Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Neuropeptides are the most abundant chemical messengers in the brain and their major role seems to be the modulation of amine and amino acid neurotransmission. This appears to be achieved at many sites by the co-release of peptide with the primary transmitter. The presynaptic biochemistry and physiology of neuropeptides ensure that neuromodulation is highly plastic with almost infinite adaptive potential. The recent development of novel drugs (termed peptoids) that mimic or block neuropeptide function have opened up new clinical approaches to a number of conditions. Thus high efficacy kappa opioid-receptor agonists such as CI-977 (enadoline) have potential for the treatment of pain and stroke whilst the development of highly selective and bioavailable cholecystokinin B (CCK-B) antagonists such as CI-988 ([R-(R*,R*)]-4-[[2-[[3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-ox6-2- [[tricyclo[3.3.1.1.3.1]dec-2-yloxy)carbonyl]amino]propyl]ami no]-1-phenethyl]amino-4-oxobutanoic acid) have offered new insights into the mechanisms underlying and the treatment of anxiety disorders and drug abuse. In general it appears that peptoids may offer a greater selectivity of drug action when compared to amino acid/amine based compounds. Peptoid antagonists appear to be relatively free of side effects possibly because neuropeptide systems are only activated under very selective conditions. Peptoid agonists on the other hand can exert extremely powerful actions on brain function and this may be related to the key position neuropeptide receptors occupy in the hierarchy of chemical communication in the brain.
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PMID:Neuropeptides. Function and clinical applications. 131 55

The involvement of mu-calpain in neurological disorders, such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease has attracted considerable interest in the use of calpain inhibitors as therapeutic agents. 4-Aryl-4-oxobutanoic acid amide derivatives 4 were designed as acyclic variants of mu-calpain inhibitory chromone and quinolinone derivatives. Of the compounds synthesized, 4c-2, which possesses a 2-methoxymethoxy group at the phenyl ring and a primary amide at the warhead region most potently inhibited mu-calpain (IC(50)=0.34 microM). Our findings suggest that the 4-aryl-4-oxobutanoic acid amide derivatives should be considered as a new family of mu-calpain inhibitors.
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PMID:Design and synthesis of 4-aryl-4-oxobutanoic acid amides as calpain inhibitors. 1904 Dec 42

Mitochondria are key organelles implicated in a variety of processes related to energy and free radical generation, the regulation of apoptosis, and various signaling pathways. Mitochondrial dysfunction increases cellular oxidative stress and depletes ATP in a variety of inherited mitochondrial diseases and also in many other metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondrial diseases are characterized by the dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, caused by mutations in the genes encoded by either nuclear DNA or mitochondrial DNA. We have hypothesized that chemicals that increase the cellular ATP levels may ameliorate the mitochondrial dysfunction seen in mitochondrial diseases. To search for the potential drugs for mitochondrial diseases, we screened an in-house chemical library of indole-3-acetic-acid analogs by measuring the cellular ATP levels in Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. We have thus identified mitochonic acid 5 (MA-5), 4-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid, as a potential drug for enhancing ATP production. MA-5 is a newly synthesized derivative of the plant hormone, indole-3-acetic acid. Importantly, MA-5 improved the survival of fibroblasts established from patients with mitochondrial diseases under the stress-induced condition, including Leigh syndrome, MELAS (myopathy encephalopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes), Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, and Kearns-Sayre syndrome. The improved survival was associated with the increased cellular ATP levels. Moreover, MA-5 increased the survival of mitochondrial disease fibroblasts even under the inhibition of the oxidative phosphorylation or the electron transport chain. These data suggest that MA-5 could be a therapeutic drug for mitochondrial diseases that exerts its effect in a manner different from anti-oxidant therapy.
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PMID:Mitochonic Acid 5 (MA-5), a Derivative of the Plant Hormone Indole-3-Acetic Acid, Improves Survival of Fibroblasts from Patients with Mitochondrial Diseases. 2611 51