28 results on '"Montelli, S."'
Search Results
2. Characterization of an established endothelial cell line from primary cultures of fetal sheep hypothalamus
- Author
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Mura, E., Suman, M., Montelli, S., Peruffo, A., Cozzi, B., and Farina, V.
- Published
- 2013
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- View/download PDF
3. Gene expression profiles of estrogen receptors α and β in the fetal bovine hypothalamus and immunohistochemical characterization during development
- Author
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Panin, M., Corain, L., Montelli, S., Cozzi, B., and Peruffo, A.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Erratum to: The laminar organization of the motor cortex in monodactylous mammals: a comparative assessment based on horse, chimpanzee, and macaque
- Author
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Cozzi, Bruno, De Giorgio, Andrea, Peruffo, A., Montelli, S., Panin, M., Bombardi, C., Grandis, A., Pirone, A., Zambenedetti, P., Corain, L., and Granato, Alberto
- Published
- 2017
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5. Minimal luminal diameter versus percent diameter narrowing for assessing coronary artery disease
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Tobis, J, Oakes, D, Sato, D, Nalcioglu, O, Johnston, WD, Mallery, J, See, J, Qu, L, Reese, T, Paynter, J, Montelli, S, and Henry, WL
- Published
- 1989
6. Correlation of minimum coronary lumen diameter with left ventricular functional impairment induced by atrial pacing.
- Author
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Tobis, J, Sato, D, Nalcioglu, O, Johnston, WD, Mallery, J, See, J, Qu, L, Reese, T, Paynter, J, and Montelli, S
- Subjects
Coronary Vessels ,Humans ,Coronary Disease ,Constriction ,Pathologic ,Angiography ,Stroke Volume ,Cardiac Pacing ,Artificial ,Myocardial Contraction ,Middle Aged ,Female ,Male ,Cardiovascular ,Clinical Research ,Heart Disease - Coronary Heart Disease ,Heart Disease ,4.2 Evaluation of markers and technologies ,Detection ,screening and diagnosis ,Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology - Abstract
To understand whether quantitative measurement of minimal coronary luminal diameter is a better method than percent diameter narrowing for assessing the functional impairment of myocardial contractility produced by coronary artery stenoses, measurements were made from 37 stenotic segments in 27 patients with coronary artery disease and from corresponding segments in 10 subjects without coronary artery narrowing. An assessment of the reliability of the 2 types of measurements was made by correlating them with the physiologic parameters of both segmental wall motion and global ejection fraction response induced by atrial pacing. Digitally acquired coronary angiograms were used to facilitate quantitative analysis. Measurements by edge detection and videodensitometry correlated closely (r = 0.94). Percent diameter narrowing correlated moderately with the change in ejection fraction (r = -0.41) or with the change in segmental wall motion (r = -0.44). The measurement of minimal lumen diameter correlated with the change in global ejection fraction (r = 0.61) and did so even better with the change in segmental wall motion (r = 0.78, p less than 0.05). A minimal lumen diameter of less than or equal to 1.5 mm identified patients likely to have a functional impairment during atrial pacing as assessed by either global ejection fraction or segmental wall motion defects. We conclude that minimal coronary luminal diameter provides a better method than percent diameter narrowing calculations to measure the anatomic severity of coronary artery narrowing.
- Published
- 1988
7. Digital coronary roadmapping as an aid for performing coronary angioplasty.
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Tobis, J, Johnston, WD, Montelli, S, Henderson, E, Roeck, W, Bauer, B, Nalcioglu, O, and Henry, W
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Humans ,Arteriosclerosis ,Coronary Angiography ,Subtraction Technique ,Angioplasty ,Balloon ,Computers ,Adult ,Aged ,Middle Aged ,Female ,Male ,Cardiac Catheterization ,Cardiovascular ,Heart Disease - Coronary Heart Disease ,Atherosclerosis ,Heart Disease ,Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology - Abstract
In an attempt to improve visualization of the position of the guidewire and dilatation balloon during coronary angioplasty, a method was developed called digital coronary roadmapping. With this method a digitally acquired coronary angiogram is interlaced with the live fluoroscopic image of the guidewire and balloon catheter. The digital coronary angiogram is superimposed at the same magnification and radiologic projection as the live fluoroscopic image onto the video monitor above the catheterization table. The digital roadmap image thus provides immediate feedback to the angiographer to assist in directing the guidewire into the appropriate coronary artery branch and to help in placement of the balloon so that it straddles the site of stenosis.
- Published
- 1985
8. Detection and quantitation of coronary artery stenoses from digital subtraction angiograms compared with 35-millimeter film cineangiograms.
- Author
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Tobis, J, Nalcioglu, O, Iseri, L, Johnston, WD, Roeck, W, Castleman, E, Bauer, B, Montelli, S, and Henry, WL
- Subjects
Coronary Vessels ,Humans ,Coronary Disease ,Cineangiography ,Coronary Angiography ,Subtraction Technique ,Computers ,Adult ,Aged ,Middle Aged ,Female ,Male ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology ,Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology - Abstract
To assess the ability to detect coronary artery narrowings from computer-acquired angiograms, a panel of 4 observers independently identified and measured focal coronary narrowings from digital subtraction angiograms and compared the results to those obtained from standard 35-mm cine film angiograms. Both cine and digital angiograms were obtained sequentially using selective intracoronary artery injection of standard amounts of iodinated contrast media. Digital images were obtained at 8 frames/s with a 512 X 512 X 8-bit pixel matrix. Modifications in the imaging chain for computer acquisition included a slower pulsed radiographic mode, a progressive scan camera, and initial storage of the images on an 80-megabyte digital hard disk. Postprocessing computer algorithms were used to enhance the unsubtracted digital images; these included single-frame, mask-mode subtraction, vessel boundary edge enhancement, and 4-fold pixel magnification. In 19 patient studies, 32 arteries were reduced more than 25% in diameter according to at least 1 of 4 observers on either the digital or cine film angiograms. There was no significant difference in the mean percent diameter narrowing for all the narrowings between the digital angiograms (53 +/- 31%) and the cineangiograms (52 +/- 31%). In addition, a 2-way analysis of variance yielded no significant difference between the amount of variability in the measurements between the cine film and the digital technique. This similar variability persisted when subsets of patients based on the degrees of stenosis were considered (e.g., only narrowings from 50 to 90% diameter reduction).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
- Published
- 1984
9. Videodensitometric determination of minimum coronary artery luminal diameter before and after angioplasty.
- Author
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Tobis, J, Nalcioglu, O, Johnston, WD, Qu, L, Reese, T, Sato, D, Roeck, W, Montelli, S, and Henry, WL
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Arteries ,Coronary Vessels ,Humans ,Coronary Disease ,Angioplasty ,Balloon ,Densitometry ,Models ,Cardiovascular ,Computer Systems ,Angioplasty ,Balloon ,Models ,Cardiovascular ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology ,Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology - Abstract
Quantitative measurements of coronary stenoses were made from digital coronary angiograms in 19 patients before and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Two methods of measurement were compared. Mean stenosis before PTCA was 67 +/- 10% by the edge detection method and 67 +/- 12% by videodensitometry (difference not significant). After PTCA, the mean stenosis was 32 +/- 14% by edge detection and 30 +/- 13% by videodensitometry (difference not significant). In addition, a new method was developed to rapidly calculate the absolute minimum luminal area and diameter by videodensitometry. The minimum luminal diameter before PTCA was 1.0 +/- 0.5 mm and after PTCA increased to 2.4 +/- 0.5 mm (p less than 0.001). The validity of the videodensitometric method was analyzed in a series of Lucite phantom studies, which suggested that when there is an irregular angiographic appearance, the densitometric method may be more accurate than standard edge detection methods. Digital acquisition of coronary angiograms provides a means for rapid application of quantitative analysis during coronary interventional procedures.
- Published
- 1987
10. Gene expression profiles of estrogen receptors α and β in the fetal bovine hypothalamus and immunohistochemical characterization during development
- Author
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Panin, M., primary, Corain, L., additional, Montelli, S., additional, Cozzi, B., additional, and Peruffo, A., additional
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- 2014
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11. A morphometric study using image analysis to evaluate time-dependent changes in the bovine skin. A scientific approach to a practical problem
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Montelli, S., primary and Peruffo, A., additional
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- 2014
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12. Morphological analysis of neurons and astrocytes in primary cultures of fetal bovine cerebellum in response to estradiol exposure
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Suman, M., primary, Montelli, S., additional, Ballarin, C., additional, and Peruffo, A., additional
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- 2014
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13. Expression profile of the pore-forming subunits α1A and α1D in the foetal bovine hypothalamus: A mammal with a long gestation
- Author
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Peruffo, A., primary, Giacomello, M., additional, Montelli, S., additional, Panin, M., additional, and Cozzi, B., additional
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- 2013
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14. Expression of aromatase P450AROM in the human fetal and early postnatal cerebral cortex
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Montelli, S., primary, Peruffo, A., additional, Zambenedetti, P., additional, Rossipal, E., additional, Giacomello, M., additional, Zatta, P., additional, and Cozzi, B., additional
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- 2012
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15. Expression and localization of aromatase P450AROM, estrogen receptor-α, and estrogen receptor-β in the developing fetal bovine frontal cortex
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Peruffo, A., primary, Giacomello, M., additional, Montelli, S., additional, Corain, L., additional, and Cozzi, B., additional
- Published
- 2011
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16. Expression of aromatase P450AROM in the human fetal and early postnatal cerebral cortex
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Montelli, S., Peruffo, A., Zambenedetti, P., Rossipal, E., Giacomello, M., Zatta, P., and Cozzi, B.
- Subjects
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AROMATASE , *CEREBRAL cortex , *FETAL brain , *TESTOSTERONE , *ESTRADIOL , *CEREBELLUM physiology - Abstract
Abstract: Aromatase (P450AROM), the enzyme responsible for the conversion of testosterone (T) into 17-β estradiol (E2), plays a crucial role in the sexual differentiation of specific hypothalamic nuclei. Moreover, recent findings indicate that local E2 synthesis has an impact on other brain areas including hippocampus, temporal cortex and cerebellum, and may thus influence also cognitive functions. Numerous studies have described the expression and the distribution of P450AROM throughout ontogenesis and postnatal development of the central nervous system in several mammals, but data referring to humans are scarce. In the adult human brain, P450AROM has been detected in the hypothalamus, limbic areas, and in the basal forebrain, and described in glial cells of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In this study we report the expression, distribution and cellular localization of P450AROM in the human fetal and early postnatal cerebral cortex. In our series of fetal brains of the second trimester, P450AROM expression appeared at gestational week (GW) 17 and resulted limited to groups of cells localized close to the growing neuroepithelium in the ventricular and subventricular zones. At GWs 20–24, scattered P450AROM immunoreactive (-ir) neural cells were identified in the intermediate plate and subplate, and in the parietal cortical plate. In perinatal and early postnatal individuals the quantity of P450AROM-ir elements increased, and revealed the morphology typical of glial cells. Double labeling immunostaining with anti-GFAP and anti-P450AROM antisera, and subsequent confocal analysis, confirmed this observation. Our data show that the expression of P450AROM in the fetal cortex starts approx at the end of the fourth gestational month, but increases steadily only in the last trimester or in the early postnatal period. This temporal trend may suggest that P450AROM could act as a differentiation-promoting factor, based on timing of the steroid actions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
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- 2012
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17. Expression and localization of aromatase P450AROM, estrogen receptor-α, and estrogen receptor-β in the developing fetal bovine frontal cortex
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Peruffo, A., Giacomello, M., Montelli, S., Corain, L., and Cozzi, B.
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AROMATASE , *GENE expression , *NEURAL development , *ESTROGEN receptors , *FETAL development , *FRONTAL lobe , *NEURONS , *COGNITIVE ability - Abstract
Abstract: The enzyme aromatase (P450AROM) converts testosterone (T) into 17-β estradiol (E2) and is crucial for the control of development of the central nervous system during ontogenesis. The effects of E2 in various brain areas are mediated by the estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) and the estrogen receptor beta (ER-β). During fetal development, steroids are responsible for the sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus. Estrogens are also able to exert effects in other brain areas of the fetus including the frontal cortex, where they act through estrogen receptors (ERs) modulating cognitive function and affective behaviors. In this study we have determined the expression profiles of P450AROM and ERs in the fetal bovine frontal cortex by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) throughout the prenatal development. The data show that the patterns of expression of both ERs are strongly correlated during pregnancy and increase in the last stage of gestation. On the contrary, the expression of P450AROM has no correlation with ERs expression and is not developmentally regulated. Moreover, we performed immunochemical studies showing that fetal neurons express P450AROM and the ERs. P450AROM is localized in the cytoplasm and only seldom present in the fine extensions of the cells; ER-α is detected predominantly in the soma whereas ER-β is only present in the nucleus of a few cells. This study provides new data on the development of the frontal cortex in a long gestation mammal with a large convoluted brain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2011
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18. The laminar organization of the motor cortex in monodactylous mammals: a comparative assessment based on horse, chimpanzee, and macaque
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Annamaria Grandis, Mattia Panin, Cristiano Bombardi, Bruno Cozzi, Pamela Zambenedetti, Alberto de Giorgio, Antonella Peruffo, Livio Corain, Alberto Granato, Andrea Pirone, Stefano Montelli, Cozzi, Bruno, de Giorgio, Alberto, Peruffo, A., Montelli, S., Panin, M., Bombardi, Cristiano, Grandis, Annamaria, Pirone, A., Zambenedetti, P., Corain, L., and Granato, Alberto
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,Chimpanzee ,Horse ,Macaque ,Mean absolute deviation ,0302 clinical medicine ,Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ,Neurons ,Neocortex ,General Neuroscience ,Motor cortex ,Crab-eating macaque ,Mean Absolute Deviation ,Motor Cortex ,Immunohistochemistry ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Phenotype ,Feature (computer vision) ,Female ,Anatomy ,Single-Cell Analysis ,Histology ,Pan troglodytes ,Nerve Tissue Proteins ,Biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Laminar organization ,Permutation ,Species Specificity ,biology.animal ,Motor system ,medicine ,Animals ,Statistical dispersion ,Horses ,Cell Shape ,Neuroscience (all) ,Cell Size ,Settore BIO/16 - ANATOMIA UMANA ,Models, Statistical ,Staining and Labeling ,business.industry ,Calcium-Binding Proteins ,Pattern recognition ,Macaca fascicularis ,030104 developmental biology ,Artificial intelligence ,business ,Neuroscience ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
The architecture of the neocortex classically consists of six layers, based on cytological criteria and on the layout of intra/interlaminar connections. Yet, the comparison of cortical cytoarchitectonic features across different species proves overwhelmingly difficult, due to the lack of a reliable model to analyze the connection patterns of neuronal ensembles forming the different layers. We first defined a set of suitable morphometric cell features, obtained in digitized Nissl-stained sections of the motor cortex of the horse, chimpanzee, and crab-eating macaque. We then modeled them using a quite general non-parametric data representation model, showing that the assessment of neuronal cell complexity (i.e., how a given cell differs from its neighbors) can be performed using a suitable measure of statistical dispersion such as the mean absolute deviation-mean absolute deviation (MAD). Along with the non-parametric combination and permutation methodology, application of MAD allowed not only to estimate, but also to compare and rank the motor cortical complexity across different species. As to the instances presented in this paper, we show that the pyramidal layers of the motor cortex of the horse are far more irregular than those of primates. This feature could be related to the different organizations of the motor system in monodactylous mammals.
- Published
- 2016
19. Babesia gibsoni infection in Italy: a cross sectional study of 607 blood samples belonging to dogs that needed a molecular analysis investigation (2016-2019).
- Author
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Carli E, De Arcangeli S, Montelli S, Caldin M, Ligorio E, and Furlanello T
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- Animals, Cross-Sectional Studies, Dogs, Female, Male, Retrospective Studies, Babesia genetics, Babesiosis diagnosis, Babesiosis epidemiology, Dog Diseases diagnosis, Dog Diseases epidemiology
- Abstract
Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni) infection was sporadically described in Europe. In Italy, in particular, it was detected by PCR analysis only in one dog with unclear source of infection, while it has never been found in molecular studies involving more subjects. The aim of this retrospective, cross-sectional study was to determine the presence and the proportion of B. gibsoni infected dogs in a convenient Italian canine population. Babesia spp PCR analysis reports of canine blood samples collected from January 2016 to December 2019 were selected from the San Marco veterinary laboratory database and evaluated. Piroplasms PCR analysis was performed on 18S rRNA gene and positive samples were sequenced. Available data about signalment, living area and season of diagnosis were evaluated and statistically analyzed. The studied canine population had a median age of 62 months (interquartile range, IQR: 72.5) and was composed of male/female purebred and mixed breed dogs. Through sequencing, B. canis (26/40, 65%), B. vogeli (7/40, 17.5%), B. gibsoni (6/40, 15%) and B. vulpes (1/40, 2.5%) infections were reported. The proportion of B. gibsoni infected dogs in the described population was of 0.99%. The infection resulted more likely in male (6/6, 100%), purebred (5/6, 83.3%) dogs with median age of 40.5 months (IQR:32.3). In one case, the clinical signs and parasitemia appeared after a dogfight with a cohabitant infected dog. No other plausible sources of infection were detected. Likely, this could be considered the first autochthonous B. gibsoni infection case documented in Italy. Our results underline the need of considering B. gibsoni not only an exotic, random and rare cause of disease for dogs in Italy, but a possible emerging pathogen to take into account during diagnostic and epidemiological investigations, in symptomatic as well as in asymptomatic patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
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20. Neurochemical characterization of the hypothalamus of the early fetal and newborn alpaca Vicugna pacos.
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Montelli S, Graïc JM, Ruiz JA, Stelletta C, and Peruffo A
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- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Calbindin 2 metabolism, Calbindins metabolism, Camelids, New World, Immunohistochemistry, Aromatase metabolism, Estrogen Receptor alpha metabolism, Estrogen Receptor beta metabolism, Hypothalamus metabolism, Neurons metabolism, Parvalbumins metabolism, Somatostatin metabolism
- Abstract
In this study we performed a neurochemical characterization of the hypothalamus in the developing alpaca (Vicugna pacos) with the aim of revealing the distributions of immunoreactive (-ir) cells containing parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), the somatostatin (SOM), the enzyme aromatase P450 (P450Arom), the estrogen receptor α (ER-α), and estrogen receptor β (ER-β) in embryonal stages, early fetal age, and in the newborn. This analysis has been carried out on embryos at 20, 30, 45 days, fetuses at 90 days, and newborn alpaca. Our immunohistochemical results revealed no cells-ir throughout the embryonic hypothalami of 20, 30, and 45 days. On the fetal stage of 90 days, SOM-ir cells were observed in the lateral hypothalamus and the ventromedial nuclei of the tuberal region. We checked for the presence of P450Arom-ir cells in the periventricular area and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus of the tuberal region. In these fetal stages, no PV-ir, CB-ir, CR-ir or ERs-ir cells were identified. In the newborn, the PV-ir, CB-ir, CR-ir, and SOM-ir cells were detected in both the anterior and tuberal hypothalamic area. The P450Arom-ir cells the ER-α-ir and ER-β-ir cells were found in the anterior hypothalamus. Our results offer a contribution in the future purpose to obtain a time-expression pattern of the considered markers in alpaca during gestation and represents a foundation for future investigations on the alpaca brain to define the cross talk between PV, CB, CR, P450Arom, SOM, and ERs in the hypothalamus, the strategic region for the control of the reproductive behavior., (© 2019 American Association for Anatomy.)
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- 2020
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21. Mapping of the Early Intrauterine Morphogenesis in the Alpaca (Vicugna pacos): External Features and Development of the Cephalic Vesicle in Comparison with the Progressive Carnegie Scale.
- Author
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Montelli S, Stelletta C, Ruiz JA, Ballarin C, Cozzi B, and Peruffo A
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- Animals, Embryo, Mammalian, Female, Fetus embryology, Male, Pregnancy, Brain embryology, Camelids, New World embryology, Embryonic Development
- Abstract
In this study, we characterized the morphological aspects of the early development of the head of the alpaca (Vicugna pacos) and identified the main structures of the central nervous system during the first trimester of pregnancy. The topography and the cytoarchitecture of the fetal brain regions were described by histological analysis of the brain sections. We performed this analysis on alpaca embryos and fetuses presumably aged 20, 30, 45, and 90 days. For the description of the external body structures we considered the shape of the head, the development of the optic primordium, the dorsal curvature of the body, the limb buds, the umbilical cord and relative vessels, and the thickness and transparency of the skin. The prosencephalic, mesencephalic, and the rhomboencephalic vesicles were described by analyzing sagittal sections of the head. The present article provides the first progressive morphological and anatomical description of alpaca brain during early development. A detailed study represents an important basis to further understand the phases of prenatal development in this species, since information about alpaca embryology in incomplete and reproductive failure is a relevant factor. These data are important also for interspecies comparisons and application of reproductive biotechnologies. Anat Rec, 302:1226-1237, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
- Published
- 2019
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22. Sexually Diergic Trophic Effects of Estradiol Exposure on Developing Bovine Cerebellar Granule Cells.
- Author
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Montelli S, Suman M, Corain L, Cozzi B, and Peruffo A
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- Analysis of Variance, Animals, Cattle, Cells, Cultured, Embryo, Mammalian, Estrogen Receptor alpha genetics, Estrogen Receptor beta genetics, Female, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein metabolism, Male, RNA, Messenger, Statistics, Nonparametric, Tubulin metabolism, Cerebellum cytology, Estradiol pharmacology, Estrogen Receptor alpha metabolism, Estrogen Receptor beta metabolism, Neurons drug effects, Sex Characteristics
- Abstract
In the mammalian brain, the differentiation of neural cells and the developmental organization of the underlying circuitry are influenced by steroid hormones. The estrogen 17-β estradiol (E2) is one of the most potent regulators of neural growth during prenatal life, synthetized locally from steroid precursors including prenatal testicular testosterone. Estradiol promotes brain differentiation counting sexually dimorphic neural circuits by binding to the estrogen receptors, ER-α and ER-β. The cerebellum has been described as a site of estrogen action and a potentially sexually dimorphic area. The goal of this study was to analyze the capacity of E2 to affect the growth of male and female fetal bovine cerebellar granule. We performed primary cultures of fetal cerebellar granules, and verified the mRNA expression of the ER-α and ER-β in both sexes. Moreover, the distribution of ERs in the male and female cerebellar granules of the second fetal stage was characterized by immunohistochemistry. We measured morphological parameters in presence (or absence) of estradiol administration, focusing on the variations of the dendritic branching pattern of granule neurons. By using the nonparametric combination and permutation testing approach, we proposed a sophisticated multivariate statistical analysis to demonstrate that E2 induces multifarious and dimorphic changes in the granule cells. E2 exerts trophic effects in both female and male granules and this effect is stronger in female. Male granules treated with E2 became similar to female control granule. Bos taurus species has a long gestation and a large brain that offers an interesting alternative in comparative neuroscience., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)
- Published
- 2017
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23. Back to Water: Signature of Adaptive Evolution in Cetacean Mitochondrial tRNAs.
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Montelli S, Peruffo A, Patarnello T, Cozzi B, and Negrisolo E
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- Animals, Cetacea classification, Codon, Computational Biology methods, DNA, Mitochondrial, Gene Expression Profiling, Genetic Variation, Genome, Mitochondrial, Nucleic Acid Conformation, Phylogeny, RNA, Transfer chemistry, RNA, Transfer classification, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Species Specificity, Adaptation, Biological, Cetacea genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Genes, Mitochondrial, RNA, Transfer genetics
- Abstract
The mitochondrion is the power plant of the eukaryotic cell, and tRNAs are the fundamental components of its translational machinery. In the present paper, the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was investigated in the Cetacea, a clade of Cetartiodactyla that retuned to water and thus had to adapt its metabolism to a different medium than that of its mainland ancestors. Our analysis focussed on identifying the factors that influenced the evolution of Cetacea tRNA double-helix elements, which play a pivotal role in the formation of the secondary and tertiary structures of each tRNA and consequently manipulate the whole translation machinery of the mitochondrion. Our analyses showed that the substitution pathways in the stems of different tRNAs were influenced by various factors, determining a molecular evolution that was unique to each of the 22 tRNAs. Our data suggested that the composition, AT-skew, and GC-skew of the tRNA stems were the main factors influencing the substitution process. In particular, the range of variation and the fluctuation of these parameters affected the fate of single tRNAs. Strong heterogeneity was observed among the different species of Cetacea. Finally, it appears that the evolution of mitochondrial tRNAs was also shaped by the environments in which the Cetacean taxa differentiated. This latter effect was particularly evident in toothed whales that either live in freshwater or are deep divers.
- Published
- 2016
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24. Forebrain neuroanatomy of the neonatal and juvenile dolphin (T. truncatus and S. coeruloalba).
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Parolisi R, Peruffo A, Messina S, Panin M, Montelli S, Giurisato M, Cozzi B, and Bonfanti L
- Abstract
Knowledge of dolphin functional neuroanatomy mostly derives from post-mortem studies and non-invasive approaches (i.e., magnetic resonance imaging), due to limitations in experimentation on cetaceans. As a consequence the availability of well-preserved tissues for histology is scarce, and detailed histological analyses are referred mainly to adults. Here we studied the neonatal/juvenile brain in two species of dolphins, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), with special reference to forebrain regions. We analyzed cell density in subcortical nuclei, white/gray matter ratio, and myelination in selected regions at different anterior-posterior levels of the whole dolphin brain at different ages, to better define forebrain neuroanatomy and the developmental stage of the dolphin brain around birth. The analyses were extended to the periventricular germinal layer and the cerebellum, whose delayed genesis of the granule cell layer is a hallmark of postnatal development in the mammalian nervous system. Our results establish an atlas of the young dolphin forebrain and, on the basis of occurrence/absence of delayed neurogenic layers, confirm the stage of advanced brain maturation in these animals with respect to most terrestrial mammals.
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- 2015
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25. period and timeless mRNA Splicing Profiles under Natural Conditions in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Montelli S, Mazzotta G, Vanin S, Caccin L, Corrà S, De Pittà C, Boothroyd C, Green EW, Kyriacou CP, and Costa R
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- Animals, Biological Clocks, Circadian Rhythm, Drosophila Proteins chemistry, Drosophila Proteins metabolism, Drosophila melanogaster physiology, Gene Expression Profiling, Genes, Insect, Period Circadian Proteins metabolism, RNA, Messenger genetics, Temperature, Alternative Splicing, Drosophila Proteins genetics, Drosophila melanogaster genetics, Gene Expression Regulation, Period Circadian Proteins genetics, RNA, Messenger metabolism
- Abstract
Previous analysis of Drosophila circadian behavior under natural conditions has revealed a number of novel and unexpected features. Here we focus on the oscillations of per and tim mRNAs and their posttranscriptional regulation and observe significant differences in molecular cycling under laboratory and natural conditions. In particular, robust per mRNA cycling from fly heads is limited to the summers, whereas tim RNA cycling is observed throughout the year. When both transcripts do cycle, their phases are similar, except for the very warmest summer months. We also study the natural splicing profiles of per and tim transcripts and observe a clear relationship between temperature and splicing. In natural conditions, we confirm the relationship between accumulation of the per(spliced) variant, low temperature, and the onset of the evening component of locomotor activity, first described in laboratory conditions. Intriguingly, in the case of tim splicing, we detect the opposite relationship, with tim(spliced) expression increasing at higher temperatures. A first characterization of the 4 different TIM protein isoforms (resulting from the combination of the natural N-terminus length polymorphism and the C-terminus alternative splicing) using the 2-hybrid assay showed that the TIM(unspliced) isoforms have a stronger affinity for CRY, but not for PER, suggesting that the tim 3' splicing could have physiological significance, possibly in temperature entrainment and/or adaptation to seasonal environments., (© 2015 The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2015
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26. The claustrum of the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu 1821).
- Author
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Cozzi B, Roncon G, Granato A, Giurisato M, Castagna M, Peruffo A, Panin M, Ballarin C, Montelli S, and Pirone A
- Abstract
The mammalian claustrum is involved in processing sensory information from the environment. The claustrum is reciprocally connected to the visual cortex and these projections, at least in carnivores, display a clear retinotopic distribution. The visual cortex of dolphins occupies a position strikingly different from that of land mammals. Whether the reshaping of the functional areas of the cortex of cetaceans involves also modifications of the claustral projections remains hitherto unanswered. The present topographic and immunohistochemical study is based on the brains of eight bottlenose dolphins and a wide array of antisera against: calcium-binding proteins (CBPs) parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), and calbindin (CB); somatostatin (SOM); neuropeptide Y (NPY); and the potential claustral marker Gng2. Our observations confirmed the general topography of the mammalian claustrum also in the bottlenose dolphin, although (a) the reduction of the piriform lobe modifies the ventral relationships of the claustrum with the cortex, and (b) the rotation of the telencephalon along the transverse axis, accompanied by the reduction of the antero-posterior length of the brain, apparently moves the claustrum more rostrally. We observed a strong presence of CR-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons and fibers, a diffuse but weak expression of CB-ir elements and virtually no PV immunostaining. This latter finding agrees with studies that report that PV-ir elements are rare in the visual cortex of the same species. NPY- and somatostatin-containing neurons were evident, while the potential claustral markers Gng2 was not identified in the sections, but no explanation for its absence is currently available. Although no data are available on the projections to and from the claustrum in cetaceans, our results suggest that its neurochemical organization is compatible with the presence of noteworthy cortical inputs and outputs and a persistent role in the general processing of the relative information.
- Published
- 2014
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27. Estradiol effects on intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis in bovine brain-derived endothelial cells.
- Author
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Suman M, Giacomello M, Corain L, Ballarin C, Montelli S, Cozzi B, and Peruffo A
- Subjects
- Animals, Cattle, Cell Line, Cytosol drug effects, Cytosol metabolism, DNA, Complementary genetics, Endothelial Cells drug effects, Immunohistochemistry, Intracellular Space drug effects, Kinetics, Male, Microscopy, Fluorescence, Mitochondria drug effects, Mitochondria metabolism, Receptors, Estrogen metabolism, Transfection, Brain cytology, Calcium metabolism, Endothelial Cells cytology, Endothelial Cells metabolism, Estradiol pharmacology, Homeostasis drug effects, Intracellular Space metabolism
- Abstract
Estrogens diversely affect various physiological processes by genomic or non-genomic mechanisms, in both excitable and non-excitable cells. Additional to the trophic effects of estrogens promoting cell growth and differentiation, recent experimental evidence highlights their involvement in the regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. The effects of estrogens on excitable cells are well documented. However, these steroids also influence numerous physiological events in non-excitable cells, such as fibroblasts or vascular endothelial cells. We have focused our attention on an immortalized endothelial-like cell line derived from fetal bovine cerebellum. Estradiol (E(2)) effects on intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis were tested by varying the exposure time to the hormone (8, 24, 48 h). Calcium measurements were performed with genetically encoded Ca(2+) probes (Cameleons) targeted to the main subcellular compartments involved in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis (cytosol, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria). Mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake significantly decreased after 48-h exposure to E(2), whereas cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum responses were unaffected. The effect of E(2) on mitochondrial Ca(2+) handling was blocked by ICI 182,780, a pure estrogen receptor antagonist, suggesting that the effect was estrogen-receptor-mediated. To evaluate whether the decrease of Ca(2+) uptake affected mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), cells were monitored in the presence of tetra-methyl-rhodamine-methylester; no significant changes were seen between cells treated with E(2) and controls. To investigate a mechanism of action, we assessed the possibile involvement of the permeability transition pore (PTP), an inner mitochondrial membrane channel influencing energy metabolism and cell viability. We treated cells with CyclosporinA (CsA), which binds to the matrix chaperone cyclophilin-D and regulates PTP opening. CsA reversed the effects of a 48-h treatment with E(2), suggesting a possible transcriptional modulation of proteins involved in the mitochondrial permeability transition process.
- Published
- 2012
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28. Unexpected features of Drosophila circadian behavioural rhythms under natural conditions.
- Author
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Vanin S, Bhutani S, Montelli S, Menegazzi P, Green EW, Pegoraro M, Sandrelli F, Costa R, and Kyriacou CP
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Clocks genetics, Biological Clocks physiology, Circadian Rhythm genetics, Cues, Darkness, Drosophila melanogaster genetics, Female, Italy, Laboratories, Light, Male, Moon, Motor Activity genetics, Motor Activity physiology, Phenotype, Seasons, Temperature, Time Factors, United Kingdom, Circadian Rhythm physiology, Drosophila melanogaster physiology, Environment
- Abstract
Circadian clocks have evolved to synchronize physiology, metabolism and behaviour to the 24-h geophysical cycles of the Earth. Drosophila melanogaster's rhythmic locomotor behaviour provides the main phenotype for the identification of higher eukaryotic clock genes. Under laboratory light-dark cycles, flies show enhanced activity before lights on and off signals, and these anticipatory responses have defined the neuronal sites of the corresponding morning (M) and evening (E) oscillators. However, the natural environment provides much richer cycling environmental stimuli than the laboratory, so we sought to examine fly locomotor rhythms in the wild. Here we show that several key laboratory-based assumptions about circadian behaviour are not supported by natural observations. These include the anticipation of light transitions, the midday 'siesta', the fly's crepuscular activity, its nocturnal behaviour under moonlight, and the dominance of light stimuli over temperature. We also observe a third major locomotor component in addition to M and E, which we term 'A' (afternoon). Furthermore, we show that these natural rhythm phenotypes can be observed in the laboratory by using realistic temperature and light cycle simulations. Our results suggest that a comprehensive re-examination of circadian behaviour and its molecular readouts under simulated natural conditions will provide a more authentic interpretation of the adaptive significance of this important rhythmic phenotype. Such studies should also help to clarify the underlying molecular and neuroanatomical substrates of the clock under natural protocols.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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