Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:4.6.1.2 (guanylate cyclase)
 8,497 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Uroguanylin, a new natriuretic peptide originally isolated from urine, stimulates the membrane guanylate cyclase C receptor. No information, however, is available on the plasma and urine levels of uroguanylin in nephrotic syndrome (NS), the state associated with sodium and water retention. Using a sensitive radioimmunoassay, we measured the plasma and urine concentrations of immunoreactive (ir-)uroguanylin in NS patients and compared them with those of patients with non-nephrotic glomerulonephritis. Plasma ir-uroguanylin, blood pressure and the cardiothoracic ratio were higher, and urine excretion of ir-uroguanylin was lower in the NS patients. Plasma ir-uroguanylin in the NS patients significantly decreased during remission as compared with findings on admission. There was a significant inverse correlation between the concentration of plasma ir-uroguanylin and that of serum total protein or albumin. Moreover, fluid retention in the NS patients was correlated with the changes in plasma ir-uroguanylin between admission and remission, indicative that the plasma concentration increases with the severity of the nephrotic state. Taking into account its potent natriuretic effect, these findings suggest that uroguanylin may function in the pathophysiological mechanism in NS.
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PMID:Plasma and urine levels of uroguanylin, a new natriuretic peptide, in nephrotic syndrome. 993 51

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays an important role in glomerulonephritis and nitric oxide (NO) exerts a variety of renal pathophysiological effects. We investigated the effect of exogenous NO on pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced MCP-1 expression in human mesangial cells and its signal transduction pathway. Cells were pretreated with NO donors such as 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1) or nitroprusside, and then stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). MCP-1 expression of mRNA and protein were measured by Northern blot analysis and ELISA. NF-kappaB binding activity was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Degradation of IkappaB-alpha protein was assessed by Western blot analysis. SIN-1 inhibited TNF-alpha- or IL-1beta-induced MCP-1 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner and also suppressed the MCP-1 protein expression. Nitroprusside inhibited the MCP-1 mRNA expression as well. SIN-1 dose dependently inhibited the TNF-alpha- or IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB binding activity and suppressed the TNF-alpha-induced degradation of IkappaB-alpha. Analogue of cGMP (8-bromo-cGMP) had no significant effect on TNF-alpha-induced MCP-1 mRNA expression and guanylate cyclase inhibitor (ODQ) also had no significant influence on the inhibitory effect of SIN-1. These results suggest that exogenous NO inhibits MCP-1 expression via suppression of NF-kappaB by reducing the degradation of IkappaB-alpha and through a cGMP-independent pathway.
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PMID:Exogenous nitric oxide inhibits tumor necrosis factor-alpha- or interleukin-1-beta-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in human mesangial cells. Role of IkappaB-alpha and cyclic GMP. 1239 21

cGMP serves as the main second messenger of nitric oxide (NO). Antifibrotic effects of enhancing renal cGMP levels have recently been documented in experimental acute anti-Thy-1 glomerulonephritis. The present study compares the effects of the cGMP production-increasing soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator BAY 41-2272 with those of the cGMP degradation-limiting phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline (PTX) in a progressive model of renal fibrosis. At 1 wk after induction of anti-Thy-1-induced chronic glomerulosclerosis (cGS), rats were randomly assigned to groups as follows: cGS, cGS + BAY 41-2272 (10 mg x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1)), or cGS + PTX (50 mg x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1)). BAY 41-2272 and PTX reduced systolic blood pressure significantly. At 16 wk, tubulointerstitial expressions of sGC mRNA and NO-induced cGMP synthesis were increased in untreated cGS animals, whereas their glomerular activity was depressed compared with normal controls. Tubulointerstitial and glomerular cGMP production in response to NO were significantly enhanced in animals treated with BAY 41-2272, but not in those treated with PTX. BAY 41-2272 administration resulted in marked reductions of glomerular and tubulointerstitial histological matrix accumulation, expression of TGF-beta1 and fibronectin, macrophage infiltration, and cell proliferation as well as improved renal function. In contrast, only moderate and nonsignificant renoprotective changes were observed in the cGS + PTX group. In conclusion, increasing renal cGMP production through BAY 41-2272 significantly improved renal NO-cGMP signaling and limited progression in anti-Thy-1-induced chronic renal fibrosis, whereas inhibition of cGMP degradation by PTX was only moderately effective. The findings indicate that pharmacological enhancement of renal cGMP levels by sGC stimulation represents a novel and effective antifibrotic approach in progressive kidney disorders.
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PMID:Enhancing cGMP in experimental progressive renal fibrosis: soluble guanylate cyclase stimulation vs. phosphodiesterase inhibition. 1604 4

A major problem with using nitrates in the treatment of ischemic heart disease is that tolerance develops to their vasodilatory actions. YC-1 was used as the lead compound to synthesize further nitric oxide-independent soluble guanylate cyclase activators, including BAY-41-2272 and BAY-41-8543. A nitric oxide and heme-independent activator of soluble guanylate cyclase, BAY-58-2667, was subsequently discovered by high-throughput screening. Tolerance to the vasodilatory actions of BAY-41-8543 and BAY-58-2667 does not develop. Results from animal studies have suggested that these compounds may have potential in the treatment of ischemic heart disease, essential and pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure, glomerulonephritis and erectile dysfunction.
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PMID:Clinical potential of nitric oxide-independent soluble guanylate cyclase activators. 1618 86

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (NOS) in low concentrations is a unique messenger molecule with key homeostatic functions concerning the prevention of pathological vascular and tissue changes such as increases in blood pressure, platelet degranulation, mononuclear cell infiltration, cell proliferation and extracellular matrix protein accumulation. This is in contrast to high levels of NO derived from inducible NOS which act as detrimental effector molecules and free radicals in immune response. Deficiency in NO's protective signaling actions is a major characteristic in numerous experimental and human disease situations. The main function of the NO signaling pathway is activation of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) enzyme with subsequent generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) as a second messenger and downstream mediator. In the past, attempts to overcome deficiency in endothelial NO effects were focused primarily on increasing the supply with the NO precursor L-arginine or on the use of directly NO-releasing compounds. The clinical impact of these strategies, however, was rather limited. Recent state-of-the-art studies have revealed that NO signaling is highly regulated at the transcriptional level and that deficiency in NO signaling correlates closely with pathological changes. In parallel efforts, novel pharmacological compounds which specifically enhance NO/cGMP signaling have been developed and have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in experimental disease settings. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the impairment of NO/cGMP signaling and about its pharmacological stimulation. In the first part, experimental renal fibrosis, i.e. the tandem rat model of acute anti-thy1 glomerulonephritis and progressive anti-thy1 renal fibrosis will serve as a paradigm for introducing this new and exciting field. In the second part, we will address the most recent findings on NO signaling in non-renal diseases. Together, these results point out that deficiency in NO/cGMP is a common key pathway as well as a novel therapeutic target in a number of diseases.
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PMID:NO signaling through cGMP in renal tissue fibrosis and beyond: key pathway and novel therapeutic target. 1853 17