Neem Tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) as Source of Bioinsectides

The aim of the reported studies is check the possibility of developing a new domestic insecticide using neem cake as raw material, in particular against biting mosquitos present in urban areas

Analgesia induced by the epigenetic drug, L-acetylcarnitine, outlasts the end of treatment in mouse models of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain

Background: L-acetylcarnitine, a drug marketed for the treatment of chronic pain, causes analgesia by epigenetically up-regulating type-2 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu2) receptors in the spinal cord. Because the epigenetic mechanisms are typically long-lasting, we hypothesized that analgesia could outlast the duration of L-acetylcarnitine treatment in models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Results: A seven-day treatment with L-acetylcarnitine ( 100 mg/kg, once a day, i.p.) produced an antiallodynic effect in the complete Freund adjuvant mouse model of chronic inflammatory pain. L-Acetylcarnitine-induced analgesia persisted for at least 14 days after drug withdrawal. In contrast, the analgesic effect of pregabalin, amitryptiline, ceftriaxone, and N-acetylcysteine disappeared seven days after drug withdrawal. L-acetylcarnitine treatment enhanced mGlu2/3 receptor protein levels in the dorsal region of the spinal cord. This effect also persisted for two weeks after drug withdrawal and was associated with increased levels of acetylated histone H3 bound to the Grm2 gene promoter in the dorsal root ganglia. A long-lasting analgesic effect of L-acetylcarnitine was also observed in mice subjected to chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. In these animals, a 14-day treatment with pregabalin, amitryptiline, tramadol, or L-acetylcarnitine produced a significant antiallodynic effect, with pregabalin displaying the greatest efficacy. In mice treated with pregabalin, tramadol or L-acetylcarnitine the analgesic effect was still visible 15 days after the end of drug treatment. However, only in mice treated with L-acetylcarnitine analgesia persisted 37 days after drug withdrawal. This effect was associated with an increase in mGlu2/3 receptor protein levels in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that L-acetylcarnitine has the unique property to cause a long-lasting analgesic effect that might reduce relapses in patients suffering from chronic pain

Etica e professioni sanitarie in Europa. Un dialogo tra medicina e filosofia

This multilingual volume brings together some of the results of research conducted at the Department of Literature and Philosophy of the University of Trento (Italy), in collaboration with the Bruno Kessler Foundation (Trento, Italy). Topics related to ethics and professions in the healthcare and other fields were covered, analyzed both from a theoretical and an empirical perspective. After presenting some introductory thoughts on the distinction between different levels and forms of ethical reflection on healthcare and the significance of the individual moral conscience as far as these levels are concerned, the first part of the book discusses some European traditions in healthcare professional ethics: it includes a Spanish account of different moral traditions in healthcare ethics, a reconstruction of the British experience and evolution of this field, a report on the Belgian contemporary situation, a presentation of the role of the Medical Associations in the German area, a description of the evolution of medical ethics in Croatia and a focus on nursing ethics and medical ethics in Italy. Two empirical studies are then described: one qualitative based on 40 interviews with clinicians, and one quantitative based on a web survey of more than 1,000 physicians; the first was conducted in the Province of Trento, the second in that of Verona (Northern Italy). The book concludes with a number of interviews with clinicians and a philosophical reflection on the nature of the obligations related to the practice of caring. The book is intended to cover the main moral questions faced by clinicians today and to offer a novel self-representation of their work and its ethical meaning in contemporary healthcare practice. Medicine and philosophy have a long history of dialogue: this volume continues that discussion, searching for new ways to combine a strong scientific approach with reflections on the moral and anthropological structures of clinical practice

Targeting mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate receptors in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in a mouse model of phenylketonuria

We studied group-I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors in Pah(enu2) (ENU2) mice, which mimic the genetics and neurobiology of human phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder characterized, if untreated, by autism, and intellectual disability (ID). Male ENU2 mice showed increased mGlu5 receptor protein levels in the hippocampus and corpus striatum (but not in the prefrontal cortex) whereas the transcript of the mGlu5 receptor was unchanged. No changes in mGlu1 receptor mRNA and protein levels were found in any of the three brain regions of ENU2 mice. We extended the analysis to Homer proteins, which act as scaffolds by linking mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors to effector proteins. Expression of the long isoforms of Homer was significantly reduced in the hippocampus of ENU2 mice, whereas levels of the short Homer isoform (Homer 1a) were unchanged. mGlu5 receptors were less associated to immunoprecipitated Homer in the hippocampus of ENU2 mice. The lack of mGlu5 receptor-mediated long-term depression (LTD) in wild-type mice (of BTBR strain) precluded the analysis of hippocampal synaptic plasticity in ENU2 mice. We therefore performed a behavioral analysis to examine whether pharmacological blockade of mGlu5 receptors could correct behavioral abnormalities in ENU2 mice. Using the same apparatus we sequentially assessed locomotor activity, object exploration, and spatial object recognition (spatial novelty test) after displacing some of the objects from their original position in the arena. Systemic treatment with the mGlu5 receptor antagonist, MPEP (20 mg/kg, i.p.), had a striking effect in the spatial novelty test by substantially increasing the time spent in exploring the displaced objects in ENU2 mice (but not in wild-type mice). These suggest a role for mGlu5 receptors in the pathophysiology of ID in PKU and suggest that, also in adult untreated animals, cognitive dysfunction may be improved by targeting these receptors with an appropriate therapy

Imported Chikungunya Infection, Italy

From July to September 2006, a total of 17 confirmed cases of CHIKV infection were observed in travelers at 5 Gruppo di Interesse e Studio delle Patologie di Importazione (GISPI) centers (Italian network of Institutes of Infectious and Tropical Diseases). Prompt reporting of imported CHIKV infections is essential for monitoring of potential risk. The possibility of introducing CHIKV into Italy cannot be ruled out on the basis of current evidence

Measles outbreaks in the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, during 2016

Background and aim. Despite the availability of a vaccine,measles continues to be endemic in Italy, where an increase of cases was reported during 2016. This study describes the measles outbreaks in Emilia-Romagna Region (ERR), one of the Italian regions mostly affected. Materials and Methods. A total of 101 suspected cases were reported in ERR during 2016. Laboratory diagnosis by serological and/or molecular methods was performed on 142 specimens (78 urine, 19 oral fluid and 45 sera) related to 97 suspected cases. For positive cases, measles virus (MV) strains involved were identified. Results. Among 101 suspected cases, 72 (71.3%) were confirmed. Vaccination status was known for 61 (84.7%) cases, of which 56 (91.8%) were unvaccinated. The highest incidence was found in the age group 15-39 years. In addition, for the 34.7% (25/72) of confirmed cases, the transmission occurred in nosocomial settings, where healthcare workers were involved (60% of cases). Roma/Sinti population were also involved in 12.5% (9/72)or confirmed cases. Both groups are considered hard-to-reach for immunization. The phylogenetic analysis showed circulation of MV strains belonging to genotype B3 and D8 in 45 (80.4%) and 11 cases (19.6%), respectively. In 94.7% of cases, the measles endemic transmission was demonstrated. Conclusions. This data obtained through active surveillance showed the endemic transmission of MV within a population with immunity gaps including healthcare workers (20.8% of confirmed cases), among which the spread of two endemic MV strains was observed

Deficiency in the nuclear long noncoding RNA causes myogenic defects and heart remodeling in mice

Myogenesis is a highly regulated process that involves the conversion of progenitor cells into multinucleated myofibers. Besides proteins and miRNAs, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to participate in myogenic regulatory circuitries. Here, we characterize a murine chromatin-associated muscle-specific lncRNA, Charme, which contributes to the robustness of the myogenic program in vitro and in vivo. In myocytes, Charme depletion triggers the disassembly of a specific chromosomal domain and the downregulation of myogenic genes contained therein. Notably, several Charme-sensitive genes are associated with human cardiomyopathies and Charme depletion in mice results in a peculiar cardiac remodeling phenotype with changes in size, structure, and shape of the heart. Moreover, the existence of an orthologous transcript in human, regulating the same subset of target genes, suggests an important and evolutionarily conserved function for Charme. Altogether, these data describe a new example of a chromatin-associated lncRNA regulating the robustness of skeletal and cardiac myogenesis

Parkinson's disease plasma biomarkers: An automated literature analysis followed by experimental validation

Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently assessed by the clinical evaluation of extrapyramidal signs. The identification of specific biomarkers would be advisable, however most studies stop at the discovery phase, with no biomarkers reaching clinical exploitation. To this purpose, we developed an automated literature analysis procedure to retrieve all the background knowledge available in public databases. The bioinformatic platform allowed us to analyze more than 51,000 scientific papers dealing with PD, containing information on 4121 proteins. Out of these, we could track back 35 PD-related proteins as present in at least two published 2-DE maps of human plasma. Then, 9 different proteins (haptoglobin, transthyretin, apolipoprotein A-1, serum amyloid P component, apolipoprotein E, complement factor H, fibrinogen γ, thrombin, complement C3) split into 32 spots were identified as a potential diagnostic pattern. Eventually, we compared the collected literature data to experimental gels from 90 subjects (45 PD patients, 45 non-neurodegenerative control subjects) to experimentally verify their potential as plasma biomarkers of PD

Measles in Italy: Viral strains and crossing borders

In 2017, Italy experienced one of the largest outbreaks of measles in recent years, with 5404 notified cases and 4347 confirmed cases. A further 2029 cases were notified during the first 6 months of 2018, and 1516 of them were laboratory-confirmed. The B3 and D8 genotypes were identified as those responsible for the outbreak. Possible transmission routes can be established by monitoring the circulating measles virus strains in support of the national health authorities to warn people and travellers

Alterations in the α2 δ ligand, thrombospondin-1, in a rat model of spontaneous absence epilepsy and in patients with idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsies

Objectives Thrombospondins, which are known to interact with the α2δ subunit of voltage-sensitive calcium channels to stimulate the formation of excitatory synapses, have recently been implicated in the process of epileptogenesis. No studies have been so far performed on thrombospondins in models of absence epilepsy. We examined whether expression of the gene encoding for thrombospondin-1 was altered in the brain of WAG/Rij rats, which model absence epilepsy in humans. In addition, we examined the frequency of genetic variants of THBS1 in a large cohort of children affected by idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsies (IGE/GGEs). Methods We measured the transcripts of thrombospondin-1 and α2δ subunit, and protein levels of α2δ, Rab3A, and the vesicular glutamate transporter, VGLUT1, in the somatosensory cortex and ventrobasal thalamus of presymptomatic and symptomatic WAG/Rij rats and in two control strains by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunoblotting. We examined the genetic variants of THBS1 and CACNA2D1 in two independent cohorts of patients affected by IGE/GGE recruited through the Genetic Commission of the Italian League Against Epilepsy (LICE) and the EuroEPINOMICS-CoGIE Consortium. Results Thrombospondin-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were largely reduced in the ventrobasal thalamus of both presymptomatic and symptomatic WAG/Rij rats, whereas levels in the somatosensory cortex were unchanged. VGLUT1 protein levels were also reduced in the ventrobasal thalamus of WAG/Rij rats. Genetic variants of THBS1 were significantly more frequent in patients affected by IGE/GGE than in nonepileptic controls, whereas the frequency of CACNA2D1 was unchanged. Significance These findings suggest that thrombospondin-1 may have a role in the pathogenesis of IGE/GGEs