Publications by authors named "Richard Pittner"
Article Synopsis
- The human MRGPRD protein is part of a family of receptors that play a key role in detecting pain and itch, but it's not well-researched and has few known activating compounds.
- The study identifies two new potent agonists, EP-2825 and EP-3945, that are about 100 times more effective than the previously known agonist, β-alanine.
- The researchers also explored the structures of MRGPRD bound to these agonists, revealing unique binding interactions and flexibility in the receptor, which could help in creating new drugs targeting MRGPRD.
Oxytocin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that participates in the network of appetite regulation. Recently the oxytocin signaling pathway has emerged as an attractive target for treating obesity. However, the short half-life limits its development as a clinical therapeutic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel approach is presented for the simultaneous identification and relative quantification of secreted peptides, particularly those that have been historically difficult to analyze in a concerted manner. Peptides exceeding 60 residues with various degrees of post-translational modification were identified on a liquid chromatographic time scale. The approach demonstrates high efficiency pattern-based recognition analysis of complex neuroendocrine peptide sets and enables rapid identification of biomarkers from biological material.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: The neuroendocrine hormone amylin, cosecreted with insulin from pancreatic beta-cells in response to nutrient ingestion, has several physiologic actions to limit the rate of nutrient uptake, including the slowing of gastric emptying.
Methods: To investigate whether amylin might modulate digestive enzyme secretion from the exocrine pancreas, anesthetized Sprague Dawley rats were cannulated via the pancreatic duct and the secretory response (flow, amylase and lipase) to cholecystokinin (1 microg s.c.