Fine-tuning of membrane permeability by reversible photoisomerization of aryl-azo derivatives of thymol embedded in lipid nanoparticles.

Responsiveness of liposomes to external stimuli, such as light, should allow a precise spatial and temporal control of release of therapeutic agents or ion transmembrane transport. Here, some aryl-azo derivatives of thymol are synthesized and embedded into liposomes from 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine to obtain light-sensitive membranes whose photo-responsiveness, release behaviour, and permeability towards Cl- ions are investigated. The hybrid systems are in-depth characterized by dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In liposomal bilayer the selected guests undergo reversible photoinduced isomerization upon irradiation with UV and visible light, alternately. Non-irradiated hybrid liposomes retain entrapped 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF), slowing its spontaneous leakage, whereas UV-irradiation promotes CF release, due to guest trans-to-cis isomerization. Photoisomerization also influences membrane permeability towards Cl- ions. Data processing, according to first-order kinetics, demonstrates that Cl- transmembrane transport is enhanced by switching the guest from trans to cis but restored by back-switching the guest from cis to trans upon illumination with blue light. Finally, the passage of Cl- ions across the bilayer can be fine-tuned by irradiation with light of longer λ and different light-exposure times. Fine-tuning the photo-induced structural response of the liposomal membrane upon isomerization is a promising step towards effective photo-dynamic therapy.

Nutritional physiology and body composition changes during a rapid ascent to high altitude.

Exposure to high altitude might cause the body to adapt with negative energy and fluid balance that compromise body composition and physical performance. In this field study involving 12 healthy adults, sex-balanced, and aged 29 ± 4 years with a body mass index of 21.6 ± 1.8 kg/m2, we investigated the effects of a 4-day trekking up to 4556 m a.s.l. on Monte Rosa (Alps, Italy). The food intake was recorded using food diaries and nutrient averages were calculated. The bio-impedance analysis was performed at low and high altitudes, and a wearable biosensor (Swemax) was used to track hydro-saline losses in two participants. Daily total energy intake was 3348 ± 386 kcal for males and 2804 ± 415 kcal for females (13%-14% protein, 35% fat, 44%-46% carbohydrates). Although there was a significant body weight loss (65.0 ± 9.3 vs. 64.2 ± 9.10 kg, p < 0.001, d = 1.398), no significant changes in body composition parameter were found but a trend in the increase of the bioelectrical phase angle in males (p = 0.059, d = -0.991). Body water percentage significantly changed (p = 0.026, η2 p = 0.440), but the absolute water did not, suggesting that the weight loss was not due to water loss. Salivary and urinary osmolality did not change. A reduction in sweat rate at higher altitudes was observed in both participants. Interestingly, salivary leptin increased (p = 0.014, η2 p = 0.510), and salivary ghrelin decreased (p = 0.036, η2 p  = 0.403). Therefore, the 4-day trekking at altitude of hypoxia exposure induced changes in satiety and appetite hormones. High altitude expeditions require more specific nutritional guidance, and using multiplex analysis could help in monitoring fluid balance and body composition.

Graphene oxide accelerates TGFß-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stimulates pro-inflammatory immune response in amniotic epithelial cells.

The application of biomaterials on immune regenerative strategies to deal with unsolved pathologies is getting attention in the field of tissue engineering. In this context, graphene oxide (GO) has been proposed as an immune-mimetic material largely used for developing stem cell-based regenerative therapies, since it has shown to influence stem cell behavior and modulate their immune response. Similarly, amniotic epithelial stem cells (AECs) are getting an increasing clinical interest as source of stem cells due to their great plasticity and immunomodulatory paracrine activities, even though GO bio-mimetic effects still remain unknown. To this aim, GO-functionalized glass coverslips have been used for AECs culture. The results demonstrated how GO-coating is able to induce and accelerate the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), in a process mediated by the intracellular activation of TGFß1-SMAD2/3 signaling pathway. The trans-differentiation towards mesenchymal phenotype provides AECs of migratory ability and substantially changes the pattern of cytokines secretion upon inflammatory stimulus. Indeed, GO-exposed AECs enhance their pro-inflammatory interleukins production thus inducing a more efficient activation of macrophages and, at the same time, by slightly reducing their inhibitory action on peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation. Therefore, the adhesion of AECs on GO-functionalized surfaces might contribute to the generation of a tailored microenvironment useful to face both the phases of the inflammation, thereby fostering the regenerative process.

Impact of Maternal Lifestyle and Dietary Habits during Pregnancy on Newborn Metabolic Profile.

Expanded newborn screening (NBS) is a preventive program that allows for the early identification of over 40 congenital endocrine-metabolic diseases by analyzing dried blood spot samples collected from the newborn's heel within 48-72 h of birth. The determination of amino acids and acyl-carnitines by Flow Injection Analysis Tandem Mass Spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS) may also highlight metabolic alterations resulting from external factors, such as maternal nutrition. In the present study, we developed a questionnaire to investigate the eating habits of 109 women during pregnancy and statistically correlated the results from the investigation on dietary habits with the data obtained by the NBS laboratory of Abruzzo region (Italy). Parameters such as smoking, physical activity, and the intake of iodized salt, drugs, and supplements were analyzed. This study aimed to highlight how maternal lifestyle, diet, and drug intake during pregnancy may affect the neonatal metabolic profile, possibly generating false positive or false negative results in the NBS test. The results pointed out how the knowledge of maternal nutrition and lifestyle may also be precious in preventing misinterpretations of the neonatal metabolic profile, thereby reducing unnecessary stress for newborns and their parents and limiting costs for the health system.

3D Graphene Oxide-Polyethylenimine Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering.

The development of novel three-dimensional (3D) nanomaterials combining high biocompatibility, precise mechanical characteristics, electrical conductivity, and controlled pore size to enable cell and nutrient permeation is highly sought after for cardiac tissue engineering applications including repair of damaged heart tissues following myocardial infarction and heart failure. Such unique characteristics can collectively be found in hybrid, highly porous tridimensional scaffolds based on chemically functionalized graphene oxide (GO). By exploiting the rich reactivity of the GO's basal epoxydic and edge carboxylate moieties when interacting, respectively, with NH2 and NH3+ groups of linear polyethylenimines (PEIs), 3D architectures with variable thickness and porosity can be manufactured, making use of the layer-by-layer technique through the subsequent dipping in GO and PEI aqueous solutions, thereby attaining enhanced compositional and structural control. The elasticity modulus of the hybrid material is found to depend on scaffold's thickness, with the lowest value of 13 GPa obtained in samples containing the highest number of alternating layers. Thanks to the amino-rich composition of the hybrid and the established biocompatibility of GO, the scaffolds do not exhibit cytotoxicity; they promote cardiac muscle HL-1 cell adhesion and growth without interfering with the cell morphology and increasing cardiac markers such as Connexin-43 and Nkx 2.5. Our novel strategy for scaffold preparation thus overcomes the drawbacks associated with the limited processability of pristine graphene and low GO conductivity, and it enables the production of biocompatible 3D GO scaffolds covalently functionalized with amino-based spacers, which is advantageous for cardiac tissue engineering applications. In particular, they displayed a significant increase in the number of gap junctions compared to HL-1 cultured on CTRL substrates, which render them key components for repairing damaged heart tissues as well as being used for 3D in vitro cardiac modeling investigations.

Are monoclonal antibodies effective in patients with severe obesity in SARS-CoV-2 infected?

It is important to block SARS-CoV-2 infection immediately with early therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies (MonoAbs). Also, several studies show that obesity is associated with a high risk of severe COVID-19 disease. We enrolled 32 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who received MonoAbs, all patients were not vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, and they received therapy after 7 ± 2 days from the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. In the days following administration, patients followed home therapy with Pidotimod 800 mg bid for 10 days and cholecalciferol 2000 UI for 20 days, prescribed the same day they received MonoAbs therapy. Our study found that there are no differences in the therapeutic response between obese and nonobese patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection undergoing MonoAbs therapy, in fact, none of them underwent hospitalization. Furthermore, the effect of the immunostimulant Pidotimod and cholecalciferol may have contributed to the resolution of COVID-19 symptoms in these patients.

Calixarene-based artificial ionophores for chloride transport across natural liposomal bilayer: Synthesis, structure-function relationships, and computational study.

An amphiphilic calix[6]arene, alone or complexed with an axle to form a pseudo-rotaxane, has been embedded into liposomes prepared from 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and the permeability of the membrane-doped liposomes towards Cl- ions has been evaluated by using lucigenin as the fluorescent probe. The pseudo-rotaxane promotes transmembrane transport of Cl- ions more than calix[6]arene does. Surprisingly, the quenching of lucigenin was very fast for liposomes doped with the positively charged axle alone. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum-chemical calculations were also carried out for providing a semi-quantitative support to the experimental results.