The ΔF508 mutation in cystic fibrosis patients of Southern Italy

Summary Fifty one independent cystic fibrosis (CF) families originating from a restricted area of Southern Italy (Campania) have been analyzed for KM19 and XV2c haplotypes and the ΔF508 mutation: 54% of the total CF chromosomes show the ΔF508 mutation. No significative correlations were obtained when clinical score, radiological score,Pseudomonas colonization, or clinical symptoms at presentation were matched with the presence or absence of the ΔF508 mutation.     

Complement-mediated in vitro bactericidal activity of monoclonal antibodies reactive with outer-surface-protein OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi

Murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were obtained against the outer-surface-protein OspA and OspB and against the 41-kDa flagellar antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi. The specificity of mAb was determined by the Western blotting technique and the surface association of the antigens was inferred by immunofluorescence of living bacteria. In an in vitro assay in the presence of complement, two mAbs reactive with the Ospa were able to kill borreliae, whereas several mAbs reactive with the OspA as well as with the 41-kDa flagellar protein were not.     

Development of Nutritionally Enhanced Tortillas

Large interest has recently risen in the development of “functional” foods, products that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients. Foods rich in antioxidants and, simultaneously, characterized by a low glycemic index (GI), can reduce, through a double mechanism, the risk of increased postprandial oxidative stress, which is one of the constituent of the onset of several chronic diseases. Nutritionally enhanced tortillas were therefore developed by incorporating ingredients with well-documented nutritional functionality (carrots, soy, and wholemeal kamut) in a standard wheat tortillas formulation, in an attempt to create low GI and antioxidant-rich products while preserving sensory acceptability and physico-chemical properties. Five tortilla prototypes were developed and characterized for sensory acceptability, textural attributes, color, total antioxidant capacity, and in vivo GI. The simultaneous combination of carrot juice, soy, and wholemeal kamut resulted in a very interesting product that was not only the most acceptable by the consumers (although slightly harder than the standard control) but also showed the lowest GI and was relatively high in total antioxidant capacity. This work was presented at the 2nd International Symposium on: Delivery of Functionality in Complex Food Systems, Amherst, MA, USA, October 8–10, 2007.     

A high-pressure form of sulfuric acid monohydrate as determined by X-ray and neutron diffraction

Two high-pressure polymorphs of sulfuric acid monohydrate (oxonium hydrogensulfate) have been obtained at ambient temperature by crystallisation at high pressure from the liquid at 1.3 GPa (form III) and by direct compression of the ambient-pressure form I first to 1.26 GPa (form II) and then to 1.72 GPa (form III). The structure of form III was solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction and this structure was used as the basis for the refinement of hydrogen positions using high-pressure neutron powder diffraction data. Form III crystallises in the orthorhombic crystal system at 1.97 GPa, and features parallel chains of hydrogensulfate ions linked by oxonium ions to form a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network. On further compression to 3.05 GPa, the direction of maximum compressibility is found to be along the a-axis and is associated with the shortening of a hydrogen bond between a hydrogensulfate ion and an oxonium ion. The structure of form II remains elusive although at ambient temperature it is stable (or metastable) at pressures as low as 0.42 GPa, perhaps indicating that it could be recoverable to ambient-pressure at low temperature.     

Intermittent Fasting Confers Protection in CNS Autoimmunity by Altering the Gut Microbiota

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Efficient optimization of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines derivatives as c-Src kinase inhibitors in neuroblastoma treatment

The proto-oncogene c-Src is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase which is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, such as differentiation, adhesion and survival. c-Src hyperactivation has been detected in many tumors, including neuroblastoma (NB), one of the major causes of death from neoplasia in infancy. We already reported a large family of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines active as c-Src inhibitors. Interestingly, some of these derivatives resulted also active on SH-SY5Y NB cell line. Herein, starting from our previous Free Energy Perturbation/Monte Carlo calculations, we report an optimization study which led to the identification of a new series of derivatives endowed with nanomolar K_i values against c-Src, interesting antiproliferative activity on SH-SY5Y cells and a suitable ADME profile.