Morphological and Functional Aspects of Human Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle has multiple functions and is a key component of the locomotor system. It consists of carbohydrates and amino acids for different tissues such as skin, heart and brain. It contributes to the maintenance of blood glucose levels during periods of starvation. Skeletal muscle health is particularly important for the prevention of various diseases. This review discusses various aspects of skeletal muscle tissue including its development, structure, function and morphology, including the guidelines for histology methods. We have also discussed, sarcopenia, age-related muscle diseases and exercise. We hope this review will benefit readers of a clinical and non-clinical background

Oxidative stress and skeletal muscle in exercise

Reactive oxygen species (ROSs) are often associated with damage to cellular functions. ROSs production is indicatives of oxidative stress during physical exercise. Oxidative stress occurs in those circumstances in which free radicals determine a tissue damage or production of toxic and dangerous compounds for tissues. In a relaxation state, antioxidant defense of body may hold under control free radicals. Physical activity promotes specific adaptations in relation to type, intensity and duration of physical exercise performed, and a cytoprotective response in skeletal muscle is the increased production of heat shock proteins (HSPs). In ageing, skeletal muscle shows a series of deteriorations, and numerous data suggest that redox processes may play an important role in ageing processes

ADAM10 Localization in Temporomandibular Joint Disk with Internal Derangement: An Ex Vivo Immunohistochemical Study

The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of ADAM10 in temporomandibular joint disk with internal derangement. Twenty-five paraffin blocks of displaced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk specimens from earlier investigations were retrieved from the archives of the University of Catania. Of these 16 had been removed from females and 9 from males; 11 with anterior disk displacement with reduction (ADDwR) and 14 with anterior disk displacement without reduction (ADDwoR). The sections were dehydrated, embedded in paraffin and cut. Then they were incubated in 0.3% H2O2/methanol and half of sections from each sample were incubated in diluted rabbit polyclonal anti-ADAM10 antibody. Then biotinylated anti-mouse/anti-rabbit IgG was applied to the sections, followed by avidin–biotin–perioxidase complex. The results were analyzed and the results were that ADAM10 was overexpressed in the posterior band of sections from patients with ADDwR compared to the other bands of both ADDwR and ADDwoR sections. Overexpression correlated with severe histopathological degeneration. We believe these results have the potential to provide insights into the pathogenesis of TMJ disk degeneration and to help design new therapeutic approaches targeting the proteolytic events that lead to tissue degeneration. Early therapeutic block of ADAM10 activity could succeed in limiting aggrecan-rich matrix breakdown without affecting normal physiology

Post-operative rehabilitation in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative process involving the progressive loss of articular cartilage, synovial inflammation and structural changes to the subchondral bone that lead to loss of synovial joint structural features and impaired functionality of the articular cartilage. OA represents one of the most common causes of physical disability in the world. Different OA treatments are usually considered in relation to the stage of the disease. However, in the earlier stages of the disease, it is possible to recommend physical activity programs that can maintain joint health and keep the patient mobile, as recommended by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). In the most severe and advanced cases of OA, surgical intervention is necessary. In early post-operative stages, it is essential to include rehabilitation exercise program therapies in order to restore the full function of the involved joint. Physical therapy is crucial for the success of any surgical procedure and can promote recovery of muscle strength, range of motion, coordinated walking, proprioception and mitigate joint pain. After discharge from the hospital, patients should continue the rehabilitation exercise program at home. In this review, we analyze articles from the most recent literature and provide a balanced and comprehensive overview of the latest discoveries in relation to the effects of physical exercise on post-operative rehabilitation in OA. The literature search was conducted in April 2014 using PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar using the keywords 'osteoarthritis', 'rehabilitation' and 'exercise', in a range of period 2002/2014 and out of 100 papers we have chosen 48 that we considered more appropriate. The available data suggests that physical exercise is effective, economical and accessible to everyone, and is one of the most important components of post-operative rehabilitation for OA

Identification of Novel Markers of Prostate Cancer Progression, Potentially Modulated by Vitamin D

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in men. The main risk factors associated with the disease include older age, family history of the disease, smoking, alcohol and race. Vitamin D is a pleiotropic hormone whose low levels are associated with several diseases and a risk of cancer. Here, we undertook microarray analysis in order to identify the genes involved in PCa. We analyzed three PCa microarray datasets, overlapped all genes significantly up-regulated, and subsequently intersected the common genes identified with the down-regulated genes transcriptome of LNCaP cells treated with 1α,25(OH)2D3, in order to identify the common genes involved in PCa and potentially modulated by Vitamin D. The analysis yielded 43 genes potentially involved in PCa and significantly modulated by Vitamin D. Noteworthy, our analysis showed that six genes (PRSS8, SOX4, SMYD2, MCCC2, CCNG2 and CD2AP) were significantly modulated. A Pearson correlation analysis showed that five genes out of six (SOX4 was independent), were statistically correlated with the gene expression levels of KLK3, and with the tumor percentage. From the outcome of our investigation, it is possible to conclude that the genes identified by our analysis are associated with the PCa and are potentially modulated by the Vitamin D

N-cadherin has a protective role in stable human atherosclerotic plaques: a morphological and immunohistochemical study

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Brain CHID1 Expression Correlates with NRGN and CALB1 in Healthy Subjects and AD Patients

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, devastating, and irreversible brain disorder that, day by day, destroys memory skills and social behavior. Despite this, the number of known genes suitable for discriminating between AD patients is insufficient. Among the genes potentially involved in the development of AD, there are the chitinase-like proteins (CLPs) CHI3L1, CHI3L2, and CHID1. The genes of the first two have been extensively investigated while, on the contrary, little information is available on CHID1. In this manuscript, we conducted transcriptome meta-analysis on an extensive sample of brains of healthy control subjects (n = 1849) (NDHC) and brains of AD patients (n = 1170) in order to demonstrate CHID1 involvement. Our analysis revealed an inverse correlation between the brain CHID1 expression levels and the age of NDHC subjects. Significant differences were highlighted comparing CHID1 expression of NDHC subjects and AD patients. Exclusive in AD patients, the CHID1 expression levels were correlated positively to calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) levels. Furthermore, both in NDHC and in AD patient's brains, the CHID1 expression levels were directly correlated with calbindin 1 (CALB1) and neurogranin (NRGN). According to brain regions, correlation differences were shown between the expression levels of CHID1 in prefrontal, frontal, occipital, cerebellum, temporal, and limbic system. Sex-related differences were only highlighted in NDHC. CHID1 represents a new chitinase potentially involved in the principal processes underlying Alzheimer's disease

Current concepts in the treatment of cartilage damage. A review

A literature review of the treatment of cartilage defects was conducted, examining the current literature on the well-known treatments. In particular, advantages and drawbacks of each of the discussed treatments were evaluated considering outcomes available in literature. The literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus using appropriate keywords in relation to cartilage defects. Main research articles were selected for review. Cartilage damage affects thousands of persons each year; they are treated with implants and surgery. A major problem in the treatment of cartilage defects is the inability of cartilage to repair, which reduces the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition, cyclic loading of joints further degrades cartilage even after treatment. In relation to the conditions of cartilage lesions and the features of patients, a specific treatment is required in each case. Current treatments are often unpredictable in results but result in long term improvements for many patients, especially young patients. The well established treatments such as osteochondral implants, bone marrow stimulation techniques, chondrogenic cell implantations have advantages and drawbacks, so that the search has not been interrupted for new strategies, such as scaffold materials. In this review we describe benefits and disadvantages of the established methods of cartilage regeneration that seem to have a better long-term effectiveness