A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of Cistiquer in improving lower urinary tract symptoms in females with urethral syndrome.

AIM: The aim of the study was to compare Cistiquer, a new phytotherapeutic product developed for chronic bladder inflammatory diseases, and intra-vesical administration of gentamicin plus betametasone, in females with urethral syndrome. METHODS: Between september 2013 and may 2014, 60 women with urethral syndrome and trigonitis were incuded in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with intra-vesical administration of betametasone 8 mg plus gentamicin 80 mg (group A), and oral administration of Cistiquer (group B) for 7 weeks. Before and after the therapeutic protocol, symptoms were assessed by three days voiding diary, the overactive bladder questionnaire short form and a ten points visual analogic scale adopted to assess the micturition discomfort. Histologic findings were assessed by the examination of specimens obtained by cold bladder biopsies of the bladder trigone at baseline in all the subjects. RESULTS: The two groups had significant and comparable symptoms improvement. However, the score obtained from the visual analogic scale decreased significantly only in the group submitted to oral therapy. Furthermore, in the group treated with endovesical approach, higher drop out rate and higher incidence of urinary infection were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with urethral syndrome and trigonitis improved symptoms either with oral therapy with Cistiquer and with intra-vesical administration of gentamicin plus betametasone. However, treatment adherence resulted higher for patients treated by oral therapy and rate of adverse events resulted higher for those submitted to endovesical treatment.

The role of integrative and complementary medicine in the management of breast cancer patients on behalf of the Integrative Medicine Research Group (IMRG).

The aim of this conference was to explain the role of integrative and complementary medicine in breast cancer patients. The topics covered are numerous and their peculiarities are the multidisciplinary characteristics of the researchers involved. The Integrative Medicine Research Group (IMRG) believes in the complementary and integrative approach in cancer patients to improve the quality of life in this particular setting.

[Menstruation, inflammation and comorbidities: implications for woman health]. / Mestruazione, inflammazione e comorbilità: implicazioni per la salute della donna.

Menstruation is the genital sign of systemic endocrine events. Heterogeneity of perimenstrual symptoms is associated with levels of inflammation, triggered by the fall of estrogens at genital and systemic level. Aim of the review is to concisely analyze the evidence on: 1) genital and systemic endocrine and inflammatory events associated with periods and perimenstrual symptoms; 2) rationale of intervention to reduce their intensity and impact on women's lives. This review of the literature, selected with a clinical perspective, supports the inflammatory basis of the menstrual event, triggered by the estrogens' and progesterone' fall. Moreover, the review analyzes the endocrine and inflammatory basis of perimenstrual pelvic and extrapelvic symptoms such as: menstrual pain, menstrual irregularities, premenstrual syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms, catamenial headache, depression, perimenstrual myalgia, joint pain, allergies and asthma, heavy menstrual bleeding, associated ironless anemia, brain and behavioral consequences. Inflammation, with increase of cytokines and other markers, is modulated by the degranulation of mast cells at the basal level of the endometrium, in the blood, in all the organs where mast-cell are already activated from local pathologies and within the brain. The shift of inflammation from physiological to a pathologic intensity increases the severity of perimenstrual symptoms. Symptoms persist, moderately attenuated, also during the hormone free interval (HFI) in contraception. The HFI reduction from seven to two days significantly reduces menstrual inflammation and associated symptoms.

[Recurrent cystitis and vaginitis: role of biofilms and persister cells. From pathophysiology to new therapeutic strategies]. / Cristiti e vaginitis recidivanti: ruolo dei biofilm e delle persister cells. Dalla fisiopatologia a nuove strategie terapeutiche.

Recurrent vaginitis and cystitis are a daily challenge for the woman and the physician. The recurrence worsens the symptoms' severity, increases comorbidities, both pelvic (provoked vestibulodynia, bladder pain syndrome, levator ani hyperactivity, introital dyspareunia, obstructive constipation, chronic pelvic pain) and cerebral (neuroinflammation and depression), increases health costs, worsens the quality of life. Antibiotics increase the risk of bacterial resistences and devastate the ecosystems: intestinal, vaginal and mucocutaneous. Pathogenic biofilms are the (still) neglected etiology of recurrences. Biofilms are structured communities of bacteria and yeasts, protected by a self-produced polymeric matrix adherent to a living or inert structures, such as medical devices. Biofims can be intra or extracellular. Pathogens live in a resting state in the deep biofilm layers as "persister cells", resistant to antibiotics and host defences and ready to re-attack the host. The paper updates the evidence on biofilms and introduces new non-antibiotic strategies of preventing and modulating recurrent vaginitis and cystitis.

Airway barrier dysfunction induced by exposure to carbon nanotubes in vitro: which role for fiber length?

Although carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly used, their biological effects are only incompletely characterized. However, experimental evidence suggests that the intratracheal instillation of CNTs causes the formation of interstitial granulomas and progressive pulmonary fibrosis in rodents. Using human epithelial Calu-3 cells as a model of airway epithelium in vitro, we have recently reported that the exposure to commercial multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) causes a progressive decrease of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), pointing to a CNT-dependent impairment of the epithelial barrier function. To characterize better this behavior, we compared the effects of two types of MWCNTs and single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) of different lengths on the TEER of Calu-3 monolayers. All the materials were used at a dose of 100 microg/mL corresponding to an exposure of 73 microg/cm(2) of cell monolayer. Only the longer MWCNTs and SWCNTs cause a significant decrease in TEER. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the changes in barrier function, the expression of the junction proteins occludin and ZO-1 has been also assessed. No significant decrease in the mRNA for either protein is detectable after the exposure to any type of CNTs. It is concluded that the impairment of barrier function in Calu-3 monolayers is a peculiar effect of CNTs endowed with clear cut fiber properties and is not referable to marked changes in the expression of junction proteins.