| 1. |
- Gandaglia, G., et al.
(författare)
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The fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor oleoyl ethyl amide counteracts bladder overactivity in female rats
- 2014
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Ingår i: Neurourology and Urodynamics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0733-2467 .- 1520-6777. ; 33:8, s. 1251-1258
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS:To study micturition and bladder overactivity in female rats after chronic treatment with the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor oleoyl ethyl amide (OEtA).METHODS:Sprague-Dawley rats received daily subcutaneous injections of OEtA (0.3 mg/kg), or vehicle for 2 weeks. Cystometries, organ bath studies, Western blot, and immunofluorescence were then used. Expressions of FAAH, cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (CB1 and CB2), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), vesicular acetyl choline-transporter protein (VAChT), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were evaluated.RESULTS:At baseline, OEtA-treated rats had higher values (P < 0.05) of micturition intervals (MI) and volumes (MV), bladder capacity (BC), threshold pressure, and flow pressure than vehicle controls. Intravesical PGE2 reduced MI, MV, and BC, and increased basal pressure and the area under the curve in all rats. However, these urodynamic parameters were altered less by intravesical PGE2 in OEtA-treated rats (P < 0.05 vs. vehicle controls). Compared to vehicle controls, detrusor from OEtA-treated rats had larger contractions to carbachol at 10-0.1 µM, but no difference in Emax was recorded. FAAH, CB1, CB2, VAChT, or CGRP was similarly expressed in bladders from all rats. In separate experiments, intravesical OEtA increased mucosal expression of phosphorylated MAPK.CONCLUSIONS:Chronic FAAH inhibition altered sensory urodynamic parameters and reduced bladder overactivity. Even if it cannot be excluded that OEtA may act on central nervous sensory pathways to contribute to these effects, the presence of FAAH and CB receptors in the bladder and activation of intracellular signals for CB receptors by intravesical OEtA suggest a local role for FAAH in micturition control. Neurourol. Urodynam
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| 2. |
- Angelucci, F, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of neuropeptide Y on cell survival and neurotrophin expression in in-vitro models of Alzheimer's disease
- 2014
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Ingår i: Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology. - : Canadian Science Publishing. - 1205-7541 .- 0008-4212. ; 92:8, s. 621-630
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disorder characterized by the accumulation of abnormally folded protein fragments in neurons, i.e., β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau protein, leading to cell death. Several neuropeptides present in the central nervous system (CNS) are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Among them, neuropeptide Y (NPY), a small peptide widely distributed throughout the brain, has generated interest because of its role in neuroprotection against excitotoxicity in animal models of AD. In addition, it has been shown that NPY modulates neurogenesis. Interestingly, these latter effects are similar to those elicited by neurotrophins, which are critical molecules for the function and survival of neurons that degenerate during the course of AD. In this review we summarize the evidence for the involvement of NPY and neurotrophins in AD pathogenesis, and the similarity between them in CNS neurons. Finally, we recapitulate our recent in-vitro evidence for the involvement of neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the neuroprotective effect elicited by NPY in AD neuron-like models (neuroblastoma cells or primary cultures exposed to toxic concentrations of Aβ’s pathogenic fragment 25–35), and propose a putative mechanism based on NPY-induced inhibition of voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx in pre- and post-synaptic neurons.
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| 3. |
- Croce, N, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of lithium and valproic acid on BDNF protein and gene expression in an in vitro human neuron-like model of degeneration
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England). - : SAGE Publications. - 1461-7285 .- 0269-8811. ; 28:10, s. 964-972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One of the common effects of lithium (Li) and valproic acid (VPA) is their ability to protect against excitotoxic insults. Neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases may be also associated with altered trophic support of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the most widely distributed neurotrophin in the central nervous system. However, despite these evidences, the effect of Li–VPA combination on BDNF after excitoxic insult has been inadequately investigated. We address this issue by exposing a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) to neurotoxic concentration of L-glutamate and exploring whether the neuroprotective action of Li–VPA on these cells is associated with changes in BDNF protein and mRNA levels. The results showed that pre-incubation of Li–VPA abolished the toxic effect of glutamate on SH-SY5Y cell survival and this neuroprotective effect was associated with increased synthesis and mRNA expression of BDNF after 24 and 48 h of incubation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the neuroprotective effects of Li-VPA against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells is associated with increased synthesis and mRNA expression of BDNF. These data further support the idea that these two drugs can be used for prevention and/or treatment of glutamate-related neurodegenerative disorders.
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| 4. |
- Kim, Jae-Kwang, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated in polypyrrole for quasi-solid-state lithium batteries
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 2:10, s. 3551-3556
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nano-sized gamma-Fe2O3 was prepared by a minor modification method in combination with high energy ball milling, and a core-shell structure was designed using polypyrrole (PPy) by chemical polymerization. The structure and morphology of core-shell gamma-Fe2O3-PPy were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM. For solid-state batteries, PPy-Fe2O3 cells were fabricated with a gel polymer electrolyte prepared by an electrospinning process. The charge and discharge gravimetric capacities of all-solid-state batteries at the first cycle are 400 and 421 mA h g(-1) and 220 and 221 mA h g(-1) for 0.1 and 1 C-rates, respectively, which correspond to 760 and 800 mA h cm(-3) and 418 and 420 mA h cm(-3) of volumetric capacity.
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| 5. |
- Pigliautile, M, et al.
(författare)
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Validation study of the Italian Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised in a young-old and old-old population
- 2011
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Ingår i: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. - : S. Karger AG. - 1421-9824 .- 1420-8008. ; 32:5, s. 301-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- <i>Aims:</i> The main aims of the study were the translation and the subsequent validation in Italian of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R), and the evaluation of its usefulness in discriminating cognitively normal subjects from patients with mild dementia in an elderly population. <i>Methods:</i> The ACE-R was translated and adapted into Italian. The Italian ACE-R was administered to a group of 179 elderly subjects (72 cognitively healthy and 107 subjects with mild dementia, mean age 75.4 ± 6.4 years). The group was stratified into two subsamples according to age, i.e. a young-old (<75 years) and an old-old (≧75 years) group, in order to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the test in detecting dementia in different age strata of elderly subjects. <i>Results:</i> The reliability of the Italian ACE-R was extremely good (α-coefficient = 0.85). Two different cutoffs were identified for young-old (cutoff 79; sensitivity 90% and specificity 80%) and old-old subjects (cutoff 60; sensitivity 82% and specificity 100%). <i>Conclusions:</i> The Italian ACE-R is a valid screening tool to detect dementia, especially in the old-old population, which represents not only the fastest growing age group but also the group at the highest risk of dementia in Western countries.
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| 6. |
- Pitawala, Jagath, 1976, et al.
(författare)
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Phase behaviour, transport properties, and interactions in Li-salt doped ionic liquids
- 2012
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Ingår i: Faraday Discussions. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1359-6640 .- 1364-5498. ; 154, s. 71-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the influence of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) doping on the glass transition temperature (T(g)), the ionic conductivity, and Li-ion coordination of two dicationic ionic liquids (DILs) based on the TFSI anion. The results are compared to the behaviour of traditional mono-cationic ionic liquids. The cations of the DILs contain two imidazolium rings, connected by a decane hydrocarbon chain. Homogeneous mixtures of these ILs and LiTFSI can be obtained in a large concentration range. With increasing Li-salt concentration the ionic conductivity decreases whereas the glass transition temperature increases in both systems. However, the influence of the salt doping on the ionic conductivity and the glass transition temperature is low compared to typical mono-cationic ionic liquids, based on for example the pyrrolidinium cation and the TFSI anion. This behaviour is mirrored in the average coordination number of TFSI anions around Li-ions, determined by Raman spectroscopy. The coordination number is systematically lower in the DILs, suggesting a connection between the difference in the Li-ion environment and the behaviour of the glass transition and the ionic conductivity. A T(g)-scaled Arrhenius plot of the ionic conductivity shows that the ionic conductivity for all LiTFSI concentrations has the same temperature dependence, i.e. the fragility of the liquid is the same. This implies that the conduction process is dominated by the viscous properties of the liquids over the entire concentration range. This provides further support for linking the local environment of the Li-ions to the glass transition and conduction process in the ionic liquid/salt mixtures.
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