Electrochemical Acetylcholinesterase Sensors for Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Drug Determination.

Neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer's disease (AD), as one of the most common causes of dementia, result in progressive losses of cholinergic neurons and a reduction in the presynaptic markers of the cholinergic system. These consequences can be compensated by the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) followed by a decrease in the rate of acetylcholine hydrolysis. For this reason, anticholinesterase drugs with reversible inhibition effects are applied for the administration of neurodegenerative diseases. Their overdosage, variation in efficiency and recommendation of an individual daily dose require simple and reliable measurement devices capable of the assessment of the drug concentration in biological fluids and medications. In this review, the performance of electrochemical biosensors utilizing immobilized cholinesterases is considered to show their advantages and drawbacks in the determination of anticholinesterase drugs. In addition, common drugs applied in treating neurodegenerative diseases are briefly characterized. The immobilization of enzymes, nature of the signal recorded and its dependence on the transducer modification are considered and the analytical characteristics of appropriate biosensors are summarized for donepezil, huperzine A, rivastigmine, eserine and galantamine as common anti-dementia drugs. Finally, the prospects for the application of AChE-based biosensors in clinical practice are discussed.

Ladostigil Reduces the Adenoside Triphosphate/Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Secretion of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines from Microglia and Modulate-Immune Regulators, TNFAIP3, and EGR1.

Treatment of aging rats for 6 months with ladostigil (1 mg/kg/day) prevented a decline in recognition and spatial memory and suppressed the overexpression of gene-encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNFα, IL1ß, and IL6 in the brain and microglial cultures. Primary cultures of mouse microglia stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 0.75 µg/mL) and benzoyl ATPs (BzATP) were used to determine the concentration of ladostigil that reduces the secretion of these cytokine proteins. Ladostigil (1 × 10-11 M), a concentration compatible with the blood of aging rats in, prevented memory decline and reduced secretion of IL1ß and IL6 by ≈50%. RNA sequencing analysis showed that BzATP/LPS upregulated 25 genes, including early-growth response protein 1, (Egr1) which increased in the brain of subjects with neurodegenerative diseases. Ladostigil significantly decreased Egr1 gene expression and levels of the protein in the nucleus and increased TNF alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFaIP3), which suppresses cytokine release, in the microglial cytoplasm. Restoration of the aberrant signaling of these proteins in ATP/LPS-activated microglia in vivo might explain the prevention by ladostigil of the morphological and inflammatory changes in the brain of aging rats.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel indanones derivatives as potent acetylcholinesterase/monoamine oxidase B inhibitors.

Aim: Based on a multitarget design strategy, a series of novel indanone-1-benzyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin hybrids were identified for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results: These compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and moderate inhibitory activities toward monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). The optimal compound A1 possessed excellent dual AChE/MAO-B inhibition both in terms of potency (AChE: IC50 = 0.054 ± 0.004 µM; MAO-B: IC50 = 3.25 ± 0.20 µM), moderate inhibitory effects on self-mediated amyloid-ß (Aß) aggregation and antioxidant activity. In addition, compound A1 exhibited low neurotoxicity. More importantly, compound A1 showed significant cognitive and spatial memory improvements in the scopolamine-induced AD mouse model. Conclusion: All results suggest that compound A1 may become a promising lead of anti-AD drug for further development.

Striking Neurochemical and Behavioral Differences in the Mode of Action of Selegiline and Rasagiline.

Selegiline and rasagiline are two selective monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In their clinical application, however, differences in L-dopa-sparing potencies have been observed. The aim of this study was to find neurochemical and behavioral explanations for the antiparkinsonian effects of these drugs. We found that selegiline possesses a dopaminergic enhancer effect: it stimulated the electrically induced [3H]dopamine release without influencing the resting [3H]dopamine release from rat striatal slices in 10-10-10-9 mol/L concentrations. Rasagiline added in 10-13 to 10-5 mol/L concentrations did not alter the resting or electrically stimulated [3H]dopamine release. Rasagiline (10-9 mol/L), however, suspended the stimulatory effect of selegiline on the electrically induced [3H]dopamine release. The trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) antagonist EPPTB (10-8-10-7 mol/L) also inhibited the stimulatory effect of selegiline on [3H]dopamine release. The effect of selegiline in its enhancer dose (5.33 nmol/kg) against tetrabenazine-induced learning deficit measured in a shuttle box apparatus was abolished by a 5.84 nmol/kg dose of rasagiline. The selegiline metabolite (-)methamphetamine (10-9 mol/L) also exhibited enhancer activity on [3H]dopamine release. We have concluded that selegiline acts as an MAO-B inhibitor and a dopaminergic enhancer drug, and the latter relates to an agonist effect on TAAR1. In contrast, rasagiline is devoid of enhancer activity but may act as an antagonist on TAAR1.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Indanone Derivatives as Cholinesterase Inhibitors for Potential Use in Alzheimer's Disease.

Indanone derivatives containing meta/para-substituted aminopropoxy benzyl/benzylidene moieties were designed based on the structures of donepezil and ebselen analogs as the cholinesterase inhibitors. The designed compounds were synthesized and their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities were measured. Inhibitory potencies (IC50 values) for the synthesized compounds ranged from 0.12 to 11.92 µM and 0.04 to 24.36 µM against AChE and BChE, respectively. Compound 5 c showed the highest AChE inhibitory potency with IC50 value of 0.12 µM, whereas the highest BChE inhibition was achieved by structure 7 b (IC50 =0.04 µM). Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that there is no significant difference between meta and para-substituted derivatives in AChE and BChE inhibition. However, the most potent AChE inhibitor 5 c belongs to meta-substituted compounds, while the most active BChE inhibitor is para-substituted derivative 7 b. The order of enzyme inhibition potency based on the substituted amine group is dimethyl amine>piperidine>morpholine. Compounds containing C=C linkage are more potent AChE inhibitors than the corresponding saturated structures. Molecular docking studies indicated that 5 c interacts with AChE in a very similar way to that observed experimentally for donepezil. The introduced indanone-aminopropoxy benzylidenes could be used in drug-discovery against Alzheimer's disease.

Efficacy of donepezil plus hydrogen-oxygen mixture inhalation for treatment of patients with Alzheimer disease: A retrospective study.

To investigate the clinical effect of donepezil combined with hydrogen-oxygen mixture inhalation in the treatment of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), a total of 273 AD patients admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and assigned into an observation group (n = 138) and a control group (n = 135) according to the different treatment that they received. The control group was treated with donepezil tablets, while the observation group was treated with donepezil tablets combined with hydrogen-oxygen mixture inhalation. The scores of mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition, activity of daily living scale (ADL) and the P300 event-related potential were compared between the 2 groups. After treatment, MMSE score, MoCA score, and ADL score in both groups increased after treatment (P < .01), while the improvement in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P < .001 for MMSE, P = .003 for MoCA, and P = .013 for ADL). The scores of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition in the observation group decreased after treatment (P < .05), while the improvement in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P = .005). After treatment, the latency of P300 in both groups was shortened (P < .01), and the improvement in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P < .001). The amplitude of the observation group increased after treatment (P < .01), and the improvement of the observation group was significant than that of the control group (P = .007). The clinical efficacy of donepezil combined with hydrogen-oxygen mixture inhalation in the treatment of AD is better than that of donepezil alone, which is worthy of further study.

Novel 1-Indanone derivatives containing oxime and oxime ether moieties as immune activator to resist plant virus.

BACKGROUND: Vegetable viruses are difficult to prevent and control in the field, causing massive economic losses of agricultural production in the world. A new natural product-based antiviral agent would be an effective means to control viral diseases. As a class of natural products, 1-indanones present various pharmacologically actives, while their application in agriculture remains to be found. RESULTS: A series of novel 1-indanone derivatives were designed and synthesized and the antiviral activities were systematically evaluated. Bioassays showed that most compounds exhibited good protective activities against cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV). Notably, compound 27 exhibited the best protective effects against PMMoV with EC50 values of 140.5 mg L-1 , superior to ninanmycin (245.6 mg L-1 ). Compound 27 induced immunity responses through multilayered regulation on mitogen-activated protein kinase, plant hormone signal transduction and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. CONCLUSION: These 1-indanone derivatives especially compound 27 can be considered as potential immune activators to resist plant virus. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The measured CSF/plasma donepezil concentration ratio but not individually measured CSF and plasma concentrations significantly increase over 24 h after donepezil treatment in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil is administered as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the appropriate donepezil dosage is still a matter of debate. METHODS: Forty AD patients receiving 10 mg/day of donepezil were randomly divided into four groups based on the time of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling: 6 h (n = 5), 12 h (n = 12), 18 h (n = 6) and 24 h (n = 17) after donepezil administration. High-performance liquid chromatography measured the donepezil concentration in plasma samples and CSF samples collected at 4-time points. RESULTS: Plasma and CSF levels among the groups were not significantly different. Conversely, the CSF/plasma donepezil concentration ratio considerably increased in the 24 h group compared to the 6 h (p < 0.005) and 12 h (p < 0.05) groups. CONCLUSION: The measurement of the CSF/plasma donepezil concentration ratio could be used to better evaluate the optimal dose of donepezil.

Synthesis, in silico Studies and Pharmacological Evaluation of a New Series of Indanone Derivatives as Anti-Parkinsonian and Anti-Alzheimer's Agents.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the most common forms of neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of the current work is to study the potential of some new indanone derivatives for the treatment of these neurological disorders. METHODS: A new series of 4-(2-oxo-2-aminoethoxy)-2-benzylidene substituted indanone derivatives have been synthesized and studied for anti-Parkinsonian and anti-Alzheimer's effects. Substitution of different aminoalkyl functionalities at the para position of 2-benzylidene moiety of indanone ring resulted in the formation of potent anti-parkinsonian and anti-Alzheimer's agents (5-10). The neuroprotective effects of newly synthesized compounds were evaluated using perphenazine (PPZ)-induced catatonia in rats and LPS-induced cognitive deficits in mice models. Further, in silico molecular modelling studies of the new indanone derivatives were performed by docking against the 3D structures of various neuroinflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B), to gain the mechanistic insights of their anti-Alzheimer's and antiparkinsonian effects. RESULTS: The newly synthesized indanone analogues 5-10 were found effective against PPZinduced motor dysfunction and LPS-induced memory impairment in animal models. Among all the synthesized analogues, morpholine-substituted indanone 9 displayed maximum anti-parkinsonian activity, even better than the standard drug L-DOPA, while pyrrolidine and piperidine substituted analogues 5 and 6 were found to be the most potent anti-Alzheimer's agents. CONCLUSION: The new 2-arylidene-1-indanone analogues show good potential as promising leads for designing compounds against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

In vitro assessment of the binding and functional responses of ozanimod and its plasma metabolites across human sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors.

Ozanimod is approved in multiple countries for the treatment of adults with either relapsing multiple sclerosis or moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Ozanimod is metabolized in humans to form seven active plasma metabolites, including two major active metabolites CC112273 and CC1084037, and an inactive metabolite. Here, the binding and activity of ozanimod and its metabolites across human sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors were determined. Binding affinity was assessed in Chinese hamster ovary cell membranes expressing recombinant human sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors 1 and 5 via competitive radioligand binding using tritium-labeled ozanimod; selectivity via functional potency assessment was performed using [35S]-guanosine-5'-(γ-thio)-triphosphate binding assays. Receptor internalization was assessed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells overexpressing sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1-green fluorescent protein and Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 5-hemagglutinin via fluorescence activated cell sorting. Functional activity was assessed in primary cultures of human astrocytes via phosphorylation assays. Ozanimod and its functionally active metabolites bound to the same sites within sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors 1 and 5, with metabolites displaying the same selectivity profile as ozanimod. Agonism at sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 induced receptor internalization, whereas sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 5 did not. Ozanimod, CC112273, and CC1084037 elicited functional intracellular signaling in human astrocytes, pharmacologically characterized to be mediated by sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1. The active plasma metabolites of ozanimod bound to sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors 1 and 5 and displayed similar pharmacologic profiles as their parent compound, likely contributing to clinical efficacy in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis or moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Combination of Donepezil and Memantine Attenuated Cognitive Impairment Induced by Mixed Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: an In Silico Study.

Little is known about the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and the combination of memantine and donepezil on the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment. Here, we aimed to identify in silico the molecular mechanisms of the combination of memantine and donepezil that combat cognitive impairment induced by nine common EDCs using GeneMania, AutoDock Vina, Metascape, SwissADME, MIENTURNET, and miRNAsong. We observed that the mixture of memantine and donepezil had therapeutic effects on mixed EDC-induced cognitive impairment via five genes (TNF, ACHE, BAX, IL1B, and CASP3). With ACHE and TNF, donepezil and memantine both had a high docking score, respectively. The predominant connections among five mutual genes were physical interactions (77.6%). The major pathways associated with memantine and donepezil countering cognitive impairment generated by mixed EDCs were discovered to be "AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications," "pro-survival signaling of neuroprotectin D1," and "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease." The miRNAs and transcription factors implicated in memantine and donepezil protecting against mixed EDCs were hsa-miR-128-3p and hsa-miR-34a-5p, NFKB1, NFKB2, IRF8, and E2F4. The sponges' tertiary structure predictions for two major miRNAs were provided. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of memantine and donepezil highlighted the need for a therapeutic combination of these medications to treat cognitive impairment.

Real-world effects of anti-dementia treatment on mortality in patients with Alzheimer´s dementia.

To examine the real-world effects of the cholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) on all-cause mortality. A nationwide, retrospective cohort study. Participants were diagnosed with incident AD in Denmark from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2011 with follow-up until December 31, 2012. A total of 36,513 participants were included in the current study with 22,063 deaths during 132,426 person-years of follow-up. At baseline, patients not treated with AChEI (n = 28,755 [9961 males (35%)]) had a mean age ±â€…standard deviation (SD) of 80.33 ±â€…7.98 years (78.97 ±â€…8.26 for males and 81.04 ±â€…7.98 for females), as compared to 79.95 ±â€…7.67 (78.87 ±â€…7.61 for males and 80.61 ±â€…7.63 for females) in the group exposed at baseline. Patients treated with AChEI had a beneficial hazard ratio (HR) of 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.67-0.71) for all-cause mortality as compared to patients not treated, with donepezil (HR 0.80, 95% CI [0.77-0.82]) and galantamine (HR 0.93,95% CI [0.89-0.97]) having beneficial effects on mortality rate as compared to non-treatment, whereas rivastigmine (HR 0.99, 95% CI [0.95-1.03]) was associated with a mortality rate comparable to non-treatment with AChEI. Patients were primarily exposed to donepezil (65.8%) with rivastigmine (19.8%) and galantamine (14.4%) being used less often. These findings underscore the effect of AChEI on not only reducing speed of cognitive decline but also directly prolonging life, which could result in changes in treatment recommendation for when to stop treatment.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of arylidene indanones as small molecules for targeted therapy of non-small cell lung carcinoma and prostate cancer.

In an attempt to identify small molecules for targeted therapy of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and prostate cancer (PCa), new arylidene indanones (1-10) were synthesized via the Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 5,6-methylenedioxy-1-indanone with p-substituted benzaldehyde. Compounds 1-10 were assessed for their cytotoxic effects on human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and human pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PANC-1) cells as well as human normal lung fibroblast (CCD-19Lu) and human normal pancreatic ductal epithelial (hTERT-HPNE) cells. Among them, compounds 2, 4 and 10 were more effective on A549 and PANC-1 cells than cisplatin. Compounds 1 and 9 also showed more potent cytotoxic activity towards PANC-1 cells than cisplatin. In vitro assays were performed to assess their effects on DNA synthesis, apoptosis, caspase-3, mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular calcium levels, morphological changes in cancer cells. Furthermore, all compounds were investigated for their inhibitory effects on cathepsin L (CatL) and cathepsin D (CatD). Compounds 2 and 4 exerted potent anti-NSCLC action through caspase-independent apoptosis induced by an increase in intracellular calcium level and correspondingly the disruption of the ΔΨm. These compounds also caused apoptotic morphological alterations in A549 cells. Compound 4 also inhibited both cathepsins but its inhibitory potency on CatL was more significant. Based on in vitro mechanistic assays, compound 4 was identified as a promising anticancer agent for targeted therapy of NSCLC. On the other hand, the marked anti- PCa activity of compound 1 mediated by apoptotic cell death is also noteworthy, but further enzymatic assays are required to elucidate its main mechanism of action.

Computational investigations of indanedione and indanone derivatives in drug discovery: Indanone derivatives inhibits cereblon, an E3 ubiquitin ligase component.

BACKGROUND: Cereblon, an extensively studied multifunctional protein, is a Cullin 4-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complex component. Cereblon is a well-known target of thalidomide and its derivatives. Cereblon is involved in multiple myeloma cell apoptosis. When ligands such as thalidomide and lenalidomide bind to cereblon, it recognizes various neosubstrates based on the ligand shape and properties. We have identified novel CRBN inhibitors, namely DHFO and its analogs, with structural features that are slightly different from thalidomide but stronger cereblon-binding affinity. We selected indanedione and indanone derivatives from the literature to understand and compare their cereblon-mediated substrate recognition potential. METHODS: Computational investigations of possible CRBN inhibitors were investigated by molecular docking with Autodock Vina and DockThor programs. The properties of the compounds' ADME/T and drug-likeness were investigated. A molecular dynamics study was carried out for four selected molecules, and the molecular interactions were analyzed using PCA-based FEL methods. The binding affinity was calculated using the MM/PBSA method. RESULTS: We conducted computational investigations on 68 indanedione and indanone derivatives binding with cereblon. Ten molecules showed better CRBN binding affinity than thalidomide. We studied the drug-likeness properties of the selected ten molecules, and four of the most promising molecules (DHFO, THOH, DIMS, and DTIN) were chosen for molecular dynamics studies. The MM/PBSA calculations showed that the DHFO, already shown to be a 5-LOX/COX2 inhibitor, has the highest binding affinity of - 163.16 kJ/mol with cereblon. CONCLUSION: The selected CRBN inhibitor DHFO has demonstrated the highest binding affinity with cereblon protein compared to other molecules. Thalidomide and its derivatives have a new substitute in the form of DHFO, which produces an interaction hotspot on the surface of the cereblon. Ease of chemical synthesis, low toxicity, versatile therapeutic options, and pleiotropism of DHFO analogs provide an opportunity for exploring clinical alternatives with versatile therapeutic potential for a new category of indanedione molecules as novel modulators of E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Ozanimod as a novel oral small molecule therapy for the treatment of Crohn's disease: The YELLOWSTONE clinical trial program.

BACKGROUND: Ozanimod, an oral sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator currently approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and relapsing multiple sclerosis, showed clinical, endoscopic, and histological benefit in the phase 2 STEPSTONE trial for Crohn's disease (CD). We aim to describe the trial design of the YELLOWSTONE phase 3 program evaluating the safety and efficacy of ozanimod in patients with moderately to severely active CD. METHODS: The YELLOWSTONE program consists of phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled induction (NCT03440372 and NCT03440385) and maintenance (NCT03464097) trials and an open-label extension (OLE) study (NCT03467958). Patients with inadequate response or intolerance to ≥1 CD treatment are randomized to receive daily ozanimod 0.92 mg (equivalent to ozanimod HCl 1 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks during induction. Those who respond to ozanimod are rerandomized to continue ozanimod or placebo maintenance therapy for 52 weeks. Patients who do not meet criteria for maintenance, experience relapse during maintenance, or complete maintenance or ≥ 1 year of STEPSTONE are eligible for open-label treatment for up to 234 weeks. Efficacy endpoints include clinical, endoscopic, and histologic outcomes. RESULTS: Expected 2023 (induction studies), 2024 (maintenance study), and 2026 (OLE). CONCLUSION: YELLOWSTONE will provide pivotal phase 3 data on the safety and efficacy of ozanimod in patients with moderately to severely active CD using state-of-the-art methods, including centrally read endoscopic and histologic measurements, along with subjective assessments of symptom control based on the Crohn's Disease Activity Index. These studies could enable approval of ozanimod as a new CD therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: NCT03440372, NCT03440385, NCT03464097, NCT03467958.

Neuroprotective Function of Rasagiline and Selegiline, Inhibitors of Type B Monoamine Oxidase, and Role of Monoamine Oxidases in Synucleinopathies.

Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of toxic species of α-synuclein. The common clinical features are chronic progressive decline of motor, cognitive, behavioral, and autonomic functions. They include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy body, and multiple system atrophy. Their etiology has not been clarified and multiple pathogenic factors include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired protein degradation systems, and neuroinflammation. Current available therapy cannot prevent progressive neurodegeneration and "disease-modifying or neuroprotective" therapy has been proposed. This paper presents the molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection by the inhibitors of type B monoamine oxidase, rasagiline and selegiline. They prevent mitochondrial apoptosis, induce anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein family, and pro-survival brain- and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factors. They also prevent toxic oligomerization and aggregation of α-synuclein. Monoamine oxidase is involved in neurodegeneration and neuroprotection, independently of the catalytic activity. Type A monoamine oxidases mediates rasagiline-activated signaling pathways to induce neuroprotective genes in neuronal cells. Multi-targeting propargylamine derivatives have been developed for therapy in various neurodegenerative diseases. Preclinical studies have presented neuroprotection of rasagiline and selegiline, but beneficial effects have been scarcely presented. Strategy to improve clinical trials is discussed to achieve disease-modification in synucleinopathies.

Pharmaco-fUS in cognitive impairment: Lessons from a preclinical model.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to understand and reverse cognitive impairment. The lack of appropriate animal models combined with the limited knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms makes the development of new cognition-enhancing drugs complex. Scopolamine is a pharmacologic agent which impairs cognition and functional imaging in a wide range of animal species, similarly to what is seen in cognitive impairment in humans. METHODS: In this study, using a functional ultrasound (fUS) neuroimaging technique, we monitored the impact of donepezil (DPZ), a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and first-line treatment in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, in a scopolamine-induced mouse model. RESULTS: We demonstrated that despite its low impact on the cerebral blood volume (CBV) signal, scopolamine injection produced an overall decrease in functional connectivity between various brain areas. In addition, we revealed that DPZ induced a strong decrease in CBV signal without causing a difference in functional connectivity. CONCLUSION: Finally, our work highlighted that DPZ counteracted the impact of scopolamine on functional connectivity changes and confirmed the interest of using pharmaco-fUS imaging on cognitive disorders, both in frequent and rare neurological disorders.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, Migratory Inhibition and Docking Study of Indenopyrazolones as Potential Anticancer Agents.

Some bioactive derivatives of indeno[1,2-c]pyrazolones were synthesized through the reaction of phenylhydrazine, different aldehydes and indan-1,2,3-trione at room temperature in acetonitrile. Analytical and spectroscopic studies have confirmed the structural characteristics of the synthesized compounds. In addition, the target compounds were screened for the in-vitro antiproliferative properties against the B16F10 melanoma cancer cell lines by the standard MTT assay. The effect on inflammatory marker cyclooxygenase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 2, 9 was also checked to determine the anti-inflammatory and anti-cell migratory properties of these compounds. The final compounds were also tested for their tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Among all compounds, screened for anticancer activity, three compounds 4e, 4f and 4h reduced the cell proliferation significantly comparable to that of the positive standard drug erlotinib (IC50 =418.9±1.54 µM) with IC50 values ranging from 20.72-29.35 µM. The compounds 4c-4h decreased the COX-2 expression whereas the MMP 2, 9 expressions were significantly reduced by 4a, 4b and 4h. This was confirmed by molecular docking studies, as 4e, 4f and 4h displayed good interactions with the active site of BRAF protein. The compounds 4b, 4f and 4h exhibited moderate tyrosinase inhibition effect as compared to α-MSH. Collectively, compound 4h can be considered as a candidate for further optimization in the development of anticancer therapies based on the results of biological investigations in this study.

Advances on Therapeutic Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease: From Medicinal Plant to Nanotechnology.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic dysfunction of neurons in the brain leading to dementia. It is characterized by gradual mental failure, abnormal cognitive functioning, personality changes, diminished verbal fluency, and speech impairment. It is caused by neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal area of the brain. The number of individuals with AD is growing at a quick rate. The pathology behind AD is the progress of intraneuronal fibrillary tangles, accumulation of amyloid plaque, loss of cholinergic neurons, and decrease in choline acetyltransferase. Unfortunately, AD cannot be cured, but its progression can be delayed. Various FDA-approved inhibitors of cholinesterase enzyme such as rivastigmine, galantamine, donepezil, and NDMA receptor inhibitors (memantine), are available to manage the symptoms of AD. An exhaustive literature survey was carried out using SciFinder's reports from Alzheimer's Association, PubMed, and Clinical Trials.org. The literature was explored thoroughly to obtain information on the various available strategies to prevent AD. In the context of the present scenario, several strategies are being tried including the clinical trials for the treatment of AD. We have discussed pathophysiology, various targets, FDA-approved drugs, and various drugs in clinical trials against AD. The goal of this study is to shed light on current developments and treatment options, utilizing phytopharmaceuticals, nanomedicines, nutraceuticals, and gene therapy.

A critical review of ozanimod for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

INTRODUCTION: Ozanimod is a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) modulator that inhibits lymphocyte trafficking from lymph nodes to the circulation. It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis and most recently for the management of moderate-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). AREAS COVERED: Here we review the status of drugs approved for moderate-severe UC, the unmet needs in the management of UC, proposed mechanisms of action of S1P modulators, clinical data regarding ozanimod in UC, and emerging S1P modulators being evaluated in inflammatory bowel disease. EXPERT OPINION: Ozanimod is superior to placebo in inducing and maintaining clinical and endoscopic remission in UC. Adverse events include transient asymptomatic bradycardia, first-degree atrioventricular blocks, transient asymptomatic hepatotoxicity, macular edema in patients with preexisting risk factors, and increased risk of nasopharyngitis. Ozanimod is contraindicated in patients with clinically significant cardiovascular diseases, type II second-, or third-degree atrioventricular blocks, and females of childbearing age who do not use contraception. Ozanimod is the first S1P modulator to be approved for UC, offering a new therapeutic class option for patients. It has the advantages of being convenient with a once-daily oral administration, non-immunogenic, and overall safe when used in patients without contraindications.