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G Perrone

Publications and source records attributed to G Perrone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effect of Lobesia botrana damages on black aspergilli rot and ochratoxin A content in grapes.

Sixty-nine wine grape samples of two varieties (Bombino Nero and Uva di Troia) were collected from four vineyards in a high ochratoxin A (OTA) incidence grape-growing area in Apulia, southern Italy, during the 2001 and 2002 crop harvests. The levels of toxin, measured in the two year harvests, ranged from 0.02 to 681 ng/g of fresh berries. In both surveys, higher levels of contamination by black aspergilli and OTA were found in both intact and rotten berries originating from bunches damaged by Lobesia botrana larvae as compared to bunches without L. botrana attacks. All berry samples with an OTA level >1 ng/g were contaminated by black aspergilli with a CFU>10(6), and all but one of these samples belonged to the Lobesia damaged berries group. This is the first evidence of an interaction between L. botrana damaged berries and OTA contamination, in field.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

AFLP characterization of Southern Europe population of Aspergillus Section Nigri from grapes.

Members of Aspergillus belonging to Section Nigri are distributed worldwide and are mainly responsible for the ochratoxin A accumulation in grapes and wine, particularly in Southern Europe. Limited information is available on the species composition and genetic variability of black Aspergilli strains occurring on grapes. We analyzed 283 representative strains from the main wine producing European countries collected in 2001-2002 (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel) using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) technique. Four main groups were obtained by AFLP clustering analysis of these strains and three of them showed a well defined homogeneous population/species with intraspecific homology higher than 48%: Aspergillus carbonarius (105 strains), Aspergillus tubingensis (69 strains), and Aspergillus "uniseriate" (56 strains) with a similarity less than 20% to the Aspergillus japonicus type strain. The fourth cluster, that we called "A. niger like" (44 strains), showed low homology with A. niger type strain (35%) and high internal heterogeneity. Finally, nine strains could not be assigned readily to any of the type strain of the A. nigri Section. These findings indicate that the Aspergillus Section Nigri strains occurring on grapes in Southern Europe represent a complex of species, and some of these are peculiar to grapes.

Aspergillus niger↗
PubMed2006

Menopause, mild psychological stress and salivary cortisol: influence of long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

OBJECTIVE: Aim of the present study was to examine the adrenocortical activity in basal condition and following a mild stress exposure in long-term HRT-treated menopausal women. Menopausal women, long term users of HRT (14 subjects) were compared both to menopausal women who had never used HRT (14 subjects) and young pre-menopausal women (14 subjects). STUDY DESIGN: Morning and evening salivary cortisol secretion was measured in samples collected twice a day (08:00 in the morning and 08:00 in the evening). Mild stress response was evoked by administration of the Stroop color-word test (CWT). Salivary cortisol was measured immediately before the start, 15, 30 and 45 min after the completion of the test. RESULTS: Menopause appears not to be associated with an impairment of cortisol circadian fluctuation. Long-term use of HRT in menopause attenuated HPA activity either in basal condition or in response to mild stress exposure. With regard to the CWT performance, all menopausal women took significantly longer than young women to perform the test. However, long-term HRT significantly reduced the number of errors made during the test. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that long-term HRT could help menopausal patients to cope with mild stress and to improve mental performances.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Expression and heterodimer-binding activity of Ku70 and Ku80 in human non-melanoma skin cancer.

BACKGROUND: Experimental data suggest that exposure to ultraviolet radiation may indirectly induce DNA double-strand breaks. AIM: To investigate the contribution of the non-homologous end-joining repair pathway in basal and squamous cell carcinomas. METHODS: Levels of Ku70 and Ku80 proteins were determined by immunohistochemical analysis and Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer-binding activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Matched pathological normal margins and skin from healthy people were used as controls. RESULTS: A significant increase in Ku70 and Ku80 protein levels was found for both tumour types as compared with normal skin (p<0.001). Squamous cell carcinoma showed increased immunostaining as compared with basal cell tumours (p<0.02). A direct correlation was found between Ku70 and Ku80 protein levels and expression of the proliferation markers Ki-67/MIB-1 (p<0.02 and p<0.002, respectively) in basal cell carcinoma. DNA binding activity was increased in basal cell carcinoma samples as compared with matched skin histopathologically negative for cancer (p<0.006). In squamous cell carcinomas, however, the difference was significant only with normal skin (p<0.02) and not with matched pathologically normal margins. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, an up regulation of the Ku70 and Ku80 protein levels seems to correlate only with tumour proliferation rate. As non-homologous end joining is an error-prone mechanism, its up regulation may ultimately increase genomic instability, contributing to tumour progression.

Antigens, Nuclear↗
PubMed2006

COX-2 expression in ampullary carcinoma: correlation with angiogenesis process and clinicopathological variables.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that the anti-neoplastic effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is attributable to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition, but the exact mechanisms whereby COX-2 can promote tumour cell growth remain unclear. One hypothesis is the stimulation of tumour angiogenesis by the products of COX-2 activity. To data, there have been few clinicopathological studies on COX-2 expression in human ampullary carcinoma and no data have been reported about its relation with tumour angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate by immunohistochemistry the expression of COX-2 and the angiogenesis process in a series of primary untreated ampullary carcinomas. METHODS: Tissue samples from 40 archival ampullary carcinomas were analysed for COX-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and an endothelial cell marker von Willebrand factor (vWF) by immunohistochemistry, using specific antibodies. RESULTS: COX-2 expression was detected in 39 tissue samples (97.5%), of which two (5%) were graded as weak, 26 (65%) as moderate, and 11 (27.5%) as strong. Only one lesion (2.5%) was negative for COX-2 expression. VEGF expression was detected in 36 tissue samples (90%). A significant positive correlation was found between COX-2 and VEGF expression. No statistic correlation was found between COX-2 expression and microvessel density. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 is highly expressed in ampullary carcinomas. This suggests an involvement of the COX-2 pathway in ampullary tumour associated angiogenesis, providing a rationale for targeting COX-2 in the treatment of ampullary cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Subcellular shift of the hepatic growth hormone receptor with progression of hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.

AIMS: To evaluate the cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of hepatic growth hormone receptor (GHR) in different stages (S0, S1, S3 and S4, according to Knodell's classification) of chronic liver disease (CLD) and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Liver specimens from 31 patients with hepatitis C virus-related CLD, five patients with HCC and nine controls were examined for expression of hepatic GHR by immunohistochemistry with MAb 263. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining were evaluated as a percentage of positively stained cells. The cytoplasmic expression of GHR was comparable between normal liver and S0 hepatitis, while it progressively decreased in S1, S3 and S4 CLD (P < 0.01). Conversely, nuclear GHR showed increased expression in S3 and S4 CLD (P < 0.05). No differences were observed between HCC and normal liver in terms of GHR immunoreactivity. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show that the subcellular expression of hepatic GHR changes with the progression of CLD. The increase in nuclear expression of GHR with advanced stages of CLD suggests that GH may act directly at the nuclear level to promote hepatocyte proliferation/regeneration.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Cell cycle alterations and lung cancer.

It is now widely accepted that human carcinogenesis is a multi-step process and phenotypic changes during cancer progression reflect the sequential accumulation of genetic alterations in cells. The recent progress of scientific research has notably increased knowledge about biological events involved in lung cancer pathogenesis and progression, thanks to the use of molecular biology and immunohistochemistry techniques. Lots of the genetic alteration found in small cells lung cancer (SCLC) and in not small cells lung cancer (NSCLC) concern the expression of cell cycle genes, actually recognized as onco-suppressor genes and the lack of equilibrium between oncogenes and oncosuppressor genes. The present review of literature widely describes the cell cycle control, the lung cancer molecular pathogenesis, the catalog of known genetic alterations and the recent advances in global expression profiles in lung tumors, on the basis of the various hystological types too. Such data suggest the potential use of this knowledges in clinical practice both as prognostic factors and innovative therapeutic possibilities and they impose the necessity of new studies about cell cycle control and lung carcinogenesis.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗
PubMed2005

COX-2 expression in DCIS: correlation with VEGF, HER-2/neu, prognostic molecular markers and clinicopathological features.

AIMS: There is considerable evidence that links COX-2 to the development of cancer. The aim of our study was to assess, by immunohistochemistry, COX-2 expression in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and its possible correlation with HER-2/neu, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and other common immunohistochemical parameters (p53, ER, PGR, Ki67). METHODS AND RESULTS: Tissue samples of 49 archival cases of DCIS without any invasive component were analysed for COX-2, HER-2/neu, VEGF, oestrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki67 and p53 by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies. COX-2 expression was detected in 43 (87.8%) tissue samples, of which 12 (24.5%) were graded as weak, 22 (44.9%) as moderate and nine (8.4%) as high expression. Only six (12.2%) lesions were negative for COX-2 expression. VEGF expression was detected in 93.8% of samples; 66.7% of lesions were found to be positive for HER-2/neu expression. Furthermore, COX-2 expression was significantly correlated with VEGF expression (P = 0.003). A significant positive correlation was also observed between COX-2 and HER-2/neu expression (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that COX-2 is highly expressed in DCIS and takes part in the molecular pathway implicated in progression of breast cancer and may provide a rationale for targeting COX-2 in preinvasive breast cancer therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Tumour proliferation, angiogenesis, and ploidy status in human colon cancer.

AIMS: Tumour angiogenesis is essential for carcinogenesis and facilitates the process of tumour development and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well characterised angiogenetic factor and is known to play a crucial role in new vessel development. To gain further insight into the effects of microvessel density and VEGF expression in colon cancer, their relation with tumour proliferation, ploidy status, and p53 expression was investigated in colon cancer. METHODS: Tissue samples of 50 archived colon cancers were analysed by immunohistochemistry for VEGF, p53, and the endothelial cell marker, von Willebrand factor (VWF), using specific antibodies. The same samples were re-cut for flow cytometric studies to obtain S phase fraction (SPF) and ploidy status. RESULTS: A positive significant correlation was found between SPF and angiogenesis. The median microvessel count in high SPF tumours was significantly higher than in low SPF ones. No association was found between VEGF expression and SPF. A positive correlation was found between ploidy status and p53 expression and microvessel count. Furthermore, a positive correlation was established between DNA ploidy, VEGF expression, and microvessel count. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that in colon cancer, tumour growth may be stimulated by vascular supply, and the lack of a correlation between tumour cell proliferation and VEGF expression indicates that these two parameters may be regulated by separate mechanisms. Furthermore, the positive correlation between microvessel density, VEGF expression, and ploidy status provides more evidence that genetic alterations are involved in tumour angiogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Correlation of p53 and bcl-2 expression with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), microvessel density (MVD) and clinico-pathological features in colon cancer.

This study was designed to elucidate the possible relationship between tumour related genes and angiogenesis in colon cancer. The protein expression of p53, bcl-2, Von Willebrand factor and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analysed by immunohistochemistry in 57 paraffin-embedded colon cancer. The results showed that microvessel density (MVD) was lower in VEGF negative tumours than in VEGF positive ones (P<0.0001). MVD and VEGF in p53 negative tumours were significantly lower than in p53 positive tumours (respectively, P=0.003 and P<0.0001). Moreover, positive correlations were recorded between VEGF expression and MVD, and bcl-2 expression (respectively, P<0.0001 and P=0.009). Our data confirm the central role of VEGF in angiogenesis and suggest direct correlations among p53, bcl-2 and VEGF expression in colon cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Effects of hormonal replacement therapy on breast density in postmenopausal women].

AIM: Recent studies have indicated that conventional hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with an increase in breast density. The aim of this non randomised prospective study was to evaluate the effects of HRT and Tibolone on breast density in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The study population included 41 healthy women, who were on different HRT regimens and completed their 5-year mammographic follow-up. Before starting HRT, a baseline mammography was performed and repeated at 12-month interval during the follow-up. The patients, 41 healthy postmenopausal women, received 2 different treatments: continuous transdermal estrogen 50 microg/day plus sequential MPA 10 mg/day for 12 days at cycle (21 patients), Tibolone 2.5 mg/day (20 patients). RESULTS: An increase in breast density was present in 25% of women receiving estrogen plus MPA. There was no mammographic breast density increase in Tibolone group; 9.5% of women receiving Tibolone showed reduced breast density. The modifications of breast density were reported during the 1st year of therapy. CONCLUSION: These findings show that different HRT regimens have different effects on breast density. Tibolone does not significantly affect breast density, so it may be a preferable therapy for a larger group of postmenopausal women, including those with a familiar history of breast cancer and those with breast density.

Breast↗
PubMed2002

Hysteroscopic findings in postmenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding: a comparison between HRT users and non-users.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to investigate hysteroscopic findings in a sample of 410 menopausal women (hormonal replacement therapy, HRT users n = 219 and HRT non-users n = 191) and to evaluate the relationship between the presence of intrauterine disease, the use of HRT and the presence of AUB. METHODS: Two hundred and nineteen women on HRT underwent standard office hysteroscopy by means of the Hamou hysteroscope (in 94 cases for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) and in 125 cases for periodic endometrium monitoring). One hundred and ninety-one women who had never received HRT were submitted to office hysteroscopy (154 for AUB and 37 for other reasons). RESULTS: Intrauterine diseases are more frequent in patients who do not use HRT (P = 0.02). Endometrial polyps is a frequent disease present in 30% of the sample (23.7% of HRT users and 30.8% of HRT non-users). Myomas were present in 8.7% of all patients examined (6.8% of HRT users and 11% of HRT non-users). Irregular bleeding in menopause is often associated with endouterine abnormalities: in symptomatic patients the frequency of endouterine diseases was 41% while in asymptomatic patients was 28% (P = 0.003). In patients taking HRT (n = 219) endouterine disease is demonstrated in 37% with AUB and in 26% without AUB (P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Benign intrauterine diseases (endometrial polyps and submucous myomas) are more frequent in postmenopausal women who do not use HRT. In patients taking HRT irregular bleeding is associated with intrauterine diseases; however, the absence of AUB does not exclude the presence of endometrial polyps or myomas.

Female↗
PubMed2001

Safety and tolerability of esterified phytosterols administered in reduced-fat spread and salad dressing to healthy adult men and women.

OBJECTIVE/DESIGN: The safety and tolerability of three levels of plant sterol-esters administered in reduced-fat spread and salad dressing vs. control products were evaluated in this randomized, double-blind, four-arm parallel study. METHODS: Eighty-four free-living men and women consumed reduced-fat spread and salad dressing providing 0.0 g/day (n = 21), 3.0 g/day (n = 21), 6.0 g/day (n = 19) or 9.0 g/day (n = 23) of phytosterols as esters for an eight-week treatment period. RESULTS: Side effects did not differ among the groups during the study, and there were no study product-related serious adverse events. There were no changes in clinical laboratory values in response to phytosterol intake. Blood concentrations of all fat-soluble vitamins remained within normal reference ranges, and there were no differences in serum vitamin responses among the four groups. Alpha- and trans-beta-carotene levels were reduced in the 9.0 g/day group vs. control (p < 0.05), but all carotenoid values remained within normal ranges throughout the study. All groups receiving phytosterols had significant increases in serum campesterol vs. control (p < 0.001), but beta-sitosterol responses did not differ from control. Total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol responses did not differ significantly among the groups. The total:HDL cholesterol response in the 9.0 g/day group was significantly different from the control group response (-9.6% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.05). A median increase of 7.8% in serum triglycerides was observed in the control group, which differed significantly from the response in the 3.0 g/day arm (-13.3%, p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: The results of this study indicate that phytosterol esters are well tolerated and show no evidence of adverse effects at a daily intake of up to 9.0 g of phytosterols for eight weeks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Lipid responses to plant-sterol-enriched reduced-fat spreads incorporated into a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet.

BACKGROUND: Plant sterol esters reduce cholesterol absorption and lower circulating blood cholesterol concentrations when incorporated into the habitual diet. OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blind, 3-group parallel, controlled study evaluated the influence of esterified plant sterols on serum lipid concentrations in adults with mild-to-moderate primary hypercholesterolemia. DESIGN: Subjects incorporated a conventional 50%-fat spread into a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet for a 4-wk lead-in period, followed by a 5-wk intervention period of the diet plus either a control reduced-fat spread (40% fat; n = 92) or a reduced-fat spread enriched with plant sterol esters to achieve intakes of 1.1 g/d (n = 92; low-sterol group) or 2.2 g/d (n = 40; high-sterol group). RESULTS: Subjects in the low- and high-sterol groups who consumed > or = 80% of the scheduled servings (per-protocol analyses) had total cholesterol values that were 5.2% and 6.6% lower, LDL-cholesterol values that were 7.6% and 8.1% lower, apolipoprotein B values that were 6.2% and 8.4% lower, and ratios of total to HDL cholesterol that were 5.9% and 8.1% lower, respectively, than values for the control group (P < 0.001 for all). Additionally, triacylglycerol concentrations decreased by 10.4% in the high-sterol group. Serum concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids were generally within reference ranges at baseline and postintervention. Serum plant sterol concentrations increased from baseline (0.48% of total sterol by wt) to 0.64% and 0.71% by wt for the low- and high-sterol groups, respectively (P < 0.05 compared with control). CONCLUSION: A reduced-fat spread containing plant sterol esters incorporated into a low-fat diet is a beneficial adjunct in the dietary management of hypercholesterolemia.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Biological characterization of fusapyrone and deoxyfusapyrone, two bioactive secondary metabolites of Fusarium semitectum.

Fusapyrone (1) and deoxyfusapyrone (2), two alpha-pyrones originally isolated from rice cultures of Fusarium semitectum, were tested in several biological assays. Compounds 1 and 2 showed considerable antifungal activity against several plant pathogenic and/or mycotoxigenic filamentous fungi, although they were inactive toward yeasts isolated from plants and the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus megaterium in disk diffusion assays. Compound 1 was consistently more active than 2. Among the tested fungi, Fusarium species were the least sensitive to the two pyrones, while Alternaria alternata, Ascochyta rabiei, Aspergillusflavus, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium cucumerinum, Phoma tracheiphila, and Penicillium verrucosum were the most sensitive. Compounds 1 and 2 also showed good inhibitory activity toward agents of human mycoses. Aspergilli were the most sensitive, while some species-specific variability was found among the Candida spp. In an Artemia salina larvae bioassay, 1 was not toxic at the highest concentration tested (500 microM), whereas the LC(50) of 2 was 37.1 microM (21.8 microg/mL). Neither 1 nor 2 was phytotoxic in a panel of assays that monitored plant-cell toxicity, as well as wilt-, chlorosis-, and necrosis-inducing activity. Moreover, 2 stimulated the root elongation of tomato seedlings at doses of 10 and 100 microM. In consideration of the biological activities evidenced in this study, 1 and 2 appear to be potential candidates for biotechnological applications, as well as good models for studies on mechanism(s) of action and structure-activity relationships.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

The effects of a multivitamin/mineral supplement on micronutrient status, antioxidant capacity and cytokine production in healthy older adults consuming a fortified diet.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate micronutrient intake among older adults is common despite the increased prevalence of fortified/enriched foods in the American diet. Although many older adults take multivitamin supplements in an effort to compensate, studies examining the benefits of this behavior are absent. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement can improve micronutrient status, plasma antioxidant capacity and cytokine production in healthy, free-living older adults already consuming a fortified diet. METHODS: An eight-week double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial among 80 adults aged 50 to 87 years (mean = 66.5 +/- 8.6 years). RESULTS: Multivitamin treatment significantly increased (p<0.01, compared to placebo) plasma concentrations of vitamins D (77 to 100 nmol/L), E (27 to 32 micromol/L), pyridoxal phosphate (55.1 to 75.2 nmol/L), folate (23 to 33 nmol/L), B12 (286 to 326 pmol/L)), C (55 to 71 micromol/L), and improved the riboflavin activity coefficient (1.23 to 1.15), but not vitamins A and thiamin. The multivitamin reduced the prevalence of suboptimal plasma levels of vitamins E (p=0.003), B12 (p=0.004), and C (p=0.08). Neither glutathione peroxidase activity nor antioxidant capacity (ORAC) were affected. No changes were observed in interleukin-2, -6 or -10 and prostaglandin E2, proxy measures of immune responses. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with a multivitamin formulated at about 100% Daily Value can decrease the prevalence of suboptimal vitamin status in older adults and improve their micronutrient status to levels associated with reduced risk for several chronic diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Multivitamin/mineral supplementation improves plasma B-vitamin status and homocysteine concentration in healthy older adults consuming a folate-fortified diet.

Elevated homocysteine has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Although multivitamin use has been associated with low plasma homocysteine concentrations in several observational studies, no clinical trials have been conducted using multivitamin/mineral supplements to lower homocysteine. We determined whether a multivitamin/mineral supplement formulated at about 100% Daily Value will further lower homocysteine concentration and improve B-vitamin status in healthy older adults already consuming a diet fortified with folic acid. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 free-living men and women aged 50-87 y with total plasma homocysteine concentrations of > or =8 micromol/L received either a multivitamin/mineral supplement or placebo for 56 d while consuming their usual diet. After the 8-wk treatment, subjects taking the supplement had significantly higher B-vitamin status and lower homocysteine concentration than controls (P: < 0.01). Plasma folate, pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) and vitamin B-12 concentrations were increased 41.6, 36.5 and 13.8%, respectively, in the supplemented group, whereas no changes were observed in the placebo group. The mean homocysteine concentration decreased 9.6% in the supplemented group (P: < 0.001) and was unaffected in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in dietary intake during the intervention. Multivitamin/mineral supplementation can improve B-vitamin status and reduce plasma homocysteine concentration in older adults already consuming a folate-fortified diet.

Aged↗