Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.24.3 (collagenase)
 18,340 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatocytes harvested by collagenase perfusion of rat liver were attached to collagen-coated microcarriers and injected intraperitoneally into congeneic or allogeneic bilirubin-UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17)-deficient (Gunn) rats or allogeneic analbuminemic (NAR) rats. Five days later, the microcarriers were observed to have formed conglomerates chiefly on the anterior surface of the pancreas. Scanning electron microscopy showed hepatocytes attached to the granular collagen-coated surface of the microcarriers and newly formed connective tissue. Light microscopy revealed that the microcarriers formed a lattice with the collagen tissue; hepatocytes were seen within this lattice or on the surface of the microcarriers. Hepatocyte plasma membranes were nucleoside-diphosphatase (NDPase)-positive. Newly formed blood islands, blood vessels containing erythrocytes and leukocytes and NDPase-positive endothelium were observed in close proximity to the hepatocytes and fibroblasts. Transmission electron microscopic examination showed hepatocytes with microvilli and nucleoid-containing peroxisomes with catalase activity. Hepatocytes were present for up to 2 months in congeneic recipients, the longest period of observation after transplantation. After normal microcarrier-attached hepatocytes were transplanted into allogeneic Gunn rats, bilirubin glucuronides were present in bile for 6 days. When congeneic Gunn rat recipients were used, bilirubin glucuronides were present in bile throughout the study (28 days); this was accompanied by reduction of serum bilirubin concentrations to nearly normal levels. After injection of normal hepatocytes into allogeneic NAR rats, plasma albumin concentration progressively increased for 6 days and then declined. In NAR recipients which were immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A, peak plasma albumin levels were reached in 14 days and persisted nearly at that level throughout the study (28 days).
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PMID:Survival, organization, and function of microcarrier-attached hepatocytes transplanted in rats. 242 7

Direct studies of the function of a given cell type often require that the cell type be obtained in pure culture. A number of different specific metabolic activities have been attributed to pulmonary endothelial cells, yet with few exceptions the conclusions were based on indirect evidence. Thus, to improve our ability to examine directly for specific metabolic activities, we began a program to obtain pulmonary endothelial cells in culture. Two methods have been developed: (1) cells can be obtained from pulmonary artery and vein of large animals (cow, pig), and (2) cells can be obtained from the microvasculature of small animals (rat, guinea pig, and rabbit). The latter technique can also be used to obtain cells from a lobe of lung from large animals and may be adaptable for use with human tissue. In the first technique, pulmonary arteries, free of blood, are filled with collagenase (0.25%, 500 units) in Puck's saline for 25 min. The collagenase mixture containing cells is removed and centrifuged. The pellet is resuspended and seeded into culture flasks. In the second method, lungs are perfused (artery to vein) with Krebs-Henseleit solution until the effluent is blood-free. Collagenase (0.25%, 500 units) is introduced, and the lungs are then perfused in the opposite direction (vein to artery) until the flow stops spontaneously (ca. 15 min). The detached cells are collected and seeded as before. The endothelial cells attach as small clumps (10-50 cells). Those flasks which contain more than 95% endothelial cells (by phase microscopy) are retained for culture and the lines are purified usng differential adherence procedures. The cells grow as monolayers with a cobblestone appearance. They contain Weibel-Palade bodies. They possess converting enzyme activity and are reactive with antibodies to converting enzyme, Factor VIII and alpha 2-macroglobulin. The cells synthesize prostaglandins and related substances. In addition, they possess ADPase and synthesize angiotensin-converting enzyme.
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PMID:Angiotensin-converting enzyme: II. Pulmonary endothelial cells in culture. 625 Aug 10