Glyphosate-containing herbicides are among the most widely-used in the world. Although glyphosate itself is relatively non-toxic, growing evidence suggests that commercial herbicide formulations may lead to increased oxidative stress and…
In the injured brain, the behavior of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) is regulated by multiple converging factors encountered in the niche, which is composed of several neural and non-neural cell types. Signals emanating from the host influence…
Metal homeostasis is increasingly being evaluated as a therapeutic target in stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Metal dysregulation has been shown to lead to protein aggregation, plaque formation and neuronal death. In 2007, we first reported…
Inadequacies of the current pharmacotherapies to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) have prompted efforts to identify novel drug targets. The adenosine A(2A) receptor is one such target. Antagonists of this receptor (A(2A) antagonists) are considered…
In Experiment I, castrated male and female CD-1 mice +/- estradiol benzoate (EB) treatment were tested for their performance on a skilled sensorimotor task consisting of walking across beams of varying widths (6, 9, 12, and 21 mm). To evaluate…
Objective: Frame-based stereotaxy has regularly been utilized for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. More recently, frameless neuronavigation has revealed similar outcomes for functional neurosurgical operations. Such comparable outcomes have been…
An antibody to cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, purified from rat liver, has been used for the immunohistochemical localization of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase-like immunoreactivity in the rat central nervous system. The distribution of this…
Depletion of dopamine (DA) reduces D, receptor number, but D-3 receptor expression is also regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We took advantage of transgenic heterozygous BDNF mutant mice (+/-) to determine if reduced BDNF and…
The widely employed antidiabetic drug pioglitazone (Actos) is shown to be a specific and reversible inhibitor of human monoamine oxidase B (MAO B). The crystal structure of the enzyme-inhibitor complex shows that the R-enantiomer is bound with the…
The multiple disease etiologies that lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, schizophrenia, depressive illness and stroke, offer significant challenges to…
We investigated the hypothesis that neural stem cells (NSCs) possess an intrinsic capacity to "rescue" dysfunctional neurons in the brains of aged mice. The study focused on a neuronal cell type with stereotypical projections that is commonly…
The sex difference in Parkinson's disease, with a higher susceptibility in men, suggests a modulatory effect of sex steroids in the brain. Numerous studies highlight that sex steroids have neuroprotective properties against various brain injuries.…
Pesticides are unique environmental contaminants that are specifically introduced into the environment to control pests, often by killing them. Although pesticide application serves many important purposes, including protection against crop loss and…
Development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders have, amongst other potential causes, been attributed to a disruption of iron regulatory mechanisms and iron accumulation. Excess extracellular iron may enter cells via nontraditional routes…
Polycyclic cage scaffolds have been successfully used in the development of numerous lead compounds demonstrating activity in the central nervous system (CNS). Several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease,…
Cytochrome P450s are enzymes involved in the oxidative metabolism of numerous endogenous and exogenous molecules. The enzyme cytochrome debrisoquine/sparteine-type monoxygenase is a specific form of cytochrome P450 and is found in the liver and the…
The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen and estradiol were shown to protect nigrostriatal dopamine concentration loss by methamphetamine in female mice whereas male mice were protected only by tamoxifen. The present study examined the…
Mancozeb (MZ), an organic-metal fungicide used predominantly on vegetables and fruits, has been linked to neurodegeneration and behavioral disruptions in a variety of organisms, including humans. Both gamma-aminobutyric acid and dopamine neurons…