Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0002736 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
 19,048 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

AIT-082 (an analog of hypoxanthine) is an orally-active nerve growth factor (NGF) agonist under development by NeoTherapeutics as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD), stroke and motor neuron disease. A phase II safety and efficacy trial in AD, originally scheduled to begin in the summer of 1997 [283677], began in May 1998 [286975,285562]. The study will enroll more than 60 AD patients [286975]. In February 1998, NeoTherapeutics began a phase I multiple-dose pharmacokinetic study of AIT-082 in 24 healthy elderly volunteers. Subjects of the phase I study will be administered AIT-082 once a day for 7 consecutive days at doses of 100 to 2000 mg per dose [279422]. A limited double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I/II trial in 10 AD patients commenced in Canada in the first quarter of 1997. Treatment with 4000 mg improved memory in 60% of the patients within 3 h, as determined by the word recall test. A decrease in memory was observed in 80% of placebo-treated patients [257132]. A phase I US trial, conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, with funding from the National Institute of Aging, began in July 1997. AIT-082 was administered to eight healthy, elderly volunteers as part of an escalating single-dose study. Oral administration of AIT-082 was well-tolerated at high doses [284325] AIT-082 also enhanced memory function in both young adult and aged mice within 2 h of oral administration. Prophylactic treatment prevented or delayed the onset of age-induced memory deficits in mice when administered in drinking water. When memory impairment was produced by brain lesions, the drug restored memory performance and increased the genetic expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), a natural protein growth factor associated with nerve cell function [284325]. AIT-082 appears to have at least three effects on the growth of PC-12 cells in culture. Firstly, it stimulates outgrowth of neurites, secondly it potentiates the growth effects of neurotrophin, and thirdly, it stimulates the synthesis of certain neurotrophins (nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3 and fibroblast growth factor) and pleiotrophins by astrocytes. These progrowth mechanisms are thought to form the basis of the ability of AIT-082 to restore and prevent age-related working memory deficits in mice [195438]. In October 1997, further preclinical results were presented, demonstrating that treatment with AIT-082 produced an increase in neurotrophic factors following spinal cord injury in rats. This study was conducted at NeoTherapeutics and McMaster University, and was partially funded by the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Canada. After 7 days of treatment, rats with spinal cord injuries showed an increase in the levels of CNTF and BDNF, naturally occurring growth factors in the spinal cord [267514].
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PMID:AIT-082 NeoTherapeutics Inc. 1846 24

Two related neurodegenerative disorders, Western Pacific amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism-dementia (PD), originally occurred at a high incidence on Guam, in the Kii peninsula of Japan, and in southern West New Guinea more than 50 years ago. These three foci shared a unique mineral environment characterized by the presence of severely low levels of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+), coupled with high levels of bioavailable transition metals in the soil and drinking water. Epidemiological studies suggest that genetic factors also contribute to the etiology of these disorders. Here, we report that a variant of the transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) gene may confer susceptibility to these diseases. TRPM2 encodes a calcium-permeable cation channel highly expressed in the brain that has been implicated in mediating cell death induced by oxidants. We found a heterozygous variant of TRPM2 in a subset of Guamanian ALS (ALS-G) and PD (PD-G) cases. This variant, TRPM2(P1018L), produces a missense change in the channel protein whereby proline 1018 (Pro(1018)) is replaced by leucine (Leu(1018)). Functional studies revealed that, unlike WT TRPM2, P1018L channels inactivate. Our results suggest that the ability of TRPM2 to maintain sustained ion influx is a physiologically important function and that its disruption may, under certain conditions, contribute to disease states.
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PMID:Altered functional properties of a TRPM2 variant in Guamanian ALS and PD. 1900 82

Use of Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) is evaluated in the analysis of nine phenolic acids, both in standards mixture samples and in strawberry juice samples, by liquid chromatography with diode array detection (LC-DAD). Chromatographic coelution problems either because of unknown matrix interferences or because of the increase of organic modifier to reduce chromatographic analysis times are investigated. pH (4.25) and proportion of organic modifier in acetonitrile-water ratios (11:89, v/v) used as mobile phases have been optimized for separation of mixture of nine phenolic acids. Results obtained in the resolution and quantitation of phenolic acids in standards mixture samples and strawberry samples at two proportions of organic modifier (11:89 and 40:60 acetonitrile-water (v/v) ratios) show that the proposed MCR-ALS approach reduces analysis times and solvent expenses and improves determinations in case of strong coelution. Limits on the use of MCR-ALS are investigated in the analysis of phenolic acids in strawberry samples.
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PMID:Determination of phenolic acids in strawberry samples by means of fast liquid chromatography and multivariate curve resolution methods. 1907 75

The physicochemical characterization of the peptide sequence E1(145-162) corresponding to the structural protein E1 of the hepatitis G virus was done by studying its interaction with model membranes. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol or dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine were chosen as mimetic membranes. Peptide incorporation and location in the phospholipid bilayer was investigated by fluorescence anisotropy with SUVs labeled with diphenylhexatriene (DPH) or trimethylammonium-DPH. The addition of the peptide E1(145-162) showed significant changes in the anisotropy values of the probe located at the air/water interface. These results indicate that the peptide E1(145-162) preferably interacts with the lipid surface without penetrating inside the bilayer. A series of fluorescence experiments based on tryptophan peptide fluorescence were modeled by means of multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) algorithm to further study the peptide interaction with bilayers at different temperatures. The preliminary results obtained with MCR-ALS showed how the peptide concentration decay is directly linked to the appearance of a new specie, which corresponds to the lipid-peptide binding. These results provide useful information for the design of synthetic immunopeptides that can be incorporated into a liposomal system with potential to promote a direct delivery of the membrane-incorporated immunogen to the immunocompetent cells, thus increasing the immuno response from the host.
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PMID:Fluorescence study of the dynamic interaction between E1(145-162) sequence of hepatitis GB virus C and liposomes. 1915 20

The equilibria of a new Schiff base derived from 3,6-bis((aminoethyl)thio)pyridazine were studied spectrophotometrically with the aid of factor-analytical methods. Hard modeling program was used for determination of the acidity constants of the Schiff base in dimethylformamide (DMF)/water mixture (30:70 v/v). In this method acidity constant equations act as hard models and the score vectors obtained by decomposing of absorbance data matrix will be linear combinations of equilibrium concentrations of species that exist in the absorption matrix. Two rank annihilation factor analysis (TRAFA) was used as a standard method to investigate the accuracy of the method. The tautomerization constant, K(t), of the Schiff base solution in various DMF/water mixtures has also been determined using spectral variations of the Schiff base solutions in various volume ratios of water with the aid of evolving factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate curve resolution alternative least squares (MCR-ALS) methods. In addition the intramolecular hydrogen bonding strength and its related thermodynamic parameters have been determined using MCR-ALS and spectral variation of the Schiff base solutions in different temperatures.
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PMID:Spectrophotometric determination of acidity and tautomeric constants and hydrogen bonding strength for a new Schiff base using hard modeling and multivariate curve resolution alternative least squares methods. 1918 17

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal disease. To support breathing of some patients with ALS in its severe condition, mechanical ventilation is indispensable. However, mechanical ventilation has been known to induce pneumothorax by the damage of lung cells in response to mechanical stretch. An ALS 50-year-old male on mechanical ventilation was referred to our department for left pneumothorax. After an unsuccessful drainage for a couple of weeks, he underwent a partial resection of the left lung. On 3rd postoperative day (POD) the left lung collapsed again. Moreover, on 6th POD, the right pneumothorax occurred. Regarding the right pneumothorax, drainage was effective with a continuous pressure of -10 cm H2O, and the chest tube was removed soon. An air leak from the left chest tube persisted, and the left lung expansion was not enough with its apex line around the clavicle. On 42nd POD, a drainage pressure was increased up to -15 cm H2O. Then an air leak disappeared, and the lung expansion was obtained. The adjustment of a chest tube drainage pressure seems to be important, especially when a pneumothorax patient on mechanical ventilation is treated.
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PMID:[Bilateral pneumothorax of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient under mechanical ventilation]. 1928 Sep 57

The structural integrity of the ubiquitous enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD1) relies critically on the correct coordination of Cu and Zn. Loss of these cofactors not only promotes SOD1 aggregation in vitro but also seems to be a key prerequisite for pathogenic misfolding in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We examine here the consequences of Zn(2+) loss by selectively removing the Zn site, which has been implicated as the main modulator of SOD1 stability and disease competence. After Zn-site removal, the remaining Cu ligands can coordinate a nonnative Zn(2+) ion with microM affinity in the denatured state, and then retain this ion throughout the folding reaction. Without the restriction of a metallated Zn site, however, the Cu ligands fail to correctly coordinate the nonnative Zn(2+) ion: Trapping of a water molecule causes H48 to change rotamer and swing outwards. The misligation is sterically incompatible with the native structure. As a consequence, SOD1 unfolds locally and interacts with neighboring molecules in the crystal lattice. The findings point to a critical role for the native Zn site in controlling SOD1 misfolding, and show that even subtle changes of the metal-loading sequence can render the wild-type protein the same structural properties as ALS-provoking mutations. This frustrated character of the SOD1 molecule seems to arise from a compromise between optimization of functional and structural features.
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PMID:Functional features cause misfolding of the ALS-provoking enzyme SOD1. 1949 78

The oxidation of the recently synthesized Schiff base 3,6-bis((2-aminoethyl-5-Br-salicyliden)thio)pyridazine (PABST) with hydrogen peroxide was investigated using spectrophotometric studies. The reaction rate order and observed rate constant of the oxidation reaction was obtained in the mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF):water (30:70, v/v) at pH 10 using multivariate cure resolution alternative least squares (MCR-ALS) method and rank annihilation factor analysis (RAFA). The effective parameters on the oxidation rate constant such as percents of DMF, the effect of transition metals like Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+) and Hg(2+) and the presence of surfactants were investigated. The keto-enol equilibria in DMF:water (30:70, v/v) solution at pH 7.6 was also investigated in the presence of surfactants. At concentrations above critical micelle concentration (cmc) of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the keto form was the predominant species, while at concentrations above cmc of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the enol form was the predominant species. The kinetic reaction order and the rate constant of tautomerization in micellar medium were obtained using MCR-ALS and RAFA. The results obtained by both the methods were in a good agreement with each other. Also the effect of different volume percents of DMF on the rate constant of tautomerization was investigated. The neutral surfactant (Triton X-100) had no effect on tautomerization equilibrium.
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PMID:Investigation of oxidation and tautomerization of a recently synthesized Schiff base in micellar media using multivariate curve resolution alternative least squares and rank annihilation factor analysis methods. 1959 4

Worldwide development of cyanobacterial blooms has significantly increased in marine and continental waters in the last century due to water eutrophication. This phenomenon is favoured by the ability of planktonic cyanobacteria to synthesize gas vesicles that allow them to float in the water column. Besides, benthic cyanobacteria that proliferate at the bottom of lakes, rivers and costal waters form dense mats near the shore. Cyanobacterial massive proliferation is of public concern regarding the capacity of certain cyanobacterial strains to produce hepatotoxic and neurotoxic compounds that can affect public health, human activities and wild and stock animals. The cholinergic synapses and voltage-gated sodium channels constitute the targets of choice of cyanobacterial neurotoxins. Anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a are agonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Anatoxin-a(s) is an irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. Saxitoxin, kalkitoxin and jamaicamide are blockers of voltage-gated sodium channels, whereas antillatoxin is an activator of such channels. Moreover the neurotoxic amino acid l-beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine was shown to be produced by diverse cyanobacterial taxa. Although controversial, increasing in vivo and in vitro evidence suggest a link between the ingestion of l-beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine and the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia complex, a neurodegenerative disease. This paper reviews the occurrence of cyanobacterial neurotoxins, their chemical properties, mode of action and biosynthetic pathways.
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PMID:Neurotoxic cyanobacterial toxins. 1966 Apr 86

Multivariate calibration coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography-fast scanning fluorescence spectroscopy (HPLC-FSFS) was employed for the analysis of 10 selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), six of which correspond to heavy PAHs. The goal of the present study was the successful resolution of a system even in the presence of real interferences. Second-order HPLC-FSFS data matrices were obtained in a short time with a chromatographic system operating in isocratic mode. The difficulties in aligning chromatographic bands in complex systems, such as the ones presented here, are discussed. Two second-order calibration algorithms which do not require chromatographic alignment were selected for data processing, namely, multivariate curve resolution-alternating least-squares (MCR-ALS) and parallel factor analysis 2 (PARAFAC2). These algorithms did also achieve the second-order advantage, and therefore they were able to overcome the problem of the presence of unexpected interferences. The study was employed for the discussion of the scopes of the applied second-order chemometric tools, demonstrating the superiority of MCR-ALS to successfully resolve this complex system. The quality of the proposed techniques was assessed on the basis of the analytical recoveries from different types of water and olive oil samples after solid-phase extraction. The studied concentration ranges in water samples were 5.6 x 10(-3)-0.20 ng mL(-1) for heavy PAHs and 0.036-0.80 ng mL(-1) for light PAHs, while in oil samples the PAHs concentrations were 0.13-9.6 and 2.3-49.5 ng mL(-1) for heavy and light PAHS, respectively. All real samples were analyzed in the presence of the studied interferences.
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PMID:Non-trilinear chromatographic time retention-fluorescence emission data coupled to chemometric algorithms for the simultaneous determination of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of interferences. 1974 73


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