Morphine causes persistent induction of nitrated neurofilaments in cortex and subcortex even during abstinence

Endogenous Opiates and Behavior: 2016

This paper is the thirty-ninth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2016 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia, stress and social status, tolerance and dependence, learning and memory, eating and drinking, drug abuse and alcohol, sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology, mental illness and mood, seizures and neurologic disorders, electrical-related activity and neurophysiology, general activity and locomotion, gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions, cardiovascular responses, respiration and thermoregulation, and immunological responses.

Specialized roles of neurofilament proteins in synapses: Relevance to neuropsychiatric disorders

Neurofilaments are uniquely complex among classes of intermediate filaments in being composed of four subunits (NFL, NFM, NFH and alpha-internexin in the CNS) that differ in structure, regulation, and function. Although neurofilaments have been traditionally viewed as axonal structural components, recent evidence has revealed that distinctive assemblies of neurofilament subunits are integral components of synapses, especially at postsynaptic sites. Within the synaptic compartment, the individual subunits differentially modulate neurotransmission and behavior through interactions with specific neurotransmitter receptors. These newly uncovered functions suggest that alterations of neurofilament proteins not only underlie axonopathy in various neurological disorders but also may play vital roles in cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we review evidence that synaptic neurofilament proteins are a sizable population in the CNS and we advance the concept that changes in the levels or post-translational modification of individual NF subunits contribute to synaptic and behavioral dysfunction in certain neuropsychiatric conditions.

Nanomaterial and toxicity: what can proteomics tell us about the nanotoxicology?

1. In the last few years, a substantial scientific work is focused to identify the potential toxicity of nanomaterials by studying the cellular pathways under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Owing to high surface area to volume ratio nanoparticles (NPs) can pass through cell membranes which might be responsible for creating adverse interactions in biological systems. Simultaneously, researchers are also interested to assess the fate of NP inside the living system, which may lead to altered protein expression as well as protein corona formation. 2. According to published reports, NP-mediated toxicity involves altered cellular system including cell morphology, cell differentiation, cell metabolism, cell mobility, cellular immunity, which is derived from the side effects of nanoformulation and leading to apoptosis and necrosis. These results indicate the existence of potential toxic effect of these particles to human health. 3. The advent of proteomics with sophisticated technical improvement coupled with advanced bioinformatics has led to identify altered proteins due to nanomaterial exposure that could provide a new avenue to biomarker discovery. 4. This review aims to provide the current status of safe production and use of nanomaterials.