Recent open-label trials show that psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, hold promise as fast-onset antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression.
To test the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca, we ...conducted a parallel-arm, double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in 29 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Patients received a single dose of either ayahuasca or placebo. We assessed changes in depression severity with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating scale at baseline, and at 1 (D1), 2 (D2), and 7 (D7) days after dosing.
We observed significant antidepressant effects of ayahuasca when compared with placebo at all-time points. MADRS scores were significantly lower in the ayahuasca group compared with placebo at D1 and D2 (p = 0.04), and at D7 (p < 0.0001). Between-group effect sizes increased from D1 to D7 (D1: Cohen's d = 0.84; D2: Cohen's d = 0.84; D7: Cohen's d = 1.49). Response rates were high for both groups at D1 and D2, and significantly higher in the ayahuasca group at D7 (64% v. 27%; p = 0.04). Remission rate showed a trend toward significance at D7 (36% v. 7%, p = 0.054).
To our knowledge, this is the first controlled trial to test a psychedelic substance in treatment-resistant depression. Overall, this study brings new evidence supporting the safety and therapeutic value of ayahuasca, dosed within an appropriate setting, to help treat depression. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02914769).
Cellular mechanisms governing redox homeostasis likely involve their integration with other stresses. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress triggers complex adaptive or proapoptotic signaling defined as ...the unfolded protein response (UPR), involved in several pathophysiological processes. Since protein folding is highly redox-dependent, convergence between ER stress and oxidative stress has attracted interest. Evidence suggests that ROS production and oxidative stress are not only coincidental to ER stress, but are integral UPR components, being triggered by distinct types of ER stressors and contributing to support proapoptotic, as well as proadaptive UPR signaling. Thus, ROS generation can be upstream or downstream UPR targets and may display a UPR-specific plus a nonspecific component. Enzymatic mechanisms of ROS generation during UPR include: (a) Multiple thiol-disulfide exchanges involving ER oxidoreductases including flavooxidase Ero1 and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI); (b) Mitochondrial electron transport; (c) Nox4 NADPH oxidase complex, particularly Nox4. Understanding the roles of such mechanisms and how they interconnect with the UPR requires more investigation. Integration among such ROS sources may depend on Ca(2+) levels, ROS themselves, and PDI, which associates with NADPH oxidase and regulates its function. Oxidative stress may frequently integrate with a background of ER stress/UPR in several diseases; here we discuss a focus in the vascular system.
Mitochondria and NADPH oxidase activation are concomitantly involved in pathogenesis of many vascular diseases. However, possible cross-talk between those ROS-generating systems is unclear. We ...induced mild mitochondrial dysfunction due to mitochondrial DNA damage after 24 h incubation of rabbit aortic smooth muscle (VSMC) with 250 ng/mL ethidium bromide (EtBr). VSMC remained viable and had 29% less oxygen consumption, 16% greater baseline hydrogen peroxide, and unchanged glutathione levels. Serum-stimulated proliferation was unaltered at 24 h. Although PCR amplification of several mtDNA sequences was preserved, D-Loop mtDNA region showed distinct amplification of shorter products after EtBr. Such evidence for DNA damage was further enhanced after angiotensin-II (AngII) incubation. Remarkably, the normally observed increase in VSMC membrane fraction NADPH oxidase activity after AngII was completely abrogated after EtBr, together with failure to upregulate Nox1 mRNA expression. Conversely, basal Nox4 mRNA expression increased 1.6-fold, while being unresponsive to AngII. Similar loss in AngII redox response occurred after 24 h antimycin-A incubation. Enhanced Nox4 expression was unassociated with endoplasmic reticulum stress markers. Protein disulfide isomerase, an NADPH oxidase regulator, exhibited increased expression and inverted pattern of migration to membrane fraction after EtBr. These results unravel functionally relevant cross-talk between mitochondria and NADPH oxidase, which markedly affects redox responses to AngII.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease whose prognosis is associated with clinical features, cell-of-origin and genetic aberrations. Recent integrative, multi-omic analyses ...had led to identifying overlapping genetic DLBCL subtypes. We used targeted massive sequencing to analyze 84 diagnostic samples from a multicenter cohort of patients with DLBCL treated with rituximab-containing therapies and a median follow-up of 6 years. The most frequently mutated genes were IGLL5 (43%), KMT2D (33.3%), CREBBP (28.6%), PIM1 (26.2%), and CARD11 (22.6%). Mutations in CD79B were associated with a higher risk of relapse after treatment, whereas patients with mutations in CD79B, ETS1, and CD58 had a significantly shorter survival. Based on the new genetic DLBCL classifications, we tested and validated a simplified method to classify samples in five genetic subtypes analyzing the mutational status of 26 genes and BCL2 and BCL6 translocations. We propose a two-step genetic DLBCL classifier (2-S), integrating the most significant features from previous algorithms, to classify the samples as N1
, EZB
, MCD
, BN2
, and ST2
groups. We determined its sensitivity and specificity, compared with the other established algorithms, and evaluated its clinical impact. The results showed that ST2
is the group with the best clinical outcome and N1
, the more aggressive one. EZB
identified a subgroup with a worse prognosis among GCB-DLBLC cases.
Leukocyte NADPH oxidase activity is regulated by associated protein disulfide isomerase via redox mechanisms involving p47phox.
Mechanisms of leukocyte NADPH oxidase regulation remain actively ...investigated. We showed previously that vascular and macrophage oxidase complexes are regulated by the associated redox chaperone PDI. Here, we investigated the occurrence and possible underlying mechanisms of PDI‐mediated regulation of neutrophil NADPH oxidase. In a semirecombinant cell‐free system, PDI inhibitors scrRNase (100 μg/mL) or bacitracin (1 mM) near totally suppressed superoxide generation. Exogenously incubated, oxidized PDI increased (by ∼40%), whereas PDIred diminished (by ∼60%) superoxide generation. No change occurred after incubation with PDI serine‐mutated in all four redox cysteines. Moreover, a mimetic CxxC PDI inhibited superoxide production by ∼70%. Thus, oxidized PDI supports, whereas reduced PDI down‐regulates, intrinsic membrane NADPH oxidase complex activity. In whole neutrophils, immunoprecipitation and colocalization experiments demonstrated PDI association with membrane complex subunits and prominent thiol‐mediated interaction with p47phox in the cytosol fraction. Upon PMA stimulation, PDI was mobilized from azurophilic granules to cytosol but did not further accumulate in membranes, contrarily to p47phox. PDI‐p47phox association in cytosol increased concomitantly to opposite redox switches of both proteins; there was marked reductive shift of cytosol PDI and maintainance of predominantly oxidized PDI in the membrane. Pulldown assays further indicated predominant association between PDIred and p47phox in cytosol. Incubation of purified PDI (>80% reduced) and p47phox in vitro promoted their arachidonate‐dependent association. Such PDI behavior is consistent with a novel cytosolic regulatory loop for oxidase complex (re)cycling. Altogether, PDI seems to exhibit a supportive effect on NADPH oxidase activity by acting as a redox‐dependent enzyme complex organizer.
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•Sigma-1 antagonism enhances immune-driven opioid analgesia during inflammation.•Inhibition of sigma-1 receptors decreases neuroinflammation in the DRG.•Sigma-1 receptor antagonism ...inhibits neuroinflammation in the brain and spinal cord.•Sigma-1 antagonists may constitute a new class of analgesics.
Immune and glial cells play a pivotal role in chronic pain. Therefore, it is possible that the pharmacological modulation of neurotransmission from an exclusively neuronal perspective may not be enough for adequate pain management, and the modulation of complex interactions between neurons and other cell types might be needed for successful pain relief. In this article, we review the current scientific evidence for the modulatory effects of sigma-1 receptors on communication between the immune and nervous systems during inflammation, as well as the influence of this receptor on peripheral and central neuroinflammation. Several experimental models of pathological pain are considered, including peripheral and central neuropathic pain, osteoarthritic, and cancer pain. Sigma-1 receptor inhibition prevents peripheral (macrophage infiltration into the dorsal root ganglion) and central (activation of microglia and astrocytes) neuroinflammation in several pain models, and enhances immune-driven peripheral opioid analgesia during painful inflammation, maximizing the analgesic potential of peripheral immune cells. Therefore, sigma-1 antagonists may constitute a new class of analgesics with an unprecedented mechanism of action and potential utility in several painful disorders.
BACKGROUND: A large proportion of vineyards are located in regions with seasonal drought (e.g. Mediterranean-type climates) where soil and atmospheric water deficits, together with high temperatures, ...exert large constraints on yield and quality. The increasing demand for vineyard irrigation requires an improvement in the efficiency of water use. Deficit irrigation has emerged as a potential strategy to allow crops to withstand mild water stress with little or no decreases of yield, and potentially a positive impact on fruit quality. Understanding the physiological and molecular bases of grapevine responses to mild to moderate water deficits is fundamental to optimize deficit irrigation management and identify the most suitable varieties to those conditions. SCOPE: How the whole plant acclimatizes to water scarcity and how short- and long-distance chemical and hydraulic signals intervene are reviewed. Chemical compounds synthesized in drying roots are shown to act as long-distance signals inducing leaf stomatal closure and/or restricting leaf growth. This explains why some plants endure soil drying without significant changes in shoot water status. The control of plant water potential by stomatal aperture via feed-forward mechanisms is associated with 'isohydric' behaviour in contrast to 'anysohydric' behaviour in which lower plant water potentials are attained. This review discusses differences in this respect between grapevines varieties and experimental conditions. Mild water deficits also exert direct and/or indirect (via the light environment around grape clusters) effects on berry development and composition; a higher content of skin-based constituents (e.g. tannins and anthocyanins) has generally being reported. Regulation under water deficit of genes and proteins of the various metabolic pathways responsible for berry composition and therefore wine quality are reviewed.
Vascular Biology Laboratory, Heart Institute, InCor, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
Submitted 14 April 2006
; accepted in final form 9 September 2006
Dihydroethidium ...(DHE) is a widely used sensitive superoxide (O 2 ) probe. However, DHE oxidation yields at least two fluorescent products, 2-hydroxyethidium (EOH), known to be more specific for O 2 , and the less-specific product ethidium. We validated HPLC methods to allow quantification of DHE products in usual vascular experimental situations. Studies in vitro showed that xanthine/xanthine oxidase, and to a lesser degree peroxynitrite/carbon dioxide system led to EOH and ethidium formation. Peroxidase/H 2 O 2 but not H 2 O 2 alone yielded ethidium as the main product. In vascular smooth muscle cells incubated with ANG II (100 nM, 4 h), we showed a 60% increase in EOH/DHE ratio, prevented by PEG-SOD or SOD1 overexpression. We further validated a novel DHE-based NADPH oxidase assay in vascular smooth muscle cell membrane fractions, showing that EOH was uniquely increased after ANG II. This assay was also adapted to a fluorescence microplate reader, providing results in line with HPLC results. In injured artery slices, shown to exhibit increased DHE-derived fluorescence at microscopy, there was 1.5- to 2-fold increase in EOH/DHE and ethidium/DHE ratios after injury, and PEG-SOD inhibited only EOH formation. We found that the amount of ethidium product and EOH/ethidium ratios are influenced by factors such as cell density and ambient light. In addition, we indirectly disclosed potential roles of heme groups and peroxidase activity in ethidium generation. Thus HPLC analysis of DHE-derived oxidation products can improve assessment of O 2 production or NADPH oxidase activity in many vascular experimental studies.
hydroethidine; dihydroethidium; peroxidase; vascular smooth muscle cells; angioplasty
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: F. R. M. Laurindo, Vascular Biology Laboratory, Heart Institute (INCOR), Univ. of São Paulo School of Medicine, Av. Eneas Carvalho Aguiar, 44 CEP, 05403-000 São Paulo, Brazil (e-mail: expfrancisco{at}incor.usp.br )
Microbial lipase from
Burkholderia cepacia
was immobilized by covalent bond and physical adsorption on SBA-15 mesoporous support and its catalytic efficiency was measured in the formation of fatty ...acids ethyl esters from palm kernel oil. The immobilized biocatalyst and its support were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, N
2
Adsorption–desorption, and thermal analysis TG/DTG. The immobilization of the enzyme onto the support maintained the typical structure of the SBA-15. From the TG measurements, it can be deduced that about 25% of lipase was immobilized in SBA-15 via covalent bond and 15% was incorporated via physical adsorption. Both immobilized lipase preparations were used to perform the transesterification reactions using different oil: ethanol molar ratios and time. The biocatalyst prepared by physical adsorption promoted better results, measured by the apparent yield (> 90%) and conversion (98.9%) in all reactions, which were also confirmed by viscosity and density data. The regeneration of SBA-15 support was found to be feasible and demonstrated efficiency for 5 times, reducing the associated costs of the process.
Graphic Abstract
NAD(P)H oxidase, the main source of reactive oxygen species in vascular cells, is known to be regulated by redox processes and thiols. However, the nature of thiol-dependent regulation has not been ...established. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a dithiol/disulfide oxidoreductase chaperone of the thioredoxin superfamily involved in protein processing and translocation. We postulated that PDI regulates NAD(P)H oxidase activity of rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Western blotting confirmed robust PDI expression and shift to membrane fraction after incubation with angiotensin II (AII, 100 nm, 6 h). In VSMC membrane fraction, PDI antagonism with bacitracin, scrambled RNase, or neutralizing antibody led to 26-83% inhibition (p < 0.05) of oxidase activity. AII incubation led to significant increase in oxidase activity, accompanied by a 6-fold increase in PDI refolding isomerase activity. AII-induced NAD(P)H oxidase activation was inhibited by 57-71% with antisense oligonucleotide against PDI (PDIasODN). Dihydroethidium fluorescence showed decreased superoxide generation due to PDIasODN. Confocal microscopy showed co-localization between PDI and the oxidase subunits p22phox, Nox1, and Nox4. Co-immunoprecipitation assays supported spatial association between PDI and oxidase subunits p22phox, Nox1, and Nox4 in VSMCs. Moreover, in HEK293 cells transfected with green fluorescent protein constructs for Nox1, Nox2, and Nox4, each of these subunits co-immunoprecipitated with PDI. Akt phosphorylation, a known downstream pathway of AII-driven oxidase activation, was significantly reduced by PDIasODN. These results suggest that PDI closely associates with NAD(P)H oxidase and acts as a novel redox-sensitive regulatory protein of such enzyme complex, potentially affecting subunit traffic/assembling.
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