Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Physiologic levels of extracellular PPi, which suppresses hydroxyapatite crystal growth, must be maintained by articular chondrocytes and resident cells in many othee tissues in order to prevent pathologic calcification. However, extracellular PPi rises in articular cartilage in direct association with aging. Matrix supersaturation with PPi stimulates chondrocalcinosis manifesting as calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition. Extracellular PPi levels are normally held in check by balances in PPi generation by nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase (NPP/NTPPPH) activity relative to PPi degradation by pyrophosphatases, by balance effects of cytokines and growth factors, and by transport of PPi from the cell interior involving the multiple-pass transmembrane protein ANK. But these mechanisms become dysrgulated in aging and osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage and extracellular PPi excess supervenes, mediated in large part by upregulated NPP1 and ANK expression in articular cartilage. Conversely, NPP1 and ANK deficiency states were recently linked to phenotypically similar forms of spontaneous soft tissue calcification with hydroxyapatite (HA). Here, we focus on recent advances in understanding of PPi metabolism and NPP1 and ANK function pertinent to the pathogenesis of pathologi matrix calcification in articular cartilage.
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PMID:Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPI) in pathologic calcification of articular cartilage. 1556 37

Smad3, a critical component of the TGF-beta signaling pathways, plays an important role in the regulation of bone formation. However, how Smad3 affects osteoblast at the different differentiation stage remains still unknown. In the present study, we examined the effects of Smad3 on osteoblast phenotype by employing mouse bone marrow ST-2 cells and mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells at the different differentiation stage. Smad3 overexpression significantly inhibited bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)-induced ALP activity in ST-2 cells, indicating that Smad3 suppresses the commitment of pluripotent mesenchymal cells into osteoblastic cells. Smad3 increased the levels of COLI and ALP mRNA at 7 day cultures in MC3T3-E1 cells, and its effects on COL1 were decreased as the culture periods progress, although its effects on ALP were sustained during 21 day cultures. Smad3 overexpression enhanced the level of Runx2 and OCN mRNA at 14 day and 21 day cultures. Smad3 increased the levels of MGP and NPP-1 mRNA, although the extent of increase in MGP and NPP-1 was reduced and enhanced during the progression of culture period, respectively. Smad3 did not affect the level of ANK mRNA. On the other hand, Smad3 enhanced the level of MEPE mRNA at 14 and 21 day cultures, although Smad3 decreased it at 7 day cultures. In conclusion, Smad3 inhibits the osteoblastic commitment of ST-2 cells, while promotes the early stage of differentiation and maturation of osteoblastic committed MC3T3-E1 cells. Also, Smad3 enhanced the expression of mineralization-related genes at the maturation phase of MC3T3-E1 cells.
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PMID:Smad3 differently affects osteoblast differentiation depending upon its differentiation stage. 1711 1