Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.1 (aspartate aminotransferase)
 21,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Persistent nephrotic syndrome is frequently accompanied by severe hyperlipidemia, and this may pose a substantial risk for cardiovascular disease. Lipid-lowering drugs are prescribed by many nephrologists for adult patients but rarely for nephrotic children. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gemfibrozil in nephrotic children. Eight girls and four boys aged from 5 to 17 years were enrolled in this study. They were all steroid and immunosuppressive resistant patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Placebo was administered to five patients and gemfibrozil was administered to seven patients for four months. Blood samples were taken for the determination of cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), BUN, serum creatinine (Scr), ALT, AST, CPK, apolipoprotein A (apo A), apoliporotein B (apo B), and serum albumin levels during the initial and subsequent examinations. At the end of the fourth month, gemfibrozil reduced total cholesterol by 34%, LDL by 30%, apo B by 21% and triglycerides by 53% (p < 0.05). HDL cholesterol and apo A levels were not significantly altered. Renal function and urine protein excretion were not affected by gemfibrozil. In this study gemfibrozil therapy had no side effects and had favorable effects on the lipoprotein profile of nephrotic patients.
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PMID:The effects of gemfibrozil on hyperlipidemia in children with persistent nephrotic syndrome. 1185 78

For many years, cardiac markers have been used to assist cardiologists in the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiovascular disease. At first, enzyme activities of aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase have been used in diagnosing patients with chest pain in order to differentiate those with acute myocardial infarction. In the field of cardiac markers, emphasis is currently put on the use of protein markers such as myoglobin, and cardiac troponin T or I. Troponins are very highly cardiac specific and their concentration in blood increase only from four to six hours after the onset of chest pain. Today we obligatorily use two markers, the first being the early one (myoglobin, isoform of creatine kinase), which is very sensitive and shows up in the circulation one to two hours after myocardial damage. Confirmation of myocardial damage can be obtained by definite markers (troponin I or T), which are highly specific of myocardial damage.
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PMID:[Biochemical markers in acute coronary syndrome]. 1520 94

Nicotine, a major toxic component of cigarette smoke, plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. In the present study, we have synthesized an analog of curcumin and biomonitored its influence over biochemical marker enzymes and lipid profiles on nicotine-induced toxicity in Wistar rats. The effects were compared with that of curcumin, a well-known antioxidant and anti-hyperlipidemic agent. Toxicity was induced by subcutaneous injection of nicotine at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg of body weight (5 days a week, for 22 weeks), and curcumin (80 mg/kg) was given simultaneously along with nicotine by intragastric intubation for 22 weeks. Measurements of activities of the biochemical marker enzymes aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase and of plasma lipid profiles were used to monitor the anti-hyperlipidemic effects of curcuminoids. In nicotine-treated rats, enhanced plasma marker enzymes and lipid profiles were observed. Administration of curcumin or curcumin analog to nicotine-treated rats significantly reduced the activity of marker enzymes and plasma lipid levels. Thus, our findings suggest that curcumin and its analog exert an anti-hyperlipidemic effect against nicotine-induced lung toxicity and may be a promising agent for treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Modulatory effects of curcumin and curcumin analog on circulatory lipid profiles during nicotine-induced toxicity in Wistar rats. 1611 19

Inhibitors for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are under investigation for the treatment of various important chronic illnesses, including cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, MMP-13 is currently being probed as a potential key target in CVD and malignant disease due to its documented effects on extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, important in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Within the family of related mammalian MMP enzymes, MMP-13 possesses a large hydrophobic binding pocket relative to that of other MMPs. Homochiral astaxanthin (3S,3'S-AST; 3S,3'S-dihydroxy-beta,beta-carotene-4,4'-dione), an important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory xanthophyll carotenoid, is an active metabolite of several novel soft drugs in clinical development; it is also extensively used and tested as a human nutraceutical. In the current study, the prediction of the geometry and energetics of its binding to human MMP-13 was conducted with molecular modeling. The method used was found to predict the energy of binding of known ligands of MMP-13 with great precision. Blind docking using the whole protein target was then used in order to identify the possible binding site(s) of AST. AST was predicted to bind at several sites in close proximity to the active center. Subsequent analyses focused on the binding site at the atomic (i.e., amino acid sequence) level suggested that AST can bind to MMP-13 with high affinity and favorable energetics. Therefore, the modeling study predicts potential direct enzyme-inhibitory activity of AST against MMP-13, a behavior that may be exploited in mammalian systems in which pathological upregulation of MMP activity is paramount.
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PMID:Molecular modeling of non-covalent binding of homochiral (3S,3'S)-astaxanthin to matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13). 1671 95

Biochemical traits such as plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) and uric acid are associated with obesity, and with risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Each is subject to genetic influences, but little is known about changes in genetic and environmental influences on these traits over time. We investigated the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to variation in these biochemical traits in adolescent twins and their nontwin siblings from 965 twin families. Twins were studied at ages 12, 14 and 16 years. Multivariate genetic models that included effects of age and sex were fitted to determine whether the same or different genetic or environmental factors influence each trait at different ages. Results showed that the genetic factors influencing AST, ALT, GGT and uric acid change over time during adolescence, and that the magnitude of these effects differs between males and females. The nonshared environment effects were generally time specific. There are developmental changes in genes affecting these traits during adolescence.
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PMID:A longitudinal genetic study of uric acid and liver enzymes in adolescent twins. 1790 17

This paper reports on the effect of GCP-02, a dual activator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha/gamma (PPARalpha/gamma), on glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin-resistant obese mice induced by monosodium glutamate. The mice were divided into four groups on the basis of treatment: control group, rosiglitazone (positive control) (7 micromol/kg), and low- and high-dosage GCP-02 (7 micromol/kg and 3.5 micromol/kg, respectively). Drugs were given orally once a day for 19 days, and mice underwent testing for insulin tolerance, oral glucose tolerance and gluconeogenesis, and plasma cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels. Mice were sacrificed, and body length and weight were measured; intraperitoneal adipose, heart and liver weighed; and plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity measured. Liver, soleus muscle and myocardium were assayed for glycogen, triglyceride and free fatty acid content and myocardia tested for superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malonaldehyde content. RT-PCR revealed expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 and 2 (IRS1, IRS2) and related genes in liver. GCP-02 had a more powerful effect than rosiglitazone on improving insulin sensitivity, ameliorating glucose tolerance, suppressing L-alanine-induced gluconeogenesis, and decreasing plasma levels of cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid. It reduced body weight in control mice, significantly lowered hepatic content of glycogen, triglyceride and free fatty acid and myocardial content of triglyceride, and increased myocardial SOD activity. IRS2 mRNA was down-regulated in control mice but up-regulated by GCP-02. Thus, GCP-02 is a potential candidate for the prevention and therapy of diseases associated with insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.
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PMID:Effect of GCP-02, a PPARalpha/gamma dual activator, on glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin-resistant mice. 1804 28

The aim of the study was to assess gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the prediction of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in subjects free from hepatic diseases other than nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The present analysis was performed on the cohort of subjects enrolled in the Firenze Bagno a Ripoli (FIBAR) study, a screening program for diabetes performed between 1 March 2001 and 31 December 2003 in the city of Florence on 3124 subjects who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Incident cases of diabetes in nondiabetic subjects (n = 2662) were obtained through databases of drug prescriptions, hospital admissions, and lists of subjects eligible for reimbursement. Incident CVD in subjects free of diabetes and CVD at enrollment (n = 2617) was identified through hospital admissions and through the register of causes of death. Mean follow-up was 39.6 +/- 12.0 months and 39.8 +/- 11.4 months for diabetes and CVD, respectively. Yearly incidence of diabetes and CVD was 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively. After adjustment for age and sex, gamma-GT >40 U/L was associated with increased incidence of diabetes and CVD (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.54 [1.26-5.11], P < .05 and 2.21 [0.98-5.43], P < .10, respectively). Risk of diabetes, but not of CVD, was increased in patients with gamma-GT in the 25- to 40-U/L range. After adjustment for confounders, AST >40 U/L predicted CVD (hazard ratio, 6.5 [95% confidence interval, 1.5-28.1]), but not diabetes. Elevated gamma-GT or AST is an independent predictor of CVD. An increase of gamma-GT levels above the reference range, or also in the upper reference range, is an independent predictor of incident diabetes.
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PMID:Liver enzymes and risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease: results of the Firenze Bagno a Ripoli (FIBAR) study. 1824 12

Intake of tea flavonoids has been reported to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. The present study was undertaken to investigate the preventive effect of (-)epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on heart weight, cardiac marker enzymes, membrane-bound ATPases and electrolytes in isoprenaline (ISO)-induced myocardial infarcted (MI) Wistar rats. Rats subcutaneously administered ISO 100 mgkg(-1) at intervals of 24 h for 2 days resulted in significant increases in heart weight and the activities of cardiac marker enzymes such as creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase in serum, and significant decreases in the activities of these enzymes in the myocardium. ISO injection also increased levels of LDH isoenzymes (LDH 1 and LDH 2). The activity of Na+/K+ ATPase was decreased significantly and the activities of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ATPases were increased significantly in ISO-induced MI rats. Furthermore, the levels of potassium were lowered and the levels of sodium and calcium were increased in ISO-induced MI rats. Prior treatment with EGCG (10, 20 and 30 mgkg(-1)) daily for a period of 21 days reduced the effects of ISO on heart weight, activities of cardiac marker enzymes and membrane bound-ATPases and levels of LDH 1 and LDH 2 and electrolytes. Thus, EGCG exhibits beneficial effects on these enzymes and electrolytes. The observed effects may be due to the antioxidant and membrane-stabilizing effects of EGCG in ISO-induced MI rats.
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PMID:(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents isoprenaline-induced cardiac marker enzymes and membrane-bound ATPases. 1825 Oct 87

Blood lipids and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are used to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We evaluated in a cross-sectional design the relationship of hsCRP to markers of liver function (aspartate and alanine transaminases [AST and ALT, respectively]), CVD risk factors and HIV-disease progression markers in 226 HIV-1 sero-positive drug users. hsCRP showed a significant inverse relationship with ALT and high-density lipoprotein, independent of age, gender, viral load, CD4 cell-count and antiretroviral (ARV) use, and was not significantly associated with HIV-disease progression markers. Serum markers of liver damage, AST and ALT, were associated with lower hsCRP, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides. Elevated liver enzymes (> or =40 IU/L) were predictive of hsCRP levels that are considered a low risk for CVD. In conclusion, hsCRP may not be a reliable marker of CVD risk in populations with HIV at-risk for elevated liver enzymes due to high hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus prevalence and ARV use.
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PMID:C-reactive protein: a poor marker of cardiovascular disease risk in HIV+ populations with a high prevalence of elevated serum transaminases. 1859 80

Apelin, a newly discovered adipocytokine produced by white adipose tissue, is also expressed in kidney and heart. It has been reported that apelin is related to echocardiographic features in hemodialyzed patients. Cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to the mortality and morbidity among patients with chronic renal failure as well as kidney allograft recipients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between apelin and coronary artery disease (CAD) among kidney allograft recipients. We investigated plasma apelin levels in 100 clinically stable, kidney allograft recipients with versus without CAD. We also assessed markers of endothelial cell injury-von Villebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and CD146; markers of inflammation-high-sensitivity-reactive protein (hsCRP); other hemostatic parameters-tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1); as well as other adipocytokines-adiponectin and resistin-using commercially available kits. Markers of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation were significantly elevated among patients with CAD levels, as well as with CAD or diabetes, compared with those without CAD. Apelin was significantly lower among patients with CAD, but higher in diabetic patients. Apelin content was similar in hypertensive versus normotensive kidney allograft recipients. We observed significant correlations between apelin and ICAM, resistin, adiponectin, calcium, phosphate, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase levels, with CAD or diabetes. Upon multiple regression analysis as well as CAD, adiponectin, and ICAM were predictors of apelin. Apelin was significantly reduced in kidney allograft recipients with CAD; its level was predicted by the presence of CAD, endothelial damage, or inflammation. Apelin and other adipocytokines may be associated with inflammation and its clinical consequences.
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PMID:Apelin, a novel adipocytokine, in relation to endothelial function and inflammation in kidney allograft recipients. 1910 Apr 14


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