A short review on cardiotonic steroids and their analogues is presented. The natural, semisynthetic and synthetic derivatives, as well as their mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships are shown, with a special reference to aminoguanidine derivatives.

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy with cupping of the optic disk, degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, and characteristic visual field loss. Because elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for progression of glaucoma, treatment has been based on lowering IOP. We previously demonstrated inducible nitric-oxide synthase (NOS-2) in the optic nerve heads from human glaucomatous e...

We investigated the effect of exogenously applied 3-deoxyglucosone, a major carbonyl intermediate, on the Maillard reaction. The fluorescence intensity of the product of the reaction of bovine serum albumin with 3-deoxyglucosone was higher than that with an equivalent amount of glucose. Similarly the rate of polymerization of lysozyme in the presence of 3-deoxyglucosone was also greater than wi...

background: cyclosporine a (csa) is an immunosuppressant with therapeutic indications in various immunological diseases; however, its use is associated with chronic nephropathy. oxidative stress has a crucial role in csa-induced nephrotoxicity. the present study evaluates the protective effect of edaravone on csa-induced chronic nephropathy and investigates its antioxidant and nitric oxide modu...

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of aminoguanidine (AG) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity. Treatment of mice with CCl4 (20 microl/kg, i.p.) resulted in damage to centrilobular regions of the liver, increase in serum aminotransferase and rise in lipid peroxides level 24 hours after CCl4 administration. Pretreatment of mice with AG (50 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 mi...

Nodaviruses are the etiological agents of one of the most serious viral diseases affecting marine fish aquaculture. Nodavirus infection produces an abnormal swimming behaviour and causes encephalopathy and retinopathy associated to important mortalities. The expression of TNF-alpha, IRF-1 and Mx was increased in turbot after nodavirus infection. A significant increase in the production of nitro...

3-Arylhydrazono-2,4-dioxo-4-phenylbutanoates have been prepared by the coupling of benzoylpyruvate with aryldiazonium chlorides. Reactions of the 3-arylhydrazono-2,4- dioxo-4-phenylbutanoates with 1-aminoguanidine, semicarbazide, and thiosemicarbazide gave 5-substituted 2-imino-6-azauracil (3a), 6-azauracil (3b), and 2-thio-6-azauracil (3c), respectively. The analytical data of these compounds ...

Here we report that free fatty acid-induced suppression of insulin output in prediabetic Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats is mediated by NO. When normal islets were cultured in 2 mM FFA, NO production and basal insulin secretion increased slightly. In cultured prediabetic ZDF islets, FFA induced a fourfold greater rise in NO, upregulated mRNA of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and reduc...

Many effects of polyamines (PAs) are well known in plant developmental processes; however, the significance their catabolism is not understood. Copper amine oxidase (CuAO) involved degradation diamine putrescine (Put). The genotype dependence and time-dependent this enzyme rarely examined, so study aims to discover role CuAO tomato genotypes different stages seedling development. Exogenously ap...