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

A post-proline cleaving enzyme and its endogenous inhibitor have been demonstrated to be present in sperm of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi. The enzyme was extracted with artificial sea water from frozen and thawed sperm and isolated from accompanying acrosin-like and chymotrypsin-like enzymes by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. It was then separated from the endogenous inhibitor by ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. Three subsequent chromatographic operations using hydroxylapatite, Sephadex G-150 and Z-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-aminohexyl-Sepharose yielded the highly purified enzyme. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of the enzyme were estimated to be 66,000 and 5.5, respectively. The pH optimum of the activity was 7.0. The enzyme was inactivated with diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, Z-Gly-Pro-chloromethyl ketone and sulfhydryl-directed reagents; these inhibitor susceptibilities were similar to those reported for the enzymes of mammalian origins. The ascidian enzyme hydrolyzed oxytocin, angiotensin II, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone and neurotensin at the carboxyl side of proline residues. The endogenous inhibitor was heat stable. The molecular weight of its main component was estimated to be about 8,000. The presence of salt at high concentrations weakened the enzyme-inhibitor interaction. Z-Gly-Pro-chloromethyl ketone inhibited fertilization of the ascidian, suggesting possible involvement of the post-proline cleaving enzyme in fertilization.
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PMID:Isolation and characterization of a post-proline cleaving enzyme and its inhibitor from sperm of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi. 636 Oct 7

Different changes in neurotransmitters were observed in patients with fibromyalgia. The aim of the study was to confirm the diagnosis fibromyalgia by determination of several of these substances. In 60 patients, who met the ACR classification criteria for fibromyalgia and in 20 sex and age matched controls the following estimations were made: serotonin (EIA), somatomedin C (RIA), calcitonin (RIA), prostaglandin E2 (EIA), oxytocin (RIA), ACTH (RIA), substance P (EIA), TSH (LIA), prolactin (LIA). In comparison to healthy controls, patients with fibromyalgia revealed significantly decreased levels of serotonin, somatomedin C, calcitonin, prostaglandin E2 and a significantly increased level of prolactin. No significant differences were found in the levels of ACTH, substance P and TSH. These results suggest that the diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be confirmed by various biochemical parameters, but further investigations must be carried out to value the diagnostic relevance of these findings.
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PMID:[Biochemical changes in fibromyalgia]. 876 46