1,667 research outputs found
Alkimiya Mag – Jewelry Design Maps Rivista internazionale di Jewelry Design
No full textAlkimiya Magazine è una rivista internazionale di Jewelry Design edita dall’Istituto Gemmologico Gem Tech SRLS – via Melisurgo 44 – 80133 NAPOLI – ITALIA. E-mail: [email protected]
Testata registrata al Tribunale di Napoli, reg. n. 28 del 07/07/2022. ISSN Ed. Stampata: 2974-9964. ISSN Ed. Online: 2975-030X.
Rivista scientifica-divulgativa sul tema del prezioso. I contributi scientifici e le attività di redazione sono svolte in sinergia con il Dipartimento di Architettura e Disegno Industriale “Luigi Vanvitelli” UniCampania e Officina Vanvitelli – Fashion & Creative Hub grazie alle convenzioni sottoscritte (Responsabile scientifico: M. Dolores Morelli).
Direttore Scientifico: Maria Dolores Morelli
Direttore Responsabile: Antonio Del Piano
Comitato Scientifico: prof. Ornella Zerlenga, prof. Patrizia Ranzo, prof. Alessandra Cirafici, prof. Danila Jacazzi, prof. Maria Dolores Morelli, prof. Francesca Castanò, prof. Pasquale Argenziano, prof. Alessandra Avella, prof. Giulia Ceriani Sebregondi, prof. Claudio Gambardella, prof. Roberto Liberti, prof. Nicola Pisacane, prof. Daniela Piscitelli, Prof. Riccardo Serraglio, prof. Chiara Scarpitti, prof. Bianca Cappello, dott. Paolo Minieri, dott. Gennaro Mincione.
Direzione editoriale: Domenico Angelino, Carmela Barbat
Progression and Persistence of Neurotoxicity Induced by MDMA in Dopaminergic Regions of the Mouse Brain and Association with Noradrenergic, GABAergic, and Serotonergic Damage
No full textThe amphetamine-related drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is known to induce neurotoxic damage in dopaminergic regions of the mouse brain. In order to characterize how the number of administrations influenced the severity of MDMA-induced dopaminergic damage and to describe the localization and persistence of this damage, we evaluated the changes in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) in different regions of the mouse brain. Moreover, we investigated whether dopaminergic damage was associated with noradrenergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic damage, by evaluating the changes in noradrenaline transporter (NET), glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD-67), and serotonin transporter (SERT). Mice received 14, 28, or 36 MDMA administrations (10 mg/kg twice a week) and were sacrificed at different time points (postnatal days 85, 110, 138, or 214) for immunohistochemical evaluation. Mice receiving 28 administrations showed reduced levels of DAT-positive fibers in caudate-putamen (CPu) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and reduced levels of TH-positive nigral neurons. These mice also displayed increased NET-positive hippocampal fibers, reduced GAD-67-positive neurons in CPu and hippocampus, and reduced GAD-67-positive fibers in mPFC. Similar effects of MDMA on DAT, TH, and GAD-67 were found in mice receiving 36 administrations, which also displayed reduced levels of striatal, cortical, and hippocampal TH-immunoreactive fibers. The reductions in dopaminergic markers and GAD-67 persisted at 3 months after MDMA discontinuation. Finally, MDMA never modified the levels of SERT. These results provide further insight into the localization and persistence of MDMA-induced dopaminergic damage and show that this effect may associate with GABAergic but not noradrenergic or serotonergic damage
Repeated Administration of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Elevates the Levels of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Nigrostriatal System: Possible Relevance to Neurotoxicity
No full textPrevious studies have consistently demonstrated that the amphetamine-related drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) induces dopaminergic damage in the mouse brain, and that this effect is most marked in the nigrostriatal system. Moreover, it has been suggested that the overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) may participate in the dopaminergic damage induced by MDMA. To further elucidate this issue, we evaluated the levels of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), which catalyzes the production of NO, in mice treated with regimens of MDMA that induce progressive and persistent neurotoxicity in the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system. Mice received 14, 28, or 36 administrations of MDMA (10 mg/kg i.p.), twice a day/twice a week, and were sacrificed at different time-points after treatment discontinuation. Thereafter, the number of nNOS-positive neurons was quantified by immunohistochemistry in the caudate-putamen (CPu) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). MDMA elevated the numbers of nNOS-positive neurons in the CPu of mice that received 28 or 36 drug administrations. This effect was still detectable at 3 months after treatment discontinuation. Moreover, MDMA elevated the numbers of nNOS-positive neurons in the SNc. However, this effect occurred only in mice that received 28 drug administrations and were sacrificed 3 days after treatment discontinuation. These results are in line with the hypothesis that activation of the NO cascade participates in the toxic effects induced by MDMA in the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system. Moreover, they suggest that activation of the NO cascade induces toxic effects that are more marked in striatal terminals, compared with nigral neurons
Gèrard Sandoz. L’eleganza dei gioielli dalle forme geometriche
No full textResearch activity carried out in the thesis laboratory in History of jewelry of the Degree Course in Fashion Design, a.y. 2019-2020
Activation of adenosine A2A receptors suppresses the emission of pro-social and drug-stimulated 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats: possible relevance to reward and motivation
No full textRATIONALE: Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to pleasurable stimuli, and these USVs are considered a tool for investigating reward and motivation.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify how activity of adenosine A2A receptors, which modulate reward and motivation, influences 50-kHz USV emission in rats.
METHODS: Rats received one of the following treatments in a test cage: (1) acute administration of the A2A receptor agonist CGS 21680 (0.05-0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) during social interactions; (2) long-term amphetamine (1 or 2 mg/kg, i.p.) or morphine (7.5 mg/kg, s.c.) administration on alternate days, alone or with CGS 21680, followed after 7 days of discontinuation by test cage re-exposure, to assess drug-conditioning effects, and thereafter drug challenge; (3) acute administration of the D1/D2 receptor agonist apomorphine (4 mg/kg, i.p.), alone or with CGS 21680; and (4) long-term administration of the non-selective A1/A2A receptor antagonist caffeine (15 mg/kg, i.p.), on alternate days. USVs and locomotor activity were evaluated throughout the treatments.
RESULTS: CGS 21680 attenuated 50-kHz USV emission stimulated by social interactions, amphetamine, apomorphine, and morphine, and rats administered CGS 21680 with amphetamine or morphine emitted fewer conditioned 50-kHz USVs upon test cage re-exposure, compared with rats administered amphetamine or morphine alone. Moreover, CGS 21680 administration prevented long-term changes in locomotor activity in amphetamine- and morphine-treated rats. Finally, caffeine had no effect on 50-kHz USVs.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that activation of A2A receptors attenuates 50-kHz USV emission in rats and further elucidate how these receptors modulate the motivational properties of natural and pharmacological stimuli
Caratteristiche, mansioni lavorative e libertà degli schiavi a Livorno nel lungo XVIII secolo
No full textLivorno era uno dei maggiori centri del traffico di captivi e della presenza di schiavi nel Mediterraneo nell’età moderna; il xviii secolo resta dal punto di vista storiografico meno esplorato. Il capitolo, quindi, cerca di aggiungere un piccolo tassello sul fenomeno della schiavitù nel lungo xviii secolo. In particolare, da un lato la ricerca intende presentare un gruppo di schiavi musulmani che vengono liberati dal Bagno di Livorno nel 1747 a seguito di un trattato di pace con l’Impero ottomano, fornendo qualche dato iniziale sull’età media degli schiavi e sul tempo trascorso in
cattività nella prima metà del xviii secolo a Livorno. Dall’altro propone un’analisi sulla tensione tra qualità fisiche, capacità lavorative e comportamentali, origine etnica (così come venivano descritte nelle fonti e attribuite agli schiavi), e libertà nella città labronica nella seconda metà del xviii secolo sino al 1816. L’obiettivo è riflettere sull’impatto che avevano le abilità lavorative riconosciute agli schiavi, come essere “i più capaci” per lavorare in una fabbrica o avere specifiche abilità nelle mansioni marinaresche, per l’eventuale ottenimento della libertà
MDMA administration during adolescence exacerbates MPTP-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex
No full textRATIONALE:
We have recently shown that chronic exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") of adolescent mice exacerbates dopamine neurotoxicity and neuroinflammatory effects elicited by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in the substantia nigra and striatum at adulthood.
OBJECTIVES:
The present study investigated whether the amplification of MPTP effects by previous treatment with MDMA extends to the limbic and cortical regions and consequently affects cognitive performance.
METHODS:
Mice received MDMA (10 mg/kg, twice a day/twice a week) for 9 weeks, followed by MPTP (20 mg/kg × 4 administrations), starting 2 weeks after MDMA discontinuation. Complement type 3 receptor (CD11b) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in both the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to measure microglia and astroglia activation. These neurochemical evaluations were paired with an assessment of cognitive performance by means of the novel object recognition (NOR) and spontaneous alternation tasks.
RESULTS:
MPTP administration to MDMA-pretreated mice elicited a stronger activation of CD11b and GFAP in both the hippocampus and the mPFC compared with either substance administered alone. Furthermore, NOR performance was lower in MDMA-pretreated mice administered MPTP compared with mice that received either substance alone.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results demonstrate that MDMA-MPTP negative interactions extend to the limbic and cortical regions and may result in cognitive impairment, providing further evidence that exposure to MDMA may amplify the effects of later neurotoxic insults
Marchi di controllo su vasellame in argento da tesori del VII secolo: problemi cronologici e interpretativi
No full textIl contributo affronta criticamente l'analisi di marchi di controllo su vasellame in argento pertinente a tesori di VII secolo sotto il profilo tecnico e sociale, proponendo una rilettura in termini cronologici di alcuni nuclei di preziosi e avanzando alcune ipotesi sui meccanismi di bollatura e sul periodo di maggior produzione di manufatti nel regno di Eraclio
Involvement of Glutamate NMDA Receptors in the Acute, Long-Term, and Conditioned Effects of Amphetamine on Rat 50kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations
No full textBACKGROUND: Rats emit 50kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to either natural or pharmacological pleasurable stimuli, and these USVs have emerged as a new behavioral measure for investigating the motivational properties of drugs. Earlier studies have indicated that activation of the dopaminergic system is critically involved in 50kHz USV emissions. However, evidence also exists that non-dopaminergic neurotransmitters participate in this behavioral response.
METHODS:To ascertain whether glutamate transmission plays a role in 50kHz USV emissions stimulated by amphetamine, rats received five amphetamine (1-2mg/kg, i.p.) administrations on alternate days in a test cage, either alone or combined with the glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.1-0.5mg/kg, i.p.). Seven days after treatment discontinuation, rats were re-exposed to the test cage to assess drug conditioning, and afterwards received a drug challenge. USVs and locomotor activity were evaluated, along with immunofluorescence for Zif-268 in various brain regions and spontaneous alternation in a Y maze.
RESULTS:Amphetamine-treated rats displayed higher 50kHz USV emissions and locomotor activity than vehicle-treated rats, and emitted conditioned vocalizations on test cage re-exposure. Rats co-administered amphetamine and MK-801 displayed lower and dose-dependent 50kHz USV emissions, but not lower locomotor activity, during repeated treatment and challenge, and scarce conditioned vocalization compared with amphetamine-treated rats. These effects were associated with lower levels of Zif-268 after amphetamine challenge and spontaneous alternation deficits.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that glutamate transmission participates in the acute, long-term, and conditioned effects of amphetamine on 50kHz USVs, possibly by influencing amphetamine-induced long-term neuronal changes and/or amphetamine-associated memories
- …
