Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.15.1 (ACE)
18,300 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

ACE and chymase play crucial roles in the establishment of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In the present study, time sequences of ACE and chymase-like activities, and their correlation with hypertrophic changes including free wall thickness and cardiac fibrosis, were elucidated in dogs with constant pressure overload to the right ventricle. Pulmonary artery banding (PAB) was applied so that the diameter of the main pulmonary artery was reduced to 60% of the original size, right ventricular pressure was elevated by about 70%, and pulmonary artery flow was increased by about three times of that in sham operation groups. These increases remained unchanged 15, 60, and 180 days after PAB, suggesting that constant right ventricular pressure overload was obtained, at least during this period. The diameter of the right ventricular myocyte was slightly increased and the percentage of fractional shortening was decreased 15 days after PAB. Right ventricular wall thickness and interstitial collagenous fiber were, however, not different from those of sham-operated dogs, suggesting that this period is a period of adaptation to the overload. Sixty days after PAB, the diameter of the right ventricular myocyte was further increased, and right ventricular wall thickness and interstitial collagenous fiber were also increased. These changes were almost identical even 180 days after PAB. Thus, stable hypertrophy was elicited from 60 through 180 days after PAB. ACE activity was facilitated at the adaptation period to the overload (15 days after PAB), but chymase activity was not facilitated at this period. On the other hand, both ACE and chymase-like activities were unchanged in the earlier phase (60 days after PAB) of stable hypertrophy, but facilitated in the latter phase (180 days after PAB). These findings suggest the pathophysiologic roles of these enzymes may be different over the time course of pressure overload-induced hypertrophy.
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PMID:Time course sequences of angiotensin converting enzyme and chymase-like activities during development of right ventricular hypertrophy induced by pulmonary artery constriction in dogs. 1520 60

Mast cell-derived chymase seems to be important in the regulation of local angiotensin (A) II formation in cardiovascular tissues. In human heart, chymase accounts for 80% of A II formation. Therefore, the chymase-dependent A II pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of A II-related cardiovascular diseases. For example, cardiac chymase was activated earlier than ACE and this activation lasted longer than that of ACE after myocardial infarction (MI) in hamsters. Treatment with a specific chymase inhibitor treatment, but not an ACE inhibitor, improved post-MI survival as well as cardiac function and the extent of the beneficial effects was similar to that observed for an AT1-receptor antagonist treatment in this model. The survival benefit after MI seems to be related to an antiarrhythmic effect of the chymase inhibitor because chymase inhibition reduces the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias during periods of heart ischemia in a dog MI model. Thus, an antiarrhythmic effect of the chymase inhibitor may contribute to a reduction in mortality rate during the acute phase after MI.
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PMID:Chymase-derived angiotensin II and arrhythmias after myocardial infarction. 1527 25

The involvement of chymase has been implicated in fibrotic response to tissue injuries. Besides its direct action, chymase indirectly promotes fibrotic response by generating angiotensin (Ang) II from Ang I. In the present study, we examined whether chymase and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), that also generates Ang II, were activated in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis induced by paraquat (PQ) in hamsters. In an acute PQ intoxication group, PQ was administered subcutaneously and the lungs were excised four days after administration. In a chronic PQ intoxication group, PQ was administered at the same dose once a week for six weeks. The lungs were excised five weeks after the last administration. On dissection, alveolar hemorrhage and capillary stasis were found in the acute PQ intoxication group while interstitial pulmonary fibrosis was found in the chronic PQ intoxication group. The pulmonary tissue chymase activity was elevated in both intoxication groups when compared with a respective age-matched, vehicle (saline)-administered group. Pulmonary tissue ACE activity, on the other hand, decreased in both intoxication groups. These data suggested that activated chymase may be involved in the establishment of PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis in hamsters.
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PMID:Chymase is activated in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis induced by paraquat in hamsters. 1529 33

In vascular tissues, angiotensin II is potentially cleaved from angiotensin I by chymase and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). In the normal state, ACE regulates angiotensin II formation and plays a crucial role in the regulation of blood pressure, whereas chymase is stored in mast cells and has no angiotensin II-forming activity. Chymase is activated immediately upon its release into the extracellular matrix in vascular tissues after mast cells have been activated by local stimuli such as vessel injury by grafting or a balloon catheter. In dog grafted veins, vascular proliferation, chymase activity, angiotensin II concentration and mRNA levels of fibronectin, collagen I and collagen III were significantly increased after the operation, while they were significantly suppressed by a chymase inhibitor. A clinical trial of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) for preventing restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was successful, but that of an ACE inhibitor was not. After balloon injury in dog vessels, chymase activity was signifcantly increased in the injured artery, and a chymase inhibitor and an ARB were effective in preventing the vascular proliferation, but an ACE inhibitor was ineffective. On the other hand, a chymase inhibitor, unlike an ACE inhibitor and an ARB, did not affect blood pressure. These reports indicate that local angiotensin II production by chymase is involved only in the intimal hyperplasia seen in the injured vessels. Therefore, chymase inhibitors may be useful for preventing vascular disoders without affecting blood pressure.
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PMID:A novel therapeutic strategy against vascular disorders with chymase inhibitor. 1532 Aug 45

Activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is increased in patients with heart failure, and its maladaptive mechanisms may lead to adverse effects such as cardiac remodelling and sympathetic activation. Elevated renin activity has been demonstrated in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. (Third- generation synthetic non-peptide renin inhibitors, with more favourable properties than earlier renin inhibitors, lower ambulatory blood pressure and may have a role to play in other cardiovascular disease.) Chymase, a protease inhibitor stored in mast cells that generates angiotensin II (Ang II) (in addition to angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE]), has been linked to extracellular matrix remodelling in heart failure. Again, chymase inhibitors have been developed to investigate its functions in vitro and in vivo . Bradykinin is thought to contribute to the cardioprotective effect of ACE inhibition through modification of nitric oxide release, calcium handling and collagen accumulation. Ang II is believed to influence a number of molecular and structural changes in the heart, mostly mediated through the AT1-receptor. The importance of the RAAS in heart failure is shown by the survival benefit conferred by treatment with ACE inhibitors.
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PMID:The role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in heart failure. 1552 42

The expression, localisation and function of enzymes responsible for the local formation of angiotensin II in atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic human coronary arteries were studied. Human epicardial coronary arteries expressed mRNA for both ACE and chymase. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that ACE was localised to the vascular endothelium, and to a lesser extent the medial smooth muscle cells, in both large and small arteries. Chymase was detected in both types of vessel but was shown to be associated with mast cells. The contractions to angiotensin I in large arteries were inhibited only by a combination of quinaprilat and soyabean trypsin inhibitor. In the intramyocardial arteries the response to angiotensin I was markedly inhibited in the presence of chymostatin. These findings demonstrate that a dual pathway for the synthesis of angiotensin II is active in diseased and non-diseased coronary arteries.
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PMID:Expression, localisation and function of ACE and chymase in normal and atherosclerotic human coronary arteries. 1579 27

Most patients subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting develop graft occlusions in some time after successful coronary surgery. Causes of graft occlusions comprise hyperplasia of intima occurring as a response to release of cytokines and angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is formed in human body with participation of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) or chymase. We found high concentrations of ACE in some smooth muscle cells in hyperplasia zone. Proliferation of smooth muscle cells, their hypertrophy and increased synthesis of intercellular space proteins facilitate graft occlusion. Moreover ACE was found in cytoplasm of macrophages infiltrating graft's intima. Thus ACE can be an important contributor to the process of coronary artery bypass graft obstruction.
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PMID:[Immunomorphological study of coronary grafts]. 1600 45

Experimental and clinical studies impressively demonstrate that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) significantly reduce proteinuria and retard progression of glomerular disease. The underlying intraglomerular mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. As podocyte injury constitutes a critical step in the pathogenesis of glomerular proteinuria, beneficial effects of ACEI and ARB may partially result from interference with a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in podocytes. The knowledge of expression and function of a local RAS in podocytes is limited. In this study, we demonstrate functional expression of key components of the RAS in differentiated human podocytes: podocytes express mRNA for angiotensinogen, renin, ACE type 1, and the AT(1) and AT(2) angiotensin receptor subtypes. In Western blot experiments and immunostainings, expression of the AT(1) and AT(2) receptor was demonstrated both in differentiated human podocytes and in human kidney cortex. ANG II induced a concentration-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration via AT(1) receptors in differentiated human podocytes, whereas it did not increase cAMP. Furthermore, ANG II secretion was detected, which was blocked by neither the ACEI captopril nor the renin inhibitor remikiren nor the chymase inhibitor chymostatin. ANG II secretion of podocytes was not increased by mechanical stress. Finally, ANG II was found to increase staurosporine-induced apoptosis in podocytes. We speculate that ACEI and ARB exert their beneficial effects, in part, by interfering with a local RAS in podocytes. Further experiments are required to identify the underlying molecular mechanism(s) of podocyte protection.
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PMID:Functional expression of the renin-angiotensin system in human podocytes. 1618 86

Placenta-derived chymotrypsin-like protease (CLP/chymase) promotes endothelial P-selectin and E-selectin expression, which may be responsible for the increased neutrophil/endothelial interactions in preeclampsia (PE). However, little is known about this protease expression and production in human placenta. This study was undertaken to determine the distribution and gene expression of CLP in human placenta. Human placental tissues were obtained immediately after delivery from normal and PE pregnancies. We examined (1) CLP/chymase immunoactivity by immunohistochemical staining of villous tissue sections; (2) trophoblast mRNA and protein expression for chymase by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis; (3) chymase cDNA sequencing in isolated trophoblast cells (TCs); and (4) release of CLP by placental villous tissue cultured under 2% and 20% O(2). We found (1) CLP expression is mainly localized in the epithelial layer of syncytiotrophoblasts; (2) both mRNA and protein expression are significantly (p<0.05) upregulated in TCs isolated from PE vs. normal placentas; (3) TC chymase cDNA sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence are 100% identical to that reported for the human heart; and (4) villous tissue releases more chymotrypsin when cultured with 2% O(2). We conclude that (1) the DNA and protein sequence for chymase in placental trophoblast cells are the same as those reported in the human heart; (2) CLP/chymase expression is upregulated in TCs during PE; and (3) lowered oxygen condition promotes CLP release by placental TCs. Since chymase is a potent non-ACE angiotensin II producing enzyme, our data suggest that if placenta-derived CLP/chymase is released into the maternal circulation, it may contribute to the cardiovascular complications associated with PE.
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PMID:Increased chymotrypsin-like protease (chymase) expression and activity in placentas from women with preeclampsia. 1669 79

The discovery of a new angiotensin II (Ang II) pathway generated by mast cell chymase has highlighted new biological functions for Ang II that is not related to the classic renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The conversion of Ang I to II occurs not only via the plasma angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) or tissue ACE but also via chymase produced in the mast cells of humans, monkeys, dogs, and hamsters. The conversion by chymase has been especially found in morbid tissues following the migration of mast cells. The newly discovered functions of chymase are discussed in this review. During the vascular narrowing that occurs after vein grafting or balloon injury in dogs, chymase activity and Ang II concentrations along with intimal proliferation are significantly increased and chymase inhibitors completely suppressed these increase, though ACE inhibitors are ineffective. Similar results have also been confirmed in the dog arteriovenous fistula stenosis model. In both human and animal aneurysmal aortas, chymase activity is significantly increased, and chymase inhibitor has been shown to prevent the development of aneurysms in dogs. Chymase is activated in diseased hearts, and chymase inhibitors reduce both the mortality rates after acute myocardial infarction and the cardiac fibrosis that leads to the development of cardiomyopathy in hamsters. Chymase is also a pro-angiogenic factor, since the injection of chymase strongly facilitates angiogenesis in hamsters. We propose that chymase inhibitors are effective in the prevention of multiple cardiovascular disorders, especially at the local event level without any effect on the systemic blood pressure.
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PMID:Pathological roles of angiotensin II produced by mast cell chymase and the effects of chymase inhibition in animal models. 1683 49


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