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9-Methyl-β-carboline
9-Methyl-β-carboline (9-Me-BC) is a heterocyclic amine of the β-carboline family, and a research chemical sometimes used as a nootropic. It is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, primarily of MAO-A. In mice studies, it has been found to stimulate the growth of dopaminergic neurons and increase gene expression of several neurotrophic factors in both dopamine-depleted and normal brain cultures. It has been proposed for further investigation in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Chemistry 9-Me-BC is a methylated derivative of β-carboline with the molecular formula C12H10N2. It may be prepared by performing the Eschweiler–Clarke reaction on freebase β-carboline (norharmane) Biological effects ''In vitro'' studies with dopaminergic neuron cell cultures demonstrated increased expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and associated transcription factors, increased neurite outgrowth, regeneration of neurons after chronic rotenone administration, and reduced expression of inflam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Substituted β-carboline
A substituted β-carboline is a chemical compound featuring a β-carboline moiety (chemistry), moiety with one or more chemical substituent, substitutions. β-Carbolines include more than one hundred alkaloids and synthetic compounds. The effects of these substances depend on their respective substituent. Natural β-carbolines primarily influence brain functions but can also exhibit antioxidant effects. Synthetically designed β-carboline Derivative (chemistry), derivatives have recently been shown to have Neuroprotection, neuroprotective, Neuroenhancement, cognitive enhancing and anti-cancer properties. β-Carbolines are indole alkaloids featuring a fused pyridine and indole ring structure similar to tryptamine, forming a three-ringed system with variable saturation in the third ring. β-Carboline alkaloids naturally occur widely in prokaryotes, plants, animals, certain marine tunicates, and foods like coffee and smoked meats, and are also responsible for the fluorescence of sco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heterocyclic Amine
Heterocyclic amines, also sometimes referred to as HCAs, are chemical compounds containing at least one heterocyclic ring, which by definition has atoms of at least two different elements, as well as at least one amine (nitrogen-containing) group. Typically it is a nitrogen atom of an amine group that also makes the ring heterocyclic (e.g., pyridine), though compounds exist in which this is not the case (e.g., the drug zileuton). The biological functions of heterocyclic amines vary, including vitamins and carcinogens. Carcinogenic heterocyclic amines are created by high temperature cooking of meat and smoking of plant matter like tobacco. Some well known heterocyclic amines are niacin (vitamin B3), nicotine (psychoactive alkaloid and recreational drug), and the nucleobases that encode genetic information in DNA. Five-membered heterocyclic amines The compound pyrrolidine is composed of molecules that contain a saturated ring of five atoms. This cyclic structure is composed of o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astrocyte
Astrocytes (from Ancient Greek , , "star" and , , "cavity", "cell"), also known collectively as astroglia, are characteristic star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. They perform many functions, including biochemical control of endothelial cells that form the blood–brain barrier, provision of nutrients to the nervous tissue, maintenance of extracellular ion balance, regulation of cerebral blood flow, and a role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following infection and traumatic injuries. The proportion of astrocytes in the brain is not well defined; depending on the counting technique used, studies have found that the astrocyte proportion varies by region and ranges from 20% to around 40% of all glia. Another study reports that astrocytes are the most numerous cell type in the brain. Astrocytes are the major source of cholesterol in the central nervous system. Apolipoprotein E transports cholesterol from astrocytes to neurons and ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dopamine Transporter
The dopamine transporter (DAT, also sodium-dependent dopamine transporter) is a membrane-spanning protein coded for in humans by the ''SLC6A3'' gene (also known as ''DAT1''), that pumps the neurotransmitter dopamine out of the synaptic cleft back into cytosol. In the cytosol, other transporters sequester the dopamine into Vesicle (biology and chemistry), vesicles for storage and later release. Dopamine reuptake via DAT provides the primary mechanism through which dopamine is cleared from synapses, although there may be an exception in the prefrontal cortex, where evidence points to a possibly larger role of the norepinephrine transporter. DAT is implicated in a number of dopamine-related disorders, including ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. The gene that encodes the DAT protein is located on chromosome 5, consists of 15 coding exons, and is roughly 64 base pair#Length measuremen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sulpiride
Sulpiride, sold under the brand name Dogmatil among others, is an atypical antipsychotic (although some texts have referred to it as a typical antipsychotic) medication of the benzamide class which is used mainly in the treatment of psychosis associated with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, and is sometimes used in low dosage to treat anxiety and dysthymia. The drug is chemically and clinically similar to amisulpride. Levosulpiride is its purified levo-isomer and is sold in some countries for similar purposes. Sulpiride is commonly used in Asia, Central America, Europe, South Africa and South America. It is not approved in the United States, Canada, or Australia. Medical uses Schizophrenia Sulpiride's primary use in medicine is in the management of the symptoms of schizophrenia. It has been used as both a monotherapy and adjunctive therapy (in case of treatment-resistance) in schizophrenia. Depression and anxiety It has also been used in the treatment of dy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neurotoxin
Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nervous tissue, nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insult (medical), insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature nervous tissue.Olney 2002 The term can also be used to classify endogenous compounds, which, when abnormally contacted, can prove neurologically toxic. Though neurotoxins are often neurologically destructive, their ability to specifically target neural components is important in the study of nervous systems. Common examples of neurotoxins include lead, ethanol (drinking alcohol), glutamate,Choi 1987 nitric oxide, botulinum toxin (e.g. Botox), tetanus toxin,Simpson 1986 and tetrodotoxin. Some substances such as nitric oxide and glutamate are in fact essential for proper function of the body and only exert neurotoxic effects at excessive concentrations. Neurotoxins inhibit neuron control over ion concentrations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MPP+
MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) is a positively charged organic molecule with the chemical formula C12H12N+. It is a monoaminergic neurotoxin that acts by interfering with oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria by inhibiting complex I, leading to the depletion of ATP and eventual cell death. MPP+ arises in the body as the toxic metabolite of the closely related compound MPTP. MPTP is converted in the brain into MPP+ by the enzyme MAO-B, ultimately causing parkinsonism in primates by killing certain dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. The ability for MPP+ to induce Parkinson's disease has made it an important compound in Parkinson's research since this property was discovered in 1983. The chloride salt of MPP+ found use in the 1970s as an herbicide under the trade name cyperquat. Though no longer in use as an herbicide, cyperquat's closely related structural analog paraquat still finds widespread usage, raising some safety concerns. History MPP+ has bee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MPTP
MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) is an organic compound. It is classified as a tetrahydropyridine. It is of interest as a precursor to the monoaminergic neurotoxin MPP+, which causes permanent symptoms of Parkinson's disease by destroying dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. It has been used to study disease models in various animals. While MPTP itself has no psychoactive effects, the compound may be accidentally produced during the manufacture of MPPP, a synthetic opioid drug with effects similar to those of morphine and pethidine (meperidine). The Parkinson-inducing effects of MPTP were first discovered following accidental injection as a result of contaminated MPPP. Toxicity Injection of MPTP causes rapid onset of Parkinsonism, hence users of MPPP contaminated with MPTP will develop these symptoms. MPTP itself is not toxic, but it is a lipophilic compound and can therefore cross the blood–brain barrier. Once inside the brai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prodrug
A prodrug is a pharmacologically inactive medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted (ADME). Prodrugs are often designed to improve bioavailability when a drug itself is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. A prodrug may be used to improve how selectively the drug interacts with cells or processes that are not its intended target. This reduces adverse or unintended effects of a drug, especially important in treatments like chemotherapy, which can have severe unintended and undesirable side effects. History Many herbal extracts historically used in medicine contain glycosides (sugar derivatives) of the active agent, which are hydrolyzed in the intestines to release the active and more bioavailable aglycone. For example, sal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cellular Differentiation
Cellular differentiation is the process in which a stem cell changes from one type to a differentiated one. Usually, the cell changes to a more specialized type. Differentiation happens multiple times during the development of a multicellular organism as it changes from a simple zygote to a complex system of tissues and cell types. Differentiation continues in adulthood as adult stem cells divide and create fully differentiated daughter cells during tissue repair and during normal cell turnover. Some differentiation occurs in response to antigen exposure. Differentiation dramatically changes a cell's size, shape, membrane potential, metabolic activity, and responsiveness to signals. These changes are largely due to highly controlled modifications in gene expression and are the study of epigenetics. With a few exceptions, cellular differentiation almost never involves a change in the DNA sequence itself. Metabolic composition, however, gets dramatically altered where st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesencephalic
The midbrain or mesencephalon is the uppermost portion of the brainstem connecting the diencephalon and cerebrum with the pons. It consists of the cerebral peduncles, tegmentum, and tectum. It is functionally associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation.Breedlove, Watson, & Rosenzweig. Biological Psychology, 6th Edition, 2010, pp. 45-46 The name ''mesencephalon'' comes from the Greek ''mesos'', "middle", and ''enkephalos'', "brain". Structure The midbrain is the shortest segment of the brainstem, measuring less than 2cm in length. It is situated mostly in the posterior cranial fossa, with its superior part extending above the tentorial notch. The principal regions of the midbrain are the tectum, the cerebral aqueduct, tegmentum, and the cerebral peduncles. Rostrally the midbrain adjoins the diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, etc.), while caudally it adjoins the hindbrain (pons, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
