This study introduces a novel multitargeting strategy that combines carbonic anhydrase (CA) activators and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors to enhance cognitive functions. A series of tacrine-based derivatives with amine/amino acid moieties were synthesized and evaluated for their dual activity on brain CA isoforms and ChEs (AChE and BChE). Several derivatives, notably compounds , , , and , demonstrated potent CA activation, particularly of hCA II and VII, and strong ChE inhibition with subnanomolar to low nanomolar IC values.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProlonged exposure to stress is a risk factor for the onset of several disorders. Modern life is burdened by a pervasive prevalence of stress, which represents a major societal challenge requiring new therapeutic strategies. In this context, botanical drug-based therapies can have a paramount importance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral lines of evidence demonstrate that the brain histaminergic system is fundamental for cognitive processes and the expression of memories. Here, we investigated the effect of acute silencing or activation of histaminergic neurons in the hypothalamic tuberomamillary nucleus (TMN neurons) in vivo in both sexes in an attempt to provide direct and causal evidence of the necessary role of these neurons in recognition memory formation and retrieval. To this end, we compared the performance of mice in two non-aversive and non-rewarded memory tests, the social and object recognition memory tasks, which are known to recruit different brain circuitries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
December 2023
Fear responses are functionally adaptive behaviors that are strengthened as memories. Indeed, detailed knowledge of the neural circuitry modulating fear memory could be the turning point for the comprehension of this emotion and its pathological states. A comprehensive understanding of the circuits mediating memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval presents the fundamental technological challenge of analyzing activity in the entire brain with single-neuron resolution.
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