Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.27.4 (ribonuclease)
6,621 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductase was purified from chicken heart by ammonium sulfate fractionation, and DEAE-Sephadex, hydroxylapatite and phosphocellulose chromatography. Two peaks of activity were resolved during the phosphocellulose chromatographic step. Both peaks were stimulated by a substance that was not bound to the phosphocellulose column. This stimulatory substance was destroyed by treatment with phosphodiesterase and 0.1 M NaOH. It was heat-stable (100 degrees, 2 min), nondialyzable, and resistant to treatment with pronase, ribonuclease, and deoxyribonuclease; but it was dialyzable after heating or digestion with pronase. Sodium pyrophosphate also enhanced the activities of the prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductases as did angiotensin I; but not angiotensin II. In the presence of 3':5'-cyclic AMP, AMP, or several other ribonucleotides, the enhancing effects of the natural stimulatory substance, sodium pyrophosphate or angiotensin I were blocked, but these ribonucleotides themselves had little effect on the enzymes activity. The substrate specificities of the two prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductases were also studied. Both the 9-keto group and the 15-keto group of 15-ketoprostaglandin F2 alpha could be converted to the corresponding hydroxyl group; the 15-keto group was reduced faster than the 9-keto group. Prostaglandin D2, a prostaglandin with a 9-hydroxyl and an 11-keto group, could not be converted to prostaglandin F2 alpha nor could cyclohexanone be converted to cyclohexanol by the prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductase.
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PMID:Purification and regulatory properties of chicken heart prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductase. 16 95

Sex steroids and oxytocin (OT) produced within intrauterine tissues have been implicated in the regulation of parturition. The purpose of these studies was 1) to determine the relationships among estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), OT, and their receptors in uterine tissues during late gestation and parturition in the rat; 2) to observe the effects of the estrogen antagonist tamoxifen (TAM) on these factors; and 3) to evaluate the rat as a potential model for events at human parturition. Concentrations of E2, P4, PGE2, and OT were measured by RIA. E2 receptor (ER) was measured by enzyme immunoassay, and P4 receptor (PR) and OT receptor (OTR) were measured by binding assays. OT messenger RNA (mRNA) was measured by ribonuclease protection assay. Groups (n = 5) of pregnant rats (normal gestation = 22 days) were treated with TAM (200 mg/day) or vehicle and killed on gestation day 19, 21, 21.5, or 22 or after delivery of the first pup. Serum E2 increased throughout late gestation accompanied by an increase in uterine OT mRNA and ER. Serum P4 declined after day 19, and uterine PR did not change significantly. Uterine PGE2 increased progressively, reaching peak levels the evening before delivery. Uterine OTR did not increase until the morning of delivery, and uterine OT peptide concentrations increased only during parturition. Parturition was significantly delayed by 24 h in the TAM-treated group. TAM inhibited the increase in serum E2, uterine ER, and OT mRNA and peptide, but had no effect on serum P4 or uterine PR levels. With TAM, the responses of uterine OTR and PGE2 were significantly delayed, but still underwent a significant increase before the delayed parturition. These results support the hypothesis that E2 stimulates the synthesis of ER, OT, and OTR within the rat uterus and is essential for normal parturition. P4 withdrawal may be more important to the increases in OTR and PGE2, but these are delayed in the absence of estrogen. These data also suggest that the rat may be a relevant model for human parturition.
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PMID:Relationships among sex steroids, oxytocin, and their receptors in the rat uterus during late gestation and at parturition. 875 42

1 The role of nitric oxide (NO) derived from constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthase (cNOS and iNOS) and its relationship to oxygen-derived free radicals and prostaglandins (PG) was investigated in a carrageenan-induced model of acute hindpaw inflammation. 2 The intraplantar injection of carrageenan elicited an inflammatory response that was characterized by a time-dependent increase in paw oedema, neutrophil infiltration, and increased levels of nitrite/nitrate (NO2-/NO3-) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) in the paw exudate. 3 Paw oedema was maximal by 6 h and remained elevated for 10 h following carrageenan administration. The non-selective cNOS/iNOS inhibitors, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) given intravenously (30-300 mg kg-1) 1 h before or after carrageenan administration, inhibited paw oedema at all time points. 4 The selective iNOS inhibitors, N-iminoethyl-L-lysine (L-NIL) or aminoguanidine (AG), failed to inhibit carrageenan-induced paw oedema during the first 4 h following carrageenan administration, but inhibited paw oedema at subsequent time points (from 5-10 h). iNOS mRNA was detected between 3 to 10 h following carrageenan administration using ribonuclease protection assays. iNOS protein was first detected 6 h and was maximal 10 h following carrageenan administration as shown by Western blot analysis. Administration of the iNOS inhibitors 5 h after carrageenan (a time point where iNOS was expressed) inhibited paw oedema at all subsequent time points. Infiltrating neutrophils were not the source of iNOS since pretreatment with colchicine (2 mg kg-1) suppressed neutrophil infiltration, but did not inhibit the iNOS mRNA expression or the elevated NO2-/NO3- levels in the paw exudate. 5 Inhibition of paw oedema by the NOS inhibitors was associated with attenuation of both the NO2-/NO3- and PGE2 levels in the paw exudate. These inhibitors also reduced the neutrophil infiltration at the site of inflammation. 6 Recombinant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase coupled to polyethyleneglycol (PEGrhSOD; 12 x 10(3) u kg-1), administered intravenously either 30 min prior to or 1 h after carrageenan injection, inhibited paw oedema and neutrophil infiltration, but had no effect on NO2-/NO3- or PGE2 production in the paw exudate. The administration of catalase (40 x 10(3) u kg-1), given intraperitoneally 30 min before carrageenan administration, had no effect on paw oedema. Treatment with desferrioxamine (300 mg kg-1), given subcutaneously 1 h before carrageenan, inhibited paw oedema during the first 2 h after carrageenan administration, but not at later times. 7 These results suggest that the NO produced by cNOS is involved in the development of inflammation at early time points following carrageenan administration and that NO produced by iNOS is involved in the maintenance of the inflammatory response at later time points. The potential interactions of NO with superoxide anion and PG is discussed.
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PMID:Nitric oxide: a key mediator in the early and late phase of carrageenan-induced rat paw inflammation. 879 51

A cDNA clone of prostaglandin (PG) E receptor EP1 subtype (rEP1) was isolated from a rat uterus cDNA library. It encodes 405 amino acid residues with seven transmembrane-spanning domains and couples to Ca2+ mobilization. In addition, three cDNA clones encoding a variant form of rEP1 were isolated. The open reading frame can code a 366-amino acid protein carrying a specific change of 49 amino acids from the middle of transmembrane segment VI to COOH terminus; it possesses a transmembrane segment VII-like structure lacking an intracellular COOH-terminal tail. Southern blot analysis of rat genomic DNA and genomic polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that these cDNAs were derived from a single copy gene. Northern blot analysis and ribonuclease protection assay revealed that both rEP1 and rEP1-variant receptor mRNAs were highly expressed in the kidney. Immunoblot with an antibody directed toward the specific region of rEP1-variant receptor showed that rEP1-variant receptor protein was expressed in the membrane of the kidney and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with rEP1-variant cDNA. Thus, the rEP1-variant receptor is translated from mRNA which is not spliced at nucleotide position 952 in the segment VI transmembrane region. rEP1-variant receptor retained the ligand binding activity with affinity and specificity similar to rEP1 receptor, but lost the coupling of signal transduction systems by itself. However, when rEP1-variant receptor was stably co-expressed with rEP1 receptor in CHO cells, the Ca2+ mobilization mediated by EP1 receptor was significantly suppressed. Furthermore, when rEP1-variant receptor was expressed in CHO cells, cAMP formation by activation of endogenous EP4 receptor was strongly blocked. These results suggest that the rEP1-variant receptor may affect the efficiency of signal coupling of PGE receptors and attenuate the action of PGE2 on tissues.
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PMID:Suppression of prostaglandin E receptor signaling by the variant form of EP1 subtype. 894 Jan 29

Oxytocin (OT) and its receptor (OTR) are synthesized in the endometrium and myometrium of the pregnant rat during late gestation. Both are regulated by estrogen and progesterone (P4), and tissue concentrations of both increase markedly before parturition. The P4 antagonist RU486 will induce parturition in the rat. The purpose of the present studies was to investigate changes in OT and OTR messenger RNA (mRNA) and peptide synthesis within the pregnant rat uterus during RU486-induced parturition. Pregnant rats were given a single injection of RU486 (2.5 mg/rat in oil) on day 15 of pregnancy (normal delivery occurs on day 22). Control animals received injections of oil only. Groups of animals (n = 5 in each group) were euthanized at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after injection and during labor (immediately after delivery of the first pup). Maternal serum estradiol (E2), P4 and uterine OT, and PGE2 concentrations were measured by RIA. Prostaglandin F2alpha and estrogen receptor levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). OTR and P4 receptor (PR) were measured using radioligand-binding assays. OT, OTR, and estrogen receptor mRNAs were measured with ribonuclease protection assays. The average time to delivery, after RU486 injection, was 27.0 +/- 1.2 h. Serum E2 and P4 levels were increased slightly, but significantly, at 24 h after RU486. In controls, OT mRNA increased significantly, and this increase was blocked in the RU486 treatment group. OTR mRNA levels increased within 6 h of RU486 and remained elevated until delivery. OTR peptide was increased by 12 h. PGE2 and PGF2alpha were increased 3-fold and 16-fold, respectively, but not until after the increase in OTR had occurred. We conclude that the mechanism of action of RU486 is to inhibit the P4 suppression of OTR synthesis, allowing increased expression of OTR, which may directly stimulate myometrial contractions or act indirectly through increased synthesis of PGs.
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PMID:Effects of RU486 on estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and their receptors in the rat uterus during late gestation. 920 15

The therapeutic efficacy and antiovulatory properties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is attributed to their ability to suppress prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (PGS) activity. Given the likely role of interleukin (IL)-1 in the inflammatory (and probably the ovulatory) process, we set out to evaluate whether the antiovulatory property of NSAIDs is attributable, in part, to the inhibition of ovarian IL-1 action. Whole ovarian dispersates from immature rats were cultured under serum-free conditions in the absence or presence of the indicated agents. At the conclusion of the culture period, total RNA was extracted and probed for transcripts corresponding to PGS-1, PGS-2, IL-1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) or type I IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) by a solution hybridization/ribonuclease protection assay. Treatment with indomethacin was without significant effect on the early (1 h) response to IL-1beta; however, it led to complete and highly significant dose-dependent blockade of the late (48 h) response to IL-1beta as assessed in terms of PGS-2 transcripts, proteins and activity. The addition of PGE2 to cells augmented the ability of IL-1beta to upregulate PGS-2 transcripts. Moreover, the addition of PGE2 to indomethacin-treated cells all but reversed the ability of indomethacin to suppress the IL-1beta effect at both the PGS-2 transcript and protein levels. The upregulation by IL-1 of IL-1beta, IL-1R and IL-1RA transcripts was similarly inhibited by indomethacin. Taken together, these observations suggest that the anti-ovulatory property of NSAIDs may be due, in part, to blockade of the late, prostanoid-dependent component of ovarian IL-1 action.
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PMID:Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) block the late, prostanoid-dependent/ceramide-independent component of ovarian IL-1 action: implications for the ovulatory process. 1061 94

Inhalation of crystalline (CS) and amorphous silica (AS) results in human pulmonary inflammation. However, silicosis develops only following CS exposure, and the pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood. This report describes the differential abilities of CS and AS to directly upregulate the early inflammatory mediator COX-2, the recently identified prostaglandin E (PGE) synthase and the downstream mediator PGE2 in primary human lung fibroblasts. Increased cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 gene transcription and protein production were demonstrated by ribonuclease protection assay, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry. In each case the ability of AS to induce COX-2 exceeded that of CS. Similarly, downstream of COX-2, production of the antifibrotic prostaglandin PGE2 was induced in a dose-dependent fashion, but AS was significantly more potent (maximal production: CS = 4,710 pg/ml and AS = 7,651 pg/ml). These increases in COX-2 and PGE2 were preceded by induction of the PGE2 synthase protein, demonstrating the potential role of this novel molecule in silica-mediated inflammation. There was specificity of induction of prostaglandins, as PGF2alpha, but not PGD2, was induced. Using specific COX-2 inhibitors, we showed increased PG production to be dependent on the COX-2 enzyme. Furthermore, stimulation of fibroblasts was particle specific, as silica but not carbon black resulted in fibroblast activation. These results demonstrate that silica can directly stimulate human lung fibroblasts to produce key inflammatory enzymes and prostaglandins. Moreover, they suggest a mechanism to explain the differing fibrogenic potential of CS and AS. The molecules COX-2, PGE synthase, and PGE2 are identified as effectors in silicosis.
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PMID:Crystalline and amorphous silica differentially regulate the cyclooxygenase-prostaglandin pathway in pulmonary fibroblasts: implications for pulmonary fibrosis. 1566 45