Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: DrugBank:APRD00627 (MAP)
 15,705 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have recently demonstrated that myocardial adaptation to ischemia triggers a tyrosine kinase regulated signaling pathway leading to the translocation and activation of p38 MAP kinase and MAPKAP kinase 2. Since oxidative stress is developed during ischemic adaptation and since free radicals have recently been shown to function as an intracellular signaling agent leading to the activation of nuclear transcription factor, NFkappaB, we examined whether NFkappaB was involved in the ischemic adaptation process. Isolated perfused rat hearts were adapted to ischemic stress by repeated ischemia and reperfusion. Hearts were pretreated with genistein to block tyrosine kinase while SB 203580 was used to inhibit p38 MAP kinases. Ischemic adaptation was associated with the nuclear translocation and activation of NFkappaB which was significantly blocked by both genistein and SB 203580. The ischemically adapted hearts were more resistant to ischemic reperfusion injury as evidenced by better function recovery and less tissue injury during post-ischemic reperfusion. Ischemic adaptation developed oxidative stress which was reflected by increased malonaldehyde formation. A synthetic peptide containing a cell membrane-permeable motif and nuclear sequence, SN 50, which blocked nuclear translocation of NFkappaB during ischemic adaptation, significantly inhibited the beneficial effects of adaptation on functional recovery and tissue injury. In concert, SN 50 reduced the oxidative stress developed in the adapted myocardium. These results demonstrate that p38 MAP kinase might be upstream of NFkappaB which plays a role in ischemic preconditioning of heart.
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PMID:An essential role of NFkappaB in tyrosine kinase signaling of p38 MAP kinase regulation of myocardial adaptation to ischemia. 966 50

Adenosine (Ado) accumulates in tissues under metabolic stress. On myocardial cells, the nucleoside interacts with various receptor subtypes (A(1), A(3), and probably A(2A) and A(2B)) that are coupled, via G proteins, to multiple effectors, including enzymes, channels, transporters and cytoskeletal components. Studies using Ado receptor agonists and antagonists, as well as animals overexpressing the A(1) receptor indicate that Ado exerts anti-ischemic action. Ado released during preconditioning (PC) by short periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion induces cardioprotection to a subsequent sustained ischemia. This protective action is mediated by A(1) and A(3) receptor subtypes and involves the activation and translocation of PKC to sarcolemmal and to mitochondrial membranes. PKC activation leads to an increased opening of ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels. Recent studies implicate mitochondrial rather than sarcolemmal K(ATP) channels in the protective action of PC. Other effectors possibly contributing to cardioprotection by Ado or PC, and which seem particularly involved in the delayed (second window of) protection, include MAP kinases, heat shock proteins and iNOS. Because of its anti-ischemic effects, Ado has been tested as a protective agent in clinical interventions such as PTCA, CABG and tissue preservation, and was found in most cases to enhance the post-ischemic recovery of function. The mechanisms underlying the role of Ado and of mitochondrial function in PC are not completely clear, and uncertainties remain concerning the role played by newly identified potential effectors such as free radicals, the sarcoplasmic reticulum, etc. In addition, more studies are needed to clarify the signalling mechanisms by which A(3) receptor activation or overexpression may promote apoptosis and cellular injury, as reported by a few recent studies.
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PMID:Adenosine, adenosine receptors and myocardial protection: an updated overview. 1155 31

Evidence suggests that progesterone enhances functional recovery in rats after medial frontal cortical contusions; however, a high dose of progesterone exacerbates tissue loss in a stroke model when administered chronically (7-10 days) prior to injury [Stroke 31 (2000) 1173)]. This study attempts to determine progesterone's dose-response effects on behavioral performance and GABA-A receptor expression following a cortical contusion. Male rats received injections of 0, 8, 16, or 32 mg/kg progesterone in 22.5% 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin following cortical impact. Lesion 8 mg/kg and lesion 16 mg/kg groups displayed less thigmotaxis in the Morris water maze (MWM) than 0 and 32 mg/kg groups and were not significantly impaired relative to shams on other water maze measures. Increased variability in the 32 mg/kg group during somatosensory neglect testing was the only evidence indicating that a high dose of progesterone was disruptive to a few animals. These results suggest that low and moderate doses of progesterone are optimal for facilitating recovery of select behaviors and that postinjury progesterone treatment permits a wider dose range than preinjury treatment. Progesterone did not affect lesion size, but a strong negative correlation was observed between thalamic GABA-A receptor density and water maze performance. Future studies could explore causes for this relationship.
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PMID:Behavioral effects and anatomic correlates after brain injury: a progesterone dose-response study. 1459 74

Gender differences in outcome following cerebral ischemia have frequently been observed and attributed to the actions of steroid hormones. Progesterone has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties following transient ischemia, with respect to decreasing lesion volume and improving functional recovery. The present study was designed to determine the mechanisms of progesterone neuroprotection, and whether these relate to the inflammatory response. Male mice underwent either 60 min or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and received progesterone (8 mg/kg ip) or vehicle 1 h, 6 h and 24 h post-MCAO. Forty-eight hours following transient MCAO, structural magnetic resonance imaging revealed a significant decrease in the amount of edematous tissue present in progesterone-treated mice as compared with vehicle. Using real-time PCR we found that progesterone treatment significantly suppressed the injury-induced upregulation of interleukin (IL)-1beta, transforming growth factor (TGF)beta2, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-2 mRNAs in the ipsilateral hemisphere while having no effect on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mRNA expression. Progesterone treatment following permanent MCAO also resulted in a significant decrease in lesion volume. This was not apparent in mice lacking a functional NOS-2 gene. Thus, progesterone is neuroprotective in both permanent and transient ischemia, and this effect is related to the suppression of specific aspects of the inflammatory response.
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PMID:Progesterone suppresses the inflammatory response and nitric oxide synthase-2 expression following cerebral ischemia. 1586 54

In this article, we review published preclinical and epidemiologic studies that examine progesterone's role in the central nervous system. Its effects on the reproductive and endocrine systems are well known, but a large and growing body of evidence, including a recently published pilot clinical trial, indicates that the hormone also exerts neuroprotective effects on the central nervous system. We now know that it is produced in the brain, for the brain, by neurons and glial cells in the central and peripheral nervous system of both male and female individuals. Laboratories around the world have reported that administering relatively large doses of progesterone during the first few hours to days after injury significantly limits central nervous system damage, reduces loss of neural tissue, and improves functional recovery. Although the research published to date has focused primarily on progesterone's effects on blunt traumatic brain injury, there is evidence that the hormone affords protection from several forms of acute central nervous system injury, including penetrating brain trauma, stroke, anoxic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Progesterone appears to exert its protective effects by protecting or rebuilding the blood-brain barrier, decreasing development of cerebral edema, down-regulating the inflammatory cascade, and limiting cellular necrosis and apoptosis. All are plausible mechanisms of neuroprotection.
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PMID:Does progesterone have neuroprotective properties? 1758 8

The inflammatory cascade that follows traumatic brain injury may lead to secondary cell death and can impede recovery of function. Complement factors and their convertases are increased in glia after brain injury and lead to the production of inflammatory products that kill vulnerable neurons. Progesterone and its metabolite allopregnanolone (5alpha-pregnan-3beta-ol-20-one) have been shown to reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the acute stages of brain injury, although how they do this is not completely understood. In this study we show that both progesterone and allopregnanolone treatments enhance the production of CD55 following contusion injuries of the cerebral cortex in rats. CD55, a single-chain type 1 cell surface protein, is a potent inhibitor of the complement convertases which are activators of the inflammatory cascade. The increased expression of CD55 could be an important mechanism by which steroids help to reduce the cerebral damage caused by inflammation.
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PMID:Neurosteroids reduce inflammation after TBI through CD55 induction. 1782 8

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in loss of sensory and motor function because injured axons do not regenerate and neurons that die are not replaced. Nevertheless, there is evidence for spontaneous reorganization of spared pathways (i.e. sprouting) that could be exploited to improve functional recovery. The extent of morphological remodeling after spinal cord injury is, however, not understood. We have previously shown that a phosphorylated form of microtubule-associated protein-1B, MAP1B-P, is expressed by growing axons, but is detected in intact adult SC in fibers exhibiting a somatotopic distribution of myelinated sensory fibers. We now demonstrate that after adult SCI, MAP1B-P is up-regulated in other classes of axons. We used immunohistochemistry to show changing levels and distributions of MAP1B-P after a right thoracic hemisection of adult rat spinal cord. MAP1B-P labeling suggests rearrangements of the axonal circuitry that go well beyond previous descriptions. MAP1B-P-positive fibers are present in ectopic locations in gray matter in both dorsal and ventral horns and around the central canal. Double staining reveals that primary sensory and descending serotonergic and corticospinal axons are MAP1B-P positive. In white matter, high MAP1B-P expression is found on terminal enlargements near the injury, reflecting retraction of transected axons. MAP1B-P also accumulates in pre-apoptotic neuronal somata axotomized by the lesion, indicating association of MAP1B-P not only with axon extension and retraction, but also with neuronal degeneration. Finally, we provide evidence that MAP1B phosphorylation is correlated with activation of JNK MAP-kinase, providing a step towards unraveling the mechanisms of regulation of this plasticity-related cytoskeletal protein.
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PMID:Extensive structural remodeling of the injured spinal cord revealed by phosphorylated MAP1B in sprouting axons and degenerating neurons. 1788 Mar 87

The Edmonton protocol for islet transplantation utilizes fresh islet grafts but other protocols increasingly transplant short-term cultured grafts mainly for practical reasons. To improve our understanding of the impact of culture pretreatment of human islets, we assessed post-transplant function by nude mouse bioassay, islet ATP, activity of stress-activated MAP kinases, and expression of stress-related genes by focused cDNA array in freshly isolated and cultured islets. Mean blood glucose levels over 4 weeks after transplantation (2000 IE) of (i) freshly isolated, (ii) cultured and preculture counted (recovery rate; 78 +/- 6%), and (iii) cultured and postculture counted islets in diabetic mice were 330 +/- 40, 277 +/- 65, and 256 +/- 52 mg/dl (i versus ii, P = 0.004; i versus iii, P = 0.002). During culture, islet ATP/DNA and ATP/ADP increased; JNK and p38 MAPK activities decreased. Among 96 genes studied, mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70 genes decreased >twofold during culture in all four pairs; expression of cyclooxygenase-2, superoxide dismutase-2, interleukin-6 and cytochromes P450 1A1 genes increased. Our results show that culturing human islets before transplantation is not disadvantageous in regard of functional recovery from changes induced by nonphysiologic stimuli during islet isolation. The increase in expression of several stress-related genes during culture also shows that improving culture conditions may further enhance post-transplant islet function.
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PMID:Effect of short-term culture on functional and stress-related parameters in isolated human islets. 1945 31

Studies on the neuroprotective and promyelinating effects of progesterone in the nervous system are of great interest due to their potential clinical connotations. In peripheral neuropathies, progesterone and reduced derivatives promote remyelination, axonal regeneration and the recovery of function. In traumatic brain injury (TBI), progesterone has the ability to reduce edema and inflammatory cytokines, prevent neuronal loss and improve functional outcomes. Clinical trials have shown that short-and long-term progesterone treatment induces a significant improvement in the level of disability among patients with brain injury. In experimental spinal cord injury (SCI), molecular markers of functional motoneurons become impaired, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, Na,K-ATPase mRNA, microtubule-associated protein 2 and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). SCI also produces motoneuron chromatolysis. Progesterone treatment restores the expression of these molecules while chromatolysis subsided. SCI also causes oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination. In this case, a short progesterone treatment enhances proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitors into mature myelin-producing cells, whereas prolonged treatment increases a transcription factor (Olig1) needed to repair injury-induced demyelination. Progesterone neuroprotection has also been shown in motoneuron neurodegeneration. In Wobbler mice spinal cord, progesterone reverses the impaired expression of BDNF, ChAT and Na,K-ATPase, prevents vacuolar motoneuron degeneration and the development of mitochondrial abnormalities, while functionally increases muscle strength and the survival of Wobbler mice. Multiple mechanisms contribute to these progesterone effects, and the role played by classical nuclear receptors, extra nuclear receptors, membrane receptors, and the reduced metabolites of progesterone in neuroprotection and myelin formation remain an exciting field worth of exploration.
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PMID:Progesterone neuroprotection in traumatic CNS injury and motoneuron degeneration. 1931 12

The primary goal of this study was to compare clinically relevant doses of progesterone and nicotinamide within the same injury model. Progesterone has been shown to reduce edema and inflammation and improve functional outcomes following brain injury. Nicotinamide has also been shown to be an effective neuroprotective agent in a variety of neurological injury models. In the current study, nicotinamide was administered beginning 4 h post-cortical contusion injury (CCI) with a loading dose (75 mg/kg, i.p.) combined with continuous infusion (12 mg/h/kg, s.c.) for 72 h post-injury. Progesterone was administered beginning 4 h post-CCI at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p. every 12 h for 72 h. This resulted in the following groups: Injured-nicotinamide treated, Injured-progesterone-10 treated, Injured-progesterone-20 treated, Injured-vehicle treated, and Sham. Functional recovery was assessed with two spatial memory tasks in the Morris water maze (MWM) the acquisition of a reference memory task and a reversal learning task. Neuropathological assessments were conducted in the cortex and hippocampus. It was found that both progesterone (10 mg/kg) and nicotinamide improved reference memory acquisition and reversal learning in the MWM compared with vehicle treatment. The lower dose of progesterone and nicotinamide also reduced tissue loss in the injured cortex and ipsilateral hippocampus compared with vehicle. The beneficial effects of progesterone appear to be dose dependent with the lower 10 mg/kg dose producing significant effects that were not observed at the higher dose. Direct comparison between nicotinamide and low dose progesterone appears to suggest that both are equally effective. The general findings of this study suggest that both nicotinamide and progesterone produce significant improvements in recovery of function following CCI.
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PMID:A comparison of the effects of nicotinamide and progesterone on functional recovery of cognitive behavior following cortical contusion injury in the rat. 2301 98


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