Altered Levels of Gene Expression of Drug Metabolism Enzymes in Rat Brain Following Kainic Acid Treatment.

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that gene expressions can be regulated in the hippocampus of rats after seizures induced by kainic acid (KA). The aim of this study was to examine the potential regulatory impact of KA administration on gene expression levels of enzymes responsible for drug metabolism in rat hippocampal tissue.

Materials And Methods: Rats received intraperitoneal injections of KA and saline at a dose of 10 mg/kg.

Potential neuroprotective effects of 2-hydroxypropyl-β cyclodextrin against amyloid β (1-42)-induced neurotoxicity on the rat hippocampus.

The neurodegenerative mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not fully understood, but it is believed that amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide causes oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and disrupts metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) signaling by interacting with cholesterol and caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in pathogenic lipid rafts. This study examined the effect of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-CD) on cholesterol, oxidative stress (total oxidant status), neuroinflammation (TNF-α), and mGluR5 signaling molecules such as PKCβ1, PKCβ2, ERK1/2, CREB, BDNF, and NGF in Aβ (1-42)-induced neurotoxicity. The Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control (saline), Aβ (1-42), HP-CD (100 mg/kg), and Aβ (1-42) + HP-CD (100 mg/kg).

Establishment and Validation of an Automated System for the Antifactor IIa Assay: A Case Study of Potency Assessment of a Pharmaceutical Gel Formulation.

Antithrombotic agents and anticoagulant drugs, such as those from the heparin family, are employed in clinical settings for the prevention and treatment of clotting, thromboembolism, and wound healing. The potency assessment of antithrombotic agents is typically conducted using antifactor IIa assay with manual systems which are time-consuming and often lack repeatability. Here, we present a novel automated system that significantly enhances assay repeatability, attaining an outstandingly low relative standard deviation (RSD) % of only 0.

Neuroprotective Effects of Engineered Polymeric Nasal Microspheres Containing Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin on β-Amyloid (1-42)-Induced Toxicity.

β-Amyloid (Aβ) plaques are the key neurotoxic assemblies in Alzheimer disease. It has been suggested that an interaction occurs between membrane cholesterol and Aβ aggregation in the brain. Cyclodextrins can remove cholesterol from cell membranes and change receptor function.

STAT-dependent upregulation of 12/15-lipoxygenase contributes to neuronal injury after stroke.

Oxidative stress is a major brain injury mechanism after ischemic stroke. 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) is a key mediator of oxidative stress, contributing to neuronal cell death and vascular leakage. Nonetheless, the mechanism leading to its upregulation is currently unknown.

Ex vivo protective effects of nicotinamide and 3-aminobenzamide on rat synaptosomes treated with Aβ(1-42).

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, along with synaptic loss. The underlying mechanisms of AD are not clarified yet, but oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are important factors. Overactivation of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) enzyme has been known to cause neuroinflammation and cell death in neurodegenerative processes.

Electrochemical determination of glutathione in plasma at carbon nanotubes based screen printed electrodes.

Glutathione (GSH) is a major endogenous antioxidant highly active in human tissues and plays a key role in controlling cellular thiol redox system, maintaining the immune and detoxification system. The determination of GSH levels in tissue is important to estimate endogenous defenses against oxidative stress. In our study, the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified screen-printed electrodes (MWCNT-SPEs) were used to determine the levels of GSH in trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-treated or untreated samples of rat plasma.

1,4-Substituted 4-(1H)-pyridylene-hydrazone-type inhibitors of AChE, BuChE, and amyloid-β aggregation crossing the blood-brain barrier.

Given the fundamentally multifactorial character of Alzheimer's disease (AD), addressing more than one target for disease modification or therapy is expected to be highly advantageous. Here, following the cholinergic hypothesis, we aimed to inhibit both acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE and BuChE) in order to increase the concentration of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft. In addition, the formation of the amyloid β fibrils should be inhibited and already preformed fibrils should be destroyed.

Effects of resveratrol on hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in embryonic neural stem cells.

Resveratrol, a natural phenolic compound, has been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer and exhibit neuroprotective effects. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of resveratrol against hydrogen peroxide in embryonic neural stem cells. Hydrogen peroxide treatment alone increased catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities but did not change superoxide dismutase levels compared with hydrogen peroxide + resveratrol treatment.

Kainic acid-induced seizure activity alters the mRNA expression and G-protein activation of the opioid/nociceptin receptors in the rat brain cortex.

The opioid/nociceptin receptors are involved in many neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. Kainic acid (KA) is an analog of the excitatory amino acid transmitter glutamate and the systemic administration of KA induces status epilepticus (SE) in rodents. In this study, we examined the alterations in the G-protein activity and the gene expression levels of mu, kappa, delta opioid and nociceptin receptors (MOPr, KOPr, DOPr and NOPr) as well as PNOC, the precursor polypeptide of nociceptin-OFQ (N/OFQ) in KA-induced seizures in the rat brain cortex.

Effects of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs on D-serine-induced oxidative stress in vitro.

Inflammation is deleterious for organs with reduced capacity of regeneration, such as the brain. Recently, studies have focused on investigating the therapeutic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Excitotoxicity is the pathological process when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), receptors are overactivated.

Kainic acid-induced changes in the opioid/nociceptin system and the stress/toxicity pathways in the rat hippocampus.

Excitotoxicity is a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of acute or chronic neurodegenerative disease states. Kainic acid (KA) is an excitotoxic substance and the administration of it to rodents induces seizure activity (status epilepticus, SE) and leads to neurodegeneration. In this study the effect of KA-induced excitotoxicity on the G-protein activations and the gene expression levels of the opioid/nociceptin system receptors as MOPr, KOPr, DOPr, ORL-1, and PNOC (N/OFQ) were investigated, and the regulator effect of naloxone (Nal) on the gene expressions of the opioid system receptors against KA-induced seizures in the rat hippocampus was tested.

Neuroprotection by mefenamic acid against D-serine: involvement of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Mefenamic acid, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), directly and dose-dependently exhibits neuroprotective activity. In our study, we investigated the effects of mefenamic acid against d-serine on oxidative stress in the hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum of rats. Furthermore, the potential inflammatory and apoptotic effects of d-serine and potential protective effect of mefenamic acid were determined at mRNA and protein levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, Bcl-2 and Bax.

Changes in the cannabinoid (CB1) receptor expression level and G-protein activation in kainic acid induced seizures.

It has been known for centuries that exogenous cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol have anticonvulsant activity. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the endogenous cannabinoid system and renewed the interest in cannabinoids as a potential treatment for epilepsy. The endogenous cannabinoid system is rapidly activated after seizure activity but still little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of the cannabinoid system in epilepsy.

γ-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester protects cerebral endothelial cells during injury and decreases blood-brain barrier permeability after experimental brain trauma.

Oxidative stress is a pathway of injury that is common to almost all neurological conditions. Hence, methods to scavenge radicals have been extensively tested for neuroprotection. However, saving neurons alone may not be sufficient in treating CNS disease.

D-serine treatment induces oxidative stress in rat brain.

D-serine plays a significant role in neuronal activity, including learning, memory, neuronal migration at developmental stages, and cell-death signaling. It has been also suggested that D-serine can potantiate the neurotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation due to its coagonist function. However, little is known about the role of D-serine in oxidative stress mechanisms.

Mu opioid receptor mRNA expression, binding, and functional coupling to G-proteins in human epileptic hippocampus.

Mu opioid receptors (MOR) are known to be involved in seizure activity. The main goal of the present study was to characterize the MOR mRNA expression, binding, as well as G protein activation mediated by these receptors in epileptic hippocampus of patients with pharmacoresistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In contrast with autopsy samples, hippocampus obtained from patients with mesial TLE demonstrated enhanced MOR mRNA expression (116%).

Effect of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethylester on the levels of c-fos mRNA expression, glutathione and reactive oxygen species formation in kainic acid excitotoxicity.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethylester (GCEE), a precursor of glutathione biosynthesis, on the levels of glutathione, formation of reactive oxygen species and c-fos mRNA expression in rat hippocampus and cortex in kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into four groups: control, kainic acid (10 mg/kg), GCEE (10 mg/kg) and kainic acid (10 mg/kg) + GCEE (10 mg/kg). Kainic acid and GCEE were administered to the rats intraperitoneally.

Potential neuroprotective effect of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester on rat brain against kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gamma-Glutamylcysteine Ethyl Ester (GCEE) on the levels of GSH, caspase-3 activity, DNA damage and the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax and p53 mRNAs in rat hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) induced by systemic kainic acid (KA). The male rats were divided into four groups as controls, KA (10 mg/kg), GCEE (10 mg/kg) and KA+GCEE. Glutathione (GSH) levels and caspase-3 activity were determined spectrophotometrically and colourimetrically, respectively.

Studies on mefenamic acid microparticles: formulation, in vitro release, and in situ studies in rats.

In this study, we investigated the in vitro characteristics of mefenamic acid (MA) microparticles as well as their effects on DNA damage. MA-loaded chitosan and alginate beads were prepared by the ionotropic gelation process. Microsponges containing MA and Eudragit RS 100 were prepared by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method.

The levels of glutathione and nitrite-nitrate and the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in ovariectomized rats treated by raloxifene against kainic acid.

The selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are compounds that activate the estrogen receptors with different estrogenic and antiestrogenic tissue-specific effects. The similar effects of SERMs on estrogen encourage the efforts in the research of neuroprotective effects of SERMs. In our study, the potential neuroprotective effects of raloxifene were investigated on the brain cortex of ovariectomized rats after kainic acid-induced oxidative stress.

In vitro release--in vivo microbiological and toxicological studies on ketoconazole lipid granules.

In some multidrug therapy programs, ketoconazole (KTZ) may be administered with some antacids that could modify its dissolution rate and reduce its absorption, thus leading to therapeutic failures. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Compritol HD5 ATO and Compritol 888 ATO on this interaction in comparison with commercial KTZ tablets. The second aim was to prepare lipid granules of KTZ that could be an alternative to the commercial formulation.

The potential antioxidant effect of raloxifene treatment: a study on heart, liver and brain cortex of ovariectomized female rats.

The antioxidant activity of some compounds buffer the free radicals generated either endogenously or exogenously, thus decreasing the potential damage mediated by oxidation. Recent studies documented that raloxifene has antioxidant properties in vitro. However, there are limited animal studies available to show raloxifene's antioxidant properties.

Altered level of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor-1 (APE/REF-1) mRNA in the hippocampus of ovariectomized rats treated by raloxifene against kainic acid.

1. Accumulated clinical evidence suggests that selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERM), such as raloxifene, may be neuroprotective. Oxidative stress is a likely molecular mechanism in the neurotoxicity of kainic acid (KA), an excitotoxic substance.

The effect of melatonin on lipid peroxidation and nitrite/nitrate levels, and on superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in kainic acid-induced injury.

Kainic acid (KA) initiates neuronal injury and death by inducing oxidative stress and nitric oxide release from various regions of the brain. It was recently shown that melatonin has free radical-scavenging action and may protect against kainate-induced toxicity. In order to assess the possible supportive effect of melatonin treatment in KA-induced injury in the rat brain cortex, we determined malondialdehyde (MDA) levels as an index of lipid peroxidation, and assessed the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the levels of nitrite/nitrate 35 male rats were divided into five groups, each receiving a different intraperitoneal treatment: saline solution (0.