Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.31 (beta-glucuronidase)
 7,680 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Evidence is accumulating that cigarette smoking plays an important role in the protease-antiprotease imbalance in alpha 1-antitrypsin-sufficient emphysema. Since most smokers, however, do not develop emphysema, it has to be presumed that other factors in addition to smoking contribute to the origin of the imbalance. The major source of proteases is the polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN). We tested the hypothesis that an abnormality in the releasability of PMN might predispose for the development of emphysema. Therefore, the release of elastase, myeloperoxidase, and beta-glucuronidase from PMN was investigated in patients with emphysema and healthy controls, matched for sex, age, and smoking habits. PMN were isolated from peripheral blood and stimulated with calcium-ionophore A23187, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), and serum-treated zymosan (STZ). Total enzyme content of PMN was measured after cell lysis with Triton X-100. Total elastase, myeloperoxidase, and beta-glucuronidase content of PMN were not significantly different in healthy subjects and patients with emphysema. In vitro release of elastase and myeloperoxidase from both stimulated and unstimulated PMN was not significantly different in healthy subjects and emphysematous patients. Moreover, no differences were found between smoking and ex-smoking individuals. Beta-glucuronidase release tended to be lower in patients with emphysema than in healthy controls. We conclude that an abnormality in the releasability of peripheral PMN is unlikely to be a pathogenetic factor in emphysema.
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PMID:In vitro release of neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase and beta-glucuronidase in patients with emphysema and healthy subjects. 166 65

Endogenous ligands for the hepatic lectin which is specific for mannose and N-acetylglucosamine (mannan-binding protein, MBP) were isolated from rat liver rough microsomes and primary cultured hepatocytes by affinity chromatography on an immobilized MBP column. Western blotting using specific antisera revealed that serum glycoproteins, alpha 1-macroglobulin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, and a lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase were the major constituents of the endogenous ligands. These endogenous ligands consisted of high mannose-type oligosaccharides of Man9GlcNAc2 and Man8GlcNAc2, and had rapid turnover rates with an average half-life of 45 min, indicating that they were mainly composed of biosynthetic intermediates of glycoproteins. In view of the identification of the endogenous ligands as the biosynthetic intermediates of glycoproteins, the possible functions of the intracellular lectin are discussed in relation to the intracellular transport of glycoproteins.
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PMID:Isolation and characterization of endogenous ligands for liver mannan-binding protein. 245 42

During the procedures of centrifugation leukapheresis and plateletpheresis, donors occasionally experience adverse clinical reactions. The possibility of whether the activation of granulocytes and the subsequent release reactions, which may have been triggered by this extracorporeal circuit, were responsible for these adverse effects was evaluated. Six blood samples were obtained at set intervals during cytapheresis. Of these samples, four were taken directly from the donor. The remaining two were drawn from the efferent lines, i.e., those which return blood from the cytapheresis machine to the donor. Reactive oxygen species produced by granulocytes were measured by chemiluminescence (CL) using microamounts of whole blood or isolated granulocytes. Furthermore, secreted granulocyte products such as neutral proteinase elastase, which is present in plasma in a complex with alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (E-alpha-1-PI), and lysosomal beta-glucuronidase were examined. A complete blood cell count and the values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, lactate dehydrogenase, protein, albumin, and proteinase inhibitors such as alpha-2-macroglobulin and alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor were also determined. Clinical chemical and cytologic values, with the exception of those for E-alpha-1-PI, were 10 to 17 percent lower than values before apheresis. These results can be attributed to inherent plasma volume expansion. Reduced CL was observed on the stimulation of phagocytes in the whole blood assay, as well as with stimulated granulocytes. Unstimulated granulocytes, on the other hand, showed an increased native CL. These data do not indicate a cytapheresis-mediated activation of the oxidative metabolism of granulocytes, and the concomitant discharge of proteolytic enzymes remains, therefore, of no clinical importance.
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PMID:Evaluation of granulocyte-releasing products and chemiluminescence during cytapheresis. 278 54

The possible occurrence of circadian and circannual rhythms in the plasma concentrations of the following enzymes of lysosomal origin was assessed: beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) beta-D-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31), beta-D-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21), beta-D-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22), alpha-D-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23), alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1) and alpha-D-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24). The circadian rhythm was studied in 16 women (aged: 17-24 years) and 13 men (age: 23 years) volunteers; the circannual rhythm, in 10 women and 8 men (age: 20-25 years). The circadian rhythm was detected in all the tested enzymes of women, and only in alpha-D-galactosidase, beta-D-glucosidase, alpha-D-mannosidase and beta-D-acetylglucosaminidase of men. A statistically significant difference between genders in the circadian rhythm was exhibited by beta-D-galactosidase (MESOR; amplitude) beta-D-glucosidase (MESOR; amplitude; acrophase) beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-D-glucuronidase and alpha-D-galactosidase (MESOR) and alpha-L-fucosidase (amplitude, acrophase). A circannual rhythm was detected in all the tested enzymes with the exception of beta-D-glucuronidase and beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase; no statistically significant difference between genders was detected. The group rhythms of some of the enzymes (alpha-D-galactosidase, beta-D-glucosidase, beta-D-galactosidase) showed similar values of both circadian and circannual acrophases, suggesting that they may subjected as a group to the same chronobiological coordination, possibly mediated by hormones. The chronobiological rhythms of lysosomal enzymes were different from those of lactate dehydrogenase and alpha 1-antitrypsin, indicating that these rhythms are not merely reflecting fluctuations of the water content of plasma. No in-phase relationship was observed between the circadian and circannual rhythms of plasma cortisol and those of the tested lysosomal enzymes, excluding a direct chronobiological and possibly functional relationship between this hormone and lysosomal enzymes.
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PMID:Chronobiological study of several enzymes of lysosomal origin in human plasma. 278 34

Circulating macrophages and metastatic tumor cells can penetrate the vascular endothelium and migrate from the circulatory system to extravascular compartments. Both activated murine macrophages and different metastatic tumor cells (B16-BL6 melanoma; ESb T-lymphoma) attach, invade, and penetrate confluent vascular endothelial cell monlayer in vitro, by degrading heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the subendothelial extracellular matrix. The sensitivity of the enzymes from the various sources degrading the heparan sulfate proteoglycan was challenged and compared by a series of inhibitors. Activated macrophages demonstrate a heparanase with an endoglycosidase activity that cleaves from the [35S]O4 = -labeled heparan sulfate proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix 10 kDa glycosaminoglycan fragments. The macrophages do not store the heparanase intracellularly but it is instead found pericellularly and requires a continuous cell-matrix contact at the optimal pH for maintaining cell growth. The degradation of [35S]O4 = -labeled extracellular matrix proteoglycans by the macrophages' heparanase is significantly inhibited in the presence of heparan sulfate (10 micrograms/ml), arteparon (10 micrograms/ml), and heparin at a concentration of 3 micrograms/ml. In contrast, other glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate as well as the specific inhibitor of exo-beta-glucuronidase D-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone failed to inhibit the degradation of sulfated proteoglycans in the subendothelial extracellular matrix. Degradation of this heparan sulfate proteoglycan is a two-step sequential process involving protease activity followed by heparanase activity. However, the following antiproteases--alpha 2-macroglobulin, antithrombin III, leupeptin, and phenylmethylsulfony fluoride (PMSF)--failed to inhibit this degradation process, and only alpha 1-antitrypsin inhibited the heparanase activity. B16-BL6 metastatic melanoma cell heparanase, which is also a cell-associated enzyme, was inhibited by heparin to the same extent as the macrophage heparanase. On the other hand, heparanase of the highly metastatic variant (ESb) of a methylcholanthrene-induced T lymphoma, which is an extracellular enzyme released by the cells to the incubation medium, was more sensitive to heparin and arteparon than the macrophages' heparanase, inhibited at concentrations of 1 and 3 micrograms/ml, respectively. These results may indicate the potential use of heparin or other glycosaminoglycans as specific and differential inhibitors for the formation in certain cases of blood-borne tumor metastasis.
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PMID:Murine macrophage heparanase: inhibition and comparison with metastatic tumor cells. 380 31

Although rheumatoid joint fluids contain numerous polymorphs capable of secreting neutral proteases known to be able to digest cartilage, the high level of inhibitors (mainly alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin) has always been considered to be more than sufficient to inhibit their activity completely. Consequently little interest has been paid to the potential role of these enzymes in cartilage damage. Four arthropathies of different erosive potential are here compared: spondyloarthropathies, rheumatoid arthritis with and without gold or D-penicillamine therapy, and septic arthritis. The synovial concentration of the inhibitors alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin has been compared with the polymorph enzyme output, as measured by beta-glucuronidase. Total haemolytic complement, white cell count, and C-reactive protein have also been measured in the joint fluid. The range of white cell count and inhibitors was the same in all 4 groups, while the enzyme output varied substantially from low levels in the spondyloarthropathies to very high levels in the septic joints. The higher the erosive potential of the disease, therefore, the more disadvantageous is the inhibitor/enzyme ratio. It is also pointed out that cartilage has physiochemical properties which facilitate and enhance polymorph enzyme output while severely curtailing the activity of the inhibitors. The observation that synovial fluid is inhibitory in vitro may therefore bear little relationship to the situation at the cartilage surface in vivo.
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PMID:Synovial protease/inhibitor ratios in erosive and nonerosive arthropathies. 636 98

Homogenates of liver from cases of hepatic cirrhosis due to alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZZ) alcoholism were analyzed for their content of various lysosomal enzymes. Also determined were the specific activities of lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate-pyruvate transaminase, and creatine phosphokinase in the extracts of liver from cases of both kinds of hepatic cirrhosis: all of these activities were within the range of control values. Similarly, the specific activities of the following lysosomal hydrolases were unremarkable: acid phosphatase, beta-mannosidase, beta-fucosidase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase. Hexosaminidase specific activity was increased twofold in livers from the cases of cirrhosis due to alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency. The specific activity of alpha-mannosidase (measured at pH 4.5) in homogenates of livers from PiZZ individuals with cirrhosis and those with alcoholic cirrhosis was increased two- to four-fold. Chromatography of the high-speed supernatant fraction from homogenates of livers of cirrhotic and noncirrhotic individuals on columns of DEAE-cellulose resolved alpha-mannosidase activity into two components: under the conditions employed, acid pH optimum (pH 4.5) alpha-mannosidase did not bind to the resin, whereas intermediate pH optimum (pH 5.5) alpha-mannosidase could be eluted with 0.1 mol/l NaCl. Liver from one case of (PiZZ) alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and emphysema, without demonstrable cirrhosis, was found to contain normal levels of both acid alpha-mannosidase and intermediate alpha-mannosidase. However, cases of cirrhosis due to alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency contained twice as much acid alpha-mannosidase and only one third to one fourth as much intermediate alpha-mannosidase as controls. The deficiency in hepatic intermediate alpha-mannosidase was also observed in 5 of 5 cases of alcoholic cirrhosis.
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PMID:Altered alpha-mannosidase isoenzymes in the liver in hepatic cirrhosis. 697 51