A comparison between radiometric and fluorimetric methods for measuring SSAO activity.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) metabolizes the oxidative deamination of primary aromatic and aliphatic amines. The final cytotoxic products of its catalysis contribute to diseases involving vascular degeneration. The increasing interest in measuring SSAO activity has led to the development of several different methods.

Immunohistochemical study of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase/vascular adhesion protein-1 in the hippocampal vasculature: pathological synergy of Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase/vascular adhesion protein-1 (SSAO/VAP-1) is involved in vascular endothelial damage as well as in the vascular degeneration underlying diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence suggests that classic pathological features of AD are more pronounced in diabetic mellitus patients. To investigate the expression and distribution of SSAO/VAP-1 in the two pathologies, we have performed an immunohistochemical study in human hippocampal vessels of AD, AD with diabetic mellitus (ADD), diabetic mellitus (DM), and nondemented (ND) patients.

UTP affects the Schwannoma cell line proteome through P2Y receptors leading to cytoskeletal reorganisation.

Glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, such as Schwann cells, respond to nucleotides, which play an important role in axonal regeneration and myelination. Metabotropic P2Y receptor agonists are promising therapeutic molecules for peripheral neuropathies. Nevertheless, the proteomic mechanisms involved in nucleotide action on Schwann cells remain unknown.

Is Ankyrin a genetic risk factor for psychiatric phenotypes?

Background: Genome wide association studies reported two single nucleotide polymorphisms in ANK3 (rs9804190 and rs10994336) as independent genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder. Another SNP in ANK3 (rs10761482) was associated with schizophrenia in a large European sample. Within the debate on common susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we tried to investigate common findings by analyzing association of ANK3 with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and unipolar depression.

The Δ4-desaturation pathway for DHA biosynthesis is operative in the human species: differences between normal controls and children with the Zellweger syndrome.

Background: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3) is a fundamental component of cell membranes, especially in the brain and retina. In the experimental animal, DHA deficiency leads to suboptimal neurological performance and visual deficiencies. Children with the Zellweger syndrome (ZS) have a profound DHA deficiency and symptoms that can be attributed to their extremely low DHA levels.