Cardiospheres and tissue engineering for myocardial regeneration: potential for clinical application

Tissue engineering is an increasingly expanding area of research in the cardiovascular field that involves engineering, chemistry, biology and medicine. Cardiac tissue engineering (CTE) aims to regenerate myocardial damage by combining cells, matrix, biological active molecules and physiological stimuli. The rationale behind CTE applications is that in order to regenerate the ventricular wall after a myocardial infarction it is necessary to combine procedures that regenerate both cardiomyocytes and the extracellular matrix. The application of (stem) cells together with a matrix could represent an environment protected from the inflammatory and pro-apoptotic signals, a stemness/survival reservoir slowly releasing cells and factors promoting tissue regeneration and angiogenesis. This review will focus on the applications and advantages that CTE application could offer compared to conventional cell therapy.     

PCR-based methods to discriminateBacillus thuringiensis strains

Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram positive bacterium that is used for the production of biopesticides. The toxic action of different strains and serovars ofB. thuringiensis can be extremely selective towards specific pests, or, in contrast, it can affect a wide variety of non-target organisms such as insects, vertebrates or humans. A reliable characterization of the cultivated strains is of primary importance for the biopesticide industry, in order to assess the contamination of the final product with strains with different pesticide actions or that might be dangerous for human health. The aim of this study was to develop useful methods for the typing of differentB. thuringiensis strains using two PCR-based methods, RAPD and Rep-PCR with BOXA1R and ERIC2 primers. The molecular fingerprints obtained using ERIC2-PCR showed a reliable ability to discriminateBacillus thuringiensis strains.     

Genetics of the early stages of invasion of the Lessepsian rabbitfish Siganus luridus

Information on the initial stages of dispersal and settlement are of great interest in understanding the dynamics of biological invasions and in designing management responses. A newly settled population of the Lessepsian rabbitfish migrant Siganus luridus, that arrived in Linosa Island (Sicily Strait) in 2000, offered a unique opportunity to examine the genetic variability of the early phase of invasion and the starting point to test genetic variation within and between colonist and source populations.Demographics and dynamic aspects of S. luridus in the Mediterranean were evaluated by using phylogeographic and demographic (coalescent) methods based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial control region. Sequences from 95 S. luridus, 25 Siganus rivulatus, and one of Siganus (Lo) vulpinus and S. doliatus were used. Samples were collected in one locality in the Red Sea (Eilat) and three localities in the Mediterranean (Israel, Greece and Linosa, Italy). Data showed (for the first time in a Lessepsian migrant) a lowering of the genetic diversity of the invading population (Mediterranean) (haplotype diversity 0.879, nucleotide diversity 0.592) compared to the parental one (Red Sea) (haplotype diversity 0.978, nucleotide diversity 0.958).Within the Mediterranean populations, there was no pattern of regional separation and mitochondrial diversity appeared to be preserved during the Linosa colonization, with no traces of founder events. Such evidence agrees with the idea that Lessepsian migration involves many individuals from its earliest stages.     

Polymorphous granular cells in the lung of the primitive fish,the bichir Polypterus senegalus

This study describes the distribution and the coexpression of specific neurochemical markers in both neuroendocrine‐like cells (NEC‐like) and polymorphous granular cells (PGCs) that populate the mucociliated epithelium of the lung in the air‐breathing fish Polypterus senegalus, using confocal immunohistochemistry. Using confocal immunohistochemistry, we determined the coexpression of specific neurochemical markers. Colocalization studies showed that 5HT is coexpressed with calbindin and nNOS and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is coexpressed with nNOS in the PGCs. This study also shows for the first time the simultaneous occurrence of piscidin 1 and 5HT in the PGCs. The function of these cells being equivalent to ones found in fish gill subepithelial parenchyma is still not known. Due to the importance of piscidin 1 in local immune defence, more research is to be useful to understand a possible interaction of PGCs with immune response in the bichir lung. In fact, the capacity of PGCs to produce NO and other neuroactive substances found in immune cells of fish may represent a primitive form of immunoregulation of innate immunity and specifically antimicrobial function as NO induction and respiratory burst activity are correlated with immune response.     

Life history,larval dispersal,and connectivity in coral reef fish among the Scattered Islands of the Mozambique Channel

The Western Indian Ocean harbors one of the world’s most diverse marine biota yet is threatened by exploitation with few conservation measures in place. Primary candidates for conservation in the region are the Scattered Islands (Îles Éparses), a group of relatively pristine and uninhabited islands in the Mozambique Channel. However, while optimal conservation strategies depend on the degree of population connectivity among spatially isolated habitats, very few studies have been conducted in the area. Here, we use highly variable microsatellite markers from two damselfishes (Amphiprion akallopisos and Dascyllus trimaculatus) with differing life history traits [pelagic larval duration (PLD), adult habitat] to compare genetic structure and connectivity among these islands using classic population structure indices as well as Bayesian clustering methods. All classical fixation indexes F _ST, R _ST, G′_ST, and Jost’s D show stronger genetic differentiation among islands for A. akallopisos compared to D. trimaculatus, consistent with the former species’ shorter PLD and stronger adult site attachment, which may restrict larval dispersal potential. In agreement with these results, the Bayesian analysis revealed clear genetic differentiation among the islands in A. akallopisos, separating the southern group (Bassas da India and Europa) from the center (Juan de Nova) and northern (Îles Glorieuses) islands, but not for D. trimaculatus. Local oceanographic patterns such as eddies that occur along the Mozambique Channel appear to parallel the results reported for A. akallopisos, but such features seem to have little effect on the genetic differentiation of D. trimaculatus. The contrasting patterns of genetic differentiation between species within the same family highlight the importance of accounting for diverse life history traits when assessing community-wide connectivity, an increasingly common consideration in conservation planning.

     

Very-long-chain fatty acid sphingomyelin in nuclear lipid microdomains of hepatocytes and hepatoma cells: can the exchange from C24:0 to C16:0 affect signal proteins and vitamin D receptor?

Lipid microdomains localized in the inner nuclear membrane are considered platforms for active chromatin anchoring. Stimuli such as surgery, vitamin D, or glucocorticoid drugs influence their gene expression, DNA duplication, and RNA synthesis. In this study, we used ultrafast liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to identify sphingomyelin (SM) species coupled with immunoblot analysis to comprehensively map differences in nuclear lipid microdomains (NLMs) purified from hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. We showed that NLMs lost saturated very-long-chain fatty acid (FA; C24:0) SM in cancer cells and became enriched in long-chain FA (C16:0) SM. We also found that signaling proteins, such as STAT3, Raf1, and PKCζ, were increased and vitamin D receptor was reduced in cancer cells. Because recent researches showed a shift in sphingolipid composition from C24:0 to C16:0 in relation to cell life, we performed a comparative analysis of properties among C16:0 SM, C24:0 SM, and cholesterol. Our results led us to hypothesize that the enrichment of C16:0 SM could determine enhanced dynamic properties of NLMs in cancer cells with an increased shuttling of protein signaling molecules.     

Giardia Cysts in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Italy

Reductions in annual rainfall in some regions and increased human consumption have caused a shortage of water resources at the global level. The recycling of treated wastewaters has been suggested for certain domestic, industrial, and agricultural activities. The importance of microbiological and parasitological criteria for recycled water has been repeatedly emphasized. Among water-borne pathogens, protozoa of the genera Giardia and Cryptosporidium are known to be highly resistant to water treatment procedures and to cause outbreaks through contaminated raw or treated water. We conducted an investigation in four wastewater treatment plants in Italy by sampling wastewater at each stage of the treatment process over the course of 1 year. The presence of the parasites was assessed by immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies. While Cryptosporidium oocysts were rarely observed, Giardia cysts were detected in all samples throughout the year, with peaks observed in autumn and winter. The overall removal efficiency of cysts in the treatment plants ranged from 87.0 to 98.4%. The removal efficiency in the number of cysts was significantly higher when the secondary treatment consisted of active oxidation with O₂ and sedimentation instead of activated sludge and sedimentation (94.5% versus 72.1 to 88.0%; P = 0.05, analysis of variance). To characterize the cysts at the molecular level, the β-giardin gene was PCR amplified, and the products were sequenced or analyzed by restriction. Cysts were typed as assemblage A or B, both of which are human pathogens, stressing the potential risk associated with the reuse of wastewater.