Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid derivatives on sleep disorders in neuroses

Electropolygraphic studies showed that under gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) derivatives various neurotic patients with sleep disorders had a tendency towards an increase in total sleep duration due to an accretion of basic sleep stages (the 2nd stage, delta-sleep, and rapid sleep), a statistically significant reduction in the number of spontaneous wake-ups, time of awakedness during night and the movements activation index. A detailed analysis of some electrographic data within the sleep stages revealed a tendency towards an increase in number of the 2nd stage sleep spindles, of delta-index in the 3rd and 4th sleep stages, as well as an increase in the average readings of rapid eye movements in the absence of any marked changes in their specific occurrence per time unit. GABA derivatives in the used dosage caused similar changes in the sleep patterns in case of its disturbances, with a relatively more pronounced action of sodium oxybutyrate.     

New derivatives of picolinic acid and nicotinic acid with anticonvulsant activity

Previously obtained Pic-BZA is a potent anticonvulsant with low neurotoxicity, but its half-time of action is only about 15 min. In search for equally effective anticonvulsants but with a longer time of action fourteen Pic-BZA analogs were obtained. The compounds were evaluated in the Anticonvulsant Screening Project (ASP) of Antiepileptic Drug Development Program (ADDP) of NIH. Picolinic acid 2-fluorobenzylamide (Pic-2-F-BZA, 7) appeared to be the most effective compound of the series.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel hydrogen sulfide releasing nicotinic acid derivatives

Twelve novel hybrids of slowly releasing hydrogen sulfide donor ADT-OH combined with nicotinic acid were synthesized. All of their structures had been confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and MS spectra. The target compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects on hippocampal neuron HT22 cells against glutamate-induced injury at the concentrations of 1–100 μM with MTT assay, and their toxicity on HT22 cells untreated by glutamine at the concentration of 100 μM. The active compound was further investigated for its effect on ischemic infarct volume by intraperitoneal injection at 3 h after ischemia in mice models of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). The results showed that all the compounds significantly protected HT22 cells from glutamate-induced damage at most of the experimental concentrations, and had no or little neurotoxicity on normal HT22 cells at the high concentration. More importantly, compound A6 significantly reduced infarct volume in the pMCAO model. These results suggested that compound A6 may be promising for further evaluation for the intervention of cerebral ischemic injury.     

Inhibition of activity of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase from chicken liver by nicotinic acid and its derivatives]

Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide inhibit in vitro the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity of partially purified enzyme from chicken liver. The incorporation of 10, 20, 50 and 100 mkmoles of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide into the incubation medium (0,9 ml) leads to the inhibition of the enzyme activity by 19, 45, 70 and 100% and by 39, 51, 60 and 78%, respectively. NADH+ and NADP+ at concentrations by one order of magnitude lower than those of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide decrease the enzyme activity in a similar manner. The constants of inhibition by the above-mentioned compounds were calculated with respect to ATP, acetyl-CoA and citrate.     

Structure-activity relationships of trans-substituted-propenoic acid derivatives on the nicotinic acid receptor HCA2 (GPR109A)

Nicotinic acid (niacin) has been used for decades as an antidyslipidemic drug in man. Its main target is the hydroxy-carboxylic acid receptor HCA2 (GPR109A), a G protein-coupled receptor. Other acids and esters such as methyl fumarate also interact with the receptor, which constituted the basis for the current study. We synthesized a novel series of substituted propenoic acids, such as fumaric acid esters, fumaric acid amides and cinnamic acid derivatives, and determined their affinities for the HCA2 receptor. We observed a rather restricted binding pocket on the receptor with trans-cinnamic acid being the largest planar ligand in our series with appreciable affinity for the receptor. Molecular modeling and analysis of the structure-activity relationships in the series suggest a planar trans-propenoic acid pharmacophore with a maximum length of 8 Å and out-of-plane orientation of the larger substituents.     

Mechanisms of hepatoprotective action of new nicotinic acid derivatives in experimental CCL4-induced liver injury]

New biologically active compounds (BAC) created on the basis of nicotinic acid possess hepatoprotective action. The preparations were introduced preventively in doses of 10 mg/kg during 14 days. Litonit and nicogamol increased survival of experimental animals by 36.8% and nicotinic acid by 26.8%. ALT, AST, GGT activity in the blood serum was reduced. The activity of the main antioxidant enzymes (SOD and catalase) grew in the rat liver tissue in parallel with inhibition of DK and MDA activity. Morphological picture of the rat liver, most evident after application of litonit improved. Hepatoprotective action of these BAC are attributed to their membrano stabilizing effects.     

In vivo and in vitro assessment of brain bioenergetics in aging rats

Brain energy disorders can be present in aged men and animals. To this respect, the mitochondrial and free radical theory of aging postulates that age‐associated brain energy disorders are caused by an imbalance between pro‐ and anti‐oxidants that can result in oxidative stress. Our study was designed to investigate brain energy metabolism and the activity of endogenous antioxidants during their lifespan in male Wistar rats. In vivo brain bioenergetics were measured using ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and in vitro by polarographic analysis of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. When compared to the young controls, a significant decrease of age‐dependent mitochondrial respiration and adenosine‐3‐phosphate (ATP) production measured in vitro correlated with significant reduction of forward creatine kinase reaction (kfor) and with an increase in phosphocreatine (PCr)/ATP, PCr/Pi and PME/ATP ratio measured in vivo. The levels of enzymatic antioxidants catalase, GPx and GST significantly decreased in the brain tissue as well as in the peripheral blood of aged rats. We suppose that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative inactivation of endogenous enzymes may participate in age‐related disorders of brain energy metabolism.     

Elevation of cellular NAD levels by nicotinic acid and involvement of nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase in human cells

NAD plays critical roles in various biological processes through the function of SIRT1. Although classical studies in mammals showed that nicotinic acid (NA) is a better precursor than nicotinamide (Nam) in elevating tissue NAD levels, molecular details of NAD synthesis from NA remain largely unknown. We here identified NA phosphoribosyltransferase (NAPRT) in humans and provided direct evidence of tight link between NAPRT and the increase in cellular NAD levels. The enzyme was abundantly expressed in the small intestine, liver, and kidney in mice and mediated [(14)C]NAD synthesis from [(14)C]NA in human cells. In cells expressing endogenous NAPRT, the addition of NA but not Nam almost doubled cellular NAD contents and decreased cytotoxicity by H(2)O(2). Both effects were reversed by knockdown of NAPRT expression. These results indicate that NAPRT is essential for NA to increase cellular NAD levels and, thus, to prevent oxidative stress of the cells. Kinetic analyses revealed that NAPRT, but not Nam phosphoribosyltransferase (NamPRT, also known as pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor or visfatin), is insensitive to the physiological concentration of NAD. Together, we conclude that NA elevates cellular NAD levels through NAPRT function and, thus, protects the cells against stress, partly due to lack of feedback inhibition of NAPRT but not NamPRT by NAD. The ability of NA to increase cellular NAD contents may account for some of the clinically observed effects of the vitamin and further implies a novel application of the vitamin to treat diseases such as those associated with the depletion of cellular NAD pools.