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- Petitfils, C., et al.
(author)
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Identification of bacterial lipopeptides as key players in IBS
- 2023
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In: Gut. - : BMJ. - 0017-5749 .- 1468-3288. ; 72:5, s. 939-950
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives Clinical studies revealed that early-life adverse events contribute to the development of IBS in adulthood. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between prenatal stress (PS), gut microbiota and visceral hypersensitivity with a focus on bacterial lipopeptides containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Design We developed a model of PS in mice and evaluated, in adult offspring, visceral hypersensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD), colon inflammation, barrier function and gut microbiota taxonomy. We quantified the production of lipopeptides containing GABA by mass spectrometry in a specific strain of bacteria decreased in PS, in PS mouse colons, and in faeces of patients with IBS and healthy volunteers (HVs). Finally, we assessed their effect on PS-induced visceral hypersensitivity. Results Prenatally stressed mice of both sexes presented visceral hypersensitivity, no overt colon inflammation or barrier dysfunction but a gut microbiota dysbiosis. The dysbiosis was distinguished by a decreased abundance of Ligilactobacillus murinus, in both sexes, inversely correlated with visceral hypersensitivity to CRD in mice. An isolate from this bacterial species produced several lipopeptides containing GABA including C14AsnGABA. Interestingly, intracolonic treatment with C14AsnGABA decreased the visceral sensitivity of PS mice to CRD. The concentration of C16LeuGABA, a lipopeptide which inhibited sensory neurons activation, was decreased in faeces of patients with IBS compared with HVs. Conclusion PS impacts the gut microbiota composition and metabolic function in adulthood. The reduced capacity of the gut microbiota to produce GABA lipopeptides could be one of the mechanisms linking PS and visceral hypersensitivity in adulthood.
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2. |
- Gray, J. D., et al.
(author)
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Translational profiling of stress-induced neuroplasticity in the CA3 pyramidal neurons of BDNF Val66Met mice
- 2018
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In: Molecular Psychiatry. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 23:4, s. 904-913
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic susceptibility and environmental factors (such as stress) can interact to affect the likelihood of developing a mood disorder. Stress-induced changes in the hippocampus have been implicated in mood disorders, and mutations in several genes have now been associated with increased risk, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The hippocampus has important anatomical subdivisions, and pyramidal neurons of the vulnerable CA3 region show significant remodeling after chronic stress, but the mechanisms underlying their unique plasticity remain unknown. This study characterizes stress-induced changes in the in vivo translating mRNA of this cell population using a CA3-specific enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter fused to the L10a large ribosomal subunit (EGFPL10a). RNA-sequencing after isolation of polysome-bound mRNAs allows for cell-type-specific, genome-wide characterization of translational changes after stress. The data demonstrate that acute and chronic stress produce unique translational profiles and that the stress history of the animal can alter future reactivity of CA3 neurons. CA3-specific EGFPL10a mice were then crossed to the stress-susceptible BDNF Val66Met mouse line to characterize how a known genetic susceptibility alters both baseline translational profiles and the reactivity of CA3 neurons to stress. Not only do Met allele carriers exhibit distinct levels of baseline translation in genes implicated in ion channel function and cytoskeletal regulation, but they also activate a stress response profile that is highly dissimilar from wild-type mice. Closer examination of genes implicated in the mechanisms of neuroplasticity, such as the NMDA and AMPA subunits and the BDNF pathway, reveal how wild-type mice upregulate many of these genes in response to stress, but Met allele carriers fail to do so. These profiles provide a roadmap of stress-induced changes in a genetically homogenous population of hippocampal neurons and illustrate the profound effects of gene-environment interactions on the translational profile of these cells.
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3. |
- Marrocco, G., et al.
(author)
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Energy- Efficient DSL using Vectoring
- 2011
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A multi-user signal coordination scheme known as Vectoring will play a crucial role in next generation digital subscriber lines (DSL). Previous studies have demonstrated that vectoring increases the bitrate of DSL systems due to its ability to mitigate the interference. In this work we show how Vectoring improves the energy-efficiency of DSL over state-of-the-art spectrum balancing methods. In addition we investigate the impact of channel-state information errors and low-complexity implementations on the performance of Vectoring. We find that Vectoring yields large energy savings in terms of line-driver power consumption even under high channel estimation errors. © 2011 IEEE.
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4. |
- Marrocco, V., et al.
(author)
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PKC and PKN in heart disease
- 2019
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In: Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2828. ; 128, s. 212-226
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The protein kinase C (PKC) and closely related protein kinase N (PKN) families of serine/threonine protein kinases play crucial cellular roles. Both kinases belong to the AGC subfamily of protein kinases that also include the CAMP dependent protein kinase (PKA), protein kinase B (PKB/AKT), protein kinase G (PKG) and the ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K). Involvement of PKC family members in heart disease has been well documented over the years, as their activity and levels are mis-regulated in several pathological heart conditions, such as ischemia, diabetic cardiomyopathy, as well as hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy. This review focuses on the regulation of PKCs and PKNs in different pathological heart conditions and on the influences that PKC/PKN activation has on several physiological processes. In addition, we discuss mechanisms by which PKCs and the closely related PKNs are activated and turned-off in hearts, how they regulate cardiac specific downstream targets and pathways, and how their inhibition by small molecules is explored as new therapeutic target to treat cardiomyopathies and heart failure.
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5. |
- Occhiuzzi, C., et al.
(author)
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RFID epidermal sensor including hydrogel membranes for wound monitoring and healing
- 2015
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In: 2015 IEEE International Conference on RFID, RFID 2015. - : IEEE conference proceedings. - 9781479919376 ; , s. 182-188
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This contribution experimentally demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of joint application of passive UHF RFID technology and hydrogel membranes to fabricate smart plasters able to gather and remotely transmit information on the conditions of human skin. In particular, this intelligent plaster is sensitive to temperature and fluid uptake/release and could open interesting scenarios in wound healing monitoring and drug delivery.
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6. |
- Rosati, MV, et al.
(author)
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Nickel and blood counts in workers exposed to urban stressors
- 2016
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In: Toxicology and industrial health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1477-0393 .- 0748-2337. ; 32:6, s. 987-997
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nickel (Ni) and Ni compounds are widely present in the urban air. The purpose of this study is to estimate exposure of individuals to Ni and the correlation between this exposure and the values of blood counts in outdoor workers. This study focused on a sample of 101 outdoor workers (55 male and 46 female; 65 nonsmokers and 36 smokers), all employed in the municipal police in a large Italian city. The personal levels of exposure to Ni were assessed through (a) environmental monitoring of Ni present in the urban air obtained from individual samples and (b) biological monitoring of urinary and blood Ni. The blood count parameters were obtained from the hemochromocytometric tests. Pearson correlation coefficients ( r) were calculated to assess the association between the blood and urinary Ni and the complete blood count. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the associations between the complete blood count and the independent variables (age, gender, years of work for current tasks, cigarette smoking habit (current and never smoker), values of airborne Ni, and blood and urinary Ni). Multiple linear regression analysis performed on the total group of 101 subjects confirms the association among the red blood cells count, the hematocrit, and the urinary Ni ( R2 = 0.520, p = 0.025 and R2 = 0.530, p = 0.030). These results should lead to further studies on the effects of Ni in working populations exposed to urban pollutants. The possibility that the associations found in our study may be partially explained by other urban pollutants (such as benzene, toluene, and other heavy metals) not taken into consideration in this study cannot be ruled out.
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