Search results for "Lula"
showing 10 items of 7309 documents
GABA-containing compound gammapyrone protects against brain impairments in Alzheimer's disease model male rats and prevents mitochondrial dysfunction…
2018
Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, decreased glucose/energy metabolism, and disrupted neurotransmission are changes that occur early in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), manifesting as mild cognitive impairment. Recently, the imbalanced function of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system was identified as a critical factor in AD progression. Thus, maintaining balance among neurotransmitter systems, particularly the GABA system, can be considered a beneficial strategy to slow AD progression. The present study investigated the effects of the compound gammapyrone, a molecule containing three GABA moieties: "free" moiety attached to the position 4 of the 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) ring, and…
Activation of MORs in the VTA induces changes on cFos expression in different projecting regions: Effect of inflammatory pain.
2019
Abstract Chronic pain is a worldwide major health problem and many pain-suffering patients are under opioid based therapy. Epidemiological data show that pain intensity correlates with the risk of misuse of prescription opioids, and other drugs of abuse including alcohol. This increased vulnerability to suffer Substance Use Disorders could be, in part, caused by functional changes that occur over the mesocorticolimbic system, a brain pathway involved in reward processing and addiction. Previous data in rats revealed that inflammatory pain desensitizes mu opioid receptors (MORs) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). As a consequence, pain alters dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc)…
Lorcaserin bidirectionally regulates dopaminergic function site-dependently and disrupts dopamine brain area correlations in rats
2020
Abstract Lorcaserin, which is a selective agonist of serotonin2C receptors (5-HT2CRs), is a new FDA-approved anti-obesity drug that has also shown therapeutic promise in other brain disorders, such as addiction and epilepsy. The modulation of dopaminergic function might be critical in the therapeutic effect of lorcaserin, but its exact effect is unknown. Here, we studied the effect of the peripheral administration of lorcaserin on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopaminergic neural activity, dopamine (DA) dialysis levels in the nucleus accumbens and striatum and on DA tissue levels in 29 different rat brain regions. Lorcaserin (5–640 μg/kg, i.v.) m…
Sex hormones modulate pathogenic processes in experimental traumatic brain injury.
2018
Clinical and animal studies have revealed sex-specific differences in histopathological and neurological outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The impact of perioperative administration of sex steroid inhibitors on TBI is still elusive. Here, we subjected male and female C57Bl/6N mice to the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI and applied pharmacological inhibitors of steroid hormone synthesis, that is, letrozole (LET, inhibiting estradiol synthesis by aromatase) and finasteride (FIN, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone synthesis by 5α-reductase), respectively, starting 72 h prior CCI, and continuing for a further 48 h after CCI. Initial gene expression analyses showed that andro…
Hemisphere-dependent endocannabinoid system activity in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of the Flinders Sensitive Line rodent model of depression
2019
Altered endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling is suggested as an important contributor to the pathophysiology of depression. To further elucidate this, we conducted a study using a genetic rat model of depression, the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), and their controls, the Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats. Plasma, right and left prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus were isolated from FSL and FRL rats. We analyzed each region for the eCB anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) levels by liquid chromatography/multiple reaction monitoring (LC/MRM), mRNA and protein levels of the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacyl glycerol lipase (MAGL) by rea…
Non-neuronal acetylcholine involved in reproduction in mammals and honeybees.
2017
Bacteria and archaea synthesize acetylcholine (ACh). Thus, it can be postulated that ACh was created by nature roughly three billion years ago. Therefore, the wide expression of ACh in nature (i.e., in bacteria, archaea, unicellular organisms, plants, fungi, non-vertebrates and vertebrates and in the abundance of non-neuronal cells of mammals) is not surprising. The term non-neuronal ACh and non-neuronal cholinergic system have been introduced to describe the auto- and paracrine, that is, local regulatory actions of ACh in cells not innervated by neuronal cholinergic fibers and to communicate among themselves. In this way non-neuronal ACh binds to the nicotinic or muscarinic receptors expre…
Sequential cleavage of the proteins encoded by HNOT/ALG3, the human counterpart of the Drosophila NOT and yeast ALG3 gene, results in products acting…
2017
This study provides first insights into the biosynthesis, structure, biochemistry and complex processing of the proteins encoded by hNOT/ALG3, the human counterpart of the Drosophila Neighbour of TID (NOT) and the yeast asparagine linked glycosylation 3 gene (ALG3), which encodes a mannosyltransferase. Unambiguous evidence that both the fly and human proteins act as mannosyltransferases has not been provided yet. Previously, we showed that hNOT/ALG3 encodes two alternatively spliced main transcripts, hNOT-1/ALG3-1 and hNOT-4/ALG3-4, and their 15 truncated derivatives that lack diverse sets of exons and/or carry point mutations that result in premature termination codons. Here we show that t…
A poly-L-lactic acid/ collagen/glycosaminoglycan matrix for tissue engineering applications
2017
Adhesion of tissue cells to biomaterials is a prerequisite of paramount importance for the effectiveness of a tissue engineering construct (cell and scaffolds). Functionalization of polymeric scaffolds with organic polymers, such as collagen or proteoglycans, is a promising approach in order to improve the cytocompatibility. As a matter of fact, organic polymers, isolated directly from the extracellular matrix, contain a multitude of surface ligand (fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin) and arginine–glycine–aspartic acid-containing peptides that promote cell adhesion. In tissue engineering, the combination of organic and synthetic polymers gives rise to scaffolds characterized simultaneously …
Bi-layered polyurethane – Extracellular matrix cardiac patch improves ischemic ventricular wall remodeling in a rat model
2016
As an intervention to abrogate ischemic cardiomyopathy, the concept of applying a temporary, local patch to the surface of the recently infarcted ventricle has been explored from a number of design perspectives. Two important features considered for such a cardiac patch include the provision of appropriate mechanical support and the capacity to influence the remodeling pathway by providing cellular or biomolecule delivery. The objective of this report was to focus on these two features by first evaluating the incorporation of a cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) component, and second by evaluating the impact of patch anisotropy on the pathological remodeling process initiated by myocardial …
Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Osteogenic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Commitment in a New Bone Scaffold
2017
Purpose Bone tissue engineering is helpful in finding alternatives to overcome surgery limitations. Bone growth and repair are under the control of biochemical and mechanical signals; therefore, in recent years several approaches to improve bone regeneration have been evaluated. Osteo-inductive biomaterials, stem cells, specific growth factors and biophysical stimuli are among those. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation (LIPUS) treatment would improve the colonization of an MgHA/Coll hybrid composite scaffold by human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and their osteogenic differentiation. LIPUS stimulation was applied to hMSCs cultured on …