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Seccia TM, Shagjaa T, Morpurgo M, Caroccia B, Sanga V, Faoro S, Venturini F, Iadicicco G, Lococo S, Mazzitelli M, Farnia F, Fioretto P, Kobayashi Y, Gregori D, Rossi GP. RAndomized Clinical Trial Of NAfamostat Mesylate, A Potent Transmembrane Protease Serine 2 (TMPRSS2) Inhibitor, in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6618. [PMID: 37892756 PMCID: PMC10607860 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12206618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Even though SARS-CoV-2 was declared by WHO as constituting no longer a public health emergency, the development of effective treatments against SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a critical issue to prevent complications, particularly in fragile patients. The protease inhibitor nafamostat, currently used in Japan and Korea for pancreatitis, owing to its anticoagulant properties for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), is appealing for the treatment of COVID-19 infection, because it potently inhibits the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) that, after virus binding to ACE-2, allows virus entry into the cells and replication. Moreover, it could prevent the DIC and pulmonary embolism frequently associated with COVID-19 infection. The goal of the RAndomized Clinical Trial Of NAfamostat (RACONA) study, designed as a prospective randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, was to investigate the efficacy and safety of nafamostat mesylate (0.10 mg/kg/h iv for 7 days), on top of the optimal treatment, in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. We could screen 131 patients, but due to the predefined strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 15 could be randomized to group 1 (n = 7) or group 2 (n = 8). The results of an ad interim safety analysis showed similar overall trends for variables evaluating renal function, coagulation, and inflammation. No adverse events, including hyperkalemia, were found to be associated with nafamostat. Thus, the RACONA study showed a good safety profile of nafamostat, suggesting that it could be usefully used in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Maria Seccia
- Internal Emergency Medicine Unit, Specialized Center for Blood Pressure Disorders-Regione Veneto, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (T.M.S.); (T.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Tungalagtamir Shagjaa
- Internal Emergency Medicine Unit, Specialized Center for Blood Pressure Disorders-Regione Veneto, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (T.M.S.); (T.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Margherita Morpurgo
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy;
| | - Brasilina Caroccia
- Internal Emergency Medicine Unit, Specialized Center for Blood Pressure Disorders-Regione Veneto, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (T.M.S.); (T.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Viola Sanga
- Internal Emergency Medicine Unit, Specialized Center for Blood Pressure Disorders-Regione Veneto, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (T.M.S.); (T.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Sonia Faoro
- Pharmacy, University Hospital of Padua, 35126 Padua, Italy; (S.F.); (F.V.); (G.I.)
| | - Francesca Venturini
- Pharmacy, University Hospital of Padua, 35126 Padua, Italy; (S.F.); (F.V.); (G.I.)
| | - Girolama Iadicicco
- Pharmacy, University Hospital of Padua, 35126 Padua, Italy; (S.F.); (F.V.); (G.I.)
| | - Sara Lococo
- Pneumology, University Hospital of Padua, 35126 Padua, Italy;
| | - Maria Mazzitelli
- Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Padua, 35126 Padua, Italy;
| | - Filippo Farnia
- Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.F.); (P.F.)
| | - Paola Fioretto
- Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.F.); (P.F.)
| | | | - Dario Gregori
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy;
| | - Gian Paolo Rossi
- Internal Emergency Medicine Unit, Specialized Center for Blood Pressure Disorders-Regione Veneto, Department of Medicine—DIMED, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (T.M.S.); (T.S.); (V.S.)
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Arrigo E, Comità S, Pagliaro P, Penna C, Mancardi D. Clinical Applications for Gasotransmitters in the Cardiovascular System: Are We There Yet? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12480. [PMID: 37569855 PMCID: PMC10419417 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Ischemia is the underlying mechanism in a wide variety of acute and persistent pathologies. As such, understanding the fine intracellular events occurring during (and after) the restriction of blood supply is pivotal to improving the outcomes in clinical settings. Among others, gaseous signaling molecules constitutively produced by mammalian cells (gasotransmitters) have been shown to be of potential interest for clinical treatment of ischemia/reperfusion injury. Nitric oxide (NO and its sibling, HNO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon monoxide (CO) have long been proven to be cytoprotective in basic science experiments, and they are now awaiting confirmation with clinical trials. The aim of this work is to review the literature and the clinical trials database to address the state of development of potential therapeutic applications for NO, H2S, and CO and the clinical scenarios where they are more promising.
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Lana D, Landucci E, Mazzantini C, Magni G, Pellegrini-Giampietro DE, Giovannini MG. The Protective Effect of CBD in a Model of In Vitro Ischemia May Be Mediated by Agonism on TRPV2 Channel and Microglia Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12144. [PMID: 36292998 PMCID: PMC9603301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids, used for centuries for recreational and medical purposes, have potential therapeutic value in stroke treatment. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound and partial agonist of TRPV2 channels, is efficacious in many neurological disorders. We investigated the effects of CBD or Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in rat organotypic hippocampal slices exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), an in vitro model of ischemia. Neuronal TRPV2 expression decreased after OGD, but it increased in activated, phagocytic microglia. CBD increased TRPV2 expression, decreased microglia phagocytosis, and increased rod microglia after OGD. THC had effects contrary to those of CBD. Our results show that cannabinoids have different effects in ischemia. CBD showed neuroprotective effects, mediated, at least in part, by TRPV2 channels, since the TRPV2 antagonist tranilast blocked them, while THC worsened the neurodegeneration caused by ischemia. In conclusion, our results suggest that different cannabinoid molecules play different roles in the mechanisms of post-ischemic neuronal death. These different effects of cannabinoid observed in our experiments caution against the indiscriminate use of cannabis or cannabinoid preparations for recreational or therapeutic use. It was observed that the positive effects of CBD may be counteracted by the negative effects caused by high levels of THC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Lana
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Elisa Landucci
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Costanza Mazzantini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Giada Magni
- Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council (IFAC-CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Maria Grazia Giovannini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy
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Mazzoli M, Pepe E, Mateo D, Cattuto C, Gauvin L, Bajardi P, Tizzoni M, Hernando A, Meloni S, Ramasco JJ. Interplay between mobility, multi-seeding and lockdowns shapes COVID-19 local impact. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009326. [PMID: 34648495 PMCID: PMC8516261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the impact of mobility on epidemic spreading is of crucial importance for understanding the effect of policies like mass quarantines and selective re-openings. While many factors affect disease incidence at a local level, making it more or less homogeneous with respect to other areas, the importance of multi-seeding has often been overlooked. Multi-seeding occurs when several independent (non-clustered) infected individuals arrive at a susceptible population. This can lead to independent outbreaks that spark from distinct areas of the local contact (social) network. Such mechanism has the potential to boost incidence, making control efforts and contact tracing less effective. Here, through a modeling approach we show that the effect produced by the number of initial infections is non-linear on the incidence peak and peak time. When case importations are carried by mobility from an already infected area, this effect is further enhanced by the local demography and underlying mixing patterns: the impact of every seed is larger in smaller populations. Finally, both in the model simulations and the analysis, we show that a multi-seeding effect combined with mobility restrictions can explain the observed spatial heterogeneities in the first wave of COVID-19 incidence and mortality in five European countries. Our results allow us for identifying what we have called epidemic epicenter: an area that shapes incidence and mortality peaks in the entire country. The present work further clarifies the nonlinear effects that mobility can have on the evolution of an epidemic and highlight their relevance for epidemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Mazzoli
- Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, IPLESP, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - José J. Ramasco
- Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Lana D, Ugolini F, Giovannini MG. Space-Dependent Glia-Neuron Interplay in the Hippocampus of Transgenic Models of β-Amyloid Deposition. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9441. [PMID: 33322419 PMCID: PMC7763751 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This review is focused on the description and discussion of the alterations of astrocytes and microglia interplay in models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is an age-related neurodegenerative pathology with a slowly progressive and irreversible decline of cognitive functions. One of AD's histopathological hallmarks is the deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain. Long regarded as a non-specific, mere consequence of AD pathology, activation of microglia and astrocytes is now considered a key factor in both initiation and progression of the disease, and suppression of astrogliosis exacerbates neuropathology. Reactive astrocytes and microglia overexpress many cytokines, chemokines, and signaling molecules that activate or damage neighboring cells and their mutual interplay can result in virtuous/vicious cycles which differ in different brain regions. Heterogeneity of glia, either between or within a particular brain region, is likely to be relevant in healthy conditions and disease processes. Differential crosstalk between astrocytes and microglia in CA1 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus can be responsible for the differential sensitivity of the two areas to insults. Understanding the spatial differences and roles of glia will allow us to assess how these interactions can influence the state and progression of the disease, and will be critical for identifying therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Lana
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Filippo Ugolini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Anatomopathology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Maria Grazia Giovannini
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
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