Caudo-rostral brain spreading of α-synuclein through vagal connections.

α-Synuclein accumulation and pathology in Parkinson's disease typically display a caudo-rostral pattern of progression, involving neuronal nuclei in the medulla oblongata at the earliest stages. In this study, selective expression and accumulation of human α-synuclein within medullary neurons was achieved via retrograde transport of adeno-associated viral vectors unilaterally injected into the vagus nerve in the rat neck. The exogenous protein progressively spread toward more rostral brain regions where it could be detected within axonal projections.

Important functional role of residue x of the presenilin GxGD protease active site motif for APP substrate cleavage specificity and substrate selectivity of γ-secretase.

γ-Secretase plays a central role in the generation of the Alzheimer disease-causing amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) from the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and is thus a major Alzheimer's disease drug target. As several other γ-secretase substrates including Notch1 and CD44 have crucial signaling functions, an understanding of the mechanism of substrate recognition and cleavage is key for the development of APP selective γ-secretase-targeting drugs. The γ-secretase active site domain in its catalytic subunit presenilin (PS) 1 has been implicated in substrate recognition/docking and cleavage.

Requirement for small side chain residues within the GxGD-motif of presenilin for gamma-secretase substrate cleavage.

gamma-Secretase is a pivotal intramembrane-cleaving protease complex and important drug target for Alzheimer's disease. The protease not only releases small peptides, such as the amyloid-beta peptide, which drives Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, but also intracellular domains, which can have critical functions in nuclear signaling. Unlike typical aspartyl proteases, gamma-secretase contains a non-classical GxGD active site motif in its catalytic subunit presenilin (PS) 1 or PS2.

Generation of Abeta38 and Abeta42 is independently and differentially affected by familial Alzheimer disease-associated presenilin mutations and gamma-secretase modulation.

Alzheimer disease amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is generated via proteolytic processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein by beta- and gamma-secretase. Gamma-secretase can be blocked by selective inhibitors but can also be modulated by a subset of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including sulindac sulfide. These drugs selectively reduce the generation of the aggregation-prone 42-amino acid Abeta(42) and concomitantly increase the levels of the rather benign Abeta(38).

Scaffold of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor carprofen provides Alzheimer gamma-secretase modulators.

N-sulfonylated and N-alkylated carprofen derivatives were investigated for their inhibition and modulation of gamma-secretase, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. The introduction of a lipophilic substituent transformed the COX-2 inhibitor carprofen into a potent gamma-secretase modulator. Several compounds (e.

N-Substituted carbazolyloxyacetic acids modulate Alzheimer associated gamma-secretase.

N-Sulfonylated and N-alkylated carbazolyloxyacetic acids were investigated for the inhibition and modulation of the Alzheimer's disease associated gamma-secretase. The introduction of a lipophilic substituent, which may vary from arylsulfone to alkyl, turned 2-carbazolyloxyacetic acids into potent gamma-secretase modulators. This resulted in the selective reduction of Abeta(42) and an increase of the less aggregatory Abeta(38) fragment by several compounds (e.

Catalytic site-directed gamma-secretase complex inhibitors do not discriminate pharmacologically between Notch S3 and beta-APP cleavages.

The generation of gamma-secretase inhibitors which block the release of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) has long been an attractive therapeutic avenue for treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Such inhibitors would reduce levels of Abeta available for aggregation into toxic assemblies that lead to the plaque pathology found in affected brain tissue. Cumulative evidence suggests that the S3 cleavage of Notch is also dependent on presenilins (PS) and is carried out by the multimeric PS-containing gamma-secretase complex.

Effect of PVP K-25 on the formation of the naproxen:beta-ciclodextrin complex.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the presence of the water-soluble polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone K-25 (MW=24000g/mol) on the complexation of the AINE naproxen, in its sodium salt form, with the beta-cyclodextrin. The data revealed that the polyvinylpyrrolidone K-25 interacts with the drug as well as with the drug:beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex. The polymer shows more affinity for the inclusion complex, K=(6.