Voluntary movement takes shape. the link between movement focusing and sensory input gating

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between motor surround inhibition (mSI) and the modulation of somatosensory temporal discrimination threshold (STDT) induced by voluntary movement. Seventeen healthy volunteers participated in the study. To assess mSI, we delivered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) single pulses to record motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the right abductor digiti minimi (ADM; “surround muscle”) during brief right little finger flexion. mSI was expressed as the ratio of ADM MEP amplitude during movement to MEP amplitude at rest. We preliminarily measured STDT values by assessing the shortest interval at which subjects were able to recognize a pair of electric stimuli, delivered over the volar surface of the right little finger, as separate in time. We then evaluated the STDT by using the same motor task used for mSI. mSI and STDT modulation were evaluated at the same time points during movement. mSI and STDT modulation displayed similar time-dependent changes during index finger movement. In both cases, the modulation was maximally present at the onset of the movement and gradually vanished over about 200 ms. Our study provides the first neurophysiological evidence about the relationship between mSI and tactile-motor integration during movement execution

Possible role of alpha-lipoic acid in the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries

Recent findings on the antioxidant effects of pretreatment with α-lipoic acid (α-LA) on the crush injury of rat sciatic nerve confirm the possible usefulness of α-LA administration in humans with peripheral nerve injuries. We discussed this issue in relation with our recent results in which the combined employment of α-LA and γ-linolenic acid with a rehabilitation program for six weeks reduced sensory symptoms and neuropathic pain in patients with compressive radiculopathy syndrome from disc-nerve root conflict in comparison with patients submitted to rehabilitation program alone for six weeks

Early and Late Infections in Newborns: Where Do We Stand? A Review

Neonatal sepsis still represents an important cause of mortality and morbidity among infants. According to the onset, we can distinguish "early onset sepsis" when microbiological cultures positive for external pathogens come from newborns during the first 7 days of life (maternal intrapartum transmission); "late onset sepsis" when microbiological cultures positive for external pathogens come from newborns after the first 7 days from delivery (postnatal acquisition). In this review we synthesize the incidence, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and methods of diagnosis and treatment of each type of neonatal infection, in order to better define such a pathological condition which is of great importance in common clinical practice

An Open Question in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Can Humans Transmit the Disease to Pets and Vice Versa?

SARS-CoV-2 infection apparently emerged in China in December 2019, causing the disease known as COVID-19,which can cause severe damage to vital organs (Ackermann et al, 2020). Spillover of SARS-CoV- 2 from bats to humans has been hypothesized (Ackermann et al, 2020). The virus spike protein is the main determinant of viral tropism because it is responsible for binding to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and subsequent entry of SARSCoV- 2 to host cells in humans and several animal species (Sun et al, 2020). Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the spike proteineACE2 receptor complex may represent evolutionary exploitation to overcome speciesbarriers to infection, thushighlighting the zoonotic origin and transmission of the virus

Effects of a nutritional supplement in dogs affected by osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a form of chronic joint inflammation caused by the deterioration of the joint cartilage, accompanied by chronic pain, lameness and stiffness, particularly after prolonged activity. Alternative treatments of canine osteoarthritis would be desirable and, recently nutraceuticals, have been proposed for this purpose. Twenty cross breed adult dogs affected by osteoarthritis were enrolled and equally divided into two groups (control vs. experimental). The nutritional supplement (Dynamopet srl, Verone, Italy) was administered for 90 days to the dogs of the experimental group in order to evaluate its metabolic and locomotor effects. All the clinical signs (lameness, pain on manipulation and palpation, range of motion and joint swelling) significantly (p < 0.01) improved during the trial as regards the experimental group. This group showed a significantly lower joint score than the control group (mean value 7.40 vs. 3.80). With regard to haematology, the mean corpuscular volume resulted significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the experimental group, i.e. alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and triglycerides values decreased and were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than the control one, thus suggesting an improvement in bone remodelling and lipid metabolism. A decrease in the reactive oxygen metabolites and an increase in the biological antioxidant potential demonstrated an improvement in oxidative stress during the trial in the experimental group compare to the control group. Interleukins 6 decreased in the experimental group, while interleukins 10 resulted in the opposite trend. Moreover, the administration of up to 3 months of the studied supplement was well tolerated in the dogs and caused no adverse effects

Effects of a Nutritional Supplement (DìRelaxTM) on Anxiety in Dogs in a Randomized Control Trial Design

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The effects of a nutraceutical product, DìRelax(TM), were tested in a cohort of anxious dogs by the C-BARQ questionnaire to assess the presence of problematic behaviors, and by the impossible task paradigm, an experimental procedure to explore dogs’ cognitive performance following an expectancy frustration. Hematological and biochemical analyses showed no adverse effects. The treatment with DìRelax(TM) showed a positive effect on the dog’s performances, with some of the behaviors appearing improved. The results suggested that DiRelax(TM) may have some ameliorative effect on the cognitive performances of anxious dogs. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of DìRelax(TM), a nutraceutical formulated to reduce anxiety in dogs, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The C-BARQ questionnaire, some clinical investigations, and the impossible task test were performed in dogs before and after treatment. The C-BARQ questionnaire is particularly useful for assessing the frequency and severity of problematic behaviors. The impossible task paradigm provides insight into the decision-making processes in the realm of expectancy frustration. Results showed an ameliorative effect on the performances of treated dogs during the solvable phases, with a significant decrease in the time needed to solve the task. No behavioral difference was found between treated and untreated anxious dogs during the unsolvable phase. According to the results from the C-BARQ questionnaire, some of the behaviors appeared to improve. Clinical investigations, including a complete blood cell count and blood chemistry, showed no difference between groups, thus suggesting the safety of the product. In general, this study suggests that DìRelax(TM) can be safely administered with no adverse effects and can exercise a beneficial effect on anxious dogs by enhancing their cognitive abilities, but further studies should investigate the best method of administration

Pro-Inflammatory and Immunological Profile of Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Simple Summary Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most commonly acquired cardiac disease in dogs and is responsible for congestive heart failure. In this research, some inflammatory, immunological, and echocardiographic parameters were evaluated in dogs affected by MMVD in order to assess the involvement of additional pathophysiological mechanisms during the disease. The main results revealed that inflammation parameters increased according to the severity of the disease and suggested that inflammatory activation may play an important role in cardiac remodeling associated with the progressive volumetric overload in MMVD. Also, a relative increase in Treg cells was detected, suggesting that they could represent a regulatory mechanism for limiting the inflammatory immune response. Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a very frequently acquired cardiac disease in dog breeds and is responsible for congestive heart failure (CHF). The involvement of the immune system and pro-inflammatory cytokines in dogs with CHF due to mitral valve disease has not yet been extensively investigated. Here, we investigate the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the dysfunction of the immune system in dogs with different stages of severity through the blood assessment of CD4(+)FoxP3(+)regulatory T cells (Treg) cells, leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines, and immunological and echocardiographic parameters. A total of 36 cardiopathic dogs, 14 females and 22 males, with MMVD were included. Mean age and body weight (BW) at the time of enrollment were 10.7 +/- 2.77 years and 10.9 +/- 6.69 kg, respectively. For the comparison of the pro-inflammatory and immunological parameters, two groups of healthy dogs were also established. Control group 1 consisted of young animals (n. 11; 6 females and 5 males), whose age and mean weight were 4.1 +/- 0.82 years and 13.8 +/- 4.30 kg, respectively. Control group 2 consisted of elderly dogs (n. 12; 6 females and 6 males), whose age and BW were 9.6 +/- 0.98 years and 14.8 +/- 6.15 kg, respectively. Of particular interest, an increase in Treg cells was observed in the cohort of MMVD dogs, as compared to the healthy dogs, as Treg cells are involved in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance, and they are involved in etiopathogenetic and pathophysiological mechanisms in the dog. On the other hand, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 significantly increased according to the severity of the disease in MMVD dogs. Furthermore, the positive correlation between IL-6 and the left ventricle diastolic volume suggests that inflammatory activation may be involved in cardiac remodeling associated with the progressive volumetric overload in MMVD

Reciprocal Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Signaling on Dengue Virus Replication and Virion Production

International audienceDengue virus (DENV) is a human arboviral pathogen accounting for 390 million infections every year. The available vaccine has limited efficacy, and DENV-specific drugs have not been generated. To better understand DENV-host cell interaction, we employed RNA interference-based screening of the human kinome and identified fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) to control the DENV replication cycle. Pharmacological inhibition of FGFR exerts a reciprocal effect by reducing DENV RNA replication and promoting the production of infectious virus particles. Addressing the latter effect, we found that the FGFR signaling pathway modulates intracellular distribution of DENV particles in a PI3K-dependent manner. Upon FGFR inhibition, virions accumulate in the trans-Golgi network compartment, where they undergo enhanced maturation cleavage of the envelope protein precursor membrane (prM), rendering virus particles more infectious. This study reveals an unexpected reciprocal role of a cellular receptor tyrosine kinase regulating DENV RNA replication and the production of infectious virions