Senomorphic activity of a combination of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid: correlation with clinical improvement of skin aging.

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including lifestyle and sun exposure, can contribute to cell senescence, which impairs skin homeostasis, that may in turn lead to skin aging. Senescent cells have a specific secretome, called the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that includes MMPs, CXCLs and S100A8/9. Reducing the SASP with senotherapeutics is a promising strategy to reduce skin aging.

Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside: An ascorbic acid pro-drug with longer-term antioxidant efficacy in skin.

Objective: Deleterious effects of pollutants and ultraviolet radiation on the skin can be attenuated using formulations containing antioxidants. However, these have disadvantages, including chemical instability, photodegradation, poor bioavailability or biological activity. Here, two commercial formulations were evaluated: one optimized to stabilize and deliver ascorbic acid (AA) at 15% and the other containing a glucoside form of AA, namely ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA2G), at 1.

Sustained effect of two antioxidants (oxothiazolidine and δ-tocopheryl glucoside) for immediate and long-term sun protection in a sunscreen emulsion based on their different penetrating properties.

Objective: We investigated the dermal bioavailability and antioxidative properties of a sunscreen formulation containing two antioxidants, oxothiazolidine (OTZ) and δ-tocopheryl glucoside (DTG). OTZ reacts directly with reactive oxygen species to form taurine, while DTG is metabolized in δ-tocopherol to achieve antioxidative activities.

Methods: After topical application to a hair follicle-derived reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) model, followed by solar-simulated radiation, kinetics of bioavailability and antioxidative responses were measured over 24 h.

Pharmacological evaluation of a series of smoothened antagonists in signaling pathways and after topical application in a depilated mouse model.

The Hedgehog (HH) pathway has been linked to the formation of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), medulloblastoma, and other cancers. The recently approved orally active drugs vismodegib (GDC-0449) and sonidegib (LDE-225) were not only efficacious for the treatment of advanced or metastatic BCC by antagonizing the smoothened (SMO) receptor, but also produced important side effects, limiting their use for less invasive BCC. Herein, we compared a large series of SMO antagonists, including GDC-0449 and LDE-225, the clinically tested BMS-833923, CUR-61414, cyclopamine, IPI-926 (saridegib), itraconazole, LEQ-506, LY-2940680 (taladegib), PF-04449913 (glasdegib), and TAK-441 as well as preclinical candidates (PF-5274857, MRT-83) in two SMO-dependent cellular assays and for G-protein activation.

Potencies and unblocking kinetic properties of antagonists at recombinant human NMDA receptors in a Xenopus oocytes model.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor channels are implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes, and a large number of pharmacological agents have been introduced that target the receptor via diverse mechanisms of action. Amongst others, subunit selectivity (in particular for the NR2B receptor subunit) and rapid unblocking kinetics have been put forward as favourable pharmacological properties of NMDA receptor-targeting drugs. Here, we describe a pharmacological characterization of human recombinant NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes in an electrophysiological set-up.

The clozapine metabolite N-desmethylclozapine displays variable activity in diverse functional assays at human dopamine D₂ and serotonin 5-HT₁A receptors.

N-desmethylclozapine (NDMC or norclozapine) is the major active metabolite of the antipsychotic clozapine in humans. The activity of NDMC differs from clozapine at a number of neurotransmitter receptors, probably influencing the pharmacological effects of clozapine treatment. Here, we tested the properties of NDMC in comparison with clozapine at recombinant human dopamine D(2) and serotonin 5-HT(1A) receptors, using a panel of functional assays implicating diverse signalling pathways.

Rigid analogues of the α2-adrenergic blocker atipamezole: small changes, big consequences.

We report the discovery of a new family of α(2) adrenergic receptor antagonists derived from atipamezole. Affinities of the compounds at human α(2) and α(1b) receptors as well as their functional activities at hα(2A) receptors were determined in competition binding and G-protein activation assays, respectively. Central α(2) antagonist activities were confirmed in mice after oral administration.

Actions of the prototypical 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT at human alpha2-adrenoceptors: (+)8-OH-DPAT, but not (-)8-OH-DPAT is an alpha2B subtype preferential agonist.

8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] is the prototypical agonist at serotonin 5-HT1A receptors; however, activity at other targets contributes to the functional effects of the compound as well. We examined the properties of 8-OH-DPAT and its enantiomers at recombinant human (h)alpha2-adrenoceptor subtypes, using a panel of radioligand binding and functional tests. In competition binding experiments using [3H]-RX821002, about 10-fold selectivity of (+)8-OH-DPAT for the halpha2B subtype (pKi about 7) over halpha2A- and halpha2C-adrenoceptors was observed.

Activation of G proteins and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation via human dopamine D4.4 receptors: differential pathway-dependent potencies of receptor agonists.

Agonist activity at recombinant human dopamine D4.4 receptors was compared in stably transfected CHO cells using two functional readouts: G protein activation by [35S]GTPgammaS binding and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2). Results with a large series of agonists reveal markedly higher relative agonist efficacy in the pERK1/2 assay compared with [35S]GTPgammaS binding, while potencies were generally higher in the latter readout.