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Metabolic acidosis is a severe complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is associated with nefarious impairments such as bone demineralization, muscle wasting, and hormonal alterations, for example, insulin resistance. Whilst it is possible to control this condition with alkali treatment, consisting in the oral administration of sodium citrate or sodium bicarbonate, this type of intervention is not free from side effects. On the contrary, opting for the implementation of a targeted dietetic-nutritional treatment for the control of CKD metabolic acidosis also comes with a range of additional benefits such as lipid profile control, increased vitamins, and antioxidants intake. In our review, we evaluated the main dietary-nutritional regimens useful to counteract metabolic acidosis, such as the Mediterranean diet, the alkaline diet, the low-protein diet, and the vegan low-protein diet, analyzing the potentialities and limits of every dietary-nutritional treatment. Literature data suggest that the Mediterranean and alkaline diets represent a valid nutritional approach in the prevention and correction of metabolic acidosis in CKD early stages, while the low-protein diet and the vegan low-protein diet are more effective in CKD advanced stages. In conclusion, we propose that tailored nutritional approaches should represent a valid therapeutic alternative to counteract metabolic acidosis.

There is an urgent need for safe and effective approaches to combat COVID-19. Here, we asked whether lessons learned from nanotoxicology and nanomedicine could shed light on the current pandemic. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent, may trigger a mild, self-limiting disease with respiratory symptoms, but patients may also succumb to a life-threatening systemic disease. The host response to the virus is equally complex and studies are now beginning to unravel the immunological correlates of COVID-19. Nanotechnology can be applied for the delivery of antiviral drugs or other repurposed drugs. Moreover, recent work has shown that synthetic nanoparticles wrapped with host-derived cellular membranes may prevent virus infection. We posit that nanoparticles decorated with ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, could be exploited as decoys to intercept the virus before it infects cells in the respiratory tract. However, close attention should be paid to biocompatibility before such nano-decoys are deployed in the clinic.

Background and Aims The diabetic foot (DF) was traditionally considered a local foot problem due to diabetes; however many observations support the concept that the DF is actually a part of a more complex diabetes related syndrome which includes several long-term complications and co-morbidities. In recent years, an increase in the incidence of ischemic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) amongst dialyzed subjects has been observed, going up from approximately 5-10% fifteen years ago to the current rate of approximately 30-35%. Today it is well recognized that end stage renal disease (ESRD) is an independent risk factor for non-healing ulcers and amputation in diabetic subjects. In clinical practice, the presence of foot problems in ESRD diabetic patients is identified as a specific entity termed “renal-diabetic foot”. The aim of this study is to describe the angiographic characteristics of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with DFUs receiving chronic dialysis treatment. Method The study group was composed of patients with DFUs and PAD who referred to our diabetic foot unit. All patients have been managed with a pre-set limb salvage protocol including revascularization of the affected limb. Arterial lesions (stenosis between 50-99% and occlusions) were retrospectively evaluated through angiogram analysis. According to the presence of dialytic treatment, patients were divided in two subgroups: renal-diabetic foot (RDF) and diabetic foot (DF). Patterns of PAD and immediate revascularization outcome (technical revascularization outcome) for RDF and DF were separately reported and compared Results The demographic and clinical characteristics were reported in Table 1.RDF reported greater number of affected vessels (n= 5±1.6 vs 3.9±1.5, p Conclusion It was interesting to highlight that the above mentioned findings could be specifically related to the effect of renal disease on the arteries of the lower extremity because the two groups, RDF and DF, did not report any difference in terms of other traditional cardiovascular risk factors (age, smoke, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes duration) which could influence the characteristics of PAD. RDF patients showed a widespread distribution of arterial lesions with a higher involvement of foot arteries in comparison to DF subjects. BTA arterial disease is an independent predictor of revascularization failure.

In recent years, mounting scientific evidence has emerged regarding the evaluation of the putative correlation between the gut microbiota composition and the presence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and arterial hypertension. The aim of this narrative review is to examine the current literature with respect to the relationship between intestinal dysbiosis and the insurgence/progression of chronic NCDs, analyzing the physiopathological mechanisms that can induce microbiota modification in the course of these pathologies, and the possible effect induced by microbiota alteration upon disease onset. Therapy based on probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplant can represent a useful therapeutic tool, as has been highlighted on animal studies. To this moment, clinical studies that intended to demonstrate the beneficial effect induced by this kind of oral supplementation on the gut microbiota composition, and subsequent amelioration of signs and symptoms of chronic NCDs have been conducted on limited sample populations for a limited follow-up period. Therefore, to fully evaluate the therapeutic value of this kind of intervention, it would be ideal to design ample population; randomized clinical trials with a lengthy follow up period.