Emerging nanotechnology for treatment of Alzheimer\u27s and Parkinson\u27s disease

The prevalence of the two most common neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) and Alzheimer\u27s Disease (AD), are expected to rise alongside the progressive aging of society. Both PD and AD are classified as proteinopathies with misfolded proteins α-synuclein, amyloid-β, and tau. Emerging evidence suggests that these misfolded aggregates are prion-like proteins that induce pathological cell-to-cell spreading, which is a major driver in pathogenesis. Additional factors that can further affect pathology spreading include oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, inflammation, and cell death. Nanomaterials present advantages over traditional chemical or biological therapeutic approaches at targeting these specific mechanisms. They can have intrinsic properties that lead to a decrease in oxidative stress or an ability to bind and disaggregate fibrils. Additionally, nanomaterials enhance transportation across the blood-brain barrier, are easily functionalized, increase drug half-lives, protect cargo from immune detection, and provide a physical structure that can support cell growth. This review highlights emergent nanomaterials with these advantages that target oxidative stress, the fibrillization process, inflammation, and aid in regenerative medicine for both PD and AD

Six-membered ring systems: with O and/or S atoms

A large variety of publications involving O- and S-6-membered ring systems have appeared in 2017. The importance of these heterocyclic compounds is highlighted by the huge number of publications on the total synthesis of natural oxygen derivatives and of other communications dedicated to synthetic derivatives. Reviews on stereoselective organocatalytic synthesis of tetrahydropyrans (17EJO4666), of tetrahydropyrans and their application in total synthesis of natural products (17CSR1661), on the synthesis of the less thermodynamically stable 2,6-trans-tetrahydropyrans (17S4899), on enantioselective synthesis of polyfunctionalized pyran and chromene derivatives (17TA1462), and on enantioselective and racemic total synthesis of camptothecins, including the formation of their pyran-2-one ring (17SL1134), have appeared. Advances in the transition metal-catalyzed synthesis of pyran-2/4-ones (17TL263), N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed achiral synthesis of pyran-2-one, coumarin and (thio)chromone derivatives (17OBC4731), on the synthesis and transformation of 2H-pyran-2-ones (17T2529) and 2-styrylchromones (17EJO3115) into other heterocyclic compounds, have been surveyed. The strategies to build up the tetrahydropyranyl core of brevisamide (17H(95)81) and the reactions of ketyl radicals, generated from carbonyl derivatives under transition-metal photoredox-catalyzed conditions, leading to isochromen- and chroman-type compounds (17CC13093) were disclosed. Developments in the synthesis of pentafluorosulfanyl(chromene and coumarin) derivatives (17TL4803), photoswitchable D9-tetrahydrocannabinol derivatives (17JA18206), and aminobenzopyranoxanthenes with nitrogen-containing rings (17JOC13626) have been studied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Osteopontin: A Novel Regulator at the Cross Roads of Inflammation, Obesity and Diabetes

Since its first description more than 20 years ago osteopontin has emerged as an active player in many physiological and pathological processes, including biomineralization, tissue remodeling and inflammation. As an extracellular matrix protein and proinflammatory cytokine osteopontin is thought to facilitate the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages and to mediate cytokine secretion in leukocytes. Modulation of immune cell response by osteopontin has been associated with various inflammatory diseases and may play a pivotal role in the development of adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Here we summarize recent findings on the role of osteopontin in metabolic disorders, particularly focusing on diabetes and obesity

Role of Neural NO Synthase (nNOS) Uncoupling in the Dysfunctional Nitrergic Vasorelaxation of Penile Arteries from Insulin-Resistant Obese Zucker Rats

Objective: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is considered as an early sign of vascular disease due to its high prevalence in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Endothelial and neural dysfunction involving nitric oxide (NO) are usually implicated in the pathophysiology of the diabetic ED, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The present study assessed the role of oxidative stress in the dysfunctional neural vasodilator responses of penile arteries in the obese Zucker rat (OZR), an experimental model of metabolic syndrome/prediabetes. Methods and Results: Electrical field stimulation (EFS) under non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) conditions evoked relaxations that were significantly reduced in penile arteries of OZR compared with those of lean Zucker rats (LZR). Blockade of NO synthase (NOS) inhibited neural relaxations in both LZR and OZR, while saturating concentrations of the NOS substrate L-arginine reversed the inhibition and restored relaxations in OZR to levels in arteries from LZR. nNOS expression was unchanged in arteries from OZR compared to LZR and nNOS selective inhibition decreased the EFS relaxations in LZR but not in OZR, while endothelium removal did not alter these responses in either strain. Superoxide anion production and nitro-tyrosine immunostaining were elevated in the erectile tissue from OZR. Treatment with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin or acute incubation with the NOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) restored neural relaxations in OZR to levels in control arteries, while inhibition of the enzyme of BH4 synthesis GTP-cyclohydrolase (GCH) reduced neural relaxations i

Perspectives and Potential Applications of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Cardiometabolic Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes

There is abundant evidence to suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is a main cause of insulin resistance and related cardiometabolic comorbidities. On the other hand, insulin resistance is one of the main characteristics of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Lipid and glucose metabolism require mitochondria to generate energy, and when O2 consumption is low due to inefficient nutrient oxidation, there is an increase in reactive oxygen species, which can impair different types of molecules, including DNA, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, thereby inducing proinflammatory processes. Factors which contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, such as mitochondrial biogenesis and genetics, can also lead to insulin resistance in different insulin-target tissues, and its association with mitochondrial dysfunction can culminate in the development of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, therapies that improve mitochondrial function may also improve insulin resistance. This review explains mechanisms of mitochondrial function related to the pathological effects of insulin resistance in different tissues. The pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases will be explained from a mitochondrial perspective and the potential beneficial effects of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as a therapy for modulating mitochondrial function in cardiometabolic diseases, especially diabetes, will also be considered.Contract grant sponsor: PI10/1195; Contract grant sponsor: PI 12/1984; Contract grant sponsor: CIBERehd CB06/04/0071; Contract grant sponsor: PROMETEO 2010/060; Contract grant sponsor: ACOMP/2012/042; Contract grant sponsor: ACOMP/2012/045; Contract grant sponsor: ACOMP2013/061; Contract grant sponsor: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Multilayer 3D Chirality and Its Synthetic Assembly

3D chirality of sandwich type of organic molecules has been discovered. The key element of this chirality is characterized by three layers of structures that are arranged nearly in parallel fashion with one on top and one down from the center plane. Individual enantiomers of these molecules have been fully characterized by spectroscopies with their enantiomeric purity measured by chiral HPLC. The absolute configuration was unambiguously assigned by X-ray diffraction analysis. This is the first multilayer 3D chirality reported and is anticipated to lead to a new research area of asymmetric synthesis and catalysis and to have a broad impact on chemical, medicinal, and material sciences in future

Selective laser melting of Al-12Si alloy: Enhanced densification via powder drying

Unlike conventional powder metallurgy techniques, selective laser melting (SLM) is characterised by its fully melting process and very high heating and cooling rates and little has been known about the influence of powder surface state on the SLM process. In this study, the influence of low temperature powder drying on the surface chemistry of Al-12Si powder and its subsequent effect on SLM was investigated in detail by means of an in-depth X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An enhanced densification (relative density =99%) was achieved in the dried Al-12Si powder compared to the as-received powder. This has been attributed to the modification of powder surface by removing a moisture skin during the drying process, which prevents the formation of deleterious oxide and hydroxide during SLM. This study provides important information for achieving high relative density in SLM fabricated metal components from a powder drying aspect