Sleep profile in opioid dependence: a polysomnographic case-control study.

Purpose: Many opioid receptors are located in the same nuclei that are active in sleep regulation. It has been suggested that opioid peptides are involved in the induction of the sleep state. Prolonged opioid use has been hypothesized to cause disturbed sleep.

Mitochondrial complex I inhibition in Parkinson's disease: how can curcumin protect mitochondria?

Selective damage of mitochondrial complex I within the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is the central event during Parkinson disease. Peroxynitrite is one of the important free radicals probably mediating complex I damage. Peroxynitrite inhibits brain complex I mainly by 3-nitrotyrosine and nitrosothiol formation, but how these modifications alter the structure-function relation of complex I is unclear.

Structural consequences of D481N/K483Q mutation at glycine binding site of NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors: a molecular dynamics study.

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors are the ligand gated as well as voltage sensitive ionotropic glutamate receptors, widely distributed in the vertebrate central nervous system and they play critical role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out on high resolution crystal structure of NR1 subunit of NMDA receptor ligand binding core (S1S2) in four different conformations. We have investigated consequence of D481N/K483Q double mutation of NR1 subunit from simulation results of (a) glycine bound form (WG), (b) unbound (closed-apo) form (WOG), (c) a double mutated form (DM), and (d) the antagonist (5,7-dichlorokynuric acid) bound form (DCKA).