Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
 59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vascular permeability plays a key role in a wide array of life-threatening and sight-threatening diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor can increase vascular permeability. Using a model system for nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, we found that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) effectively abated vascular endothelial growth factor-induced vascular permeability. A 44-amino acid region of PEDF was sufficient to confer the antivasopermeability activity. Additionally, we identified four amino acids (glutamate-101, isoleucine-103, leucine-112, and serine-115) critical for this activity. PEDF, or a derivative, could potentially abate or restore vision loss from diabetic macular edema. Furthermore, PEDF may represent a superior therapeutic approach to sepsis-associated hypotension, nephrotic syndrome, and other sight-threatening and life-threatening diseases resulting from excessive vascular permeability.
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PMID:Identification of the antivasopermeability effect of pigment epithelium-derived factor and its active site. 1509 82

Vibrio vulnificus is an opportunistic human pathogen causing septicemia, and the infection is characterized by formation of the edematous skin lesions on limbs. This pathogenic species secretes a thermolysin-like metalloprotease as a virulence determinant. The metalloprotease was confirmed to activate human factor XII-plasma kallikrein-kinin cascade that results in liberation of bradykinin, a chemical mediator enhancing the vascular permeability, from high-molecular weight kininogen. Namely, the metalloprotease showed to generate active fragments by cleavage of Arg-Ile, Arg-Val or Gly-Leu peptide bond in human zymogens (plasma prekallikrein and factor XII). In spite of induction of the sufficient vascular permeability-enhancing and edema-forming reaction in the guinea pig model, a serine protease from V. parahaemolyticus, a human pathogen causing primarily watery diarrhea, showed far less ability to activate and to cleave the human zymogens. These results in part may explain why only V. vulnificus often causes serious edematous skin damages in humans.
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PMID:Generation of active fragments from human zymogens in the bradykinin-generating cascade by extracellular proteases from Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus. 1553 Sep 71

TNF-alpha is a mediator of insulin resistance in sepsis, obesity, and type 2 diabetes and is known to impair insulin signaling in adipocytes. Akt (protein kinase B) is a crucial signaling mediator for insulin. In the present study we examined the posttranslational mechanisms by which short-term (<6-h) exposure of 3T3-L1 adipocytes to TNF-alpha decreases Akt levels. TNF-alpha treatment both increased the ubiquitination of Akt and decreased its protein level. The decrease in protein was associated with the presence of an (immunoreactive) Akt fragment after TNF-alpha treatment, indicative of Akt cleavage. The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor t-butoxycarbonyl-Asp(O-Me)-fluoromethyl ketone markedly suppressed these effects of TNF-alpha. The caspase-6 inhibitor Z-Val-Glu(OMe)-Ile-Asp(OMe)-CH(2)F potently suppressed Akt ubiquitination, degradation, and fragment formation, whereas the proteasome inhibitor Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-CHO modestly attenuated the decline in Akt levels. Exposure to TNF-alpha also enhanced the association of Akt with an E3 ligase activity. Adipocytes preexposed to TNF-alpha for 5 h and then stimulated with insulin for 30 min exhibited decreased levels of Akt, phosphorylated Akt, as well as phosphorylated Mdm2, which is a known direct substrate of Akt, and glucose uptake. Caspase inhibition attenuated these inhibitory effects of TNF-alpha. Collectively, our results suggest that TNF-alpha induces the caspase-dependent degradation of Akt via the cleavage and ubiquitination of Akt, which results in its degradation through the 26S proteasome. Furthermore, the caspase- and proteasome-mediated degradation of Akt due to TNF-alpha exposure leads to impaired Akt-dependent insulin signaling in adipocytes. These findings expand the mechanism by which TNF-alpha impairs insulin signaling.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} decreases Akt protein levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via the caspase-dependent ubiquitination of Akt. 1574 49

Acute and chronic ischaemic diseases are among the main death reasons and civilized world menace. Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs): valine (Val), leucine (Leu), and isoleucine (Ile) are the main source of nitrogen to glutamine (Gln) and alanine (Ala) synthesis in muscles. In numerous cachexy-producing illnesses such as cancer, sepsis, diverse injuries and heart diseases increased consumption of BCAAs occurs. In myocardial ischemia BCAAs derived from the mobilization of muscle protein may be an important alternative energy substrate for the heart. BCAAs are oxidative energy substrates for the heart and may exert anabolic effects on myocardial protein (8). The aim of our study was to determine branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) concentrations in blood plasma of patients with chronic and acute ischeamic heart disease and to find out changes that those amino acids undergo during the first five days of patients' hospitalization.
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PMID:Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in heart diseases (ischaemic heart disease and myocardial infarction). 1614 56

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; valine, leucine, and isoleucine) represent important precursors in the synthesis of glutamine and alanine in the skeletal muscle. Enhanced oxidation of BCAAs can cover the elevated demands of the body on glutamine and alanine during severe illnesses (sepsis, polytrauma, burns). The sufficient supply of the BCAAs in such conditions is facilitated by increased proteolysis in skeletal muscle. However, it can result in muscle wasting and negative protein balance. While concentrations of the BCAAs and alanine are rarely significantly altered, a marked decrease in glutamine concentration, particularly in skeletal muscle, is frequently observed. Glutamine is therefore considered to be a conditional essential amino acid. The manuscript describes the metabolic relations between BCAAs and glutamine, and explains the importance of the recycling of BCAAs and their ketoanalogues between the liver and skeletal muscle. Finally, it is suggested that the favourable effect of glutamine administration on protein metabolism is related to changes in BCAA metabolism.
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PMID:[Glutamine and branched-chain amino acids--practical importance of their metabolic relations]. 1633 56

Various experimental studies conducted in the 1970s demonstrated, at least in the physiological situation, the anabolic and/or anticatabolic properties of branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine, isoleucine) or their ketoacid derivatives. This led to several clinical studies in the late 1970s and early 1980s that aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of BCAA supplementation in nutritional support of the critically ill. The data on burn, trauma, and sepsis are, however, far from convincing. Besides significant discrepancies in their results and the fact that most of these studies involved very small populations of patients, few of them meet the current standards of therapeutic evaluation. However, some positive results in specific studies suggest that the underlying concept may be correct but that interpretation has been faulty. Indeed, we know now that while the BCAAs possess regulatory properties on protein metabolism, leucine is by far the most potent, while isoleucine and valine are inefficient. However, in the above-mentioned studies, BCAA-supplemented nutrition very frequently supplied almost equivalent amounts of all 3 BCAAs. Moreover, several studies were performed without adequate basal nutritional support, which most probably hampered the correct metabolic utilization of these amino acids. Taken together, these factors mean that the demonstrations of BCAA efficacy were fortunate in the least. In contrast, more recently, leucine was demonstrated to positively affect protein synthesis in an experimental model of sepsis or burn. In parallel, 2 prospective controlled trials of BCAA supplementation in septic patients also demonstrated an improvement in patients' nutritional status and outcome. Thus, we should abandon the concept of BCAA-supplemented nutrition for a more promising leucine-supplemented nutrition that requires further evaluation.
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PMID:Therapeutic use of branched-chain amino acids in burn, trauma, and sepsis. 1636 4

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA: leucine, isoleucine and valine) are not just structural constituents of proteins, but have ''pharmacologic'' properties, known for several years: BCAA are catabolized mainly in muscle; can be oxidized with energy production, being nitrogen donors for other amino acids; regulate protein synthesis and degradation; modulate metabolism of neuroactive mediators. These properties make the clinical use of BCAA particularly suitable in critical conditions such as liver cirrhosis, sepsis, surgical or nonsurgical trauma, acute renal failure, acute pancreatitis, cancer, in which energy production from conventional substrates is altered and, at the same time, reduction of protein catabolism and enhancement of synthetic processes is advisable. Recently, the changes of plasma aminoacidograms induced by the administration of high-dose BCAA in sepsis have been better detailed: 1) a tendency to normalization of high levels of proline and of other amino acids transported intracellularly by transport system ''A''; 2) less relevant reduction of the levels of other amino acids; 3) increase of the levels of taurine, glutamate and aspartate; more complex interactions with specific amino acids. These changes, and changes of other variables, reconfirm in part some well-known properties of BCAA, and are also objective indicators of an improvement of the metabolic abnormalities of sepsis induced by BCAA administration. In sepsis and in other stress conditions it is recommended to administer, within balanced parenteral nutritional regimens, AA solutions with a 35-50% BCAA concentration.
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PMID:[The branched-chain amino acids]. 1650 46

Total parenteral nutrition with branched chain amino-acids enriched solutions has been advocated in patients with sepsis and stress because of favourable effects on nitrogen balance, protein synthesis and immune competence. The rationale for the use of BCAA-enriched solutions is based on their potential to correct the plasma amino-acid imbalances seen in these patients. In a 7-day prospective randomised study we investigated the effects on plasma amino-acid concentrations of a standard amino-acid solution (15.6% BCAA) and a branched chain amino-acid enriched solution (50.2% BCAA) in 101 parenterally fed patients with carefully assessed sepsis and/or stress scores. The infusion of the BCAA-enriched solution led to an imbalance of the essential plasma amino-acids. The branched chain amino-acids valine, leucine and isoleucine increased significantly while the non-BCAA essential amino-acids decreased significantly. In the standard solution the non-BCAA-essential amino-acids increased significantly with a slow and insignificant rise in the levels of the branched chain amino-acids. We conclude that infusion of a BCAA enriched TPN formulation induced amino-acid profile derangements that can be considered ill-suited to the achievement of anti-catabolic effects.
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PMID:Effects of infusion of branched chain amino-acids enriched TPN solutions on plasma amino-acid profiles in sepsis and trauma patients. 1683 65

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I (LAD I) is characterized by recurrent and fatal bacterial infections, and caused by the mutation of the CD18 gene. A 9-month-old infant whose umbilical cord separated at day 10 of life had sepsis, complicated otitis media and neutrophilia. Molecular analysis showed homozygous intron 7 (+1) g > a in the CD18 gene, resulting in three splicing transcriptions that inserted 64, 298 (5' end of intron 7), and 1157 (whole intron 7) nucleotides into the 300th amino acid of Ile and stopped at the 326th (inserted 64 and 1157 nucleotides) and the 344th (inserted 64 nucleotides), respectively. The two truncated mutations lost cysteine-rich, transmembrane, and cytoplasma domains. Increased susceptibility to infections correlated to polymorphonuclear cell dysfunction, including absent expression of adhesion molecule (CD11b/CD18), impaired chemotaxis, and decreased phagocytosis. Both his heterozygous parents revealed non-random skewing only to the wild type. The skewing pattern and severe phenotype make stem cell transplantation an optimal option.
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PMID:Neutrophil function and molecular analysis in severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I without separation delay of the umbilical cord. 1765 79

Vibrio vulnificus, an opportunistic human pathogen causing fetal septicemia, produces a 50-kDa pore-forming toxin as a virulence factor. This toxin consists of 451 amino acid residues; however, there are two types of this toxin on the basis of the difference of some amino acid residues, type 1 (Leu(281), Ser(415), Asn(435)/Asp(435), Asn(438)) and type 2 (Ile(281), Asn(415), Asn(435), Thr(438)). In the present study, two characteristic properties of type 2 toxin that was elaborated by V. vulnificus cells or synthesized by the in vitro system were compared to those of type 1 toxin. Type 2 toxin was found to be more resistant to spontaneous inactivation at 37 degrees C and to specific inactivation by cholesterol. On the other hand, a variant of type 2 toxin (Asp(435), Asn(438)) showed the same properties as type 1 toxin. The replacement of the 438th Asn to Thr (N438T), but not the 435th Asp to Asn (D435N), resulted in reversion of the variant type 2 toxin to typical type 2 toxin. These findings indicate that a single amino acid residue, Thr(438), may be critical for higher stability of type 2 toxin.
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PMID:The crucial amino acid residue related to inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin. 1789 6


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