15 research outputs found
Non licet stare caelestibus. Studies on Astronomy and Its History Offered to Salvo De Meis
No full textThe present volume collects a series of studies presented to Salvatore De Meis as an homage in his honour by an international Group of distinguished scholars
A "neglected" Source for the History of the Reformed Zoroastrian Calendar
No full textThe author analyzes the problem and the relevance of the Mandean calendar for the comprehension of the reformed Zoroastrian one
The dataset describes: Phenotypic changes induced by cholesterol loading in smooth muscle cells isolated from the aortae of C57BL/6 mice
No full textThe data presented in this article is related to the research article entitled “ABCA1 and HDL3 are Required to Modulate Smooth Muscle Cells Phenotypic Switch after Cholesterol Loading” (Castiglioni et al., 2017) [1]. This data describes the characterization of the phenotypic changes induced by cholesterol loading in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) isolated from the aortae of C57BL/6 mice. Upon cholesterol loading, there is a significant and concentration-dependent decrease in the expression of Acta2 and a parallel increase in Mac-2, and ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters Abca1 and Abcg1. Cholesterol incubation causes the transformation of SMCs into foam cells with a 3-fold increase in cellular total cholesterol content and a 2.5-fold stimulation of the activity of the esterifying enzyme Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). The addition of the same amount of cholesterol, either dissolved in ethanol or as lipoprotein cholesterol (AcLDL or native LDL) only slightly induces the activity of the enzyme ACAT, and does not cause the accumulation of lipid droplets into SMCs. We describe also the knock down of ABCA1 expression by siRNA treatment in mouse smooth muscle cells. Keywords: ABCA1, Cholesterol, HDL3, Phenotypic switch, Smooth muscle cell
A novel mutation in SPART gene causes a severe neurodevelopmental delay due to mitochondrial dysfunction with complex I impairments and altered pyruvate metabolism
No full textLoss-of-function mutations in the SPART gene cause Troyer syndrome, a recessive form of spastic paraplegia resulting in muscle weakness, short stature, and cognitive defects. SPART encodes for Spartin, a protein linked to endosomal trafficking and mitochondrial membrane potential maintenance. Here, we identified with whole exome sequencing (WES) a novel frameshift mutation in the SPART gene in 2 brothers presenting an uncharacterized developmental delay and short stature. Functional characterization in an SH-SY5Y cell model shows that this mutation is associated with increased neurite outgrowth. These cells also show a marked decrease in mitochondrial complex I (NADH dehydrogenase) activity, coupled to decreased ATP synthesis and defective mitochondrial membrane potential. The cells also presented an increase in reactive oxygen species, extracellular pyruvate, and NADH levels, consistent with impaired complex I activity. In concordance with a severe mitochondrial failure, Spartin loss also led to an altered intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis that was restored after transient expression of wild-type Spartin. Our data provide for the first time a thorough assessment of Spartin loss effects, including impaired complex I activity coupled to increased extracellular pyruvate. In summary, through a WES study we assign a diagnosis of Troyer syndrome to otherwise undiagnosed patients, and by functional characterization we show that the novel mutation in SPART leads to a profound bioenergetic imbalance.-Diquigiovanni, C., Bergamini, C., Diaz, R., Liparulo, I., Bianco, F., Masin, L., Baldassarro, V. A., Rizzardi, N., Tranchina, A., Buscherini, F., Wischmeijer, A., Pippucci, T., Scarano, E., Cordelli, D. M., Fato, R., Seri, M., Paracchini, S., Bonora, E. A novel mutation in SPART gene causes a severe neurodevelopmental delay due to mitochondrial dysfunction with complex I impairments and altered pyruvate metabolism
ABCA1 and HDL3 are required to modulate smooth muscle cells phenotypic switch after cholesterol loading
No full textBackground and aims Cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells (SMCs) modify their phenotypic behavior becoming foam cells. To characterize the role of ABCA1 and HDL3 in this process, we evaluated HDL3 effects on cholesterol-induced phenotypic changes in SMCs expressing or not ABCA1. Methods SMCs, isolated from the aortae of wild-type (WT) and Abca1 knock-out (KO) mice, were cholesterol-loaded using a âwater-soluble cholesterolââ. Results Cholesterol loading downregulates the expression of Acta2 and calponin (SMC markers), and increases the expression of Mac-2, CD11b and MHCII (inflammation-related genes and surface antigens) and Abca1, Abcg1. HDL3 normalizes SMC marker expression and reduces the expression of inflammation-related genes/proteins in WT cells, an effect not observed with free apoA-I. The effect of HDL3 is almost lost in Abca1 KO cells, as well as when Abca1 is silenced in WT SMC. HDL3 does not differently affect cholesterol downloading in WT or KO cells and stimulates phospholipids removal in WT cells. Similarly, the expression of myocardin and its modulators, such as miR-143/145, is reduced by cholesterol loading in WT and Abca1 KO SMCs; HDL3 normalizes their levels in WT cells but not in KO cells. On the contrary, cholesterol loading induces Klf4 expression while HDL3 restores Klf4 to basal levels in WT cells, but again this effect is not observed in KO cells. Conclusions Our results indicate that HDL3, by interacting with ABCA1, modulates the miR143/145-myocardin axis and prevents the cholesterol-induced gene expression modification in SMCs regardless of its cholesterol unloading capacity
To Salvo
No full textThe present volume collects a series of studies presented to Salvatore De Meis as an homage in his honour by an international Group of distinguished scholars. Presentation of the Volume and of the scientific activity of Salvo De Meis
Il cielo degli Osseti. Lessico astronomico, meteorologico e relazioni di spazio e tempo nell'IES di V.I. Abaev
No full textL'articolo è dedicato al lessico astronomico osseto presente nell'IES di V.I. Abaev e comprende la traduzione, commento e aggiornamento bibliografico di oltre 90 voci. Sono state anche predisposte alcune tabelle nelle quali i termini osseti sono confrontati con quelli delle altre lingue iraniche orientali
Introduzione
No full textL'autore illustra il contenuto del libro, che offre una dettagliata indagine sia delle origini dell'astrologia storica in Iran, sia dei complessi percorsi della sua trasmissione
The Table of Chords and Greek Trigonometry
No full textTrigonometry was born due to the need of ancient astronomy to calculate and to predict the movement of the heavenly bodies. However it is hard to know who the founder of this mathematical branch was: it is likely that its origins date back to Hipparchus of Nicaea who compiled the first table of chords, which are the forerunners of the modern trigonometric function “sine”. Nevertheless the most ancient existing work on trigonometry is the Almagest of Ptolemy in which the author describes the mathematical steps that are necessary for the compilation of the table of chords. These steps are based on more ancient theories and for this reason one gets the impression that they could be the result of a preparatory study. This article is not only a brief survey of Greek trigonometry but it also analyzes the Greek numeration system, the sexagesimal fractions and the arithmetical operations which were used in the calculation of the chords
Bardi, poeti e cantastorie: la narrazione per immagini nella cultura iraniana di oggi e di ieri
No full textNella cultura letteraria dell'Iran, sia antico che moderno, le performances dei cantastorie si attengono a una duplice maestria di arte verbale-poetica e di illustrazione, mediante disegni e pannelli che servivano a coinvolgere il pubblico nel pathos della narrazione. Prototipo illustre fu il sapiente e artista Mani, fondatore di una religione che si diffuse mediante una pedagogia confessionale che utilizzava i disegni oltre agli scritti dei testi sacri
