Loss of D2 Dopamine Receptor Function Modulates Cocaine-Induced Glutamatergic Synaptic Potentiation in the Ventral Tegmental Area

Potentiation of glutamate responses is a critical synaptic response to cocaine exposure in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons. However, the mechanism by which cocaine exposure promotes potentiation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and subsequently AMPA receptors (AMPARs) is not fully understood. In this study we demonstrate that repeated cocaine treatment causes loss of D2 dopamine receptor functional responses via interaction with lysosome-targeting G-protein-associated sorting protein1 (GASP1). We also show that the absence of D2 downregulation in GASP1-KO mice prevents cocaine-induced potentiation of NMDAR currents, elevation of the AMPA/NMDA ratio, and redistribution of NMDAR and AMPAR subunits to the membrane. As a pharmacological parallel, coadministration of the high-affinity D2 agonist, aripiprazole, reduces not only functional downregulation of D2s in response to cocaine but also potentiation of NMDAR and AMPAR responses in wild-type mice. Together these data suggest that functional loss of D2 receptors is a critical mechanism mediating cocaine-induced glutamate plasticity in VTA neurons

Plasma chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL9 as potential diagnostic markers of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis still remains to be a challenge with the currently used immune based diagnostic methods particularly Interferon Gamma Release Assay due to the sensitivity issues and their inability in differentiating stages of TB infection. Immune markers are valuable sources for understanding disease biology and are easily accessible. Chemokines, the stimulant, and the shaper of host immune responses are the vital hub for disease mediated dysregulation and their varied levels in TB disease are considered as an important marker to define the disease status. Hence, we wanted to examine the levels of chemokines among the individuals with drug-resistant, drug-sensitive, and latent TB compared to healthy individuals. Our results demonstrated that the differential levels of chemokines between the study groups and revealed that CXCL10 and CXCL9 as potential markers of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive TB with better stage discriminating abilities

Micropropagation and conservation of selected endangered anticancer medicinal plants from the Western Ghats of India

Globally, cancer is a constant battle which severely affects the human population. The major limitations of the anticancer drugs are the deleterious side effects on the quality of life. Plants play a vital role in curing many diseases with minimal or no side effects. Phytocompounds derived from various medicinal plants serve as the best source of drugs to treat cancer. The global demand for phytomedicines is mostly reached by the medicinal herbs from the tropical nations of the world even though many plant species are threatened with extinction. India is one of the mega diverse countries of the world due to its ecological habitats, latitudinal variation, and diverse climatic range. Western Ghats of India is one of the most important depositories of endemic herbs. It is found along the stretch of south western part of India and constitutes rain forest with more than 4000 diverse medicinal plant species. In recent times, many of these therapeutically valued herbs have become endangered and are being included under the red-listed plant category in this region. Due to a sharp rise in the demand for plant-based products, this rich collection is diminishing at an alarming rate that eventually triggered dangerous to biodiversity. Thus, conservation of the endangered medicinal plants has become a matter of importance. The conservation by using only in situ approaches may not be sufficient enough to safeguard such a huge bio-resource of endangered medicinal plants. Hence, the use of biotechnological methods would be vital to complement the ex vitro protection programs and help to reestablish endangered plant species. In this backdrop, the key tools of biotechnology that could assist plant conservation were developed in terms of in vitro regeneration, seed banking, DNA storage, pollen storage, germplasm storage, gene bank (field gene banking), tissue bank, and cryopreservation. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to critically review major endangered medicinal plants that possess anticancer compounds and their conservation aspects by integrating various biotechnological tool

Loss of D2 dopamine receptor function modulates cocaine-induced glutamatergic synaptic potentiation in the ventral tegmental area.

Potentiation of glutamate responses is a critical synaptic response to cocaine exposure in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons. However, the mechanism by which cocaine exposure promotes potentiation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and subsequently AMPA receptors (AMPARs) is not fully understood. In this study we demonstrate that repeated cocaine treatment causes loss of D2 dopamine receptor functional responses via interaction with lysosome-targeting G-protein-associated sorting protein1 (GASP1). We also show that the absence of D2 downregulation in GASP1-KO mice prevents cocaine-induced potentiation of NMDAR currents, elevation of the AMPA/NMDA ratio, and redistribution of NMDAR and AMPAR subunits to the membrane. As a pharmacological parallel, coadministration of the high-affinity D2 agonist, aripiprazole, reduces not only functional downregulation of D2s in response to cocaine but also potentiation of NMDAR and AMPAR responses in wild-type mice. Together these data suggest that functional loss of D2 receptors is a critical mechanism mediating cocaine-induced glutamate plasticity in VTA neurons

Repurposing FDA-approved compounds to target JAK2 for colon cancer treatment

Abstract Colorectal cancer is one of the common cancers worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. The current treatment has the inherent drawbacks and there is a need of developing a new treatment. Interleukin-6 a pleiotropic cytokine involved in immune regulation and activation of JAK2/STAT3 pathway in colorectal cancer. JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway functions as a critical regulator of cell growth, differentiation, and immune expression. The abnormality in the JAK2/STAT3 pathway is involved in the tumorigenesis of colon cancer including apoptosis. In this study, we identified novel inhibitors for JAK2 protein by performing virtual screening against FDA-approved compounds. To address the selectivity issue, we implemented cross-docking method followed by DFT calculations to understand the chemical reactivity of the identified compounds. Additionally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for the top FDA compounds against JAK2 to understand the molecular interactions and structural stability of the complex over a period of 200 ns. Our results indicated that ergotamine, entrectinib, exatecan, dihydroergotamine, and paritaprevir can be used as alternative drugs for colon cancer. In addition, ergotamine was found to efficiently lower the cell viability with IC50 values of 100 µM on colon cancer cell lines. The long-term inhibitory effect of the ergotamine led to a decrease in colony size, and the toxicity properties were studied using hemolysis assay. Our study shows the potential of targeting JAK2 as a novel approach to colon cancer treatment, and demonstrate that ergotamine as a promising effects as an anti-cancer drug. Graphical abstrac

Experimental investigation of forming limit, void coalescence and crystallographic textures of aluminum alloy 8011 sheet annealed at various temperatures

In this work, a combined forming and fracture limit diagram, fractured void coalescence and texture analysis have been experimentally evaluated for the commercially available aluminum alloy Al 8011 sheet annealed at different temperatures viz. 200 degrees C, 250 degrees C, 300 degrees C and 350 degrees C. The sheets were examined at different annealing temperatures on microstructure, tensile properties, formability and void coalescence. The fractured surfaces of the formed samples were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and these images were correlated with fracture behavior and formability of sheet metals. Formability of Al 8011 was studied and examined at various annealing temperatures using their bulk X-ray crystallographic textures and ODF plots. Forming limit diagrams, void coalescence parameters and crystallographic textures were correlated with normal anisotropy of the sheet metals annealed at different temperatures. (C) 2013 Politechnika Wroclawska. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved

Cytokine upsurge among drug-resistant tuberculosis endorse the signatures of hyper inflammation and disease severity

Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) elimination is possible with the discovery of accurate biomarkers that define the stages of infection. Drug-resistant TB impair the current treatment strategies and worsen the unfavourable outcomes. The knowledge on host immune responses between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant infection is inadequate to understand the pathophysiological differences and disease severity. The secreted proteins, cytokines display versatile behaviour upon infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and their imbalances often tend to assist disease pathology than protection. Therefore, studying these soluble proteins across TB infection spectrum (drug-resistant TB, drug-sensitive TB, and latent TB) may unveil the disease mediated responses and unique stage specific cytokine signatures. Thus, we sought to determine the plasma cytokine levels from healthy, latently infected, drug-sensitive, and drug-resistant TB individuals. Our study revealed top 8 cytokines (IL-17, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-10, IL-5, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-6) and their biomarker abilities to discriminate different stages of infection

Plasma chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL9 as potential diagnostic markers of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis

Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis still remains to be a challenge with the currently used immune based diagnostic methods particularly Interferon Gamma Release Assay due to the sensitivity issues and their inability in differentiating stages of TB infection. Immune markers are valuable sources for understanding disease biology and are easily accessible. Chemokines, the stimulant, and the shaper of host immune responses are the vital hub for disease mediated dysregulation and their varied levels in TB disease are considered as an important marker to define the disease status. Hence, we wanted to examine the levels of chemokines among the individuals with drug-resistant, drug-sensitive, and latent TB compared to healthy individuals. Our results demonstrated that the differential levels of chemokines between the study groups and revealed that CXCL10 and CXCL9 as potential markers of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive TB with better stage discriminating abilities