Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids. 2024 Nov 7:1-14. doi: 
10.1080/15257770.2024.2426160. Online ahead of print.

In memory of an exquisite medicinal chemist, Prof. Morris Robins.

De Clercq E(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute 
for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, 
B-3000Leuven, Belgium.

Among the most prominent realizations of Morris J. Robins in the antiviral 
nucleoside chemistry are (i) the synthesis of 8-substituted (methyl-, amino-, 
bromo-, iodo) derivatives of acyclovir, (ii) xylotubercidin as an inhibitor of 
herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections, (iii) the anti-HIV activity of the 
2',3'-dideoxyriboside of 2,6-diaminopurine (ddDAPR) and the 3'-azido- and 
3'-fluoro derivatives thereof (AzddDAPR and FddDAPR, respectively), (iv) the 
potentiating effect of ribavirin on the anti-HIV activity of 
2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI) and ddDAPR, (v) S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase 
(SAH) inhibitors principally active against vaccinia virus (VV) and vesicular 
stomatitis virus (VSV), and (vi) furo[2,3-d]pyrimidinone derivatives active 
against varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2024.2426160
PMID: 39508253


2. Chem Asian J. 2024 Nov 7:e202400916. doi: 10.1002/asia.202400916. Online ahead
 of print.

Chalcogen Bond-Driven Alkylations: Selenoxide-Pillar[5]arene As A Recyclable 
Catalyst For Displacement Reactions In Water.

Cordeiro P(1), Menezes V(1), Ángel AYB(2), de Andrade KN(1), Fiorot RG(1), 
Alberto EE(2), Nascimento V(3).

Author information:
(1)Federal Fluminense University, Organic Chemistry, BRAZIL.
(2)Federal University of Minas Gerais, Chemistry, BRAZIL.
(3)Universidade Federal Fluminense, Química Orgânica, OUTEIRO DE SÃO JOÃO 
BATISTA, S/N - CAMPUS DO VALONGUINHO, 24020141, NITERÓI, BRAZIL.

A novel strategy to catalyze alkylation reactions through chalcogen bond 
interaction using a supramolecular structure is presented herein. Utilizing just 
1.0 mol% of selenoxide-pillar[5]arene (P[5]SeO) as the catalyst we achieved 
efficient catalysis in the cyanation of benzyl bromide in water. Our approach 
demonstrated high efficiency and effectiveness, with the results supported by 
designed control experiments and theoretical models, highlighting the catalytic 
effect of the pillar[5]arene through noncovalent interactions. Quantum-chemical 
calculations (ωB97X-D/def2-TZVP@SMD) pointed out that the catalyzed cyanation 
reaction followed an SN2-like mechanism, with energy barriers (ΔH‡) ranging from 
16.7 to 18.2 kcal mol-1, exhibiting dissociative character depending on the 
para-substituent. 1H NMR analysis revealed that P[5]SeO acted as a catalyst 
through inclusion complex formation, facilitating the transfer of the 
electrophilic substrate to the aqueous solution for nucleophilic displacement. 
Our reaction protocol proved applicable to various substrates, including 
aromatic and alpha-carbonyl derivatives. The use of sodium azide as the 
nucleophile was also feasible. Importantly, our method allowed scalability, and 
the catalyst P[5]SeO could be recovered and reused effectively for multiple 
reaction cycles, showcasing sustainability.

© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.

DOI: 10.1002/asia.202400916
PMID: 39508242


3. BMC Neurosci. 2024 Nov 6;25(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s12868-024-00893-w.

The social and neural bases of creative movement: workshop overview.

Shamma S(1)(2), Contreras-Vidal J(3), Fritz J(4), Lim SS(5), Tuller B(5), 
Edwards E(6), Iyengar S(7).

Author information:
(1)Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 
USA. sas@umd.edu.
(2)Le Département d'Etudes Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. 
sas@umd.edu.
(3)IUCRC BRAIN, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
(4)Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York City, NY, USA.
(5)National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA, USA.
(6)National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
(7)National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, DC, USA.

This editorial provides a background and overview of the interdisciplinary 
workshop on "The Social and Neural Bases of Creative Movement," bringing 
together dancers, choreographers, musicians, artists, kinesiologists and 
neuroscientists to share perspectives and develop a common language to define 
and explore the relationship between dance and the brain.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1186/s12868-024-00893-w
PMID: 39508234


4. HIV Med. 2024 Nov 7. doi: 10.1111/hiv.13730. Online ahead of print.

Burden of liver steatosis and liver fibrosis in a large cohort of people living 
with HIV.

Laguno M(1)(2)(3), de Lazzari E(1)(2)(3), Berrocal L(1)(2), Inciarte A(1)(2)(3), 
Martínez-Rebollar M(1), de la Mora L(1), Torres B(1)(2)(3), Gonzalez-Cordón 
A(1), Chivite I(1), Foncillas A(1), Calvo J(1), Sempere A(1), Ambrosioni 
J(1)(2)(3), Blanco JL(1)(2)(3), Miro JM(1)(2)(3), Mallolas J(1)(2)(3), Martínez 
E(1)(2)(3).

Author information:
(1)HIV Unit, Infectious Diseases Service. Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, 
Barcelona, Spain.
(2)Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques 
August Pi I Sunyer. (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.
(3)Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Liver steatosis (LS) and liver fibrosis (LF) can increase the risk 
of cardiovascular disease in people with HIV, but their prevalence and 
associated factors are poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the 
prevalence of and factors associated with LS and LF in a large cohort of people 
with HIV.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive people with HIV 
attending the Clinic of Barcelona from September 2022 to September 2023, 
excluding those with chronic B or/and C hepatitis virus coinfection. LS was 
assessed using the Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Fatty Liver Index (FLI), 
and LF was assessed using the Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score 
(NFS), Fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4), and the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) 
algorithm in both the whole cohort (cohort 1) and in a specific cohort more 
susceptible to liver disease (cohort 2). We identified independent variables 
associated with LS and LF using logistic regression.
RESULTS: Cohort 1 included 4664 people with HIV; 76% and 37% of them had 
available HSI and FLI data, LS was present in 28% and 19%, respectively. LF risk 
was present in 1%, 2%, and 1% of people with HIV according to NFS, FIB-4, and 
EACS algorithm scores, respectively. Cohort 2 included 1345 people with HIV; 60% 
and 30% of them had available HSI and FLI data, LS affected 55% and 43% and LF 
2%, 5%, or 3%, respectively. Factors associated with LS included current CD4 
cell count, diabetes, and hypertension, whereas LF was associated with previous 
exposure to dideoxynucleoside drugs and current CD4 to LF. Current integrase 
strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) therapy appeared protective for LF in cohort 
1.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, one in four people with HIV had LS, and the 
prevalence rose to one in two in those with cardiovascular risk factors. The 
prevalence of LF was low, but it should be considered in older people with HIV 
with low CD4 counts or high aspartate transaminase levels. A possible protective 
effect from INSTIs deserves further investigation.

© 2024 The Author(s). HIV Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf 
of British HIV Association.

DOI: 10.1111/hiv.13730
PMID: 39508213


5. Adv Clin Exp Med. 2024 Nov 7. doi: 10.17219/acem/191774. Online ahead of
print.

Effect of reduced saturation and elevated D-dimer and interleukin 6 levels on 
vessel density and foveal avascular zone in patients with COVID-19 bilateral 
pneumonia.

Kal M(1)(2), Brzdęk M(1)(3), Cieśla E(4), Rzymski P(5), Karska-Basta I(6), Pinna 
A(7), Mackiewicz J(8), Winiarczyk M(8), Odrobina D(2)(9), Zarębska-Michaluk 
D(1)(3).

Author information:
(1)Collegium Medicum of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland.
(2)Ophthalmic Clinic of the Voivodeship Hospital in Kielce, Poland.
(3)Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Jan Kochanowski University 
in Kielce, Poland.
(4)Institute of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland.
(5)Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 
Poland.
(6)Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology, 
Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland.
(7)Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy, Ophthalmology Unit, University 
of Sassari, Italy.
(8)Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
(9)Insitute of Medical Science, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 
infection can affect multiple organs, including the eyes.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify associations between vascular density 
(VD) and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), assessed using optical coherence 
tomography angiography (OCTA), and baseline levels of D-dimers and interleukin 6 
(IL-6) in patients with bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, depending on oxygen 
saturation (SpO2) on admission.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients with COVID-19 bilateral 
pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized between March and 
May 2021. Ophthalmological examination was performed 2 months after 
hospitalization. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used for the 
automatic assessment of the central retinal VD and the manual assessment of FAZ.
RESULTS: A significant monotonic negative relationship was observed between SpO2 
. 90% and VD in some areas of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) (p = 0.048) 
and choriocapillaris (p = 0.021), and the mean VD in the deep capillary plexus 
(DCP) (p = 0.048). No significant monotonic negative relationship was noted 
between SpO2 . 90% and the FAZ in the SCP (p = 0.075). However, there was a 
significant monotonic positive relationship between VD in the nasal 
choriocapillaris and D-dimer levels in patients with SpO2 . 90% (p = 0.003, 
respectively). Finally, a monotonic negative relationship was identified between 
foveal VD in the DCP and IL-6 levels in patients with SpO2 . 90% (p = 0.027).
CONCLUSIONS: An OCTA study conducted 2 months after hospitalization for COVID-19 
bilateral pneumonia showed reduced VD in those with SpO2 . 90% and elevated 
levels of D-dimers and IL-6 during hospitalization. Optical coherence tomography 
angiography testing can provide monitoring of ocular status in patients 
following SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially those who report visual disturbances.

DOI: 10.17219/acem/191774
PMID: 39508210