The IA polymorphism is a marker of both the Ankyrin Repeat and Kinase Domain containing I gene () encoding a RIP-kinase, and the gene for the dopamine receptor D2. Despite a large number of studies of IA in addictions and other psychiatric disorders, there is difficulty in interpreting this genetic phenomenon due to the lack of knowledge about ANKK1 function. In SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma models, we show that ANKK1 interacts with the synapse protein FERM ARH/RhoGEF and Pleckstrin Domain 1 (FARP1), which is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) of the RhoGTPases RAC1 and RhoA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe utility of classical drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders (e.g., antidepressants, anxiolytics) is often limited by issues of lack of efficacy, delayed onset of action or side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral new synthetic cathinones, which mimic the effect of classical psychostimulants such as cocaine or MDMA, have appeared in the global illicit drug market in the last decades. In fact, the illicit drug market is continually evolving by constantly adding small modifications to the common chemical structure of synthetic cathinones. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of six novel synthetic cathinones currently popular as recreational drugs, pentedrone, pentylone, N-ethyl-pentedrone (NEPD), N-ethyl-pentylone (NEP), 4-methyl-pentedrone (4-MPD), and 4-methyl-ethylaminopentedrone (4-MeAP), which structurally differ in the absence or presence of different aromatic substituents and in their amino terminal group.
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