Table 1.
Recapitulation of the properties and pharmacological effects of BFT and DBT.
| Properties | BFT | DBT |
|---|---|---|
| Physicochemical properties | ||
| Solubility in organic solvents | No | Yes |
| Solubility in aqueous solutions | Yes (pH > 8) | Yes (pH < 6) |
| Metabolization | ||
| Enzymes [29,33] | Ectophosphatases/thioesterases | Estererases/thioesterases |
| Main metabolites [29,33] | Thiamine, S-BT | Thiamine, O-BT (?) |
| Pharmacological effects | ||
| Antioxidant effects (Nrf2-independent) |
Yes (≤50 µM) [33] | Yes (≤50 µM) (↑ GSH and NADPH) [29] |
| Anti-inflammatory effects (probably via NF-κB) |
↓ iNOS and TNF-α [29,86] | ↓ iNOS and TNF-α [29] |
| Anti-AGEs effects | ↓ In blood of AD patients [27] | Not tested |
| Neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases and models | Slows down cognitive decline in AD patients [27,28] Decreases β-amyloid load and tauopathy in mouse model of AD [25] |
Not tested in AD, but arrests motor dysfunction in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and relieves depressive-like behavior in mice submitted to chronic ultrasound stress |
| Effects on neuronal plasticity | ↑ NMDAR AMPAR expression 1 ↑ Neurogenesis 2 |
Not tested |
| Possible molecular targets | ||
| TKT | Possibly increased activity [24] | No effect [29] |
| GSK3β | Inhibition by phosphorylation [25,42] Reduced expression [48] |
Not tested |
| PI3K/AKT pathway | Activation [46] | Not tested |
| Nrf-2 | At concentrations > 100 µM [26] | Not tested |
| NF-κB | Inhibits LPS-induced nuclear translocation [29,86] | Inhibits LPS-induced nuclear translocation [29] |