Neuroprotective activity

Buisson, A., Margaill, L, Callebert, J., Plotkine, M. and Boulu, R.G. (1993). Mechanism involved in the neuroprotective activity of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor during focal cerebral ischemia. J. Neurochem. 61, 690-696. 

It has been revealed that cannabinoids exhibit neuroprotectant activities in both in vitro and in vivo models [249]. The neuroprotective effects are mainly based on regulation of transmitter release, modulation of calcium homeostasis, anti-oxidant properties and modulation of immune responses. A number of neurological disorders, including brain trauma, cerebral ischaemia, Parkinson s disease and Alzheimer s disease represent possible therapeutic areas for cannabinoids with neuroprotective properties. Cannabinoids are also suggested to have potential against glaucoma due to their neuroprotective nature and lowering of intraocular pressure [250]. 

Erbayraktar, S., Grasso, G., Sfacteria, A. et al. (2003) Asialoerythropoietin is a nonerythropoietic cytokine with broad neuroprotective activity in vivo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100 (11), 6741-6746. 

At this time, however, we are not aware of any compounds selected primarily by their neuroprotection activity on rodent models that have established clinical efficacy for dementias or related neurodegenerative diseases. This may be partially explained by their priority development for stroke, and clinicians have found it is difficult or unlikely to slow the ischemia in patients if they are not treated aggressively within 3 h of the initial ischemic event. The speed of neurodegeneration in stroke (cerebral ischemia) makes it a much more difficult target for drug intervention than neurodegeneration from slower pathologies such as Alzheimer s, Parkinson s, and malfunctions in neurotransmitters. 

Fahrig T, Gerlach I, Horvath E, A synthetic derivative of the natural product rocaglaol is a potent inhibitor of cytokine-mediated signaling and shows neuroprotective activity in vitro and in animal models of Parkinson s disease and traumatic brain injury, Mol Pharmacology 67 1544—1555, 2005. 

Vajragupta O, Boonchoong P, Watanabe H, Tohda M, Kummasud N, Sumanont Y. 2003. Manganese complexes of curcumin and its derivatives Evaluation for the radical scavenging ability and neuroprotective activity. Free Radic Biol Med 35 1632-1644. 

Figure 18.1 Chemical structures of phenolic compounds with neuroprotective activity.

The mechanistic basis of the neuroprotective activity of FAEE appears to rely not only on its general free-radical trapping or antioxidant activity per se, but also on its activity in mediating the induction of stress response proteins (HO-1 and F1SP72), cytoprotective (phase 2) proteins, and the parallel suppression of genes induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). 

Rossler O. G., Bauer I., Chung H. Y., and Thiel G. (2004). Glutamate-induced cell death of immortalized murine hippocampal neurons neuroprotective activity of heme oxygenase-1, heat shock protein 70, and sodium selenite. Neurosci. Lett. 362 253-257. 

The affinity of polyphenols and various resveratrol analogs to compete for specific [3H]-resveratrol binding correlated very well (r = 0.74) with their neuroprotective activity against Ap25 35-induced toxicity in primary hippocampal cell cultures. This suggests that the neuroprotective effect exerted by these phenolic compounds could be mediated by a common mechanism involving specific polyphenol plasma membrane binding sites. 

Behl C, Manthey D. 2000. Neuroprotective activities of estrogen An update. J Neurocytol 29 351-358. 

Utility Calbindin D28Kd Neuroprotective Activators in the Treatment... 

The indolocarbazole alkaloids and the biosynthetically related bisindolylmaleiraides constitute an important class of natural products, which have been isolated from actinomycetes, cyanobacteria, slime molds, and marine invertebrates [1-3], They display a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, hypotensive, antitumor, and/or neuroprotective properties. The antitumor and neuroprotective activities of indolocarbazoles are the result of one, or several, of the following mechanisms (a) inhibition of different protein kinases, (b) inhibition of DNA topoisomerases, or (c) direct DNA intercalation [3-6], Hundreds of indolocarbazole derivatives have been produced by chemical synthesis or semisynthesis [1,2,6], and several of them have entered clinical trials for the treatment of diverse types of cancer, Parkinson s disease or diabetic retinopathy [3,7]. 

Reyrrolds RD, Banerjee R, Liu J, Gerrdelmarr HE, Mosley RL (2007) Neuroprotective activities of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in an animal model of Parkirrsorr s disease. J Leukoc Biol 82(5) 1083-1094. 

Christensen S, Geist MA, Pedersen LO, Cerami-Hand C, Wuerth JP Cerami A, Brines M (2003) Asialoerythropoietin is a nonery-thropoiectic cytokine with broad neuroprotective activity in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100 6741-6746. 

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