Here, we show that the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A is the brain binding site of levetiracetam (LEV), a new antiepileptic drug with a unique activity profile in animal models of seizure and epilepsy. The LEV-binding site is enriched in synaptic vesicles, and photoaffinity labeling of purified synaptic vesicles confirms that it has an apparent molecular mass of approximately 90 kDa. Brain membr...

How synapses change their strength in response to impinging neural activity is a fundamental issue for understanding how the brain molds its circuitry in response to behavioral experience. Although a growing number of studies reveal the involvement of postsynaptic changes contributing to synaptic plasticity in brain circuits, the involvement of presynaptic factors has been implied by several st...

Objective- The aim of this study was to determine the first possible time for pregnancy recognition and several features of developing embryo between days 8 to 44 of pregnancy. Design- Experimental study Animals- Six healthy registered Caspian mares Procedures- Daily ultrasound examinations were conducted from days 8 to 44 (ovulation = day 0) of pregnancy to monitor the conceptus in Caspian ...

The recycling of synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals is thought to involve clathrin-coated vesicles. However, the properties of nerve terminal coated vesicles have not been characterized. Starting from a preparation of purified nerve terminals obtained from rat brain, we isolated clathrin-coated vesicles by a series of differential and density gradient centrifugation steps. The enrichment of c...

BACKGROUND The immunophilins are proteins that mediate actions of immunosuppressant drugs such as FK506 and cyclosporin A by binding to calcineurin, inhibiting its phosphatase activity, and increasing the phosphorylation level of transcription factors required for interleukin 2 formation. Though concentrations in the brain greatly exceed levels in immune tissues, no function has been previously...

PURPOSE Reorganization of cytoskeleton and membrane biogenesis are dynamically coordinated during lens fiber cell differentiation and development to produce an organ with precise dimensions and optical properties. Cargo vesicle trafficking is fundamental to cell elongation and has also been implicated in degenerative disease mechanisms. Alzheimer precursor protein (AbetaPP) acts with kinesin, s...

Numerous neurological disorders have a pathophysiology that involves an increase in free radical production the brain. Quercetin (QER) is nutraceutical compound shields brain against oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration. Nonetheless, its low oral bioavailability diminishes delivery. Therefore, current study aimed to formulate QER-loaded transferosomal nanovesicles (QER-TFS) situ gel for Q...

Background & Aims: Sodium arsenite causes oxidative stress and endocrine disorders in the reproductive system. The aim was to investigate the protective role of curcumin as an antioxidant on the seminal vesicle tissue in adult mice treated with sodium arsenite. Materials & Methods: Adult male Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice were randomly divided into 5 groups (six mice per group) ...

background: routine oocytes cryopreservation remained an elusive technique in the wide ranges of available assisted reproductive technologies. the microtubules of oocytes are vulnerable to cryoprotectants and thermal change during cryopreservation. objective: the effects of a vitrification protocol were investigated on the spindle and chromosome configurations of mice oocytes cryopreserved at t...