Ectopic expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in transgenic mice leads to site-specific sympathetic sprouting. Smooth muscle cells in the intestines, urinary bladder, and arteries have been shown to express NGF. To address whether enhanced NGF production among these different organ systems stimulates comparable patterns of sympathetic collateral growth, we generated transgenic mice that express NGF under the control of the smooth muscle alpha-actin promoter. In response to elevated levels of NGF protein in the colon, bladder, and arteries/arterioles, sympathetic axons displayed robust sprouting only in the colon and bladder. These data reveal that, unlike most other peripheral tissues, sympathetic efferents in adult mammalian arteries/arterioles do not undergo collateral growth in response to increased levels of smooth muscle-derived NGF.

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A series of mononuclear copper(II) complexes [Cu(bdmpe/bpmpe)X]Y [bdmpe= N,N‐bis((3,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)methyl)‐2‐(phenylthio)ethan‐1‐amine, Y=PF6−, X=Cl 1, Br 3 and Y=BF4−, X=Cl 2, Br 4; bpmpe=N,N‐bis((1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)methyl)‐2‐(phenylthio)ethan‐1‐amine; Y=PF6−, X=Cl 5, Br 7 and Y=BF4−, X=Cl 6, Br 8] have been synthesized by the reaction of copper halides with ligands bdmpe/bpmpe in presence of Y and characterized. Single crystal X‐ray crystallography study indicates that complexes are mononuclear with distorted square pyramidal geometry. Complexes 1 and 7 show supramolecular dimeric nature due to short intermolecular interactions. The antimicrobial activity of all complexes were investigated against Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strain by agar well dilution method and have demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity of the compounds. The studies on the interaction of complexes and DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis method revealed that the complexes can effectively cleave the circular plasmid DNA at very low concentrations.

The alkaloid berberine, the chief constituent of Berberis aristata, has been reported to have antimicrobial activity associated with it. Structural changes can be made to this lead compound to try to improve its effi cacy in terms of antimicrobial activity. In the present study, attempts have been made to evaluate anti-microbial potential of structurally modifi ed derivatives of berberine. The derivatives so synthesized were characterized on the basis of spectral techniques like 1H,13C NMR, UV, IR and MASS and by comparison with standard berberine. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that methoxyl group is pharmacophore of berberine and is thus needed to be retained in the skeleton. Further incorporation of the electron-withdrawing group has pronounced effect on the antimicrobial activity. Further attempts could be made to extend the series with the incorporation of such electron-withdrawing groups to get potent antimicrobial agents.