The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) has been implicated as a key retrograde mediator in the nervous system based on pharmacological studies using inhibitors of the 2-AG biosynthetic enzymes diacyglycerol lipase alpha and beta (DAGL-alpha/beta). Here, we show by competitive activity-based protein profiling that the DAGL-alpha/beta inhibitors, tetrahydrolipstatin (THL) and RHC80267,...

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a common complaint among aging men and are often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A number of medical treatments for LUTS/BPH exist, such as alpha-blockers, 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, anticholinergics, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, and combination therapies. Agonist binding of the alpha(1A)-adrenergic receptor (AR), causing pr...

A series of 3-acylaminocaprolactams are inhibitors of chemokine-induced chemotaxis. Branching of the side chain alpha-carbon provides highly potent inhibitors of a range of CC and CXC chemokines. The most potent compound has an ED(50) of 40 pM. Selected compounds were tested in an in vivo inflammatory assay, and the best compound reduces TNF-alpha levels with an ED(50) of 0.1 microg/kg when adm...

The ongoing progresses in the knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms of various inflammatory or immune-mediated diseases and the availability of innovative biotechnological approaches have lead to the development of new drugs which add to conventional treatments. TNF-alpha inhibitors (infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept) have demonstrated efficacy either as monotherapy or in combination with ...

These studies demonstrate relatively rapid association of plasmin with thrombospondin and the effects of this interaction on plasmin activity towards D-Val-L-Leu-L-Lys p-nitroanilide hydrochloride (S-2251) and the proteinase inhibitors alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). Binding of plasmin to thrombospondin reached an apparent reversible equilibrium within 3 mi...

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is central to the endometriotic disease process. TNF-alpha receptor signaling regulates epithelial cell secretion of inflammation and invasion mediators. Because epithelial cells are a disease-inducing component of the endometriotic lesion, we explored the response of 12Z immortalized human epithelial endometriotic cells to TNF-alpha. This report reveals the im...

Hydroxylations of pregnenolone (PREG) at the 7 alpha- and 7 beta-positions have been reported in numerous murine tissues and organs and responsible cytochrome P450 (CYP) species await identification. Using thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we report identification of 7 alpha-hydroxy-PREG and 7 beta-hydroxy-PREG metabolites produced in mouse brain microsome dige...

HIV/AIDS patients are probably more predisposed to vitamin E deficiency, considering that they are more exposed to oxidative stress. Additionally, there are an extensive number of drugs in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens that may interfere with vitamin E concentrations. The objective of this study was to compare serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in 182 HIV/AIDS ...