Biomedical subjects

Viviana Triaca

Publications and source records attributed to Viviana Triaca.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with TNF-alpha blockers.

Twenty consecutive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (mean age 50.4 +/- 10.5 years; 17 females; mean disease duration 5.78 +/- 3.75 years) enrolled for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blockers therapy (10 infliximab and 10 etanercept) were selected. Before starting therapy, 3 and 6 months thereafter all patients were evaluated for disease activity score (DAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nerve growth factor (NGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). After 3 and 6 months a significant reduction in DAS, ESR, CRP, and IL-6 was observed, whereas no significant differences of NGF and BDNF serum levels were found. These preliminary results confirm that TNF-alpha blockers significantly improve disease activity and inflammation in RA; nevertheless further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms regulating NGF and BDNF release in RA patients treated with TNF-alpha blockers.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2006

[The nerve growth factor induces cutaneous ulcer healing in "non-responder" tranplanted skin].

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is an endogenously produced growth factor regulating survival not only of nerve cells, but also of cutaneous tissues. We have recently reported that NGF can promote healing of human corneal ulcer, and cutaneous diabetic and pressure ulcers. In this study, we present a case report showing that NGF can induce recovery of a chronic cutaneous ulcer that failed to respond to all available therapies, including autologous skin transplantation. The result showed that topical application of NGF for 3 consecutive months induced skin ulcer healing and reduced the local inflammation. This finding supports and extents previous studies suggesting the cutaneous healing action and the potential therapeutic role of NGF.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2005

Fighting in the aged male mouse increases the expression of TrkA and TrkB in the subventricular zone and in the hippocampus.

In the present study, we investigate the effect of aggressive behavior and release of nerve growth factor (NGF) on brain progenitor cells. We found that the condition of subordination enhances the level of NGF in the subventricular zone and hippocampus whereas dominance elevates brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It was also found that mRNA-TrkA is over-expressed in the subventricular zone and hippocampus of dominant and subordinate mice, whereas mRNA-TrkB is increased in the subventricular zone of both dominants and subordinates and in the hippocampus of dominant mice. Fighting was also associated with increased presence of proliferating cells in the hippocampus stained with the nuclear marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Moreover, the brain of subordinate mice displayed tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in the wall of the periventricular region of the third ventricles and a marked neuropeptide Y (NPY) presence in the hippocampus co-expressed with BrdU. These results provide additional evidence that agonistic behavior in the aged mouse alters neurotrophin levels and increases brain progenitor cells number. The functional significance of these findings is discussed.

Aggression↗

PubMed2005

Presence of nerve growth factor and TrkA expression in the SVZ of EAE rats: evidence for a possible functional significance.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a well-characterized neurotrophic factor that plays a crucial role during development in the growth, differentiation, and maintenance of brain neurons as well as in the reparative response of the adult brain to neuronal damage. Recent studies have shown that acute axonal loss occurs in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), and that NGF suppresses clinical symptoms of EAE in nonhuman primates. Aim of the present study was to investigate the role of NGF in the regenerative response of the adult brain to neuronal damage occurring in EAE. Using EAE rats, we have found that exogenous NGF injection and NGF deprivation (NGF autoimmunization) can act on growth and differentiation of brain precursor cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of EAE rats. Moreover, NGF administration in brain of EAE rats stimulates the expression of early neuronal markers on proliferating precursor cells of the SVZ. The data obtained demonstrated that NGF and its antibody affect bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and NGF receptor expression by SVZ progenitor cells in the brain of EAE rats.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Structural and ultrastructural localization of NGF and NGF receptors in the thymus of subjects affected by myasthenia gravis.

We have previously reported that the thymus of patients affected by myasthenia gravis (MG) is characterized by an elevated level of nerve growth factor (NGF), an endogenous polypeptide which plays a marked role in the cell biology of nervous and immune system. A consistent number of studies has shown altered expression of NGF in diseases associated with inflammatory and/or autoimmune responses. To evaluate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms implicated in NGF action in human myasthenic thymus, it is important to identify the cellular and structural organization of NGF receptors. To address this question, we investigated, both at light and electron microscopic levels, the cellular distribution of immunoreactivity for NGF and its low-affinity receptors, (p75) and its high-affinity receptor (TrkA) in the thymus of patients with MG. The present investigation shows that NGF and NGF receptors are overexpressed in the thymic cells of patients with MG compared to control subjects.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Nerve growth factor and multiple sclerosis: studies on animal models and in humans].

We first reported that the level of nerve growth factor (NGF), a pleiotrophic factor produced in central nervous system (CNS) implicated in growth, differentiation and repair of brain neurones, undergoes through significant changes in brain of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and of its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Recently, much attention has been evolved around these studies, reinforcing the hypothesis about the role of NGF in this disorder. Indeed, current studies indicate that NGF stimulates growth and differentiation of stem cell in EAE, exerts anti-inflammatory action and reduces the severity of EAE in non-human primate, prospecting the clinical potentiality of NGF for MS. However, despite these findings, crucial evidences, such as, the identification and characterisation of the mechanism(s) implicated in tissue repair and in inflammatory responses, needs to be done to evaluate the role of NGF to identify potential therapeutic strategies for this demyelinating disorder.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

EGF and NGF injected into the brain of old mice enhance BDNF and ChAT in proliferating subventricular zone.

The response of cells localized in the brain subventricular zone (SVZ) to growth factor stimulation has been largely described for development and adult life, whereas no information on their behavior during aging is available. To address the question of whether the cells in the SVZ of old mice respond to the intracerebroventricular administration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF), we studied the distribution of proliferating cells and the effects on ChAT and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) synthesis in forebrain and SVZ. It was found that the conjoint administration of EGF + NGF produced a major increase in ChAT expression in both forebrain and SVZ. The ChAT mRNA levels and the number of ChAT positive cells localized in the ventricular border and in the parenchyma of SVZ area were also increased significantly in the mice receiving EGF + NGF. Enhanced numbers of SVZ cells expressing proliferative markers were also discovered in EGF + NGF treated mice and some of these cells expressed cholinergic markers, as demonstrated by double immunostaining. In addition, EGF and NGF treatments significantly upregulate BDNF protein and mRNA levels in this brain region. The present study demonstrates that cells localized in SVZ of aged mouse brain retain the capacity to respond to EGF and NGF and that after stimulation with these two growth factors, the synthesis of ChAT and BDNF also increases. The implication that cells of the SVZ remain a reservoir of cholinergic and BDNF-positive neurons in aged brain opens a new perspective for understanding the role of growth factors during neurodegenerative disorders associated with aging.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed2003

Agonistic encounters in aged male mouse potentiate the expression of endogenous brain NGF and BDNF: possible implication for brain progenitor cells' activation.

The condition of dominance or submission following agonistic encounters in the adult male mouse is known to differentially affect brain nerve growth factor, a neurotrophin playing a role in brain remodeling, in the fine tuning of behaviour and in the regulation of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. During development and adult life nerve growth factor regulates brain expression of neurotransmitters and the stimulation of progenitor cells (stem cells) which, under different external stimuli, may differentiate into neuronal and/or glial cells promoting the recovery of the injured brain. However, little information is available for the aged brain. Thus in the present study we investigated the effect of the social status ('dominance' vs. 'submission') in the aged mouse on the presence of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, choline acetyltransferase, neuropeptide Y and progenitor cells of selected brain regions. We found that aged dominant mice showed increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the subventricular zone and hippocampus and increased choline acetyltransferase in the septum and basal nuclei, which were associated with increased presence of progenitor cells in the subventricular zone. Conversely, in aged subordinate mice the data showed a marked brain increase in nerve growth factor in the subventricular zone and hippocampus, choline acetyltransferase in the septum and basal nuclei and neuropeptide Y in the hippocampus and parietal cortex. The possible functional implications of these findings are discussed.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

Brain NGF and EGF administration improves passive avoidance response and stimulates brain precursor cells in aged male mice.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been shown to improve damage in spatial cognition following aging, whereas epidermal growth factor (EGF) is important in brain cell proliferation. It is also known that the adult mammalian central nervous system contains persistent progenitor cells with characteristics of stem cells. These studies suggest that under appropriate external stimuli progenitor cells may generate neuronal and glial cells promoting recovery of the injured nervous system. However, little is known about the presence and responsiveness of progenitor cells in the aged brain. In the present investigation, we studied the effect of brain intracerebroventricular injections of EGF and/or NGF on progenitor cells of the subventricular area (SVZ) in aged male mice to test learning performances in the passive avoidance apparatus. We found that neither NGF nor EGF improved learning responses. However, combined NGF and EGF administration in the brain improved learning responses of aged mice in the passive avoidance when compared with aged matched nontreated controls. These findings resulted to be associated with increased immunopositivity to progenitor cells in the SVZ. The possible functional implications of these data are discussed.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

Short-term hypergravity influences NGF and BDNF expression, and mast cell distribution in the lungs and heart of adult male mice.

In this study we investigate the effects of short-term hypergravity on lung and heart neurotrophins and mast cell distribution. Our results showed that brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA expression are increased in the lungs of mice exposed to hypergravity while in the heart hypergravity causes a marked reduction in BDNF mRNA expression, and a decrease in BDNF protein. Compared to controls, nerve growth factor (NGF) protein was expressed more in the heart of rotated mice. These observations demonstrate that altered hypergravity can affect, though differentially, the local expression of NGF and BDNF proteins and their mRNAs in the lung and heart and indicates that short-term exposure to hypergravity causes a marked increase in BDNF, but not in NGF in the lungs of adult mice. Moreover, mast cells, which are NGF-producing cells and implicated in cardiac and respiratory activity, increased in number in proximity to blood vessels in the heart and in lung airway epithelium of rotated mice. This study indicates that hypergravity influences cardiovascular and respiratory tissue and suggests a neurotrophin involvement in the reaction to this environmental exposure.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neuronal markers expression of NGF-primed bone marrow cells (BMCs) transplanted in the brain of 6-hydroxydopamine and ibotenic acid lesioned littermate mice.

In the present study, we aim to show that non-adherent bone marrow cells (BMCs) express TrkA, the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor, and that addition of NGF promotes the survival and neuronal commitment of BMC transplanted into the experimentally injured brain of littermates mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that transplanted BMCs express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in proximity of the damaged dopaminergic tissues and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the lesioned cholinergic regions. These results suggest that NGF supports the survival and differentiation of uncommitted BMCs and concurs with other local environmental signals to promote the expression of neuronal markers in these cells. The possible functional significance of these observations will be discussed.

Animals↗