Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
 26,722 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In taurine-deficient cats, the secretion of bile acids is impaired, and this impairment may reduce intestinal uptake of lipophilic vitamins. It was therefore hypothesized that retinol deficiency is involved in the generation of retinal lesions in taurine-deficient kittens. To this end, the concentration of retinol in plasma and liver was determined in taurine-deficient kittens. Further, the effects of taurine deficiency on amino acid concentrations of heart, liver and kidney were investigated. To see whether taurine deficiency adversely affects the liver, hepatic enzymes were measured in plasma and liver of kittens suffering from taurine deficiency. In addition, liver morphology, growth and food intake were studied. Taurine was the only amino acid whose concentration was consistently decreased in plasma of the experimental group. Unexpectedly, retinol level was increased in plasma and liver from taurine-depleted kittens. Several alterations were noted in amino acid concentrations in liver and kidney, but not in heart. Plasma alanine aminotransferase activity was diminished, probably reflecting decreased activity in the liver. Perivenular steatosis was found in both groups. Controls grew linearly, in contrast to deficient animals, which nevertheless consumed more food. The results demonstrate that retinol deficiency is not involved in taurine-deficiency retinopathy. Moreover, taurine is required for linear growth of juvenile cats and for the maintenance of hepatic and renal pools of certain amino acids.
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PMID:Elevation of retinol levels and suppression of alanine aminotransferase activity in the liver of taurine-deficient kittens. 221 46

Glucose and other reducing sugars react non-enzymatically with proteins leading to the formation of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) and AGE-derived protein cross-linking. Formation of AGEs is a normal physiological process, which is accelerated under the hyperglycaemic condition in diabetes. Under normal conditions, AGEs build up slowly and accumulate as one ages. Numerous studies have indicated that AGEs contribute to the pathological events leading to diabetic complications, such as age-related diseases, including nephropathy, retinopathy, vasculopathy and neuropathy. Potential therapeutic approaches to prevent these complications include pharmacological inhibition of AGE formation and disruption of pre-formed AGE-protein cross-links. Studies using animal models and preliminary clinical trials have shown the ability of the AGE-inhibitor, pimagedine and the cross-link breaker, ALT-711, to reduce the severity of pathologies of advanced glycosylation. These agents offer potential treatments for glucose-derived complications of diabetes and ageing.
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PMID:Therapeutic potential of AGE inhibitors and breakers of AGE protein cross-links. 1177 1

Long-lived structural proteins, collagen and elastin, undergo continual non-enzymatic crosslinking during aging and in diabetic individuals. This abnormal protein crosslinking is mediated by advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated by non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins by glucose. The AGE-derived protein crosslinking of structural proteins contributes to the complications of long-term diabetes such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. AGE-crosslinks have also been implicated in age-related cardiovascular diseases. Potential treatment strategies for these AGE-derived complications include prevention of AGE-formation and breaking of the existing AGE-crosslinks. The therapeutic potential of the AGE-inhibitor, pimagedine (aminoguanidine), has been extensively investigated in animal models and in Phase 3 clinical trials. This review presents the pre-clinical and clinical studies using ALT-711, a highly potent AGE-crosslink breaker that has the ability to reverse already-formed AGE-crosslinks. Oral administration of ALT-711 has resulted in a rapid improvement in the elasticity of stiffened myocardium in experimental animals. Topical administration of ALT-711 was effective in improving the skin hydration of aged rats. The therapeutic potential of crosslink breakers for cardiovascular complications and dermatological alterations associated with aging and diabetes is discussed.
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PMID:Therapeutic potential of breakers of advanced glycation end product-protein crosslinks. 1456 12