Proteomic analysis for the study of amniotic fluid protein composition

Amniotic fluid (AF), routinely used for prenatal diagnosis, contains large amounts of proteins produced by the amnion epithelial cells, fetal tissues, fetal excretions and placental tissues. Although many amniotic fluid proteins have been identified and are currently used to detect potential fetal anomalies, little is known about the functions of these proteins and how they interact with one another. Identification of changes in the protein content of amniotic fluid, therefore, may be used to detect a particular type of pathology, or to ascertain a specific genetic disorder. In the present work we used a proteomic approach, combining 2DE and MS, in order to study the protein composition of AFS

Studio preliminare in vivo su effiacia e sicurezza di una terapia combinata a base di probiotici e tea tree oil nelle micosi vaginali.

Tea tree oil (TTO), an essential oil extracted by steam distillation from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia tree, has been known for many years for its antiseptic properties. Currently, TTO is used in vaginal suppositories (VS) for the treatment of vaginal candidiasis. TTO-VS exhibits an in vitro fungicidal activity towards Candida spp., only slightly affecting some vaginal lactobacilli population isolated from patients with vaginitis (Di Vito et al. 2015). However, preclinical and clinical studies addressing efficacy and safety profile are still few and not exhaustive, especially with regard to the complex vaginal microbial environment