Life sciences
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Transthyretin (TTR)-related familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is characterized by the systemic accumulation of amyloid fibrils caused by amyloidogenic. Our previous studies demonstrated that albumin played a role in the inhibition of TTR amyloid-formation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of albumin on TTR disposition and tissue deposition in vivo. ⋯ Although the disposition of TTR and ATTR V30M was unaffected by the presence of albumin, the deposition of ATTR V30M in some organs was apparently increased in the absence of albumin compared to the presence of albumin. These results show that albumin would contribute to suppressing the tissue deposition of TTR in pathogenesis of FAP, but does not affect the disposition of TTR.
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Approximately one third of the adult U.S. population suffers from some type of on-going, chronic pain annually, and many more will have some type of acute pain associated with trauma or surgery. First-line therapies for moderate to severe pain include prescriptions for common mu opioid receptor agonists such as morphine and its various derivatives. The epidemic use, misuse and diversion of prescription opioids have highlighted just one of the adverse effects of mu opioid analgesics. Alternative approaches include novel opioids that target delta or kappa opioid receptors, or compounds that interact with two or more of the opioid receptors. ⋯ This is the first report of a fentanyl-based structure with delta and mu opioid receptor activity that exhibits outstanding antinociceptive efficacy in neuropathic pain, reducing the propensity of unwanted side effects driven by current therapies that are unifunctional mu opioid agonists.