Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is the most studied dangerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon for its hepatotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressant effects, which can affect both wild and farmed marine fish through the trophic chain. This study investigated, for the first time, the chronic effects induced in vitro by B[a]P prolonged exposure on gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) hepatocytes, evaluating the cellular and nuclear latent damage. The purpose was to characterize the kind of B[a]P cyto- and genotoxic damage by morphological and immunocytochemical parameters applied in combination with the use of multiple assay endpoints. In light of our results, the short-term effects at higher B[a]P doses were linked to higher cytotoxicities and necrotic lysis, whereas a sustained inflammatory response at medium-low doses was perceived as a mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, both by surface and nuclear morphological changes. The strong immunoreactivity for the cleaved caspase-3 showed that the labeled cells committed suicide by apoptosis. B[a]P involvement on carcinogenesis comes from prolonged exposure at lower doses, establishing the connection between the escape from apoptosis and the selection of a tumoral phenotype. Cells colabeled with proliferating cell nuclear antigen/caspase-3 within the proliferative foci, were proliferating transformed oval stem cells, which escaped the suicide by apoptosis allowing cancer development. Finally, it was established that sea bream cultured hepatocytes are highly sensitive to chronic B[a]P exposure, as serious genotoxic effects were found even at the lowest doses.

Angiogenesis is an important pathway of neoplastic growth and progression. Our several published studies suggest that angiogenesis represents an interspecies pathway of tumour growth due to its roles in several spontaneous canine tumour model. Stromal microenvironment, macrophages and mast cells play a main roles in tumour angiogenesis. Furthermore several recent studies strongly suggest that mast cells density and mast cell activation are correlated with microvascular density. In this context mast cells may stimulates angiogenesis by secretion of their angiogenetic factors such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Tryptase and Chynase. VEGF represents the classical pro-angiogenic factor while Tryptase and Chynase are proteases identified as new pro-angiogenic factor.. Interstingly canine mast cell tumour model (CMCTM) represents a unique model to study the role of mast cells in angiogenetic pathway. CMCTM are classified in well, intermediate and poorly differenziated tumours with and different angiogenetic activity and metastatic capacity. We aim to study by mean of immunohistochemistry and ELISA methods primary mast cell tumour and mast cell tumour lines for the expression of angiogenic factors and mast cell activation. In this context will be possible to evaluate the inhibition of pro-angiogenic factors and mast cell degranulation as a new anti-angiogentic and anti tumour therapy.

Neural Progenitor Cells (NPCs) have gathered more and more attention in the field of Neural Stem Cells (NSCs). However, the multilineage differentiating behavior of these cells and their contribution to tissue regeneration, almost in lower vertebrate taxa, remain unknown. Since the early 1970s, many comparative studies have been performed using immunocytochemical screening on the brains of several vertebrate taxa, including teleosts, in order to identify these cells, even if the data are sometimes contrasting. This study aims: (1) to investigate in vitro the potential proliferative role of NPCs and Radial Glia Progenitors (RGP) in seabream neurogenesis; (2) to reveal the strict ability of fish NSCs to undertake the multilineage development and differentiation in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. By the use of double Immunofluorescence (IF) analysis and phase contrast microscopy, we identified the multilineage differentiation and the exact cell morphology. We demonstrated that NSC can self-renew and differentiate into different types of neurons or glial cells during extended culturing. Mature neurons expressed specific neuronal markers; they could differentiate during long term culturing, generating an extensive neurite growth. Glia was found highly mitotic and could developed mature astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Glial cells were assessed by Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) reactivity; neurons and myelinating oligodendrocytes were immunostained with cell-specific markers. This work provide that the multilineage differentiation potential of seabream neural cell progenitors might be a useful tool for neurodegenerative diseases, being a promising approach for repairing the CNS injuries, also in other animals, as a new coming strategy for function recovery of damaged nerves.

Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are traditionally human pathogens capable of causing foodborne intoxications and several type of infections. s. aureus could enter the pork production chain during the slaughter process. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and the enterotoxigenic characteristics of S. aureus and MRSA isolated from pigs at slaughterhouses. Overall, 60 (63.8%) of the 94 superficial swabs analyzed, resulted positive. From these 13 strains of S. aureus were isolated, of which 7 (53.8) resulted enterotoxigenic, and 47 strains of MRSA. The authors emphasize the need to raise the standards of the hygiene process in order to reduce the foodborne risk linked to the consumption of pork contaminated with the investigated microorganisms.

L’esperienza svolta nella ideazione, gestione e realizzazione del progetto pilota “Tutela e Riproduzione del Riccio di Mare (Paracentrotus lividus) specie innovativa per l’acquacoltura” dalla Algesiro srl di Manfredonia e della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria Dipartimento di Benessere Animale dell’Università di Bari è un modello per sviluppare la filiera ittica e la collaborazione tra imprese e mondo della ricerca. Classificato al primo posto della graduatoria nella valutazione di merito, avendo colto il senso del bando ed i suoi obiettivi, il progetto è stato condotto con puntualità ed aggiornamento costante rispetto alle scoperte via via effettuate ed alle tecnologie applicate. L’esperienza si colloca nelle buone pratiche che la Regione Puglia intende adottare e replicare perché il settore delle risorse ittiche possa crescere in maniera sostenibile e nel lungo periodo. L’attenzione posta alla tutela dell’ambiente e delle risorse partendo dalla richiesta di mercato del riccio di mare dimostra che è possibile progettare la gestione della filiera ittica bilanciando gli interventi tenendo conto della pluralità degli interessi e della qualità. Il protocollo sviluppato, primo al mondo, è replicabile in ogni angolo del pianeta e la funzione degli echinodermi, sia in allevamento sia in banchi naturali, contribuisce a tutelare l’ecosistema. Con l’auspicio che esperienze positive come questa possano replicarsi attivando rapporti virtuosi tra imprese, mondo della ricerca, istituzioni e ambiente per la crescita del territorio pugliese

Published data strongly suggest that tumor progression and malignancy are associated with increased angiogenesis. However, no data have been published concerning the relationship between microvascular density (MVD), tumor cytosol, and blood vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in canine non-Hodgkin lymphoma (C-NHL), a neoplasm that shares biological and clinical characteristics with human NHL. We have evaluated MVD and tumor cytosol, serum (S), platelet-poor plasma (P-PP), plasma-activated platelet rich (P-APR) VEGF concentration in a series of 63 B-cells C-NHL by means of immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) detection of VEGF. We found that MVD, VEGF from cytosol, and VEGF from P-APR are significantly correlated (p ranging from 0.001 to 0.003) and that these parameters paralleled with the malignancy degree of NHL. Accordingly, spontaneous C-NHL seems to be an interesting model to study the role of angiogenesis as interspecies pathway of tumor malignancy and we suggest that VEGF from P-APR might be a novel useful circulating bio-marker of tumor angiogenesis.

Published data strongly suggest that tumor progression and malignancy are associated with increased angiogenesis. However, no data have been published concerning the relationship between microvascular density (MVD), tumor cytosol, and blood vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations in canine non-Hodgkin lymphoma (C-NHL), a neoplasm that shares biological and clinical characteristics with human NHL. We have evaluated MVD and tumor cytosol, serum (S), platelet-poor plasma (P-PP), plasma-activated platelet rich (P-APR) VEGF concentration in a series of 63 B-cells C-NHL by means of immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) detection of VEGF. We found that MVD, VEGF from cytosol, and VEGF from P-APR are significantly correlated (p ranging from 0.001 to 0.003) and that these parameters paralleled with the malignancy degree of NHL. Accordingly, spontaneous C-NHL seems to be an interesting model to study the role of angiogenesis as interspecies pathway of tumor malignancy and we suggest that VEGF from P-APR might be a novel useful circulating bio-marker of tumor angiogenesis