AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated under conditions that deplete cellular ATP and elevate AMP levels such as glucose deprivation and hypoxia. The AMPK system is primarily thought of as a regulator of metabolism and cell proliferation. Little is known about the regulation and the effects of AMPK in somatotroph cells. We present results from "in vitro" studies showing that AMPK activity has a role in regulating somatotroph function in normal rat pituitary and is a promising target for the development of new pharmacological treatments affecting cell proliferation and viability of pituitary adenomatous cells. In parallel, we show "in vivo" data obtained in the rat suggesting that AMPK is an intracellular transducer that may play a role in mediating the effects of the pharmacological treatment with dexamethasone on somatotrophs. In rat pituitary cell cultures, the AMP analog AICAR induced a rapid and clear-cut activation of AMPK. AICAR decreased GH release and total cellular GH content. An appropriate level of AMPK activation was essential for GH3 adenomatous cells. Remarkably, over-activation by AICAR induced apoptosis of GH3 whereas the AMPK inhibitor compound C was more effective at reducing cell proliferation. The role of endocrine or paracrine factors in regulating AMPK phosphorylation and activity in GH3 cells has been also studied. As to "in vivo" studies, western blot analysis revealed a significant decrease of phosphorylated AMPK alpha-subunit in pituitary homogenates of DEX-treated rats versus controls, suggesting reduced AMPK activity. In conclusion, our studies showed that AMPK has a role in regulating somatotroph function in normal rat pituitary and proliferation of pituitary adenomatous cells.

The food system nowadays has proven to be unsustainable from the ecological and social points of view and the need of supporting food security and sustainability through local, short-supply chain food systems is manifest. Against this background, several municipalities all over the world have started to establish multi-stakeholder collaborative roundtables to sustain participatory mechanisms directed to design new sustainable urban food strategies. Their main objective is to make Civic Food Networks (such as farmers' markets, solidarity purchasing groups, communitysupported agriculture, local physical and online food hubs, box schemes) accessible to larger sectors of the population. In this contribution, we discuss preliminary research results on Nutrire Trento ("Feeding Trento"), a local sustainable food initiative, similar to a food council, through a living lab approach inscribed in a Transdisciplinary Action Research methodology, in order to analyse its potentialities as well as its critical aspects.