Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034067 (emphysema)
 11,506 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The functional roles of neutral lipids are poorly understood in the lung. Blocking cholesteryl ester and triglyceride metabolism in lysosomal acid lipase gene knockout mice (lal-/-) resulted in a high level of neutrophil influx in the lungs as early as 2 mo of age. Bronchoalveolar macrophages appeared foamy and gradually increased in number with age progression. Affymetrix GeneChip array analysis of lung mRNA showed increased levels of proinflammatory cytokine (including IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) and matrix metalloproteinase (including MMP-8, MMP-9, and MMP-12) expression in lal-/- mice. With age progression, some areas of lal-/- mice developed severe abnormal cell proliferation and alveolar remodeling. In other areas, alveolar destruction (i.e., emphysema) was observed. In addition, Clara cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia developed in conducting airways. The pathophysiological phenotypes in the lal-/- mouse lungs became more severe with increasing age. The studies support the concept that neutral lipid metabolites play essential roles in pulmonary homeostasis, inflammatory responses, remodeling, and injury repair.
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PMID:Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency causes respiratory inflammation and destruction in the lung. 1464 59

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are an at least 23 member family of calcium and zinc dependent enzymes implicated in many physiological and pathological processes. Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema are diseases associated with an inflammation of the airways and lung parenchyma. In this review, we focus on the role played by MMPs in the pathogenesis of inflammation, airway remodelling and alveolar destruction, depicting the observational studies in humans and the experimental studies in animal models. During the course of asthma, MMP-2,-8,-9 and TIMP-1 are expressed at baseline and the allergen exposure or exacerbations of the disease lead to an increase of MMP-9 secretion being at this time much higher than that of TIMP-1, allowing temporarily a matrix damage, possibly followed by abnormal repair. Animal models suggest a predominant role for MMP-9 and MMP-12 in the pathogenesis of pulmonary inflammation and link an absence of MMP-2 to an increased parenchymal inflammation. In COPD and emphysema, human studies indicate an over-secretion of MMP-2,-8,-9 and animal models pointout MMP-1 and MMP-12 as being key players in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Taken together, these data identify specific MMP inhibition as appropriate target for therapeutic intervention in asthma or COPD/emphysema They also strongly argue against the widespread use of large spectrum non specific inhibitors that could be detrimental.
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PMID:Pathogenic role of matrix metalloproteases and their inhibitors in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and therapeutic relevance of matrix metalloproteases inhibitors. 1465 45

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-containing endopeptidases that play a key role in both physiological and pathological tissue remodeling. Human fibroblast collagenase (MMP-1) was the first vertebrate collagenase purified as a protein and cloned as a cDNA, and is considered the prototype for all the interstitial collagenases. It is synthesized as a zymogen where N-terminal residues are removed by proteolysis and shares with other MMPs a catalytic domain and a carboxy terminal domain with sequence similarity to hemopexin. Importantly, MMP-1 should be considered a multifunctional molecule since it participates not only in the turnover of collagen fibrils in the extracellular space but also in the cleavage of a number of non-matrix substrates and cell surface molecules suggesting a role in the regulation of cellular behaviour. Furthermore, an extensive body of evidence indicates that MMP-1 plays an important role in diverse physiologic processes such as development, tissue morphogenesis, and wound repair. Likewise, it seems to be implicated in a variety of human diseases including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary emphysema and fibrotic disorders, suggesting that its inhibition or stimulation may open therapeutic avenues.
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PMID:MMP-1: the elder of the family. 1547 75

The authors compared histories of nonmalignant respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, hay fever, and pneumonia) in 1,553 lung cancer patients and 1,375 healthy controls enrolled in a Texas case-control study from 1995 to 2003. They incorporated data on two biologically relevant polymorphic genes, matrix metalloproteinase-1 and myeloperoxidase. Emphysema was associated with a statistically significant increased lung cancer risk (odds ratio (OR) = 2.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.20, 3.76), while hay fever had a significant protective effect (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.70). Odds ratios were consistent after exclusion of respiratory disease diagnoses made up to 10 years before interview. There was little association between other respiratory diseases and lung cancer risk. Among carriers of "protective" genotypes, emphysema was associated with a 1.7-fold increased risk (95% CI: 0.84, 3.50), as compared with the substantially higher risk for persons possessing one (OR = 4.98, 95% CI: 2.94, 8.44) or two (OR = 4.23, 95% CI: 1.84, 9.73) "adverse" genotypes. For hay fever, significantly decreased risks were evident with one (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.50) or two (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.66) protective genotypes as compared with none (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.30, 1.59). The biologic role of respiratory disease in lung cancer is unclear. Further study may yield new insights for identification of susceptible subgroups.
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PMID:Opposing effects of emphysema, hay fever, and select genetic variants on lung cancer risk. 1571 77

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly MMP-1 and MMP-2, are involved in the pathophysiology of emphysema. MMPs contain zinc in the catalytic site and its expression is regulated transcriptionally via mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Carbon monoxide (CO), one of the end products of heme oxygenase activity, has anti-inflammatory properties, which are mediated, at least in part, by activation of p38 MAPK. Furthermore, CO has the unique ability to bind to metal centers in proteins and can affect their specific activity. Therefore, we hypothesized that CO could inhibit MMPs expression and/or activity. Here we show that a recently identified carbon monoxide-releasing molecule, [Ru(CO)3Cl2]2 (or CORM-2) inhibits MMP-1 and MMP-2 mRNA expression in the human lung epithelial cell line A549. The MMPs mRNA expression was unaffected by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, but in the case of MMP-1 was reversed by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. In addition, CORM-2 inhibited both MMP-1 and MMP-2 activities. Interestingly, no effect was observed with (Ru(DMSO)4Cl2), a negative control that does not contain CO groups. To the best of our knowledge this is the first evidence on the effect of CO on MMPs expression and activity. This effect could have important implications in the pathophysiology of emphysema and other diseases involving proteases/antiproteases imbalance.
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PMID:Carbon monoxide reduces the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 2 in alveolar epithelial cells. 1630 91

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of Zn-dependent endo-peptidases known for their ability to cleave several components of the extracellular matrix, but which can also cleave many non-matrix proteins. There are many evidences that MMPs are involved in physiological and pathological processes, and a huge effort has been put in the development of possible inhibitors that could reduce the activity of MMPs, as it is clear that the ability to monitor and control such activity plays a pivotal role in the search for potential drugs aimed at finding a cure for several diseases such as pulmonary emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, fibrotic disorders and cancer.A powerful method currently available to study enzyme-inhibitor interactions is based on the use of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. When MMP interactions are studied, a procedure by which inhibitors are normally anchored on sensor chips and SPR technique is used in order to study their interaction with MMPs molecules is usually followed. This is because it is currently believed that MMPs cannot be anchored on the sensor-chip surface without losing their activity. However, this approach gives rise to problems, as the anchoring of low-molecular-weight inhibitors on gold surfaces easily affects their ability to interact with MMPs. For this reason, the anchoring of MMPs is highly desirable.A new experimental protocol that couples the Fourier transform-SPR (FT-SPR) technique with electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) is described here for the evaluation of the activity of MMP-1 catalytic domain (cdMMP-1) anchored on gold surfaces. The cdMMP-1 surface coverage is calculated by using FT-SPR and the enzyme activity is estimated by ESI-MS. The proposed method is label-free.
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PMID:Activity of anchored human matrix metalloproteinase-1 catalytic domain on Au (111) surfaces monitored by ESI-MS. 1632 Feb 88

Tissue remodeling is an important process in many inflammatory and fibrotic lung disorders. RBC may in these conditions interact with extracellular matrix (ECM). Fibroblasts can produce and secrete matrix components, matrix-degrading enzymes (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Imbalance in matrix synthesis/degradation may result in rearrangement of tissue architecture and lead to diseases such as emphysema or fibrosis. Neutrophil elastase (NE), a protease released by neutrophils, is known to activate MMP. We hypothesized that RBC can stimulate secretion of MMPs from human lung fibroblasts and that NE can augment this effect. Human fetal lung fibroblasts were cultured in floating collagen gels with or without RBC. After 4 days, the culture medium was analyzed with gelatin zymography, Western blot, and ELISA for MMP-1, -2, -3 and TIMP-1, -2. RBC augmented NE-induced fibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction compared with NE alone (18.4+/-1.6%, 23.7+/-1.4% of initial gel area, respectively). A pan-MMP inhibitor (GM-6001) completely abolished the stimulating effect of NE. Gelatin zymography showed that RBC stimulated MMP-2 activity and that NE enhanced conversion to the active form. Addition of GM-6001 completely inhibited MMP-2 activity in controls, whereas it only partially altered RBC-induced MMP activity. Western blot confirmed the presence of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in fibroblasts stimulated with RBC, and ELISA confirmed increased concentrations of pro-MMP-1. We conclude that stimulation of MMP secretion by fibroblasts may explain the ability of RBC to augment fibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction. This might be a potential mechanism by which hemorrhage in inflammatory conditions leads to ECM remodeling.
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PMID:Red blood cells increase secretion of matrix metalloproteinases from human lung fibroblasts in vitro. 1640 42

Fibroblast activation protein (FAPalpha) is a member of the cell surface dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) family of serine proteases. In its dimer form, FAPalpha exhibits gelatinase, collagenase, and DPP activity in vitro. Reactive fibroblasts in healing wounds and stromal fibroblasts associated with epithelial tumors express FAPalpha. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease of the lung characterized by progressive fibrosis with no clear etiology or molecular marker for disease activity. Recently, it has been shown that fibroblast FAPalpha expression is induced in liver cirrhosis, with an expression pattern distinct from alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). In this study, we determine whether FAPalpha expression is selectively induced in areas of ongoing tissue remodeling characterized by fibroblast foci in IPF. Human lung tissue was obtained from patients with IPF, centrilobular emphysema, and normal lung. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using anti-FAPalpha antibody and antibodies against alpha-SMA and CD26 (DPPIV), another member of the DPP family. We found that FAPalpha was not expressed in normal human lung tissue or tissue with evidence of centriacinar emphysema, but was induced in all patients with IPF and With a pattern distinct from that of CD26 found primarily on hyperplastic alveolar epithelium. Specifically, FAPalpha was detected in fibroblast foci and in fibrotic interstitium and not in the interstitium of adjacent architecturally normal lung. Alveolar/airway epithelium and vascular smooth muscle did not express FAPalpha. This is the first report of FAPalpha expression in IPF and our results suggest that FAPalpha is selectively induced in fibrotic foci, but not in normal or emphysematous lung. Future studies will address whether FAPalpha may be used as a marker for disease activity in IPF.
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PMID:Fibroblast activation protein: a serine protease expressed at the remodeling interface in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 1661 31

An imbalance between proteases and anti-proteases is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of emphysema. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that cigarette smoke can alter tissue structure through an effect on the release of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and type I tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1). Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) significantly stimulated pro-MMP-1 production (determined by ELISA and immunoblots) and mRNA expression (by real-time RT-PCR) by human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL-1) in a concentration-dependent manner (2.5-10%). High concentrations of CSE (10%) could potentially activate the latent form of MMP-1 as the high molecular weight (52 kDa) form was converted into a low molecular weight (42 kDa) form consistent with active MMP-1. TIMP-1 production, however, was not significantly altered by the concentrations of CSE tested. After 30 min exposure, CSE significantly induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, which then gradually decreased from 90 minutes to 3 hours. PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK-MAPK, significantly blocked the CSE effect on ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, PD98059 significantly inhibited the CSE effect on MMP-1 production and mRNA expression by fibroblasts. These results suggest that cigarette smoke stimulates production and likely activates MMP-1 through activating ERK1/2 signal transduction pathway. By inducing MMP-1, cigarette smoke may result in excess tissue destruction and contribute to the development of emphysema.
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PMID:Cigarette smoke stimulates MMP-1 production by human lung fibroblasts through the ERK1/2 pathway. 1699 35

COPD is a chronic disease of the lung that is characterised by decreased air flow and associated abnormal inflammatory responses of the lungs. A total of 80% of COPD incidences are observed in patients with history of smoking tobacco. The chronic condition of COPD is characterised by airway remodelling, which leads to emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Inflammatory cells of the immune system play a major role in pathophysiology of COPD. High levels of neutrophils, macrophages and CD8(+) T cells have been found in bronchoalveolar lavage samples of COPD patients. Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), which are secreted by these inflammatory cells, have the enzymatic capacity to cause morphological changes in the lungs and contribute significantly to the COPD state. Increased concentrations of MMP-1, -2, -9, -12 and so on have been found in bronchoalveolar lavage samples of COPD patients compared with non-COPD individuals. COPD is rated as among the top five diseases with high mortality rates and it is estimated that in the next 20 years, the healthcare cost alone for COPD will be US $800 million worldwide. The present drug therapies are neither very efficacious nor cost effective; hence, there is unmet medical need to discover small-molecule drugs for COPD. In this regard, synthetic MMP inhibitors show a great promise for COPD treatment.
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PMID:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: role of matrix metalloproteases and future challenges of drug therapy. 1759 90


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