Osteoarthritis: Insights into Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Avenues, and the Potential of Natural Extracts.

Osteoarthritis (OA) stands as a prevalent and progressively debilitating clinical condition globally, impacting joint structures and leading to their gradual deterioration through inflammatory mechanisms. While both non-modifiable and modifiable factors contribute to its onset, numerous aspects of OA pathophysiology remain elusive despite considerable research strides. Presently, diagnosis heavily relies on clinician expertise and meticulous differential diagnosis to exclude other joint-affecting conditions. Therapeutic approaches for OA predominantly focus on patient education for self-management alongside tailored exercise regimens, often complemented by various pharmacological interventions primarily targeting pain alleviation. However, pharmacological treatments typically exhibit short-term efficacy and local and/or systemic side effects, with prosthetic surgery being the ultimate resolution in severe cases. Thus, exploring the potential integration or substitution of conventional drug therapies with natural compounds and extracts emerges as a promising frontier in enhancing OA management. These alternatives offer improved safety profiles and possess the potential to target specific dysregulated pathways implicated in OA pathogenesis, thereby presenting a holistic approach to address the condition's complexities.

Dopamine- and Grape-Seed-Extract-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Interaction Studies between Particles and Differentiated SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cell Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, primarily associated with dopaminergic neuron depletion in the Substantia Nigra. Current treatment focuses on compensating for dopamine (DA) deficiency, but the blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses challenges for effective drug delivery. Using differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, we investigated the co-administration of DA and the antioxidant Grape Seed Extract (GSE) to study the cytobiocompability, the cytoprotection against the neurotoxin Rotenone, and their antioxidant effects. For this purpose, two solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) formulations, DA-co-GSE-SLNs and GSE-ads-DA-SLNs, were synthesized. Such SLNs showed mean particle sizes in the range of 187-297 nm, zeta potential values in the range of -4.1--9.7 mV, and DA association efficiencies ranging from 35 to 82%, according to the formulation examined. The results showed that DA/GSE-SLNs did not alter cell viability and had a cytoprotective effect against Rotenone-induced toxicity and oxidative stress. In addition, this study also focused on the evaluation of Alpha-synuclein (aS) levels; SLNs showed the potential to modulate the Rotenone-mediated increase in aS levels. In conclusion, our study investigated the potential of SLNs as a delivery system for addressing PD, also representing a promising approach for enhanced delivery of pharmaceutical and antioxidant molecules across the BBB.

Blood Metabolite Profiling of Antarctic Expedition Members: An 1H NMR Spectroscopy-Based Study.

Serum samples from eight participants during the XV winter-over at Concordia base (Antarctic expedition) collected at defined time points, including predeparture, constituted the key substrates for a specific metabolomics study. To ascertain acute changes and chronic adaptation to hypoxia, the metabolic profiles of the serum samples were analyzed using NMR spectroscopy, with principal components analysis (PCA) followed by partial least squares and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analyses (PLS-DA and OPLS-DA) used as supervised classification methods. Multivariate data analyses clearly highlighted an adaptation period characterized by an increase in the levels of circulating glutamine and lipids, mobilized to supply the body energy needs. At the same time, a reduction in the circulating levels of glutamate and N-acetyl glycoproteins, stress condition indicators, and proinflammatory markers were also found in the NMR data investigation. Subsequent pathway analysis showed possible perturbations in metabolic processes, potentially related to the physiological adaptation, predominantly found by comparing the baseline (at sea level, before mission onset), the base arrival, and the mission ending collected values.

Copper Dependent Modulation of α-Synuclein Phosphorylation in Differentiated SHSY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells.

Copper (Cu) dyshomeostasis plays a pivotal role in several neuropathologies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Metal accumulation in the central nervous system (CNS) could result in loss-of-function of proteins involved in Cu metabolism and redox cycling, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, neurodegenerative disorders imply the presence of an excess of misfolded proteins known to lead to neuronal damage. In PD, Cu accumulates in the brain, binds α-synuclein, and initiates its aggregation. We assessed the correlation between neuronal differentiation, Cu homeostasis regulation, and α-synuclein phosphorylation. At this purpose, we used differentiated SHSY5Y neuroblastoma cells to reproduce some of the characteristics of the dopaminergic neurons. Here, we reported that differentiated cells expressed a significantly higher amount of a copper transporter protein 1 (CTR1), increasing the copper uptake. Cells also showed a significantly more phosphorylated form of α-synuclein, further increased by copper treatment, without modifications in α-synuclein levels. This effect depended on the upregulation of the polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2), whereas the levels of the relative protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) remained unvaried. No changes in the oxidative state of the cells were identified. The Cu dependent alteration of α-synuclein phosphorylation pattern might potentially offer new opportunities for clinical intervention.

Restoring autophagic function: a case for type 2 diabetes mellitus drug repurposing in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a predominantly idiopathic pathological condition characterized by protein aggregation phenomena, whose main component is alpha-synuclein. Although the main risk factor is ageing, numerous evidence points to the role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as an etiological factor. Systemic alterations classically associated with T2DM like insulin resistance and hyperglycemia modify biological processes such as autophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis. High glucose levels also compromise protein stability through the formation of advanced glycation end products, promoting protein aggregation processes. The ability of antidiabetic drugs to act on pathways impaired in both T2DM and PD suggests that they may represent a useful tool to counteract the neurodegeneration process. Several clinical studies now in advanced stages are looking for confirmation in this regard.