the cristae number <i>per</i> mitochondrion and the relative intracristae surface area (intracristae surface area <i>per</i> mitochondrion surface area, expressed as % ratio).</p

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of leaf tissues from cucumber plants grown in control condition (C) or under Fe deficiency (-Fe).

<p>Control leaf tissues (<b>A-C</b>) and -Fe leaf tissues (<b>D-F</b>). All scale bars = 500 nm. M: mitochondria; C: chloroplast; V: vacuole.</p

Physiological characterization of leaves from cucumber plants grown in control condition (C) or under Fe deficiency (–Fe).

<p><b>(A)</b> Phenotype of 10 days old cucumber plants grown under control condition (C) or under Fe deficiency (-Fe). The following parameters have been evaluated, on expanded leaves of plants grown as in (A): <b>(B)</b> total chlorophyll concentration, expressed as mg chlorophyll g FW^-1; <b>(C)</b> O₂ evolution, expressed as μmol O₂ min^-1 g FW^-1; <b>(D)</b> net photosynthesis expressed as μmol CO₂ consumed s^-1 m^-2; <b>(E)</b> evapotranspiration, expressed as mmol H₂O s^-1m^-2; <b>(F)</b> stomatal conductance, expressed as mmol CO₂ s^-1m^-2; <b>(G)</b> manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo) concentrations, expressed as μg g DW^-1. Data are means ± SE of at least three independent experiments. Student t-test was used to analyse statistical significance with respect to controls. *:p<0,05; **:p<0,01; ***:p<0,001.</p