Allosteric Modulation of Cannabinoid Receptor 1-Current Challenges and Future Opportunities.

The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R), a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays an essential role in the control of many physiological processes such as hunger, memory loss, gastrointestinal activity, catalepsy, fear, depression, and chronic pain. Therefore, it is an attractive target for drug discovery to manage pain, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity, and substance abuse. However, the psychoactive adverse effects, generated by CB1R activation in the brain, limit the use of the orthosteric CB1R ligands as drugs.

Gene polymorphism -418 G/C of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Objective: The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is connected with abnormal extracellular matrix remodeling, with the assistance of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). A decrease in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2) gene expression was detected in AAA patients. Recently, a -418 G/C (rs8179090) polymorphism of the TIMP2 gene promoter, influencing the transcription rate of the gene, has been described.

Risk factors in abdominal aortic aneurysm and in Polish population aortoiliac occlusive disease and differences between them [corrected].

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) are multifactorial vascular disorders caused by complex genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to define risk factors of AAA and AIOD in the Polish population and indicate differences between diseases.

Expression of human growth hormone in the milk of transgenic rabbits with transgene mapped to the telomere region of chromosome 7q.

The advent of transgenic technology has provided methods for the production of pharmaceuticals by the isolation of these proteins from transgenic animals. The mammary gland has been focused on as a bioreactor, since milk is easily collected from lactating animals and protein production can be expressed at very high levels, including hormones and enzymes. We demonstrate here the expression pattern of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in transgenic rabbits carrying hGH genomic sequences driven by the rat whey acidic protein (WAP) promoter.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, I/D) gene polymorphism and susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of polymorphism in angiotensin converting enzyme gene (ACE, I/D) in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD).

Materials And Methods: We investigated 829 individuals in 4 groups: AAA (n = 133), AIOD (n = 152), control (n = 152), and a random Polish population group (n = 392). ACE I/D gene polymorphism analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis.

Transgenic rabbit producing human growth hormone in milk.

The gene construct WAP(6xHisThr):hGH containing the entire human growth hormone gene (hGH) under the rat whey acidic protein (WAP) promoter regulating the expression in mammary glands of mammals was prepared. The 5' end of the gene was modified by the addition of a sequence encoding six histidine residues and a sequence recognized by thrombin. The gene construct was introduced by microinjection into the male pronucleus of a fertilized oocyte.