The citrus flavanone naringenin produces cardioprotective effects in hearts from 1 year old rat, through activation of mitoBK channels

Background and Purpose: Incidence of cardiovascular disorders increases with age, because of a dramatic fall of endogenous self-defense mechanisms and increased vulnerability of myocardium. Conversely, the effectiveness of many cardioprotective drugs is blunted in hearts of 1 year old rat. The Citrus flavanone naringenin (NAR) was reported to promote cardioprotective effects against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, through the activation of mitochondrial large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (mitoBK). These effects were observed in young adult rats, but no data are available about the possible cardioprotective effects of NAR in aged animals. Experimental Approach: This study aimed at evaluating the potential cardioprotective effects of NAR against I/R damage in 1 year old rats, and the possible involvement of mitoBK. Key Results: Naringenin protected the hearts of 1 year old rats in both ex vivo and in vivo I/R protocols. Noteworthy, these effects were antagonized by paxilline, a selective BK-blocker. The cardioprotective effects of NAR were also observed in senescent H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In isolated mitochondria from hearts of 1 year old, NAR exhibited the typical profile of a mitoBK opener. Finally, Western Blot analysis confirmed a significant (albeit reduced) presence of BK-forming alpha and beta subunits, both in cardiac tissue of 1 year old rats and in senescent H9c2 cells. Conclusion and Implications: This is the first work reporting cardioprotective effects of NAR in 1 year old rats. Although further studies are needed to better understand the whole pathway involved in the NAR-mediated cardioprotection, these preliminary data represent a promising perspective for a rational nutraceutical use of NAR in aging

Antioxidant and Antisenescence Effects of Bergamot Juice

Aging is one of the main risk factor for the onset of cardiovascular diseases; one of the possible explanations could be linked to the age-associated overproduction of free radicals. This increase of oxidative stress can be overcome with a high intake of food antioxidants. In this context, a number of studies have been addressed to assess the antiaging potential of natural antioxidant compounds. Recently, it has been shown that the juice of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau), a fruit mostly produced in the Ionian coastal areas of Southern Italy (Calabria), is a valuable source of health-promoting constituents with, among other, antioxidant properties. In order to investigate the potential antiaging effects of this Mediterranean natural antioxidant source, bergamot juices of three different cultivars ("fantastico," "femminello," and "castagnaro") were herein characterized by the mean of high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Then, juices were investigated for the evaluation of total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents, cell-free model antioxidant activities, and in vitro antiaging properties on two different cellular models of induced myocardial senescence. The best performing juice was also assessed in vivo. The phytochemical profiles confirmed that juices were rich in flavonoids, both flavone and flavanone glycosides. In addition, two limonoid glycosides were also identified in all cultivars. Each cultivar showed different phenolic and flavonoid contents. In tube results showed the juice robust antioxidant activities that correlate with their phenolic and flavonoid contents. Moreover, for the first time, the ability of juice to counteract the chemical-induced senescence was here demonstrated in both cellular models. Lastly, the in vivo data obtained from mouse hearts evidenced an increase in transcription of genes involved in antiaging and antioxidant responses. The overall results suggest that bergamot juice exerts antioxidant and antisenescence effects, making it useful for nutraceutical purposes

Raven coloured progressive matrices in migraine without aura patients

Conflicting results emerged from studies investigating cognitive performances in migraine patients. Based on clinical and neuroradiological aspects, the possible involvement of executive functions has been especially taken into consideration. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in a population of subjects affected by migraine without aura (MwoA), frontal lobe cognitive functions. We enrolled all the consecutive patients affected by MwoA referred to our headache centre for a first evaluation. Each patient underwent a neuropsychological evaluation including Raven coloured progressive matrices (CPM). We collected variables as age, education, years of migraine, frequency of attacks and CPM scores. Relationship between continuous variables was explored with multiple regression lines, selecting the best-fitting trendline for each relationship. We obtained a final sample of 36 subjects (females: 62.5%; mean age: 42.25\uc2\ua0\uc2\ub1\uc2\ua010.21\uc2\ua0years). Patients had mean length of migraine history of 12.25\uc2\ua0\uc2\ub1\uc2\ua011.00\uc2\ua0years and a mean frequency of attacks of 8.06\uc2\ua0\uc2\ub1\uc2\ua07.15 per month. Linear regression underlines a progressive decrease of CPM score with the increase of the migraine history\ue2\u80\u99s length (R2\uc2\ua0=\uc2\ua00.8871; p\uc2\ua0<\uc2\ua00.001), and the frequency of migraine attacks (R2\uc2\ua0=\uc2\ua00.3122; p\uc2\ua0<\uc2\ua00.05). Our findings suggest that pathological CPM scores can be associated with the severity of migraine. These data seem to confirm the hypothesis of an impairment of executive functions in MwoA. Different hypotheses to explain cognitive impairment in migraine have been postulated including the impact of the typical white matter lesions and a long history of drug abuse. The possible relevant clinical consequence of a full comprehension of this particular aspect related to migraine deserves further attention and consideration

Protective Effects of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau) Juice in Rats Fed with High-Fat Diet

The bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso &amp; Poiteau), a small tree cultivated along the Ionian coast of the Calabria region in Southern Italy, is an ancient plant used for the production of essential oil from fruit peel, but recently evaluated also for the high content of phenolics in the fruit pulp. Indeed, the juice is rich in glycosylated flavone and flavanones, showing a wide range of pharmacological activities. Noteworthy preclinical and clinical studies reported that bergamot juice is effective in reducing plasma lipids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of a C. bergamia juice using an experimental animal model of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk in vivo. A significant reduction of both triglyceride levels and cardiovascular risk was observed in animals fed with a high-fat diet and bergamot juice. Daily oral treatment with bergamot juice significantly limits a high-fat-induced increase in body, visceral adipose tissue, liver, and heart weight. In addition, C. bergamia juice showed protective effects on hepatic steatosis, probably due to the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation. Chemical constituents of administered bergamot juice, investigated by means of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analyses were represented by a wide range of flavonoids, with neohesperidin, neoeriocitrin, and naringin being the most abundant flavonoids according to previous studies. Furthermore, a considerable amount of brutieridin, a flavanone O-glycoside having a 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl residue, was observed

Right ventricular septal pacing: Safety and efficacy in a long term follow up

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the permanent high interventricular septal pacing in a long term follow up, as alternative to right ventricular apical pacing. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated: (1) 244 patients (74 ± 8 years; 169 men, 75 women) implanted with a single (132 pts) or dual chamber (112 pts) pacemaker (PM) with ventricular screw-in lead placed at the right ventricular high septal parahisian site (SEPTAL pacing); (2) 22 patients with permanent pacemaker and low percentage of pacing (< 20%) (NO pacing); (3) 33 patients with high percentage (> 80%) right ventricular apical pacing (RVA). All patients had a narrow spontaneous QRS (101 ± 14 ms). We evaluated New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, quality of life (QoL), 6 min walking test (6MWT) and left ventricular function (end-diastolic volume, LV-EDV; end-systolic volume, LV-ESV; ejection fraction, LV-EF) with 2D-echocardiography. RESULTS: Pacing parameters were stable during follow up (21 mo/patient). In SEPTAL pacing group we observed an improvement in NYHA class, QoL score and 6MWT. While LV-EDV didn’t significantly increase (104 ± 40 mL vs 100 ± 37 mL; P = 0.35), LV-ESV slightly increased (55 ± 31 mL vs 49 ± 27 mL; P = 0.05) and LV-EF slightly decreased (49% ± 11% vs 53% ± 11%; P = 0.001) but never falling < 45%. In the RVA pacing control group we observed a worsening of NYHA class and an important reduction of LV-EF (from 56% ± 6% to 43% ± 9%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Right ventricular permanent high septal pacing is safe and effective in a long term follow up evaluation; it could be a good alternative to the conventional RVA pacing in order to avoid its deleterious effects

Integrated environmental and clinical surveillance of viral acute respiratory infections in close communities: opportunities and challenges

Background and Objectives: The epidemiological relevance of viral acute respiratory infections (VARIs) has been dramatically highlighted by COVID19, but other viruses cannot be neglected, such as influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, other coronavirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus. The transmission of these viruses occurs mainly in closed spaces and is dependent both on human and environmental factors. Besides schools, closed communities, such as nursing homes and prisons are the most vulnerable settings, where the real extent of VARIs is often difficult to evaluate, due to the natural history of the diseases and to case ascertainment. In the COVID19 pandemic the Wastewater Based surveillance has shown its great potential for monitoring the virus diffusion and evolution in the environment. Our aim is to pilot an integrated surveillance system for closed communities, carried out through a syndromic surveillance, environmental monitoring (air, surfaces, and wastewater), and the collection on environmental and behavioral risk factors. Methods: The Project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan NRRP - Tuscany Health Ecosystem will consists in design and validate tools for epidemiological and environmental surveillance and analytical methods for environmental matrices, including viral sensors for viruses detection. The integration of all these information into risk assessment models will provide a useful tool for early warning and risk management. Results: In the first phase of the project we will design and validate tools, such as clinical, epidemiological and environmental-based questionnaires, for each setting coupled with analytical methods for viruses’ detection. The integrated surveillance system for closed communities, will be carry-out through syndromic surveillance, environmental monitoring (air, surfaces, and wastewater) and collection of environmental risk factors. Conclusion: Integrating different surveillance systems for VARIs appears crucial to inform early warning and risk assessment tools available at local, regional and National level, but methods and strategies need to be set up

Exploring the nexus between the composition of essential oil and the bacterial phytobiome associated with different compartments of the medicinal plants Origanum vulgare ssp. vulgare, O. vulgare ssp. hirtum, and O. heracleoticum

The emergence of new multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens brought attention to the need for new antimicrobial compounds. One of the advances in addressing the global issue of antibiotic resistance is the discovery that microorganisms residing inside medicinal plants (i.e., the endophytes) may contribute to the production of metabolites of pharmaceutical interest. In this work, the composition of the essential oil (EO) and the cultivable bacterial communities isolated from three different species belonging to the genus Origanum, i.e., O. vulgare ssp. vulgare, O. vulgare ssp. hirtum and O. heracleoticum were analyzed, to check the possible nexus existing between them. The three species exhibited different EO aroma profiles, revealing two trans-sabinene hydrate chemotypes and a carvacrol chemotype. The composition of the bacterial endophytic cultivable microbiome isolated from flowers, leaves, and stems and the bacterial communities isolated from bulk soil were characterized at the genus, species, and/or strain level. The analyses revealed a high degree of biodiversity and a low number of strains shared between the three plant species and compartments of the same plant, suggesting the existence of one or more forces responsible for the distribution of the endophytes in the different microenvironments of the plant. Data obtained also suggested that the composition of the EO might be involved in the structuring of the microbial community and that bacteria might be able to colonize the plant since they are resistant to the antimicrobial activity exhibited by the EO itself and/or able to utilize some compounds as a carbon and energy source. Lastly, the composition of microbial communities might enhance or influence the EO composition