Search results for "Protein"
showing 10 items of 21431 documents
Progressive Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Contributes to Hepatocarcinogenesis in Fatty Acyl-CoA Oxidase 1–Deficient Mice
2011
Fatty acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) knockout (ACOX1(-/-)) mice manifest hepatic metabolic derangements that lead to the development of steatohepatitis, hepatocellular regeneration, spontaneous peroxisome proliferation, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Deficiency of ACOX1 results in unmetabolized substrates of this enzyme that function as biological ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) in liver. Here we demonstrate that sustained activation of PPARα in ACOX1(-/-) mouse liver by these ACOX1 substrates results in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Overexpression of transcriptional regulator p8 and its ER stress-related effectors such as the pseudokinase tribbles h…
Association analysis between gene variants of the tyrosine hydroxylase and the serotonin transporter in borderline personality disorder.
2010
For patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), we previously reported an independent effect of the catechol-o-methyl-transferase (COMT) low-activity (Met(158)) allele and an interaction with the low-expression allele of the deletion/insertion (short/long or S/L, resp.) polymorphism in the serotonin transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR). The purpose of the present study was to extend these findings to the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) Val(81)Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the 5-HTTLPR S/L polymorphism incorporating the recently described functional A/G SNP within the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR (rs25531) as well as the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorp…
Effects of enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa on glomerular filtration rate in patients with Fabry disease: preliminary data
2007
Progressive deposition of globotriaosylceramide results in severe complications involving the kidney, heart and brain in both hemizygous male and heterozygous female patients with Fabry disease. Analysis of renal data from FOS - the Fabry Outcome Survey - suggests that enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa can significantly improve renal function in patients with Fabry disease, at least in those with a mild decrease in glomerular filtration rate, and may also be able to slow down the natural decline in renal function in patients with a moderate reduction in glomerular filtration rate. Conclusion: Initial results from the large cohort of patients within FOS indicate that treatment …
Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance: the role of intracellular magnesium.
1997
Magnesium is one of the most abundant ions present in living cells and its plasma concentration is remarkably constant in healthy subjects. Plasma and intracellular magnesium concentrations are tightly regulated by several factors. Among them, insulin seems to be one of the most important. In fact, in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that insulin may modulate the shift of magnesium from extracellular to intracellular space. Intracellular magnesium concentration has also been shown to be effective on modulating insulin action (mainly oxidative glucose metabolism), offset calcium-related excitation-contraction coupling, and decrease smooth cell responsiveness to depolarizing stimul…
Hepatotoxicity caused by mebendazole in a patient with Gilbert's syndrome
2019
What is known and objective Mebendazole (MBZ) is a broad-spectrum antihelminthic agent of the benzimidazole type. Although MBZ has been reported to cause hepatic injury, case reports of severe hepatic injury are very rare. We report a case of severe hepatitis after administration of MBZ in a patient with Gilbert's syndrome affected by pinworms infestation. Case summary Differently from other cases of hepatitis due to MBZ reported in the scientific literature, our patient received standard doses of MBZ for a short period of time. After 18 days from the start of therapy, he developed hepatomegaly, and increases in hepatic enzymes and bilirubin. Hepatic enzymes returned to normal over the foll…
Effects of oxidative modifications induced by the glycation of bovine serum albumin on its structure and on cultured adipose cells
2005
Non-enzymatic glycosylation (glycation) and oxidative damages represent major research areas insofar as such modifications of proteins are frequently observed in numerous states of disease. Albumin undergoes structural and functional alterations, caused by increased glycosylation during non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which is closely linked with the early occurrence of vascular complications. In this work, we first characterized structural modifications induced by the glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA). A pathophysiological effect of glycated BSA was identified in primary cultures of human adipocytes as it induces an accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins in these cell…
Cloning of two melanocortin (MC) receptors in spiny dogfish
2004
We report the cloning and characterization of two melanocortin receptors (MCRs) from the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) (Sac). Phylogenetic analysis shows that these shark receptors are orthologues of the MC3R and MC5R subtypes, sharing 65% and 70% overall amino acid identity with the human counterparts, respectively. The SacMC3R was expressed and pharmacologically characterized in HEK293 cells. The radioligand binding results show that this receptor has high affinity for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-derived peptides while it has comparable affinity for alpha- and beta-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), and slightly lower affinity for gamma-MSH when compared with the human ortho…
New Melanocortin 1 Receptor Binding Motif Based on the C-Terminal Sequence of ?-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone
2006
The C-terminal tripeptide of the alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH11-13) possesses strong antiinflammatory activity without known cellular target. In order to better understand the structural requirements for function of such motif, we designed, synthesized and tested out Trp- and Tyr-containing analogues of the alpha-MSH11-13. Seven alpha-MSH11-13 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their binding to the melanocortin receptors recombinantly expressed in insect (Sf9) cells, infected with baculovirus carrying corresponding MC receptor DNA. We also tested these analogues on B16-F1 mouse melanoma cells endogenously expressing the MC1 receptor for binding and for abili…
Characterization of nitric oxide synthase isoforms expressed in different structures of the guinea pig cochlea.
1997
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NADPH diaphorase staining has previously been reported in mammalian cochlea. Here we demonstrate immunoreactivity for neuronal-type NOS I and endothelial-type NOS III in the cochlea of the guinea pig. NOS I immunoreactivity was seen in inner and outer hair cells, and spiral ganglion cells. Staining for NOS I was also shown in basal and intermediate cells of the stria vascularis, spiral ligament cells, and the media of vessels near the modiolus. An antibody to NOS III stained primarily vascular endothelial cells. Some NOS III immunoreactivity was also detected in spiral ganglion cells. An antibody to the inducible-type NOS II did not stain any structu…
Increase by NO synthase inhibitors of acetylcholine release from guinea-pig myenteric plexus
1994
The effects of nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors on the electrically evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine were studied in guinea-pig myenteric plexus preparations preincubated with [3H]choline. NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (EC50 5.3 mumol l-1) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (EC50 1.3 mumol l-1) concentration-dependently increased the evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine without affecting the basal outflow. The facilitatory effect of NG-mono-methyl-L-arginine was prevented by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. The results suggest that endogenous NO inhibits the depolarisation-evoked release of acetylcholine.