Kim JS, Williams KC, Kirkland RA, Schade R, Freeman KG, Cawthon CR, Rautmann AW, Smith JM, Edwards GL, Glenn TC, Holmes PV, de Lartigue G, de La Serre CB (2023) The gut-brain axis mediates bacterial driven modulation of reward signaling. Mol Metab 26:101764. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101764 PMID: 37380023

Objective: To investigate the role of gut microbiota and vagal signaling in modulating brain dopamine reward pathways and appetitive feeding behavior.

Summary: The study found that high-fat diet and transfer of high-fat microbiota to germ-free rats reduced dopamine signaling and motivated feeding behavior compared to chow-fed and low-fat microbiota groups. Vagal deafferentation restored dopamine signaling and feeding motivation in high-fat microbiota rats, indicating gut bacteria signals that dampen reward are vagally mediated.

Usage: Animals were injected bilaterally into the nodose ganglion with either Saporin or CCK-SAP. A pulled glass micropipette containing either CCK-SAP (240 ng/ml in 0.1 M phosphate buffer) or SAP alone was inserted under the sheath of the cervical vagus and into the NG, the injection was done with a pressure-injector into two sites (one proximal and one distal, total volume, 1 µl).

Related Products: CCK-SAP (Cat. #IT-31), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Porello I, Cellesi F (2023) Intracellular delivery of therapeutic proteins. New advancements and future directions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 11:1211798. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1211798 PMID: 37304137

Objective: To provide a brief overview of the current methods for intracellular protein delivery to mammalian cells.

Summary: The field of intracellular protein delivery is still a relatively young area of research and further advancements in this field will require the integration of chemistry, materials science, formulation science, nanomedicine, and biomedical engineering.

Usage: Saporin was referenced as a molecule with the advantage of being able to block the synthesis of proteins in cells.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Singh SA, Vellapandian C (2023) The promising guide to LC–MS analysis and cholinesterase activity of Luffa cylindrica (L.) fruit using in vitro and in-silico analyses. Futur J Pharm Sci 9:33. doi: 10.1186/s43094-023-00478-0

Objective: Identify and analyze the extract of the plant Luffa cylindrica for bioactive and biochemical properties, particularly as it relates to bioactivity in neurological diseases.

Summary: Luffa cylindrica contains a total of 80 compounds that were identified in the ethanolic extract from LC–MS analysis. The bioactive compounds were screened for activity in receptors responsible for causing oxidative stress-associated Alzheimer’s disease. Perlolyrine was chosen to perform in-silico docking. An in vitro activity of cholinesterase showed highest inhibition at 500 μg/ml. In-silico docking of perlolyrine showed better binding affinity and score. Results revealed that out of 10 docked receptors, amyloid beta showed the highest binding affinity with an energy of −46.1 kcal/mol showing promising drug for Alzheimer’s disease. The study reports the presence of a promising, bioactive compound (perlolyrine) with promisng applications in vivo, oxidative stress-related Alzheimer’s disease.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

See Also:

• Santosh et al (2015) Mechanism of Anti-HIV Activity of Ribosome Inactivating Protein, Saporin. Protein & Peptide Letters. 22(6): 497-503. doi: 10.2174/0929866522666150428120701

Li Y, Champion JA (2022) Self-assembling nanocarriers from engineered proteins: Design, functionalization, and application for drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 189:114462. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114462 PMID: 35934126

Objective: Review recent advances in protein nano-carriers that are from ground-up design recombinant proteins.

Summary: Nanocarriers with a size range of 10-200 nm have emerged as platforms with significant potential for efficient drug delivery via a wide variety of administration routes. To develop nanocarriers for drug delivery, the following functionalities should be achieved. Nanocarriers encapsulate drugs with high loading efficiency and maintain stability in vivo to protect drugs from degradation and prolonged in vivo circulation in blood or residence time in other tissues help improve the fraction of drug-loaded nanocarriers that reach the target site or cells. The Design functionalization, and therapeutic application of protein nanocarriers will be reviewed.

Usage: Saporin is used as the molecular cargo for Protein-Glycan Nanocarriers.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Ryan Y, Harrison A, Trivett H, Hartley C, David J, Clark GC, Hiscox JA (2022) RIPpore: A novel host-derived method for the identification of ricin intoxication through oxford nanopore direct RNA sequencing. Toxins (Basel) 14(7):470. doi: 10.3390/toxins14070470

Objective: The Depurination event could be detected using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) direct RNA sequencing, detecting a change in charge in the ricin loop.

Summary: Collectively, this work highlights the potential for ONT and direct RNA sequencing to detect and quantify depurination events caused by ribosome-inactivating proteins such as ricin.

Usage: Saporin was added as described by Rust et al., at 100 nM [22] for 24 h.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

See Also:

• Rust A et al. Two complementary approaches for intracellular delivery of exogenous enzymes. Sci Rep 5:12444, 2015.

Li Y, Ye Z, Yang H, Xu Q (2022) Tailoring combinatorial lipid nanoparticles for intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, proteins, and drugs. Acta Pharm Sin B 12(6):2624-2639. doi: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.04.013

Objective: To highlight the recent progress in combinatorial lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with novel structures and properties for the delivery of small- and macromolecular therapeutics.

Summary: The administration of protein/LNP negatively impacted reproduction in rats, including sperm production, estrous cyclicity and testicular and ovarian morphology, without causing any significant side effects. This non-surgical approach can be developed into a safe and convenient strategy for controlling the overproduction of pet and wildlife.

Usage: Intravenous administration of saporin loaded LNPs

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

McDonough KE (2022) Maintenance mechanism of nociplastic pain in males. University of Texas Medical Branch Thesis.

Objective: The objective of this dissertation is to elucidate the sex-specific mechanisms underlying the transition to and maintenance of a nociplastic pain state using animal models.

Summary: This PhD dissertation investigates the mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic nociplastic pain using murine models. The study finds that in males, spinal microglial activation driven by GABAergic disinhibition allows normally innocuous stimulation to induce a transition to nociplastic pain maintained by spinal microglia and proinflammatory cytokines.

Usage: Intrathecal injection of Saporin or Mac-1-SAP at 8.85 μM.

Related Products: Mac-1-SAP mouse/human (Cat. #IT-06), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Xu L, Füredi N, Lutter C, Geenen B, Pétervári E, Balaskó M, Dénes Á, Kovács KJ, Gaszner B, Kozicz T (2022) Leptin coordinates efferent sympathetic outflow to the white adipose tissue through the midbrain centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus in male rats. Neuropharmacology 205:108898. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108898

Objective: To show that leptin bound to neurons of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation and increases urocortin 1 (Ucn1)-production in a time-dependent manner.

Summary: EWcp/LepRb/Ucn1 neurons respond to leptin signaling as well as control white adipose tissue size and fat metabolism without altering food intake.

Usage: Ablation of EWcp leptin receptor (LepRb) positive neurons with leptin-saporin. Either unconjugated saporin (53 ng in 80 nl MQ, or Leptin-SAP (90 ng in 80 nl MQ, was injected into the rat midbrain.

Related Products: Leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47), Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Mitdank H, Tröger M, Sonntag A, Shirazi NA, Woith E, Fuchs H, Kobelt D, Walther W, Weng A (2022) Suicide nanoplasmids coding for ribosome-inactivating proteins. Eur J Pharm Sci 170:106107. doi: 10.1016/j.ejps.2021.106107

Objective: To investigate the anti-proliferative activity of suicide-nanoplasmids.

Summary: In an in vivo neuroblastoma tumor model, treated mice showed a reduced tumor growth.

Usage: Design of a suicide nanoplasmid vector with saporin.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01)

Ujvári B, Pytel B, Márton Z, Bognár M, Kovács LÁ, Farkas J, Gaszner T, Berta G, Kecskés A, Kormos V, Farkas B, Füredi N, Gaszner B (2022) Neurodegeneration in the centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus contributes to the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in the rat. J Neuroinflammation 19(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s12974-022-02399-w

Objective: To investigate whether neuron loss and alpha-synuclein accumulation in the urocortin 1 containing (UCN1) cells of the centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal (EWcp) nucleus is associated with anxiety and depression-like state in the rat.

Summary: Neurodegeneration of urocortinergic EWcp contributes to the mood-related non-motor symptoms in toxic models of Parkinson’s disease in the rat.

Usage: Leptin-SAP or unconjugated Saporin (0.08 μl) was injected into the EWcp area. This selective ablation of UCN1 neurons was used to validate the depression-like phenotype in rats. Behavioral, functional–morphological, biochemical and histopathological tools were used to test the motor coordination, mood status as well as morphological changes in the brain.

Related Products: Saporin (Cat. #PR-01), Leptin-SAP (Cat. #IT-47)