• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.263-270
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• 2002

The Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, were stressed with different concentrations of benzo(a) pyrene and depurated to determine the hemocyte lysosomal membrane stability and hydrolytic enzymatic activity as a biomarker candidate to the chemical, using NRR (neutral red retention) and API ZYM System, respectively. The membrane damage measured as NRR decrease was significant with the increase of chemical concentration and exposure time (P<0.05), providing a possible tool for biomarker. Interestingly, the control showed intrinsic stress probably due to captive life in the laboratory, and a recovering trend was also found during the depuration. The benzo(a)pyrene-exposed oysters showed increased enzyme activities in alkaline phosphatase, esterase (C4), acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phospho­hydrolase, $\beta$-galactosidase, $\beta$-glucuronidase, and N-acetyl- $\beta$-glucosaminidase. Of them, only two enzymes, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase, showed some potential available for the generation of enzymatic biomarker in the oyster. The results are suggestive of the potential availability of the cellular and enzymatic properties as a biomarker. However, considering that a robust biomarker should be insensitive to natural stress coming from normal physiological variation, but sensitive to pollutants, a concept of intrinsic stress the animal possesses should be taken into consideration. This reflects the necessity of further research on the intrinsic stress affecting the cellular and enzymatic properties of the chemical­stressed oysters prior to using the data as a biomarker.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a group of rare inherited metabolic diseases caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzymes. MPSs are clinically heterogeneous and characterized by progressive deterioration in visceral, skeletal and neurological functions. The aim of this article is to review the treatment of MPSs, the unmet needs of current treatments and vision for the future including recent clinical trials. Until recently, supportive care was the only option available for the management of MPSs. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), another potentially curative treatment, is not routinely advocated in clinical practice due to its high risk profile and lack of evidence for efficacy. From the early 2000s, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was approved and available for the treatment of MPS I, II and VI. ERT is effective for the treatment of many somatic symptoms, particularly walking ability and respiratory function, and remains the mainstay of MPS treatment. However, no benefit was found in the neurological symptoms because the enzymes do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In recent years, intrathecal (IT) ERT, substrate reduction therapy (SRT) and gene therapy have been rapidly gaining greater recognition as potential therapeutic avenues. Although still under investigation, IT ERT, SRT and gene therapy are promising MPS treatments that may prevent the neurodegeneration not improved by ERT.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 1987

The conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase (type D) into xanthine oxidase (type D) was significantly increased in serum and liver of all $CCI_4$ treated rats on the necrosis and early cirrhosis stage of liver tissue. In the pretreatment of prednisolone, the ratio of type O per type O + D showed the decreasing tendency in serum, but the significant decrease in liver. In vitro, the conversion of liver xanthine oxidase from type D into type O was markedly increased by following preincubation with lysosomal fraction. The type conversion of xanthine oxidase may be caused by protelytic enzymes in lysosome.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type III, or Sanfilippo syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder. It is caused by a deficiency of one of four enzymes involved in the degradation of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) heparan sulfate. The resultant cellular accumulation of heparan sulfate causes various clinical manifestations. MPS III is divided into four subtypes depending on the deficient enzyme: MPS IIIA, MPS IIIB, MPS IIIC and MPS IIID. All the subtypes show similar clinical features and are characterized by progressive degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Main purpose of the treatment for MPS III is to prevent neurologic deterioration. However, conventional enzyme replacement therapy has a limitation due to inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Several experimental treatment options for MPS III are being developed.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 1994

Capsaicin(8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the principal pungent component of Capsicum fruits. This work is directed to the capsaicin-hydrolyzing enzyme playing a key role in the rate limiting and critical step of capsaicin metabolism. In order to get precise information on the enzyme's subcellular location, rat liver homogenate was divided into six subcellular fractions by differential centrifugation technique: crude nuclear pellet, PNS(post nuclear supernatant) fraction, lysosomal pellet, cytosol, Tris wash fraction, micrisomes. Capsaicin-hydrolysing enzyme activity was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). This enzyme was found at the highest specific activity in the microsomal fraction and co-distributed with marker enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and nucleoside diphosphatase. This is compatible with the result of ninhydrin color reaction of vanillylamine, primary metabolite of capsaicin hydrolysis, on thin layer chromatography(TLC). This enzyme is most active at pH $8.0{\sim}9.0$. Definite subcellular location of this enzyme will make it easy to proceed with further study.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.753-763
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• 2018

Cysteine cathepsins are lysosomal enzymes that belong to the papain family and can induce the degradation of damaged proteins through the endo-lysosomal pathway. It is highly upregulated in many cancers by regulating gene amplification and transcriptional, translational, and post-transcriptional modifications. Cathepsin S is part of the cysteine cathepsin family. Many studies have demonstrated that cathepsin S not only plays a specific role in MHC class II antigen presentation but also plays a crucial role in cancers. Cathepsin S is more stable at a neutral pH compared to other cysteine cathepsins, which supports the importance of cathepsin S in disease microenvironments. Therefore, the dysregulation of cathepsin S has participated in a variety of pathological processes, including cancer, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, a decrease or depletion in the expression of cathepsin S has been implicated in the processes of tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Taken together, cathepsin S has been suggested as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer therapy. In this review, the known involvement of cathepsin S in diseases, particularly with respect to recent work indicating its role in cancer therapy, is examined. An overview of current literature on the inhibitors of cathepsin S as a therapeutic target for cancer is also provided.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.574-586
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• 1984

Although corticosteroid have been shown to stabilize lysosomal membranes and prevent release of hydrolytic enzymes, the mechanism of membrane stabilization remains obscure. This study described functional assessment of efficiency of methylprednisolone in GIK solution by using a isolated Rat Heart Model. Isolated rat heart were subjected to a 2-minute period of coronary infusion with a cold GIK or methylprednisolone mixed cold GIK solution immediately before and also at the midpoint of a 60-minute period of hypothermic [$10{\pm}1^{\circ}C$] ischemic arrest. The result of this were as follow: 1.Spontaneous heart beat after ischemic arrest occurred 11 second later after Langendorffs reperfusion in the methylprednisolone mixed GIK group and 14 second later in the control group. 2.The percentage of recoveries of heart rate at 30 minute after postischemic working heart perfusion was 88.6\ulcorner.6% in the methylprednisolone mixed GIK group. This percentage of recovery was not significantly greater than the control group. 3.The percentage of heart function at 30 minute after postischemic working heart perfusion were; peak aortic pressure $90.8{\pm}4.5%$ coronary flow $87.5{\pm}1.45$ and aortic flow $74.9{\pm}11.8%$ in the methylprednisolone mixed GIK group. This percentage of recovery was significantly greater than the control group. [p<0.05]

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.7-24
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• 1983

On the basis of the semen analysis in 66 subjects, they were divided into six different groups: Group I consisted of 16 normal subjects with sperm counts of over 40 ${\times}10^6$/ml and motility of over 40 percent, Group II, 7 subjects with normal sperm counts, but motility of under 40 percent, Group III, 15 oligospermic patients with under 40 ${\times}10^6$/ml, Group IV 14 azoospermic patients, Group V, 10 patients with vasectomy and Group VI, 4 abnormal patients with 2 cases of hypoplastic testis, 1 case of Klinefelter's syndrome and 1 case of testis tumor. After seperation of semen into sperm and seminal plasma by centrifugation, the protein contents and the activities of hyaluronidase, ${\beta}$-N acetylglucosaminidase, ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase, acrosin and azocoll proteinase in seminal plasma were measured. Vasectomy group has 30 percent less of total protein than normal group. For the comparison of enzyme activities of seminal plasma, it could be assumed that the enzymes in seminal plasma were not contaminated with the enzymes of spermatozoa by testing the enzymes of the seminal plasma from the vasectomy and azoospermic groups. It had been reported that hyaluronidase was only released from spermatozoa, however, the result obtained in this investigation showed that azoospermic and vasectomy group had high specific activities of hyaluronidase. The results indicated that hyaluronidase was not only from the testis but also from the male accessory sexual glands. Oligospermic group (Group III) showed the lowest total activity of hyaluronidase among them. The specific activities of ${\beta}$ -N-acetylglucosaminidase was high in oligospermic group (Group III) and low in vasectomy group (Group V). These results were contradictory with the pattern of hyaluronidase activities. This indicated that the spermatozoa which were stayed in epididymis would increase the activity of this enzyme. The specific activity of ${\beta}$ - glucuronidase was low in oligospermic and vasectomy groups. Group VI including testis tumor had remarkably high arylsulfatase activity. Arylsulfatase, a typical lysosomal enzyme, has been known to be released unusually large amounts from certain tumor cells. Arylsulfatase was also released with high activities from azoospermic and vascetomy group. This result indicated that this enzyme was also released from the sources other than testis. Acrosin, a proteolytic enzyme locating in the sperm acrosome, was not found throughout all the samples of seminal plasma. The activities of azocoll proteinase, a non-specific neutral proteinase was nearly identical in all the groups. This enzyme must have been released from the sources other than testis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.409-418
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• 2018

Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living protozoa that are opportunistic pathogens for humans. Cysteine proteases of Acanthamoeba have been partially characterized, but their biochemical and functional properties are not clearly understood yet. In this study, we isolated a gene encoding cysteine protease of A. castellanii (AcCP) and its biochemical and functional properties were analyzed. Sequence analysis of AcCP suggests that this enzyme is a typical cathepsin L family cysteine protease, which shares similar structural characteristics with other cathepsin L-like enzymes. The recombinant AcCP showed enzymatic activity in acidic conditions with an optimum at pH 4.0. The recombinant enzyme effectively hydrolyzed human proteins including hemoglobin, albumin, immunoglobuins A and G, and fibronectin at acidic pH. AcCP mainly localized in lysosomal compartment and its expression was observed in both trophozoites and cysts. AcCP was also identified in cultured medium of A. castellanii. Considering to lysosomal localization, secretion or release by trophozoites and continuous expression in trophozoites and cysts, the enzyme could be a multifunctional enzyme that plays important biological functions for nutrition, development and pathogenicity of A. castellanii. These results also imply that AcCP can be a promising target for development of chemotherapeutic drug for Acanthamoeba infections.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 1988

Although the release of lysosomal enzymes from activated PMN leukocyte can be regulated by intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels, other responses of PMN leukocyte according to the binding of neurotransmitters to either ${\beta}$-adrenergic or muscarinic receptors are still not clarified. In addition, the function of PMN leukocyte mediated by ${\alpha}$-adrenergic receptors is uncertain. Atropine, phentolamine and propranolol inhibited calcium uptake, superoxide generation, NADPH oxidase activity and phagocytic activity in activated PMN leukocyte, whereas carbachol and isoproterenol slightly further stimulated the responses of activated cells. Either carbachol or isoproterenol stimulated superoxide generation was inhibited by their antagonists, atropine and propranolol, respectively. The response of activated PMN leukocyte was inhibited by chlorpromazine, verapamil and dantrolene but slightly stimulated by lithium. On the other hand, chlorpromazine and dibucaine did not affect NADPH oxidase activity. Atropine, phentolamine and propranolol suppressed the calcium dependent phagocytic activity. Thus, the results suggest that atropine, phentolamine and propranolol may inhibit superoxide generation in activated PMN leukocyte by the inhibition of calcium influx and by their direct action on the NADPH oxidase system which is associated with autonomic receptors.