• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.380-386
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• 2009

In neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer' and Parkinson', microglial cell activation is thought to contribute to CNS injury by producing neurotoxic compounds. Prothrombin and kringle-2 increase levels of NO and the mRNA expression of iNOS, IL-1$\beta$, and TNF-$\alpha$ in microglial cells. In contrast, the human prothrombin kringle-2 derived peptide NSA9 inhibits NO release and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1$\beta$, TNF-$\alpha$, and IL-6 in LPS-activated EOC2 microglia. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of NSA9 in human prothrombin- and kringle-2-stimulated EOC2 microglia. Treatment with 20-100 ${\mu}M$ of NSA9 attenuated both prothrombin- and kringle-2-induced microglial activation. NO production induced by MAPKs and NF-$\kappa$B was similarly reduced by inhibitors of ERK (PD98059), p38 (SB203580), NF-$\kappa$B (N-acetylcysteine), and NSA9. These results suggest that NSA9 acts independently as an inhibitor of microglial activation and that its effects in EOC2 microglia are not influenced by the presence of kringle-2.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 1999

Previously, we reported that the prothrombin kringle 2 (fragment 2), induced by LPS administration into rabbit, inhibited bFGF-stimulated BCE cell growth (Lee et al., 1998). In this study, we cloned and overexpressed the kringle 2 domain of rabbit and human prothrombin as a fusion protein with the pelB leader sequence in E. coli using the T7 promoter. The fusion protein was cleaved during translocation into the peri plasmic space, and cleaved recombinant protein was readily isolated from whole cell lysate by DEAE-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration chromatography. Both the recombinant rabbit and human prothrombin kringle 2 showed very similar biochemical and functional characteristics to the rabbit prothrombin kringle 2 purified from rabbit serum, in terms of abnormal electrophoretic migration and endothelial cell growth inhibitory activity.