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Introduction: Psoriasis (PsO), a chronic inflammatory, multisystemic, and multifactorial disease can cause endothelial dysfunction, artery calcification, and atherosclerotic disease. A higher incidence of vascular occlusive events has been observed in psoriatic patients compared to healthy controls, and multiple studies confirm the association between moderate-severe PsO and atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification, and higher cardiovascular risk. Objective: We sought to analyze atherosclerotic disease prevalence in epiaortic vessels of psoriatic and non-psoriatic patients to understand if PsO could represent an independent risk factor predisposing to atherosclerotic disease. Methods: We evaluated 47 psoriatic patients without cardiovascular risk factors with color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS). If atheromatous plaques were detected, a computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed. We evaluated 47 non-psoriatic patients without cardiovascular risk factors with CDUS. Atherosclerosis prevalence in both groups were statistically analyzed. CDUS performance was compared to CTA. Results: In the psoriatic group (mean age 50.9 years), 6 had atheromatous plaques and 12 had an intima-media thickness (IMT) > 1 mm (overall prevalence of atherosclerotic disease: 38.2%). All plaques detected with CDUS were confirmed at CTA. In the control group (mean age 51.3 years), CDUS revealed atheromatous plaques in 4 patients and IMT > 1 mm in 4 ones (overall prevalence of 17%). The difference of atherosclerotic disease prevalence between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results highlight that PsO could be considered a predisposing factor for atherosclerotic disease development in epiaortic vessels, as it causes an increased IMT, that is also considered an independent cardiovascular risk factor.

The emergence and rapid spread of multidrug-resistance in human pathogenic microorganisms urgently require the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of infectious diseases. From this perspective, the antimicrobial properties of the natural plant-derived products may represent an important alternative therapeutic option to synthetic drugs. Among medicinal plants, the Cardiospermum halicacabum L. (C. halicacabum), belonging to Sapindaceae family, could be a very promising candidate for its antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungal pathogens. Although the antimicrobial properties of C. halicacabum have been intensively studied, the mechanism/s by which it exerts the inhibitory activity towards the pathogenic microbes have not yet been completely understood. This review focuses on the main antimicrobial activities displayed in vitro by the plant extract, with particular attention on our recent advances. We demonstrated that C. halicacabum is able to exert in vitro a dose-dependent fungistatic effect against Trychophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) through molecular interaction with the fungal heat shock protein (Hsp)-90 chaperone. These findings are supported by a growing body of research indicating the crucial role played by the Hsp90 in the virulence of the pathogenic microorganisms, including fungal pathogens. The possible future use of C. halicacabum for treating a wide range of infectious diseases is also discussed.

Invertebrate Survival Journal, Vol 16 No 1 (2019)

Neurogenic mechanisms seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as suggested by a number of in vitro data. However, few studies have investigated the presence of neuropeptides in the airways of patients with COPD, and they have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study is to compare the expression of the neuropeptide substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the airways of smokers with and without COPD. Surgical lung samples were obtained from 15 smokers with COPD and 16 smokers with normal lung function, who underwent lobectomy for a solitary lung carcinoma. Airway expression and distribution of SP, VIP, and NPY were identifìed by immunohistochemistry and analyzed by a computerized image analysis system. Compared to smokers with normal lung function, COPD patients exhibited an increased immunoreactivity for SP and VIP, paralleled by a decreased NPY expression in the epithelium and glands, and a decreased expression of ali these three neuropeptides in the smooth muscle layer. Therefore, in the present study we have documented a different expression and distribution of the neuropeptides SP, VIP, and NPY in the airways of smokers with and without COPD. These fìndings suggest a possible involvement of such neuropeptides in the pathogenesis of some changes occurring in COPD.

Aspetti molecolari e clinici dei principali farmaci broncodilatatori e dei glucocorticoidi utilizzati nel trattamento dell'asma bronchiale.

Phytoestrogens are a chemically diverse group of compounds made by plants that can have estrogenic effects in animals. Both tumorigenic and antitumorigenic effects have been reported. Although estrogens stimulate the growth of many breast tumors, there is a negative correlation between the incidence of breast cancer and the phytoestrogen-rich diet of certain Asian populations. To begin to resolve this paradox, we have analyzed the estrogenic properties of genistein and quercetin, two flavonoid phytoestrogens particularly abundant in soybeans. Trans-activation experiments with a transfected reporter gene for nuclear estrogen receptors (ER) show strong activation of the endogenous ER alpha by both phytoestrogens in two MCF7 human breast cancer cell lines. This is supported by the observation that the two phytoestrogens induce the down-regulation of ER alpha mRNA and protein levels. Using chimeric proteins consisting of the hormone binding domains of ER alpha and ER beta fused to the Gal4 DNA binding domain, we have established that genistein and quercetin are full estrogenic agonists of both ER isoforms. Ligand binding experiments with purified ER alpha and ER beta confirm that the two phytoestrogens are ER ligands. At concentrations that are sufficient to obtain substantial transcriptional activity, they stimulate the proliferation of two ER alpha-dependent breast cancer cell lines. At high concentrations, such as those reached with a soy-rich diet, genistein and quercetin are strong cytotoxic agents that even kill ER-independent HeLa cells. Thus, the mode of action of phytoestrogens and the balance between being risk or chemopreventive factors for breast cancer may depend on the dietary load.