Loredana Bergandi

Artemisinin inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase and nuclear factor NF-kB activation

Artemisinin is a natural product used as an alternative drug in the treatment of severe and multidrug‐resistant malaria. In the present work we show that artemisinin shares with other sesquiterpene lactones the ability to inhibit the activation of the nuclear factor NF‐kB: by this mechanism, artemisinin, as well as parthenolide, inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in cytokine‐stimulated human astrocytoma T67 cells. These results suggest that artemisinin, in addition to its antiparasitic properties, could also exert a therapeutic effect on neurological complications of malaria.

Obestatin regulates adipocyte function and protects against diet-induced insulin resistance and inflammation

The metabolic actions of the ghrelin gene‐derived peptide obestatin are still unclear. We investigated obestatin effects in vitro, on adipocyte function, and in vivo, on insulin resistance and inflammation in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD). Obestatin effects on apoptosis, differentiation, lipolysis, and glucose uptake were determined in vitro in mouse 3T3‐L1 and in human subcutaneous (hSC) and omental (hOM) adipocytes. In vivo, the influence of obestatin on glucose metabolism was assessed in mice fed an HFD for 8 wk. 3T3‐L1, hSC, and hOM preadipocytes and adipocytes secreted obestatin and showed specific binding for the hormone. Obestatin prevented apoptosis in 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes by increasing phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 signaling. In both mice and human adipocytes, obestatin inhibited isoproterenol‐induced lipolysis, promoted AMP‐activated protein kinase phosphorylation, induced adiponectin, and reduced leptin secretion. Obestatin also enhanced glucose uptake in either the absence or presence of insulin, promoted GLUT4 translocation, and increased Akt phosphorylation and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) protein expression. Inhibition of SIRT1 by small interfering RNA reduced obestatin‐induced glucose uptake. In HFD‐fed mice, obestatin reduced insulin resistance, increased insulin secretion from pancreatic islets, and reduced adipocyte apoptosis and inflammation in metabolic tissues. These results provide evidence of a novel role for obestatin in adipocyte function and glucose metabolism and suggest potential therapeutic perspectives in insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunctions.—Granata, R., Gallo, D., Luque, R. M., Baragli, A., Scarlatti, F., Grande, C., Gesmundo, I., Córdoba‐Chacón, J., Bergandi, L., Settanni, F., Togliatto, G., Volante, M., Garetto, S., Annunziata, M., Chanclón, B., Gargantini, E., Rocchietto, S., Matera, L., Datta, G., Morino, M., Brizzi, M. F., Ong, H., Camussi, G., Castaño, J. P., Papotti, M., Ghigo, E. Obestatin regulates adipocyte function and protects against diet‐induced insulin resistance and inflammation. FASEB J. 26, 3393–3411 (2012). www.fasebj.org

Crocidolite asbestos inhibits pentose phosphate oxidative pathway and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in human lung epithelial cells

The cytotoxicity of asbestos has been related to its ability to increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), via the iron-catalyzed reduction of oxygen and/or the activation of NADPH oxidase. The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is generally activated by the cell exposure to oxidant molecules. Contrary to our expectations, asbestos (crocidolite) fibers caused a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of PPP and decreased its activation by an oxidative stress in human lung epithelial cells A549. In parallel, the intracellular activity of the PPP rate-limiting enzyme, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), was significantly diminished by crocidolite exposure. This inhibition was selective, as the activity of other PPP and glycolysis enzymes was not modified, and was not attributable to a decreased expression of G6PD. On the opposite, the incubation with glass fibers MMVF10 did not modify PPP and G6PD activity. PPP and G6PD inhibition did not correlate with the increased nitric oxide (NO) production elicited by crocidolite in A549 cells. Experiments with the purified enzyme suggest that crocidolite inhibits G6PD by directly interacting with the protein. We propose here a new mechanism of asbestos-evoked oxidative stress, wherein fibers increase the intracellular ROS levels also by inhibiting the main antioxidant pathway of the cell.

Sr-containing hydroxyapatite: morphologies of HA crystals and bioactivity on osteoblast cells

A series of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatites (HA), of general formula Ca(10-x)Srx(PO4)6(OH)2, where x=2 and 4, were synthesized by solid state methods and characterized extensively. The reactivity of these materials in cell culture medium was evaluated, and the behavior towards MG-63 osteoblast cells (in terms of cytotoxicity and proliferation assays) was studied. Future in vivo studies will give further insights into the behavior of the materials. A paper by Lagergren et al. (1975), concerning Sr-substituted HA prepared by a solid state method, reports that the presence of Sr in the apatite composition strongly influences the apatite diffraction patterns. Zeglinsky et al. (2012) investigated Sr-substituted HA by ab initio methods and Rietveld analyses and reported changes in the HA unit cell volume and shape due to the Sr addition. To further clarify the role played by the addition of Sr on the physico-chemical properties of these materials we prepared Sr-substituted HA compositions by a solid state method, using different reagents, thermal treatments and a multi-technique approach. Our results indicated that the introduction of Sr at the levels considered here does influence the structure of HA. There is also evidence of a decrease in the crystallinity degree of the materials upon Sr addition. The introduction of increasing amounts of Sr into the HA composition causes a decrease in the specific surface area and an enrichment of Sr-apatite phase at the surface of the samples. Bioactivity tests show that the presence of Sr causes changes in particle size and/or morphology during soaking in MEM solution; on the contrary the morphology of pure HA does not change after 14 days of reaction. The presence of Sr, as Sr-substituted HA and SrCl2, in cultures of human MG-63 osteoblasts did not produce any cytotoxic effect. In fact, Sr-substituted HA increased the proliferation of osteoblast cells and enhanced cell differentiation: Sr in HA has a positive effect on MG-63 cells. In contrast, Sr ions alone, at the concentrations released by Sr-HA (1.21-3.24 ppm), influenced neither cell proliferation nor differentiation. Thus the positive effects of Sr in Sr-HA materials are probably due to the co-action of other ions such as Ca and P.

Long and short fiber amosite asbestos alters at a different extent the redox metabolism in human lung epithelial cells

The mechanism by which asbestos fibers are fibrogenic and tumorigenic is still matter of debate. The higher pathogenicity of longer fibers has been traditionally associated with their slower clearance in respiratory airways. However, short amosite fibers, obtained by grinding longer ones, exhibited a lower potential to damage nude DNA and a lower in vitro cytotoxicity. We have thus revisited the two sets of long and short fibers in order to compare their surface properties to their activity in cell systems. In this study we report that, in human lung epithelial cells A549, long amosite fibers, more effectively than the short ones, initiate free radical reactions, inhibit the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and the pentose phosphate pathway, decrease the intracellular level of reduced glutathione, and increase the generation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase in the extracellular medium. These results suggest that the shortening of fibers by prolonged milling affects not only their biopersistence, but also their surface properties, hence their interaction with cellular metabolism. Our data provide also a mechanism by which asbestos fibers inhibit the pentose phosphate pathway, i.e., via the oxidative inhibition of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which is prevented by reduced glutathione.

Association among oral health, apical periodontitis, CD14 polymorphisms, and coronary heart disease in middle-aged adults.

INTRODUCTION There is evidence to suggest that an association exists between oral infections and coronary heart disease (CHD). Subjects presenting lesions of endodontic origin (LEOs) or pulpal inflammation had an increased risk of developing CHD. However, findings concerning systemic manifestations of apical periodontitis (AP) remain controversial. An association between CD14 gene polymorphisms and atherosclerosis-associated diseases has been shown, but there are no data regarding an association between CD14 polymorphism and AP. This study evaluated associations between clinical oral health status, CD14 polymorphisms, and CHD. METHODS A case-controlled clinical trial was designed to compare middle-aged adults with acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina (n = 51) within 12 months of the acute event defined as first manifestation with healthy controls (n = 49). Participants were matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Indicators of oral disease and compliance were evaluated. CD14 polymorphisms were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS CHD subjects had a higher prevalence of oral diseases and lower compliance to oral preventive strategies than healthy controls. Multivariate analysis showed a positive association between missing teeth (odds ratio [OR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.85), the number of LEOs (OR = 4.37; 95% CI, 1.69-11.28), chronic periodontitis (OR = 5.87; 95% CI, 1.17-29.4), and CHD. No statistically significant association emerged between the CD14 C(-260)T and the CD14 C(-159)T polymorphism, endodontic or periodontal disease, and CHD. CONCLUSIONS Chronic oral diseases may increase the risk of CHD and may be an unconventional risk factor for CHD.

In vitro study of manganese-doped bioactive glasses for bone regeneration.

A glass belonging to the system SiO2-P2O5-CaO-MgO-Na2O-K2O was modified by introducing two different amounts of manganese oxide (MnO). Mn-doped glasses were prepared by melt and quenching technique and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS) analysis. In vitro bioactivity test in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed a slight decrease in the reactivity kinetics of Mn-doped glasses compared to the glass used as control; however the glasses maintained a good degree of bioactivity. Mn-leaching test in SBF and minimum essential medium (MEM) revealed fluctuating trends probably due to a re-precipitation of Mn compounds during the bioactivity process. Cellular tests showed that all the Mn-doped glasses, up to a concentration of 50 μg/cm(2) (μg of glass powders/cm(2) of cell monolayer), did not produce cytotoxic effects on human MG-63 osteoblasts cultured for up to 5 days. Finally, biocompatibility tests demonstrated a good osteoblast proliferation and spreading on Mn-doped glasses and most of all that the Mn-doping can promote the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and some bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs).

Fluoride-containing bioactive glasses inhibit pentose phosphate oxidative pathway and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in human osteoblasts

Bioactive glasses such as Henchs 45S5 (Bioglass) have applications to tissue engineering as well as bone repair, and the insertion of fluoride in their composition has been proposed to enhance their bioactivity. In view of a potential clinical application, we investigated whether fluoride-containing glasses exert toxic effects on human MG-63 osteoblasts, and whether and how fluoride, which is released in the cell culture medium, might play a role in such cytotoxicity. A 24h incubation with 50 microg/ml (12.5 microg/cm(2)) of fluoride-containing bioactive glasses termed HCaCaF(2) (F content: 5, 10 and 15 mol.%) caused the release of lactate dehydrogenase in the extracellular medium (index of cytotoxicity), the accumulation of intracellular malonyldialdehyde (index of lipoperoxidation), and the increase of glutathione consumption. Furthermore, fluoride-containing glasses inhibited the pentose phosphate oxidative pathway and the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. These effects are ascribable to the fluoride content/release of glass powders, since they were mimicked by NaF solutions and were prevented by dimethyl sulfoxide and tempol (two radical scavengers), by superoxide dismutase (a superoxide scavenger), and by glutathione (the most important intracellular antioxidant molecule), but not by apocynin (an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase). The presence of fluoride-containing glasses and NaF caused also the generation of reactive oxygen species, which was prevented by superoxide dismutase and catalase. The data suggest that fluoride released from glasses is the cause of MG-63 cell oxidative damage and is independent of NADPH oxidase activation. Our data provide a new mechanism to explain F(-) ions toxicity: fluoride could trigger, at least in part, an oxidative stress via inhibition of the pentose phosphate oxidative pathway and, in particular, through the oxidative inhibition of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

RFamide Peptides 43RFa and 26RFa Both Promote Survival of Pancreatic β-Cells and Human Pancreatic Islets but Exert Opposite Effects on Insulin Secretion

RFamide peptides 43RFa and 26RFa have been shown to promote food intake and to exert different peripheral actions through G-protein–coupled receptor 103 (GPR103) binding. Moreover, 26RFa was found to inhibit pancreatic insulin secretion, whereas the role of 43RFa on β-cell function is unknown, as well as the effects of both peptides on β-cell survival. Herein, we investigated the effects of 43RFa and 26RFa on survival and apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells and human pancreatic islets. In addition, we explored the role of these peptides on insulin secretion and the underlying signaling mechanisms. Our results show that in INS-1E β-cells and human pancreatic islets both 43RFa and 26RFa prevented cell death and apoptosis induced by serum starvation, cytokine synergism, and glucolipotoxicity, through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt- and extracellular signal–related kinase 1/2-mediated signaling. Moreover, 43RFa promoted, whereas 26RFa inhibited, glucose- and exendin-4–induced insulin secretion, through Gαs and Gαi/o proteins, respectively. Inhibition of GPR103 expression by small interfering RNA blocked 43RFa insulinotropic effect, but not the insulinostatic action of 26RFa. Finally, 43RFa, but not 26RFa, induced cAMP increase and glucose uptake. In conclusion, because of their survival effects along with the effects on insulin secretion, these findings suggest potential for 43RFa and 26RFa as therapeutic targets in the treatment of diabetes.

The concentration of nitrite in seminal plasma does not correlate with sperm concentration, sperm motility, leukocytospermia, or sperm culture

OBJECTIVE To correlate the concentration of nitrite (the stable metabolite of nitric oxide) in seminal plasma with sperm number and motility, leukocytospermia, and sperm culture. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Academic research institution. PATIENT(S) Seventy normozoospermic or dyspermic men enrolled in an artificial insemination/in vitro fertilization program. INTERVENTION(S) Semen samples (n = 70) were checked for sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, seminal leukocyte concentration, and sperm culture; similarly, the concentration of nitrite in seminal plasma was measured by Griess reaction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Measurement of nitrite concentration in seminal plasma and its correlation with sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, leukocytospermia, and sperm culture. RESULT(S) The concentration of nitrite in seminal plasma does not correlate with sperm concentration, total sperm count, or with the proportion of immotile or rapid-forward motile spermatozoa. Moreover, the concentration of nitrite in seminal plasma is not significantly increased when sperm culture is positive, nor does it correlate with leukocyte concentration in semen. CONCLUSION(S) Our results do not support the hypothesis that in vivo nitric oxide synthesis affects sperm function; alternatively, our results could suggest that nitrite in the seminal plasma is not a sensitive marker of in vivo nitric oxide synthesis.