Effect of rearing system (free-range vs cage) on gut and muscle histomorphology and microbial loads of Italian White breed rabbits

Caterina Losacco,Antonella Tinelli,Angela Dambrosio,Nicoletta C. Quaglia,Letizia Passantino,Michele Schiavitto,Giuseppe Passantino,Vito Laudadio,Nicola Zizzo,Vincenzo Tufarelli Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2024 Animal Bioscience Vol.37 No.1

Objective: The growing consumers' interest on animal welfare has raised the request of products obtained by alternative rearing systems. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of housing system on gut and muscle morphology and on microbial load in rabbits reared under free-range (FR) and cage system (CS). Methods: A total of forty weaned (35 days of age) male Italian White breed rabbits were allotted according to the rearing system, and at 91 days of age were randomly selected and slaughtered for the morphological evaluation of tissue from duodenum and longissimus lumborum. Morphometric analysis of the villus height, villus width, crypt depth, villus height/crypt depth ratio, and villus surface was performed. The microbial loads on hind muscle was determined by total mesophilic aerobic count (TMAC), Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae; whereas, total anaerobic bacteria count (TABC) and TMAC, E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae was determined on caecal content. Results: Rearing system did not interfere with the duodenum and muscle histomorphology in both rabbit groups. Similarly, microbial load of caecal content showed no significant differences on the TABC and TMAC. Conversely, significant difference was found for E. coli strains in caecal content, with the lower counts in FR compared to CS rabbits (p<0.01). Microbiological assay of muscle revealed significant lower TMAC in FR vs CS rabbits (p< 0.05). All rabbit meat samples were negative for E. Coli and Enterobacteriaceae. Conclusion: Free-range could be considered a possible alternative and sustainable rearing system in rabbits to preserve gut environment and muscle quality.

Anything New about Paternal Contribution to Reproductive Outcomes? A Review of the Evidence

Montagnoli Caterina,Ruggeri Stefania,Cinelli Giulia,Tozzi Alberto E.,Bovo Chiara,Bortolus Renata,Zanconato Giovanni 대한남성과학회 2021 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.39 No.4

Paternal health and behavioral lifestyles affect reproductive and neonatal outcomes and yet the magnitude of these effects remain underestimated. Even though these impacts have been formally recognized as a central aspect of reproductive health, health care services in Europe often neglect the involvement of fathers in their reproductive programs. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for systematic reviews, a literature search was carried out to assess the possible impact of paternal health on reproductive outcomes. The comprehensive strategy included cohort studies and meta-analysis available on PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google scholar. Crossreferencing of bibliographies of the selected papers ensured wider study capture. Paternal factors were grouped into two categories respectively identified with the terms “Biological Paternal Factors” and “Lifestyle Paternal Factors”. Advanced age may impair male fertility and affect early pregnancy stages. Increased body mass index, smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs, all alter seminal fluid parameters. Hazardous alcohol use correlates with low birthweight in pregnancy and harmful behavioral lifestyles have been linked to congenital heart defects, metabolic and neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. Measures targeting paternal health and lifestyle within the first 1,000 days’ timeframe need to be implemented in couples undergoing reproductive decisions. Health professionals, as well as future fathers, must be aware of the benefits for the offspring associated with correct paternal behaviors. More research is needed to build guidelines and to implement specific programs aiming at reproductive health promotion.

Recruitment of monocytes primed to express heme oxygenase-1 ameliorates pathological lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis

Di Pietro Caterina,Öz Hasan H.,Zhang Ping-xia,Cheng Ee-chun,Martis Valentino,Bonfield Tracey L.,Kelley Thomas J.,Jubin Ronald,Abuchowski Abraham,Krause Diane S.,Egan Marie E.,Murray Thomas S.,Bruscia 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Overwhelming neutrophilic inflammation is a leading cause of lung damage in many pulmonary diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF). The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/carbon monoxide (CO) pathway mediates the resolution of inflammation and is defective in CF-affected macrophages (MΦs). Here, we provide evidence that systemic administration of PP-007, a CO releasing/O2 transfer agent, induces the expression of HO-1 in a myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT)-dependent manner. It also rescues the reduced HO-1 levels in CF-affected cells induced in response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Treatment of CF and muco-obstructive lung disease mouse models with a single clinically relevant dose of PP-007 leads to effective resolution of lung neutrophilia and to decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. Using HO-1 conditional knockout mice, we show that the beneficial effect of PP-007 is due to the priming of circulating monocytes trafficking to the lungs in response to infection to express high levels of HO-1. Finally, we show that PP-007 does not compromise the clearance of PA in the setting of chronic airway infection. Overall, we reveal the mechanism of action of PP-007 responsible for the immunomodulatory function observed in clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and demonstrate the potential use of PP-007 in controlling neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation by promoting the expression of HO-1 in monocytes/macrophages.

Functional Chronic Constipation: Rome III Criteria Versus Rome IV Criteria

Marina Russo,Caterina Strisciuglio,Elena Scarpato,Dario Bruzzese,Marianna Casertano,Annamaria Staiano 대한소화기 기능성질환∙운동학회 2019 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.25 No.1

Background/Aims Functional constipation (FC) is aa frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, diagnosed according to the Rome criteria. In this study, we compared Rome III and Rome IV criteria for the diagnosis of FC, and determined the prevalence of FC according to these criteria. Methods Consecutive children between infancy and 17 years old were recruited for the study, excluding those with a known organic gastrointestinal disease. A prospective longitudinal design has beenused. For the diagnosis of FC, questionnaires on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms (QPGS) based on the Rome III and Rome IV criteria (QPGS-RIII and QPGS-RIV) were used. The agreement between these 2 questionnaires was measured by Cohen’s kappa coefficient. Results Two hundred fourteen children (mean age, 77.4 ± 59.5 months; 103 males) were screened. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of FC evaluated using the QPGS-Rome IV vs the QPGS-Rome III in the overall sample (39/214 [18.2%] vs 37/214 [17.3.0%]; P = 0.831) as well as in any of the groups. The Cohen’s kappa test showed a good agreement between the 2 criteria (κ = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.78). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the new Rome IV criteria have a good agreement with the Rome III criteria for the diagnosis of FC, without an increase in the number of potential diagnoses, despite the reduction in the duration of the symptoms. This conclusion is important in the management of childhood FC, since a late diagnosis negatively affects the prognosis.

Buildings Vulnerability Assessment and Damage Seismic Scenarios at Urban Scale: Application to Chlef City (Algeria)

Zohra Boutaraa,Caterina Negulescu,Ahmed Arab,Olivier Sedan 대한토목학회 2018 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.22 No.10

Seismic scenarios are tools used to assess seismic risk at the city level. This allows the assessment of the vulnerability of exposed elements to risk (buildings, bridges, etc.). In the case of Chlef city (formerly El Asnam), this evaluation type proves to be useful given the seismic hazard to which it is exposed and the building park size. This city has been shaken in the past by several earthquakes including that of the El Asnam 1980 (Ms = 7.3), which caused hundreds of casualties and destroyed 70% of the city. In this paper, a seismic vulnerability assessment at urban scale and three seismic damage scenarios are simulated using the “RISK-UE” methodology. First, a recreation of the El Asnam 1980 earthquake, considering the urban conditions of the 1980s, is done. A difference of about 12% between observed and simulated damage is observed. Secondly, two senarios considering the current urban conditions are simulated then, vulnerabilty curves are developed. The simulations purpose is to detect the most vulnerable typologies and districts in the event of a similar earthquake and to provide decision support elements to the local seismic risk manager. The results show a structural damage decrease compared to the 1980 urban conditions.

Increase in the Level of Proinflammatory Cytokine HMGB1 in Nasal Fluids of Patients With Rhinitis and its Sequestration by Glycyrrhizin Induces Eosinophil Cell Death

Leonardo Cavone,Caterina Cuppari,Sara Manti,Luisa Grasso,Teresa Arrigo,Luca Calamai,Carmelo Salpietro,Alberto Chiarugi 대한이비인후과학회 2015 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.8 No.2

Objectives. The nuclear protein high mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) is a proinflammatory mediator that belongs to the alarmin family of proinflammatory mediators, and it has recently emerged as a key player in different acute and chronic immune disorders. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that HMGB1 is actively released extracellularly from immune cells or passively released from necrotic cells. Because of the ability of HMGB1 to sustain chronic inflammation, we investigated whether the protein is present in nasal fluids of patients with different forms of rhinitis. Methods. HMGB1 levels were evaluated in nasal fluids of healthy subjects or rhinitis patients who were treated or not treated with different treatments. Results. We report that the level of HMGB1 was significantly increased in nasal fluids of patients with allergic rhinitis, patients with NARES (nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophiliac syndrome), as well as patients with polyps. We also found that a formulation containing the HMGB1-binding compound glycyrrhizin (GLT) reduced the HMGB1 content in nasal fluids of rhinitis patients to an extent similar to that with nasal budesonide treatment. We also found that among the cultured human leukocyte populations, eosinophils released higher amounts of HMGB1. Based on the ability of HMGB1 to sustain eosinophil survival and the ability of GLT to inactivate HMGB1, we report that GLT selectively killed cultured eosinophils and had no effect on neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Conclusion. Collectively, these data underscore the role of HMGB1 in rhinitis pathogenesis and the therapeutic potential of GLT formulations in treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders of the nasal mucosa.

The KIT Exon 11 Stop Codon Mutation in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: What Is the Clinical Meaning?

( Angela Michelucci ),( Caterina Chiappetta ),( Jessica Cacciotti ),( Norman Veccia ),( Elisa Astri ),( Martina Leopizzi ),( Romana Prosperi Porta ),( Vincenzo Petrozza ),( Carlo Della Rocca ),( Gener 대한소화기학회 2013 Gut and Liver Vol.7 No.1

Background/Aims: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) strongly express a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK, c-KITCD117) harboring a KIT mutation that causes constitutive receptor activation leading to the development and growth of tumors; 35% of GISTs without KIT mutations have plateletderived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) mutations, and the type of mutation plays an important role in the response to treatment. This study aimed to establish the frequency of stop codon mutations in the RTKs, KIT, and PDGFRA, in GISTs and correlate this molecular alteration with protein expression and treatment responsiveness. Methods: Seventy-nine GISTs were analyzed for both KIT and PDGFRA mutations. Immunohistochemical expression was studied in tissue microarray blocks. Results: We found three rare KIT mutations in exon 11 that induced a stop codon, two at position 563 and one at position 589, which have never been described before. All three tumors were CD117-, DOG1-, and CD34-positive. Two patients with a KIT stop codon mutation did not respond to imatinib therapy and died shortly after treatment. Conclusions: The association between stop codon mutations in KIT and patient survival, if confirmed in a larger population, may be useful in choosing effective therapies. (Gut Liver 2013;7:35-40)

Hepatitis B vaccination and immunotherapies: an update

Cristina Stasi,Caterina Silvestri,Fabio Voller 대한백신학회 2020 Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research Vol.9 No.1

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 257 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Highest HBV prevalence was found in the WHO Western Pacific Region (6.2%) and in the WHO African Region (6.1%). The HBV vaccine is the best protection against chronic HBV infection and its complications. Globally, routine infant immunization against HBV has increased with an estimated coverage of 84% in 2017. Nevertheless, in many countries further efforts are needed to implement this coverage and ensure national immunization programs for people at major risk for HBV infection. Therapeutic vaccination in chronic HBV infected patients can cause anti-HBV immune responses able to remove and/or cure infected hepatocytes. It shows promising results in murine model and human trials, but these results need to be consolidated by further multicenter clinical studies. In particular, the efficacy of therapeutic vaccine seems to improve by combination therapies.

Does transperineal ultrasound predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy? A prospective observational study

Serena Xodo,Giulia Trombetta,Caterina Morassutto,Giovanni Baccarini,Lisa Celante,Lorenza Driul,Ambrogio P Londero 대한초음파의학회 2024 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.43 No.1

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women. Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction. The purpose was to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator ani muscle (LAM) and the angle of progression, at both rest and maximum Valsalva maneuver. The head-perineum distance was assessed only at rest. Results: A total of 296 women were included. Of the 253 women who delivered vaginally, 19.0% (48/253) experienced no perineal trauma, 18.2% (46/253) received an episiotomy during childbirth, 34.4% (87/253) sustained a first-degree laceration, 25.3% (64/253) had a second-degree laceration, and 3.2% had a third- or fourth-degree laceration (8/253). Women with episiotomy had a significantly shorter median APD under Valsalva than women without perineal trauma. Furthermore, women with LAM coactivation (identified by a negative difference between the APD at Valsalva and the APD at rest) were approximately three times more likely to undergo an operative vaginal delivery and over five times more likely to sustain a third- or fourth-degree tear during childbirth than women who exhibited normal relaxation of the LAM during the Valsalva maneuver. Conclusion: TPU may predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy during childbirth. Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women.Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction. The purpose was to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator ani muscle (LAM) and the angle of progression, at both rest and maximum Valsalva maneuver. The head-perineum distance was assessed only at rest.Results: A total of 296 women were included. Of the 253 women who delivered vaginally, 19% (48/253) experienced no perineal trauma, 18.2% (46/253) received an episiotomy during childbirth, 34.4% (87/253) sustained a first-degree laceration, 25.3% (64/253) had a second-degree laceration, and 3.2% had a third- or fourth-degree laceration (8/253). Women with episiotomy had a significantly shorter median APD under Valsalva than women without perineal trauma. Furthermore, women with LAM coactivation (identified by a negative difference between the APD at Valsalva and the APD at rest) were approximately three times more likely to undergo an operative vaginal delivery and over five times more likely to sustain a third- or fourth-degree tear during childbirth than women who exhibited normal relaxation of the LAM during the Valsalva maneuver.Conclusion: TPU may predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy during childbirth.

Number of Mediastinal Lymph Nodes as a Prognostic Factor in PN2 Non Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Single Centre Experience and Review of the Literature

Takanen, Silvia,Bangrazi, Caterina,Graziano, Vanessa,Parisi, Alessandro,Resuli, Blerina,Simione, Luca,Caiazzo, Rossella,Raffetto, Nicola,Tombolini, Vincenzo Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.18

Currently the most important prognostic factor in lung cancer is the stage. In the current lung TNM classification system, N category is defined exclusively by anatomic nodal location though, in other type of tumours, number of lymph nodes is confirmed to be a fundamental prognostic factor. Therefore we evaluated the number of mediastinal lymph nodes as a prognostic factor in locally advanced NSCLC after multimodality treatment, observing a significant effect of the number of lymph nodes in terms of OS (p<0.01) and DFS (p<0.001): patients with a low number of positive mediastinal nodes have a better prognosis.