Experimental and clinical evidence for the protective role of progesterone in motoneuron degeneration and neuroinflammation.

Far beyond its role in reproduction, progesterone exerts neuro-protective, promyelinating, and anti-inflammatory effects in the nervous system. These effects are amplified under pathological conditions, implying that changes of the local environment sensitize nervous tissues to steroid therapy. The present survey covers our results of progesterone neuroprotection in a motoneuron neurodegeneration model and a neuroinflammation model.

Hybrid Particle-Field Coarse-Grained Models for Biological Phospholipids.

In the framework of a recently developed scheme for a hybrid particle-field simulation technique where self-consistent field theory (SCF) and molecular dynamics (MD) are combined [ J. Chem. Phys.

Neuroprotective actions of estradiol revisited.

Results from animal experiments showing that estradiol is neuroprotective were challenged 10 years ago by findings indicating an increased risk of dementia and stroke in women over 65 years of age taking conjugated equine estrogens. Our understanding of the complex signaling of estradiol in neural cells has recently clarified the causes of this discrepancy. New data indicate that estradiol may lose its neuroprotective activity or even increase neural damage, a situation that depends on the duration of ovarian hormone deprivation and on age-associated modifications in the levels of other molecules that modulate estradiol action.

Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new hypothesis regarding its etiology and pathogenesis suggests that astrocytes might be the primary target hosting a still unknown external agent.

This article briefly describes the already known clinical features and pathogenic mechanisms underlying sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, namely excitoxicity, oxidative stress, protein damage, inflammation, genetic abnormalities and neuronal death. Thereafter, it puts forward the hypothesis that astrocytes may be the cells which serve as targets for the harmful action of a still unknown environmental agent, while neuronal death may be a secondary event following the initial insult to glial cells. The article also suggests that an emergent virus or a misfolded infectious protein might be potential candidates to accomplish this task.

Nonlytic exocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans from macrophages occurs in vivo and is influenced by phagosomal pH.

Unlabelled: A unique aspect of the interaction of the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans with macrophages is the phenomenon of nonlytic exocytosis, also referred to as "vomocytosis" or phagosome extrusion/expulsion, which involves the escape of fungal cells from the phagocyte with the survival of both cell types. This phenomenon has been observed only in vitro using subjective and time-consuming microscopic techniques. In spite of recent advances in our knowledge about its mechanisms, a major question still remaining is whether this phenomenon also occurs in vivo.

Low-pH-dependent changes in the conformation and oligomeric state of the prefusion form of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein B are separable from fusion activity.

The cellular requirements for activation of herpesvirus fusion and entry remain poorly understood. Low pH triggers change in the antigenic reactivity of the prefusion form of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) fusion protein gB in virions, both in vitro and during viral entry via endocytosis (S. Dollery et al.

Progesterone attenuates demyelination and microglial reaction in the lysolecithin-injured spinal cord.

Progesterone treatment of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis has shown beneficial effects in the spinal cord according to enhanced clinical, myelin and neuronal-related parameters. In the present work, we report progesterone effects in a model of primary demyelination induced by the intraspinal injection of lysophospatidylcholine (LPC). C57Bl6 adult male mice remained steroid-untreated or received a single 100 mg progesterone implant, which increased circulating steroid levels to those of mouse pregnancy.

Progesterone prevents nerve injury-induced allodynia and spinal NMDA receptor upregulation in rats.

Background: Peripheral nerve injury-evoked neuropathic pain still remains a therapeutic challenge. Recent studies support the notion that progesterone, a neuroactive steroid, may offer a promising perspective in pain modulation.

Objectives: Evaluate the effect of progesterone administration on the development of neuropathic pain-associated allodynia and on the spinal expression of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor subunit 1 (NR1), its phosphorylated form (pNR1), and the gamma isoform of protein kinase C (PKCγ), all key players in the process of central sensitization, in animals subjected to a sciatic nerve constriction.

Progesterone attenuates astro- and microgliosis and enhances oligodendrocyte differentiation following spinal cord injury.

Reactive gliosis, demyelination and proliferation of NG2+ oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) are common responses to spinal cord injury (SCI). We previously reported that short-term progesterone treatment stimulates OPC proliferation whereas chronic treatment enhances OPC differentiation after SCI. Presently, we further studied the proliferation/differentiation of glial cells involved in inflammation and remyelination in male rats with SCI subjected to acute (3 days) or chronic (21 days) progesterone administration.

Chemistry at boron: synthesis and properties of red to near-IR fluorescent dyes based on boron-substituted diisoindolomethene frameworks.

A general method for the synthesis of difluorobora-diisoindolomethene dyes with phenyl, p-anisole, or ethyl-thiophene substituents has been developed. The nature of the substituents allows modulation of the fluorescence from 650 to 780 nm. Replacement of the fluoro ligands by ethynyl-aryl or ethyl residues is facile using Grignard reagents.

A pre-immediate-early role for tegument ICP0 in the proteasome-dependent entry of herpes simplex virus.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry requires host cell 26S proteasomal degradation activity at a postpenetration step. When expressed in the infected cell, the HSV immediate-early protein ICP0 has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and interacts with the proteasome. The cell is first exposed to ICP0 during viral entry, since ICP0 is a component of the inner tegument layer of the virion.

Progesterone and cortisol levels in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS): correlation with prognostic factors.

Unlabelled: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder. Worse prognostic factors in ALS are: (a) advanced age, (b) bulbar onset, and (c) short time between onset and diagnosis. Progesterone (PROG) has been associated with neuroprotective and promyelinating activities in injury, ischemia and degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA)-promoted synthesis of Bodipy dimers displaying unusual redox properties.

Phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA) in conjunction with a Lewis acid promotes C-C coupling of Bodipy monomers leading to mixtures of various oligomers. When a single position is blocked with an iodo or phenyl group, formation of the dimer is favored. These dimers display two successive oxidation and two reduction waves separated on average by 260 and 130 mV, respectively, corresponding to each Bodipy subunit.

Glucuronoxylomannan, galactoxylomannan, and mannoprotein occupy spatially separate and discrete regions in the capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans.

The capsular polysaccharides of Cryptococcus neoformans have historically been divided into three components namely, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), galactoxylomannan (GalXM), and mannoprotein (MP) but their relative spatial-geographical relationship in the capsule is unknown.  To explore this problem would require the capacity for visualizing these components in the capsule.  Prior studies have reported serological reagents to GXM and GalXM but no antibodies are available against MPs.

Reversible conformational change in herpes simplex virus glycoprotein B with fusion-from-without activity is triggered by mildly acidic pH.

Background: The pre-fusion form of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) fusion protein gB undergoes pH-triggered conformational change in vitro and during viral entry (Dollery et al., J. Virol.

Protective effect of estrogens on the brain of rats with essential and endocrine hypertension.

Estrogen neuroprotection has been shown in pathological conditions damaging the hippocampus, such as trauma, aging, neurodegeneration, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, hypoglycemia, amyloid-β peptide exposure and ischemia. Hypertensive encephalopathy also targets the hippocampus; therefore, hypertension seems an appropriate circumstance to evaluate steroid neuroprotection. Two experimental models of hypertension, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats, develop hippocampal abnormalities, which include decreased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, astrogliosis, low expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and decreased number of neurons in the hilar region, with respect of their normotensive strains Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Increased aromatase expression in the hippocampus of spontaneously hypertensive rats: effects of estradiol administration.

There is high incidence of hippocampal abnormalities in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), including decreased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, astrogliosis, low expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and decreased neuronal density in the hilar region, respect of normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Estradiol treatment given for 2 weeks normalized the faulty hippocampal parameters of SHR, without having effects on WKY rats. The present work studied the potential role of local estrogen biosynthesis in the hippocampus of SHR and WKY, by measuring the expression of aromatase, the key enzyme responsible for estrogen biosynthesis and involved in neuroprotection.

Short-term environmental enrichment enhances adult neurogenesis, vascular network and dendritic complexity in the hippocampus of type 1 diabetic mice.

Background: Several brain disturbances have been described in association to type 1 diabetes in humans. In animal models, hippocampal pathological changes were reported together with cognitive deficits. The exposure to a variety of environmental stimuli during a certain period of time is able to prevent brain alterations and to improve learning and memory in conditions like stress, aging and neurodegenerative processes.

Bacillus anthracis produces membrane-derived vesicles containing biologically active toxins.

Extracellular vesicle production is a ubiquitous process in Gram-negative bacteria, but little is known about such process in Gram-positive bacteria. We report the isolation of extracellular vesicles from the supernatants of Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive bacillus that is a powerful agent for biological warfare. B.

Involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurogenesis in oestradiol neuroprotection of the hippocampus of hypertensive rats.

The hippocampus of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats shows decreased cell proliferation and astrogliosis as well as a reduced number of hilar cells. These defects are corrected after administration of 17β-oestradiol (E(2) ) for 2 weeks. The present work investigated whether E(2) treatment of SHR and of hypertensive DOCA-salt male rats modulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin involved in hippocampal neurogenesis.

Evaluation of the Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) for diagnosis of brucella melitensis infection of goats in Argentina.

Aim: Determine the optimal cut-off and the use of Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) to improve the detection of brucellosis in individual goats in Argentina.

Methods: Sera from 96 goats from a flock with abortion due to B. melitensis biovar 1 were used to assess the efficacy of the FPA to detect brucellosis in goats.

Progesterone prevents allodynia after experimental spinal cord injury.

Unlabelled: Chronic pain after spinal cord injury represents a therapeutic challenge. Progesterone, a neuroprotective steroid, has been shown to modulate nociceptive thresholds, whereas its effect on neuropathic pain needs to be further explored. In this study, we evaluated whether progesterone could ameliorate pain-associated behaviors in animals subjected to a spinal cord hemisection.

A tailored hybrid BODIPY-oligothiophene donor for molecular bulk heterojunction solar cells with improved performances.

Fixation of a 5-hexyl-2,2'-bithienyl unit on a conjugated BODIPY donor increases the conversion efficiency of the resulting molecular bulk heterojunction solar cells from 1.30 to 2.20%.

Endogenous progesterone is associated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis prognostic factors.

Unlabelled: Negative prognostic factors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis include advanced age, shorter time from disease onset to diagnosis, bulbar onset and rapid progression rate.

Objective: To compare progesterone (PROG) and cortisol serum levels in patients and controls and ascertain its relationship to prognostic factors and survival.

Methods: We assessed serum hormonal levels in 27 patients and 21 controls.

Ab binding alters gene expression in Cryptococcus neoformans and directly modulates fungal metabolism.

Abs facilitate humoral immunity via the classical mechanisms of opsonization, complement activation, Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and toxin/viral neutralization. There is also evidence that some Abs mediate direct antimicrobial effects. For example, Ab binding to the polysaccharide capsule of the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans promotes opsonization but also inhibits polysaccharide release and biofilm formation.