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)

Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to be involved in the regulation of pseudopodia formation, phagocytosis and adhesion in macrophages through the reorganization of actin. In the present study, we directly separated the globular (G) and filamentous (F) actin from quiescent or NO-stimulated macrophage-like cell line RAW 264.7 cells in order to investigate the dynamic redistribution of actin pools. We also focused on the regulatory mechanisms of actin assembly, induced by NO and its possible subsequent signaling pathway. We showed that predominant G-actin coexisted with Triton X-100-insoluble filamentous (TIF) and Triton X-100-soluble filamentous actin in resting RAW 264.7 cells. The exogenous NO produced by (+/-)-(E)-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-6-methoxy-4-methyl-5-nitro-3-hexenamide (NOR1), the endogenous NO induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon-gamma (IFNgamma), and dibutyryl-cGMP increased the contents of TIF-actin in dose- and time-dependent manners and altered its morphology. The increase in the TIF-actin contents induced by NOR1 or LPS plus IFNgamma was efficiently blocked by the radical scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide and the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one or the arginine analogue N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate, respectively. Preincubation with the calmodulin antagonist W-7 almost completely blocked the NO-induced TIF-actin increase and morphological change. On the other hand, preincubation with C3 transferase, an inhibitor of Rho protein, efficiently prevented the change in cell morphology, but had no effect on the TIF-actin increase. We postulate that cGMP and subsequent Ca(2+)/calmodulin may be key regulators of actin reorganization in NO-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.
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PMID:Nitric oxide regulates actin reorganization through cGMP and Ca(2+)/calmodulin in RAW 264.7 cells. 1138 72

NO induces vasodilation through cGMP-dependent protein kinase--dependent and --independent mechanisms. A recent study demonstrated that recombinant cGMP-dependent protein kinase can phosphorylate the small G protein, RhoA, thus inhibiting its activity. Additionally, sodium nitroprusside was found to reverse the phenylephrine-induced translocation of RhoA, which is further indicative of the inhibition of RhoA activity. RhoA is known to be involved in the Ca(2+) sensitization of vascular smooth muscle through the actions of one of its downstream effectors, Rho-kinase. This study examined whether NO endogenously induces the relaxation of intact rat aorta via the inhibition of the Rho-kinase--mediated Ca(2+)-sensitizing pathway. Endogenous Rho-kinase inhibitor activity was inhibited by the selective compound Y-27632. Treatment of endothelium-intact rat aorta with Y-27632 (1 micromol/L) resulted in an attenuation of maximal force generated in response to phenylephrine. In endothelium-denuded rings, however, 1 micromol/L Y-27632 was ineffective at inhibiting the phenylephrine-induced contraction. Additionally, 1 micromol/L Y-27632 was significantly less effective at inhibiting the phenylephrine-induced contraction of endothelium-intact rings in the presence of inhibitors of NO synthase or guanylate cyclase (N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, respectively). Interestingly, sodium nitroprusside restored the ability of 1 micromol/L Y-27632 to attenuate phenylephrine-induced contraction. Rho-kinase inhibition was also found to increase the sensitivity of the endothelium-denuded aorta to sodium nitroprusside. These data demonstrate that NO inhibits Rho-kinase activity in the intact rat aorta, supporting the hypothesis that endogenous NO-mediated vasodilation occurs through the inhibition of Rho-kinase constrictor activity in the intact rat aorta.
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PMID:Nitric oxide induces dilation of rat aorta via inhibition of rho-kinase signaling. 1188 86

Approximately 50% of men aged over 40 suffer from male erectile dysfunction. Treatment options have widened since the launch of the phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, sildenafil citrate (Viagra trade mark ). However, a certain portion of the patient population, such as diabetics, do not gain significant benefit from PDE5 inhibitors, possibly due to a lack of endogenous nitric oxide. Therefore, new treatment modalities based on the absence of endogenous nitric oxide have been developed. Among them are Rho-kinase inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase activators and nitric oxide-releasing PDE5 inhibitors. The available data concerning these compounds will be summarised and their therapeutic potential for male erectile dysfunction will be discussed.
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PMID:A Rho-kinase inhibitor, soluble guanylate cyclase activator and nitric oxide-releasing PDE5 inhibitor: novel approaches to erectile dysfunction. 1243 3

Erectile dysfunction (ED) management in the following 3-5 years will be dominated by substances targeting the L-arginine-NO-guanylate cyclase-cGMP-PDE-5 pathway, resulting in an intracellular elevation of the cGMP concentrations. Promising alternatives to the PDE-5 inhibitors, such as guanylate cyclase activators and Rho-kinase inhibitors, may also effectively compliment a PDE-5 inhibitor. Intranasal application of the melanocortin agonist PT 141 (Melanotan II) seems to be promising. As scheduled sexual activities are not preferred by the majority of couples, the future of ED-therapy will focus on drugs with a 1-2 day long efficacy window, or a daily bedtime application of low dosage agents which result in nocturnal reoxygenation of the cavernous bodies and in turn in functional improvement. Elevation of the cGMP levels and improvement of endothelial function as a result of this approach also promises benefits in cardiovascular diseases and in LUTS.
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PMID:[Therapy of erectile dysfunction in 2005]. 1456 81

RhoA is commonly activated in the aorta in various hypertensive models, indicating that RhoA seems to be a molecular switch in hypertension. The molecular mechanisms for RhoA activation in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) were here investigated using cultured aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The level of the active form of RhoA was higher in VSMC from SHRSP than in those from Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). The phosphorylation level of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) at the inhibitory site was also significantly higher in SHRSP, and the phosphorylation levels in both VSMCs were strongly inhibited to a similar extent by treatment with Y-27632, a Rho-kinase inhibitor. The expression levels of RhoA/Rho-kinase related molecules, namely RhoA, Rho-kinase, MYPT1, CPI-17 (inhibitory phosphoprotein for myosin phosphatase) and myosin light chain kinase, were not different between SHRSP and WKY. Valsartan, an angiotensin II (Ang II)- type 1 receptor antagonist, selectively and significantly reduced the RhoA activation in VSMC from SHRSP. The expression levels of the Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI) and leukemia-associated Rho-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF) did not differ between SHRSP and WKY. In cyclic nucleotide signaling, cyclic GMP (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase Ialpha (cGKIalpha) was significantly downregulated in SHRSP cells, although there were no changes in the expression levels of guanylate cyclase beta and cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase or the intracellular contents of cGMP and cAMP between the two rat models. These results suggest that the possible mechanisms underlying RhoA activation in VSMC from SHRSP are autocrine/paracrine regulation by Ang II and/or cGKIalpha downregulation.
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PMID:RhoA activation in vascular smooth muscle cells from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. 1512 84

Erectile dysfunction (ED) tends to be associated with other diseases, the common basis of which is endothelial dysfunction. ED is also frequently combined with LUTS and the common basis for both conditions seems to be elevation of Rho-kinase activity and decrease of NO concentration. Because all three PDE 5 inhibitors sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil have a common mode of action, i.e., inhibition of PDE 5, they are not different in terms of their efficacy and safety profile except for color vision disturbances which are more common after sildenafil and back pain/myalgia more often observed after tadalafil. The main differentiating characteristics among the three PDE 5 inhibitors are their pharmacokinetics. These are ultimately responsible for the observation that in head-to-head comparative trials depending on the respective study design the overwhelming majority of the patients opted either for tadalafil as the longest acting PDE 5 inhibitor (36 h) or for vardenafil as a relatively rapidly acting drug. All published studies so far have shown that in terms of the cardiovascular risk profile (myocardial infarction rate) all three PDE 5 inhibitors performed better than placebo although the results were not statistically significant. Without any exception it applies to all three PDE 5 inhibitors that they are absolutely contraindicated in patients taking nitrate- or molsidomine-containing medications and that they may interact in particular with non-uroselective alpha-adrenoceptor blockers. This is why their simultaneous application with PDE 5 inhibitors has to be avoided.In the near future chronic (daily) application of a PDE 5 inhibitor may show advantages, at least in those 50-60% of all patients in whom there is a high likelihood of endothelial dysfunction due to the diagnostic (penile duplex Doppler) outcome. Possible new developments in the management of ED with a time frame of 5-8 years until their market approval are guanylate cyclase activators, Rho-kinase inhibitors, melanocortin receptor agonists, gene therapy, and tissue engineering.
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PMID:[Erectile dysfunction. New drugs with special consideration of the PDE 5 inhibitors]. 1519 47

To test the hypothesis that keratinocyte (KC) migration is modulated by distinct muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor subtypes, we inactivated signaling through specific receptors in in vitro and in vivo models of reepithelialization by subtype-selective antagonists, small interfering RNA, and gene knockout in mice. KC migration and wound reepithelialization were facilitated by M4 and inhibited by M3. Additional studies showed that M4 increases expression of "migratory" integrins alpha5beta1, alphaVbeta5, and alphaVbeta6, whereas M3 up-regulates "sedentary" integrins alpha2beta1 and alpha3beta1. Inhibition of migration by M3 was mediated through Ca2+-dependent guanylyl cyclase-cyclic GMP-protein kinase G signaling pathway. The M4 effects resulted from inhibition of the inhibitory pathway involving the adenylyl cyclase-cyclic AMP-protein kinase A pathway. Both signaling pathways intersected at Rho, indicating that Rho kinase provides a common effector for M3 and M4 regulation of cell migration. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms of ACh-mediated modulation of KC migration and wound reepithelialization, and may aid the development of novel methods to promote wound healing.
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PMID:Novel signaling pathways mediating reciprocal control of keratinocyte migration and wound epithelialization through M3 and M4 muscarinic receptors. 1526 21

Lecithin retinol acyl transferase (LRAT) and retinal pigment epithelium protein 65 (RPE65) are key enzymes of the retinoid cycle. In Lrat(-/-) and Rpe65(-/-) mice, models of human Leber congenital amaurosis, the retinoid cycle is disrupted and 11-cis-retinal, the chromophore of visual pigments, is not produced. The Lrat(-/-) and Rpe65(-/-) retina phenotype presents with rapid sectorial cone degeneration, and the visual pigments, S-opsin and M/L-opsin, fail to traffic to cone outer segments appropriately. In contrast, rod opsin traffics normally in mutant rods. Concomitantly, guanylate cyclase 1, cone T alpha-subunit, cone phosphodiesterase 6alpha' (PDE6alpha'), and GRK1 (G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 1; opsin kinase) are not transported to Lrat(-/-) and Rpe65(-/-) cone outer segments. Aberrant localization of these membrane-associated proteins was evident at postnatal day 15, before the onset of ventral and central cone degeneration. Protein levels of cone T alpha and cone PDE6alpha' were reduced, whereas their transcript levels were unchanged, suggesting posttranslational degradation. In an Rpe65(-/-)Rho(-/-) double knock-out model, trafficking of cone pigments and membrane-associated cone phototransduction polypeptides to the outer segments proceeded normally after 11-cis-retinal administration. These results suggest that ventral and central cone opsins must be regenerated with 11-cis-retinal to permit transport to the outer segments. Furthermore, the presence of 11-cis-retinal is essential for proper transport of several membrane-associated cone phototransduction polypeptides in these cones.
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PMID:Trafficking of membrane-associated proteins to cone photoreceptor outer segments requires the chromophore 11-cis-retinal. 1840 Sep

Reactive oxygen species play a key role in vascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. We investigated contractile responses, intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)), Rho-kinase translocation, and phosphorylation of the regulatory subunit of myosin phosphatase (MYPT-1) and of myosin light chain (MLC(20)) in response to LY83583, a generator of superoxide anion, in small intrapulmonary arteries (IPA) of rat. LY83583 caused concentration-dependent constrictions in IPA and greatly enhanced submaximal PGF(2alpha)-mediated preconstriction. In small femoral or mesenteric arteries of rat, LY83583 alone was without effect, but it relaxed a PGF(2)alpha-mediated preconstriction. Constrictions in IPA were inhibited by superoxide dismutase and tempol, but not catalase, and were endothelium and guanylate cyclase independent. Constrictions were also inhibited by the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y27632 and the Src-family kinase inhibitor SU6656. LY83583 did not raise [Ca(2+)](i), but caused a Y27632-sensitive constriction in alpha-toxin-permeabilized IPA. LY83583 triggered translocation of Rho-kinase from the nucleus to the cytosol in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and enhanced phosphorylation of MYPT-1 at Thr-855 and of MLC(20) at Ser-19 in IPA. This enhancement was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and abolished by Y27632. Hydrogen peroxide did not activate Rho-kinase. We conclude that in rat small pulmonary artery, superoxide triggers Rho-kinase-mediated Ca(2+) sensitization and vasoconstriction independent of hydrogen peroxide.
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PMID:Superoxide constricts rat pulmonary arteries via Rho-kinase-mediated Ca(2+) sensitization. 1910 85

Radial artery (RA) vasospasm remains a potential cause of early graft failure after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, despite pretreatment with alpha-adrenergic or calcium channel blockers. Our aim was to investigate the mechanism of the vasorelaxant effects of Rho-kinase inhibitors (Y-27632 and fasudil) on the human RA. Segments were obtained from 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft and were divided into 3-4 mm vascular rings. The rings were stimulated with 10(-5) mol/L phenylephrine (PE) by using the isolated tissue bath technique and were relaxed with 10(-6) mol/L acetylcholine. Relaxation responses were recorded for Y-27632 (10(-9)-10(-4) mol/L), fasudil (10(-9)-10(-4) mol/L), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (10(-9)-10(-5) mol/L). Y-27632 and fasudil relaxation responses were repeated in either N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), which is a specific endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, or 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), which is a guanylate cyclase inhibitor. SNP relaxation responses were repeated in 10(-8) mol/L Y-27632 and 10(-8) mol/L fasudil. Y-27632 and fasudil caused concentration-dependent vasorelaxation in RA rings precontracted with PE, and maximal relaxation (100%) was recorded at the highest concentration used (10(-4) mol/L). The vasorelaxant effects of Y-27632 and fasudil were significantly reduced in the presence of L-NNA and ODQ, and the pD2 values of Y-27632 and fasudil were not changed. The vasorelaxant effects of SNP were significantly increased in the presence of Y-27632 and fasudil, and the pD(2) values of SNP were not changed. These findings indicate that Y-27632 and fasudil caused concentration-dependent vasorelaxation in the RA rings. Because this effect was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by L-NNA and ODQ, the relaxant effects of Y-27632 and fasudil could be due to stimulation by nitric oxide that is being released. Rho-kinase inhibitors may have an important role in preventing vasospasm in arterial grafts used for coronary artery surgery.
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PMID:Rho-kinase inhibitors Y-27632 and fasudil prevent agonist-induced vasospasm in human radial artery. 1976 83


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