Biology subjects

Nanni, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Nanni, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Nanoliposomal Omega-3 Fatty Acids Promote Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis through the BDNF/TrkB Pathway in C57BL/6 Mice

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are fundamental for different cellular and structural processes, especially regarding the nervous system. However, its incorporation in food has many bioaccessibility limitations, making it important to find new ways of its consumption. In this work, nanoencapsulated PUFAs orally administrated to C57BL/6 elite male mice for 8 weeks showed better bioavailability when compared to administration of free acids, also improving the effects on dentate gyrus neuronal survival as well as on the proneurogenic elements of the Brain derived neurotrophic factor biological pathway also in the hippocampus. In addition, nanoencapsulated PUFAs increased expression of Fabp5, a relevant n-3 fatty acids transporter in the brain. Altogether, our results would mean that the form of administration of the fatty acids can alter not only how much and how preserved they reach the central nervous system, but also have a differential impact in the diverse processes they contribute to.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Endothelial Cell Autophagy Suppresses Metastasis In Mouse Mammary and Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Models

Autophagy, a key lysosomal degradation pathway regulating metabolic adaptation in cancer, plays fundamental roles in both the tumor and host stromal compartments during cancer progression. An important unanswered question is whether and how autophagy in specific host stromal elements, such as endothelial cells, influences metastasis. Here, we scrutinize how the genetic loss of autophagy in endothelial cells impacts primary tumor progression and metastasis in the Polyoma Middle T (PyMT) model of luminal B breast cancer. In both autochthonous and orthotopic mammary transplant models, PyMT primary tumor growth is significantly delayed upon endothelial cell Atg12 or Atg5 genetic deletion (Atg12 or 5 ECKO), which correlates with increased tumor cell apoptosis and HIF1 activation. In contrast, PyMT-bearing Atg12 ECKO mice exhibit increased metastasis, as well as higher rates of primary tumor and lung metastatic recurrence following surgical resection of PyMT primary tumors. Experimental metastasis assays further corroborate that loss of endothelial cell autophagy in Atg12 ECKO host animals promotes PyMT metastatic colonization and outgrowth, resulting in increased lung metastases compared to controls. Similarly, in the Rat Insulin Promoter T antigen pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (RT2-PNET) model, endothelial cell deletion of Atg12 promotes liver micro-metastases. Taken together, these results from distinct preclinical cancer models reveal that endothelial cell autophagy suppresses metastatic seeding and progression and broach that autophagy inhibition in host endothelial cells may adversely influence the efficacy of systemic autophagy-lysosomal pathway inhibition in the clinical oncology setting.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Heterogeneous subpopulations of GABAAR-responding neurons coexist in physiological and pathological mature neuronal networks at increasing scales of complexity

GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in adults. Depolarizing/excitatory GABA responses have been well characterized at the level of neuronal-population average during typical neurodevelopment and partially in pathology. However, no investigation has specifically assessed whether a mosaicism of cells with either depolarizing/excitatory or hyperpolarizing/inhibitory GABAergic responses exists in adult animals in health/disease. Here, we showed that such mosaicism is present both in adult WT and Down syndrome (DS) mice, as assessed at increasing scales of neuronal-network complexity (cultures, brain- slices, behaving mice). Nevertheless, WT mice presented a lower percentage of cells with depolarizing GABA than DS mice. Restoring the mosaicism of hyperpolarizing and depolarizing GABA-responding neurons to WT levels rescued anxiety behaviour in DS mice. We also found heterogeneous GABAergic responses in mature control and trisomic human iPSC-derived neurons. Thus, a heterogeneous population of GABA-responding cells exists in physiological/pathological conditions in mature mouse and human neurons, possibly contributing to disease-associated behaviours.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

Neural Correlates Of The Natural Observation Of An Emotionally Loaded Video

Studies based on a paradigm of free or natural viewing have revealed characteristics that allow us to know how the brain processes stimuli within a natural environment. This method has been little used to study brain function. With a connectivity approach, we examine the processing of emotions using an exploratory method to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. This research describes our approach to modeling stress paradigms suitable for neuroimaging environments. We showed a short film (4.54 minutes) with high negative emotional valence and high arousal content to 24 healthy male subjects (36.42 years old; SD=12.14) during fMRI. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify networks based on spatial statistical independence. Through this analysis we identified the sensorimotor system and its influence on the dorsal attention and default-mode networks, which in turn have reciprocal activity and modulate networks described as emotional.

neuroscience↗