Excitotoxic glutamate release occurs in several neurological disorders. One source is derived from the hydrolysis of the neuropeptide N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate (NAAG) by glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII, also known as NAALADase). Drugs that attenuate glutamate transmission have been shown to relieve neuropathic pain, however side effects have limited their clinical use. It appears that GCPII is exclusively recruited to provide a glutamate source in hyperglutamatergic, excitotoxic conditions and therefore would be devoid of such side effects. Here we report on the therapeutic effects of an orally bio-available GCP II inhibitor on established painful and sensory neuropathy in the spontaneously diabetic BB/Wor rat. It significantly improved hyperalgesia, nerve conduction velocity and underlying myelinated fiber atrophy. The data suggest that GCP II inhibition may provide a meaningful and effective approach to the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2006.05.052DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

therapeutic effects
8
gcpii naaladase
8
painful sensory
8
diabetic neuropathy
8
side effects
8
glutamate
5
preventive therapeutic
4
effects
4
effects gcpii
4
naaladase inhibition
4

Similar Publications

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is considered an effective and safe therapeutic modality in supporting the treatment of complications from a global pandemic-diabetes. In this study, PBM therapy is investigated to accelerate wound healing in diabetic mice (DM), under the combined biological effects of red light from a red organic light-emitting diode (ROLED) and near-infrared (NIR) light from an NIR conversion film (NCF) with dispersed CuInS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). The QD concentration and the NCF structure were optimized to maximize the optical properties and mechanical stability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alopecia areata (AA) is a prevalent autoimmune condition that causes sudden hair loss and poses significant psychological challenges to affected individuals. Current treatments, including corticosteroids and Janus kinase inhibitors, fail to provide long-term efficacy due to adverse effects and relapse after cessation. This study introduces a nanoparticle (NP) system that codeliver diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) and rapamycin (RAPA) prodrugs to induce immune tolerance and promote hair regeneration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic multifactorial disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, pain, and reduced mobility. Current therapies primarily aim to relieve pain and restore function, but they often have limited effectiveness and side effects. Coixol, a bioactive compound from Coix lacryma-jobi L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unfolded protein response modulates Tyrosinase levels and melanin production during melanogenesis.

J Dermatol Sci

January 2025

Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Frontier Science and Interdisciplinary Research, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Melanocytes protect the body from ultraviolet radiation by synthesizing melanin. Tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin production, accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during melanin synthesis, potentially causing ER stress. However, regulating ER function for melanin synthesis has been less studied than controlling Tyrosinase activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A critical view of silk fibroin for non-viral gene therapy.

Int J Biol Macromol

January 2025

National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, No. 199 Ren'ai Road, Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123, PR China. Electronic address:

Exogenous genes are inserted into target cells during gene therapy in order to compensate or rectify disorders brought on by faulty or aberrant genes. However, gene therapy is still in its early stages because of its unsatisfactory therapeutic effects which are mainly due to low transfection efficiency of vectors, high toxicity, and poor target specificity. A natural polymer with numerous bioactive sites, good mechanical qualities, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and processability called silk fibroin has gained attention as a possible gene therapy vector.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!