Article
Clinical Neurology
Aida Marcotti, Jorge Fernandez-Trillo, Alejandro Gonzalez, Marta Vizcaino-Escoto, Pablo Ros-Arlanzon, Luz Romero, Jose Miguel Vela, Ana Gomis, Felix Viana, Elvira de la Pena
Summary: The study reveals that sigma-1 receptor antagonists can regulate TRPA1 channels in nociceptors, reducing pain in a mouse model of oxaliplatin neuropathy. This finding suggests a novel strategy for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and offers insights for the development of new therapeutics for neuropathic pain.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yoki Nakamura, Ayako Fukuta, Keita Miyashita, Fang Fang Zhang, Dengli Wang, Keyue Liu, Hidenori Wake, Kazue Hisaoka-Nakashima, Masahiro Nishibori, Norimitsu Morioka
Summary: The study demonstrates that increased HMGB1 around the injured sciatic nerve may induce nociceptive hypersensitivity through the activation of spinal microglia.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisa L. Wilson, Shainnel O. Eans, Insitar Ramadan-Siraj, Maria N. Modica, Giuseppe Romeo, Sebastiano Intagliata, Jay P. McLaughlin
Summary: SI 1/28 is an effective treatment for acute inflammatory pain and chronic neuropathy, without adverse effects at therapeutic doses. This supports the development of S1R antagonists as therapeutics for chronic pain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gabriela Becker, Maria Fernanda Pessano Fialho, Indiara Brusco, Sara Marchesan Oliveira
Summary: Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy drug for solid tumors, but its effectiveness is limited by neurotoxic side effects such as peripheral neuropathy. This study investigates the role of kinin B-1 and B-2 receptors in cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in mice. The results suggest that targeting these receptors may be a potential strategy for treating the painful symptoms caused by cisplatin treatment.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Besma Benredjem, Graciela Pineyro
Summary: This study assessed the representative nature of THC and CBD content and ratio in cannabis extracts for their analgesic effects. The findings suggest that the analgesic responses and engagement of targets are composition-specific and cannot be inferred solely from THC and CBD contents.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ichiro Takasaki, Ai Watanabe, Takuya Okada, Daisuke Kanayama, Ryota Nagashima, Miyu Shudo, Ayaka Shimodaira, Kazuto Nunomura, Bangzhong Lin, Yurie Watanabe, Hiroaki Gouda, Atsuro Miyata, Takashi Kurihara, Naoki Toyooka
Summary: A series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives based on PA-8 were synthesized and evaluated, and compound 2o showed more potent antagonistic activities than PA-8. It could block PACAP-induced aversive behaviors and mechanical allodynia, and potentially become an analgesic for neuropathic pain treatment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hichem Bouchenaki, Aurore Danigo, Amandine Bernard, Flavien Bessaguet, Laurence Richard, Franck Sturtz, David Balayssac, Laurent Magy, Claire Demiot
Summary: The study evaluated the effect of the ACE inhibitor ramipril in a mouse model of oxaliplatin-induced acute pain syndrome, showing that ramipril can prevent cold sensitivity and improve tactile sensitivity in treated mice.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Neha Munawar, Joelle Nader, Najat H. Khadadah, Ashraf Al Madhoun, Waleed Al-Ali, Linu A. Varghese, Willias Masocha, Fahd Al-Mulla, Milad S. Bitar
Summary: This study found that alpha-2A adrenoceptors (alpha 2-AR) in the nervous system of streptozotocin diabetic rats are upregulated, and the upregulation is associated with increased pain sensitivity. Chronic administration of the selective alpha 2-AR agonist guanfacine can downregulate the upregulation of alpha 2-AR and relieve hyperalgesia and allodynia in diabetic animals. These findings suggest that guanfacine may have potential as a potent analgesic for diabetic neuropathic pain.
Article
Neurosciences
Sang-Min Jeon, Dennis Chang, Aleksander Geske, David D. Ginty, Michael J. Caterina
Summary: The study identified that Merkel cell-A beta afferent complexes partially contribute to mechanical allodynia produced by peripheral nerve injury, with this effect being sex-dependent in mice. This finding will help in understanding the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Myrna Deciga-Campos, Rodrigo Villafan-Gutierrez, Josue Vidal Espinosa-Juarez, Osmar Antonio Jaramillo-Morales, Francisco Javier Lopez-Munoz
Summary: The study found that specific combinations of gabapentin and haloperidol can synergistically reduce nerve injury-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia, demonstrating an antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effect.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nari Kim, Geehoon Chung, So-Ri Son, Jae Hyun Park, Young Hyun Lee, Keon-Tae Park, Ik-Hyun Cho, Dae Sik Jang, Sun Kwang Kim
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the suppressive effects of magnolin, an ERK inhibitor substance derived from Magnolia denudata seeds, on the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The results showed that magnolin administration exerted an analgesic effect on CIPN-induced cold allodynia and inhibited ERK phosphorylation in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). These results suggest that magnolin could be developed as an alternative treatment to suppress paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain symptoms.
Article
Anesthesiology
Erick J. Rodriguez-Palma, Yarim E. De la Luz-cuellar, Ana M. Islas-Espinoza, Adalberto E. Felix-Leyva, Stephanie Shiers, Guadalupe Garcia, Jorge E. Torres-Lopez, Rodolfo Delgado-Lezama, Janet Murbartian, Theodore J. Price, Vinicio Granados-Soto
Summary: The loss of GABAergic inhibition contributes to neuropathic pain. Activation of GABA(A) receptors can help reduce neuropathic pain. This study explores the role of the spinal a(6)-containing GABA(A) receptor in neuropathic pain and its potential as a treatment target. Results show that blocking or silencing the a(6)-containing GABA(A) receptor induces hypersensitivity and pain in female rats. The a(6) subunit is expressed in certain neurons and its expression is reduced after nerve injury. Positive allosteric modulators of the a(6)-containing GABA(A) receptor can alleviate allodynia and nociceptive behaviors in female rats. The a(6) subunit is also found in humans. These findings suggest that the spinal a(6)-containing GABA(A) receptor has a sex-specific antinociceptive role and may be a potential target for neuropathic pain treatment.
Article
Cell Biology
Huixing Wang, Xiaodong Huo, Chenyang Han, Jiang Ning, Hongguang Chen, Bo Li, Jingzhi Liu, Wenting Ma, Quanbo Li, Yonghao Yu, Kemei Shi
Summary: The study in rats indicated that ferroptosis is involved in the development of neuropathic pain by blocking neuron and astrocyte activation in the spinal dorsal horn.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Amirmohammad Toloui, Hamzah Adel Ramawad, Pantea Gharin, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Hamed Zarei, Mostafa Hosseini, Mahmoud Yousefifard, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of exercise in reducing neuropathic pain following traumatic spinal cord injuries. The results showed that exercise significantly improved mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, and cold allodynia. The study also found that voluntary, continuous training initiated in the subacute phase of mild spinal cord injury had a more prominent effect size.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Moses M. Kasembeli, Pooja Singhmar, Jiacheng Ma, Jules Edralin, Yongfu Tang, Clydell Adams, Cobi J. Heijnen, Annemieke Kavelaars, David J. Tweardy
Summary: TTI-101, a competitive inhibitor of STAT3, shows target engagement, no toxicity, and clinical benefit in patients with solid tumors. Unexpectedly, TTI-101 also suppresses neuropathic pain induced by chemotherapy, providing additional benefits beyond its direct anti-tumor effect.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Eleonora Spinozzi, Marta Ferrati, Cecilia Baldassarri, Loredana Cappellacci, Margherita Marmugi, Alice Caselli, Giovanni Benelli, Filippo Maggi, Riccardo Petrelli
Summary: This review examines the uses and current knowledge of Acmella oleracea as an insecticide and acaricide. It is found to be a potential candidate against key pest and vector species, but further research is needed on its toxicity towards non-target species and in formulating marketable products.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriele Minazzato, Elisa Marangoni, Carlo Fortunato, Riccardo Petrelli, Loredana Cappellacci, Fabio Del Bello, Leonardo Sorci, Massimiliano Gasparrini, Francesco Piacente, Santina Bruzzone, Nadia Raffaelli
Summary: Maintaining an adequate NAD(+) pool is crucial for cell survival, especially in tumor cells. Inhibition of NAD(+) biosynthesis through targeting enzymes such as NAMPT and NAPRT is considered a promising therapeutic strategy. A new continuous coupled fluorometric assay was developed to screen NAPRT inhibitors by measuring NADH formation. Several compounds were identified as NAPRT inhibitors and were shown to sensitize cancer cells to NAMPT inhibition, decreasing viability and intracellular NAD(+) levels.
Article
Plant Sciences
Eleonora Spinozzi, Marta Ferrati, Desiree Lo Giudice, Eugenio Felicioni, Riccardo Petrelli, Giovanni Benelli, Filippo Maggi, Marco Cespi
Summary: Recently, microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAH) has been used to extract essential oils (EO) from Carlina acaulis L. (Asteraceae) with increased yield and reduced extraction time and energy costs. The optimized MAH conditions showed higher efficiency in terms of EO yield (0.65%) and extraction time (210 min) compared to traditional hydrodistillation (HD) (0.49% yield and longer extraction time). This study highlights the potential of MAH for industrial-scale EO extraction in insecticidal and acaricidal formulations, offering improved yield and reduced resource consumption.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Cecilia Baldassarri, Gianfabio Giorgioni, Alessandro Piergentili, Wilma Quaglia, Stefano Fontana, Valerio Mammoli, Gabriele Minazzato, Elisa Marangoni, Massimiliano Gasparrini, Leonardo Sorci, Nadia Raffaelli, Loredana Cappellacci, Riccardo Petrelli, Fabio Del Bello
Summary: The inhibition of NAD biosynthesis is a potential therapeutic approach against cancer, while boosting NAD biosynthesis is relevant for neurodegeneration and metabolic diseases. Targeting NAMPT and NAPRT enzymes that regulate NAD biosynthesis has shown promise. In this study, new NAPRT modulators were identified as potential activators or inhibitors, with compound 18 showing good pharmacokinetic properties and behaving as an inhibitor towards NA and PRPP. Docking studies were performed to understand the structural basis, and a preliminary pharmacophore model shed light on the transition from inhibitors to activators.
Article
Plant Sciences
Eleonora Spinozzi, Marta Ferrati, Cecilia Baldassarri, Filippo Maggi, Roman Pavela, Giovanni Benelli, Cristina Aguzzi, Laura Zeppa, Loredana Cappellacci, Alessandro Palmieri, Riccardo Petrelli
Summary: Compoundsisolated from botanical sources, like carlina oxide, show great potential as bioinsecticides that can effectively target various arthropod vectors and agricultural pests while posing moderate toxicity to non-target species. In this study, the chemical synthesis of carlina oxide analogues was developed and their insecticidal activity, as well as cytotoxicity, were evaluated. The analogues showed comparable effectiveness to purified carlina oxide against houseflies and a significantly higher efficacy than carlina oxide on Culex quinquefasciatus, with a better safety profile on human keratinocyte cells. Overall, this study paves the way for the production of nature-inspired insecticides.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Giulia Bonacucina, Erifili P. Nika, Anna Skourti, Stavroula Kyriaki C. Georgakopoulou, Constantin S. Filintas, Anna Maria E. Panariti, Filippo Maggi, Riccardo Petrelli, Marta Ferrati, Eleonora Spinozzi, Diego Romano Perinelli, Angelo Canale, Giovanni Benelli
Summary: In this study, three essential oil-based nanoemulsions were evaluated for their insecticidal effectiveness against the major stored-product pest Sitophilus oryzae on barley, oats, and maize kernels. The nanoemulsion from Carlina acaulis achieved the highest mortality on barley, while the nanoemulsion from Mentha longifolia showed the lowest effectiveness on maize. The effectiveness of the nanoemulsions varied depending on the stored commodity.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Marta Ferrati, Eleonora Spinozzi, Cecilia Baldassarri, Filippo Maggi, Roman Pavela, Angelo Canale, Riccardo Petrelli, Loredana Cappellacci
Summary: In recent years, there has been a focus on developing essential oil-based biopesticides as alternatives to traditional chemical products in the agrochemical industries. The genus Mentha, which includes various species with diverse biological activities, has shown promise as a source of pesticidal agents. This study specifically investigated the insecticidal activity of the essential oil from a rare chemotype of Mentha aquatica, which demonstrated high efficacy against multiple insect species. These findings suggest the potential use of this plant or its major volatile compounds as novel ingredients in botanical insecticides and pesticides.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Sara Alvarez-Rodriguez, Eleonora Spinozzi, Adela M. Sanchez-Moreiras, David Lopez-Gonzalez, Marta Ferrati, Giorgio Lucchini, Filippo Maggi, Riccardo Petrelli, Fabrizio Araniti
Summary: In this study, the phytotoxic potential of essential oil (EO) extracted from Carlina acaulis L. roots was tested against the weed Bidens pilosa L. The EO showed strong toxic effects on the plant metabolism, causing leaf necrosis, reduction in water content and leaf area, and an increase in dry weight/fresh weight ratio. It also damaged the photosynthetic machinery and altered the concentration of certain metabolites, indicating a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. These findings suggest that C. acaulis EO has potential as a natural herbicide against weeds and requires further investigation.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Eugenia Mazzara, Eleonora Spinozzi, Filippo Maggi, Riccardo Petrelli, Dennis Fiorini, Serena Scortichini, Diego Romano Perinelli, Giulia Bonacucina, Renato Ricciardi, Roman Pavela, Giovanni Benelli
Summary: In this study, hemp essential oil was formulated into a nanoemulsion and showed high insecticidal efficacy against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. The formulation had limited toxicity on aquatic microcrustaceans. Therefore, this formulation has the potential to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable insecticide.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Concetta Schiano, Livio Luongo, Sabatino Maione, Claudio Napoli
Summary: Neurological diseases are a leading cause of acquired disability and death globally. The Mediator complex is a multiprotein complex that regulates the interaction between transcription factors and RNA Polymerase II in eukaryotes. Mutations in MED subunits have been associated with various genetic diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Aguzzi, Diego Romano Perinelli, Marco Cespi, Laura Zeppa, Eugenia Mazzara, Filippo Maggi, Riccardo Petrelli, Giulia Bonacucina, Massimo Nabissi
Summary: This study evaluated the toxicological effects of hemp essential oil (EO) and its nanoemulsion (NE) form on cell lines. The results showed that both EO and NE have comparable cytotoxicity and minimal impact on inflammation, supporting their safety for medical applications.
Letter
Chemistry, Medicinal
Serena Boccella, Consalvo Mattia, Michela Perrone, Andrea Maria Morace, Elif Karabacak, Francesca Guida, Sabatino Maione, Livio Luongo
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2023)