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Biomedical subjects

L Ferretti

Publications and source records attributed to L Ferretti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Chromosome evolution and improved cytogenetic maps of the Y chromosome in cattle, zebu, river buffalo, sheep and goat.

Comparative FISH-mapping among Y chromosomes of cattle (Bos taurus, 2n = 60, BTA, submetacentric Y chromosome), zebu (Bos indicus, 2n = 60, BIN, acrocentric Y chromosome but with visible small p-arms), river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, 2n = 50, BBU, acrocentric Y chromosome), sheep (Ovis aries, 2n = 54, OAR, small metacentric Y chromosome) and goat (Capra hircus, 2n = 60, CHI, Y-chromosome as in sheep) was performed to extend the existing cytogenetic maps and improve the understanding of karyotype evolution of these small chromosomes in bovids. C- and R-banding comparison were also performed and both bovine and caprine BAC clones containing the SRY, ZFY, UMN0504, UMN0301, UMN0304 and DYZ10 loci in cattle and DXYS3 and SLC25A6 in goat were hybridized on R-banded chromosomes by FISH. The main results were the following: (a) Y-chromosomes of all species show a typical distal positive C-band which seems to be located at the same region of the typical distal R-band positive; (b) the PAR is located at the telomeres but close to both R-band positive and ZFY in all species; (c) ZFY is located opposite SRYand on different arms of BTA, BIN, OAR/CHI Y chromosomes and distal (but centromeric to ZFY) in BBU-Y; (d) BTA-Y and BIN-Y differ as a result of a centromere transposition or pericentric inversion since they retain the same gene order along their distal chromosome regions and have chromosome arms of different size; (e) BTA-Y and BBU-Y differ in a pericentric inversion with a concomitant loss or gain of heterochromatin; (f) OAR/CHI-Y differs from BBU-Y for a pericentric inversion with a major loss of heterochromatin and from BTA and BIN for a centromere transposition followed by the loss of heterochromatin.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A histopathologic investigation of PGE(2) pathways as predictors of proliferation and invasion in urothelial carcinomas of the bladder.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The pattern of arachidonate acid (AA) transformation in tumor cells has been shown to play a role in determining tumor cell invasiveness. AA is released from membrane phospholipids by cPLA(2). Then it is metabolized into prostaglandins and PGE(2) especially via cyclooxygenase pathways. PGE(2) production seems to be necessary for rendering the cells invasive. We aimed to characterize cPLA(2), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and prostaglandine E synthase (PGES) expression in human transitional carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder and correlate with the Ki-67 proliferating marker. METHODS: Formalin-fixed human TCC tissues (n=54) obtained from TURB or cystectomies were evaluated for cPLA(2), COX2, PGES and Ki-67 expression using specific antibodies. There were 6 CIS, 9 pTaG1, 9 pTaG3, 10 pT1G3 and 10 pT2G3. 10 normal bladder tissues were also evaluated. Control slides were incubated without primary antibodies and treated in a similar way. RESULTS: cPLA(2), COX2 and PGES were not expressed in the 10 normal tissues. In the same normal tissues, Ki-67 expression was observed only in 1% of the cells. However, cPLA(2) was expressed in 1/6 CIS, 1/9 pTaG1, 3/9 pTaG3, 6/10 pT1G3 and 2/10 pT2G3. COX2 was expressed in 0/6 CIS, 0/10 pTaG1, 2/9 pTaG3, 3/10 pT1G3 and 1/10 pT2G3. PGES was expressed in 4/6 CIS, 0/9 pTaG1, 4/9 pTaG3, 2/10 pT1G3 and 5/10 pT2G3. Ki-67 expression was 39.5% for CIS, 6.5% in pTaG1, 37% in pTaG3, 34.5% in pT1G3 and 55% in pT2G3. If we consider it a positive result when at least one enzyme was expressed, there were 5/6 CIS positive, 1/9 pTaG1 positive, 9/9 pTaG3 positive, 10/10 pT1G3 positive and 10/10 pT2G3 positive. Also the Ki-67 is more often expressed in cells with high grade tumor. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that (i). not only COX2 is involved in the tumorogenesis of the TCC but also cPLA(2) and PGES, (ii). there is relationship between the AA metabolic PGE(2) pathway expression and the aggressiveness of the TCC of the urinary bladder.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Sequence variation in the bovine and ovine PRNP genes.

A resequencing approach was adopted to identify sequence variants in the PRNP gene that may affect susceptibility or resistance to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The entire PRNP gene (>21 kb) was sequenced from 26 chromosomes from a group of Holstein-Friesian cows, as well as exon 3 of PRNP (>4 kb) from a further 24 chromosomes from six diverse breeds. We identified 51 variant sequences of which 42 were single nucleotide polymorphisms and nine were insertion/deletion (indel) events. The study was extended to exon 3 of the sheep PRNP gene where 23 sequence variants were observed, four of which were indels. The level of nucleotide diversity in the complete bovine PRNP gene was pi = 0.00079, which is similar to that found at the bovine T-cell receptor alpha delta joining region (pi = 0.00077), but somewhat less than that observed for the bovine leptin (pi = 0.00265). Sequence variation within exon 3 of PRNP in both cattle (pi = 0.00102) and sheep (pi = 0.00171) was greater than that for the complete PRNP gene, with sheep showing greater sequence variation in exon 3 than cattle. The level of sequence variation reported here is greater than previously thought for the bovine PRNP gene in cattle. This study highlights the contribution that recombination plays in increasing allelic diversity in this species.

Amyloid↗
PubMed2003

The river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, 2n = 50) cytogenetic map: assignment of 64 loci by fluorescence in situ hybridization and R-banding.

Sixty-four genomic BAC-clones mapping five type I (ADCYAP1, HRH1, IL3, RBP3B and SRY) and 59 type II loci, previously FISH-mapped to goat (63 loci) and cattle (SRY) chromosomes, were fluorescence in situ mapped to river buffalo R-banded chromosomes, noticeably extending the physical map of this species. All mapped loci from 26 bovine syntenic groups were located on homeologous chromosomes and chromosome regions of river buffalo and goat (cattle) chromosomes, confirming the high degree of chromosome homeologies among bovids. Furthermore, an improved cytogenetic map of the river buffalo with 293 loci from all 31 bovine syntenic groups is reported.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Comparative mapping of twenty-eight bovine loci in sheep (Ovis aries, 2n = 54) and river buffalo (Bubalus bubalis, 2n = 50) by FISH.

Peripheral blood cell cultures were treated for late incorporation of both BrdU and Hoechst-33258 to obtain R-banding pattern preparations. Twenty-eight bovine cosmids from 19 bovine syntenic groups (U), three of which contain type I loci and 25 which contain microsatellite loci and have previously been assigned to cattle chromosomes, were comparatively FISH-mapped to sheep and river buffalo chromosomes according to the standard karyotypes (13 loci for the first time in the latter species). The results enrich the physical maps of both species with information relative to the following loci and to the corresponding syntenic groups: IDVGA35 and IDVGA53 (U6), IDVGA61 and IDVGA84 (U13), JAB10 (U5), IDVGA41 and IDVGA57 (U27), IDVGA87 (U11), IDVGA32 and IDVGA10 (U19), IDVGA49, IDVGA66 and IDVGA68 (U1), ZNF164 (U23), IDVGA74 and IDVGA70 (U9), IDVGA47, IDVGA46 and IDVGA58 (U21), MAP1B (U14), IDVGA79 (U4), CATHL (U12), IDVGA71 (U8), IDVGA59 (U26), IDVGA29 (U29), IDVGA7 (U7), IDVGA82 (X), IDVGA50 (Y). All mapped loci were localized on homoeologous chromosomes and chromosome regions of the two species, confirming the high degree of chromosome homoeologies between the subfamilies Bovinae and Caprinae.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Genomic organization, comparative analysis, and genetic polymorphisms of the bovine and ovine prion Doppel genes (PRND).

The doppel protein (Dpl) is a prion-like protein encoded by the gene PRND, which has been found downstream of the prion gene, PRNP, in human and mouse. This paper describes the isolation and structural organization of the bovine and ovine PRND genes, which are composed of two exons compared with the three of human and mouse. Intergenic distances between PRNP and PRND were covered by means of long-range PCR and found to be 16.8 and 20 kb, in cattle and sheep respectively. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTR) were analyzed to identify transcription regulatory sequences and compared with those from the PRND and PRNP sequences published for other species. Three polymorphisms (R50H, N110H, and R132Q) were revealed in the cattle coding region; two synonymous substitutions (I12I, A26A) were found in sheep. None of the polymorphisms was significantly associated with either Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle or scrapie in sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Isolation and molecular characterization of rasfadin, a novel gene in the vicinity of the bovine prion gene.

A novel gene, rasfadin (RASSF2) was identified close to the bovine prion gene, and its genomic structure was derived with a combination of exon trapping and RACE. The gene covers at least 28 kb and maps to the same chromosomal region as the prion gene in cattle, sheep, and human. The RASSF2 ORF is composed of 987 base pairs divided into nine exons and shows a high nucleotide (88%) and amino acid similarity (95%) with a previously described human cDNA, KIAA0168. The bovine 3'UTR region is significantly shorter than the human counterpart, but shares with it two highly conserved nucleotide blocks. The expression of the gene was investigated in brain, liver, and spleen. Alternative splicing yields a shorter product in the liver composed of only four exons. Computer analysis showed a highly significant similarity of the rasfadin protein with the Ras association (Ral-GDS/AF-6) domain family 2 and with the afadin family, respectively, for the longer brain/spleen and the shorter liver variants.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2001

Anxiety and Alzheimer's disease.

This study investigated symptoms of anxiety in two samples of clinic outpatients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clinician and caregiver reports were obtained using standardized measures to characterize a broad array of anxiety symptoms. Anxiety symptoms were reported for a substantial proportion of subjects, regardless of whether clinician or caregiver ratings were used. Anxious or worried appearance was most common (68% to 71%), followed by fearfulness, tension, restlessness, and fidgeting (37% to 57%). Sleep disturbance and various somatic symptoms were less common (8% to 34%). Although anxiety symptoms were prevalent, only 5% to 6% of subjects met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for the diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. In both samples, anxiety symptoms were associated with depression, behavioral disturbances, and increased cognitive impairment. Study findings support a high occurrence of anxiety in patients with dementia, and treatments for anxiety might therefore be helpful in reducing the psychiatric burden of AD.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

[Studies of beef performance traits in Piemontese x Nanyang crossbred using microsatellites as genetic markers].

Five microsatellites, IDVGA-2, IDVGA-27, IDVGA-46, IDVGA-55 and TGLA-44 were associated to beef performance traits of 100 heads of Nanyang cattle, Piemontese and their hybrid cattle using general linear model (GLM) with statistical analysis system (SAS). For microsatellite IDVGA-27, allele 136 had a positive relation with heart girth, height at hip cross and chest depth (body measurements) and loin width (muscularity evaluation); however, allele 142 showed a significant negative correlation with above performance traits. For IDVGA-46, the individuals with allele 205 had a good muscular development at loin width, on the contrary, the allele 211, which was not found in Piemontese cattle, had a negative correlation with shoulder development. Allele 203 (IDVGA-55) had a positive association with body measurement parameters including wither height, body length, height at hip cross and rump width.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[Sclerosis in varicose veins].

The authors report their experience in the sclerotherapy of varicose veins. They have used the technique of French school: with the patient half sitting, direct puncture not far from the gulf of saphena without tourniquet, on a weekly basis.

Bandages↗