Activation of the α2B adrenoceptor by the sedative sympatholytic dexmedetomidine.

The α2 adrenergic receptors (α2ARs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that respond to adrenaline and noradrenaline and couple to the Gi/o family of G proteins. α2ARs play important roles in regulating the sympathetic nervous system. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2AR agonist used in post-operative patients as an anxiety-reducing, sedative medicine that decreases the requirement for opioids. As is typical for selective αAR agonists, dexmedetomidine consists of an imidazole ring and a substituted benzene moiety lacking polar groups, which is in contrast to ßAR-selective agonists, which share an ethanolamine group and an aromatic system with polar, hydrogen-bonding substituents. To better understand the structural basis for the selectivity and efficacy of adrenergic agonists, we determined the structure of the α2BAR in complex with dexmedetomidine and Go at a resolution of 2.9 Å by single-particle cryo-EM. The structure reveals the mechanism of α2AR-selective activation and provides insights into Gi/o coupling specificity.

Facile and rapid generation of 3D chemical gradients within hydrogels for high-throughput drug screening applications.

We propose a novel application of dielectrophoresis (DEP) to make three-dimensional (3D) methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) hydrogels with gradients of micro- and nanoparticles. DEP forces were able to manipulate micro- and nanoparticles of different sizes and materials (i.e., C2C12 myoblasts, polystyrene beads, gold microparticles, and carbon nanotubes) within GelMA hydrogels in a rapid and facile way and create 3D gradients of these particles in a microchamber. Immobilization of drugs, such as fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), on gold microparticles allowed us to investigate the high-throughput release of these drugs from GelMA-gold microparticle gradient systems. The latter gradient constructs were incubated with C2C12 myoblasts for 24h to examine the cell viability through the release of 6-OHDA. The drug was released from the microparticles in a gradient manner, inducing a cell viability gradient. This novel approach to create 3D chemical gradients within hydrogels is scalable to any arbitrary length scale. It is useful for making anisotropic biomimetic materials and high-throughput platforms to investigate cell-microenvironment interactions in a rapid, simple, cost-effective, and reproducible manner.

Animal models of Parkinson's disease.

Animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been widely used in the past four decades to investigate the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of this neurodegenerative disorder. These models have been classically based on the systemic or local (intracerebral) administration of neutoxins that are able to replicate most of the pathological and phenotypic features of PD in mammals (i.e. rodents or primates). In the last decade, the advent of the 'genetic era' of PD has provided a phenomenal enrichment of the research possibilities in this field, with the development of various mammalian (mice and, more recently, rats) and non-mammalian transgenic models that replicate most of the disease-causing mutations identified for monogenic forms of familial PD. Both toxic and transgenic classes of animal PD models have their own specificities and limitations, which must be carefully taken into consideration when choosing the model to be used. If a substantial and reproducible nigrostriatal lesion is required (e.g. for testing therapeutic interventions aimed at counteracting PD-related cell death), a classic toxic model such as one based on the administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine or 6-hydroxydopamine will adequately serve the purpose. On the other hand, if selected molecular mechanisms of PD pathogenesis must be investigated, transgenic models will offer invaluable insights. Therefore, until the 'perfect' model is developed, indications to use one model or another will depend on the specific objectives that are being pursued.

Autoxidation and neurotoxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine in the presence of some antioxidants: potential implication in relation to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.

6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is a dopaminergic neurotoxin putatively involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Its neurotoxicity has been related to the production of reactive oxygen species. In this study we examine the effects of the antioxidants ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH), cysteine (CySH), and N-acetyl-CySH (NAC) on the autoxidation and neurotoxicity of 6-OHDA. In vitro, the autoxidation of 6-OHDA proceeds rapidly with the formation of H2O2 and with the participation of the H2O2 produced in the reaction. The presence of AA induced a reduction in the consumption of O2 during the autoxidation of 6-OHDA and a negligible presence of the p-quinone, which demonstrates the efficiency of AA to act as a redox cycling agent. The presence of GSH, CySH, and NAC produced a significant reduction in the autoxidation of 6-OHDA. In vivo, the presence of sulfhydryl antioxidants protected against neuronal degeneration in the striatum, which was particularly remarkable in the case of CySH and was attributed to its capacity to remove the H2O2 produced in the autoxidation of 6-OHDA. These results corroborate the involvement of oxidative stress as the major mechanism in the neurotoxicity of 6-OHDA and the putative role of CySH as a scavenger in relation to PD.

New reaction pathways of dopamine under oxidative stress conditions: nonenzymatic iron-assisted conversion to norepinephrine and the neurotoxins 6-hydroxydopamine and 6, 7-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline.

Aerial oxidation of dopamine at concentrations as low as 50 microM in the presence of ferrous ions in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) led in the early stages (6-8 h) to the formation of the quinone of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine, 2, followed (24 h) by a complex product pattern comprising main components norepinephrine (5), 3, 4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (4), and the neurotoxic alkaloid 6, 7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (3). Product formation required the assistance of metal ions such as Mn(II), Zn(II), and iron, in either the ferrous or ferric form. Product yields were shown to vary linearly with iron and dopamine concentration in the early phases of the reaction (2 h). Biologically relevant antioxidants, like glutathione and ascorbate, and metal chelators, e. g., 2,2'-bipyridyl, inhibited dopamine conversion to products 2-5, but not substrate consumption, while hydroxyl radical scavengers such as DMSO and mannitol did not alter the course of the reaction. On the contrary, mannitol increased product yields, an effect seen for other monosaccharides. Catalase exhibited a significant inhibitory effect particularly on the formation of 3 and 4. By using (18)O(2), evidence was obtained for incorporation of the label into the carbonyl oxygen of 4, but not into the hydroxyl group of 5. On the basis of these and other results, a complete mechanistic picture of the oxidation is drawn involving conversion of dopamine to the corresponding o-quinone and its quinonemethide tautomer with concomitant reduction of O(2) to H(2)O(2). Nucleophilic attack by H(2)O to the quinonemethide gives rise to 5, while H(2)O(2) addition leads to benzaldehyde 4 via a beta-aminohydroperoxide intermediate. This latter reaction path also gives formaldehyde which yields the isoquinoline 3 by Pictet-Spengler condensation with dopamine. The quinone 2 results from H(2)O(2) attack at the 6-position of dopamine o-quinone in agreement with previous studies. These results provide an insight into new routes of nonenzymatic conversion of dopamine to its metabolite norepinephrine and neurotoxic species which may become operative under conditions relevant to neurodegeneration.

Stability of pilocarpine ophthalmic solutions.

The stability of pilocarpine and pilocarpine-timolol eyedrop preparations available on the Argentine market was studied. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method that allows the estimation of pilocarpine in the presence of degradation products was used for the study according to the preestablished design. It was found that pilocarpine solutions are stable, while pilocarpine in association with timolol shows significant degradation.

Simultaneous determination of phenol, cresol, xylenol isomers and naphthols in urine by capillary gas chromatography.

An attempt was made to establish a method for the simultaneous determination of urinary concentrations of phenol, o-, p- and m-cresols, 1- and 2-naphthol and xylenol isomers by capillary gas chromatography. Urine samples were extracted after acid hydrolysis of glucuronides and sulfates by solid-phase extraction. The ten substances were separated gas chromatographically using a capillary column (Ultra 2) of cross-linked 5% phenylmethyl silicone. Calibration graphs were linear for 5-100 micrograms/ml of all the phenols determined. The corresponding detection limits for phenolic compounds varied from 0.1 to 0.2 microgram/ml. The relative standard deviations for samples in urine were in the range 2.6 - 16.6% and the accuracy was in the range 1.4-25%. Recoveries were generally over 80%.

Synthesis, radiolabelling and stability of radioiodinated m-iodobenzylguanidine, a review.

Since the introduction of radioiodinated m-iodobenzylguanidine in 1980, much research has been performed, both in the chemical field as well as in medical sciences. This paper reviews the synthesis, radiolabelling and stability of radioiodinated m-iodobenzylguanidine. Regarding the many radiolabelling procedures for m-iodobenzylguanidine, the Cu(1+)-assisted nucleophilic exchange radioiodination can be considered as the method of first choice. Quality control of the radiopharmaceutical product is discussed and attention is paid to recent studies regarding the radiochemical stability of iodine-131 labelled m-iodobenzylguanidine.