Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Clinical studies throughout the world will probably result in the use of prostaglandins (PGs) in the near future for treatment of some cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory diseases in addition to their present use in gynecology and obstetrics. The discovery in 1971 that acetylsalicylic acid and a series of other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit the biosynthesis of PGs provided an explanation for the analgetic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activity of these drugs and formed a rational base for their use in a variety of pathological situations believed to involve PGs. The most important indications for the use of PGs in human reproduction include induction of labor; cervical priming; termination of pregnancy in the 2nd or 1st trimester; management of fetal death, missed abortion, intrauterine death near term, hydatidiform mole, and anencephaly; and postpartum hypotonus. 1 of the main contributions of PGs in obstetrics is their ability to stimulate the uterus throughout pregnancy and their suitability in cases in which the uterus is not receptive to oxytocin. Work is underway to develop more satisfactory routes of administration, perhaps vaginally, to achieve more satisfactory control of side effects, and to increase the duration of action through development and substitution of synthetic androgens. PG biosynthesis inhibitors have been used successfully in treatment of premature labor in some cases. PGs of the E series have been used for temporary treatment of cardiac malfunction such as transposition of the main arteries or pulmonary atresia, the vasodilating PGs such as PGI2 or PGE1 have been used in peripheral vascular disease such as arteriosclerosis obliterans and Raynaud's disease, and are currently under investigation in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, spontaneous angina, and toxemia. Prostacyclin has recently become available in Great Britain as an antiaggregating agent for use during charcoal hemoperfusion, hemodialysis, and extracorporeal circulation in open heart surgery. The antisecretory activity of PGs, partially mediated through a stimulation of mucus secretion, has led to their use in treatment of stomach ulcers. Clinical application of PGs in respiratory problems has not progressed far, but recently synthesized analogues could become useful in treatment of some asthmatic disorders.
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PMID:Clinical use of prostaglandins in perspective. 686 38

Essential hypertension is one of the major contributors to premature morbidity and mortality due to the incresased risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, renal disease, peripheral vascular disease and vascular dementia for both men and women. However, its basic causes remain unknown. In the present work we studied the activity of several proteolytic regulatory enzymes related to renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) (aminopeptidase A, APA; aminopeptidase N, APN; aminopeptidase B, APB; and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase, IRAP); with oxytocin regulation (oxytocinase); with the metabolism of GnRH and TRH (pyrrolidone carboxypeptidase, Pcp); and with enkephalins metabolism (enkephalindegrading activity, EDA), to elucidate their role in the mechanisms responsible of essential hypertension and to discuss the possible gender differences. Serum samples of 53 individuals with essential hypertension and 60 healthy volunteers were collected and used to assay enzyme activities, gonad hormones testosterone and estradiol, TSH and free thyroxin (fT4). Differences were observed in APA, APN, Pcp and EDA specific activities, and in serum gonad hormone levels between hypertensive and control groups. Only Pcp activity showed gender differences. Regarding the RAS, APA is reduced while APN is increased, suggesting increased levels of angiotensin II and a facilitation of the conversion of angiotensin III in angiotensin IV. Thus, the changes in several RAS-regulating specific activities and other enzyme activities involved in the neuroendocrine modulation of gonad and stress-related functions are related to essential hypertension with minor gender differences. Therefore, aminopeptidases constitute new elements for the knowledge of the causes of essential hypertension and an alternative as therapeutic targets against the illness.
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PMID:Circulating aminopeptidase activities in men and women with essential hypertension. 2393 Dec 76