Luminescence and fluorescence of essential oils. Fluorescence imaging in vivo of wild chamomile oil

Essential oils are currently of great importance to pharmaceutical companies, cosmetics producers and manufacturers of veterinary products. They are found in perfumes, creams, bath products, and household cleaning substances, and are used for flavouring food and drinks. It is well known that some of them act on the respiratory apparatus. The increasing interest in optical imaging techniques and the development of related technologies have made possible the investigation of the optical properties of several compounds. Luminescent properties of essential oils have not been extensively investigated. We evaluated the luminescent and fluorescent emissions of several essential oils, in order to detect them in living organisms by exploiting their optical properties. Some fluorescent emission data were high enough to be detected in dermal treatments. Consequently, we demonstrated how the fluorescent signal can be monitored for at least three hours on the skin of living mice treated with wild chamomile oil. The results encourage development of this technique to investigate the properties of drugs and cosmetics containing essential oils

Penetrating Bladder Trauma: A High Risk Factor for Associated Rectal Injury

Demographics and mechanisms were analyzed in prospectively maintained level one trauma center database 1990–2012. Among 2,693 trauma laparotomies, 113 (4.1%) presented bladder lesions; 51.3% with penetrating injuries (n=58); 41.3% (n=24) with rectal injuries, males corresponding to 95.8%, mean age 29.8 years; 79.1% with gunshot wounds and 20.9% with impalement; 91.6% arriving the emergence room awake (Glasgow 14-15), hemodynamically stable (average systolic blood pressure 119.5 mmHg); 95.8% with macroscopic hematuria; and 100% with penetrating stigmata. Physical exam was not sensitive for rectal injuries, showing only 25% positivity in patients. While 60% of intraperitoneal bladder injuries were surgically repaired, extraperitoneal ones were mainly repaired using Foley catheter alone (87.6%). Rectal injuries, intraperitoneal in 66.6% of the cases and AAST-OIS grade II in 45.8%, were treated with primary suture plus protective colostomy; 8.3% were sigmoid injuries, and 70.8% of all injuries had a minimum stool spillage. Mean injury severity score was 19; mean length of stay 10 days; 20% of complications with no death. Concomitant rectal injuries were not a determinant prognosis factor. Penetrating bladder injuries are highly associated with rectal injuries (41.3%). Heme-negative rectal examination should not preclude proctoscopy and eventually rectal surgical exploration (only 25% sensitivity)

Nanocarriers for neuromuscular diseases

Overview of the results obtained so far in the frame of a research on suitable nanocarriers for treating myotonic dystroph

An in vivo study of quantum dots tissue accumulation

Nanotechnology represents a new frontier for the science progress and there are great expectations in relation to diagnostic and therapeutic envelopes [1]. Living organisms are built of cells that are typically 10 \u3bcm across. However, the cell parts are much smaller and are in the sub-micron size domain, for example a red blood cell is approximately 7,000 nm wide. Even smaller are the proteins with a typical size of just 5 nm, which is comparable with the dimensions of smallest manmade nanoparticles. This simple size comparison gives an idea of using nanoparticles as very small probes that would allow us to spy at the cellular machinery without introducing too much interference. Understanding of biological processes on the nanoscale level is a strong driving force behind development of nanotechnologyOur current knowledge of the toxicology of nanoparticles in vivo is poor [2] but suggests that nanoparticles may able to have adverse effects at their portal of entry , for example, the lungs, but that some nanoparticles may also escape the normal defences and translocate from their portal of entry to have diverse effects in other target organs [3].There is no cut-off below witch particles suddenly become harmful, in the lung at least. This is because harmful particles have their effects as a consequence of two factors that act together to determine their potential to cause harm: their large surface area, and the reactivity or intrinsic toxicity of the surface. It is self evident that the smaller particles are, the more surface area they have per unit mass; therefore any intrinsic toxicity of the particles surface will be emphasised. Some of the most complex nanoparticles are likely to be produced for therapeutic purposes, furthermore nanoparticles binding to protein may result in a series of consequences not expected to occur when proteins bind to large particles. Very small particles may be not detected by the normal phagocytic defences, allowing them to gain access to the blood or nervous system [4]. Very small particles are smaller than some molecules and could act like haptens to modify protein structures, either altering their function or rendering them antigenic, raising the potential for autoimmune effects.Tracers that we have used are nanoparticles with optical properties, fluorescent semiconductors, that absorb photons of light and re-emit photons at a different wavelength They are known as quantum dots (QDs), nanocrystals that are nanometres-scale (10-20nm, roughly protein-sized) atom clusters, containing from a few hundred to a few thousand atoms of a semiconductor material (cadmium mixed with selenium), which has been coated with an additional semiconductor shell (zinc sulfide) to improve the optical properties of the material. These nanoparticles fluoresce in a different way than do traditional fluorophores, they exhibit some important differences as compared to organic fluorescent dyes and naturally fluorescent proteins: they have an extinction coefficient 10-50 times bigger than them. These nanoparticles projected around their optical properties: stable , bright and photo-stable fluorescence, observed and measured for hours, and that persists also into isolated tissues. Nanoparticles like QDs, could be targeted and not targeted and provided several unique features and capabilities[5, 6]: the size-effect does the QDs cancer biomarkers and there is the possibility to functionalize their surface area with a several numbers of functional groups that can be linked with multiple diagnostic (e.g. radio-isotopic or magnetic) and therapeutic agents. The aim of the study is to monitor nanoparticles behaviour into blood system: kinetic, T1/2, bio distribution, and tissues accumulation. We would extrapolate from optics parameters physiological ones, in specific districts so as liver and lungs that are the most probably targets of toxicity

Biodistribution of Near-Infrared Fluorescent Nanoparticles:an in vivo study

Introduction: Research in new fluorescent nanoparticles is today an important field for preclinical studies in the optical imaging technique area. Great expectation concerns new fluorescent markers engeneered for particular applications (conjugated with antibody or pharmaceutical compounds) or alone to study nano-compound intrinsic behaviour in living organisms. In particular, nanosized fluorescent particles (silica nanopaticles1 and quantum dots2-3) are promising tools for the development of luminescent probes and markers provided by great brightness and high photostability respect to traditional organic fluorophores. Here we present an in vivo study of biodistribution in a small laboratory animal model of silica-core / PEG-shell fluorescent nanoparticles (20-30nm) doped with a CY7 NIR emitting dye ((2-((E)-2-((E)-2-chloro-3-((Z)-2-(3-ethyl-1,1-dimethyl-1H-benzo[e]indol-2(3H)-ylidene) ethylidene)cyclohex-1-enyl)vinyl)-3-ethyl-1,1-dimethyl-1H-benzo[e]indolium iodide). Silica particles, due to the recognized low toxicity of their chemical composition, could be interesting for future clinical applications. Methods: Silica fluorescent nanoparticles biodistribution was studied. We have observed with Optical Imager the biodistribution kinetics and tissue accumulation during three hours immediately after fluorescent tracer administration, in gas anaesthetized mice. Optical images were acquired with IVIS\uae 200 (Xenogen Corporation, Alameda USA). Data were extracted using Living Image 2.6 software. Silica nanoparticles, with an emission peak around 810 nm, were excited with ICG exc. filter (710-760 nm) and the fluorescent emission acquired with ICG ems. filter (810-875 nm). Results: Biodistribution kinetics and accumulation of the silica nanoparticles was studied in all anatomical districts4 for three hours after injection using the fluorescent signal escaping from the animal surface and acquired in the optical images. The fluorescent emission was measured on anatomical Region of Interest (ROIs) traced on the optical images corresponding to the plane projection of the organs. and directly on the surgically extracted organs. Actually we are analysing section from explanted organs with the aim of histologically localizing the exact accumulation sites and to detect the (nanoparticles) fluorescent signal. Conclusions: Fluorescent silica-core / PEG-shell nanoparticles showed a very good fluorescent efficiency comparable with commercial semiconductors nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) actually used in preclinical research. They can be successfully used for in vivo applications allowing to follow the biodistribution for hours in a small animal model. The very low intrinsic toxicity of the chemical composition encourages the employ of such fluorescent markers for many in vivo applications in preclinical research and to investigate the possibility to engineering them with biomelcules for targeting bio-analytical applications

Bioluminescence imaging in brain tumor: a powerful tool

Glioblastoma represents the most malignant and lethal among brain tumours because of its highly infiltration capacity and invasion into the normal brain that account for its resistance to treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy). Recent advance and development of technologies to non-invasively image brain tumour growth in living animals can open an opportunity to monitor directly the efficacy of the treatment on tumour development. In vivo bioluminescence imaging is based on light-emitting enzymes, luciferases, which require specific substrates for light production. When linked to a specific biological process/pathway in an animal model of human disease, the enzyme-substrate interactions become biological indicators that can be studied. In order to explore and compare different imaging modalities (MRI and bioluminescence imaging) we have validated the use of bioluminescence imaging to monitor glioblastoma progression in vivo. The human glioma cell line (DBTRG-05MG) derived from an adult patient with glioblastoma multiforme who had been treated with local brain irradiation and multidrug chemotherapy has been used for the experiment. The DBTRG-05MG cell line was stably transfected with TCF-luciferase and orthotopic implantated onto immunodeficient mice. Bioluminescence technology was used to follow tumour growth in parallel with classical MRI on the same animals

Hyperthermic superparamagnetic nanoparticles modulate adipocyte metabolism

Adipocytes are the principal cellular component in adipose tissue and their excessive hyperplasia or hypertrophy is actively involved in regulating physiologic and pathologic processes such as inflammation, cardiovascular disease, obesity and tumour. The main depot of energy in adipocytes is represented by lipid droplets, intracellular organelles that play fundamental roles in regulation of metabolic processes. An accumulation of such droplets could be a potential biomarker of disease caused by metabolic dysregulation. Recent studies have demonstrated that heat shock is associated with alteration in energy metabolism: the aim of this study is to modulate the energy metabolism of the adipocytes via controlled administration of thermal energy to reduce the number of lipid droplets. We have investigated the effect of controlled heating of adipocytes using an alternating magnetic field (AMF) on samples loaded with superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNP) as heating agent

Southern right whale vocalizations on foraging grounds in South Georgia

Southern right whale vocalizations were recorded concurrently with visual observations off the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia, and the characteristics of these calls were described. Calls were also compared to those of humpback whales at South Georgia, to determine how the two species might reliably be distinguished acoustically. The southern right whale calls measured (which were all upcalls) had lower frequency with peak energy and were mostly shorter in duration than the calls measured from humpback whales. The frequency upsweep and the lack of harmonics of southern right whale calls were also diagnostic characteristics

Not only dominant, not only optic atrophy: expanding the clinical spectrum associated with OPA1 mutations

Background: Heterozygous mutations in OPA1 are a common cause of autosomal dominant optic atrophy, sometimes associated with extra-ocular manifestations. Few cases harboring compound heterozygous OPA1 mutations have been described manifesting complex neurodegenerative disorders in addition to optic atrophy. Results: We report here three patients: one boy showing an early-onset mitochondrial disorder with hypotonia, ataxia and neuropathy that was severely progressive, leading to early death because of multiorgan failure; two unrelated sporadic girls manifesting a spastic ataxic syndrome associated with peripheral neuropathy and, only in one, optic atrophy. Using a targeted resequencing of 132 genes associated with mitochondrial disorders, in two probands we found compound heterozygous mutations in OPA1: in the first a 5 nucleotide deletion, causing a frameshift and insertion of a premature stop codon (p.Ser64Asnfs*7), and a missense change (p.Ile437Met), which has recently been reported to have clinical impact; in the second, a novel missense change (p.Val988Phe) co-occurred with the p.Ile437Met substitution. In the third patient a homozygous mutation, c.1180G > A (p.Ala394Thr) in OPA1 was detected by a trio-based whole exome sequencing approach. One of the patients presented also variants in mitochondrial DNA that may have contributed to the peculiar phenotype. The deleterious effect of the identified missense changes was experimentally validated in yeast model. OPA1 level was reduced in available patients\u2019 biological samples, and a clearly fragmented mitochondrial network was observed in patients\u2019 fibroblasts. Conclusions: This report provides evidence that bi-allelic OPA1 mutations may lead to complex and severe multi-system recessive mitochondrial disorders, where optic atrophy might not represent the main feature

Have whales returned to a historical hotspot of industrial whaling? The pattern of southern right whale Eubalaena australis recovery at South Georgia

Around 176500 whales were killed in the sub-Antarctic waters off South Georgia (South Atlantic) between 1904 and 1965. In recent decades, whales have once again become summer visitors, with the southern right whale (SRW) the most commonly reported species until 2011. Here, we assess the distribution, temporal pattern, health status and likely prey of SRWs in these waters, combining observations from a summertime vessel-based expedition to South Georgia, stable isotope data collected from SRWs and putative prey and sightings reports collated by the South Georgia Museum. The expedition used directional acoustics and visual surveys to localise whales and collected skin biopsies and photo-IDs. During 76 h of visual observation effort over 19 expedition days, SRWs were encountered 15 times (~31 individuals). Photo-IDs, combined with publicly contributed images from commercial vessels, were reconciled and quality-controlled to form a catalogue of 6 fully (i.e. both sides) identified SRWs and 26 SRWs identified by either left or right sides. No photo-ID matches were found with lower-latitude calving grounds, but 3 whales had gull lesions supporting a direct link with Península Valdés, Argentina. The isotopic position of SRWs in the South Georgia food web suggests feeding on a combination of copepod and krill species. Opportunistic reports of SRW sightings and associated group sizes remain steady over time, while humpback whales provide a strong contrast, with increased sighting rates and group sizes seen since 2013. These data suggest a plateau in SRWs and an increasing humpback whale presence in South Georgia waters following the cessation of whaling