1. Elucidation of Molecular Mechanism(s) of Cognition Enhancing Activity of Bacomind®: A Standardized Extract of Bacopa Monnieri
Shekhar Dethe, M Deepak, Amit Agarwal Pharmacogn Mag. 2016 Jul;12(Suppl 4):S482-S487. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.191464.
Background: Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., commonly known as Brahmi, is renowned in Indian traditional system for its potent memory enhancing activity, which has been validated by various scientific studies. Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the molecular mechanism of memory enhancing activity of BacoMind® (BM), a standardized extract of B. monnieri. Materials and methods: BM was screened in vitro in a panel of cell-free and receptor-transfected cell assays. The purified enzymes/membrane homogenates/cells were incubated with substrate/standard ligand in the absence or presence of the test compound. The IC50 values and EC50 values were determined by nonlinear regression analysis of the concentration-response curves generated with mean replicate values using Hill equation curve fitting. Results: BM was found to inhibit three enzymes; Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP), and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). It also had an antagonistic effect on serotonin 6 and 2A (5-HT6 and 5-HT2A) receptors, known to influence the different neurological pathways, associated with memory and learning disorders, age-associated memory impairment. Conclusion: BM was found to inhibit three enzymes namely, Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP), and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). It also exhibited an antagonistic effect on 5-HT6 and 5-HT2A receptors. Summary: This study was conducted to understand the molecular mechanism of memory enhancing activity of a standardized extract of B. monnieri by was screening it in vitro in a panel of cell-free and receptor-transfected cell assays.
2. Overexpression of prolylcarboxypeptidase enhances plasma prekallikrein activation on Chinese hamster ovary cells
Z Shariat-Madar, E Rahimy, F Mahdi, A H Schmaier Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2005 Dec;289(6):H2697-703. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00715.2005. Epub 2005 Aug 19.
Plasma prekallikrein (PK) complexes with its receptor, high-molecular-weight kininogen (HK), on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). When assembled on endothelial cells, PK is activated to plasma kallikrein independent of factor XIIa by the serine protease prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP, Km= 9 nM). PRCP was shown to be a PK activator when isolated from HUVEC (J Biol Chem 277: 17962-17969, 2002) and produced as a recombinant protein (Blood 103: 4554-4561, 2004). To additionally confirm that human PRCP is a physiological PK activator, PRCP was overexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CHO cells were transfected with full-length PRCP under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter, and CHO recombinant PRCP was expressed as a fusion protein with COOH-terminal enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP). The presence of recombinant PRCP in transfected CHO cells was detected by real-time RT-PCR, immunoblot, and immunoprecipitation. PRCP mRNA and PK activation were two- to threefold higher in transfected than in control CHO cells. The increase in PRCP-induced PK activation in the transfected CHO cells paralleled the increase in PRCP antigen expression, as determined by anti-PRCP and anti-green fluorescence protein antibodies. PK activation of the transfected cells was blocked by small interfering RNA to PRCP. Anti-PRCP antibody and Z-Pro-Pro-aldehyde dimethyl acetate also blocked PK activation (IC50= 0.01 and 7.0 mM, respectively). Localization of PRCP in intact cells observed via confocal microscopy and flow cytometry also confirmed overexpression of PRCP on the external membrane. These investigations independently confirm that PRCP is expressed on cell membranes and that PRCP expression increases PK activation.
