Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 24, Issue 33, 2018

Background: The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized, in part, by the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), followed by synaptic and neuronal loss. NFTs are mainly composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated Tau. It has been demonstrated that pathological concentrations of zinc induce 1] activation of a major Tau kinase – the glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GS Read More

Pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide with great neuroprotective effects and remarkable therapeutic potential. PACAP activates several cellular pathways to exert its protective effects. Emerging evidence shows that PACAP can modify the levels and activity of cell cycle components involved in neurodegeneration to protect neurons from death. Cell cycle is a highly regulated process that control Read More

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide with diverse actions, including strong neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. The aim of our present review is to provide a summary of the different approaches how in vivo neuroprotective effects can be achieved, emphasizing the potential translational values for future therapeutic applications. In the central nervous system, PACAP has been shown Read More

The realization of the importance of growth factors in adult CNS led to several studies investigating their roles in neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the observations that chronic stress decreases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and antidepressant treatments reverse BDNF to normal levels, "neurotrophic hypothesis of depression" was proposed. Subsequent studies found that several other growth factors, including fibr Read More

The term endozepines designates a family of astroglia-secreted proteins including the diazepambinding inhibitor (DBI) and its processing products, which have been originally isolated and characterized as endogenous ligands of benzodiazepine receptors. It is now clearly established that the octadecaneuropeptide ODN (DBI33-50), acting through the central-type benzodiazepine receptor or a metabotropic receptor, exerts im Read More

Galanin-like peptide (GALP) is composed of 60 amino acid residues and its sequence is highly homologous across species. GALP is produced in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and has diverse physiological effects such as the regulation of feeding, energy metabolism, and reproductive behavior. GALP-containing neurons express leptin receptors and these neurons form networks in the hypothalamus that contain various Read More

Background: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease of the skin with lapsing episodes of hyperkeratosis, irritation and inflammation. Numerous methodologies and utilization of different antipsoriatic drugs with various activity methods and routes of administration have been investigated to treat this terrifying sickness. In any case, till date, there is no remedy for psoriasis because of the absence of an ideal carrier for effectiv Read More

Background: Essential oils (EOs) and their volatile components (VCs) have varied biological and pharmacological activities, but low solubility and bioavailability hamper their applications, so that inclusion in cyclodextrins (CDs) is likely to improve their physicochemical properties and pharmacological effects. Objective: The authors conducted a systematic review to evaluate the biological activities and pharmacological Read More

Background: Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic fungus which is able to produce both local and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. A correlation has been demonstrated between the resistance to conventional antifungal drugs and C. albicans ability to produce biofilms. Therefore, the potential of the organochalcogen compounds as antifungal therapy has been demonstrated. Read More

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) can be considered as the most common age related neurodegenerative disorder and also an important cause of death in elderly patients. A number of studies showed the correlation of this disease pathology with BACE1 inhibitor and it is also evident that BACE1 inhibitor can function as a very potent strategy in treating AD. Methods: In this present study, we aimed to prospect for novel pla Read More

Background: Baicalin constitutes a natural bioactive flavonoid extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi that mediates bone formation. However, the biological functions of baicalin in cementoblasts remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of baicalin on osteogenic differentiation of human cementoblast (HCEM) cells. Methods: HCEM cells were cultured and treated with 0, 0.01, 0.1 or 1 μM Read More