Carla Lucini | University of Naples "Federico II" / Università di Napoli Federico II (original) (raw)

Papers by Carla Lucini

European Journal of Histochemistry, 2009

The Anatomical Record, 2016

European Journal of …, 2009

Brain Sciences

Nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors are evolutionary conserved molecules, and in mammals are cons... more Nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors are evolutionary conserved molecules, and in mammals are considered necessary for ensuring the survival of cholinergic neurons. The age-dependent regulation of NTRK1/NTRKA and p75/NGFR in mammalian brain results in a reduced response of the cholinergic neurons to neurotrophic factors and is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we study the age-dependent expression of NGF receptors (NTRK1/NTRKA and p75/NGFR) in the brain of the short-lived teleost fish Nothobranchius furzeri. We observed that NTRK1/NTRKA is more expressed than p75/NGFR in young and old animals, although both receptors do not show a significant age-dependent change. We then study the neuroanatomical organization of the cholinergic system, observing that cholinergic fibers project over the entire neuroaxis while cholinergic neurons appear restricted to few nuclei situated in the equivalent of mammalian subpallium, preoptic area and rostral r...

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Tissue engineering (TE) pursues the ambitious goal to heal damaged tissues. One of the most succe... more Tissue engineering (TE) pursues the ambitious goal to heal damaged tissues. One of the most successful TE approaches relies on the use of scaffolds specifically designed and fabricated to promote tissue growth. During regeneration the guidance of biological events may be essential to sustain vasculature neoformation inside the engineered scaffold. In this context, one of the most effective strategies includes the incorporation of vasculature forming cells, namely endothelial cells (EC), into engineered constructs. However, the most common EC sources currently available, intended as primary cells, are affected by several limitations that make them inappropriate to personalized medicine. Human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC), since the time of their discovery, represent an unprecedented opportunity for regenerative medicine applications. Unfortunately, human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Endothelial Cells (hiPSC-ECs) still display significant safety issues. In this work, we re...

Neural Regeneration Research

Neural Regeneration Research

Journal of Morphology, 2016

Neurotrophins (NTs) and their specific Trk-receptors are key molecules involved in the regulation... more Neurotrophins (NTs) and their specific Trk-receptors are key molecules involved in the regulation of survival, proliferation, and differentiation of central nervous system during development and adulthood in vertebrates. In the present survey, we studied the expression and localization of neurotrophins and their Trk-receptors in the cerebellum of teleost fish Danio rerio (zebrafish). Teleostean cerebellum is composed of a valvula, body and vestibulolateral lobe. Valvula and body show the same three-layer structure as cerebellar cortex in mammals. The expression of NTs and Trk-receptors in the whole brain of zebrafish has been studied by Western blotting analysis. By immunohistochemistry, the localization of NTs has been observed mainly in Purkinje cells; TrkA and TrkB-receptors in cells and fibers of granular and molecular layers. TrkC was faintly detected. The occurrence of NTs and Trk-receptors suggests that they could have a synergistic action in the cerebellum of zebrafish. J. Morphol. 277:725-736, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuroscience Letters, Jun 18, 1999

Neuroscience Letters, Oct 1, 2009

Pietro Cacialli1,2, Livia D’angelo1, Paolo De Girolamo1, Carla Lucini1, Elisabeth Pellegrini2, Ol... more Pietro Cacialli1,2, Livia D’angelo1, Paolo De Girolamo1, Carla Lucini1, Elisabeth Pellegrini2, Olivier Kah2 , Luciana Castaldo1 1Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, via Veterinaria, 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy 2Team NEED, IRSET, IFR 140, Rennes, France pietro.cacialli@unina.it Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family, whose other components are nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin (NT) 3, NT 4/5 and NT 6/7. BDNF has been highly conserved molecule during the vertebrate evolution. It has been demonstrated that the DNA-deduced amino-acid sequence of the processed mature BDNF of the teleost fish Xiphophorus maculatum shows 90% identity with the mouse sequence. Also, the primary amino acid sequences of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and human BDNF are 91% identical. It is largely known that BDNF in the nervous system promotes neuronal growth, differentiation, survival and synaptogenesis. However, BDNF, ...

European journal of histochemistry : EJH, 1994

The time of appearance, morphology, and topographic distribution of somatostatin, neurotensin, bo... more The time of appearance, morphology, and topographic distribution of somatostatin, neurotensin, bombesin, gastrin/CCK and serotonin immunoreactive cells during embryonic development were studied in the duck gastrointestinal tract by immunohistochemical methods. Somatostatin immunoreactive cells first appeared in the duodenum of duck embryos at 9 days of incubation (d.i.). They progressively appeared in the other segments at 19 d.i., and at hatching they were present in all gastrointestinal segments except for the caecum. At hatching, the antrum was the richest region in somatostatin endocrine cells, and the gizzard the poorest. Neurotensin immunoreactive cells were detected at 21 d.i. in the proventriculus, antrum, duodenum, and rectum; at 23 d.i. they were present in all the other segments. Bombesin immunoreactive cells were observed in the proventriculus at 17 d.i., and in the gizzard and antrum at 23 d.i. No cells were detected in the intestinal segments. Gastrin/CCK immunoreactiv...

Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, 2014

Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and the GFRα co-receptors play a role in the d... more Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and the GFRα co-receptors play a role in the developing enteric nervous system. The co-receptors elicit their action by binding receptor tyrosine kinase RET. This immunohistochemical study reports the presence of GDNF and its specific co-receptor GFRα1 in the cat gastrointestinal apparatus during development, from stage 9 to 22. At stage 9 and 11, immunoreactivity (IR) to GDNF was observed in the cells of mesenchyme of the anterior gut. From stage 14 to 22, GDNF IR was detected in nervous plexuses; moreover, GDNF and GFRα1 IR appeared localized in gastrointestinal endocrine cells. The presence of GDNF in the enteric nervous system and in the endocrine cells suggests an involvement of this neurotrophic factor in the gastrointestinal development. Moreover, the presence of the co-receptor GFRα1 in endocrine cells and its absence in the enteric nervous system seems to indicate a different mode of transduction of GDNF signal. GFRα2 and G...

Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, 2014

Nerve growth factor (NGF) acts on central nervous system neurons, regulating naturally occurring ... more Nerve growth factor (NGF) acts on central nervous system neurons, regulating naturally occurring cell death, synaptic connectivity, fiber guidance and dendritic morphology. The dynamically regulated production of NGF beginning in development, extends throughout adult life and aging, exerting numerous roles through a surprising variety of neurons and glial cells. This study analyzes the localization of NGF in the brain of the teleost fish Nothobranchius furzeri, an emerging model for aging research due to its short lifespan. Immunochemical and immunohistochemical experiments were performed by employing an antibody mapping at the N-terminus of the mature chain human origin NGF. Western blot analysis revealed an intense and well defined band of 20 kDa, which corresponds to proNGF of N. furzeri. Immunohistochemistry revealed NGF immunoreactivity (IR) diffused throughout all regions of telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon and rhomboencephalon. It was detected in neurons and in glia...

European Journal of Histochemistry, 2009

The Anatomical Record, 2016

European Journal of …, 2009

Brain Sciences

Nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors are evolutionary conserved molecules, and in mammals are cons... more Nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors are evolutionary conserved molecules, and in mammals are considered necessary for ensuring the survival of cholinergic neurons. The age-dependent regulation of NTRK1/NTRKA and p75/NGFR in mammalian brain results in a reduced response of the cholinergic neurons to neurotrophic factors and is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we study the age-dependent expression of NGF receptors (NTRK1/NTRKA and p75/NGFR) in the brain of the short-lived teleost fish Nothobranchius furzeri. We observed that NTRK1/NTRKA is more expressed than p75/NGFR in young and old animals, although both receptors do not show a significant age-dependent change. We then study the neuroanatomical organization of the cholinergic system, observing that cholinergic fibers project over the entire neuroaxis while cholinergic neurons appear restricted to few nuclei situated in the equivalent of mammalian subpallium, preoptic area and rostral r...

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Tissue engineering (TE) pursues the ambitious goal to heal damaged tissues. One of the most succe... more Tissue engineering (TE) pursues the ambitious goal to heal damaged tissues. One of the most successful TE approaches relies on the use of scaffolds specifically designed and fabricated to promote tissue growth. During regeneration the guidance of biological events may be essential to sustain vasculature neoformation inside the engineered scaffold. In this context, one of the most effective strategies includes the incorporation of vasculature forming cells, namely endothelial cells (EC), into engineered constructs. However, the most common EC sources currently available, intended as primary cells, are affected by several limitations that make them inappropriate to personalized medicine. Human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC), since the time of their discovery, represent an unprecedented opportunity for regenerative medicine applications. Unfortunately, human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Endothelial Cells (hiPSC-ECs) still display significant safety issues. In this work, we re...

Neural Regeneration Research

Neural Regeneration Research

Journal of Morphology, 2016

Neurotrophins (NTs) and their specific Trk-receptors are key molecules involved in the regulation... more Neurotrophins (NTs) and their specific Trk-receptors are key molecules involved in the regulation of survival, proliferation, and differentiation of central nervous system during development and adulthood in vertebrates. In the present survey, we studied the expression and localization of neurotrophins and their Trk-receptors in the cerebellum of teleost fish Danio rerio (zebrafish). Teleostean cerebellum is composed of a valvula, body and vestibulolateral lobe. Valvula and body show the same three-layer structure as cerebellar cortex in mammals. The expression of NTs and Trk-receptors in the whole brain of zebrafish has been studied by Western blotting analysis. By immunohistochemistry, the localization of NTs has been observed mainly in Purkinje cells; TrkA and TrkB-receptors in cells and fibers of granular and molecular layers. TrkC was faintly detected. The occurrence of NTs and Trk-receptors suggests that they could have a synergistic action in the cerebellum of zebrafish. J. Morphol. 277:725-736, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuroscience Letters, Jun 18, 1999

Neuroscience Letters, Oct 1, 2009

Pietro Cacialli1,2, Livia D’angelo1, Paolo De Girolamo1, Carla Lucini1, Elisabeth Pellegrini2, Ol... more Pietro Cacialli1,2, Livia D’angelo1, Paolo De Girolamo1, Carla Lucini1, Elisabeth Pellegrini2, Olivier Kah2 , Luciana Castaldo1 1Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, via Veterinaria, 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy 2Team NEED, IRSET, IFR 140, Rennes, France pietro.cacialli@unina.it Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family, whose other components are nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin (NT) 3, NT 4/5 and NT 6/7. BDNF has been highly conserved molecule during the vertebrate evolution. It has been demonstrated that the DNA-deduced amino-acid sequence of the processed mature BDNF of the teleost fish Xiphophorus maculatum shows 90% identity with the mouse sequence. Also, the primary amino acid sequences of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and human BDNF are 91% identical. It is largely known that BDNF in the nervous system promotes neuronal growth, differentiation, survival and synaptogenesis. However, BDNF, ...

European journal of histochemistry : EJH, 1994

The time of appearance, morphology, and topographic distribution of somatostatin, neurotensin, bo... more The time of appearance, morphology, and topographic distribution of somatostatin, neurotensin, bombesin, gastrin/CCK and serotonin immunoreactive cells during embryonic development were studied in the duck gastrointestinal tract by immunohistochemical methods. Somatostatin immunoreactive cells first appeared in the duodenum of duck embryos at 9 days of incubation (d.i.). They progressively appeared in the other segments at 19 d.i., and at hatching they were present in all gastrointestinal segments except for the caecum. At hatching, the antrum was the richest region in somatostatin endocrine cells, and the gizzard the poorest. Neurotensin immunoreactive cells were detected at 21 d.i. in the proventriculus, antrum, duodenum, and rectum; at 23 d.i. they were present in all the other segments. Bombesin immunoreactive cells were observed in the proventriculus at 17 d.i., and in the gizzard and antrum at 23 d.i. No cells were detected in the intestinal segments. Gastrin/CCK immunoreactiv...

Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, 2014

Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and the GFRα co-receptors play a role in the d... more Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and the GFRα co-receptors play a role in the developing enteric nervous system. The co-receptors elicit their action by binding receptor tyrosine kinase RET. This immunohistochemical study reports the presence of GDNF and its specific co-receptor GFRα1 in the cat gastrointestinal apparatus during development, from stage 9 to 22. At stage 9 and 11, immunoreactivity (IR) to GDNF was observed in the cells of mesenchyme of the anterior gut. From stage 14 to 22, GDNF IR was detected in nervous plexuses; moreover, GDNF and GFRα1 IR appeared localized in gastrointestinal endocrine cells. The presence of GDNF in the enteric nervous system and in the endocrine cells suggests an involvement of this neurotrophic factor in the gastrointestinal development. Moreover, the presence of the co-receptor GFRα1 in endocrine cells and its absence in the enteric nervous system seems to indicate a different mode of transduction of GDNF signal. GFRα2 and G...

Annals of anatomy = Anatomischer Anzeiger : official organ of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, 2014

Nerve growth factor (NGF) acts on central nervous system neurons, regulating naturally occurring ... more Nerve growth factor (NGF) acts on central nervous system neurons, regulating naturally occurring cell death, synaptic connectivity, fiber guidance and dendritic morphology. The dynamically regulated production of NGF beginning in development, extends throughout adult life and aging, exerting numerous roles through a surprising variety of neurons and glial cells. This study analyzes the localization of NGF in the brain of the teleost fish Nothobranchius furzeri, an emerging model for aging research due to its short lifespan. Immunochemical and immunohistochemical experiments were performed by employing an antibody mapping at the N-terminus of the mature chain human origin NGF. Western blot analysis revealed an intense and well defined band of 20 kDa, which corresponds to proNGF of N. furzeri. Immunohistochemistry revealed NGF immunoreactivity (IR) diffused throughout all regions of telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon and rhomboencephalon. It was detected in neurons and in glia...