CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 11, Issue 8, 2012

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms and the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. The etiology of idiopathic PD is likely a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Despite findings from mammalian studies that have provided significant insight into the disorder, the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathophysiology are still poorly understood. Read More

The neural protein α-synuclein aggregates both in vivo and in vitro to form insoluble fibrils that are involved in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. We have generated α-synuclein/fluorescent-protein fusion constructs overexpressed in muscle cells of the nematode, Caenorhabdtis elegans. Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) variants, Cerulean (C) or Venus (V), were fused to the C-terminus of human α-synuclein (S); the resultant fusio Read More

Various human diseases are known to occur as a result of gene-environment interactions. Amongst such diseases, neurodegenerative Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex disorder in which genetics and exposure to toxins constitute the main determinants in the onset of the disease. Many studies have reported on a link between pesticide exposure and increased risk of PD, however the role of different classes of pesticides Read More

Aging, the major cause of several ailments has led to intense exploration of potential drugs that delay aging and its associated effects. We mined the information on traditional Indian medicines and identified an iridoid, 10-O-trans-p- Coumaroylcatalpol (OCC), a major ingredient of Premna integrifolia Linn. (syn: Premna serratifolia). OCC forms an important constituent of famous herbal formulation ‘‘Dashmula’’, a ten herb f Read More

Positive correlations have been suggested between usage of pesticides and the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) through epidemiological as well as few experimental evidences. Organophosphorus insecticides (OPI), which are extensively used in agricultural and household insect control, have been the subject of increasing concern in the past decades due to their neurotoxic potential. However, very few studies have dem Read More

Neurodegenerative diseases are known to be associated with genetic and environmental factors. The multifactorial Parkinson's disease (PD) is triggered and/or further worsened by exposure to certain pesticides. Existing literature suggests a link between pesticide exposure and increased incidence of PD. We carried out the present study to look into the stress gene expression pattern of transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans ( Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major neurodegenerative diseases affecting almost 28 million people around the globe. It consistently remains one of the major health concerns of present world. Due to the clinical limitations like severe side effects of some synthesized drugs, alternative forms of treatments are gaining global acceptance in the treatment of AD. Neuroprotective compounds of natural origin and Read More

Many researches that discourse the treatment of prolactinomas with dopamine agonists (DA) provide data about pituitary tumor apoplexy of some prolactinomas. Therefore, DA are listed as risk factors for apoplexy of prolactinomas. The authors wish to explore the percentage (frequency) of pituitary tumor apoplexy during the treatment of prolactinomas with DA. From June 2011 to February 2012, we sought electronic databa Read More

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder with increased oxidative stress as central component. Till date, treatments related to PD are based on restoring dopamine either by targeting neurotransmitter and/or at receptor levels. These therapeutic approaches try to repair damage but do not address the underlying processes such as oxidative stress and neuroinfla Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by selective neuronal loss, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD which is associated with the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ). Jatrorrhizine (JAT) is a novel tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid originally extracted from the Chinese herb coptidis rhizome. Our previous studies showed Read More

The cannabinoid CB1-receptor is among the most abundant G-protein-coupled receptors in the mammalian brain. Whereas post-mortem studies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains compared to age-matched controls have reported decreased CB1-receptor binding but no change in their protein levels (immunoreactivity), decreased or increased CB1- receptor protein levels have been reported in APP/PS1 transgenic mice modellin Read More

We reported previously that geniposide showed neurotrophic and neuroprotective activities with the activation of glucagons-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) in neurons. The current study was designed to further investigate the protective effect of geniposide on β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced cytotoxicity. Our results showed that pre-incubation with geniposide prevented Aβ1-42-induced cell injury in primary cultured cortical ne Read More

Prophylactic administration of reversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors can protect against the lethal effects of organophosphorus compounds (OPCs). The usefulness of pyridostigmine, the only compound approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for such pretreatment, has been questioned. In search for more efficacious alternatives, we have examined in vivo the efficacy of a group of ten Read More

There is a growing interest in sleep disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS) due to their high frequency and possible relationship to fatigue, a hallmark symptom in MS. Among them, insomnia and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are the most common ones. RLS is a sleep-related motor disorder characterized by a strong urge to move associated with uncomfortable sensations in the limbs. It is frequently under diagnosed in patien Read More

Analysis of the diverse interactions of multiple signaling pathways is an emerging challenge in the era of networking pharmacology. To reveal imbalanced signaling pathways and pharmacological mechanisms involved in ischemic process, we designed systemic experiments from top-down to bottom-up for investigating the variations of multiple pathways in mouse hippocampal cells. A total of 711 focal cerebral ischemia-rep Read More