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Background: Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) is a potential ideal biomaterial for bone regeneration. However, studies have yet to characterize the behavior of human osteoblasts derived from alveolar bone on nHA. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of nHA on the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of these alveolar bone-derived cells., Methods: Primary human alveolar osteoblasts were collected from the alveolar ridge of a male periodontal patient during osseous resective surgery and grown on culture plates coated with either polylysine or polylysine with nano-hydroxyapatite (POL/nHA) composite. The cells were grown and observed for 14 days, and then assessed for potential modifications to osteoblasts homeostasis as evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR), scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy., Results: Real time PCR revealed a significant increase in the expression of the selected markers of osteoblast differentiation (bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2,-5,-7, ALP, COLL-1A2, OC, ON) in cells grown on the POL/nHA substrate. In addition, as compared with the POL surface, cells grown on the POL/nHA substrate demonstrated better osteoconductive properties, as demonstrated by the increase in adhesion and spreading, likely as a result of the increased surface roughness of the composite., Conclusions: The increased expression of BMPs and osteoinductive biomarkers suggest that nano-hydroxyapatite may stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of local alveolar osteoblasts and thus encourage bone regeneration at sites of alveolar bone regeneration.

The belief that obesity is protective against osteoporosis has recently been revised. In fact, the latest epidemiologic and clinical studies show that a high level of fat mass, but also reduced muscle mass, might be a risk factor for osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Furthermore, increasing evidence seems to indicate that different components such as myokines, adipokines and growth factors, released by both fat and muscle tissues, could play a key role in the regulation of skeletal health and in low bone mineral density and, thus, in osteoporosis development. This review considers old and recent data in the literature to further evaluate the relationship between fat, bone and muscle tissue.

Obesity and sarcopenia have been associated with mineral metabolism derangement and low bone mineral density (BMD). We investigated whether imbalance of serum factors in obese or obese sarcopenic patients could affect bone cell activity in vitro. To evaluate and characterize potential cellular and molecular changes of human osteoblasts, cells were exposed to sera of four groups of patients: (1) affected by obesity with normal BMD (O), (2) affected by obesity with low BMD (OO), (3) affected by obesity and sarcopenia (OS), and (4) affected by obesity, sarcopenia, and low BMD (OOS) as compared to subjects with normal body weight and normal BMD (CTL). Patients were previously investigated and characterized for body composition, biochemical and bone turnover markers. Then, sera of different groups of patients were used to incubate human osteoblasts and evaluate potential alterations in cell homeostasis. Exposure to OO, OS, and OOS sera significantly reduced alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and BMP4 expression compared to cells exposed to O and CTL, indicating a detrimental effect on osteoblast differentiation. Interestingly, sera of all groups of patients induced intracellular alteration in Wnt/ β -catenin molecular pathway, as demonstrated by the significant alteration of specific target genes expression and by altered β -catenin cellular compartmentalization and GSK3 β phosphorylation. In conclusion our results show for the first time that sera of obese subjects with low bone mineral density and sarcopenia significantly alter osteoblasts homeostasis in vitro, indicating potential detrimental effects of trunk fat on bone formation and skeletal homeostasis.

Aim: To evaluate the potential interference of trunk fat (TF) mass on metabolic and skeletal metabolism., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 340 obese women (mean age: 44.8 ± 14 years; body mass index: 36.0 ± 5.9 kg/m(2)) were included. Patients were evaluated for serum vitamin D, osteocalcin (OSCA), inflammatory markers, lipids, glucose and insulin (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR) levels, and hormones profile. Moreover, all patients underwent measurements of bone mineral density (BMD; at lumbar and hip site) and body composition (lean mass, total and trunk fat mass) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry., Results: Data showed that: (1) high TF mass was inversely correlated with low BMD both at lumbar (P < 0.001) and hip (P < 0.01) sites and with serum vitamin D (P < 0.0005), OSCA (P < 0.0001) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; P < 0.0001) levels; (2) a positive correlation was found between TF and HOMA-IR (P < 0.01), fibrinogen (P < 0.0001) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.0001); (3) vitamin D levels were directly correlated with IGF-1 (P < 0.0005), lumbar (P < 0.006) and hip (P < 0.01) BMD; and (4) inversely with HOMA-IR (P < 0.001) and fibrinogen (P < 0.0005).Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only vitamin D was independent of TF variable., Conclusion: In obese women, TF negatively correlates with BMD independently from vitamin D levels. Reduced IGF-1 and increased inflammatory markers might be some important determinants that account for this relationship.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) colony morphology was associated to the pathogen's virulence. We isolated a new MTB H37Rv smooth colony, which only appeared following human macrophages (MDM) infection. The new phenotype was Alcohol-Acid resistant, but devoid of a covering capsule and biofilm defective. We ascertained that there were no deletions in the Rv0096-Rv0101 PDIM Operon, but that its expression was repressed as compared to MTB wild type (wt). Its lipid composition displayed lower PDIM components and higher TAG as compared to wt. In MDM it induced the sigma factors sigB, sigI and sigL expression vs. synthetic medium culture, while it repressed other six sigma factors. It also induced, significantly more than wt, mprA, a mycobacterial persistence regulator. It was phagocytosed more than wt by MDM, where it grew significantly less, but persisted therein till 14 days infection. It induced significantly less IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-27 transcription than wt in infected MDM, while it increased the transcription of inducible NOS. It resided in mature, LAMP-3 positive phagolysosomes, where it never formed cords. This apparently "weaker" colony might represent an adaptive intracellular phenotype, whose infection may be less productive, but probably better equipped for a long lasting persistence in mildly activated host cells., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Salmeterol is a β2-adrenergic receptor agonist widely used for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has been shown that salmeterol is also used at supratherapeutic doses as performance-enhancing substance in sport practice. Although the abuse of β-agonists might determine some adverse effects, the molecular effects of salmeterol on skeletal muscle cells remain unclear., Methods: We evaluated the effects of salmeterol (0.1-10 μM) on both proliferative and differentiated rat L6C5 and mouse C2C12 skeletal muscle cell lines. The metabolic effects were evaluated by glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, 3-OH acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and alanine transglutaminase activities. Cytotoxic and apoptotic effects were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-1)-5-(3-carboxymeth-oxyphenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, trypan blue exclusion assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence staining., Results: We showed that salmeterol reduced the growth rate of proliferating cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (6-48 h). An increase in oxidative metabolism was found after 6 h in C2C12 and L6C5 myoblasts and in C2C12 myotubes with respect to control cells, while in L6C5 myotubes, anaerobic metabolism prevailed. Exposure of myoblasts and myotubes for 48 and 72 h at high salmeterol concentrations induced apoptosis by the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, as confirmed by the modulation of the apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL, caspase-9, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and by the cytoplasmic release of Smac/DIABLO., Conclusions: Altogether, our results demonstrate that short-term supratherapeutic salmeterol exposure increased oxidative metabolic pathways on skeletal muscle cells, whereas prolonged treatment inhibits cell growth and exerts either a cytostatic or a proapoptotic effect in a time- and dose-dependent way.

Hirsutism is the development of androgen-dependent terminal body hair in women in places in which terminal hair are normally not found. It is often associated with hyperandrogenemia and/or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the existence of uncommom hirsutism forms that are not related to altered androgen plasma levels lead also to the definition of - idiopathic hirsutism. Although the pathophysiology of hirsutism has been linked to increasing 5-alpha reductase (SRD5A) activity and to an alteration of the androgen receptor (AR) transcriptional machinery, many aspects remain unclear. In particular, the relationships between androgens and local factors are poorly understood. In the present paper, we selected for a genital skin biopsy, 8 women affected with severe hirsutism (Ferriman-Gallway score greater than 25) but with normal plasma androgen levels, with the exception of slightly higher serum 3alpha-diol-glucuronide levels, and 6 healthy controls and analyzed their androgen- and insulin-specific transcriptional profile using a specific custom low density microarray (AndroChip 2, GPL9164). We identified the over-expression of the Son of Sevenless-1 (SOS1) gene in all of the hirsute skin fibroblast primary cell cultures compared to control healthy women. Since SOS1 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that couples receptor tyrosine kinases to the RAS signaling pathway that controls cell proliferation and differentiation, we further analyzed SOS1 expression, protein level and RAS signaling activation pathway in an in vitro model (NHDF, normal human dermal fibroblast cell line). NHDF treated for 24 h with different concentrations of DHT and T showed an increase in SOS1 levels (both mRNA and protein) and also an activation of the RAS pathway. Our in vivo and in vitro data represent a novel preliminary observation that factors activating SOS1 could act as local proliferative modulators linked to the androgen pathway in the pilosebaceous unit. SOS1 over-expression may play a role in the regulation of the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in the skin, in the hair follicle proliferation and cell cycle, suggesting new perspectives in understanding the pathogenesis of idiopathic hirsutism.

Elevated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis has been found in peripheral cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, treatment of lymphocytes from AD patients, with Abeta(1-42) and H(2)O(2) results in enhanced apoptosis. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a clinical condition between normal aging and AD, shares with AD a similar pattern of peripheral markers of oxidative stress. In this study we investigated spontaneous and H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MCI and AD patients, as well as from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients without cognitive impairment or age-matched healthy control. Sod1 mRNA levels were studied to analyse the anti-oxidative pathway, while Bax and Bcl-2 mRNAs levels and PARP protein cleavage were monitored to study apoptosis. We found that the expression of Sod1 and Bax mRNAs was statistically higher in both MCI and AD patients compared to controls or PD subjects. Since Bcl-2 mRNA level was not different among groups, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was statistically higher in AD and MCI patients. PARP cleavage was also enhanced in PBMCs from MCI and AD individuals and this finding was associated with a higher level of spontaneous apoptosis. Interestingly, exposure to H(2)O(2) induced a significant decrease of Bcl-2 mRNA transcript, while Sod1 and Bax mRNAs levels were unchanged in PBMCs derived from MCI and AD patients. In conclusion, our results show that Bax and Sod1 mRNA levels are altered in PBMCs from both MCI and AD patients and indicate these changes as potential biomarkers in the early diagnosis of AD.

The antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is a critical player of the antioxidative defense whose activity is altered in several chronic diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, how oxidative insult affects muscle homeostasis remains unclear. This study addresses the role of oxidative stress on muscle homeostasis and function by the generation of a transgenic mouse model expressing a mutant SOD1 gene (SOD1(G93A)) selectively in skeletal muscle. Transgenic mice developed progressive muscle atrophy, associated with a significant reduction in muscle strength, alterations in the contractile apparatus, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The analysis of molecular pathways associated with muscle atrophy revealed that accumulation of oxidative stress served as signaling molecules to initiate autophagy, one of the major intracellular degradation mechanisms. These data demonstrate that skeletal muscle is a primary target of SOD1(G93A) -mediated toxicity and disclose the molecular mechanism whereby oxidative stress triggers muscle atrophy.

The Androgen Receptor (AR) pathway is involved in the development of skeletal muscle but the molecular basis of androgen-related myogenic enhancement is still unclear. We have investigated AR expression and localization during myoblasts-myotubes differentiation in skeletal muscle cell line C2C12. AR expression increases during proliferation and commitment phase and its levels remain elevated in myotubes. In proliferating and committed cells in the absence of testosterone, AR protein localizes in the nuclei whereas it is almost totally localized in the cytoplasm in myotubes. Low testosterone doses shift the receptor in the nuclei without increasing the amount of total protein. High doses of T induce a significant increase of AR expression during proliferation and differentiation. Little information is available on AR targets that drive the myogenic process. In our study, testosterone induces myogenin, myosin heavy chains (MyHC) and GRIP-1 expression, suggesting that AR and its coregulatory proteins are pivotal factors in skeletal muscle differentiation.

Muscle regeneration following injury is characterized by myonecrosis accompanied by local inflammation, activation of satellite cells, and repair of injured fibers. The resolution of the inflammatory response is necessary to proceed toward muscle repair, since persistence of inflammation often renders the damaged muscle incapable of sustaining efficient muscle regeneration. Here, we show that local expression of a muscle-restricted insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 (mIGF-1) transgene accelerates the regenerative process of injured skeletal muscle, modulating the inflammatory response, and limiting fibrosis. At the molecular level, mIGF-1 expression significantly down-regulated proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta, and modulated the expression of CC chemokines involved in the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages. Analysis of the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that mIGF-1 expression modulated key players of inflammatory response, such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), high mobility group protein-1 (HMGB1), and transcription NF-kappaB. The rapid restoration of injured mIGF-1 transgenic muscle was also associated with connective tissue remodeling and a rapid recovery of functional properties. By modulating the inflammatory response and reducing fibrosis, supplemental mIGF-1 creates a qualitatively different environment for sustaining more efficient muscle regeneration and repair.

We characterized the expression and localization of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its specific type I receptor variants in prostatic, hyperplastic, and carcinomatous tissue collected from patients undergoing prostate biopsy and surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). The immunohistochemical studies using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique evidenced positive immunostaining for PACAP in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells of hyperplastic and carcinomatous prostate specimens and in some scattered cells of the stroma. Type I PACAP receptors (PAC1 R) in healthy and BPH tissues were localized in all epithelial cells lining the lumen of the acini and in some stromal cells, while in specimens from PCa the anti-PAC1 R antibody stained the apical portion of a large percentage of cells. Furthermore, our molecular studies provide evidence that several PAC1 R isoforms (null, SV1/SV2) are present in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic tissue, the null variant being the most intensely expressed in PCa. These observations provide additional evidence for a role of PACAP and PAC1 R in the events determining the outcome of PCa.

RNA interference technology is emerging as a very potent tool to obtain a cellular knockdown of a desired gene. In this work we used vector-based RNA interference to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that transduction with a plasmid carrying a small interfering RNA targeting all isoforms of VEGF, dramatically impairs the expression of this growth factor in the human prostate cancer cell line PC3. As a consequence, PC3 cells loose their ability to induce one of the fundamental steps of angiogenesis, namely the formation of a tube-like network in vitro. Most importantly, our "therapeutic" vector is able to impair tumor growth rate and vascularization in vivo. We show that a single injection of naked plasmid in developing neoplastic mass significantly decreases microvessel density in an androgen-refractory prostate xenograft and is able to sustain a long-term slowing down of tumor growth. In conclusion, our results confirm the basic role of VEGF in the angiogenic development of prostate carcinoma, and suggest that the use of our vector-based RNA interference approach to inhibit angiogenesis could be an effective tool in view of future gene therapy applications for prostate cancer.

In Vertebrates, all genes coding for ribosomal proteins, as well as those for other proteins implicated in the production and function of translation machinery, are regulated by mitogenic and nutritional stimuli, at the translational level. A cis-regulatory element necessary for this regulation is the typical 5'UTR, common to all ribosomal protein mRNAs, which always starts at the 5' end with several pyrimidines. Having noticed that the 3'UTR of all ribosomal protein mRNAs is much shorter than most cellular mRNAs, we have now studied the possible implication of this 3'UTR feature in the translational regulation. For this purpose, we constructed a number of chimeric genes whose transcribed mRNAs contain: (1) the 5'UTR of ribosomal protein S6 mRNA or, as a control, of beta-actin mRNA; (2) the EGFP reporter coding sequence from the starting AUG to the stop codon; (3) different 3'UTRs of various lengths. These constructs have been stably transfected in human HEK293 cells, and the translation regulation of the expressed chimeric mRNAs has been analyzed for translation efficiency, in growing and in serum starved cells, by the polysome association assay. The results obtained indicate that, while the typical growth-associated translational regulation is bestowed on an mRNA by the pyrimidine sequence containing 5'UTR, the stringency of regulation depends on the short size of the 3'UTR.

The relevant age-related changes in male body composition are mainly related to the progressive decrease in the level of circulating anabolic hormones, among which testosterone (T) is rather important. Its decline, between the ages of 35 and 75, is associated to a loss of muscle mass and fibers number, a doubling of fat mass and a decrease in bone mineral density by 0.3% per yr after age 35; thus the relationship between age-related changes in body composition and T bioactivity reflects an important endocrine aspect of the aging male. The assessment of human body composition and in particular the evaluation of fat tissue and its distribution, is currently standardized by the use of dual-energy x-ray absorpiometry (DXA). In the present paper we review the mechanisms through which testosterone may inhibit adipogenesis, restore the myogenic programme enhancing the protein turnover at muscle level and maintain bone mineral density in elderly men.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis, where it functions as one of the major angiogenic factors sustaining growth and draining catabolites. In this study, we developed an anti-VEGF ribozyme targeted to the 5' part of human VEGF mRNA. We endowed this ribozyme with an additional feature expected to improve its activity in vivo, by cloning it into a VAI transcriptional cassette. VAI is originally part of the adenovirus genome, and is characterized by high transcription rates, good stability due to its strong secondary structure and cytoplasmic localization. Transfection of U87 human glioblastoma cells with plasmid vectors encoding for this ribozyme resulted in a strong (-56%) reduction of VEGF secreted in the extracellular medium, indicating a good biological activity of the ribozyme. Moreover, this reduction in VEGF secretion had the important functional consequence of drastically diminishing the formation of tube-like structures of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells in a Matrigel in vitro angiogenesis assay. In conclusion, our VAI-embedded anti-VEGF ribozyme is a good inhibitor of angiogenesis in vitro, in a glioblastoma cell context. Thus, it may represent a useful tool for future applications in vivo, for antiangiogenic gene therapy of glioblastoma and of highly vascularized tumors., (Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein that plays a pivotal role in development of the central nervous system. Reelin is also expressed in the adult brain, notably in the cerebral cortex, where it might play a role in synaptic plasticity. The mechanism of action of reelin at the molecular level has been the subject of several hypotheses. Here we show that reelin is a serine protease and that proteolytic activity is relevant to its function, since (i) Reelin expression in HEK 293T cells impairs their ability to adhere to fibronectin-coated surfaces, and adhesion to fibronectin is restored by micromolar concentrations of diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate, a serine hydrolase inhibitor; (ii) purified Reelin binds FP-Peg-biotin, a trap probe which irreversibly binds to serine residues located in active catalytic sites of serine hydrolases; (iii) purified Reelin rapidly degrades fibronectin and laminin, while collagen IV is degraded at a much slower rate; fibronectin degradation is inhibited by inhibitors of serine proteases, and by monoclonal antibody CR-50, an antibody known to block the function of Reelin both in vitro and in vivo. The proteolytic activity of Reelin on adhesion molecules of the extracellular matrix and/or receptors on neurons may explain how Reelin regulates neuronal migration and synaptic plasticity.