Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy （DR） are based on laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injections of corti- costeroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents. These treatments are ...Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy （DR） are based on laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injections of corti- costeroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents. These treatments are applicable only at advanced stages of the disease. In addition, they are expensive, require a vitreo- retinal specialist and are associated with significant adverse ef- fects. Therefore, new pharmacological treatments for the early stages of the disease are needed.展开更多
Current experimental stroke research has evolved to focus on detailed understanding of the brain’s self-protective and restorative mechanisms,and harness this knowledge for development of new therapies.In this contex...Current experimental stroke research has evolved to focus on detailed understanding of the brain’s self-protective and restorative mechanisms,and harness this knowledge for development of new therapies.In this context,the role of peptidases and neuropeptides is of growing interest.In this focused review,peptidase neurolysin(Nln)and its extracellular peptide substrates are briefly discussed in relation to pathophysiology of ischemic stroke.Upregulation of Nln following stroke is viewed as a compensatory cerebroprotective mechanism in the acute phase of stroke,because the main neuropeptides inactivated by Nln are neuro/cerebrotoxic(bradykinin,substance P,neurotensin,angiotensin II,hemopressin),whereas the peptides generated by Nln are neuro/cerebroprotective(angiotensin-(1–7),Leu-/Met-enkephalins).This notion is confirmed by experimental studies documenting aggravation of stroke outcomes in mice after inhibition of Nln following stroke,and dramatic improvement of stroke outcomes in mice overexpressing Nln in the brain.The role of Nln in the(sub)chronic phase of stroke is less clear and it is likely,that this peptidase does not have a major role in neural repair mechanisms.This is because,the substrates of Nln are less uniform in modulating neurorestorative mechanisms in one direction,some appearing to have neural repair enhancing/stimulating potential,whereas others doing the opposite.Future studies focusing on the role of Nln in pathophysiology of stroke should determine its potential as a cerebroprotective target for stroke therapy,because its unique ability to modulate multiple neuropeptide systems critically involved in brain injury mechanisms is likely advantageous over modulation of one pathogenic pathway for stroke pharmacotherapy.展开更多
Sulindac, a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug （NSAID） is a prodrug that is reduced by methionine sulfoxide reductase to its active form as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2. The drug has been show...Sulindac, a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug （NSAID） is a prodrug that is reduced by methionine sulfoxide reductase to its active form as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2. The drug has been shown to elicit tissue protection by processes that may include at least three functions： antioxidant, preconditioning and anti-inflammatory. Sulindac demonstrates neuroprotection that involves inhibition of mitochondrial calcium overload or a decrease in protein oxidation.展开更多
Ischemic postconditioning renders brain tissue tolerant to brain ischemia,thereby alleviating ischemic brain injury.However,the exact mechanism of action is still unclear.In this study,a rat model of global brain isch...Ischemic postconditioning renders brain tissue tolerant to brain ischemia,thereby alleviating ischemic brain injury.However,the exact mechanism of action is still unclear.In this study,a rat model of global brain ischemia was subjected to ischemic postconditioning treatment using the vessel occlusion method.After 2 hours of ischemia,the bilateral common carotid arteries were blocked immediately for 10 seconds and then perfused for 10 seconds.This procedure was repeated six times.Ischemic postconditioning was found to mitigate hippocampal CA1 neuronal damage in rats with brain ischemia,and up-regulate acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression at the m RNA and protein level.These findings suggest that ischemic postconditioning up-regulates acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression in the rat hippocampus after global brain ischemia,which promotes neuronal tolerance to ischemic brain injury.展开更多
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS） is the most common degenerative disease of the motor neuron system. Over the last years, a growing interest was aimed to discovery new innovative and safer therapeutic approaches i...Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS） is the most common degenerative disease of the motor neuron system. Over the last years, a growing interest was aimed to discovery new innovative and safer therapeutic approaches in the ALS treatment. In this context, the bioactive compounds of Cannabis sativa have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of central nervous system disease. However, most of the studies proving the ability of cannabinoids in delay disease progression and prolong survival in ALS were performed in animal model, whereas the few clinical trials that investigated cannabinoids-based medicines were focused only on the alleviation of ALS-related symptoms, not on the control of disease progression. The aim of this report was to provide a short but important overview of evidences that are useful to better characterize the efficacy as well as the molecular pathways modulated by cannabinoids.展开更多
文摘Current treatments for diabetic retinopathy （DR） are based on laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injections of corti- costeroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） agents. These treatments are applicable only at advanced stages of the disease. In addition, they are expensive, require a vitreo- retinal specialist and are associated with significant adverse ef- fects. Therefore, new pharmacological treatments for the early stages of the disease are needed.
基金This work was partly supported by research grants from the American Heart Association(14BGIA20380826)National Institutes of Health(1R01NS106879).
文摘Current experimental stroke research has evolved to focus on detailed understanding of the brain’s self-protective and restorative mechanisms,and harness this knowledge for development of new therapies.In this context,the role of peptidases and neuropeptides is of growing interest.In this focused review,peptidase neurolysin(Nln)and its extracellular peptide substrates are briefly discussed in relation to pathophysiology of ischemic stroke.Upregulation of Nln following stroke is viewed as a compensatory cerebroprotective mechanism in the acute phase of stroke,because the main neuropeptides inactivated by Nln are neuro/cerebrotoxic(bradykinin,substance P,neurotensin,angiotensin II,hemopressin),whereas the peptides generated by Nln are neuro/cerebroprotective(angiotensin-(1–7),Leu-/Met-enkephalins).This notion is confirmed by experimental studies documenting aggravation of stroke outcomes in mice after inhibition of Nln following stroke,and dramatic improvement of stroke outcomes in mice overexpressing Nln in the brain.The role of Nln in the(sub)chronic phase of stroke is less clear and it is likely,that this peptidase does not have a major role in neural repair mechanisms.This is because,the substrates of Nln are less uniform in modulating neurorestorative mechanisms in one direction,some appearing to have neural repair enhancing/stimulating potential,whereas others doing the opposite.Future studies focusing on the role of Nln in pathophysiology of stroke should determine its potential as a cerebroprotective target for stroke therapy,because its unique ability to modulate multiple neuropeptide systems critically involved in brain injury mechanisms is likely advantageous over modulation of one pathogenic pathway for stroke pharmacotherapy.
基金supported in part by James&Esther King Biomedical Research Grant#09KW-11Florida Atlantic University Major Research Theme in Neuroscience Grant
文摘Sulindac, a widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug （NSAID） is a prodrug that is reduced by methionine sulfoxide reductase to its active form as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2. The drug has been shown to elicit tissue protection by processes that may include at least three functions： antioxidant, preconditioning and anti-inflammatory. Sulindac demonstrates neuroprotection that involves inhibition of mitochondrial calcium overload or a decrease in protein oxidation.
文摘Ischemic postconditioning renders brain tissue tolerant to brain ischemia,thereby alleviating ischemic brain injury.However,the exact mechanism of action is still unclear.In this study,a rat model of global brain ischemia was subjected to ischemic postconditioning treatment using the vessel occlusion method.After 2 hours of ischemia,the bilateral common carotid arteries were blocked immediately for 10 seconds and then perfused for 10 seconds.This procedure was repeated six times.Ischemic postconditioning was found to mitigate hippocampal CA1 neuronal damage in rats with brain ischemia,and up-regulate acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression at the m RNA and protein level.These findings suggest that ischemic postconditioning up-regulates acid-sensing ion channel 2a expression in the rat hippocampus after global brain ischemia,which promotes neuronal tolerance to ischemic brain injury.
文摘Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS） is the most common degenerative disease of the motor neuron system. Over the last years, a growing interest was aimed to discovery new innovative and safer therapeutic approaches in the ALS treatment. In this context, the bioactive compounds of Cannabis sativa have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of central nervous system disease. However, most of the studies proving the ability of cannabinoids in delay disease progression and prolong survival in ALS were performed in animal model, whereas the few clinical trials that investigated cannabinoids-based medicines were focused only on the alleviation of ALS-related symptoms, not on the control of disease progression. The aim of this report was to provide a short but important overview of evidences that are useful to better characterize the efficacy as well as the molecular pathways modulated by cannabinoids.
