Vascular dementia (VaD) is a degenerative cerebrovascular disorder that leads to progressive decline in cognitive abilities and memory. Several reports demonstrated that oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are principal pathogenic factors in VaD. The present study was constructed to determine the possible neuroprotective effects of simvastatin in comparison with cilostazol in VaD induced by L-methionine in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Group I (control group), group II received L-methionine (1.7 g/kg, p.o.) for 32 days. The remaining two groups received simvastatin (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and cilostazol (100 mg/kg, p.o.), respectively, for 32 days after induction of VaD by L-methionine. Subsequently, rats were tested for cognitive performance using Morris water maze test then sacrificed for biochemical and histopathological assays. L-methionine induced VaD reflected by alterations in rats' behavior as well as the estimated neurotransmitters, acetylcholinesterase activity as well as increased brain oxidative stress and inflammation parallel to histopathological changes in brain tissue. Treatment of rats with simvastatin ameliorated L-methionine-induced behavioral, neurochemical, and histological changes in a manner comparable to cilostazol. Simvastatin may be regarded as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of VaD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the neuroprotective effects of simvastatin or cilostazol in L-methionine-induced VaD. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
A series of new thiophene derivatives has been synthesized using the Gewald protocol. The acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity was assayed according to Ellman’s method using donepezil as reference. Some of the compounds were found to be more potent inhibitors than the reference. 2-(2-(4-(4-Methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)acetamido)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (IIId) showed 60% inhibition, compared to only 40% inhibition by donepezil.
A series of tetrahydrobenzothienopyrimidines and tetrahydrobenzothienotriazines incorporating a pharmacophore from donepezil molecule were designed and synthesized. The 12 newly synthesized compounds were screened for their inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). Compounds that exerted the most potent AChE inhibitory action were further evaluated for their BChE inhibitory activity. In addition, the inhibitory effects of all newly synthesized compounds on Aβ and reactive oxygen species were assessed. Compounds 4d, 10b, and 10c showed potent inhibitory activity on AChE comparable to donepezil. Compound 10b (IC50 = 0.124 ± 0.006 nM) showed the greatest AChE inhibitory action and the most potent BChE inhibitory action (IC50 = 0.379 ± 0.02 nM). These three compounds showed more inhibitory action on Aβ accumulation than donepezil. Moreover, they showed potent antioxidant activity. The binding pattern of compounds 4d and 10b into AChE active site rationalized their remarkable AChE inhibitory activity. Taken together, these results indicated that these derivatives could be promising multifunctional agents for Alzheimer's disease management.
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