A systematic review of novel cannabinoids and their targets: Insights into the significance of structure in activity.

To provide a comprehensive framework of the current information on the potency and efficacy of interaction between phyto- and synthetic cannabinoids and their respective receptors, an electronic search of the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE literature was performed. Experimental studies included reports of mechanistic data providing affinity, efficacy, and half-maximal effective concentration (EC). Among the 108 included studies, 174 structures, and 16 targets were extracted.

The effects of chronic morphine administration on spatial memory and microtubule dynamicity in male mice's brain.

The examination of the influence of morphine on behavioral processes, specifically learning and memory, holds significant importance. Additionally, microtubule proteins play a pivotal role in cellular functions, and the dynamics of microtubules contribute to neural network connectivity, information processing, and memory storage. however, the molecular mechanism of morphine on microtubule dynamics, learning, and memory remains uncovered.

Lysine ε-aminolysis and incorporation of sulfhydryl groups into human brain tau 4R/1N and VQIVYK enhances the formation of beta structures and toxicity.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of N-homocysteine thiolactone (tHcy) modification on expressed and purified tau protein and the synthesized VQIVYK target peptide. The modified constructs were subjected to comprehensive validation using various methodologies, including mass spectrometry. Subsequently, in vivo, in vitro, and in silico characterizations were performed under both reducing and non-reducing conditions, as well as in the presence and absence of heparin as a cofactor.

Crosstalk between tau protein autoproteolysis and amyloid fibril formation.

Tau cleavage has been shown to have a significant effect on protein aggregation. Tau truncation results in the formation of aggregation-prone fragments leading to toxic aggregates and also causes the formation of harmful fragments that do not aggregate. Thus, targeting proteolysis of tau would be beneficial for the development of therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies.

Comparable assessment of adolescent repeated physical or psychological stress effects on adult cardiac performance in female rats.

Extensive evidence highlights a robust connection between various forms of chronic stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In today's fast-paced world, with chronic stressors abound, CVD has emerged as a leading global cause of mortality. The intricate interplay of physical and psychological stressors triggers distinct neural networks within the brain, culminating in diverse health challenges.

Beneficial effects of trehalose and gentiobiose on human sperm cryopreservation.

The protection of human sperm during cryopreservation is of great importance to infertility. Recent studies have shown that this area is still a long way from its ultimate aim of maintaining the maximum viability of sperm in cryopreservation. The present study used trehalose and gentiobiose to prepare the human sperm freezing medium during the freezing-thawing.

Inhibition Of Tau Protein Aggregation By a Chaperone-like β-Boswellic Acid Conjugated To Gold Nanoparticles.

A potential therapeutic strategy to inhibit tau protein aggregation in neurons has substantial effects on preventing or controlling Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this work, we designed a covalent and noncovalent conjugation of β-boswellic acid (BA) to gold nanoparticles (GNPs). We provided the opportunity to investigate the effect of the surface composition of BA-GNPs on the aggregation of the tau protein 1N/4R isoform in vitro.

Bivalent metal ions induce formation of α-synuclein fibril polymorphs with different cytotoxicities.

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates are key components of intracellular inclusion bodies characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies. Metal ions have been considered as the important etiological factors in PD since their interactions with α-Syn alter the kinetics of fibrillation. In the present study, we have systematically explored the effects of Zn, Cu, Ca, and Mg cations on α-Syn fibril formation.

Unravelling the Novel Effects of Three Volatile Compounds in Preventing Fibril Formation of Disease Related Tau and α-Synuclein Proteins- Towards Identifying Candidate Aromatic Substances for Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases.

The aggregation of tau and α-synuclein into fibrillary assemblies in nerve cells is the molecular hallmark of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, respectively. In our previous studies, we investigated the anti-amyloidogenic effects of three different aroma-producing (volatile) compounds including cinnamaldehyde, phenyl ethyl alcohol, and TEMED on the fibrillation process of HEWL, as a model protein. Our previous results showed that while TEMED was able to completely stop the process of fibril formation, cinnamaldehyde and phenyl ethyl alcohol gave rise to oligomeric/protofibrillar forms and were involved in the entrapment of intermediate species of HEWL.

Astaxanthin Decreases Spatial Memory and Glutamate Transport Impairment Induced by Fluoride.

Excessive exposure to the sources of fluoride in drinking water, oral care products, and food is a widespread problem. Fluoride is associated with impairment in child intelligence development. It causes DNA damage, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction, mainly due to the production of reactive oxygen species ROS).

Supplementation of freezing medium with encapsulated or free glutathione during cryopreservation of bull sperm.

The objective was to compare effects of encapsulated or free glutathione (GSH) on the quality of frozen-thawed bull sperm. Ejaculates were collected via artificial vagina from six mature Holstein bulls once weekly for 6 weeks. All ejaculates had motility ≥70%, sperm concentration ≥1.

Cannabidiol Inhibits Tau Aggregation In Vitro.

A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of tau protein in the brain. Compelling evidence indicates that the presence of tau aggregates causes irreversible neuronal destruction, eventually leading to synaptic loss. So far, the inhibition of tau aggregation has been recognized as one of the most effective therapeutic strategies.

Interplay of isoform 1N4R tau protein and amyloid-β peptide fragment 25-35 in reducing and non-reducing conditions.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and tau protein are two hallmark proteins in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the parameters, which mediate the abnormal aggregation of Aβ and tau, have not been fully discovered. Here, we have provided an optimum method to purify tau protein isoform 1N4R by using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid agarose chromatography under denaturing condition. The biochemical and biophysical properties of the purified protein were further characterized using in vitro tau filament assembly, tubulin polymerization assay, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy.

Correlation between adolescent chronic emotional stress and incidence of adult cardiovascular disease in female rats.

Objectives: Association of adolescent emotional stress (ES) with the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at older age was investigated.

Materials And Methods: 21 female rats were divided into three groups of 7 each; ES, foot-shock, and control. Chronic ES was induced by exposing the rats to witness foot-shock of their neighboring counterparts in the stress-box system in 5 successive days.

Peptide LIQ Promotes Cell Protection against Zinc-Induced Cytotoxicity through Microtubule Stabilization.

Stability of the microtubule protein (MTP) network required for its physiological functions is disrupted in the course of neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, the design of novel therapeutic approaches for microtubule stabilization is a focus of intensive study. Dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1) is a guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), which plays a prevailing role in mitochondrial fission.

Site Directed Disulfide PEGylation of Interferon-β-1b with Fork Peptide Linker.

The attachment of PEG to biopharmaceuticals has been applied for enhancement of bioavailability and improved stability. The PEG polymer is highly hydrated; thus effective attachment to inaccessible sites could be hindered. We have devised a scheme to address this issue by introducing a considerable distance between PEG and protein by addition of a linear peptide, appended to long chained reactive linkers.

Anti-metastatic properties of a potent herbal combination in cell and mice models of triple negative breast cancer.

Aim: To determine the anti-metastatic potential of combinations of two bioactive carotenoids of saffron, crocin and crocetin, on 4T1 breast cancer and on a mice model of TNBC, and assess the effect of the most potent combination on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Main Methods: The effects of the carotenoid combinations on the viability of 4T1 cells were determined by MTT assay. The effects of the nontoxic doses on migration, mobility, invasion and adhesion to ECM were examined by scratch assay, Transwell/Matrigel-coated Transwell chamber and adhesion assay respectively.

Ac-SDKP ameliorates the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via inhibition of ER stress and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of C57BL/6 mice.

Despite the attention given to the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), still no certain cure is available. The main purpose of MS drugs is acting against neuroinflammation which underlies the pathology of MS. Neuroinflammation is associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that mediates neural apoptosis.

Electromagnetic field in human sperm cryopreservation improves fertilizing potential of thawed sperm through physicochemical modification of water molecules in freezing medium.

Physicochemical properties of water molecules as the main compositions of the freezing media can be affected by the electromagnetic fled. The purpose of this study was to apply extremely low repetition rate electromagnetic fields (ELEFs) to change the molecular network of water molecules existing in freezing media used for human sperm cryopreservation. First, different time periods and pulsed electromagnetic fields were used to evaluate the physiochemical properties of water.

Comparison of polymerization and structural behavior of microtubules in rat brain and sperm affected by the extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field.

Background: Microtubule proteins are able to produce electromagnetic fields and have an important role in memory formation, and learning. Therefore, microtubules have the potential to be affected by exogenous electromagnetic fields. This study aimed to examine the comparison of microtubule polymerization and its structural behavior in brain and sperm affected by 50 Hz extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELEF).

The Application of Ultrasonic Vibration in Human Sperm Cryopreservation as a Novel Method for the Modification of Physicochemical Characteristics of Freezing Media.

The application of ultrasonic vibration was performed to modify the water molecules as the main compositions of the freezing medium used for human sperm cryopreservation. Different time periods of ultrasonic vibration (ULV) at the frequency of 28 kHz were applied for the evaluation of physicochemical properties of the water molecules. The most significant bubble size, zeta potential, and pH were obtained for the water molecules exposed to ultrasonic vibrations for 18 minutes and this time period was selected for further experiments due to the optimum results.

Aggregate Forms of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin With Different Charge Profile Substantially Impact Biological Activities.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) as a glycoprotein growth factor has been considered a biological drug for treatment of anemic patients with chronic renal failure or who receive cancer chemotherapy. Biological activity and circulation time are 2 parameters that are important to achieve EPO's efficacy. Previous efforts for increasing EPO's efficacy have focused on glycosylation modification via adding more sialic acid antenna and generates more negative charged protein.

Microtubule network as a potential candidate for targeting by gold nanoparticle-assisted photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy is achieving ever-increasing attention as a promising method for killing cancer cells. Although, gold nanoparticles are regarded as one of the most effective photothermal therapy agents, the mechanisms underlying their action have to be addressed. Moreover, studies have showed that gold nanoparticles induce apoptosis in treated cultures.

Inhibitory Effect of Crocin on Metastasis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Interfering with Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Murine Model.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most metastatic subtype of breast cancer and cannot be controlled with any standard-of-care therapy. However, various studies have recommended medicinal plants as complementary treatments for cancer. In particular, crocin, the main bioactive carotenoid of saffron, has exhibited anticancer effects on primary tumors.

Comparative evaluation of adolescent repeated psychological or physical stress effects on adult cognitive performance, oxidative stress, and heart rate in female rats.

Multiple adult health problems are associated with adolescent stress. As the brain discriminates physical and psychological stressors by activation of different neural networks, we hypothesized that behavioral and physiological performance would be modulated differently based on the nature of the stressors. Thus, we studied the comparative effects of adolescent repeated physical and psychological stresses on adult cognitive performance, pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) and heart rate in female rats.