Ricerc@Sapienza

pH-sensitive nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) by polysorbate-20 (Tween-20) or polysorbate-20 derivatized by glycine (added as pH sensitive agent), were developed to deliver Ibuprofen (IBU) and Lidocaine (LID). For the physical-chemical characterization of vesicles (mean size, size distribution, zeta potential, vesicle morphology, bilayer properties and stability) dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering and fluorescence studies were performed.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be the most common chronic liver disease. The discovery of natural product-based NAFLD modulators requires a more comprehensive study of their modes of action (MoAs). In this study we analysed available in the literature data for 26 naturally-derived compounds associated with experimental evidence for NAFLD alleviation and outlined potential biomolecular targets and a network of pharmacological MoAs for 12 compounds with the highest number of experimentally supported MoA key events, modulated by them.

The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the modulation of teleost osmoresponsive circuits is suggested by the facts that NO synthase enzymes are expressed in the neurosecretory systems and may be regulated by osmotic stimuli. The present paper is an overview on the research suggesting a role for NO in the central modulation of hormone release in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial and the caudal neurosecretory systems of teleosts during the osmotic stress response.

Neotropical cichlids include hundreds of species whose taxonomy has benefited of molecular phylogeny and whose karyotype evolution has been related to the amount and distribution of different classes of repetitive sequences. This study provides the first integrative molecular (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 16S sequences) and cytogenetic analyses of wild samples of the green terror Andinoacara rivulatus, a cichlid naturally distributed in Ecuador and spread throughout the world as an aquarium pet.

Mutations in CDCA7, the SNF2 family protein HELLS (LSH), or the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3b cause immunodeficiency–centro-meric instability–facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome. While it has been speculated that DNA methylation defects cause this disease, little is known about the molecular function of CDCA7 and its functional relationship to HELLS and DNMT3b.

Chemical chaperones prevent protein aggregation. However, the use of chemical chaperones as drugs against diseases due to protein aggregation is limited by the very high active concentrations (mm range) required to mediate their effect. One of the most common chemical chaperones is 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA). Despite its unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties, 4-PBA was approved as a drug to treat ornithine cycle diseases. Here, we report that 2-isopropyl-4-phenylbutanoic acid (5) has been found to be 2–10-fold more effective than 4-PBA in several in vitro models of protein aggregation.

Meligethes (Odonthogethes) trapezithorax sp. n., M. (O.) tricuspidatus sp. n., and M. (O.) luteomaculatus sp. n. are described from Hubei Province, China, based on a series of recently collected specimens. The new species appear morphologically closely related to M. (O.) brassicogethoides Audisio, Sabatelli Jelínek, 2015 from Yunnan [M. (O.) trapezithorax sp. n.], M. (O.) occultus Audisio, Sabatelli Jelínek, 2015 from Yunnan [M. (O.) tricuspidatus sp. n.], as well as M. (O.) pallidoelytrorum Chen Kirejtshuk, 2013 from Sichuan and M.

Recent work has implicated the actin cytoskeleton in tissue size control and tumourigenesis, but how changes in actin dynamics contribute to hyperplastic growth is still unclear. Overexpression of Pico, the only Drosophila Mig-10/RIAM/Lamellipodin adapter protein family member, has been linked to tissue overgrowth via its effect on the myocardin-related transcription factor (Mrtf), an F-actin sensor capable of activating serum response factor (SRF). Transcriptional changes induced by acute Mrtf/SRF signalling have been largely linked to actin biosynthesis and cytoskeletal regulation.

Identifying which species are at greatest risk, what makes them vulnerable, and where they are distributed are central goals for conservation science. While knowledge of which factors influence extinction risk is increasingly available for some taxonomic groups, a deeper understanding of extinction correlates and the geography of risk remains lacking. Here, we develop a predictive random forest model using both geospatial and mammalian species' trait data to uncover the statistical and geographic distributions of extinction correlates.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are used to produce transplantable tissues, may particularly benefit older patients, who are more likely to suffer from degenerative diseases. However, iPSCs generated from aged donors (A-iPSCs) exhibit higher genomic instability, defects in apoptosis and a blunted DNA damage response compared with iPSCs generated from younger donors.