Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
 14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alterations in the metabolic functions of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). In an investigation of this possibility, 30 trabeculectomy specimens from patients with POAG were examined histochemically for 11 lysosomal and membrane-bound enzymes. The patients ranged from 48 to 87 years in age. The degree of enzyme staining was compared with that of 15 age-matched controls obtained from an eye bank at less than 24 h after death. There was no history of eye disease in the controls. The enzymes examined were: dipeptidylpeptidases II and IV (DPPII and IV); beta-glucuronidase (beta-GLUC); acid-beta-galactosidase (s beta-GAL); N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG); nonspecific esterase (UE); acid phosphatase (SP); alkaline phosphatase (ALP); gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT); and aminopeptidase A and M (APA and APM). Evaluation of the specimens was performed by two observers and by computer-aided optic densitometry. Results showed increased staining of SP, UE, GGT and APM in the pathological specimens as compared with the controls. SP and UE indicate phagocytic activity, APM is involved in collagen turnover and GGT participates in both drug detoxification and the breakdown of glutathione in the gamma-glutamyl cycle. Our observations show different hydrolase activities in the TM cells of human glaucomatous eyes as compared with normal values, suggesting that such metabolic differences may be related to the pathogenesis of POAG.
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PMID:Increased hydrolase activities in the human trabecular meshwork of glaucomatous eyes. 809 35

The distributions of the hydrolases acid and alkaline phosphatase (AP and ALP), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), beta-glucuronidase (beta-Gluc), beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal), non-specific esterase (UE), dipeptidylpeptidases II and IV (DPPII and DPPIV), aminopeptidases M and A (APM and APA), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were investigated in the human, pig and Lewis rat normal anterior segment by histochemical methods. The distribution of the above hydrolases, particularly that of proteases, varied between ocular tissues and between the three species. Lysosomal hydrolases together with GGT and ALP were consistently active in the corneal epithelium, stroma and endothelium in all three species; the corneal distribution and activity of beta-Gal, APM, APA and DPPIV, however, displayed interspecies variation. The angular tissues showed similarities for most hydrolases with the exceptions of beta-Gal, UE, APM, APA and DPPIV. In all eyes examined strong ciliary epithelial activity for AP, beta-Gal, UE, GGT and ALP was observed in the pars plicata; only the pig eye also displayed strong DPPIV activity in this area. Regional differences in hydrolase distribution in the iris were observed in all species. A post-mortem freezing delay of longer than 24 h resulted in a decrease in hydrolase activity.
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PMID:Hydrolases of anterior segment tissues in the normal human, pig and rat eye: a comparative study. 818 69