Il ruolo del genere nel lavoro con gli uomini autori di violenza: Affetti e rappresentazioni dei professionisti della salute

Il lavoro di contrasto alla violenza maschile contro le donne ha recentemente spostato il proprio focus dalla donna vittima di violenza all’uomo maltrattante. Questo cambio di paradigma ha portato all’implementazione di programmi di trattamento rivolti agli autori di violenza e all’impegno di professionisti uomini nel contrasto alla violenza. Il presente studio ha l’obiettivo di esplorare gli affetti e le rappresentazioni di 7 professionisti della salute (3 uomini e 4 donne) che si occupano di trattare uomini autori di violenza, con un focus specifico sul genere di appartenenza. L’analisi semiotica quali-quantitativa applicata alle interviste semi-strutturate analizzate tramite il software T-LAB ha consentito di individuare la presenza di 5 cluster: 1) Riconoscimento delle emozioni; 2) Posizionamento di genere; 3) Competenze lavorative; 4) Percezione del rapporto tra i generi; e 5) Rapporto con il lavoro. I risultati sembrano confermare che il genere di appartenenza degli operatori giochi un ruolo fondamentale nell’esperienza lavorativa con gli uomini maltrattanti

Ghrelin Increases Beta-Catenin Level through Protein Kinase A Activation and Regulates OPG Expression in Rat Primary Osteoblasts.

Ghrelin, by binding growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), promotes osteoblast proliferation but the signaling mechanism of GHS-R on these cells remains unclear. Since canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is critically associated with bone homeostasis, we investigated its involvement in mediating ghrelin effects in osteoblasts and in osteoblast-osteoclast cross talk. Ghrelin (10(-10)M) significantly increased β-catenin levels in rat osteoblasts (rOB). This stimulatory action on β-catenin involves a specific interaction with GHS-R1a, as it is prevented by the selective GHS-R1a antagonist, D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6 (10(-7)M). The effect of ghrelin on β-catenin involves the phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3β via protein kinase A (PKA). Inhibition of PKA activity reduces the facilitatory action of ghrelin on β-catenin stabilization. Ghrelin treatment of rOB significantly increases the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), which plays an important role in the regulation of osteoclastogenesis, and this effect is blocked by D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6. Furthermore, ghrelin reduced RANKL/OPG ratio thus contrasting osteoclastogenesis. Accordingly, conditioned media from rOB treated with ghrelin decreased the number of multinucleated TRAcP+ cells as compared with the conditioned media from untreated-control rOB. Our data suggest new roles for ghrelin in modulating bone homeostasis via a specific interaction with GHSR-1a in osteoblasts with subsequent enhancement of both β-catenin levels and OPG expression

The molecular basis, genetic control and pleiotropic effects of local gene co-expression.

Nearby genes are often expressed as a group. Yet, the prevalence, molecular mechanisms and genetic control of local gene co-expression are far from being understood. Here, by leveraging gene expression measurements across 49 human tissues and hundreds of individuals, we find that local gene co-expression occurs in 13% to 53% of genes per tissue. By integrating various molecular assays (e.g. ChIP-seq and Hi-C), we estimate the ability of several mechanisms, such as enhancer-gene interactions, in distinguishing gene pairs that are co-expressed from those that are not. Notably, we identify 32,636 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) which associate with co-expressed gene pairs and often overlap enhancer regions. Due to affecting several genes, these eQTLs are more often associated with multiple human traits than other eQTLs. Our study paves the way to comprehend trait pleiotropy and functional interpretation of QTL and GWAS findings. All local gene co-expression identified here is available through a public database ( https://glcoex.unil.ch/ )

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and sarcoglycan delta genetic variants can affect cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients under hemodialysis

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients under hemodialysis show a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity than the general population. This study aims to identify genetic markers that could explain the increased CV risk in hemodialysis. Methods A total of 245 CKD patients under hemodialysis were recruited and followed up for 5\u2009years to record CV events. Genetic analysis was performed using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping by Infinium Expanded Multi-Ethnic Genotyping Array (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) comparing patients with and without a history of CV events [161 cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and 84 no CVDs]. The fixation index (Fst) measure was used to identify the most differentiated SNPs, and gene ontology analysis [Protein Analysis THrough Evolutionary Relationships (PANTHER) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA)] was applied to define the biological/pathological roles of the associated SNPs. Partitioning tree analysis interrogated the genotype\u2013phenotype relationship between discovered genetic variants and CV phenotypes. Cox regression analysis measured the effect of these SNPs on new CV events during the follow-up (FU). Results Fst analysis identified 3218 SNPs that were significantly different between CVD and no CVD. Gene ontology analysis identified two of these SNPs as involved in cardiovascular disease pathways (Ingenuity Pathway) and heart development (Panther) and belonging to 2 different genes: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) and Sarcoglycan delta (SGCD). The phenotype\u2013genotype analysis found a higher percentage of CVD patients carrying the GLP1R rs10305445 allele A (P\u2009=\u20090.03) and lower percentages of CVD patients carrying the SGCD rs145292439 allele A (P\u2009=\u20090.038). Moreover, SGCD rs145292439 was associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (P\u2009=\u20090.015). Cox analysis confirmed the increased frequency of CV events during the 5-year FU in patients carrying GLP1R rs1035445 allele A but it did not show any significant association with SGCD rs145292439. Conclusions This study identified GLP1R rs10305445 and SCGD rs145292439 as potential genetic markers that may explain the higher risk of CVD in hemodialysis patients

The influence of caseinphosphopeptides on intracellular calcium changes in primary human osteoblasts : a nutrient dependent modulation of bone cell metabolism

Caseinphosphopeptides (CPPs) are a family of peptides originating from in vivo and in vitro hydrolysis of casein. They possess a sequence of three phosphorylated serines followed by two glutamic acids, the acidic motif, able to bind minerals such as calcium. These nutritional compounds display the ability to increase calcium solubility in the digestive tract. Thus, CPPs were hypothesized to increase the calcium absorption and retention in vivo, with potential effects on bone mineralization. Notwithstanding, there are controversial reports on CPP action. The methodological approach used by different laboratories to study calcium absorption and bone mineralization resulted unable to out light whether the peptides have a specific effect on bone metabolism besides the enhancement of calcium availability. We have therefore designed the following study to evaluate a possible direct role of CPPs in bone cell metabolism. Primary human osteoblasts were established in culture using trabecular bone samples obtained from waste materials during orthopedic surgery of patients without metabolic or malignant bone disease. Cytosolic calcium changes were measured by video-microscopy using the fura-2 method on single cells. A mixture of CPPs of commercial origin as well as pure synthetic CPPs were used. The administration of CPPs to human osteoblasts caused an immediate but transient intracellular calcium change in a dose dependent manner. This CPP-induced effect, analogous to that reported for human intestinal cells, is not cytotoxic and is triggered by an influx of the extracellular ions through the cell plasma membrane. The osteoblast pre-treatment with the active form of vitamin D, known to differentiate human osteoblast, does not affect the cell responsiveness to CPP administration. The 24 hours cell incubation with CPPs induced the increase of the activity of alkaline phosphatase, a marker of osteoblast differentiation, reaching a level similar to that produced by vitamin D. The same CPP treatment caused a small but significative reduction in cell rate proliferation and a slight increase in apoptosis activity. Taken together these results indicate that CPPs are endowed of a bone specific effect which underlying mechanism requires further evaluation. CPPs may act not only as a mere carrier for improving calcium absorption and utilization, but also as a trophyc compound for bone health by enhancing osteoblast differentiation and activity