A FABP4-PPARγ signaling axis regulates human monocyte responses to electrophilic fatty acid nitroalkenes

Nitro-fatty acids (NO2-FA) are electrophilic lipid mediators derived from unsaturated fatty acid nitration. These species are produced endogenously by metabolic and inflammatory reactions and mediate anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory responses. NO2-FA have been postulated as partial agonists of the Peroxisome Proliferator- Activated Receptor gamma (PPARγ), which is predominantly expressed in adipocytes and myeloid cells. Herein, we explored molecular and cellular events associated with PPARγ activation by NO2-FA in monocytes and macrophages. NO2-FA induced the expression of two PPARγ reporter genes, Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 (FABP4) and the scavenger receptor CD36, at early stages of monocyte differentiation into macrophages. These responses were inhibited by the specific PPARγ inhibitor GW9662. Attenuated NO2-FA effects on PPARγ sig- naling were observed once cells were differentiated into macrophages, with a significant but lower FABP4 up- regulation, and no induction of CD36. Using in vitro and in silico approaches, we demonstrated that NO2-FA bind to FABP4. Furthermore, the inhibition of monocyte FA binding by FABP4 diminished NO2-FA-induced upre- gulation of reporter genes that are transcriptionally regulated by PPARγ, Keap1/Nrf2 and HSF1, indicating that FABP4 inhibition mitigates NO2-FA signaling actions. Overall, our results affirm that NO2-FA activate PPARγ in monocytes and upregulate FABP4 expression, thus promoting a positive amplification loop for the downstream signaling actions of this mediator

PSM in Italy: Troubled RAI in a Troubled Country

The chapter explores public service media in Italy. In the comparative literature the Italian RAI is often taken as a paradigmatic case of a highly (party) politicized public service broadcaster. Political interference has arguably been a constant feature of RAI’s sixty-year-long history, although the forms in which this phenomenon has manifested itself have changed considerably over time. After briefly contextualising historically and comparatively the case of public service media in Italy, the chapter sets out to discuss recent developments, including the effects of recent reforms to RAI’s governance and funding regimes. It then places these developments and the current debate over the role and future of RAI against the backdrop of a changing political landscape, the country’s ongoing economic problems and major social and cultural transformations

Il grande spreco

Tecnologia e controllo dell'informazione, dibattito sul Rapporto Mc Brid

Global media, business and politics: a comparative analysis of News Corporation’s strategy in Italy and the UK

This article presents a comparative analysis of News Corporation’s entry strategy and rise to dominance in the British and Italian television markets through its satellite pay-TV operations, BSkyB and Sky Italia respectively. As well documented, News Corporation’s strategy in the UK has been heavily dependent on Rupert Murdoch’s cultivation of political connections. By contrast, in Italy Murdoch has been unable to influence local politics to further his business interests, as evidenced by the several regulatory setbacks suffered by Sky Italia. Thus, in order to explain News Corporation’s success in Italy, this article argues that emphasis must be placed primarily on the managerial and financial resources that the company has been able to mobilize. The analysis aims at broadening our understanding of how News Corporation operates in different national contexts, and should also prove valuable for the broader question concerning the shifting balance of power between transnational and national actors in today’s globalizing media landscape