Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 110 in total

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  1. Chan EWL, Yeo ETY, Wong KWL, See ML, Wong KY, Gan SY
    Curr Alzheimer Res, 2019;16(3):251-260.
    PMID: 30819080 DOI: 10.2174/1567205016666190228124630
    BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder that eventually leads to severe cognitive impairment. Although the exact etiologies of AD still remain elusive, increasing evidence suggests that neuroinflammation cascades mediated by microglial cells are associated with AD. Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (PS) is a medicinal plant reported to possess various biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-psychotic and anti-oxidant activity. However, little is known about the anti-inflammatory activity of PS roots despite their traditional use to treat inflammatory- mediated ailments.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of extracts obtained from the roots of PS against beta-amyloid (Aβ)-induced microglial toxicity associated with the production of pro-inflammatory mediators.

    METHOD: BV2 microglial cells were treated with hexane (RHXN), dichloromethane (RDCM), ethyl acetate (REA) and methanol (RMEOH) extracts of the roots of PS prior to activation by Aβ. The production and mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory mediators were evaluated by Griess reagent, ELISA kits and RT-qPCR respectively. The phosphorylation status of p38α MAPK was determined via western blot assay. BV2 conditioned medium was used to treat SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and the neuroprotective effect was assessed using MTT assay.

    RESULTS: PS root extracts, in particular RMEOH significantly attenuated the production and mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in Aβ-induced BV2 microglial cells. In addition, RHXN, REA and RMEOH extracts significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) level and the inhibition of NO production was correlated with the total phenolic content of the extracts. Further mechanistic studies suggested that PS root extracts attenuated the production of cytokines by regulating the phosphorylation of p38α MAPK in microglia. Importantly, PS root extracts have protective effects against Aβ-induced indirect neurotoxicity either by inhibiting the production of NO, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in BV2 cells or by protecting SHSY5Y cells against these inflammatory mediators.

    CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided evidence that PS root extracts confer neuroprotection against Aβ- induced microglial toxicity associated with the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and may be a potential therapeutic agent for inflammation-related neurological conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD).

    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
  2. Leong YQ, Ng KY, Chye SM, Ling APK, Koh RY
    Metab Brain Dis, 2020 01;35(1):11-30.
    PMID: 31811496 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-019-00516-y
    Extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles are the neuropathological findings of the Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on the amyloid cascade hypothesis, the main component of senile plaques, the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide, and its derivative called amyloid precursor protein (APP) both have been found to place their central roles in AD development for years. However, the recent therapeutics have yet to reverse or halt this disease. Previous evidence demonstrates that the accumulation of Aβ peptides and APP can exert neurotoxicity and ultimately neuronal cell death. Hence, we discuss the mechanisms of excessive production of Aβ peptides and APP serving as pathophysiologic stimuli for the initiation of various cell signalling pathways including apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis and autophagy which lead to neuronal cell death. Conversely, the activation of such pathways could also result in the abnormal generation of APP and Aβ peptides. An elucidation of actions of APP and its metabolite, Aβ, could be vital in suggesting novel therapeutic opportunities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
  3. Baharuddin A, Amir Hassan A, Othman R, Xu Y, Huang M, Ario Tejo B, et al.
    Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo), 2014;62(10):947-55.
    PMID: 25273053
    In the efforts to find an anti-viral treatment for dengue, a simple tryptophan fluorescence-screening assay aimed at identifying dengue domain III envelope (EIII) protein inhibitors was developed. Residue Trp391 of EIII was used as an intrinsic probe to monitor the change in fluorescence of the tryptophan residue upon binding to a peptide. The analysis was based on the electron excitation at 280 nm and fluorescence emission at 300-400 nm of EIII, followed by quenching of fluorescence in the presence of potential peptidic inhibitors coded DS36wt, DS36opt, DN58wt and DN58opt. The present study found that the fluorescence of the recombinant EIII was quenched following the binding of DS36opt, DN58wt and DN58opt in a concentration-dependent manner. Since the λmax for emission remained unchanged, the effect was not due to a change in the environment of the tryptophan side chain. In contrast, a minimal fluorescence-quenching effect of DS36wt at 20 and 40 µM suggested that the DS36wt does not have any binding ability to EIII. This was supported by a simple native-page gel retardation assay that showed a band shift of EIII domain when incubated with DS36opt, DN58wt and DN58opt but not with DS36wt. We thus developed a low-cost and convenient spectrophotometric binding assay for the analysis of EIII-peptide interactions in a drug screening application.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  4. Yanagisawa D, Ibrahim NF, Taguchi H, Morikawa S, Tomiyama T, Tooyama I
    Molecules, 2021 Mar 04;26(5).
    PMID: 33806326 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051362
    Recent evidence suggests that the formation of soluble amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates with high toxicity, such as oligomers and protofibrils, is a key event that causes Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, understanding the pathophysiological role of such soluble Aβ aggregates in the brain in vivo could be difficult due to the lack of a clinically available method to detect, visualize, and quantify soluble Aβ aggregates in the brain. We had synthesized a novel fluorinated curcumin derivative with a fixed keto form, named as Shiga-Y51, which exhibited high selectivity to Aβ oligomers in vitro. In this study, we investigated the in vivo detection of Aβ oligomers by fluorine-19 (19F) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using Shiga-Y51 in an APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model of AD. Significantly high levels of 19F signals were detected in the upper forebrain region of APP/PS1 mice compared with wild-type mice. Moreover, the highest levels of Aβ oligomers were detected in the upper forebrain region of APP/PS1 mice in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These findings suggested that 19F-MRI using Shiga-Y51 detected Aβ oligomers in the in vivo brain. Therefore, 19F-MRI using Shiga-Y51 with a 7 T MR scanner could be a powerful tool for imaging Aβ oligomers in the brain.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
  5. Sannasimuthu A, Ramani M, Pasupuleti M, Saraswathi NT, Arasu MV, Al-Dhabi NA, et al.
    Cell Biol Int, 2020 Nov;44(11):2231-2242.
    PMID: 32716104 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11431
    This study demonstrates both the antioxidant and anticancer potential of the novel short molecule YT12 derived from peroxiredoxin (Prx) of spirulina, Arthrospira platensis (Ap). ApPrx showed significant reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) against hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) stress. The complementary DNA sequence of ApPrx contained 706 nucleotides and its coding region possessed 546 nucleotides between position 115 and 660. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the messenger RNA expression of ApPrx due to H2 O2 exposure in spirulina cells at regular intervals, in which the highest expression was noticed on Day 20. Cytotoxicity assay was performed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and revealed that at 10 μM, the YT12 did not exhibit any notable toxicity. Furthermore, ROS scavenging activity of YT12 was performed using DCF-DA assay, in which YT12 scavenged a significant amount of ROS at 25 μM in H2 O2 -treated blood leukocytes. The intracellular ROS in human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) was regulated by oxidative stress, where the YT12 scavenges ROS in HT-29 cells at 12.5 μM. Findings show that YT12 peptide has anticancer activity, when treated against HT-29 cells. Through the MTT assay, YT12 showed vital cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells. These finding suggested that YT12 is a potent antioxidant molecule which defends ROS against oxidative stress and plays a role in redox balance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  6. Syarifah-Noratiqah SB, Naina-Mohamed I, Zulfarina MS, Qodriyah HMS
    Curr Drug Targets, 2018;19(8):927-937.
    PMID: 28356027 DOI: 10.2174/1389450118666170328122527
    Neurodegenerative disease is an incurable disease which involves the degeneration or death of the nerve cells. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German clinical psychiatrist and neuroanatomist. The main pathological hallmarks of this disease are the formation of extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangle (NFT). The accumulation of the amyloid protein aggregates in the brain of AD patients leads to oxidative stress and inflammation. Other postulated reasons for the development of this disease are cholinergic depletion and excessive glutamatergic neurotransmission. The current drugs approved and marketed for the treatment of AD are cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and N-methyl-Daspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. The function of ChEIs is to avoid cholinergic depletion; whereas the function of NMDA receptor antagonist is to block excessive glutamatergic neurotransmission. Unfortunately, the current drugs prescribed for AD show only modest improvement in terms of symptomatic relief and delay the progression of the disease. This review will discuss about several polyphenolic compounds as potential natural treatment options for AD. Three compounds are highlighted in this review - Curcumin (Cur), Resveratrol (Rsv) and Epigallocatechin-3- gallate (EGCG). These compounds have huge potential for AD treatment, especially due to their low frequency of adverse events. However, the current conventional pharmaceutical drugs remain as the mainstay of treatment for AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
  7. Magalingam KB, Radhakrishnan A, Ping NS, Haleagrahara N
    Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:3740461.
    PMID: 29707568 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3740461
    Neurodegenerative diseases are hereditary or sporadic conditions that result in the progressive loss of the structure and function of neurons as well as neuronal death. Although a range of diseases lie under this umbrella term, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases that affect a large population around the globe. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles in brain regions and manifests as a type of dementia in aged individuals that results in memory loss, multiple cognitive abnormalities, and intellectual disabilities that interfere with quality of life. Since the discovery of AD, a wealth of new information has emerged that delineates the causes, mechanisms of disease, and potential therapeutic agents, but an effective remedy to cure the diseases has not been identified yet. This could be because of the complexity of the disease process, as it involves various contributing factors that include environmental factors and genetic predispositions. This review summarizes the current understanding on neurodegenerative mechanisms that lead to the emergence of the pathology of AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
  8. Teo CY, Tejo BA, Leow ATC, Salleh AB, Abdul Rahman MB
    Chem Biol Drug Des, 2017 Dec;90(6):1134-1146.
    PMID: 28581157 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13033
    Protein arginine deiminase type IV (PAD4) is responsible for the posttranslational conversion of peptidylarginine to peptidylcitrulline. Citrullinated protein is the autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis, and therefore, PAD4 is currently a promising therapeutic target for the disease. Recently, we reported the importance of the furan ring in the structure of PAD4 inhibitors. In this study, the furan ring was incorporated into peptides to act as the "warhead" of the inhibitors for PAD4. IC50 studies showed that the furan-containing peptide-based inhibitors were able to inhibit PAD4 to a better extent than the furan-containing small molecules that were previously reported. The best peptide-based inhibitor inhibited PAD4 reversibly and competitively with an IC50 value of 243.2 ± 2.4 μm. NMR spectroscopy and NMR-restrained molecular dynamic simulations revealed that the peptide-based inhibitor had a random structure. Molecular docking studies showed that the peptide-based inhibitor entered the binding site and interacted with the essential amino acids involved in the catalytic activity. The peptide-based inhibitor could be further developed into a therapeutic drug for rheumatoid arthritis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  9. Simoni E, Bartolini M, Abu IF, Blockley A, Gotti C, Bottegoni G, et al.
    Future Med Chem, 2017 06;9(10):953-963.
    PMID: 28632446 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2017-0039
    AIM: Alzheimer pathogenesis has been associated with a network of processes working simultaneously and synergistically. Over time, much interest has been focused on cholinergic transmission and its mutual interconnections with other active players of the disease. Besides the cholinesterase mainstay, the multifaceted interplay between nicotinic receptors and amyloid is actually considered to have a central role in neuroprotection. Thus, the multitarget drug-design strategy has emerged as a chance to face the disease network.

    METHODS: By exploiting the multitarget approach, hybrid compounds have been synthesized and studied in vitro and in silico toward selected targets of the cholinergic and amyloidogenic pathways.

    RESULTS: The new molecules were able to target the cholinergic system, by joining direct nicotinic receptor stimulation to acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and to inhibit amyloid-β aggregation.

    CONCLUSION: The compounds emerged as a suitable starting point for a further optimization process.

    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
  10. Yong PH, Junit SM, Harun F, Hashim OH
    Clin Biochem, 2006 Feb;39(2):126-32.
    PMID: 16412408
    To compare the plasma protein profiles of treated and untreated congenital hypothyroidism (CH) patients with those of normal control infants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism*
  11. Chutrakul C, Alcocer M, Bailey K, Peberdy JF
    Chem Biodivers, 2008 Sep;5(9):1694-706.
    PMID: 18816522 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.200890158
    Trichoderma spp. are regularly found as a constituent of the mycoflora of many soils and are noted for their antagonistic activity against bacteria and other fungi. This latter property is the basis for the widespread interest in their use in the biological control of soil-borne fungal plant pathogens. This antagonism is partly based on their ability to produce an impressive inventory of secondary metabolites. An important group of bioactive metabolites produced by Trichoderma spp. are the non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs), especially the peptaibols. A virulent antagonistic strain, T. asperellum, which had been used in biological control strategies in Malaysia and previously examined for mycolytic enzyme production, has been studied for its potential for peptaibol production. The present research demonstrated the ability of T. asperellum to produce at least two metabolites which were identified as acid trichotoxin 1704E (Ac-Aib-Gly-Aib-Leu-Aib-Gln-Aib-Aib-Aib-Ala-Ala-Aib-Pro-Leu-Aib-Iva-Glu-Vol) and neutral trichotoxin 1717A (Ac-Aib-Gly-Aib-Leu-Aib-Gln-Aib-Aib-Aib-Ala-Aib-Aib-Pro-Leu-Aib-Iva-Gln-Vol). Addition of free Aib to the culture medium enhanced the production of trichotoxins. Biological activity of these substances was investigated against Bacillus stearothermophilus. The general characteristics of peptaibols, also found in the trichotoxins, include the presence of high proportions of the uncommon amino acid Aib, the protection of the N- and C-termini by an acetyl group and reduction of the C-terminus to 2-amino alcohols, respectively, amphipathy and microheterogeneity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism*
  12. Latiffi AA, Salleh AB, Rahman RN, Oslan SN, Basri M
    Genes Genet Syst, 2013;88(2):85-91.
    PMID: 23832300
    The thermostable alkaline protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus F1 has high potential for industrial applications, and attempt to produce the enzyme in yeast for higher yield was undertaken. Secretory expression of F1 protease through yeast system could improve enzyme's capability, thus simplifying the purification steps. Mature and full genes of F1 protease were cloned into Pichia pastoris expression vectors (pGAPZαB and pPICZαB) and transformed into P. pastoris strains (GS115 and SMD1168H) via electroporation method. Recombinant F1 protease under regulation constitutive GAP promoter revealed that the highest expression was achieved after 72 h cultivation. While inducible AOX promoter showed that 0.5% (v/v) methanol was the best to induce expression. It was proven that constitutive expression strategy was better than inducible system. The α-secretion signal from the plasmid demonstrated higher secretory expression level of F1 protease as compared to native Open Reading Frame (ORF) in GS115 strain (GE6GS). Production medium YPTD was found to be the best for F1 protease expression with the highest yield of 4.13 U/mL. The protein was expressed as His-tagged fusion protein with a size about 34 kDa.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism*
  13. Daood U, Abduljabbar T, Al-Hamoudi N, Akram Z
    J Periodontal Res, 2018 Feb;53(1):123-130.
    PMID: 28940417 DOI: 10.1111/jre.12496
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare clinical periodontal parameters and to assess the release of C-telopeptides pyridinoline cross-links (ICTP) and C-terminal crosslinked telopeptide (CTX) from gingival collagen of naswar (NW) and non-naswar (control) dippers.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-seven individuals (42 individuals consuming NW and 45 controls) were included. Clinical (plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment loss) and radiographic (marginal bone loss) periodontal parameters were compared among NW and control groups. Gingival specimens were taken from subjects in NW and control groups, assessed for ICTP and CTX levels (using ELISA) and analyzed using micro-Raman spectroscopy. The significance of differences in periodontal parameters between the groups was determined using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The percent loss of dry mass over exposure time and the rate of release of ICTP and CTX from all groups were compared using the paired t-test to examine the effects of exposure time.

    RESULTS: Clinical and radiographic periodontal parameters were significantly higher in the NW group than the control group (P 

    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism*
  14. Opitz L, Zimmermann A, Lehmann S, Genzel Y, Lübben H, Reichl U, et al.
    J Virol Methods, 2008 Dec;154(1-2):61-8.
    PMID: 18840469 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2008.09.004
    Strategies to control influenza outbreaks are focused mainly on prophylactic vaccination. Human influenza vaccines are trivalent blends of different virus subtypes. Therefore and due to frequent antigenic drifts, strain independent manufacturing processes are required for vaccine production. This study verifies the strain independency of a capture method based on Euonymus europaeus lectin-affinity chromatography (EEL-AC) for downstream processing of influenza viruses under various culture conditions propagated in MDCK cells. A comprehensive lectin binding screening was conducted for two influenza virus types from the season 2007/2008 (A/Wisconsin/67/2005, B/Malaysia/2506/2004) including a comparison of virus-lectin interaction by surface plasmon resonance technology. EEL-AC resulted in a reproducible high product recovery rate and a high degree of contaminant removal in the case of both MDCK cell-derived influenza virus types demonstrating clearly the general applicability of EEL-AC. In addition, host cell dependency of EEL-AC was studied with two industrial relevant cell lines: Vero and MDCK cells. However, the choice of the host cell lines is known to lead to different product glycosylation profiles. Hence, altered lectin specificities have been observed between the two cell lines, requiring process adaptations between different influenza vaccine production systems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/metabolism*
  15. Mu AK, Bee PC, Lau YL, Chen Y
    Int J Mol Sci, 2014;15(11):19952-61.
    PMID: 25372941 DOI: 10.3390/ijms151119952
    Malaria is caused by parasitic protozoans of the genus Plasmodium and is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. For this reason, effective and practical diagnostic methods are urgently needed to control the spread of malaria. The aim of the current study was to identify a panel of new malarial markers, which could be used to diagnose patients infected with various Plasmodium species, including P. knowlesi, P. vivax and P. falciparum. Sera from malaria-infected patients were pooled and compared to control sera obtained from healthy individuals using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique. Mass spectrometry was used to identify serum proteins and quantify their relative abundance. We found that the levels of several proteins were increased in pooled serum from infected patients, including cell adhesion molecule-4 and C-reactive protein. In contrast, the serum concentration of haptoglobin was reduced in malaria-infected individuals, which we verified by western blot assay. Therefore, these proteins might represent infectious markers of malaria, which could be used to develop novel diagnostic tools for detecting P. knowlesi, P. vivax and P. falciparum. However, these potential malarial markers will need to be validated in a larger population of infected individuals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  16. Jessie K, Jayapalan JJ, Ong KC, Abdul Rahim ZH, Zain RM, Wong KT, et al.
    Electrophoresis, 2013 Sep;34(17):2495-502.
    PMID: 23784731 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201300107
    Confirmation of oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) currently relies on histological analysis, which does not provide clear indication of cancer development from precancerous lesions. In the present study, whole saliva proteins of patients with OSCC (n = 12) and healthy subjects (n = 12) were separated by 2DE to identify potential candidate biomarkers that are much needed to improve detection of the cancer. The OSCC patients' 2DE saliva protein profiles appeared unique and different from those obtained from the healthy subjects. The patients' saliva α1-antitrypsin (AAT) and haptoglobin (HAP) β chains were resolved into polypeptide spots with increased microheterogeneity, although these were not apparent in their sera. Their 2DE protein profiles also showed presence of hemopexin and α-1B glycoprotein, which were not detected in the profiles of the control saliva. When subjected to densitometry analysis, significant altered levels of AAT, complement C3, transferrin, transthyretin, and β chains of fibrinogen and HAP were detected. The increased levels of saliva AAT, HAP, complement C3, hemopexin, and transthyretin in the OSCC patients were validated by ELISA. The strong association of AAT and HAP with OSCC was further supported by immunohistochemical staining of cancer tissues. The differently expressed saliva proteins may be useful complementary biomarkers for the early detection and/or monitoring of OSCC, although this requires validation in clinically representative populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Salivary Proteins and Peptides/metabolism*
  17. Yeo SK, Liong MT
    Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2010 Mar;61(2):161-81.
    PMID: 20085504 DOI: 10.3109/09637480903348122
    Lactobacillus sp. FTDC 2113, L. acidophilus FTDC 8033, L. acidophilus ATCC 4356, L. casei ATCC 393, Bifidobacterium FTDC 8943 and B. longum FTDC 8643 were incorporated into soymilk supplemented with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), inulin, mannitol, maltodextrin and pectin. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of prebiotics on the bioactivity of probiotic-fermented soymilk. Proteolytic activity was increased in the presence of FOS, while the supplementation of inulin and pectin increased the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity accompanied by lower IC(50) values. The beta-glucosidase activity was also enhanced in the presence of pectin. This led to higher bioconversion of glucosides to aglycones by probiotics, especially genistin and malonyl genistin to genistein. Results from this study indicated that the supplementation of prebiotics enhanced the in-vitro antihypertensive effect and production of bioactive aglycones in probiotic-fermented soymilk. Therefore, this soymilk could potentially be used as a dietary therapy to reduce the risks of hypertension and hormone-dependent diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and osteoporosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  18. Kamarulzaman EE, Gazzali AM, Acherar S, Frochot C, Barberi-Heyob M, Boura C, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2015 Oct 12;16(10):24059-80.
    PMID: 26473840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161024059
    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment modality that requires three components, namely light, dioxygen and a photosensitizing agent. After light excitation, the photosensitizer (PS) in its excited state transfers its energy to oxygen, which leads to photooxidation reactions. In order to improve the selectivity of the treatment, research has focused on the design of PS covalently attached to a tumor-targeting moiety. In this paper, we describe the synthesis and the physico-chemical and photophysical properties of six new peptide-conjugated photosensitizers designed for targeting the neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) receptor. We chose a TPC (5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15, 20-triphenyl chlorine as photosensitizer, coupled via three different spacers (aminohexanoic acid, 1-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid, and 1-amino-9-aza-3,6,12,15-tetraoxa-10-on-heptadecanoic acid) to two different peptides (DKPPR and TKPRR). The affinity towards the NRP-1 receptor of the conjugated chlorins was evaluated along with in vitro and in vivo stability levels. The tissue concentration of the TPC-conjugates in animal model shows good distribution, especially for the DKPPR conjugates. The novel peptide-PS conjugates proposed in this study were proven to have potential to be further developed as future NRP-1 targeting photodynamic therapy agent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Peptides/metabolism
  19. Bukhari SN, Jantan I
    Mini Rev Med Chem, 2015;15(13):1110-21.
    PMID: 26420724
    There is a crucial need to develop new effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the currently available AD treatments provide only momentary and incomplete symptomatic relief. Amongst natural products, curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, has been intensively investigated for its neuroprotective effect against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells. The ability of curcumin to attach to Aβ peptide and prevent its accumulation is attributed to its three structural characteristics such as the presence of two aromatic end groups and their co-planarity, the length and rigidity of the linker region and the substitution conformation of these aromatics. However, curcumin failed to reach adequate brain levels after oral absorption in AD clinical trials due to its low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. A number of new curcumin analogs that mimic the active site of the compound along with analogs that mimic the curcumin anti-amyloid effect combined with anticholinesterase effect have been developed to enhance the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, water solubility, stability at physiological conditions and delivery of curcumin. In this article, we have summarized all reported synthetic analogs of curcumin showing effects on β-amyloid and discussed their potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for AD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
  20. Zha GF, Zhang CP, Qin HL, Jantan I, Sher M, Amjad MW, et al.
    Bioorg Med Chem, 2016 05 15;24(10):2352-9.
    PMID: 27083471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.04.015
    A series of new α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-based cyclohexanone derivatives was synthesized by simple condensation method and all compounds were characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques. New compounds were evaluated for their effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). These compounds were also screened for in vitro cytotoxicity and for inhibitory activity for self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. The effect of these compounds against amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity was also investigated. The findings of in vitro experiment revealed that most of these compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity against AChE and self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. The compound 3o exhibited best AChE (IC50=0.037μM) inhibitory potential. Furthermore, compound 3o disassembled the Aβ fibrils produced by self-induced Aβ aggregation by 76.6%. Compounds containing N-methyl-4-piperidone linker, showed high acetylcholinesterase and self-induced Aβ aggregation inhibitory activities as compared to reference drug donepezil. The pre-treatment of cells with synthetic compounds protected them against Aβ-induced cell death by up to 92%. Collectively, these findings suggest that some compounds from this series have potential to be promising multifunctional agents for AD treatment and our study suggest the cyclohexanone derivatives as promising new inhibitors for AChE and BuChE, potentially useful to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism*
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