Nicola Surico - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Nicola Surico
Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2014
Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 2015
Background/Aim: Previous reports have made it hypothetically possible that human chorionic gonado... more Background/Aim: Previous reports have made it hypothetically possible that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) could protect against the onset of pregnancy-related pathological conditions by acting as an antioxidant. In the present study we planned to examine the effects of hCG against oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods: HUVEC were subjected to peroxidation by hydrogen peroxide. The modulation of nitric oxide (NO) release by hCG and its effects on cell viability, glutathione (GSH) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial transition pore opening (MPTP) were examined by specific dyes. Endothelial and inducible NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS), Akt and extracellular -signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation and markers of apoptosis were analyzed by Western Blot. Results: In HUVEC, hCG reduced NO release by modulating eNOS and iNOS. Moreover, hCG protected HUVEC against oxidative stress by preventing GSH reduction and apoptosi...
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022
A multicenter, cross-sectional observational study (Italian GENder Differences in Awareness of Ca... more A multicenter, cross-sectional observational study (Italian GENder Differences in Awareness of Cardiovascular risk, IGENDA study) was carried out to evaluate the perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk among Italian women. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 4454 women (44.3 ± 14.1 years). The 70% of respondents correctly identified cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death. More than half of respondents quoted cancer as the greatest current and future health problem of women of same age. Sixty percent of interviewed women considered CVD as an almost exclusively male condition. Although respondents showed a good knowledge of the major cardiovascular risk factors, the presence of cardiovascular risk factors was not associated with higher odds of identifying CVD as the biggest cause of death. Less than 10% of respondents perceived themselves as being at high CVD risk, and the increased CVD risk perception was associated with ageing, higher frequency of...
Copyright © 2010 Nicoletta Filigheddu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the... more Copyright © 2010 Nicoletta Filigheddu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, is a common gynecological disease with poorly understood pathogenesis. MicroRNAs are members of a class of small noncoding RNA molecules that have a critical role in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by repression of target mRNAs translation. We assessed differentially expressed microRNAs in ectopic endometrium compared with eutopic endometrium in 3 patients through microarray analysis. We identified 50 microRNAs differentially expressed and the differential expression of five microRNAs was validated by real-time RT-PCR in other 13 patients. We identified in silico their predicted targets, several of which match the genes that have ...
Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 2017
Background/Aims: estrogens and phytoestrogens exert hepatoprotection through mechanisms not clear... more Background/Aims: estrogens and phytoestrogens exert hepatoprotection through mechanisms not clearly examined yet. Here, we investigated the protective effects exerted by 17β-estradiol and genistein against oxidative stress in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the involvement of specific receptors and the intracellular signalling. Methods: Huh7.5 and LX-2, alone or in co-culture with Huh7.5, were treated with 17β-estradiol and genistein alone or in the presence of menadione and of estrogen receptors (ERs) and G protein-coupled-estrogenic-receptors (GPER) blockers. Cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidant/antioxidant system were measured by specific kits. Western Blot was used for the analysis of Akt and p38-mitogen-activated-protein kinases (MAPK) activation and α-smooth-muscle actin expression. Results: In Huh7.5, 17β-estradiol and genistein prevented the effects of peroxidation by modulating Akt and p38MAPK activation. Similar antioxidant and pro...
Journal of minimally invasive gynecology
Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a complex disease that impairs the quality of life and t... more Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a complex disease that impairs the quality of life and the fertility of women. Colorectal DIE accounts for 70% to 93% of all the intestinal endometriotic sites and frequently needs a surgical approach. However, the indications for the surgical management of this condition are still controversial. From March 2010 to June 2014, we scheduled 33 consecutive patients presenting with retrocervical-rectal DIE of any diameter not involving the mucosa nor producing rectal stenosis >50% for laparoscopic robotic-assisted nerve-sparing rectal nodulectomy (LRN). All patients were examined preoperatively, at 3 months and 6 months postoperatively, and yearly thereafter. Dysmenorrhea, dyschezia, dyspareunia, and dysuria were evaluated on a 10-point visual analog scale. Among the 33 enrolled patients, 31 (93.9%) fulfilled the selection criteria and were submitted to LRN. In 1 out of 31 available patients (3.2%), a segmental bowel resection was considered n...
Radiation oncology (London, England), Jan 19, 2017
Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) refers to the delivery of a single radiation dose to a limited... more Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) refers to the delivery of a single radiation dose to a limited volume of tissue during a surgical procedure. A literature review was performed to analyze the role of IORT in gynaecological and genito-urinary cancer including endometrial, cervical, renal, bladder and prostate cancers.Literature search was performed by Pubmed and Scopus, using the words "intraoperative radiotherapy/IORT", "gynaecological cancer", "uterine/endometrial cancer", "cervical/cervix cancer", "renal/kidney cancer", "bladder cancer" and "prostate cancer". Forty-seven articles were selected from the search databases, analyzed and briefly described.Literature data show that IORT has been used to optimize local control rate in genito-urinary tumours mainly in retrospective studies. The results suggest that IORT could be advantageous in the setting of locally advanced and recurrent disease although further pro...
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 2016
Minerva ginecologica, 1998
Normal bone mass is one of the principal factors in the prevention of osteoporosis for women in a... more Normal bone mass is one of the principal factors in the prevention of osteoporosis for women in advanced age. Therefore, it is necessary to have efficacious serum and urinary markers available to screen the bone development and the bone resorption. Even if we are also far from identifying an ideal marker, the measurement of some substances such as pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) seems to be a first progress for efficacious and rather simple techniques.
Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents
All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is currently used in clinical trials for breast cancer, in virtue ... more All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is currently used in clinical trials for breast cancer, in virtue of its ability to inhibit cell growth and to promote cell differentiation. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the pleiotropic pharmacological activity of ATRA is of fundamental relevance for an effective use of the compound in clinics. This paper reports on the effects of ATRA treatment on the cell surface expression of a panel of adhesion molecules known to regulate the interactions between the effectors of the immune system and tumor targets. Results indicate that breast cancer (BC) cell lines exposed to ATRA selectively up-modulate the surface expression of ICAM-1/CD54, a molecule regulating cell/cell contacts. Such effect could be reproduced in all the BC cell lines analyzed, independently of their hormone receptor status, indicating that estrogens and progesterone are irrelevant in this process. The regulatory effects on ICAM-1 expression are time- and dose-depende...
Panminerva medica, 1999
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of identifying women with a high risk of po... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of identifying women with a high risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis by using computerised bone mineral analysis (CBMA) associated with markers of bone turnover in order to provide a valid and reliable screening test. A total of 925 patients were evaluated, 252 of whom had already undergone a preliminary densitometric test six months earlier and were diagnosed as fast bone losers. 225 of them (89%) also showed altered bone turnover markers. CBMA was negative in the remaining 673 patients but 13 patients showed altered bone turnover markers and three of the latter then showed a positive CBMA 18 months later. The 673 patients who, after six months of study, were not fast bone losers were monitored over time. It emerges from these results that fast bone losers are characterised by higher levels of hydroxyprolinuria and calcium, lower levels of oestrone and estradiol, and reduced body weight compared to healthy subjects. This simplif...
Minerva ginecologica, 1997
A homogeneous group of 45 patients, aged between 19 and 37 years was considered in relationship t... more A homogeneous group of 45 patients, aged between 19 and 37 years was considered in relationship to metabolic response during oral contraceptive use. A free endocrinological-metabolic pathology control group, formed by 30 patients, aged between 22 and 35, who were not treated with any therapy in the six months before, was also considered. We also considered any other factors like smoking, height, and weight in all women of our study. Study-trial was comprehensive of a 12 months follow-up, with some periods of study at 0, +6, +12 months. Metabolic responses of lipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein A and B during the different follow-up steps were determined. Total and fractionated cholesterol and triglycerides were also determined. Positive correlations were shown between Lipo(a) and Apo B and also between total cholesterol and LDL. Negative correlations were shown between Lipo(a) vs HDL and Apo A. Lipoprotein(a) was determined by the ELISA technique and turbidimetric technique. The aim o...
Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2014
Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 2015
Background/Aim: Previous reports have made it hypothetically possible that human chorionic gonado... more Background/Aim: Previous reports have made it hypothetically possible that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) could protect against the onset of pregnancy-related pathological conditions by acting as an antioxidant. In the present study we planned to examine the effects of hCG against oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods: HUVEC were subjected to peroxidation by hydrogen peroxide. The modulation of nitric oxide (NO) release by hCG and its effects on cell viability, glutathione (GSH) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial transition pore opening (MPTP) were examined by specific dyes. Endothelial and inducible NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS), Akt and extracellular -signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation and markers of apoptosis were analyzed by Western Blot. Results: In HUVEC, hCG reduced NO release by modulating eNOS and iNOS. Moreover, hCG protected HUVEC against oxidative stress by preventing GSH reduction and apoptosi...
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022
A multicenter, cross-sectional observational study (Italian GENder Differences in Awareness of Ca... more A multicenter, cross-sectional observational study (Italian GENder Differences in Awareness of Cardiovascular risk, IGENDA study) was carried out to evaluate the perception and knowledge of cardiovascular risk among Italian women. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 4454 women (44.3 ± 14.1 years). The 70% of respondents correctly identified cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death. More than half of respondents quoted cancer as the greatest current and future health problem of women of same age. Sixty percent of interviewed women considered CVD as an almost exclusively male condition. Although respondents showed a good knowledge of the major cardiovascular risk factors, the presence of cardiovascular risk factors was not associated with higher odds of identifying CVD as the biggest cause of death. Less than 10% of respondents perceived themselves as being at high CVD risk, and the increased CVD risk perception was associated with ageing, higher frequency of...
Copyright © 2010 Nicoletta Filigheddu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the... more Copyright © 2010 Nicoletta Filigheddu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, is a common gynecological disease with poorly understood pathogenesis. MicroRNAs are members of a class of small noncoding RNA molecules that have a critical role in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by repression of target mRNAs translation. We assessed differentially expressed microRNAs in ectopic endometrium compared with eutopic endometrium in 3 patients through microarray analysis. We identified 50 microRNAs differentially expressed and the differential expression of five microRNAs was validated by real-time RT-PCR in other 13 patients. We identified in silico their predicted targets, several of which match the genes that have ...
Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, 2017
Background/Aims: estrogens and phytoestrogens exert hepatoprotection through mechanisms not clear... more Background/Aims: estrogens and phytoestrogens exert hepatoprotection through mechanisms not clearly examined yet. Here, we investigated the protective effects exerted by 17β-estradiol and genistein against oxidative stress in hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the involvement of specific receptors and the intracellular signalling. Methods: Huh7.5 and LX-2, alone or in co-culture with Huh7.5, were treated with 17β-estradiol and genistein alone or in the presence of menadione and of estrogen receptors (ERs) and G protein-coupled-estrogenic-receptors (GPER) blockers. Cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidant/antioxidant system were measured by specific kits. Western Blot was used for the analysis of Akt and p38-mitogen-activated-protein kinases (MAPK) activation and α-smooth-muscle actin expression. Results: In Huh7.5, 17β-estradiol and genistein prevented the effects of peroxidation by modulating Akt and p38MAPK activation. Similar antioxidant and pro...
Journal of minimally invasive gynecology
Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a complex disease that impairs the quality of life and t... more Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a complex disease that impairs the quality of life and the fertility of women. Colorectal DIE accounts for 70% to 93% of all the intestinal endometriotic sites and frequently needs a surgical approach. However, the indications for the surgical management of this condition are still controversial. From March 2010 to June 2014, we scheduled 33 consecutive patients presenting with retrocervical-rectal DIE of any diameter not involving the mucosa nor producing rectal stenosis >50% for laparoscopic robotic-assisted nerve-sparing rectal nodulectomy (LRN). All patients were examined preoperatively, at 3 months and 6 months postoperatively, and yearly thereafter. Dysmenorrhea, dyschezia, dyspareunia, and dysuria were evaluated on a 10-point visual analog scale. Among the 33 enrolled patients, 31 (93.9%) fulfilled the selection criteria and were submitted to LRN. In 1 out of 31 available patients (3.2%), a segmental bowel resection was considered n...
Radiation oncology (London, England), Jan 19, 2017
Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) refers to the delivery of a single radiation dose to a limited... more Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) refers to the delivery of a single radiation dose to a limited volume of tissue during a surgical procedure. A literature review was performed to analyze the role of IORT in gynaecological and genito-urinary cancer including endometrial, cervical, renal, bladder and prostate cancers.Literature search was performed by Pubmed and Scopus, using the words "intraoperative radiotherapy/IORT", "gynaecological cancer", "uterine/endometrial cancer", "cervical/cervix cancer", "renal/kidney cancer", "bladder cancer" and "prostate cancer". Forty-seven articles were selected from the search databases, analyzed and briefly described.Literature data show that IORT has been used to optimize local control rate in genito-urinary tumours mainly in retrospective studies. The results suggest that IORT could be advantageous in the setting of locally advanced and recurrent disease although further pro...
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 2016
Minerva ginecologica, 1998
Normal bone mass is one of the principal factors in the prevention of osteoporosis for women in a... more Normal bone mass is one of the principal factors in the prevention of osteoporosis for women in advanced age. Therefore, it is necessary to have efficacious serum and urinary markers available to screen the bone development and the bone resorption. Even if we are also far from identifying an ideal marker, the measurement of some substances such as pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) seems to be a first progress for efficacious and rather simple techniques.
Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents
All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is currently used in clinical trials for breast cancer, in virtue ... more All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is currently used in clinical trials for breast cancer, in virtue of its ability to inhibit cell growth and to promote cell differentiation. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the pleiotropic pharmacological activity of ATRA is of fundamental relevance for an effective use of the compound in clinics. This paper reports on the effects of ATRA treatment on the cell surface expression of a panel of adhesion molecules known to regulate the interactions between the effectors of the immune system and tumor targets. Results indicate that breast cancer (BC) cell lines exposed to ATRA selectively up-modulate the surface expression of ICAM-1/CD54, a molecule regulating cell/cell contacts. Such effect could be reproduced in all the BC cell lines analyzed, independently of their hormone receptor status, indicating that estrogens and progesterone are irrelevant in this process. The regulatory effects on ICAM-1 expression are time- and dose-depende...
Panminerva medica, 1999
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of identifying women with a high risk of po... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of identifying women with a high risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis by using computerised bone mineral analysis (CBMA) associated with markers of bone turnover in order to provide a valid and reliable screening test. A total of 925 patients were evaluated, 252 of whom had already undergone a preliminary densitometric test six months earlier and were diagnosed as fast bone losers. 225 of them (89%) also showed altered bone turnover markers. CBMA was negative in the remaining 673 patients but 13 patients showed altered bone turnover markers and three of the latter then showed a positive CBMA 18 months later. The 673 patients who, after six months of study, were not fast bone losers were monitored over time. It emerges from these results that fast bone losers are characterised by higher levels of hydroxyprolinuria and calcium, lower levels of oestrone and estradiol, and reduced body weight compared to healthy subjects. This simplif...
Minerva ginecologica, 1997
A homogeneous group of 45 patients, aged between 19 and 37 years was considered in relationship t... more A homogeneous group of 45 patients, aged between 19 and 37 years was considered in relationship to metabolic response during oral contraceptive use. A free endocrinological-metabolic pathology control group, formed by 30 patients, aged between 22 and 35, who were not treated with any therapy in the six months before, was also considered. We also considered any other factors like smoking, height, and weight in all women of our study. Study-trial was comprehensive of a 12 months follow-up, with some periods of study at 0, +6, +12 months. Metabolic responses of lipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein A and B during the different follow-up steps were determined. Total and fractionated cholesterol and triglycerides were also determined. Positive correlations were shown between Lipo(a) and Apo B and also between total cholesterol and LDL. Negative correlations were shown between Lipo(a) vs HDL and Apo A. Lipoprotein(a) was determined by the ELISA technique and turbidimetric technique. The aim o...