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)

In the present study, increasing amounts of the anti-estrogen 1-(p-2-diethylaminoethoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-2-p-methoxyphenoletha nol (MER-25) were administered to pregnant baboons (Papio anubis) to block the action of endogenous estrogen and to determine effect on placental low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake. Pregnant baboons were untreated (n = 8) or received MER-25 orally at a dosage of 25 (n = 10), 50 (n = 8), or 75 (n = 4) mg/kg BW daily on Days 140-170 of gestation (term = 184 days). Placentas were removed on Day 170 of gestation and villous tissue was dispersed with 0.1% collagenase. Placental cells (10(6] were incubated in Medium 199 for 12 h at 37 degrees C with increasing amounts of 125I-LDL, with or without a 100-fold excess of unlabeled baboon LDL. Mean (+/- SEM) placental uptake (ng/micrograms cell protein) of 125I-LDL was 55% (6.4 +/- 1.0), 75% (3.6 +/- 0.7), and 81% (2.7 +/- 0.2) lower (p less than 0.001) in baboons that received MER-25 in doses of 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg BW, respectively, than in untreated baboons (14.2 +/- 1.3 ng/micrograms cell protein). Maximal effect occurred with 50 mg MER-25, because LDL uptake was not further decreased with greater levels of MER-25. Dissociation constants for placental LDL uptake, as determined by Scatchard analysis, were unaltered by anti-estrogen treatment. The amount of 125I-LDL degradation by placental cells of untreated and MER-25-treated baboons was proportional to LDL uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Regulation of placental low-density lipoprotein uptake in baboons by estrogen: dose-dependent effects of the anti-estrogen ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25). 187 35

We have reported that ACTH stimulation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) formation by the baboon fetal adrenal at midgestation was suppressed by estrogen. Because fetal adrenal regulation changes with advancing gestation, the action of estrogen on fetal adrenal steroidogenesis may also be dependent on the degree of fetal adrenal maturation. We examined this possibility in the present study by determining the effects of ACTH and estrogen on DHA formation by adrenal cells of fetuses obtained from baboons at mid- and late gestation and from animals administered the antiestrogen MER-25 throughout late gestation. Because low density lipoprotein (LDL) provides substrate for the fetal adrenal, we also determined whether the effect of estrogen was mediated by LDL uptake. Adrenals were removed from baboon fetuses on day 100 (midgestation; n = 7) and day 170 (late gestation; n = 6; term, day 184) of gestation from untreated animals and on day 170 from fetuses whose mothers were treated with MER-25 on days 140-170 (25 mg/kg BW.day; n = 7). Cells were dispersed with 0.2% collagenase and incubated at 37 C for 3 h in 4 ml medium 199 with 10 nM ACTH, 10(-6) M estradiol and/or 500 micrograms LDL. The secretion of DHA into medium was determined by RIA. At midgestation, mean (+/- SE) basal DHA formation (nanograms per 10(5) cells/3 h) was 5.8 +/- 2.1, and DHA was increased (P less than 0.01) by ACTH to 20.0 +/- 5.9. Although estradiol alone had no effect, estradiol prevented the increase in DHA obtained with ACTH. Basal DHA production by adrenals of late gestation (0.7 +/- 0.3 ng/10(5) cells) was lower (P less than 0.01) than at midgestation. ACTH increased (P less than 0.01) DHA in a comparable manner near term in the presence (2.0 +/- 0.4) or absence (1.7 +/- 0.4) of estradiol. Thus, in contrast to day 100, estrogen did not attenuate the action of ACTH on adrenal cells on day 170. In fetal adrenal cells obtained on day 170 from MER-25-treated baboons, DHA formation (1.4 +/- 0.6 ng/10(5) cells) was comparably increased (P less than 0.05) to 2.4 +/- 0.2 and 3.0 +/- 0.5 ng/10(5) cells by ACTH in the absence or presence of estradiol. Thus, ACTH remained effective in enhancing DHA by adrenal cells of fetuses exposed in utero to antiestrogen. DHA formation by adrenals of midgestation was increased (P less than 0.05) to 15.4 +/- 4.8 and 27.4 +/- 7.5 ng/10(5) cells, respectively, by LDL and ACTH plus LDL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Modulation of adrenocorticotropin-stimulated baboon fetal adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone formation in vitro by estrogen at mid- and late gestation. 216 46

In the present study, a culture system of human placental cells was established to examine the role of estrogen and androgen in progesterone (P4) formation. Normal human placentae were obtained at term, and cells were dispersed in Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (5 ml/g tissue) containing 0.1% collagenase, 0.1% hyaluronidase, 0.01% deoxyribonuclease, and 1% fetal bovine serum for 2 h at 37 C. Dispersed placental cells (10(6) cells/ml) were placed in medium 199 with modified Earle's salts (pH 7.4) containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 12.5 mM HEPES buffer, 26 mM NaHCO3, and 40 micrograms/ml Gentamycin-SO4 and incubated for 72 h at 37 C and 5% CO2 in air to allow cell attachment. Medium was then changed (time zero), and P4 formation was studied thereafter. Culture of placental cells for 96 h resulted in linear increases in P4 and estradiol (E2) formation, indicating the maintenance of cell viability and steroidogenic function. Mean +/- SE P4 formation at 48 h was 246 +/- 16 pg/micrograms DNA. To assess the role of estrogen on P4 formation, placental cells were incubated for a period of 48 h with various amounts (10(-7)-10(-4)M) of the antiestrogen ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25), the aromatase inhibitor 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), and/or E2. Both MER-25 and 4-OHA resulted in a dose-dependent decline (P less than 0.01) in P4 formation (greater than 80% decline at 10(-4)M MER-25 or 4-OHA). The marked reduction in P4 formation caused by 4-OHA alone was reversed by concomitant addition of E2; however, E2 alone had no effect. To assess the role of androgens on P4 formation, cells were incubated for 48 h with increasing amounts (10(-7)-10(-4)M) of androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA), or dihydrotestosterone. Although the formation of E2 was enhanced by DHA, formation of P4 was not affected by the aromatizable androgens DHA or androstenedione or the nonaromatizable dihydrotestosterone. The decline in P4 formation by human placental cells in culture elicited by MER-25 or 4-OHA supports the hypothesis of a regulatory role for estrogen in placental P4 formation during human pregnancy. The lack of effect of exogenous estrogen suggests that the action of estrogen on P4 formation may be permissive.
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PMID:Regulation of progesterone formation by human placental cells in culture. 294 94

The present study determined if the decline in placental progesterone (P4) production that results from administration of the antiestrogen ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25) to pregnant baboons results from a change in placental low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake and/or degradation. Pregnant baboons (Papio anubis) were untreated (n = 10) or received MER-25 (25 mg/kg BW, orally; n = 10) daily on days 140-170 of gestation (term, 184 days). Placentas were removed by cesarean section on day 170 of gestation, and villous tissue was dispersed with 0.1% collagenase at 37 C for 40 min. Placental cells (10(6)) were incubated in medium 199 (pH 7.2) for 12 h at 37 C with increasing amounts (5-100 micrograms) of [125I]LDL, with or without a 100-fold excess of unlabeled baboon LDL. Mean (+/- SE) peripheral serum P4 concentrations on days 140-170 of gestation were 51% lower (P less than 0.01) in MER-25-treated (5.7 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) than in untreated (11.6 +/- 0.5 ng/ml) baboons. The uptake of LDL was 56% lower (P less than 0.01) in placental cells from antiestrogen-treated (6.3 +/- 1.6 ng/micrograms cell protein) than in those from untreated (14.4 +/- 1.9 ng/micrograms cell protein) baboons. The dissociation constants for placental LDL uptake, as assessed by Scatchard analysis, however, were similar in untreated (0.80 microgram/ml) and MER-25-treated (0.76 microgram/ml) animals. The amount of [125I]LDL concomitantly degraded by cells from baboons that received MER-25 was 54% of that degraded by cells from untreated controls. The relative decline in LDL degradation by cells of antiestrogen-treated baboons was proportionate to the decline in overall LDL uptake. The results indicate, therefore, that antiestrogen treatment decreased the amount of placental LDL uptake, but did not change the affinity for the lipoprotein. We suggest that the decline in placental P4 production elicited in pregnant baboons by antiestrogen results, at least in part, from subnormal LDL uptake. We propose that one of the mechanisms by which estrogen regulates the biosynthesis of P4 by the placenta during baboon pregnancy is by increasing receptor-mediated placental cell uptake of cholesterol in the form of LDL. Estrogen, therefore, may regulate LDL uptake by the placenta and thus the availability of cholesterol for P4 biosynthesis via the LDL pathway.
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PMID:Effect of the antiestrogen ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25) on placental low density lipoprotein uptake and degradation in baboons. 335 75