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These results explain the basis of the apparent difference in block of mutant sodium channels by mexiletine and Me7, opening the way to a more rationale drug use and to design more potent drugs able to correct specifically the biophysical defect of the mutation in individual myotonic patients.

Background: Chronic endometritis (CE) is a subtle pathology causing infertility and abnormal uterine bleeding. We evaluated the reliability of vaginal and cervical cultures for detecting infectious agents at the endometrial level. Methods: In a prospective diagnostic study, 181 women diagnosed with CE and 100 controls underwent vaginal, endocervical and endometrial sampling. Cultures for common bacteria, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, yeast and Ureaplasma urealyticum and PCR for Chlamydia trachomatis were performed. Results: The prevalent infectious agents at the endometrial level were common bacteria(59.7% of cases); U. urealyticum was detected in 11.0% and C. trachomatis in only 2.8%. The concordance rate between endocervical and endometrial specimens for common bacteria was 48.3%; 100% for C. trachomatis and 58.3% for U. urealyticum. The concordance rate between vaginal and endometrial cultures for common bacteria was 50.2%, only 16.7% for C. trachomatis and 48.8% for U. urealyticum. For common bacteria both vaginal and cervical cultures showed low sensitivities of 0.30 and 0.19, respectively. Conclusion: Common bacteria and U. urealyticum were the prevalent infectious agents in the uterine cavity of women diagnosed with CE. Both vaginal and endocervical cultures had low concordance with endometrial cultures. Only C. trachomatis test at cervical level had high concordance with endometrial findings.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are described as a chronic inflammation of the small intestine and colon, caused by a dysregulated immune response to host intestinal microbiota in genetically susceptible subjects. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare probiotic therapy versus placebo in Oxidative Stress Values and clinical features in patients affected by IBD. Method: Forty (40) patients previously diagnosed for IBD were recruited and randomized to receive probiotics (test group, n=20) or placebo (control group, n=20) administered for 90 days. Subjects in both the groups were assessed for overall oxidant ability (d-ROMs test) and for the antioxidant response (BAP test): data were reported at baseline, after 1 and 3 months. Additional data from anamnesis and haematological investigation were also reported during the study. Results: d-ROM assay clearly showed that the values observed in the test group were significantly improved, leading to oxidative stress values which are not pathological. The test group showed increasing BAP values, thus confirming the overall improvements of patients ‘health following administration of probiotics. Conclusion: Oral administration of the specific probiotics demonstrated its efficacy and safety on patients affected by IBD.

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a complex pathology with a significant impact worldwide causing bone loss. Oral dysbiosis is a highly inflammatory condition associated to a long-term insulting infection and represents an underestimated CP key factor associated with an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gene responses. The presence of a single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene −1082, −819, and −592 was a possible determinant cause. This translational research aimed to provide outcomes on the role of IL-10 gene expression in bone loss diseases in patients affected by CP. Caucasian patients (n = 96) affected by CP were recruited from the Italian population. The subgingival samples were collected using the Bacterial Periodontal Assessment by Biomolecular Diagnostic® and the characterization of a set of 15 bacterial DNA responsible of periodontitis was performed by real-time multiplex PCR. In addition, two viruses, Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) and Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1), and a pathogenic fungi (Candida albicans) were included as a part of our panel. Our results confirmed an existing association between IL-10 gene polymorphisms and polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin 1α-β-RN (IL-1α-β-RN), collagen type-l alpha (COLIA1), and vitamin D receptor (VDRs) genes in CP. Further studies are needed to improve diagnosis and endorse more effective therapeutic procedures for periodontal disease.

Background and purpose: Skeletal muscle injury by hypolipidemic drugs is not fully understood. An extensive analysis of the effect of chronic treatment with fluvastatin (5 mgkg -1 and 20 mgkg -1 ), atorvastatin (10 mgkg -1 ) and fenofibrate (60 mgkg -1 ) on rat skeletal muscle was undertaken. Experimental approach: Myoglobinemia as sign of muscle damage was measured by enzymatic assay. Histological and immunohistochemical techniques were used to estimate muscle integrity and the presence of aquaporin-4, a protein controlling water homeostasis. Electrophysiological evaluation of muscle Cl -conductance (gCl) and mechanical threshold (MT) for contraction, index of intracellular calcium homeostasis, was performed by the two-intracellular microelectrodes technique. Key results: Fluvastatin (20 mgkg -1 ) increased myoglobinemia. The lower dose of fluvastatin did not modify myoglobinemia, but reduced urinary electrolytes, suggesting direct effects on renal function. Atorvastatin also increased myoglobinemia, with slight effects on urinary parameters. No treatment caused any histological damage to muscle or modification in the number of fibres expressing aquaporin-4. Either fluvastatin (at both doses) or atorvastatin reduced sarcolemma gCl and changed MT. Both statins produced slight effects on total cholesterol, suggesting that the observed modifications occur independently of HMGCoA-reductase inhibition. Fenofibrate increased myoglobinemia and decreased muscle gCl, whereas it did not change the MT, suggesting a different mechanism of action from the statins. Conclusions and Implications This study identifies muscle gCl and MT as early targets of drugs action that may contribute to milder symptoms of myotoxicity, such as muscle cramps, while the increase of myoglobinemia is a later phenomenon.

The risk to public health from the large number of dog stools present on streets of urban areas is cause for concern. Dog faeces may be a serious hazard because they may contain microorganisms that are both pathogenic to humans and resistant to several classes of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for zoonotic infections and for the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in canine faeces which contaminates the urban environment. A total of 418 canine faecal samples were collected from streets in seven areas of Bari, Southern Italy. We have isolated multi-drug resistant Enterococci and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from these dog faecal samples. The presence of the resistant bacteria in an urban environment may represent a public health hazard which requires control measures by competent authorities. No Salmonella, Yersinia or Campylobacter species were isolated. Giardia cysts were detected in 1.9% of the samples. The predominant Enterococcus species were E.faecium (61.6%), E. gallinarum (23.3%) and E. casseliflavus (5.5%). Other species, including E. faecalis were also isolated. These strains were resistant to clindamycin (86.3%), tetracycline (65.7%), erythromycin (60.27%) and ampicillin (47.9%). High-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) was found in 65.7% of enterococci. Resistance to three or more antibiotics and six or more antibiotics were observed in 67.12% and 38.4% of Enterococcus spp., respectively. Resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin was not detected in any of the Enterococcus spp. isolated. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 0.7% of the faecal samples. Canine faeces left on the streets may represent a risk factor for transmission of microorganisms and a reservoir of multidrug- resistant bacteria thus contributing to the spread of resistance genes into an urban area.