Search results for "Enzyme Inhibitors"
showing 10 items of 559 documents
The iNOS Activity During an Immune Response Controls the CNS Pathology in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
2019
Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) plays a critical role in the regulation of multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Previous studies have shown that iNOS plays pathogenic as well as regulatory roles in MS and EAE. However, how does iNOS alters the pathophysiology of the central nervous system (CNS) in neuronal autoimmunity is not clearly understood. In the present work, we show that treatment of mice with L-NAME, an iNOS inhibitor, during the antigen-priming phase primarily alters brain pathology, while in the subsequent effector phase of the immune response, the spinal cord is involved. Inhibition of iNOS during the priming phase of the immune res…
9-ING-41, a small-molecule glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor, is active in neuroblastoma.
2018
Advanced stage neuroblastoma is a very aggressive pediatric cancer with limited treatment options and a high mortality rate. Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Using immunohistochemical staining, we observed positive GSK-3β expression in 67% of human neuroblastomas (34 out of 51 cases). Chemically distinct GSK-3 inhibitors (AR-A014418, TDZD8 and 9-ING-41), suppressed the growth of neuroblastoma cells whereas 9-ING-41, a clinically relevant small molecule GSK-3β inhibitor with broad spectrum pre-clinical antitumor activity, being the most potent. Inhibition of GSK-3 resulted in a decreased expression of the antiapoptotic molecule XIAP and…
Genetic susceptibility to angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor induced angioedema: A systematic review and evaluation of methodological approaches.
2019
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II which causes vasoconstriction. ACE inhibitors reduce blood pressure by inhibiting ACE. A well-known adverse drug reaction to ACE inhibitors is ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema (ACEi-AE). Angioedema is a swelling of skin and mucosa, which can be fatal if the airway is compromised. We have performed a systematic review of the evidence suggesting that genetic polymorphisms are associated with ACEi-AE and evaluated the methodological approaches of the included studies. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched. Studies investigating the association between genetic markers and…
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MSn) Analysis and Bioactivity Useful for Prevention…
2019
This study aimed at evaluating and comparing the chemical profile obtained by HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis, the inhibitory activity of enzymes linked to obesity (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase) and the antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching tests) of ethanol extracts of bulbs (BE) and aerial parts (APE) from Allium commutatum Guss. (known in Italy as “aglio delle isole”). The chemical profile revealed alliin as the main abundant compound with values of 31.5 and 38.8 mg/g extract for BE and APE, respectively. APE is rich also in quercetin (38.5 mg/g extract) and luteolin (31.8 mg/g extract). Bulbs extract exhibited the highest activity as inhibitor of enzymes linke…
Small molecule inhibitors and stimulators of inducible nitric oxide synthase in cancer cells from natural origin (phytochemicals, marine compounds, a…
2019
Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are a family of isoforms, which generate nitric oxide (NO). NO is one of the smallest molecules in nature and acts mainly as a potent vasodilator. It participates in various biological processes ranging from physiological to pathological conditions. Inducible NOS (iNOS, NOS2) is a calcium-independent and inducible isoform. Despite high iNOS expression in many tumors, the role of iNOS is still unclear and complex with both enhancing and prohibiting actions in tumorigenesis. Nature presents a broad variety of natural stimulators and inhibitors, which may either promote or inhibit iNOS response. In the present review, we give an overview of iNOS-modulating agents w…
Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors, Type 2 Diabetes and Fibrosis Progression: An Observational Study in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disea…
2016
Background The clinical determinants of fibrosis progression in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still under definition. Aim To assess the clinical determinants of fibrosis progression rate (FPR) in NAFLD patients with baseline and follow-up histological evaluation, with a special focus on the impact of pharmacological therapy. Methods In an observational cohort of 118 Italian patients from tertiary referral centers, liver histology was evaluated according to Kleiner. Independent predictors of FPR were selected by a stepwise regression approach. Results Median follow-up was 36 months (IQR 24–77). Twenty-five patients (18%) showed some amelioration, 63 (53%) had stability, 30 (25…
MET-EGFR dimerization in lung adenocarcinoma is dependent on EGFR mtations and altered by MET kinase inhibition
2017
Advanced lung cancer has poor survival with few therapies. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have high response rates in patients with activating EGFR mutations, but acquired resistance is inevitable. Acquisition of the EGFR T790M mutation causes over 50% of resistance; MET amplification is also common. Preclinical data suggest synergy between MET and EGFR inhibitors. We hypothesized that EGFR-MET dimerization determines response to MET inhibition, depending on EGFR mutation status, independently of MET copy number. We tested this hypothesis by generating isogenic cell lines from NCI-H1975 cells, which co-express L858R and T790M EGFR mutations, namely H1975L858R/T790M (EGFR TKI resista…
Cannabinoid Control of Learning and Memory through HCN Channels
2016
The mechanisms underlying the effects of cannabinoids on cognitive processes are not understood. Here we show that cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1Rs) control hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial memory through the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels that underlie the h-current (Ih), a key regulator of dendritic excitability. The CB1R-HCN pathway, involving c-Jun-N-terminal kinases (JNKs), nitric oxide synthase, and intracellular cGMP, exerts a tonic enhancement of Ih selectively in pyramidal cells located in the superficial portion of the CA1 pyramidal cell layer, whereas it is absent from deep-layer cells. Activation of the CB1R-HCN pathway impairs d…
Venlafaxine prevents morphine antinociceptive tolerance: The role of neuroinflammation and the l-arginine-nitric oxide pathway.
2017
Abstract Opioid-induced neuroinflammation and the nitric oxide (NO) signal-transduction pathway are involved in the development of opioid analgesic tolerance. The antidepressant venlafaxine (VLF) modulates NO in nervous tissues, and so we investigated its effect on induced tolerance to morphine, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress in mice. Tolerance to the analgesic effects of morphine were induced by injecting mice with morphine (50 mg/kg) once a day for three consecutive days; the effect of co-administration of VLF (5 or 40 mg/kg) with morphine was similarly tested in a separate group. To determine if the NO precursor l -arginine hydrochloride ( l -arg) or NO are involved in the effec…
Targeting aurora kinase B alleviates spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury.
2019
Peripheral nerve injury elicits spinal microgliosis, contributing to neuropathic pain. The aurora kinases A (AURKA), B (AURKB), and C (AURKC) are potential therapeutic targets in proliferating cells. However, their role has not been clarified in microglia. The aim of this study was to examine the regulation of aurora kinases and their roles and druggability in spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain. Sprague-Dawley rats received chronic constriction injury (CCI). Gene expression of aurora kinases A-C was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot, respectively, in spinal cords at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after CCI. AURKB gene and protein expression was up-regulated concomitantly with th…