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Graphene from Essential Oils
Published in Amir Al-Ahmed, Inamuddin, Graphene from Natural Sources, 2023
Terpenes are widely distributed in nature constituting the largest class of secondary metabolites with more than 50,000 molecules isolated and identified until today. Plants, animals, microorganisms, algae, endophytes and marine life produce them. They are part of the nonsaponifiable isoprenic lipids. This class of lipids is characterized like the other lipids by its insolubility in water and its solubility in organic solvents. These molecules have a common metabolic origin that is isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene). This precursor is synthesized via the mevalonate route from acetyl-CoA. Another pathway has been demonstrated in several bacteria and a green alga (Scenedesmus obliquus) leading to the production of isoprene from 2-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate. This class contains EOs, resins, steroids, vitamins and polymers (latex and rubber). This class is also characterized by structural diversity, which gives these molecules different biological activities. These molecules can be simple hydrocarbons, oxygenated, sulfurized or aromatic hydrocarbons. Depending on the number of associated isoprenic units, there are monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), diterpenes (C20), sesterterpenes (C25), triterpenes (C30), tetraterpenes (C40) and polyterpenes (Cn) (Paduch et al., 2007; Marouf and Tremblin, 2009; Martins et al., 2017; Parveen et al., 2018).
Role of Krüppel-Like Factors in Endothelial Cell Function and Shear Stress–Mediated Vasoprotection
Published in Juhyun Lee, Sharon Gerecht, Hanjoong Jo, Tzung Hsiai, Modern Mechanobiology, 2021
Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors) are widely used in the treatment of dyslipidemia [115]. As demonstrated by basic and clinical studies, statins also have pleiotropic effects apart from lowering cholesterol, including anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects. As demonstrated in the JUPITER trial, treatment of patients with evidence of clinical inflammation based on elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels but who were otherwise healthy and without clinical hyperlipidemia using rosuvastatin led to a reduction of cardiovascular events [116]. The effect of statins on endothelial function overlaps with that of KLF2. This fact led us to speculate whether there might be the novel link between KLF2 and statins. Indeed, we and others have demonstrated that multiple statins robustly induce KLF2 in endothelial cells [117, 118]. Importantly, knockdown of KLF2 inhibits statin-mediated eNOS and TM induction, indicating that KLF2 mediates statin effects [117]. Both MEF2 and Rho activity is critical for regulating KLF2 expression by statins. MEF2 directly transactivates the KLF2 promoter. Constitutive Rho activity downregulates KLF2 by geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate–dependent mechanisms [117]. By inhibiting the conversion of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) to mevalonate, statins lead to the depletion of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.
Molecular Mechanisms for Statin Pleiotropy and Possible Clinical Relevance in Cardiovascular Disease
Published in Peter Grunwald, Pharmaceutical Biocatalysis, 2020
Brian Yu, Nikola Sladojevic, James K. Liao
Inhibition of the conversion of HMG-CoA to L-mevalonate by statins prevents the synthesis of downstream isoprenoid intermediates of the cholesterol pathway, including fernesylpyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate (GGPP) (Goldstein and Brown, 1990). Both FPP and GGPP serve as vital lipid attachments for a variety of proteins, including ubiquinone, heme A, the γ subunit of heterotrimeric G-proteins, the small GTPase Ras, and Ras-like proteins including Rho, Rab, Rac, Ral, and Rap (Liao and Laufs, 2005). Prenylation, or addition of hydrophobic molecules to a protein, facilitates cell membrane association, and is required for activation and function of the small GTPases. In particular, members of the Ras and Rho GTPase subfamilies are major substrates for prenylation, and indeed are central to mediating the pleiotropic effects of statins. As small GTP-binding proteins, members of the Ras and Rho families cycle between the inactive GDP-bound state and active GTP-bound state at the plasma membrane (Fig. 10.4). Without prenylation, Ras and Rho GTPases accumulate in the cytoplasm (Michaelson, 2001).
Reproductive outcomes in rat female offspring from male rats co-exposed to rosuvastatin and ascorbic acid during pre-puberty
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2018
Gabriel Adan Araujo Leite, Thamiris Moreira Figueiredo, Tainá Louise Pacheco, Marina Trevizan Guerra, Janete Aparecida Anselmo-Franci, Wilma De Grava Kempinas
Among the lipid-lowering drugs, statins are considered effective due to their efficient reduction of total cholesterol in the blood (Endres 2006; Istvan 2003; Tandon et al. 2005). Statins decrease cholesterol concentrations by inhibiting the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutharyl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) (Istvan and Deisenhofer 2001; Jiménez and Ferre 2011) and preventing the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate, thus reducing intermediate isoprenoids and cholesterol formation (Adam and Laufs 2008; Istvan 2003). The incidence rate of statin prescription to treat hypercholesterolemia in the pediatric population represents 63% of all pharmacotherapies (Liberman, Berger, and Lewis 2009); however, there are no apparent available data specifically for rosuvastatin prescription.
Lovastatin production by Aspergillus terreus in membrane gradostat bioreactor with two-stage feeding strategy
Published in Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2023
Saeed Kargar, Sepide Mohseny Takloo, Hasan Jalili, Jhamak NoorMohammedi, Alireza Babaei, Marcin Bizukojc
Lovastatin (C24H36O5) is a blood cholesterol-lowering agent in the group of statins, acting as a reversible competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (3-HMG-CoA) reductase (an effective enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis pathway) that catalyzes the conversion of 3-HMG-CoA to mevalonate.[1]