CXCR1/2 inhibition blocks and reverses type 1 diabetes in mice.

Chemokines and their receptors have been associated with or implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), but the identification of a single specific chemokine/receptor pathway that may constitute a suitable target for the development of therapeutic interventions is still lacking. Here, we used multiple low-dose (MLD) streptozotocin (STZ) injections and the NOD mouse model to investigate the potency of CXCR1/2 inhibition to prevent inflammation- and autoimmunity-mediated damage of pancreatic islets. Reparixin and ladarixin, noncompetitive allosteric inhibitors, were used to pharmacologically blockade CXCR1/2. Transient blockade of said receptors was effective in preventing inflammation-mediated damage in MLD-STZ and in preventing and reversing diabetes in NOD mice. Blockade of CXCR1/2 was associated with inhibition of insulitis and modification of leukocytes distribution in blood, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Among leukocytes, CXCR2(+) myeloid cells were the most decreased subpopulations. Together these results identify CXCR1/2 chemokine receptors as "master regulators" of diabetes pathogenesis. The demonstration that this strategy may be successful in preserving residual ß-cells holds the potential to make a significant change in the approach to management of human T1D.

[Colorectal cancer: tissutal explantation and primary cell culture]. / Carcinoma colon-rettale: espianto tissutale e colture primarie.

BACKGROUND: Setting of cellular cultures extracted from colorectal cancer tissue represents a valid model for in vitro study of biological and molecular characteristics of each single tumor finalized to obtain a tailored chemiotherapy. The end point of this study is to create primary cellular cultures from "fresh" cancer tissue in different stages of evolution. METHODS: Cancer tissue samples are obtained by means of surgical excisional biopsy or by means of semi-automatic biopsy instrument (Sprig-Cut). After having compared different approaches, two experimental protocols have been selected to have the highest number or intact cells: enzimatic digestion with trypsin and explantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Primary cell culture free of microbic contamination, obtained mainly by means of Spring-Cut methods, underwent immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate what kind of cell have been grown in vitro by measuring the expression of CK20 and GFAP both resulted positive. The possibility of setting a primary cell culture which represents the cancer of each patient allows a pharmacologic and biomolecular study which can contribute to the development of a tailored adjuvant therapy with many advantages for the patient in terms of positive answer to the treatment and reduced toxicity.

MPTP- but not methamphetamine-induced parkinsonism extends to catecholamine neurons in the gut.

Methamphetamine (METH) produces nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) loss, partly resembling that which occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD there is also a marked alteration in the gut. Given the similarities between the central DA denervation produced by METH and PD, in the present study we evaluated the alterations in the gut following upon METH administration. To compare these effects with those occurring in PD, we also administered the parkinsonism-inducing neurotoxin MPTP. METH and MPTP were administered to mice, and after 7 days we investigated the immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase in nervous plexuses. These data indicate that METH did not alter the catecholamine-containing axons and autonomic neurons, while MPTP markedly reduced these components.

Xenon induces transcription of ADNP in neonatal rat brain.

Xenon and other inhalational agents induce cell and organ protection through different and only partially elucidated molecular mechanisms. Anesthesia induced or pharmacologic preconditioning is a recognized mechanism of cell protection. In this study we explored the gene transcription of activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) in neonatal rat brain as consequence to xenon exposure, comparing the noble gas to nitrogen. Seven-day-old Sprague Dawley rats were exposed for 120 min to 75% xenon and 25% oxygen or control condition consisting of 75% nitrogen and 25% oxygen (Air). ADNP was found to be differentially expressed by SSH, validated by Relative Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) and confirmed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. The differential expression of ADNP in the rat neonatal brain may account for the preconditioning and neuroprotective effects exerted by gas xenon.

Lithium delays progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no effective treatment. In the present study, we found that daily doses of lithium, leading to plasma levels ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 mEq/liter, delay disease progression in human patients affected by ALS. None of the patients treated with lithium died during the 15 months of the follow-up, and disease progression was markedly attenuated when compared with age-, disease duration-, and sex-matched control patients treated with riluzole for the same amount of time. In a parallel study on a genetic ALS animal model, the G93A mouse, we found a marked neuroprotection by lithium, which delayed disease onset and duration and augmented the life span. These effects were concomitant with activation of autophagy and an increase in the number of the mitochondria in motor neurons and suppressed reactive astrogliosis. Again, lithium reduced the slow necrosis characterized by mitochondrial vacuolization and increased the number of neurons counted in lamina VII that were severely affected in saline-treated G93A mice. After lithium administration in G93A mice, the number of these neurons was higher even when compared with saline-treated WT. All these mechanisms may contribute to the effects of lithium, and these results offer a promising perspective for the treatment of human patients affected by ALS.

Inhibition of adenosine deaminase attenuates inflammation in experimental colitis.

Adenosine modulates the immune system and inhibits inflammation via reduction of cytokine biosynthesis and neutrophil functions. Drugs able to prevent adenosine catabolism could represent an innovative strategy to treat inflammatory bowel disorders. In this study, the effects of 4-amino-2-(2-hydroxy-1-decyl)pyrazole[3,4-d]pyrimidine (APP; novel adenosine deaminase inhibitor), erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine hydrochloride (EHNA; standard adenosine deaminase inhibitor), and dexamethasone were tested in rats with colitis induced by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS). DNBS-treated animals received APP (5, 15, or 45 micromol/kg), EHNA (10, 30, or 90 micromol/kg), or dexamethasone (0.25 micromol/kg) i.p. for 7 days starting 1 day before colitis induction. DNBS caused bowel inflammation associated with decrease in food intake and body weight. Animals treated with APP or EHNA, but not dexamethasone, displayed greater food intake and weight gain than inflamed rats. Colitis induced increment in spleen weight, which was counteracted by all test drugs. DNBS administration was followed by macroscopic and microscopic inflammatory colonic alterations, which were ameliorated by APP, EHNA, or dexamethasone. In DNBS-treated rats, colonic myeloperoxidase, malondialdehyde, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels as well as plasma TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 were increased. All test drugs lowered these phlogistic indexes. Inflamed colonic tissues displayed an increment of inducible nitric-oxide synthase mRNA, which was unaffected by APP or EHNA, but reduced by dexamethasone. Cyclooxygenase-2 expression was unaffected by DNBS or test drugs. These findings indicate that 1) inhibition of adenosine deaminase results in a significant attenuation of intestinal inflammation and 2) the novel compound APP is more effective than EHNA in reducing systemic and intestinal inflammatory alterations.