Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.20 (alpha-glucosidase)
 4,237 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The serum concentrations of FSH, LH, prolactin, testosterone, and estradiol and the enzymatic activities of hyaluronidase, glucosidases (alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, and beta-galactosidase), lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes (LDH1, LDH2, LDH3, LDH-X, LDH4), and total proteins were measured in the semen of 69 subjects (8 normozoospermic controls, 7 secretory, and 54 excretory azoospermic subjects). FSH levels rose with the deterioration in spermatogenesis and served to differentiate the secretory from the excretory azoospermias. The only source of hyaluronidase and LDH-X in the ejaculate is the spermatozoa. alpha-Glucosidase activity essentially originates in the epididymis. The seminal determination of alpha-glucosidase and, to a lesser extent, alpha-mannosidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase helps rapidly, sensitivity, reliably, and noninvasively to differentiate secretory azoospermias (with higher enzymatic activity) from the excretory type (less enzymatic activity) and may be of use in identifying with a certain degree of reliability the site of obstruction in the male genital tract.
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PMID:Enzyme and hormonal markers in the differential diagnosis of human azoospermia. 153 Mar 67

The effects of simvastatin 40 mg per day for 14 weeks on the pituitary-testis axis of 19 men with familial hypercholesterolaemia have been examined in a single-blind study. Simvastatin significantly reduced serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides by 45% and 30%, respectively, and significantly increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 15%. The alterations, which were stable 4 weeks after the start of treatment, were not associated with any significant change in sperm quality, the seminal plasma concentrations of various sex gland products (prostate-specific acid phosphatase, polyamines, citrate, fructose, alpha-glucosidase), or the serum concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, LH, FSH, or prolactin. It is concluded that a short-term reduction in circulating LDL-cholesterol has no marked effect on testicular function or sperm quality.
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PMID:Short-term effects of treatment with simvastatin on testicular function in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. 154 17

Prolactin and alpha-1,4-glucosidase levels in seminal plasma were measured in poorly coagulated (I), deficiently coagulated (II) and normally coagulated (III and IV) human ejaculates having 0-20%, 21-50% and 51-100% coagulum respectively 4 min after emission. The prolactin concentration (ng ml-1, mean +/- SEM) in poorly coagulated (5.2 +/- 0.48) and deficiently coagulated (7.6 +/- 0.72) samples was significantly lower than in the normally coagulated groups III (51-75% coagulum, 8.2 +/- 0.43) and IV (76-100% coagulum, 9.9 +/- 0.59) as well as the presumably fertile samples (9.2 +/- 0.74). A highly significant positive correlation was observed between the prolactin level and the percentage coagulum of the ejaculates (r = 0.686, n = 58, P less than 0.001). In contrast, the epididymal marker, alpha-glucosidase showed no relationship to seminal coagulation.
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PMID:Prolactin and alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity in normal and poorly coagulated human semen. 206 61

Several short- or long-term and longitudinal or cross-sectional studies have been conducted to ascertain the effect of vasectomy on circulating levels of gonadotropic and gonadal hormones and the function of assessory sex organs. Vasectomy does not cause noticeable changes in pituitary testicular axis. Changes, when they occur, are marginal and the hormone levels are still within normal physiological limits. The secretory function of both the prostate and the epididymis are changed as a result of vasectomy. There is a 2-fold increase in acid phosphatase in semen after vasectomy, indicating hyperfunction of the prostate. Both prostatic secretions and epididymal secretions decrease after vasectomy. 1 group of 12 men vasectomized for 1 week to 8 years were reanastomized and followed up for 12 months. Semen volume, seminal critic acid, maltase, glycerophosphorylcholine, prolactin, zinc, and magnesium returned to normal levels within 6 months, some within 1 month.
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PMID:Endocrine and accessory sex organ function after vasectomy and vasovasostomy. 679 97

The seminal plasma constituents of acid phosphatase, maltase, citric acid, prolactin, zinc and magnesium were measured in men vasectomized for 1-8 years. Compared with values obtained for a group of normal fertile men, all the constituents, except acid phosphatase which was unchanged, decreased significantly after vasectomy, but not progressively so. Since the constituents measured are believed to be of prostatic origin, the results suggest that vasectomy in men decreases the secretory function of the prostate gland.
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PMID:Long-term effects of vasectomy on prostatic function in men. 700 Oct 4

Results from our laboratory have revealed that seminal plasma concentration of acid phosphatase, maltase, prolactin, citric acid, zinc and magnesium which are the secretory products of the prostate gland, decreased significantly in vasectomized men compared to those in controls namely normal fertile men. Further, it was observed that the decrease in prostatic function was not related to the time since vasectomy. Considering these two facts together, we propose that vasectomy may lead to decrease in the incidence of prostatic tumors - a disease that claims nearly 22,000 lives each year in the United States alone.
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PMID:Can vasectomy reduce the incidence of prostatic tumor? 704 1

Prolactin proteolysis by rat pituitary homogenates was assayed by measuring the release of trichloroacetic acid-soluble peptides from 125I-labelled rat prolactin. There was a distinct optimum at pH 4.3, with only trace amounts of activity at neutral and alkaline pH. Rat pituitary homogenates were subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation by sucrose density gradient centrifugation in a Beaufay automatic zonal rotor. The principal organelles were characterized by their respective marker enzymes, including: cytosol (lactate dehydrogenase); plasma membrane (5'-nucleotidase); lysosomes (N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase); mitochondria (particulate malate dehydrogenase); endoplasmic reticulum (neutral alpha-glucosidase); prolactin granules (radioimmunoassayable prolactin). Acid prolactin protease had a similar distribution to the lysosomal marker enzymes. A localisation of the activity to lysosomes was confirmed by subcellular fractionation experiments in which the lysosomes were selectively disrupted with low concentrations of the membrane perturbant, digitonin. Experiments with specific inhibitors of the lysosomal cathepsins indicate that both cathepsins B and D are implicated in pituitary prolactin proteolysis.
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PMID:Analytical subcellular fractionation of rat pituitary homogenates, with special reference to prolactin proteolysis by lysosomes. 729 6

Androgens in seminal plasma have been investigated in relation to other markers of the male reproductive system. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured by radioimmunoassay after paper chromatography in 104 semen samples. Concentrations of testosterone and DHT were significantly lower in samples from patients with abnormal sperm characteristics than in men with normozoospermia. Both testosterone and DHT were correlated significantly with sperm concentration (r = 0.40, p < 0.001; r = 0.41, p < 0.001, respectively), motile sperm concentration (r = 0.35, p < 0.01; r = 0.35, p < 0.01) and ATP concentration (r = 0.59, p < 0.001; r = 0.45, p < 0.001). In addition, the total amounts of testosterone and DHT were correlated with total activity of alpha-glucosidase (r = 0.49, p < 0.001; r = 0.58, p < 0.01), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (r = 0.49, p < 0.001; r = 0.48, p < 0.001) in seminal plasma. Transferrin (Tf) concentration in seminal plasma was significantly lower in samples without spermatozoa, and total Tf content was lower in oligozoospermic samples (p < 0.05). Testosterone and DHT were correlated positively with Tf levels in seminal plasma (r = 0.48, p < 0.0001; r = 0.78, p < 0.0001 respectively). Testosterone, DHT and Tf in seminal plasma were higher in the first than in the second fraction of split ejaculates, and DHT, but not testosterone, increased significantly in each of six patients treated with tamoxifen. Testosterone, DHT, and Tf in seminal plasma were not correlated with serum concentrations of LH, FSH, testosterone or prolactin, but the DHT : T ratio in seminal plasma was correlated with serum LH (r = 0.36, p < 0.05). It is concluded that the concentration of androgens in seminal plasma is related predominantly to the activity of the seminiferous epithelium and, to a lesser extent, to the function of the accessory sex glands.
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PMID:Androgens in seminal plasma: markers of the surface epithelium of the male reproductive tract. 856 98

The growth and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract during development is influenced by diverse genetic and growth factors. Since prolactin is abundant in amniotic fluid and breast milk, we hypothesized that it may also affect gut development. The effect of prolactin on thymidine incorporation and tissue alkaline phosphatase, maltase and lactase activity was studied on jejunal explants from fetal, newborn and 2 week-old rats. The results were compared with the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) under identical experimental conditions. Prolactin induced a significant increase in proliferation and a two- to threefold increase in maltase and alkaline phosphatase activity of the newborn explants. The effect of prolactin in this group compared to that of EGF was significantly greater with respect to proliferation, and almost identical with respect to the hydrolases studied. These results suggest that prolactin might have a role in the process of growth and maturation of the gut mucosa during ontogeny.
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PMID:A possible role of prolactin on growth and maturation of the gut during development in the rat. 1209 87