Adipokines in obesity and metabolic diseases

Adipose tissue secretes many adipokines that regulate important physiological functions. Growing studies have highlighted that these bioactive molecules may contribute to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Adipokines exert systemic metabolic effects and independent activity on numerous cells of the cardiovascular system, including cardiomyocytes and vascular cell walls. Adiponectin shows anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic activity on blood vessels. Conversely, resistin is endowed with pro-inflammatory effects and stimulates the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, thus promoting the development of atherosclerotic plaque. Leptin plays an important role in cardiac remodeling and blood pressure regulation through the activation of the sympathetic system. Obesity is a pathological condition associated with hypertrophy of white adipose tissue, which stimulates the production of pro-inflammatory adipokines while, it reduces the production of anti-inflammatory adipokines. The delicate balance among the production of pro-and anti-inflammatory molecules generated by adipose tissue affects, not only the development of metabolic complications associated with obesity, but also the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, adipokines may be regarded as potential agents of clinical interest in the treatment of a wide range of metabolic disorders and as potential biomarkers useful for early detection of metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases

Selenium a cure for autoimmune thyroiditis?

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) is a disease whose incidence has increased dramatically over the past few decades. In iodine sufficient areas, this pathological condition affects up to 5% of the general population. The higher incidence of AT observed in areas of the world with low-selenium (Se) soils apperas to be the consequence of a reduced activity of the intracellular Sedependent glutathione peroxidase activity. Se is involved, through selenoproteins, in the regulation of intracellular antioxidant, redox and anti-inflammatory processes. As a component of selenoproteins, Se exerts various structural and enzymatic functions. A low Se/high fat diet can cause selenoprotein changes and promote the expression of proinflammatory factors. In particular, it has been well recognized as an antioxidant and trace element catalyst essential in the production of thyroid hormone. Selenium is important for the functioning of the immune system. The recommended daily dose for adults of 55 μ

SELENIUM AND AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element of pivotal importance to human health. Se is incorporated into selenoproteins (SePs) which have pleiotropic effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and in the production of active thyroid hormone. These findings may explain the relationship between Se deficiency and pathogenesis of various human diseases including thyroid disorder. In line with these observations, the therapeutic effectiveness of Se supplementation has already been reported in patients with various thyroid diseases. However, there are still controversial data about the optimal dose of Se to be administered, as well as the duration and efficacy of treatment and safety of this trace element. It is currently recommended to administer Se supplements following the assessment of any deficiency status of this element and, after that, its association with chronic autoimmune thyroid disease has been proven. Consistent with these observations, several clinical studies have highlighted the fact that Se supplementation in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroid disease was associated with a reduction of thyroid autoantibodies, and with an improvement of the thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. The beneficial effects of Se supplementation have been reported in subjects with thyroid disease during the hyperthyroid phase. The restoration of euthyroidism is a major goal in the management of thyrotoxicosis of Graves’ disease. In line with these observations, clinical studies have shown that, in patients with Graves' disease and autoimmune thyroiditis, treatment with a combination of antithyroid drugs and Se restore the euthyroid status faster than the administration of anti-thyroid drugs alone. The review shows that the treatment of an autoimmune thyroid disease with Se may bring about beneficial effects

Bioactive effects of citrus flavonoids and role in the prevention of atherosclerosis and cancer

Citrus fruits are the main fruits of the Mediterranean diet and have been long recognized for their beneficial effects on human health. Observational studies have shown a significant association between dietary flavonoid intake and reduced risk of cardiovascular and malignant diseases. The beneficial effects of citrus fruits on human health appear to be due to their high content in vitamins, minerals and fibers. In particular, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities have been indicated as some of the mechanisms through which citrus fruits may thwart the development of chronic degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer. This review would critically examine the results from numerous experimental and clinical studies carried out in order assess the contribute of citrus flavonoids to the prevention of chronic pathological conditions including atherosclerosis and cancer

Searching for long-lived particles beyond the Standard Model at the Large Hadron Collider

International audienceParticles beyond the Standard Model (SM) can generically have lifetimes that are long compared to SM particles at the weak scale. When produced at experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, these long-lived particles (LLPs) can decay far from the interaction vertex of the primary proton–proton collision. Such LLP signatures are distinct from those of promptly decaying particles that are targeted by the majority of searches for new physics at the LHC, often requiring customized techniques to identify, for example, significantly displaced decay vertices, tracks with atypical properties, and short track segments. Given their non-standard nature, a comprehensive overview of LLP signatures at the LHC is beneficial to ensure that possible avenues of the discovery of new physics are not overlooked. Here we report on the joint work of a community of theorists and experimentalists with the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments—as well as those working on dedicated experiments such as MoEDAL, milliQan, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, and FASER—to survey the current state of LLP searches at the LHC, and to chart a path for the development of LLP searches into the future, both in the upcoming Run 3 and at the high-luminosity LHC. The work is organized around the current and future potential capabilities of LHC experiments to generally discover new LLPs, and takes a signature-based approach to surveying classes of models that give rise to LLPs rather than emphasizing any particular theory motivation. We develop a set of simplified models; assess the coverage of current searches; document known, often unexpected backgrounds; explore the capabilities of proposed detector upgrades; provide recommendations for the presentation of search results; and look towards the newest frontiers, namely high-multiplicity ‘dark showers’, highlighting opportunities for expanding the LHC reach for these signals