Mitochondrial transcriptional study of the effect of aflatoxins, enniatins and carotenoids in vitro in a blood brain barrier model.

C. maxima (var. Delica), a variety of pumpkin, is well known for its high concentration on carotenoids, possessing dietary benefits and antioxidant properties. Aflatoxins and enniatins are common mycotoxins present in food and feed with an extended toxicity profile in humans and animals. Both types of substances reach a wide range of tissues and organs and have the capability to penetrate the blood brain barrier. Since carotenoids and mycotoxins have been reported to modify diverse mitochondrial processes individually, transcriptional in vitro studies on human epithelial cells ECV 304 were conducted to analyze the relative expression of 13 mitochondria related genes. ECV 304 cells were differentiated for 9 days and treated for 2 h with: a) pumpkin (500 nM); b) aflatoxins (100 nM); c) enniatins (100 nM); d) aflatoxins (100 nM) and pumpkin (500 nM); e) enniatins (100 nM) and pumpkin (500 nM). Even at low concentrations, dietary carotenoids activity on mitochondrial genes expression reported a beneficial effect and, for most of the genes studied across the Electron Transport Chain (ETC), developed a protective effect when mixed with aflatoxins (AFs) or enniatins (ENs).

When a parent suffers ABI: Investigation of emotional distress in children.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the type of emotional and behavioural impact that having a parent with a severe acquired brain injury (ABI) has on children during the first period of adjustment. METHODS AND PROCEDURE: The study involved 25 couples in which one of the spouses was affected by ABI, and their 35 children (3-14 years). The children attended three sessions with a psychologist aimed at identifying their spontaneous playing and relational behaviour by means of a grid created on the basis of ICD-10 criteria. Both members of each parental couple attended a session with the psychologist, and were administered the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the 36-item Health Survey and the Caregiver Burden Inventory. RESULTS: 63% of the children showed signs of emotional suffering, the presence of which was underestimated by their parents on the basis of the psychologist's assessments. The variables that correlated most closely with the children's psychological condition were related to the quality of their parents' relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the need for early interventions aimed at both parents and their children in order to investigate the children's emotional-affective situation, and favour an understanding of their discomfort by their parents.

Emotional impairment after right orbitofrontal lesion in a patient without cognitive deficits.

The present study describes a patient, M.L., with right orbitofrontal lesion, who showed no impairment on main neuropsychological tests, including those measuring frontal functions. Nevertheless, he had deeply affected emotional responses. In line with Damasio's work, the patient had lower skin conductance during the projection of a standardized set of emotional slides. Furthermore, he showed altered facial expressions to unpleasant emotions, displaying low corrugator supercilii electromyographical activity associated with reduced recall of unpleasant stimuli. During a task focusing on imagery of emotional situations, M.L.'s heart rate and skin conductance responses were affected during both pleasant and unpleasant conditions. Facial expressions to unpleasant imagery scripts were also impaired. Thus, the orbitofrontal cortex proved to play a critical role in retrieval of psychophysiological emotional patterns, particularly to unpleasant material. These results provide the first evidence that orbitofrontal lesions are associated with emotional impairment at several psychophysiological levels.

Production and antiproliferative activity of liposomes containing the antitumour drug chromomycin A3.

In the present paper the production and characterization of liposomes are described as a specialized drug delivery system for chromomycin. Liposomes were prepared by the reverse phase evaporation technique followed by extrusion through polycarbonate filters; afterwards the vesicles were characterized in terms of dimensions, morphology and encapsulation efficacy. The aim of this work was to produce a drug delivery system able to reduce the toxicity problems related to the administration of this drug. The analysis of the in vitro antiproliferative activity on cultured human leukemic K562 cells demonstrated that ionic and neutral liposomes containing chromomycin are 1.5 and 7-fold more effective respectively as compared to the free drug. Based on these results and taking into account the increased solubility of the drug in this system, liposomes could represent a promising drug delivery system for use in the experimental therapy using chromomycin.