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ABSTRACT: In recent years, different approaches have been used to investigate changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) with the aim to identify protein markers with potential diagnostic or prognostic value. Because of the lack of standardization of current proteomic techniques, contrasting results were achieved until now in different laboratories. In this study, we compare CSF proteome of 10 relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients, 11 patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), and 10 control subjects without neurological or systemic diseases.
The differential expression of CSF proteins amongst these cohorts of patients was investigated by using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.
We found an overexpression of IgG free kappa light chain protein in both CIS and RR-MS patients, compared with control subjects and an increased expression of an apolipoprotein E isoform in RR-MS patients, compared with CIS and control groups. Our results confirm the presence of CSF proteome changes in MS patients. Future research should be aimed to investigate the role of these candidate CSF markers in larger cohorts of CIS and MS patients.
European Journal of Neurology 09/2008; 15(9):998-1001. · 3.69 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Some synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipid analogs have been described as a new class of immunopotentiating and antitumor agents. Among them, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine has been reported to possess the highest antitumor activity. A new method for the synthesis of this compound and of the ethanolamine- and serine-containing analog is reported. 1-Alkyl-2-methyl-rac-glycerol, prepared from 1,2-isopropylidene-glycerol, is phosphorylated and the intermediate is condensed either with N-t-BOC-protected ethanolamine or with N-t-BOC-protected serine benzhydryl ester. The choline-derivative is obtained by methylation with CH3I of the ethanolamine derivative. The same synthetic sequence has been used also for synthesizing compounds unsaturated at the fatty alkyl chain in position 1 of the glycerol moiety. Preliminary observation are reported on the selective cytolytic action of the compounds on a tumor cell line.
Il Farmaco 06/1990; 45(5):499-509.
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ABSTRACT: Among heat shock proteins, mortalin has been linked to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In the present work a rat model of Parkinson's disease was used to analyze the expression of striatal proteins and, more specifically, mortalin expression. The possible involvement of mortalin in Parkinson's disease pathogenesis was further investigated by utilizing an electrophysiological approach and pharmacological inhibition of mortalin in both the physiological and the parkinsonian states. Proteomic analysis was used to investigate changes in striatal protein expression in the 6-hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease. The electrophysiological effects of MKT-077, a rhodamine-123 analogue acting as an inhibitor of mortalin, were measured by field potential recordings from corticostriatal brain slices obtained from control, sham-operated, and 6-hydroxydopamine-denervated animals. Slices in the presence of rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, were also analyzed. Proteomic analysis revealed downregulation of mortalin in the striata of 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats in comparison with sham-operated animals. MKT-077 reduced corticostriatal field potential amplitude in physiological conditions, inducing membrane depolarization and inward current in striatal medium spiny neurons. In addition, we observed that concentrations of MKT-077 not inducing any electrophysiological effect in physiological conditions caused significant changes in striatal slices from parkinsonian animals as well as in slices treated with a submaximal concentration of rotenone. These findings suggest a critical link between mortalin function and mitochondrial activity in both physiological and pathological conditions mimicking Parkinson's disease.
Mov Disord. 26(9):1639-47.
