Interactions among Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase,Cardiovascular System,and Nociception during Physiological and Pathophysiological States

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays important roles within the cardiovascular system in physiological states as well as in pathophysiologic and specific cardiovascular (CV) disease states, such as hypertension (HTN), arteriosclerosis, and cerebrovascular accidents. This review discusses the roles of the endothelial NOS (eNOS) and its effect on cardiovascular responses that are induced by nociceptive stimuli. The roles of eNOS enzyme in modulating CV functions while experiencing pain will be discussed. Nociception, otherwise known as the subjective experience of pain through sensory receptors, termed “nociceptors”, can be stimulated by various external or internal stimuli. In turn, events of various cascade pathways implicating eNOS contribute to a plethora of pathophysiological responses to the noxious pain stimuli. Nociception pathways involve various regions of the brain and spinal cord, including the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), caudal ventrolateral medulla, and intermediolateral column of the spinal cord. These pathways can interrelate in nociceptive responses to pain stimuli. The alterations in CV responses that affect GABAergic and glutamatergic pathways will be discussed in relation to mechanical and thermal (heat and cold) stimuli. Overall, this paper will discuss the aggregate recent and past data regarding pain pathways and the CV system.     

Effective Components and Molecular Mechanism of Agarwood Essential Oil Inhalation and the Sedative and Hypnotic Effects Based on GC-MS-Qtof and Molecular Docking

Agarwood has been used for the administration of hypnotic therapy. Its aromatic scent induces a relaxed state. However, its aromatic constituents and the underlying molecular effect are still unclear. This study aims to determine the active substance and molecular mechanism of the hypnotic effect of agarwood essential oil (AEO) incense inhalation in insomniac mice. Insomnia models were induced by para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 300 mg/kg) in mice. The sleep-promoting effect was evaluated. Neurotransmitter levels and its receptor were detected to explore the molecular mechanism. The effective components were analyzed by GC-Q/TOF-MS of AEO. The binding mechanisms of the core compounds and core targets were verified by molecular docking. These results showed that AEO inhalation could significantly shorten sleep latency and prolong sleep time, inhibit autonomous activity and exert good sedative and sleep-promoting effects. A mechanistic study showed that AEO inhalation increased the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A), the GABA_A/glutamic acid (Glu) ratio, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and adenosine (AD), upregulated the expression levels of GluR1, VGluT1 and 5-HT1A and downregulated 5-HT2A levels. Component analysis showed that the most abundant medicinal compounds were eremophilanes, cadinanes and eudesmanes. Moreover, the docking results showed that the core components stably bind to various receptors. The study demonstrated the bioactive constituents and mechanisms of AEO in its sedative and hypnotic effects and its multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway treatment characteristics in PCPA-induced insomniac mice. These results provide theoretical evidence for insomnia treatment and pharmaceutical product development with AEO.     

Short synthesis of noscapine, bicuculline, egenine, capnoidine, and corytensine alkaloids through the addition of 1-siloxy-isobenzofurans to imines

A concise diastereotioselective strategy for the synthesis of noscapine, bicuculline, and egenine (1a-c), as well as capnoidine and corytensine (2a,b), was developed using diastereoselective addition of 1-siloxy-isobenzofurans 4a and 4b to iminium ion 5 in a one-pot approach. The synthesis features the use of imine 13 obtained through Bischler-Napieralsky reaction from amine 11. The addition of ionic liquids as addictives in the reactions afforded erythro configuration in major adduct compounds. The synthetic route can also be applied in the total synthesis of promising tubulin binding agent EM105 (3).     

DFT and Ab initio computational study on the reactivity sites of the GABA and its agonists,such as CACA,TACA, DABA,and muscimol: In the gas phase and dielectric media

The reactive behavior of GABA and its agonist molecules have been investigated using B3LYP hybrid density functional method at the 6‐311++G** basis set level, in the gas phase and dielectric media. The calculations have been performed to obtain optimized geometries, relative energies, net atomic charges, HOMO, and LUMO energies. Solvent effects have been analyzed using isodensity polarized continuum model (IPCM) for four different solvents, which are chloroform, ethanol, DMSO, and H₂O. The results have suggested that both the amino group and carboxyl group have been two of the most important active site for interactions between all compounds and their receptors. In addition they have suggested that the amino group reflects the difference in biological activity for each all molecules. The structures of these agonists have provided an essential foundation for subsequent structure‐activity analysis of ligand binding at GABA receptors, neuronal uptake inhibitors and transporters. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Contributions to the field of neurotransmitters by Japanese scientists,and reflections on my own research

Part I describes important contributions made by some Japanese pioneers in the field of neurotransmitters: (their achievements in parentheses) J. Takamine (isolation and crystallization of adrenaline); K. Shimidzu (early hint for acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter); F. Kanematsu (donation of the Kanematsu Memorial Institute in Sydney); T. Hayashi (discovery of the excitatory action of glutamate and the inhibitory action of GABA); and I. Sano (discovery of a high concentration of dopamine in striatum, its reduction in a patient with Parkinson’s disease and the treatment with DOPA). In Part II, I present some of my reflections on my research on neurotransmitters. The work of my colleagues and myself has made some significant contributions to the establishment of neurotransmitter roles played by GABA and substance P, the first amino acid and the first peptide neurotransmitters, respectively. By the early 1960s, 3 substances, i.e., acetylcholine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline, had been established as neurotransmitters. Now the number of neurotransmitters is believed to be as many as 50 or even more mainly due to the inclusion of several amino acids and a large number of peptide transmitters.     

A practical guide to robust detection of GABA in human brain by J-difference spectroscopy at 3 T using a standard volume coil

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in human brain and has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. In vivo human brain GABA concentrations are near the detection limit for magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( approximately 1 mM), and because of overlap with more abundant compounds, spectral editing is generally necessary to detect GABA. In previous reports, GABA spectra edited by J-difference spectroscopy vary considerably in appearance. We have evaluated the factors that affect GABA spectra and the conditions necessary for robust acquisition of J-difference spectra from arbitrary brain regions. In particular, we demonstrate that variations in spectral quality can be explained in part by the incoherent addition of transients that results from shot to shot frequency and phase variations. An automated time-domain spectral alignment strategy that enables reproducible acquisition of high-quality GABA spectra at 3 T with a standard 30-cm T/R volume coil is presented. Representative GABA spectra from human frontal lobe, an area where susceptibility-induced frequency and phase variations are especially troublesome, that demonstrate the robustness of the acquisition and data handling strategy used in this study are presented.     

Structure-Functions Relationships of the Benzodiazepine and Serotonine Receptors Ligands

Abstract

States of anxiety and fear are controlled in organism by GABA-ergic and serotonine- ergic systems. Concepts about the structure and functions of GABA_A receptor channel, benzodiazepine and serotonine receptors have been considered. Structural and conformational peculiarities of ligands of these receptors determine their role (agonists, antagonists, inverse agonists, partial agonists, partial inverse agonists) at the formation of supramolecular complexes ?ligand-receptor’ and, as a result, pharmacological effects of ligands.     

The synthesis of baclofen and GABOB via Rh(II) catalyzed intramolecular C-H insertion of α-diazoacetamides

The synthesis of baclofen and GABOB is reported via hydrolysis of the corresponding N-tert-butyl γ-lactams, which were obtained from Rh(II) catalyzed intramolecular C-H insertion of α-diazoacetamides.     

New approaches to polysubstituted pyrroles and pyrrolinones from α-cyanomethyl-β-ketoesters

In this present paper, we report the efficient, regioselective one-pot synthesis of 5-alkoxy and 5-alkylsulfanylpyrrole-3-carboxylates in high yields via the zinc perchlorate-catalyzed addition of alcohols and thiols to the nitrile carbon of α-cyanomethyl-β-ketoesters followed by annulation. The addition-annulation process is undertaken in aqueous solution to give 4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylates (pyrrolinones) in good yields. These 4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylates are also obtained by the hydrolysis of 5-alkoxypyrrole-3-carboxylates.