Search results for "benzoxazine"

The secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine is a critical mediator of cell death program induced by WIN/TRAIL combined treatment in osteosarcoma…

2015

Abstract Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a multi-functional protein which modulates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In cancer cells, SPARC behaves as a tumor promoter in a number of tumors, but it can also act as a tumor suppressor factor. Our previous results showed that the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 (WIN), a potent cannabinoid receptor agonist, is able to sensitize osteosarcoma MG63 cells to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis which is accompanied with endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress induction and the increase in autophagic markers. In the present investigation, we studied the role of SPARC in WIN/TRAIL-induced apoptosi…

Mitophagy in human astrocytes treated with the antiretroviral drug Efavirenz: Lack of evidence or evidence of the lack

2019

Efavirenz (EFV), a first generation non-nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor widely employed in combination antiretroviral therapy regimens over the last 20 years, has been associated with a wide range of neuropsychiatric effects and has also been linked with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). EFV has been reported to alter mitochondrial dysfunction and bioenergetics in different cell types, including astrocytes. Here, we analyzed whether this mitochondrial effect is associated with alterations in autophagy and, more specifically, mitophagy. U251-MG cells were exposed to EFV (10 and 25 μM; 24 h) and the effect was compared with that of CCCP - an uncoupler of the m…

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…

Synergistic action of CB1 and 5-HT2B receptors in preventing pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rats

2019

Abstract Endocannabinoids (eCBs) and serotonin (5-HT) play a neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system. Both eCBs and 5-HT regulate neuronal excitability and their pharmacological potentiation has been shown to control seizures in pre-clinical and human studies. Compelling evidence indicates that eCB and 5-HT systems interact to modulate several physiological and pathological brain functions, such as food intake, pain, drug addiction, depression, and anxiety. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of an eCB/5-HT interaction in experimental and human epilepsies, including status epilepticus (SE). Here, we performed video-EEG recording in behaving rats treated with the pro-convulsant age…

Discovery and characterization of two novel CB1 receptor splice variants with modified N-termini in mouse

2017

Numerous studies have been carried out in the mouse model, investigating the role of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. However, mouse CB1 (mCB1) receptor differs from human CB1 (hCB1) receptor in 13 amino acid residues. Two splice variants, hCB1a and hCB1b, diverging in their amino-termini, have been reported to be unique for hCB1 and, via different signaling properties, contribute to CB1 receptor physiology and pathophysiology. We hypothesized that splice variants also exist for the mCB1 receptor and have different signaling properties. On murine hippocampal cDNA, we identified two novel mCB1 receptor splice variants generated by splicing of introns with 117 bp and 186 bp in the N-terminal dom…

Discovery and validation of 2-styryl substituted benzoxazin-4-ones as a novel scaffold for rhomboid protease inhibitors

2017

Abstract Rhomboids are intramembrane serine proteases with diverse physiological functions in organisms ranging from archaea to humans. Crystal structure analysis has provided a detailed understanding of the catalytic mechanism, and rhomboids have been implicated in various disease contexts. Unfortunately, the design of specific rhomboid inhibitors has lagged behind, and previously described small molecule inhibitors displayed insufficient potency and/or selectivity. Using a computer-aided approach, we focused on the discovery of novel scaffolds with reduced liabilities and the possibility for broad structural variations. Docking studies with the E. coli rhomboid GlpG indicated that 2-styry…

SYNTHESIS AND ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF NEW PYRROLO[2,1-c][1,4]BENZOXAZINES

2009

Cannabinoid and nitric oxide signaling interplay in the modulation of hippocampal hyperexcitability: study on electrophysiological and behavioral mod…

2015

A growing bulk of evidence suggests that cannabinoid system plays a pivotal role in the control of hyperexcitability phenomena. Notwithstanding, the anticonvulsant action of cannabinoids has not been fully addressed, in particular the involvement of potential cellular neuromodulators, for instance nitric oxide. In the current study, we focused on two distinct rat models of temporal lobe epilepsy, the Maximal Dentate Activation and the pilocarpine-induced acute seizures, providing both electrophysiological and behavioral data on cannabinoid and nitrergic system interplay. We evaluated the antiepileptic effects of WIN 55,212-2, (R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4- morpholinylmethyl) pyrrolo[1,…

Evidences of cannabinoids-induced modulation of paroxysmal events in an experimental model of partial epilepsy in the rat.

2009

The anticonvulsant effect of cannabinoids (CB) has been shown to be mediated by the activation of the CB(1) receptor. This study evaluates the anticonvulsant activity of (R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl) pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-Yl]-1-naphthalenylmethanone (WIN55,212-2, CB agonist) alone or preceded by the administration of N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (AM251, selective CB(1) antagonist) in an experimental in vivo model of complex partial seizures (maximal dentate gyrus activation - MDA) in the rat. WIN55,212-2 (21mgkg(-1)) exerted an anticonvulsant effect, significantly reduced by the pre-treatme…

Effects of Cannabinoid Exposure during Adolescence on the Conditioned Rewarding Effects of WIN 55212-2 and Cocaine in Mice: Influence of the Novelty-…

2016

Adolescent exposure to cannabinoids enhances the behavioural effects of cocaine, and high novelty-seeking trait predicts greater sensitivity to the conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by this drug. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of novelty-seeking on the effects of adolescent cannabinoid exposure. Adolescent male mice were classified as high or low novelty seekers (HNS and LNS) in the hole-board test. First, we evaluated the CPP induced by the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55212-2 (0.05 and 0.075 mg/kg, i.p.) in HNS and LNS mice. Then, HNS and LNS mice were pretreated i.p. with vehicle, WIN 55212-2 (0.1 mg/kg), or cannabinoid antagonist rimonabant (1 mg/kg) and were subsequently con…