National Research Council (CNR) Institute of Clinical Physiology, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Cardiovascular Center, Paracelsus Medical University, 90471 Nuremberg, Germany. GVM Care & Research, Città di Lecce Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Cardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia", 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. Laboratory of Applied Physiology, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy. Institute of Cardiology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.