University of Turin

About: University of Turin is a education organization based out in Turin, Piemonte, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 29607 authors who have published 77952 publications receiving 2480900 citations. The organization is also known as: Universita degli Studi di Torino & Università degli Studi di Torino.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Its Connection with Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia, Atherosclerosis and Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is marked by hepatic fat accumulation not due to alcohol abuse. Several studies have demonstrated that NAFLD is associated with insulin resistance leading to a resistance in the antilipolytic effect of insulin in the adipose tissue with an increase of free fatty acids (FFAs). The increase of FFAs induces mitochondrial dysfunction and development of lipotoxicity. Moreover, in subjects with NAFLD, ectopic fat also accumulates as cardiac and pancreatic fat. In this review we analyzed the mechanisms that relate NAFLD with metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia and its association with the development and progression of cardiovascular disease.

Non-redundant role of the long pentraxin PTX3 in anti-fungal innate immune response

Abstract: Pentraxins are a superfamily of conserved proteins that are characterized by a cyclic multimeric structure1. The classical short pentraxins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP), are acute-phase proteins produced in the liver in response to inflammatory mediators2,3,4. Short pentraxins regulate innate resistance to microbes and the scavenging of cellular debris and extracellular matrix components2,3,4,5. In contrast, long pentraxins have an unrelated, long amino-terminal domain coupled to the carboxy-terminal pentraxin domain, and differ, with respect to short pentraxins, in their gene organization, chromosomal localization, cellular source, and in their stimuli-inducing and ligand-recognition ability6. To investigate the in vivo function of the long pentraxin PTX3, we generated mice deficient in Ptx3 by homologous recombination. Ptx3-null mice were susceptible to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Ptx3 binds selected microbial agents, including conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus, and we found that susceptibility of Ptx3-null mice was associated with defective recognition of conidia by alveolar macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as inappropriate induction of an adaptive type 2 response. Thus, the long pentraxin Ptx3 is a secreted pattern-recognition receptor that has a non-redundant role in resistance to selected microbial agents, in particular to the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.

Abundant Tau Filaments and Nonapoptotic Neurodegeneration in Transgenic Mice Expressing Human P301S Tau Protein

Abstract: The identification of mutations in the Tau gene in frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) has made it possible to express human tau protein with pathogenic mutations in transgenic animals Here we report on the production and characterization of a line of mice transgenic for the 383 aa isoform of human tau with the P301S mutation At 5-6 months of age, homozygous animals from this line developed a neurological phenotype dominated by a severe paraparesis According to light microscopy, many nerve cells in brain and spinal cord were strongly immunoreactive for hyperphosphorylated tau According to electron microscopy, abundant filaments made of hyperphosphorylated tau protein were present The majority of filaments resembled the half-twisted ribbons described previously in cases of FTDP-17, with a minority of filaments resembling the paired helical filaments of Alzheimer's disease Sarkosyl-insoluble tau from brains and spinal cords of transgenic mice ran as a hyperphosphorylated 64 kDa band, the same apparent molecular mass as that of the 383 aa tau isoform in the human tauopathies Perchloric acid-soluble tau was also phosphorylated at many sites, with the notable exception of serine 214 In the spinal cord, neurodegeneration was present, as indicated by a 49% reduction in the number of motor neurons No evidence for apoptosis was obtained, despite the extensive colocalization of hyperphosphorylated tau protein with activated MAP kinase family members The latter may be involved in the hyperphosphorylation of tau

Cancer and fertility preservation: international recommendations from an expert meeting

Abstract: In the last years, thanks to the improvement in the prognosis of cancer patients, a growing attention has been given to the fertility issues. International guidelines on fertility preservation in cancer patients recommend that physicians discuss, as early as possible, with all patients of reproductive age their risk of infertility from the disease and/or treatment and their interest in having children after cancer, and help with informed fertility preservation decisions. As recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology, sperm cryopreservation and embryo/oocyte cryopreservation are standard strategies for fertility preservations in male and female patients, respectively; other strategies (e.g. pharmacological protection of the gonads and gonadal tissue cryopreservation) are considered experimental techniques. However, since then, new data have become available, and several issues in this field are still controversial and should be addressed by both patients and their treating physicians. In April 2015, physicians with expertise in the field of fertility preservation in cancer patients from several European countries were invited in Genova (Italy) to participate in a workshop on the topic of “cancer and fertility preservation”. A total of ten controversial issues were discussed at the conference. Experts were asked to present an up-to-date review of the literature published on these topics and the presentation of own unpublished data was encouraged. On the basis of the data presented, as well as the expertise of the invited speakers, a total of ten recommendations were discussed and prepared with the aim to help physicians in counseling their young patients interested in fertility preservation. Although there is a great interest in this field, due to the lack of large prospective cohort studies and randomized trials on these topics, the level of evidence is not higher than 3 for most of the recommendations highlighting the need of further research efforts in many areas of this field. The participation to the ongoing registries and prospective studies is crucial to acquire more robust information in order to provide evidence-based recommendations.