Monica Bari - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Monica Bari

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2001

Estrogen replacement therapy has been associated with reduction of cardiovascu- lar events in pos... more Estrogen replacement therapy has been associated with reduction of cardiovascu- lar events in postmenopausal women, though the mechanism for this benefit remains unclear. Here we show that at physiological concentrations estrogen ac- tivates the anandamide membrane trans- porter of human endothelial cells and leads to rapid elevation of calcium (appar- ent within 5 minutes) and release of nitric oxide (within

Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, 2002

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), Jan 15, 2006

Recently, we have shown that treatment of rat C6 glioma cells with the raft disruptor methyl-beta... more Recently, we have shown that treatment of rat C6 glioma cells with the raft disruptor methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD) doubles the binding of anandamide (AEA) to type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), followed by CB1R-dependent signaling via adenylate cyclase and p42/p44 MAPK activity. In the present study, we investigated whether type-2 cannabinoid receptors (CB2R), widely expressed in immune cells, also are modulated by MCD. We show that treatment of human DAUDI leukemia cells with MCD does not affect AEA binding to CB2R, and that receptor activation triggers similar [35S]guanosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) binding in MCD-treated and control cells, similar adenylate cyclase and MAPK activity, and similar MAPK-dependent protection against apoptosis. The other AEA-binding receptor transient receptor potential channel vanilloid receptor subunit 1, the AEA synthetase N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-phospholipase D, and the AEA hydrolase fatty acid amide hydrolase were not affected by ...

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 15, 2002

Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands have been recently identified in the brain as ... more Cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands have been recently identified in the brain as potent inhibitors of neurotransmitter release. Here we show that, in a rat model of Parkinson's disease induced by unilateral nigral lesion with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), the striatal levels of anandamide, but not that of the other endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, were increased. Moreover, we observed a decreased activity of the anandamide membrane transporter (AMT) and of the anandamide hydrolase [fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)], whereas the binding of anandamide to cannabinoid receptors was unaffected. Spontaneous glutamatergic activity recorded from striatal spiny neurons was higher in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Inhibition of AMT by N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-arachidonoylamide (AM-404) or by VDM11, or stimulation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor by HU-210 reduced glutamatergic spontaneous activity in both naive and 6-OHDA-lesioned animals to a similar extent. Conversely, the FAAH i...

European journal of biochemistry / FEBS, 2001

The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro) activates human platelets in plate... more The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro) activates human platelets in platelet-rich plasma at physiological concentrations. The activation was inhibited by selective antagonists of CB(1) and CB(2) cannabinoid receptors, but not by acetylsalicylic acid. Human platelets can metabolize 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro by internalization through a high affinity transporter (K(m) = 300 +/- 30 nM, V(max) = 10 +/- 1 pmol.min(-1).mg protein(-1)), followed by hydrolysis by a fatty acid amide hydrolase (K(m) = 8 +/- 1 microM, V(max) = 400 +/- 50 pmol.min(-1).mg protein(-1)). The anandamide transport inhibitor AM404, and anandamide itself, were ineffective on 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro uptake by platelets, whereas anandamide competitively inhibited 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro hydrolysis (inhibition constant = 10 +/- 1 microM). Platelet activation by 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro was paralleled by an increase of intracellular calcium and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, and by a decrease of cyclic AMP. Moreover, treatmen...

BioMed Research International, 2014

PloS one, 2013

Genetic ablation of type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) exacerbates the neurodegenerative damage... more Genetic ablation of type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) exacerbates the neurodegenerative damage of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the rodent model of multiple sclerosis (MS). To address the role on CB1Rs in the pathophysiology of human MS, we first investigated the impact of AAT trinucleotide short tandem repeat polymorphism of CNR1 gene on CB1R cell expression, and secondly on the inflammatory neurodegeneration process responsible for irreversible disability in MS patients. We found that MS patients with long AAT repeats within the CNR1 gene (≥12 in both alleles) had more pronounced neuronal degeneration in response to inflammatory white matter damage both in the optic nerve and in the cortex. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), in fact, showed more severe alterations of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and of the macular volume (MV) after an episode of optic neuritis in MS patients carrying the long AAT genotype of CNR1. MS patients with long AAT repeat...

Journal of Neurochemistry, 2001

Advances in Space Biology and Medicine, 2002

Lipoxygenases are a family of enzymes which dioxygenate unsaturated fatty acids, thus initiating ... more Lipoxygenases are a family of enzymes which dioxygenate unsaturated fatty acids, thus initiating lipoperoxidation of membranes or the synthesis of signalling molecules, or inducing structural and metabolic changes in the cell. This activity is the basis for the critical role of lipoxygenases in a number of pathophysiological conditions, both in animals and plants. We review the effects of microgravity on the catalytic efficiency of purified soybean (Glycine max) lipoxygenase-1, as well as the modulation of the activity and expression of 5-lipoxygenase in human erythroleukemia K562 cells subjected to altered gravity. We also outline the molecular properties of the lipoxygenase family and discuss its possible involvement in space-related processes, such as apoptosis (programmed cell death) and immuno-depression. Finally, we discuss the modulation of cyclooxygenase activity and expression in K562 cells exposed to altered gravity, because cyclooxygenase catalyzes the oxidation of arachidonate through a pathway different from that catalyzed by lipoxygenase activity.

Progress in Brain Research, 2008

Recent evidence shows that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous... more Recent evidence shows that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system. Pharmacologic modulation of cannabinoid receptors or the enzymes involved in the synthesis, transport, or breakdown of endogenous cannabinoids has proved to be a valid alternative to conventional treatment of these diseases. In this review, we will examine recent findings that demonstrate the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in glaucoma, a major neurodegenerative disease of the eye that is a frequent cause of blindness. Experimental findings indicate that the endocannabinoid system contributes to the control of intraocular pressure (IOP), by modulating both production and drainage of aqueous humor. There is also a growing body of evidence of the involvement of this system in mechanisms leading to the death of retinal ganglion cells, which is the end result of glaucoma. Molecules capable of interfering with the ocular endocannabinoid system could offer valid alternatives to the treatment of this disease, based not only on the reduction of IOP but also on neuroprotection.

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2012

Neurological Sciences, 2009

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), a... more The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), and relief from pain and spasticity has been reported in MS patients self-medicating with marijuana. A cannabis-based medication containing Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (Sativex®) has been approved in some countries for the treatment of MS-associated pain. The effects of this pharmaceutical preparation on other clinically relevant aspects of

Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2003

Creating conditions similar to those that occur during exposure of cells to microgravity induced ... more Creating conditions similar to those that occur during exposure of cells to microgravity induced a sixfold increase of apoptotic bodies and DNA fragments in human lymphocytes, paralleled by an early (within 2 h) fourfold increase in 5-li- poxygenase (5-LOX) activity and a fivefold de- crease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in cytochrome c release (within 4 and 8 h,

1998 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record. 1998 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (Cat. No.98CH36255), 1998

The small angle tile calorimeter (STIC) provides calorimetric coverage in the very forward region... more The small angle tile calorimeter (STIC) provides calorimetric coverage in the very forward region of the DELPHI experiment at the CERN LEP collider. The structure of the calorimeters, built with so-called “shashlik” technique, allows the insertion of tracking detectors within the sampling structure, in order to make it possible to determine the direction of the showering particle. Presented here are

European Journal of Biochemistry, 2000