Search results for "Teas"

Coagulation factors and proteinase inhibitors in the plasma of children with acute lymphoblastic leukoses. Behaviour before and during treatment acco…

1984

The thrombocyte count, the factor XIII (F XIII) activity, the concentration of fibrinogen (F I), prothrombin (F II), fibronectin (CIG), albumin and the proteinase inhibitors antithrombin III (AT III), alpha 2-macroglobulin (A2M), alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1A) and Cl-esterase inactivator (Cl-INA) were determined in ten children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Changes due to the disease and to therapy were observed. Before the start of treatment the patients had thrombocytopenia secondary to the disease, and the proteinase inhibitors--especially Cl-INA and A1A--were raised. During the induction phase the thrombocyte count rose but there was also a marked increase in the concentration of…

Fetuin-B, a liver-derived plasma protein is essential for fertilization.

2013

SummaryThe zona pellucida (ZP) is a glycoprotein matrix surrounding mammalian oocytes. Upon fertilization, ZP hardening prevents sperm from binding to and penetrating the ZP. Here, we report that targeted gene deletion of the liver-derived plasma protein fetuin-B causes premature ZP hardening and, consequently, female infertility. Transplanting fetuin-B-deficient ovaries into wild-type recipients restores fertility, indicating that plasma fetuin-B is necessary and sufficient for fertilization. In vitro fertilization of oocytes from fetuin-B-deficient mice only worked after rendering the ZP penetrable by laser perforation. Mechanistically, fetuin-B sustains fertility by inhibiting ovastacin,…

Effects of endurance training on alkaline protease activities in rat skeletal muscles.

1983

This study aimed at comparing the effects of running and swimming training protocols and the termination of training on the activities of two proteases with alkaline pH-optima (alkaline protease and myofibrillar protease) in the tibialis anterior, soleus, and gastrocnemius muscles of male rats. The training on treadmill decreased the activities of alkaline and myofibrillar proteases by approx. 10-20% in the muscles studied. The activities of both proteases were unchanged in swimming-trained rats. Two weeks after the termination of running training the activity of alkaline protease was increased in gastrocnemius muscle but not in the other muscles. Swimming training increased the activity of…

Antihypertensive effects of lactoferrin hydrolyzates: Inhibition of angiotensin- and endothelin-converting enzymes

2013

The potential of bovine lactoferrin (LF) as a source of antihypertensive peptides acting on the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the endothelin (ET) system as dual vasopeptidase inhibitors has been examined. For this purpose enzymatic LF hydrolyzates (LFHs) were generated by trypsin and proteinase K digestions. Permeate fractions with molecular masses lower than 3 kDa (LFH <3 kDa) were orally administered to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Although both LFHs <3 kDa showed in vitro angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity, only proteinase K LFH <3 kDa exerted an in vivo antihypertensive effect. The proteinase K LFH <3 kDa and a previously characterized pepsin LFH <…

Distinct Roles of Classical and Lectin Pathways of Complement in Preeclamptic Placentae

2022

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by defective vascular remodeling in maternal decidua responsible for reduced blood flow leading to functional and structural alterations in the placenta. We have investigated the contribution of the complement system to decidual vascular changes and showed that trophoblasts surrounding unremodeled vessels prevalent in preeclamptic decidua fail to express C1q that are clearly detected in cells around remodeled vessels predominant in control placenta. The critical role of C1q is supported by the finding that decidual trophoblasts of femaleC1qa-/-pregnant mice mated toC1qa+/+male mice surrounding remodeled vessels express C1q of paternal …

Mast Cell Proteases Stimulate Neurogenic and Non-Neurogenic Mucosal Chloride Secretion in Guinea Pig Distal Ileum.

2009

Structure-Guided, Single-Point Modifications in the Phosphinic Dipeptide Structure Yield Highly Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Neutral Aminopepti…

2014

Seven crystal structures of alanyl aminopeptidase from Neisseria meningitides (the etiological agent of meningitis, NmAPN) complexed with organophosphorus compounds were resolved to determine the optimal inhibitor–enzyme interactions. The enantiomeric phosphonic acid analogs of Leu and hPhe, which correspond to the P1 amino acid residues of well-processed substrates, were used to assess the impact of the absolute configuration and the stereospecific hydrogen bond network formed between the aminophosphonate polar head and the active site residues on the binding affinity. For the hPhe analog, an imperfect stereochemical complementarity could be overcome by incorporating an appropriate P1 side…

La regolazione dell’espressione della MMP2 in mesoangioblasti è dipendente dai livelli della proteina Hsp70.

2013

The soluble loop BC region guides, but not dictates, the assembly of the transmembrane cytochrome b6

2017

Studying folding and assembly of naturally occurring α-helical transmembrane proteins can inspire the design of membrane proteins with defined functions. Thus far, most studies have focused on the role of membrane-integrated protein regions. However, to fully understand folding pathways and stabilization of α–helical membrane proteins, it is vital to also include the role of soluble loops. We have analyzed the impact of interhelical loops on folding, assembly and stability of the heme-containing four-helix bundle transmembrane protein cytochrome b6 that is involved in charge transfer across biomembranes. Cytochrome b6 consists of two transmembrane helical hairpins that sandwich two heme mol…

Proenzyme Structure and Activation of Astacin Metallopeptidase

2010

Proteolysis is regulated by inactive (latent) zymogens, with a prosegment preventing access of substrates to the active-site cleft of the enzyme. How latency is maintained often depends on the catalytic mechanism of the protease. For example, in several families of the metzincin metallopeptidases, a >cysteine switch> mechanism involves a conserved prosegment motif with a cysteine residue that coordinates the catalytic zinc ion. Another family of metzincins, the astacins, do not possess a cysteine switch, so latency is maintained by other means. We have solved the high resolution crystal structure of proastacin from the European crayfish, Astacus astacus. Its prosegment is the shortest struc…