po 290 etv7 regulates breast cancer stem cells content and chemoresistance

Introduction Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered the population of cells within the tumour able to drive tumorigenesis and known to be highly resistant to conventional chemotherapy. ETV7 is a poorly studied transcription factor member of ETS large family, known to be an interferon-stimulated gene. It has been recently found over-expressed in breast cancer (BC), with higher expression levels in the more aggressive BC subtypes. In this work, we investigated the effects of ETV7 increased expression on breast CSCs population and resistance to chemotherapy in BC cells. Material and methods We generated MCF7 and T47D BC-derived cells stably over-expressing ETV7 and obtained ETV7 KO in MDA-MB-231 BC cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We analysed breast CSCs content via CD44/CD24 staining and FACS analysis, as well as mammospheres formation assay. We measured expression of ABC transporters and anti-apoptotic proteins via RT-qPCR and western blot. We finally assessed sensitivity to Doxorubicin and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) via MTT assay and AnnexinV/PI staining at FACS. Results and discussions We observed that the expression of ETV7 could be induced by various stimuli, particularly by chemotherapeutic drugs able to induce DNA damage. We then analysed the impact of ETV7 expression on the sensitivity to Doxorubicin and 5-FU and we could observe a significantly decreased sensitivity to these drugs upon ETV7 over-expression. We could also appreciate an increase in ABC transporters and BCL2 anti-apoptotic protein expression following ETV7 over-expression. We further observed that alteration of ETV7 expression could significantly affect the population of breast cancer stem cells (CD44+/CD24low cells) in different BC cell lines. Conclusion We propose a novel role for ETV7 in breast cancer stem cells plasticity and associated resistance to conventional chemotherapy. We finally suggest that an in-depth investigation of this mechanism could lead to novel breast CSCs targeted therapies and to the improvement of combinatorial regimens with the aim of avoiding resistance and relapse in breast cancer

Reflections about occupational stress

O presente artigo apresenta aspectos teóricos relativos à atividade laboral do indivíduo procurando associá-los a sofrimentos e frustrações, as quais, poderão levá-lo à diminuição de sua produtividade e, consequentemente, de sua Saúde.This article intends to present theoretical aspects about individual laboral activities, trying to associate suffering and frustation which could decrease their productivity and, consequently their health.Este artículo pretende presentar aspectos teoricos relativos a la actividad laboral del individuo, buscando asociarla a sufrimientos y frustraciones, pudiendo llevarlos a reducir su productividad y por consecuencia su salud

Reflections about occupational stress

O presente artigo apresenta aspectos teóricos relativos à atividade laboral do indivíduo procurando associá-los a sofrimentos e frustrações, as quais, poderão levá-lo à diminuição de sua produtividade e, consequentemente, de sua Saúde.This article intends to present theoretical aspects about individual laboral activities, trying to associate suffering and frustation which could decrease their productivity and, consequently their health.Este artículo pretende presentar aspectos teoricos relativos a la actividad laboral del individuo, buscando asociarla a sufrimientos y frustraciones, pudiendo llevarlos a reducir su productividad y por consecuencia su salud

Land Use Effects on Organic Matter in Brown Soils of the Emilian Apennines

The study investigated organic carbon storage and tumover times and microbial activity in the epipedons of two soils that formed and evolved over a common parental substrate of sandstone and heterometric conglomerates in soil survey stations characterised by different land use and cover: natural mixed deciduous woodland, reforestation zones planted with Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco) and plots cultivated with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). AlI profiles displayed a degree of reaction (pH) ranging ftom neutral to alkaline. The physicochemical and biological characteristics of the surface horizons of the Monte delle Formiche profile (Thapto-eutric Haplic Cambisols) under mixed deciduous forest cover were compared to those of tilled soil planted with alfalfa; similarly, the forest profile of Monte Zena (Calcaric Cambisols), again under mixed deciduous cover, was compared with soils ftom a nearby reforestation area planted with Douglas Fir and an adjacent plot of land planted with alfalfa. The content of total organic carbon (Corg), extractable carbon (Cextr) and humic (CRA) and fulvic (CFA) acids decreased with increases in profile depth and the value of these parameters was greater in soils under mixed deciduous cover than in those under coniferous cover; the lowest values were to be found in cultivated soils. The humification index of forest soils showed a lower degree of humification of organic matter in the A2 horizons of the epipedon as compared to the Al horizons. The soil humification index (HI) in the reforested and cultivated areas is close to the typical values found in single-crop agricultural environments. The MF forest soil under mixed woodland cover displayed higher values for alI C fractions, including microbial C (Crnie), as compared to the adjacent cultivated site (MFcult); the much higher level of potentially mineralizable C (Co) indicates a greater amount of material readily available for the microbial biomass. The tumover time (l/K) calculated for forest and tilled soils is similar in the surface horizon, whereas tumover occurs more rapidly in the A2 horizon of forest as compared to MFcult soil (depth of 5-10 cm). However, the low microbial quotient and high metabolic quotient (qC02) indicate that the surface horizons of the MF so il under mixed forest cover are currently in a stage of development and evolution definable as paraclimax. AH organic and biological C parameters of soils in the Monte Zena station were observed to be low; the epipedons of the MZ forest profile display a lower content of Corg as compared to the MF forest soil, while the parameters relating to microbial biomass activity suggest conditions of stability (climax). The Douglas Fir reforestation zone showed the lowest values of Crnie, a low Crnie/Corg ratio and high qCOz, especiaHy in the A2 horizon of the epipedon. The increase in qCOz may be seen as the response of the microbial biomass to changes in the quality of the organic C of plant residues incorporated into the soil - as reflected by the low degree of humification of organic matter (totallevel of humification 75%) - and signals a stress condition. The cultivated soils of the two stations reveal a situation of disturbance, mainly ascribable to farrning practices, which manifests itself in system stability as far as the living fraction of the soi! is concemed, though the samples taken at both depth intervals showed the lowest content of humidified Corg, in association with high humification indexes

Monitoraggio avanzato relativo al contenuto in metalli pesanti e microelementi nel sistema acqua-suolo-pianta

Vengono raccolti gli esiti delle attivit\ue0 sperimentali relative alla qualit\ue0 ambientale in prossimit\ue0 dell\u2019inceneritore del Frullo di Granarolo dell\u2019Emilia (BO), volte nell\u2019ambito della Linea progettuale 2 del progetto Moniter (\u201cOrganizzazione e realizzazione della sorveglianza ambientale nelle aree di indagine\u201d). Il monitoraggio ambientale sul sistema acqua-suolo-pianta e le relative misure fisico-chimiche ed analisi statistiche dei dati hanno avuto il compito di aumentare la conoscenza della qualit\ue0 dell\u2019ambiente nelle zone circostanti gli impianti di incenerimento relativamente al contenuto di inquinanti organici e inorganici nel sistema acqua-suolo-pianta. L\u2019indagine si \ue8 inoltre prefissata di valutare l\u2019effettiva ricaduta di inquinanti organici ed inorganici (Elementi Potenzialmente Tossici EPT) sul suolo, e su alcune specie di vegetali, scelti come indicatori biologici, in un arco temporale limitato a due anni in una zona interessata da inceneritore. Una si \ue8 posta come obiettivo la determinazione della biodisponibilit\ue0 dei metalli esanti nella rizosfera e quindi la valutazione del metodo analitico di estrazione chimica in grado di simulare il processo di adsorbimento del metallo dal suolo alla radice della pianta. Una seconda attivit\ue0 si \ue8 posta come obiettivo, invece, l\u2019effettiva ricaduta al suolo di EPT utilizzando un suolo tecnologico (Soil Technology) e bioindicatori vegetali