Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P15088 (mast cell)
 14,925 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

It is proposed that all peptide hormones and releasing factors are biosynthesized in the form of precursor molecules which are biologically inactive. Enzymic activation may take place by hydrolytic cleavage to release a terminal COOH group or by transmidation to form a COOH-terminal amide. Studies with pituitary prohormones and hormones are providing data that support this hypothesis. Evidence has been obtained that the 91 residue beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) is the prohormone of beta-melanotropin (beta-MSH). The specificity of the pituitary enzymes involved in release of the hormone was demonstrated by the isolation of five constituent fragments of LPH, which were obtained in homogeneous form from the pituitary gland of the pig. The enzymes have specificities similar to trypsin and carboxypeptidase B; carboxypeptidase A and aminopeptidase activities do not appear to be involved. Mild digestion of beta-LPH by trypsin in vitro has confirmed the susceptibility of the peptide bond on the carboxy side of the paired basic residues at positions 59 and 60, adjacent to the COOH-terminus of beta-MSH, and tryptic digestion of a model peptide demonstrated the same specificity. The paired basic residues at positions 39 and 40 adjacent to the NH2-terminus of beta-MSH were more resistant to tryptic attack, both in LPH and in a model peptide. In the gland it is apparent that LPH is cleaved on the carboxy side of the paired lysyl residues at positions 39 and 40, whereas in the synthetic peptide cleavage takes place in between these residues. The activating enzyme may differ from trypsin; alternatively, explanation may be found in the conformation of the prohormone. Prediction of secondary indicates that both pairs of basic residues lie adjacent to beta-bends on the surface of the molecule and occupy sites accessible to enzymic attack. It seems likely that alpha-MSH and corticotropin (ACTH) share a common pro hormone. The release of ACTH could involve cleavage of a -Gly-Ser- bond in the prohormone to expose the NH2-terminus of the hormone. With alpha-MSH, a concerted acetylation and cleavage may take place to form the N-acetylserine residue; the COOH-terminus may be released as an amide by direct transamidation of a -Val-Gly- bond in the prohormone. Release of either hormone would be accompanied by the release of contiguous fragments of the prohormone. We have isolated two novel polypeptides from pig pituitary in substantial quantity and have determined the primary structures. They may represent fragments of a prohormone to alpha-MSH or ACTH.
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PMID:Prohormones of beta-melanotropin (beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, beta-MSH) and corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH): structure and activation. 18 Dec 27

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic peptide which behaves as an antagonist of the pituitary melanotropic hormone alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in fishes. Cloning of the rat MCH cDNA precursor recently revealed the presence of an additional putative peptide named NEI. The present work examined the susceptibility of these novel peptides to hydrolysis by various purified exo- and endo-peptidases including endopeptidases 24.11 (NEP), 24.15, 24.16, angiotensin-converting enzyme, leucine aminopeptidase and carboxypeptidase A. NEP attacked MCH at three sites of the molecule with an apparent affinity of about 12 microM and a kcat. of 4 min-1. The first site of cleavage was at Cys-7-Met-8, i.e. within the peptide loop formed by the internal disulphide bridge. NEP could therefore be considered as an MCH-inactivating peptidase since the degradation products generated are probably devoid of biological activity. In contrast, NEI neither inhibited the degradation of the NEP chromogenic substrate glutaryl-Phe-Ala-Phe-p-aminobenzoate nor was susceptible to proteolysis by NEP. Unlike NEP, angiotensin-converting enzyme, endopeptidase 24.15 and endopeptidase 24.16 appeared totally unable to cleave MCH, whereas the peptide was readily degraded by aminopeptidase M and carboxypeptidase A.
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PMID:Hydrolysis of rat melanin-concentrating hormone by endopeptidase 24.11 (neutral endopeptidase). 152 Feb 71

Fluocortin butyl (FCB) is a recently developed topical intranasal corticosteroid that is inhaled as a powder and has been demonstrated to be well tolerated and to improve symptoms and signs of perennial rhinitis in previous short-term studies. This multicenter, open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of FCB during a 12-month treatment period in patients with perennial rhinitis. Treatment was initiated with one inhalation of FCB in each nostril three times a day (total dosage, 3 mg/day). In subsequent months, one third of the patients was maintained at the dosage of 3 mg/day, one third at a lower dosage of 2 mg/day, and the remaining one third of the patients at a larger dosage of 4 to 8 mg/day. Of 109 patients enrolled in the study, 90 patients (82.6%) completed all 12 months of treatment. Symptom and sign scores decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) at the 2-month evaluation compared to scores at baseline, and the improvement was maintained throughout the 12-month study period. After 12 months, greater than 80% of the patients had substantial control of symptoms. Specimens of nasal biopsies, performed at the beginning and end of treatment, revealed a decrease in eosinophils and other cellular infiltrates, a slight tendency of an increase in mast cell counts, and a trend toward normalization of the nasal mucosa. There were few adverse effects. Mean plasma cortisol levels were normal before and after corticotropin stimulation at baseline and after 12 months of FCB therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Intranasal fluocortin butyl in patients with perennial rhinitis: a 12-month efficacy and safety study including nasal biopsy. 188 Mar 25

The role of mast cell histamine in body reactivity of rats under experimental stressful conditions was studied. Animals submitted to chronic anaphylactoid reactions (by injecting compound 48/80 at the dose of 1 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily, for five days), when exposed to cold-restraint stress, exhibited a fully evident inflammatory response in the carrageenin-oedema test, whereas saline-treated rats, under the same experimental conditions, showed reduced paw oedema. Interestingly, a single injection of compound 48/80 increased the pituitary content of Beta-endorphin(ir), but chronic administration failed to produce this effect suggesting that some adaptation of the organism to repeated anaphylactoid reactions may occur. These results support the hypothesis of correlations between pituitary Beta-endorphin and mast cell histamine in the reactivity of the organism to stressful stimuli.
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PMID:Correlations between histamine and opioid peptides on the modulation of inflammatory processes in rats exposed to stress. 296 76

Solitary mastocytoma (mast cell naevus) of the skin represents a relatively rare dermal tumour. Its occurrence on the lower eyelid is exceptional. We report the case of a 4 month old male infant who exhibited a firm, yellowish nodule (1 cm in maximum diameter) on the lower lid of the right eye from birth. Histologically, the tumour consisted of strongly metachromatic tissue mast cells (TMC) infiltrating the whole dermis, the adjacent subcutaneous tissue and the lid muscle. Since comparable skin lesions in other sites were not observed, a diagnosis of solitary mastocytoma was made. Immunocytological investigations revealed strong reactivity of the TMC to antisera against vimentin, common leucocyte antigen (CLA), alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACT). A minor proportion of the TMC reacted to antisera against lysozyme and KiB3. Surprisingly, the TMC also reacted to antisera against certain regulatory peptides (RP), namely adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), leu-enkephalin and met-enkephalin. However, absorption controls revealed that the immunostaining for ACTH and the two enkephalins was non-specific. The immunocytological phenotype of TMC suggests a close relationship to the myeloid-monocytic lineage, but a possible relationship between TMC and the diffuse neuroendocrine system needs further investigation.
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PMID:Solitary mastocytoma of the eyelid. A case report with special reference to the immunocytology of human tissue mast cells, and a review of the literature. 312 Apr 1

Body, thymus, and spleen weights, and cellular makeup of lymphoid tissues of rat were not affected to a great extent by intraperitoneal injections of met-enkephalin, leu-enkephalin, or naloxone. However, enkephalins induced a diminution of peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocytes. In addition, met-enkephalin depleted the population of T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes. On the other hand, there was an increase of blood leukocytes and lymphocytes in naloxone-treated animals. Arthus and delayed skin hypersensitivity reactions to bovine serum albumin and old tuberculin were sharply reduced in enkephalin-treated rats. Rejection of allogenic thyroid graft implanted under the renal capsule was considerably delayed by repeated injections of enkephalins. Mesenteric mast cell degranulation in rats sensitized to ovalbumin and injected with a shocking dose of antigen was less pronounced after treatment with enkephalins. These results show that enkephalins, in dosage levels of 5 mg/kg b.w., exert a suppressive influence on cell-mediated immune reactions. Other experiments from our laboratory, reported in a companion paper in this volume, suggest that much lower doses may have opposite (immunoenhancing) effects.
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PMID:Enkephalins and immunity. II: In vivo modulation of cell-mediated immunity. 349 23

Opiate agonists, morphine, levorphanol and beta-endorphin increased calcium accumulation in rat peritoneal mast cells. This effect was dose dependent and beta-endorphin was 10 times more potent than morphine. The stimulation was stereospecific and inhibited by naloxone. The site of the opiate action appears to be on the outer surface of the plasma membrane since lysis of the mast cell did not alter the response to morphine. Tolerance to the opiate effect was not seen after chronic morphine administration. Morphine did not stimulate histamine release even at relatively high doses in vivo or high concentrations in vitro. It is reasoned that the enhancing effects on external calcium accumulation may reduce the critical cytosol calcium level for effecting histamine release.
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PMID:The effects of opiates on calcium accumulation on rat peritoneal mast cells. 619 72

Characteristics of histamine (Hi) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release from rat peritoneal mast cells in response to the polypeptide adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were studied. During a 15 min incubation at 37 degrees C, ACTH evoked Hi as well as 5-HT release from rat mast cells at concentrations of 1 X 10(-4) M-1 X 10(-3) M. The release was dose-dependent and very rapid. After 15 sec the amount of the amines released was the same as after 4.5 min. In most experiments, the percentage of Hi release was slightly but significantly higher than the percentage of 5-HT release. Hi and 5-HT release induced by ACTH also took place in a calcium-free medium. However, the release of the amines was decreased when calcium was omitted. Comparison of the effects of ACTH, compound 48/80 and substance P on mast cell secretion showed that ACTH is about 100 times less active then substance P which was in turn about 100 times less active than compound 48/80. When both ACTH and compound 48/80 were used together as liberators , the release was significantly higher than with either liberator alone. Our results indicate that there are receptor sites for the endogenous polypeptide ACTH on the mast cell membrane which mediate Hi and 5-HT release. This release was found to resemble that evoked by the basic secretogogue compound 48/80 but in some aspects to be different from that evoked by substance P.
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PMID:The effect of adrenocorticotropin on histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion from rat mast cells. 620 67

The histamine-releasing effect of certain opiate drugs prompted a survey of endogenous opiates for mast cell-secretagogue activity. Since intestinal mucosal mast cells (MMC) differ from connective tissue mast cells in their response to a variety of secretagogues and anti-allergic compounds, we have examined the influence of several endogenous opiate peptides on histamine secretion from the two mast cell types in the rat. MMC hyperplasia was induced in rats infected with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and MMC were isolated by collagenase digestion from the small intestine. Connective tissue mast cells from the peritoneal cavity (PMC) were isolated by peritoneal lavage. Dynorphin, alpha-neoendorphin, and beta-endorphin had a concentration-dependent secretagogue effect (10(-6)M to 10(-4)M) on PMC that was temperature and energy dependent, but MMC from the same animals were unresponsive to these agents. Differences between PMC and MMC did not appear to be attributable to the MMC isolation procedure since PMC treated similarly remained responsive to endorphin. Endorphin-induced histamine secretion from PMC was partially inhibited by the anti-allergic agent disodium cromoglycate. Inhibition with the opiate antagonist naloxone was nonspecific, occurring only at concentrations that also inhibited antigen-induced mediator release. Mast cell secretion induced by certain opiate peptides may therefore be nonreceptor mediated and relate to a direct membrane effect by basic peptides.
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PMID:The influence of endorphins on peritoneal and mucosal mast cell secretion. 620 30

This study concerned the fragmentation of beta-endorphin (beta-EP-(1-31) by synaptic membrane-bound peptidases. The peptides which accumulated during digestion of beta-endorphin by isolated synaptosomal plasma membrane preparations of rat brain were separated and isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis of the peptide fractions indicated the formation of beta-EP-(1-21), beta-EP-(2-21) (pH 7.4), beta-EP-(18-31), beta-EP-(1-14), and beta-EP-(1-13) (pH 5.0) in addition to previously identified gamma-endorphin (beta-EP-(1-17)), alpha-endorphin (beta-EP-(1-16), and their des-tyrosine fragments (Burbach, J. P. H., Loeber, J. G., Verhoef, J., Wiegant, V. M., De Kloet, E. R., and De Wied, D. (1980) Nature 283, 96-97). The beta-endorphin fragments obtained with crude or with purified synaptosomal plasma membranes differed only quantitatively. The peptidase which converted gamma-endorphin into beta-EP-(1-16), beta-EP-(1-15), beta-EP-(1-14), and beta-EP-(1-13), was considerably active at pH 5.0 and resembled carboxypeptidase A in degrading gamma-endorphin; the activity was reduced by the carboxypeptidase A inhibitor D-phenylalanine. The data supplement previous findings and allow routes to be delineated for the conversion of beta-endorphin by brain synaptic membranes. A pathway comprising the main events in the conversion processes is proposed and is discussed in relationship to the significance of beta-endorphin as a precursor for neuropeptides with distinct central activities.
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PMID:Proteolytic conversion of beta-endorphin by brain synaptic membranes. Characterization of generated beta-endorphin fragments and proposed metabolic pathway. 627 86


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