Barcoding Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. (Annelida,Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae), a Large Stripy Earthworm from Alpine Foothills of Northeastern Italy Similar to Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888)

A new Italian earthworm morphologically close to the similarly large and anecic Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888) is described. Distribution of Eophila crodabepis sp. nov. extends over 750 km² from East to West on the Asiago Plateau and Vittorio Veneto Hills, from North to South on mounts Belluno Prealps (Praderadego and Cesen), Asiago, Grappa and onto the Montello foothills. This range abuts that of Eophila tellinii in northern Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Known localities of both E. tellinii and E.crodabepis sp. nov. are mapped. mtDNA barcoding definitively separates the new western species from classical Eophila tellinii (Rosa, 1888).     

The Effects of Lung Protective Ventilation or Hypercapnic Acidosis on Gas Exchange and Lung Injury in Surfactant Deficient Rabbits

Background

Permissive hypercapnia has been shown to reduce lung injury in subjects with surfactant deficiency. Experimental studies suggest that hypercapnic acidosis by itself rather than decreased tidal volume may be a key protective factor.

Objectives

To study the differential effects of a lung protective ventilatory strategy or hypercapnic acidosis on gas exchange, hemodynamics and lung injury in an animal model of surfactant deficiency.

Methods

30 anesthetized, surfactant-depleted rabbits were mechanically ventilated (FiO₂ = 0.8, PEEP = 7cmH₂O) and randomized into three groups: Normoventilation-Normocapnia (NN)-group: tidal volume (Vt) = 7.5 ml/kg, target PaCO₂ = 40 mmHg; Normoventilation-Hypercapnia (NH)-group: Vt = 7.5 ml/kg, target PaCO₂ = 80 mmHg by increasing FiCO₂; and a Hypoventilation-Hypercapnia (HH)-group: Vt = 4.5 ml/kg, target PaCO₂ = 80 mmHg. Plasma lactate and interleukin (IL)-8 were measured every 2 h. Animals were sacrificed after 6 h to perform bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), to measure lung wet-to-dry weight, lung tissue IL-8, and to obtain lung histology.

Results

PaO₂ was significantly higher in the HH-group compared to the NN-group (p<0.05), with values of the NH-group between the HH- and NN-groups. Other markers of lung injury (wet-dry-weight, BAL-Protein, histology-score, plasma-IL-8 and lung tissue IL-8) resulted in significantly lower values for the HH-group compared to the NN-group and trends for the NH-group towards lower values compared to the NN-group. Lactate was significantly lower in both hypercapnia groups compared to the NN-group.

Conclusion

Whereas hypercapnic acidosis may have some beneficial effects, a significant effect on lung injury and systemic inflammatory response is dependent upon a lower tidal volume rather than resultant arterial CO₂ tensions and pH alone.     

Blockade of Thrombopoietin Reduces Organ Damage in Experimental Endotoxemia and Polymicrobial Sepsis

Background and Purpose

Thrombopoietin (TPO), a growth factor primarily involved in thrombopoiesis may also have a role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. In patients with sepsis, indeed, TPO levels are markedly increased, with disease severity being the major independent determinant of TPO concentrations. Moreover, TPO increases and correlates with ex vivo indices of platelet activation in patients with burn injury upon sepsis development, and may contribute to depress cardiac contractility in septic shock. Still, the role of TPO in sepsis pathophysiology remains controversial, given the protective role of TPO in other experimental disease models, for instance in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. The aim of our study was to define the contribution of TPO in the development of organ damage induced by endotoxemia or sepsis, and to investigate the effects of inhibiting TPO in these conditions.

Methods

We synthesized a chimeric protein able to inhibit TPO, mTPOR-MBP, and studied its effect in two murine experimental models, acute endotoxemia and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model.

Results

In both models, TPO levels markedly increased, from 289.80±27.87 pg/mL to 465.60±45.92 pg/mL at 3 hours in the LPS model (P<0.01), and from 265.00±26.02 pg/mL to 373.70±26.20 pg/mL in the CLP model (P<0.05), respectively. Paralleling TPO levels, also platelet-monocyte aggregates increased, from 32.86±2.48% to 46.13±1.39% at 3 hours in the LPS model (P<0.01), and from 43.68±1.69% to 56.52±4.66% in the CLP model (P<0.05). Blockade of TPO by mTPOR-MBP administration reduced histological damage in target organs, namely lung, liver, and gut. In particular, neutrophil infiltration and lung septal thickening were reduced from a score of 1.86±0.34 to 0.60±0.27 (P<0.01) and from 1.43±0.37 to 0.40±0.16 (P<0.05), respectively, in the LPS model at 3 hours, and from a score of 1.75±0.37 to 0.38±0.18 (P<0.01) and from 1.25±0.31 to 0.13±0.13 (P<0.001), respectively, in the CLP model. Similarly, the number of hepatic microabscesses was decreased from 14.14±1.41 to 3.64±0.56 in the LPS model at 3 hours (P<0.001), and from 1.71±0.29 to 0.13±0.13 in the CLP model (P<0.001). Finally, the diameter of intestinal villi decreased from 90.69±3.95 μm to 70.74±3.60 μm in the LPS model at 3 hours (P<0.01), and from 74.29±4.29 μm to 57.50±1.89 μm in the CLP model (P<0.01). This protective effect was associated with the blunting of the increase in platelet-monocyte adhesion, and, on the contrary, with increased platelet-neutrophil aggregates in the circulation, which may be related to decreased neutrophil sequestration into the inflamed tissues. Conversely, circulating cytokine levels were not significantly changed, in both models, by mTPOR-MBP administration.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that TPO participates in the development of organ damage induced by experimental endotoxemia or polymicrobial sepsis via a mechanism involving increased platelet-leukocyte adhesion, but not cytokine release, and suggest that blocking TPO may be useful in preventing organ damage in patients affected by systemic inflammatory response or sepsis.     

Stability study of Prulifloxacin and Ulifloxacin in human plasma by HPLC–DAD

A new and specific HPLC–DAD method for the direct determination of Prulifloxacin and its active metabolite, Ulifloxacin, in human plasma has been developed. Plasma samples were analysed after a simple solid phase extraction (SPE) clean-up using a new HILIC stationary phase based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column and an ammonium acetate buffer (5?mM, pH 5.8)/acetonitrile (both with 1% Et₃N, v/v) mobile phase in isocratic elution mode, with Danofloxacin as the internal standard. Detection was performed using DAD from 200 to 500?nm and quantitative analyses were carried out at 278?nm. The LOQ of the method was 1?μg/mL of the cited analytes and the calibration curve showed a good linearity up to 25?μg/mL. For both analytes the precision (RSD%) and the trueness (bias%) of the method fulfil with International Guidelines. The method was applied for stability studies, at three QC concentration levels, in human plasma samples stored at different temperature of?+?25,?+?4 and ?20?°C in order to evaluate plasma stability profiles.     

Nutrigerontology: a key for achieving successful ageing and longevity

During the last two centuries the average lifespan has increased at a rate of approximately 3 months/year in both sexes, hence oldest old people are becoming the population with the fastest growth in Western World. Although the average life expectancy is increasing dramatically, the healthy lifespan is not going at the same pace. This underscores the importance of studies on the prevention of age-related diseases, in order to satisfactorily decrease the medical, economic and social problems associated to advancing age, related to an increased number of individuals not autonomous and affected by invalidating pathologies. In particular, data from experimental studies in model organisms have consistently shown that nutrient signalling pathways are involved in longevity, affecting the prevalence of age-related loss of function, including age-related diseases. Accordingly, nutrigerontology is defined as the scientific discipline that studies the impact of nutrients, foods, macronutrient ratios, and diets on lifespan, ageing process, and age-related diseases. To discuss the potential relevance of this new science in the attainment of successful ageing and longevity, three original studies performed in Sicily with local foods and two reviews have been assembled in this series. Data clearly demonstrate the positive effects of nutraceuticals, functional foods and Mediterranean Diet on several biological parameters. In fact, they could represent a prevention for many age-related diseases, and, although not a solution for this social plague, at least a remedy to alleviate it. Thus, the possibility to create a dietary pattern, based on the combined strategy of the use of both nutraceuticals and functional foods should permit to create a new therapeutic strategy, based not only on a specific bioactive molecule or on a specific food but on a integrated approach that, starting from the local dietary habits, can be led to a “nutrafunctional diet” applicable worldwide.     

The expression of Lamin A mutant R321X leads to endoplasmic reticulum stress with aberrant Ca2+ handling

Mutations in the Lamin A/C gene (LMNA), which encodes A‐type nuclear Lamins, represent the most frequent genetic cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This study is focused on a LMNA nonsense mutation (R321X) identified in several members of an Italian family that produces a truncated protein isoform, which co‐segregates with a severe form of cardiomyopathy with poor prognosis. However, no molecular mechanisms other than nonsense mediated decay of the messenger and possible haploinsufficiency were proposed to explain DCM. Aim of this study was to gain more insights into the disease‐causing mechanisms induced by the expression of R321X at cellular level. We detected the expression of R321X by Western blotting from whole lysate of a mutation carrier heart biopsy. When expressed in HEK293 cells, GFP‐ (or mCherry)‐tagged R321X mislocalized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) inducing the PERK‐CHOP axis of the ER stress response. Of note, confocal microscopy showed phosphorylation of PERK in sections of the mutation carrier heart biopsy. ER mislocalization of mCherry‐R321X also induced impaired ER Ca²⁺ handling, reduced capacitative Ca²⁺ entry at the plasma membrane and abnormal nuclear Ca²⁺ dynamics. In addition, expression of R321X by itself increased the apoptosis rate. In conclusion, R321X is the first LMNA mutant identified to date, which mislocalizes into the ER affecting cellular homeostasis mechanisms not strictly related to nuclear functions.