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

Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted phosphoprotein, has been implicated in various biological phenomena (e.g. bone development, sepsis, tumor progression, and metastasis). Its role in any context is poorly understood. OPN contains a conserved Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS) sequence, and binds to cells via integrin-mediated mechanisms. Using recombinant human osteopontin-glutathione S-transferase fusion protein and our improved hybridoma fusion partner (Sp2/mIL6), we raised murine monoclonal antibodies against osteopontin. We characterized two antibodies that recognize not only recombinant but also native human osteopontin. These antibodies do not cross-react with mouse osteopontin (recombinant protein or that secreted by ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells), or bovine bone osteopontin, suggesting that they recognize epitopes unique to human OPN. One antibody specifically inhibited adhesion of MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells and ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells to human osteopontin. This antibody failed to recognize osteopontin cleaved by thrombin, which cleaves adjacent to the cell binding domain. We previously showed that thrombin cleavage reduces osteopontin cell binding activity. Thus we postulate that this monoclonal antibody recognizes and interferes with the function of the RGD/thrombin cleavage region of human OPN.
 ...
PMID:Inhibition of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-mediated cell adhesion to osteopontin by a monoclonal antibody against osteopontin. 808 34

Arginine and ornithine are precursors of nitric oxide and polyamines, respectively. These metabolites intimately participate in permeability and adaptive responses of the gut. The liver possesses high arginase activity as an intrinsic part of urea synthesis and would consume most of the portal supply of dietary arginine. The gut reduces this possibility by converting dietary arginine to citrulline, which effectively bypass the liver and is resynthesized to arginine in the kidney. Dietary ornithine supplementation, in the form of ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) can be considered as an arginine precursor. Several supplement studies have shown both amino acids to promote growth hormone and insulin secretion with anabolic effects in postoperative patients. Their intermediary metabolites (for example, glutamine, proline) may also be of benefit in trauma metabolism. Specific effects of either amino acid on the gut are poorly reported. One recent animal study showed improved morphology after OKG administration, perhaps through increased polyamine secretion. Generation of nitric oxide from arginine has two facets. Excess production from high dose arginine potentiated the effects of experimentally induced sepsis, whereas low doses improved survival. These considerations suggest that the role of enteral diet supplementation with arginine or OKG should be urgently examined for any benefits it may have on mucosal barrier function.
 ...
PMID:Can arginine and ornithine support gut functions? 812 89

Nitric oxide reacts with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, a potential mediator of oxidant-induced cellular injury. The endothelium is a primary target of injury in many pathological states, including acute lung injury, sepsis, multiple organ failure syndrome, and atherosclerosis, where enhanced production of nitric oxide and superoxide occurs simultaneously. It was hypothesized that stimulation of endothelial cell nitric oxide production would result in formation of peroxynitrite. Immediate oxidant production was detected by luminol- and lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells exposed to bradykinin or to the calcium ionophore A23187. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence was efficiently inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and by superoxide dismutase, implying dependence on the presence of both nitric oxide and superoxide for oxidant production. Inhibition of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester was partially reversed by L-arginine, but not by D-arginine. Cysteine, methionine, and urate, known inhibitors of peroxynitrite-mediated oxidation, inhibited luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence, while the hydroxyl radical scavengers, mannitol and dimethylsulfoxide, and catalase did not. Bicarbonate increased luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in a concentration-dependent manner. Superoxide production, detected by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, was slightly increased in the presence of nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, suggesting that endothelial cell-produced superoxide was partially metabolized by reaction with nitric oxide. These results are consistent with agonist-induced peroxynitrite production by endothelial cells and suggests that peroxynitrite may have an important role in oxidant-induced endothelial injury.
 ...
PMID:Agonist-induced peroxynitrite production from endothelial cells. 817 19

Sepsis is a major factor in the high mortality and morbidity following diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with obstructive jaundice. The reasons for this increased susceptibility to infection are not fully understood. We therefore observed prospectively changes in immunological status of patients with obstructive jaundice in the perioperative period and studied immunological effects of perioperative arginine therapy. The results showed that there was a significant reduction in interleukin 2 (IL-2) production, interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) expression and lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) mitogen in patients with obstructive jaundice compared with normal controls. After operation, the immune suppression in patients with obstructive jaundice was more significant. Arginine is a known T lymphocyte stimulator. Perioperative supplement with arginine significantly enhanced the immune function of patients with obstructive jaundice, the mechanism being related to increased IL-2 production and IL-2R expression.
 ...
PMID:Immunological status of patients with obstructive jaundice and immunostimulatory effect of arginine. 823 Mar 55

During the last decade, a multitude of experimental arguments have led to the concept that EDRF is nitric oxide (NO), a messenger not only involved in the control of vasomotor tone but also in vascular homeostasis, neuronal and immunological functions. Regardless of its origin, endogenous NO is produced through the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline by NO-synthase (NOS) from which several isoforms have recently been isolated, purified and cloned. NOS-type I (isolated from brain) and type III (isolated from endothelial cells) are termed "constitutive-NOS" and produce picomolar levels of NO from which only a small fraction elicits physiological responses. These isoforms are regulated by Ca(2+)-calmodulin with NADPH, FAD/FMN and tetrahydrobiopterin as co-factors and reveal a high degree of homology with the amino-acid sequence of cytochrome P450 reductase within the C-terminal domain. Functionally, neuronal-NOS type I is important in neurotransmission (modulation of NMDA receptor), the central control of vascular homeostasis and possibly learning and memory. In the peripheral nervous system, NOS appears to be linked to nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) neuronal pathways. Endothelial-NOS type III is essential for the control of vascular tone in response to the release of endogenous mediators, although shear stress is the major trigger of endothelial-NOS activity under physiological conditions. NOS-type III also contributes to the prevention of abnormal platelet aggregation. NOS-types II and IV (isolated from macrophages) are Ca(2+)-calmodulin independent and are termed "inducible-NOS" since their activation is only promoted under pathophysiological situations where macrophages exert cytotoxic effects in response to cytokines. In contrast with NOS-types I and III, activation of NOS-type II in these cells induces the formation of nanomolar levels of NO which act as a defense mechanism of the immune system. Dysfunctions of the L-arginine-NO pathway have been characterized in multiple diseases (atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, sepsis, cerebral ischemia, etc) and the design of more selective activators/inhibitors of NOS isoforms is a new challenge for the understanding of their pathophysiology and treatment.
 ...
PMID:Nitric oxide: an ubiquitous messenger. 829 80

The vascular endothelium plays a central role in the regulation of extrinsic fibrinolysis and thus maintains vascular patency through clot dissolution. Plasminogen activation provides an important source of localized proteolytic activity not only during fibrinolysis but also during a variety of other physiological and pathological processes. Numerous studies have indicated that human endothelial cells can directly synthesize and secrete plasminogen activators (PA) and inhibitors of these activators. PAs specifically hydrolyse a single arginine-valine bond in plasminogen, an abundant and widely distributed plasma zymogen, to form the broad spectrum serine protease, plasmin. Tissue type-PA (t-PA) and urokinase type PA (u-PA) forms of PA have been described in endothelial cells, although t-PA production and secretion is elevated most frequently. The tPA form of PA functions predominantly in endothelial cell mediated fibrinolysis, while uPA is involved in tissue remodeling. During inflammatory reactions activated mononuclear phagocytes produce a variety of cytokines which may influence the phenotype of the endothelium through a process termed "endothelial cell activation". Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), a mononuclear cytokine, is a distinct polypeptide of Mr 17,000 and has been implicated as a mediator of gram negative induced sepsis as well as angiogenesis. TNF alpha is known to interact with specific endothelial cell receptors and to alter endothelial coagulant and anticoagulant properties implying that cytokines may be potent modulators of hemostasis. Recent observations have indicated that TNF alpha and lymphotoxin (TNF beta) can promote the expression, synthesis and secretion of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) in human endothelial cells. The upregulation of uPA results in an alteration in the fibrinolytic capacity of endothelial cells and allows cells the selective ability to degrade and invade underlying subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM). Endothelial cells treated with TNF alpha also display, in an in vitro angiogenic assay, the ability to invade Matrigel and reorganize into tube-like structures, unlike control cultures. The effects of TNF alpha on the PA proteolytic system of endothelial cells, the biological significance of this event and potential in vivo consequences will be discussed. In addition, the influence of cytokine regulatory control systems will be described, since it is becoming increasingly clear that cytokines do not act in isolation. The vascular endothelium serves as a widely distributed anatomical interface between the blood and tissue with diverse capabilities, performing distinctive biologic functions at different sites and within specific organs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Cytokine regulation of endothelial cell extracellular proteolysis. 835 23

Sepsis has been shown to adversely affect the barrier and metabolic functions of the small intestine as well as to reduce mesenteric blood flow and cause histologic damage. However, the effect of sepsis on gut absorptive function has been largely ignored. In this study, intestinal absorption of arginine and an amino acid analogue, aminoisobutyric acid, was studied using in vivo and in vitro techniques in an experimental model of sepsis. In vivo studies showed a significant impairment in the absorption of both amino acids from the intestinal lumen 24 and 72 hours after cecal ligation and puncture. Uptake of these amino acids by everted gut sacs prepared from septic animals was also significantly reduced. This reduction in absorptive capacity of the gut may limit the ability of enteral feeding alone to supply nutritional requirements during sepsis and may also contribute to the associated morbidity and mortality.
 ...
PMID:Sepsis impairs gut amino acid absorption. 841 91

This study of the plasma aminogram was done on 35 patients with a moderate to high level of stress and/or sepsis. For the criteria of illness, the SAPS (Simplified Acute Physiological Score) was used on their admission to the intensive Care Unit, and the diagnosis of sepsis was established according to the criteria of Jacobs and Boone. The stress level was calculated according to Bistrian. The plasma aminogram was determined with High Resolution Liquid Chromatography. The plasma samples were taken while nutrient units containing what is considered a standard solution of amino acids were infused. The eight essential amino acids (EAA) and 10 non-essential were quantified. The ratio of ramified to aromatic amino acids (RAA/AAA) was calculated by Fisher's criteria. An increase in AAA (phenylalanine, p < 0.001, and tyrosine, NS) and sulphur containing amino acids (methionine, p < 0.001) was found. The RAA were within normal ranges (valine) or increased (leucine, p < 0.001 and isoleucine, p < 0.001). The RAA/AAA ratio was reduced, p < 0.0001. Glycine was increased, p < 0.0001 and alanine reduced, p < 0.05. Glutamine and glutamic acid were reduced, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01 as was arginine, p < 0.001. No difference was found in the total concentration of AA. The results confirm the standard plasma aminogram described in situations of metabolic stress and/or sepsis.
 ...
PMID:[Plasma aminogram in critical patients]. 846 96

The mechanism by which soluble mediators of immune cell origin depress myocardial contractility, either globally as in systemic sepsis, or regionally in areas of inflammatory myocardial infiltrates, remains unclear. When freshly isolated ventricular myocytes from adult rat hearts were preincubated for at least 24 h in medium conditioned by endotoxin (LPS)-activated rat alveolar macrophages, their subsequent inotropic response to the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol was reduced from 225 +/- 19% to 155 +/- 10% of the baseline amplitude of shortening (mean +/- SEM, P < 0.05). Neither baseline contractile function nor the contractile response to high extracellular calcium were affected. To determine whether an endogenous nitric-oxide (NO)-signaling pathway within ventricular myocytes was responsible for their decreased responsiveness to isoproterenol, the L-arginine analogue L-NMMA was added to the preincubation medium. While L-NMMA did not affect baseline contractile function or the response of control myocytes to isoproterenol, it completely restored the positive inotropic response to isoproterenol in myocytes preincubated in LPS-activated macrophage medium. Release of NO by ventricular myocytes following exposure to activated macrophage medium was detected as an increase in cGMP content in a reporter-cell (RFL-6) bioassay and also as increased nitrite content in myocyte-conditioned medium. Thus, the depressed contractile response of adult rat ventricular myocytes to beta-adrenergic agonists by a 24-h exposure to soluble inflammatory mediators is mediated at least in party by induction of an autocrine NO signaling pathway.
 ...
PMID:Abnormal contractile function due to induction of nitric oxide synthesis in rat cardiac myocytes follows exposure to activated macrophage-conditioned medium. 848 92

All phenomena seen under ovine endotoxemia or bacteremia are typically observed in septic humans as well. The lethality (approximately 20%) in both sepsis models underlines the severity of the experimental sepsis in these models. As mentioned above, both models are ideal to objectify the effects of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of sepsis, because they provide stable conditions. We tested the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase in both models: Nitric oxide is the main mediator of the vasodilation and the hyperdynamic circulation seen in sepsis. Since the restoration of the perfusion pressure is the major therapeutic goal to prevent further tissue damage (Chernow et al. 1990), the blockade of the nitric oxide synthase seems to be a logical approach for the treatment of hyperdynamic sepsis. Therefore, we tested the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(W)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in the endotoxemic sheep model as well as in the bacteremic model. L-NAME reversed the hyperdynamic circulation of sepsis (Meyer et al.1992; Dehring et al.1993). The cardiac output was lowered back to baseline, and at the same time, the arterial pressure was elevated to baseline niveau, both resulting in a marked increase in systemic vascular resistance (figure 3). The pulmonary artery pressure showed only a slight increase, but due to the marked reduction in cardiac output the pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly. The oxygen extraction was elevated to an extent, which prevented the oxygen consumption to fall, although the oxygen delivery dropped significantly because of the lowered cardiac output (figure 4). The intrapulmonary shunt was brought back to baseline (Meyer et al.1994a), allowing an improved pulmonary oxygen uptake. The renal function improved significantly after nitric oxide synthase inhibition in endotoxemia as well as in bacteremia (Hinder et al.1994; Lingnau et al.1994). Not only was the creatinine clearance elevated, but the urine output also increased, lowering the positive fluid balance. Another inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase N(W)-Mono-Methyl-L-Arginine (L-NMMA) was recently tested in these models as well. This drug is now already in clinical trials. The fact that the effects of these nitric oxide synthase inhibitors in septic humans are similar to the effects in the described experimental sepsis models proves the clinical relevance of the endotoxemic and the bacterimic sheep model.
 ...
PMID:Endotoxin versus bacteremia: a comparison focusing on clinical relevance. 852 47


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10