Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P05231 (interleukin-6)
 23,907 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cytosolic aminopeptidase P was obtained in highly purified form from human leukocytes by a four-step procedure. Buffy coats were the starting material. A M(r) of 140,000 was obtained by size-exclusion HPLC for the native enzyme. As shown by SDS/PAGE under reducing and denaturing conditions, the enzyme consisted of likely identical subunits with M(r) of 71,000. Purified aminopeptidase P cleaved off, specifically and efficiently, the N-terminal residues from peptides with N-terminal Xaa-Pro sequences. The penultimate proline was not replaceable by hydroxyproline, alanine and glycine in di-, tri- and tetrapeptides. Polyproline was not hydrolyzed. Dipeptides were cleaved (Arg-Pro, Phe-Pro > Trp-Pro > Pro-Pro) although slower than longer peptides. Cleavage was observed of several biologically active peptides; C-terminal fragment (residues 201-206) of C-reactive protein, oxytocin fragment Tyr-Pro-Leu-Gly, morphiceptin, peptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro (inhibitor of fibrin polymerization) and kentsin. In addition, cleavage of a protein, interleukin-6, was also demonstrated. Aminopeptidase P was maximally activated by Mn2+, and to a lesser extent by Co2+. The activity was optimal at pH 8. Ni2+, Zn2+ and especially Cd2+ caused marked inhibition. EDTA, 1,10-phenantroline and dithiothreitol were also inhibitory. Carbobenzoxy-phenylalanine, as well as several N-carbobenzoxy-proline-containing peptides, caused partial inhibition. The observed resistance of Gly-Pro, Pro-Gly, Pro-Phe and Pro-Ile to hydrolysis by the purified enzyme strongly indicates absence of known proline-specific dipeptidases in the aminopeptidase-P preparation.
 ...
PMID:Aminopeptidase P from human leukocytes. 144 89

Tumor necrosis factor and related cytokines are thought to be implicated in cell-mediated immunity and pathophysiology in malaria, but their mechanism of action has not been ascertained. Tumor necrosis factor has been reported to generate nitric oxide in vitro, so we have measured levels of this molecule and its products in the plasma of mice after they have received an injection of tumor necrosis factor, lymphotoxin, interleukin-1, gamma interferon, or interleukin-6, all of which have been reported to be increased in malaria. Total reactive nitrogen intermediate levels in plasma were assayed spectrophotometrically after exposing plasma to a copper-cadmium-zinc catalyst to convert nitrate to nitrite and then to Griess reagent. Tumor necrosis factor, lymphotoxin, and interleukin-1 all induced reactive nitrogen intermediates in vivo, with interleukin-1 showing the most activity. Tumor necrosis factor was then examined more closely. It induced more reactive nitrogen intermediates in malaria-infected mice than in normal mice, and appreciably more was in the form of nitrate than was in the form of nitrite. NG-methyl-L-arginine inhibited the in vivo generation of reactive nitrogen intermediates by tumor necrosis factor in a dose-dependent manner, implying that these molecules were arginine derived. These results are consistent with the possibility that tumor necrosis factor, lymphotoxin, and interleukin-1 may contribute to host pathology and parasite suppression through generation of nitric oxide.
 ...
PMID:In vivo induction of nitrite and nitrate by tumor necrosis factor, lymphotoxin, and interleukin-1: possible roles in malaria. 150 Jan 82

Cadmium is a known immunotoxic agent in animal studies. Cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system are strategically located at portals of entry in humans and therefore may be particularly at risk for cadmium exposure through contaminated air, food, and drinking water. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) production, a pleiotropic cytokine, when an activated human monocytic cell line was exposed to cadmium. Results suggest that there were statistically significant lower levels of IL-6 at 0.06 mM cadmium (P < 0.05), and 0.8 and 0.1 mM cadmium (P < 0.01), determined via the ELISA method. IL-6 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were also decreased at these cadmium concentrations. The addition of a chelating agent, EDTA, to the cultures prevented the suppression of IL-6 secretion.
 ...
PMID:Cadmium inhibits IL-6 production and IL-6 mRNA expression in a human monocytic cell line, THP-1. 801 39

The intracellular signals induced by IL-1 and IL-6 have been described but there are few details of the signals they induce in liver-derived cells during initiation of acute phase protein synthesis. We therefore used an in vitro system to investigate signalling by IL-1 and IL-6 in the human liver cell line, HepG2. Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) expression vectors, under the control of activator protein-1 (pTRE-CAT), nuclear factor kappa B (pNF-CAT) or no enhancer region (pBLCAT2), were transfected into HepG2 cells and the effects of the cytokines on their activity was studied. Profound changes in liver processing of heavy metals and the induction of metal-dependent acute proteins are also seen during the acute phase response. To determine if the supply of metal ions could itself influence signalling we also investigated the effects of cadmium and zinc on the activity of the transfected vectors. Both alpha and beta forms of interleukin-1 increased the expression of pTRE-CAT and pNF-CAT, but not pBLCAT2, while interleukin-6 had no effect, suggesting that activator protein-1 and nuclear factor kappa B activity was induced by interleukin-1, but not interleukin-6. Specificity of the effect of interleukin-1 alpha was confirmed using an anti-interleukin-1 alpha monoclonal antibody. Zinc and cadmium also increased pTRE-CAT expression, but not pNF-CAT or pBLCAT2. Removal of heavy metal ions from the culture medium resulted in decreased pTRE-CAT expression, while pNF-CAT and pBLCAT2 were relatively unaffected, confirming the stimulatory effect of metals on activator protein-1, but not nuclear protein kappa B activity. Therefore, metal and interleukin-1-mediated signal transduction may involve overlapping pathways, whereas interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 act via different pathways in liver cells.
 ...
PMID:Control of activator protein-1 and nuclear factor kappa B activity by interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and metals in HEPG2 cells. 803 60

Metallothionein induction was investigated using vascular endothelial cells derived from bovine aorta in a culture system. The induction occurred by cadmium (2 and 5 microM) but not by zinc (10 and 300 microM) after a 24-h incubation of the confluent cultures. It was revealed that cytokines including interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta (1 ng/ml each) have a capacity of metallothionein induction. In these inducers, only cadmium and tumor necrosis factor alpha exhibited significant cytotoxicity, suggesting that metallothionein is not induced simply in response to cytotoxicity. It was found that either thrombin or endothelin-1 which are coagulation factor or anti-fibrinolytic factor, respectively, also induced metallothionein synthesis. It was therefore suggested that metallothionein in endothelial cells may be involved in the regulation of the functions of these cells as well as the protection against cytotoxic agents.
 ...
PMID:Metallothionein induction by cadmium, cytokines, thrombin and endothelin-1 in cultured vascular endothelial cells. 841 75

The legal procedure for evaluating the toxicity of cosmetic, household, chemical and pharmaceutical products is still the irritancy Draize test on rabbits. Various irritation tests are currently being developed as alternatives to in vivo animal testing. Our in vitro model system is composed of 24 equivalent dermis (ED) comprising a chitosan-cross-linked collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix populated by foreskin fibroblasts. In evaluating this system for irritancy testing, three different measures of toxicity were used: MTT (dimethylthiazol diphenyltetrazolium bromide) reduction, and lactate dehydrogenase and interleukin-6 release. The experiments described herein represent a preliminary evaluation to determine the usefulness and predictive value of our 24 ED kit as an alternative method for the prediction of human dermal reaction, versus three chemical products: cadmium chloride, lauryl sulfate, and benzalkonium chloride. Preliminary results suggest that the ED may be a useful in vitro model for the prediction of cutaneous and ocular toxicity and allow the development of a 24-skin-equivalent kit realized by seeding human normal keratinocytes onto the equivalent dermis.
 ...
PMID:Pharmacotoxicological applications of an equivalent dermis: three measurements of cytotoxicity. 856 46

Changes in the number and ex vivo function of peripheral blood neutrophils were investigated following intraperitoneal administration of cadmium-chloride in rats. Besides a dose-dependent increase in the number of peripheral blood neutrophils, changes were found in the functional state of isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Increased spontaneous adhesion and activation, and TNF activity in a conditioned medium were observed in cultures of granulocytes in comparison to granulocytes from control (saline-treated) animals. Increased levels of plasma activity of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were noted following cadmium administration. Cytological signs of pulmonary inflammation were revealed histologically and the majority of neutrophils recovered from the lungs by enzyme digestion exhibited a capacity of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. Our data demonstrate that acute cadmium intoxication leads to a systemic inflammatory response characterized by numerical and functional changes in the granulocyte compartment and to increased levels of inflammation-related cytokine activity in the circulation. Correlations between the increased number of peripheral blood neutrophils and IL-6 plasma activity (r=0.776, p<0.00001) and the number of neutrophils recovered from the lung tissue (r=0.893, p<0.00001) suggested that systemic cadmium-induced inflammation might be involved in the pulmonary toxicity of cadmium.
 ...
PMID:Granulocyte and plasma cytokine activity in acute cadmium intoxication in rats. 1045 53

Metallothionein (MT) is a low-molecular-weight, sulfhydryl-rich, metal-binding protein that can protect against the toxicity of cadmium, mercury, and copper. However, the role of MT in arsenic (As)-induced toxicity is less certain. To better define the ability of MT to modify As toxicity, MT-I/II knockout (MT-null) mice and the corresponding wild-type mice (WT) were exposed to arsenite [As(III)] or arsenate [As(V)] either through the drinking water for 48 weeks, or through repeated sc injections (5 days/week) for 15 weeks. Chronic As exposure increased tissue MT concentrations (2-5-fold) in the WT but not in MT-null mice. Arsenic by both routes produced damage to the liver (fatty infiltration, inflammation, and focal necrosis) and kidney (tubular cell vacuolization, inflammatory cell infiltration, and interstitial fibrosis) in both MT-null and WT mice. However, in MT-null mice, the pathological lesions were more frequent and severe when compared to WT mice. This was confirmed biochemically, in that, at the higher oral doses of As, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were increased more in MT-null mice (60%) than in WT mice (30%). Chronic As exposures produced 2-10 fold elevation of serum interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, with greater increases seen by repeated injections than by oral exposure, and again, MT-null mice had higher serum cytokines than WT mice after As exposure. Repeated As injections also decreased hepatic glutathione (GSH) by 35%, but GSH-peroxidase and GSH-reductase were minimally affected. MT-null mice were more sensitive than WT mice to the effect of GSH depletion by As(V). Hepatic caspase-3 activity was increased (2-3-fold) in both WT and MT-null mice, indicative of apoptotic cell death. In summary, chronic inorganic As exposure produced injuries to multiple organs, and MT-null mice are generally more susceptible than WT mice to As-induced toxicity regardless of route of exposure, suggesting that MT could be a cellular factor in protecting against chronic As toxicity.
 ...
PMID:Metallothionein-I/II null mice are more sensitive than wild-type mice to the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of chronic oral or injected inorganic arsenicals. 1082 79

The nitric oxide (NO) donor, O2-vinyl 1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (V-PYRRO/NO), is metabolized by P450 enzymes to release NO within the liver and is effective in protecting against hepatotoxicity of endotoxin and acetaminophen. This study examined the effects of V-PYRRO/NO on cadmium (Cd) hepatotoxicity in mice. Mice were given multiple injections of V-PYRRO/NO (10 mg/kg, s.c. at 2-h intervals) before and after a hepatotoxic dose of Cd (3.7 mg/kg Cd as CdCl2, i.p.). V-PYRRO/NO administration reduced Cd-induced hepatotoxicity as evidenced by reduced serum alanine aminotransferase activity, improved pathology, and reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation. The protection by V-PYRRO/NO was not mediated by altered Cd distribution to the liver or within hepatic subcellular fractions. Similar inductions of metallothionein, a metal-binding protein, were observed in mice receiving Cd alone or Cd plus V-PYRRO/NO. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that V-PYRRO/NO administration suppressed the expression of inflammation-related genes such as macrophage inflammatory protein-2, CXC chemokine, thrombospondin-1, intracellular adhesion molecular-1, and interleukin-6. V-PYRRO/NO also suppressed the expression of acute phase protein genes and genes related to cell-death pathways, such as c-jun/AP-1, nuclear factor-kappaB, early response growth factor-1, heme oxygenase-1, caspase-3, growth arrest, and DNA-damaging protein-153. In summary, the liver-selective NO donor, V-PYRRO/NO, protects against Cd hepatotoxicity in mice. This protection is not mediated through altered distribution of Cd but may be related to reduced hepatic inflammation, reduced acute phase responses, and the suppression of cell-death-related components.
 ...
PMID:The nitric oxide donor, O2-vinyl 1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (V-PYRRO/NO), protects against cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. 1501 May 1

A cadmium-binding protein with biochemical features of a metallothionein (MT) has been isolated and purified to homogeneity from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. N-terminal sequencing revealed the posttranslational cleavage of the first two amino acids and, in general, a high degree of identity with known MTs from other ciliates. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis of the apothionein revealed a molecular mass (16,763 Da) higher to those of mammals and of other protozoa. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR has been used to investigate the susceptibility of this ciliate MT to gene activation in response to heavy metals and to other stressors. Our data indicate that while zinc is not effective at all and cadmium is the best inducer, other stress factors, such as mercury, copper, heat and hydrogen peroxide, also activated gene transcription. As in vertebrate cells, interleukin-6 (IL-6) that stimulates ciliate growth, was able to enhance MT gene synthesis. This complex of data seems to indicate a general role of this protein in stress response.
 ...
PMID:Biochemical characterization and quantitative gene expression analysis of the multi-stress inducible metallothionein from Tetrahymena thermophila. 1530 93


1 2 3 Next >>