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

This study was designed to characterise the muscarinic receptor subtype responsible for acetylcholine-mediated in vitro pulmonary artery relaxation in rats and the importance of the presence of neostigmine (an anti-cholinesterase) during receptor characterisation. Cumulative administration of acetylcholine elicited concentration-dependent relaxation of phenylephrine (1 microM) precontracted preparations. Inclusion of neostigmine (10 microM) caused a parallel leftward shift with an increase of the pD(2) value (7.09 vs. 6.43) of the concentration-response curve of acetylcholine. The magnitude of maximum relaxation, however, was not affected. Using a range of conventional muscarinic receptor antagonists (atropine, pirenzepine, methoctramine, p-FHHSiD and tropicamide) and the highly selective Green Mamba muscarinic toxins (MT-3 and MT-7), it was found that muscarinic M(3) receptors are probably responsible for endothelium-dependent relaxation of the pulmonary artery upon acetylcholine challenge. Preincubation with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 20 microM, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), but not N(G)-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME, 20 microM), abolished acetylcholine-elicited relaxation. Moreover, 6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione (LY 83583, 1 microM) and methylene blue (1 microM) (both are guanylate cyclase inhibitors) markedly attenuated acetylcholine-elicited relaxation. However, the presence of indomethacin (3 microM, a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor), (-)-perillic acid (30 microM, a p21(ras) blocker), 2-[2'-amino-3'-methoxy-phenyl]-oxana-phthalen-4-one (PD 98059) (10 microM, a p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor), 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H-imidazole (SB 203580) (1 microM, a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase blocker), wortmannin (500 nM, a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor) and genistein (10 microM, a tyrosine kinase blocker) failed to alter acetylcholine-provoked pulmonary arterial relaxation. These results suggest that acetylcholine caused pulmonary arterial relaxation through the activation of muscarinic M(3) receptors in the endothelium. Moreover, the p21(ras)/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway seems to play no role in mediating acetylcholine-elicited relaxation.
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PMID:Role of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in acetylcholine-mediated in vitro relaxation of rat pulmonary artery. 1175 66

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) reduces ischemia and/or reperfusion damage in several organs, but the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. We used freshly isolated rat hepatocytes to investigate the mechanisms by which ANP enhances hepatocyte resistance to hypoxia. The addition of ANP (1 micromol/L) reduced the killing of hypoxic hepatocytes by interfering with intracellular Na(+) accumulation without ameliorating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and pH decrease caused by hypoxia. The effects of ANP were mimicked by 8-bromo-guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and were associated with the activation of cGMP-dependent kinase (cGK), suggesting the involvement of guanylate cyclase-coupled natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A/B ANP receptors. However, stimulating NPR-C receptor with des-(Gln(18), Ser(19),Gly(20),Leu(21),Gly(22))-ANP fragment 4-23 amide (C-ANP) also increased hepatocyte tolerance to hypoxia. C-ANP protection did not involve cGK activation but was instead linked to the stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC)-delta through G(i) protein- and phospholipase C-mediated signals. PKC-delta activation was also observed in hepatocytes receiving ANP. The inhibition of phospholipase C or PKC by U73122 and chelerythrine, respectively, significantly reduced ANP cytoprotection, indicating that ANP interaction with NPR-C receptors also contributed to cytoprotection. In ANP-treated hepatocytes, the stimulation of both cGK and PKC-delta was coupled with dual phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 abolished ANP protection by reverting p38 MAPK-mediated regulation of Na(+) influx by the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger. In conclusion, ANP recruits 2 independent signal pathways, one mediated by cGMP and cGK and the other associated with G(i) proteins, phospholipase C, and PKC-delta. Both cGK and PKC-delta further transduce ANP signals to p38 MAPK that, by maintaining Na(+) homeostasis, are responsible for ANP protection against hypoxic injury.
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PMID:Mechanisms of hepatocyte protection against hypoxic injury by atrial natriuretic peptide. 1254 Jul 77

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the degradation of heme to CO, iron, and biliverdin. Biliverdin is subsequently metabolized to bilirubin by the enzyme biliverdin reductase. Although long considered irrelevant byproducts of heme catabolism, recent studies indicate that CO and the bile pigments biliverdin and bilirubin may play an important physiological role in the circulation. The release of CO by vascular cells may modulate blood flow and blood fluidity by inhibiting vasomotor tone, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and platelet aggregation. CO may also maintain the integrity of the vessel wall by directly blocking vascular cell apoptosis and by inhibiting the release of pro-apoptotic inflammatory cytokines from the vessel wall. These effects of CO are mediated via multiple pathways, including activation of soluble guanylate cyclase, potassium channels, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, or inhibition of cytochrome P450. In addition, the release of bile pigments may serve to sustain vascular homeostasis by protecting vascular cells from oxidative stress and by inhibiting the adhesion and infiltration of leukocytes into the vessel wall. Induction of HO-1 gene expression and the subsequent release of CO and bile pigments are observed in numerous vascular disorders and may provide an important adaptive mechanism to preserve homeostasis at sites of vascular injury. Thus, the HO-catalyzed formation of CO and bile pigments by vascular cells may function as a critical endogenous vasoprotective system. Moreover, pharmacological or genetic approaches targeting HO-1 to the vessel wall may represent a novel therapeutic approach in treating vascular disease.
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PMID:Carbon monoxide and bile pigments: surprising mediators of vascular function. 1255 43

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) generate carbon monoxide (CO) from the degradation of heme by the enzyme heme oxygenase. Because recent studies indicate that CO influences the properties of vascular SMCs, we examined whether this diatomic gas regulates apoptosis in vascular SMCs. Treatment of cultured rat aortic SMCs with a cytokine cocktail consisting of interleukin-1beta (5 ng/ml), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (20 ng/ml), and interferon-gamma (200 U/ml) for 48 hr stimulated apoptosis, as demonstrated by DNA laddering, caspase-3 activation, and annexin V staining. However, the exogenous addition of CO (200 ppm) completely blocked cytokine-mediated apoptosis. The antiapoptotic action of CO was partially reversed by the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (10 microM). In contrast, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, SB203580 (10 microM), had no effect on SMC apoptosis. These findings indicate that CO is a potent inhibitor of vascular SMC apoptosis and that it blocks apoptosis, in part, by activating the cGMP signaling pathway. The ability of CO to inhibit vascular SMC apoptosis may play a critical role in attenuating lesion formation at sites of arterial damage.
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PMID:Antiapoptotic action of carbon monoxide on cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. 1270 89

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporters (SERTs) are critical determinants of synaptic 5-HT inactivation and the targets for multiple drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders. In support of prior studies, we found that short-term (5-30 min) application of the adenosine receptor (AR) agonist 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) induces an increase in 5-HT uptake Vmax in rat basophilic leukemia 2H3 cells that is enhanced by pretreatment with the cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor sildenafil. NECA stimulation is blocked by the A3 AR antagonist 3-ethyl-5-benzyl-2-methyl-phenylethynyl-6-phenyl-1,4(+/-)dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (MRS1191), by the phospholipase C inhibitor 1-(6-[[17beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl] amino]hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122), by the intracellular Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester, and by the guanyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one. Hydroxylamine, a nitric-oxide donor, and 8-bromo-cGMP, a membrane-permeant analog of cGMP, mimic the effects of NECA on 5-HT uptake, whereas the protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor N-[2-(methylamino)ethy]-5-isoquinoline-sulfonamide (H8) blocks NECA, hydroxylamine, and 8-bromo-cGMP effects. NECA stimulation activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), whereas p38 MAPK inhibitors block NECA stimulation of SERT activity, as does the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitor calyculin A. 5-HT-displaceable [125I]3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-tropane-2beta-carboxylic acid methylester tartrate (RTI-55) whole-cell binding is increased by NECA or sildenafil, and both surface binding and cell surface SERT protein are elevated after NECA or sildenafil stimulation of AR/SERT-cotransfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. Whereas p38 MAPK inhibition blocks NECA stimulation of 5-HT activity, it fails to blunt stimulation of SERT surface density. Moreover, inactivation of existing surface SERTs fails to eliminate NECA stimulation of SERT. Together, these results reveal two PKG-dependent pathways supporting rapid SERT regulation by A3 ARs, one leading to enhanced SERT surface trafficking, and a separate, p38 MAPK-dependent process augmenting SERT intrinsic activity.
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PMID:Adenosine receptor, protein kinase G, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent up-regulation of serotonin transporters involves both transporter trafficking and activation. 1515 39

The mechanism of endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, MMP-1 production and MMP-13 production was investigated in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes. The cells were isolated from human articular cartilage obtained at surgery and were cultured in the absence or presence of ET-1 with or without inhibitors of protein kinase or LY83583 (an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase and of cGMP). MMP-1, MMP-13 and NO levels were then measured by ELISA and Griess reaction, respectively. Additionally, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and phosphorylated forms of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p44/42, stress-activated protein kinase/Jun-N-terminal kinase and serine-threonine Akt kinase were determined by western blot. Results show that ET-1 greatly increased MMP-1 and MMP-13 production, iNOS expression and NO release. LY83583 decreased the production of both metalloproteases below basal levels, whereas the inhibitor of p38 kinase, SB202190, suppressed ET-1-stimulated production only. Similarly, the ET-1-induced NO production was partially suppressed by the p38 kinase inhibitor and was completely suppressed by the protein kinase A kinase inhibitor KT5720 and by LY83583, suggesting the involvement of these enzymes in relevant ET-1 signalling pathways. In human osteoarthritis chondrocytes, ET-1 controls the production of MMP-1 and MMP-13. ET-1 also induces NO release via iNOS induction. ET-1 and NO should thus become important target molecules for future therapies aimed at stopping cartilage destruction.
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PMID:Endothelin-1 in osteoarthritic chondrocytes triggers nitric oxide production and upregulates collagenase production. 1574 80

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 1-benzyl-3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl) indazole (YC-1), a guanylate cyclase activator, upon the proliferation of rat mesangial cells and its underlying mechanism. YC-1 inhibited cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry cell-cycle studies revealed that YC-1 prevented the entry of cells from G1 into S phase. The expression of cyclin D1 and the kinase activity of cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4 were lower within YC-1-treated cells, revealed by Western blotting, Northern blotting and kinase assays. YC-1 did not increase the intracellular cGMP concentration in mesangial cells. Inhibitors of soluble guanylate cyclase, protein kinase G, or protein kinase A also did not reverse the inhibitory effect elicited by YC-1, while co-treatment with p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor could partially reverse the suppressive effect. YC-1 inhibited proliferation of mesangial cells and induced cell-cycle arrest by the reduction of cyclin D1 synthesis and cyclin D1/CDK4 kinase activity. This effect acts partially through p38 MAPK signal transduction activation and is independent of cGMP-signaling pathways.
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PMID:YC-1-inhibited proliferation of rat mesangial cells through suppression of cyclin D1-independent of cGMP pathway and partially reversed by p38 MAPK inhibitor. 1595 Sep 64

During vascular injury, the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells leads to characteristic neointima formation, which can be exacerbated by genetic depletion of caveolin-1 or heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and inhibited by carbon monoxide (CO), a by-product of heme oxygenase 1 activity. CO inhibited smooth muscle cell proliferation by activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and p21(Waf1/Cip1). Exposure to CO increased caveolin-1 expression in neointimal lesions of injured aorta and in vitro by activating guanylyl cyclase and p38 MAPK. p38beta-/- fibroblasts did not induce caveolin-1 in response to CO, and exhibited a diminished basal caveolin-1 expression, which was restored by p38beta gene transfer. p38beta MAPK down-regulated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK-1/2), which can repress caveolin-1 transcription. Genetic depletion of caveolin-1 abolished the antiproliferative effect of CO. Thus, we demonstrate that CO, by activating p38beta MAPK, up-regulates caveolin-1, which acts as a tumor suppressor protein that mediates the growth inhibitory properties of this gas.
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PMID:Caveolin-1 expression by means of p38beta mitogen-activated protein kinase mediates the antiproliferative effect of carbon monoxide. 1605 4

Heme oxygenase (HO)-1, an inducible, low-molecular-weight stress protein, confers cellular and tissue protection in multiple models of injury and disease, including oxidative or inflammatory lung injury, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries, and vascular injury/disease. The tissue protection provided by HO-1 potentially relates to the endogenous production of the end products of its enzymatic activity: namely, biliverdin (BV)/bilirubin (BR), carbon monoxide (CO), and iron. Of these, CO and BV/BR show promise as possible therapeutic agents when applied exogenously in models of lung or vascular injury. CO activates intracellular signaling pathways that involve soluble guanylate cyclase and/or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Although toxic at elevated concentrations, low concentrations of CO can confer antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic, antiproliferative, and vasodilatory effects. BV and BR are natural antioxidants that can provide protection against oxidative stress in cell culture and in plasma. Application of BV or BR protects against I/R injury in several organ models. Recent evidence has also demonstrated antiinflammatory and antiproliferative properties of these pigments. To date, evidence has accumulated for salutary effects of CO, BV, and/or BR in lung/vascular injury models, as well as in models of transplant-associated I/R injury. Thus, the exogenous application of HO end products may provide an alternative to pharmacologic or gene therapy approaches to harness the therapeutic potential of HO-1.
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PMID:Carbon monoxide and bilirubin: potential therapies for pulmonary/vascular injury and disease. 1698 May 50

N,N'-Dialkyl-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamines show structural analogy with estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Because the vasodilator properties of these compounds are unknown, we investigated their potential to relax porcine coronary arteries and determined the mechanism(s) of relaxation. Isolated porcine coronary arterial rings were suspended in organ chambers, precontracted with KCl (30 mM), and the relaxant response was determined by measurement of changes in isometric force. Dependent on the chemical structure, the drugs induced concentration-dependent relaxation in rings with and without endothelium. N,N'-Dipropyl-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine (8) was most potent and showed a 12- to 15-fold higher vasodilatory effect than 17beta-estradiol (E2). The vasorelaxation was independent of endothelium. Calcium concentration-dependent contractions in high-potassium depolarizing medium were insurmountably inhibited by 8. The effect of the L-type Ca2+ channel activator (S)-(-)-Bay K 8644 [(S)-(-)-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-pyridine-carboxylic acid methyl ester], which induced a leftward shift of Ca2+ contraction, was blocked by 8. The relaxant response to 8 was unaffected by the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 (7alpha-[9-[(4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoropentyl]-sulfinyl]nonyl]-estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17beta-diol) and K+ channel blockers, i.e., TEA, glibenclamide, and 4-aminopyridine. Furthermore, the vasodilatory effect of 8 was unaffected by the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ 22536 [9-(tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-9H-purin-6-amine], the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ [1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one], the protein kinase A inhibitor KT 5720 [(9S,10S,12R)-2,3,9,10,11,12-hexahydro-10-hydroxy-9-methyl-1-oxo-9,12-epoxy-1H-diindolo[1,2,3-fg: 3',2',1'-kl]pyrrolo[3,4-i][1,6]benzodiazocine-10-carboxylic acid hexyl ester], the protein kinase G inhibitor KT 5823 [(9S,10R,12R)-2,3,9,10,11,12-hexahydro-10-methoxy-2,9-dimethyl-1-oxo-9,12-epoxy-1H-diindolo[1,2,3-fg:3',2',1'-kl]pyrrolo[3,4-i][1,6]benzodiazocine-10-carboxylic acid methyl ester], and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB 203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole]. Western blot analysis demonstrated that 8, unlike E2, raloxifene, and tamoxifen, failed to stimulate p38 MAPK. It is concluded that N,N'-dipropyl-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine induces endothelium-independent relaxation of coronary arteries; the mechanism apparently involves inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels. The drug may be protective against cardiovascular diseases.
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PMID:Characterization of the relaxant response to N,N'-dipropyl-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine in porcine coronary arteries. 1732 23


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