Ricerc@Sapienza

Rationale: Studies suggest a relation between exposure to air particulate matter (PM)2.5 pollution and greater cardiovascular morbidity, as well as increased risk for obesity and diabetes. We aimed to identify association(s) between nutritional and metabolic status and exposure to environmental pollution in a cohort of policemen exposed to high levels of air pollution. Methods: We considered adult municipal policemen, working in an urban area at high-traffic density with documented high levels of air PM2.5 (exposed group) compared to non-exposed policemen.

Background: Limited studies concern the influence of obesity-induced dysregulation of adipokines in functional recovery after stroke neurorehabilitation. Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum leptin, resistin, and adiponectin and functional recovery before and after neurorehabilitation of obese stroke patients. The adipokine potential significance as prognostic markers of rehabilitation outcomes was also verified. Methods: Twenty obese post-acute stroke patients before and after neurorehabilitation and thirteen obese volunteers without-stroke, as controls, were examined.

In the last two decades adiponectin, member of the adipokines family, gained attention because of its unique antidiabetic effects. However, the presence in the brain of adiponectin receptors and adiponectin itself raised interest because of the possible association with neuropsychiatric diseases. Indeed, clinical studies found altered concentration of adiponectin both in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid in several pathologies including depression, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer ' s disease and stroke.