Biomedical subjects

A Stracher

Publications and source records attributed to A Stracher.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Delay of muscle degeneration and necrosis in mdx mice by calpain inhibition.

Inhibition of muscle degeneration by the tripeptide calpain inhibitor, leupeptin, was tested in vivo in a dystrophin-deficient mdx murine model. In a short-term control study, intramuscular administration of leupeptin for 30 days inhibited muscle degeneration as assessed by histologic analysis. Calpain inhibition could be correlated with retention of myofiber size and our results suggest that this may be a promising treatment modality in human Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Calpain inhibitors protect auditory sensory cells from hypoxia and neurotrophin-withdrawal induced apoptosis.

Inhibitors of calpain have been shown to protect nerve growth factor (NGF)-deprived ciliary ganglion neurons and hypoxic cortical neurons. Calpains have been identified in the cochlea and are active during ischemic injury. Since apoptosis can be initiated by loss of neurotrophic support, hypoxia, and ototoxins (e.g., cisplatin, CDDP), the role of calpain inhibitors under these conditions was examined in auditory hair cells and neurons. Dissociated spiral ganglion neuron (SGN) cell cultures and organ of Corti explants from P3 rats were used to test the efficacy of calpain inhibitors as otoprotective molecules. Our results indicate that calpain inhibitor I, calpain inhibitor II, and leupeptin all provided significant protection of SGNs against neurotrophin-withdrawal and hypoxia-induced apoptosis. The increase in neuronal survival ranged from 2.16 to 2.31 times greater than in untreated neurotrophin-withdrawn SGN cell cultures. BOC-Asp(Ome)-Fluoromethyl Ketone (B-D-FMK), a general caspase inhibitor, increased neuronal survival 2.16 times more. Neuronal survival rates were from 1.88 to 2.27 times greater than in untreated, hypoxic neurons and hair cell survival rates were from 1.98 to 2.03 times greater than untreated, hypoxic organ of Corti explants. However, protection of auditory hair cells and neurons from CDDP-induced damage (10 and 6 micrograms/ml, respectively) was limited with any of these calpain inhibitors. Apoptotic pathways initiated by neurotrophin-deprivation and ototoxic stress (e.g., CDDP) have been shown to be different. Our results agree with this finding, with neurotrophin-withdrawal and hypoxia, but not CDDP damage-induced apoptosis being calpain-dependent.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Leupeptin protects sensory hair cells from acoustic trauma.

Calpains, a family of calcium activated proteases, promote the breakdown of cellular proteins, kinases, phosphatases and transcription factors. Calpain inhibitors attenuate some neurodegenerative processes in certain cell types. Here we show that leupeptin, a potent calpain inhibitor, protects the sensory hair cells in the inner ear from acoustic overstimulation (48 h, 100 or 105 dB SPL, octave band noise at 4 kHz). Acoustic overstimulation caused a significant increase in calpain immunolabeling in the sensory epithelium suggesting a possible role in noise-induced cochlear degeneration. Infusion of leupeptin into the inner ear significantly reduced the amount of sensory cell loss from acoustic overstimulation. However, leupeptin did not protect against hair cell loss from the ototoxic drug, carboplatin.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Platelet membrane actin may be partially embedded in lipid bilayer and disulfide linked.

When platelet membranes previously treated by 0.6M KI were reacted with 14C-NEM, 9 protein bands including membrane actin were labeled. If KI treated platelet membranes were first reacted with cold NEM, beta-Mercaptoethanol, and 14C-NEM sequentially only three protein bands, one of which was actin, were labeled. These results imply that some of the tightly associated membrane actin thiol groups are free and some of them form disulfide bonds with two other labeled proteins. The candidates that might form disulfide bonds with actin were identified by monoclonal antibody to be GpIIb and/or GpIIIa. Extraction experiments showed that even when the disulfide bonds that link actin to membrane integral protein were first reduced by DTT and then extracted with 0.6M KI, membrane actin still remained tightly associated to the membrane by some other means. Membrane actin could be extracted with 1% octyl glucoside but remained as part of a high-molecular-weight complex. From these results we believe that platelet membrane actin may be partially embedded into the bilayer of the lipid membrane and disulfide linked to membrane integral proteins. It may thus act as a nucleating center for the polymerization of cytosolic actin in the assembly of the cytoskeleton.

Actins↗

PubMed1998

Protecting the Inner Ear from Acoustic Trauma.

Calcium activated proteases, or calpains, play an important role in neurodegeneration. In some cases, neural degeneration can be significantly reduced by leupeptin, a potent calpain inhibitor. To determine if leupeptin could protect against noise-induced hearing loss and hair cell loss, we infused leupeptin into scala tympani of one cochlea before, during and after a 14-day exposure to a 100 dB SPL, octave band noise centered at 4.0 kHz. Hearing loss, assessed with the auditory evoked response, was less in the leupeptin-treated ear than in the control ear during the early stage of recovery from acoustic trauma. In addition, hair cell loss in the leupeptin-treated ear was significantly less than in the control ear. These preliminary results suggest that leupeptin may protect against noise-induced hearing loss.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Expression in Escherichia coli, phosphorylation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase and proteolysis by calpain of a 71-kDa domain of human endothelial actin binding protein.

A middle region of human endothelial actin-binding protein (ABP) was subcloned and expressed in the pT7-7/E. coli BL21 (DE3) system. As predicted by the amino acid sequence this 71 kD truncated protein (residues 1717-2360) contained a calpain cleavage site and two of the three presumptive cAMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites. This peptide fragment comprised all the elements needed to confer stability against calpain proteolysis to ABP after PKA phosphorylation.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1997

Calpain Inhibitors as Neuroprotective Agents in Neurodegenerative Disorders.

It seems plausible to hypothesize that in all forms of neurodegeneration or other forms of tissue degeneration, a common pathway exists which when deciphered could lead to our understanding of a variety of diseases which result in tissue necrosis as well as offer potential for therapeutic intervention. A relatively recent interest has been our preliminary studies on the role of neurodegeneration in hearing loss and tinnitus, particularly that associated with noise. These studies grew out of a collaboration emanating from early discussions with Professor Abraham Shulman of the State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Department of Otolaryngology, and Dr Richard J. Salvi, of the Center for Communication Disorders and Sciences, Hearing Research Laboratories, State University of New York at Buffalo. Further studies in this very promising area of research are continuing for noise induced hearing loss protection and tinnitus control. A brief review of calpain is presented.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1995

Neuromuscular recovery after peripheral nerve repair: effects of an orally-administered peptide in a primate model.

Oral delivery of the tripeptide calpain inhibitor, leupeptin, after median nerve transection and epineural nerve repair in primates (Cebus apella) was studied for its potential benefits to neuromuscular recovery. Results of a controlled, dose-response study indicated that leupeptin was absorbed into plasma by the oral route of administration. When plasma leupeptin concentrations were 3 micrograms/ml or greater, morphologic and functional motor recovery were facilitated after nerve repair. Serial testing in hematology, clotting, and serum biochemistry showed that there were no adverse effects, when leupeptin was administered twice daily for 6 months following nerve repair. These data indicate that leupeptin is an effective and safe pharmaceutic adjunct to nerve repair and may have clinical benefits in humans, where the oral route is a much preferred method of delivery.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1994

Expression in Escherichia coli and phosphorylation with cAMP-dependent protein kinase of the N-terminal region of human endothelial actin-binding protein.

The N-terminal region of human endothelial actin-binding protein was subcloned and expressed in the pT 7-7/E. coli BL 21 (DE 3) system. This peptide was efficiently expressed in E. coli as indicated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by western analysis using a monoclonal antibody raised against this part of the molecule. As predicted by the amino acid sequence this truncated protein (residues 21-1569), corresponding to 164 KD and containing the actin-binding domain near the amino-terminus, could be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase unmasking a phosphorylation site which is not apparent in the native ABP protein.

Actins↗

PubMed1994

Existence of multiple phosphorylated forms of human platelet actin binding protein.

Platelet actin binding protein (ABP) as isolated from human platelets exists in at least four phosphorylated forms which we have designated ABP-0, ABP-1, ABP-2, and ABP-3 whose phosphate content ranges from 18 (ABP-0) to 40 (ABP-3) moles Pi/mole ABP. These forms differ in their resistance to calpain cleavage and ability to cross-link F-actin with ABP-3 being the best in each of these properties. Attempts to phosphorylate ABP-1, two or three with protein kinase C (PKC) were unsuccessful except if the proteins were pretreated with Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase. All of the forms could be phosphorylated with cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA) and subsequent resistance to calpain cleavage conferred. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of ABP may be an important regulatory mechanism by which the cytoskeletal architecture is stabilized or transformed.

Actins↗

PubMed1993

Purification of nonantibiotic insulinase inhibitors from bacitracin.

Bacitracin is commonly used in metabolic studies as an insulinase inhibitor. The many isoforms of the commercial preparation were fractionated by charge and size in order to find the most active rat-muscle insulinase inhibitors. CM-Sepharose chromatography revealed that most of the inhibitory activity was contained in a fraction (CM-Inh) that amounted to less than 5% of the mixture. The CM-Inh fraction could be further separated by size on Bio-Gel P4 columns. Six subgroups, each with characteristic specific activity, were isolated. The most potent inhibitor fractions have no antibiotic activity and have molecular weights about twice that of bacitracin A. The peaks isolated by means of Bio-Gel P4 chromatography can be further fractionated by reversed phase HPLC on a C8 column, and by electrophoresis on nonreducing acrylamide gels.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1993

Platelet membrane-actin interaction.

In order to investigate how human platelet membranes associate with cytoskeletal proteins, purified membranes were extracted with 0.6 M KI (potassium iodide) followed by extraction with 1% octyl glucoside. The depleted membranes contain a significant amount of actin (5% of the actin that was originally present in the purified membranes) which is resistant to extraction by 0.6 M KI. We have examined how this actin interacts with the membrane skeletal fraction and find that the actin is not associated with the membrane directly or indirectly through any of the major transmembrane glycoproteins (GpIb, GpIIb, and GpIIIa), or any known specific linker proteins such as actin binding protein (ABP), alpha-actinin, or spectrin. The results of an analysis of the membrane skeletal preparation using nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) does indicate, however, that the actin, along with other proteins, exists in the form of two high molecular weight complexes. We have examined the effect of potassium iodide-octyl glucoside (KI-OG) extracted membranes upon (1) the polymerization of rabbit muscle G-actin, and (2) the actin activated Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase activity of rat skeletal muscle myosin. Based on the results of these experiments we have concluded that the actin is available for interaction with exogenously added proteins and that it might possibly be in a filamentous form. These results are compelling considering the role that the cytoskeleton is thought to play in the physiological functioning of the platelet.

Actins↗

PubMed1992

Chemical evidence for the existence of activated G-actin.

Globular actin (G-actin) will polymerize to form filamentous actin (F-actin) under physiological ionic conditions, and is known to be regulated by univalent and bivalent cations, such as K+ and Mg2+. The current concept of this process involves four steps: activation, nucleation, elongation and annealing. Evidence for the existence of activated G-protein has been suggested by changes in the resistance to proteolysis [Rich & Estes (1976) J. Mol. Biol. 104, 777-792] and u.v.-light absorption [Rouayrenc & Travers (1981) Eur. J. Biochem. 116, 73-77]. More recently we [Liu et al. (1990) Biochem. J. 266, 453-459] have provided direct chemical evidence for extensive conformational changes during the transformation of G-actin into F-actin. In this study we now present direct chemical evidence for the existence of a short-lived species, an activated form of G-actin, which can be detected by changes in the accessibility of the free thiol groups on the G-actin molecule when modified by a specific thiol-group-targeted reagent, 7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-3-N-maleimidylcoumarin (DACM). The presence of K+ and/or Mg2+ ions caused a large increase in the accessibility of the thiol groups of Cys-217 and Cys-374, but not those of Cys-10 and Cys-257. Mg2+ effected relatively faster changes than did K+ ions. The results suggest that the function of these ions is to convert G-actin into an activated form, and further suggest that the change in conformation is mainly confined to the large domain. Such changes at least involve certain portions of the G-actin molecule that contain Cys-217 and Cys-374. On the other hand, little or no significant change could be observed in the small domain of G-actin as reflected by the accessibility of Cys-10. The bound nucleotide remained as ATP during the activation of G-actin and was hydrolysed to ADP on polymerization. The activated G-actin had a life-time of about 8 min or less depending on the concentration of G-actin. At higher protein concentration, its life-time was much shorter, probably owing to the earlier onset of polymerization, which apparently is governed by the concentration of the activated form. The life-time of this new species can be extended by lowering the temperature and is less affected by actin concentration. This new species is considered to be an activated form of G-actin, since polymerization renders all the thiol groups on actin inaccessible to the reagent DACM.

Actins↗

PubMed1992

Recovery after delayed nerve repair: influence of a pharmacologic adjunct in a primate model.

Inhibition of calpains in skeletal muscle by the tripeptide, leupeptin, after median-nerve transection in the mid-forearm and a delayed nerve repair of 3-weeks duration, was studied in a primate (Cebus apella) model. Results indicated that leupeptin facilitates axon regrowth and neuromuscular recovery after delayed nerve repair. Toxicologic testing showed that leupeptin, administered at 18 mg/kg intramuscularly, twice daily for 24 weeks after delayed nerve repair, did not adversely affect hematology, clotting, blood chemistry, or echocardiogram profiles. These data indicate that leupeptin is an effective and safe adjunct to delayed nerve repair.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

The effect of protease inhibitors, leupeptin and E64d, on differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts in tissue culture.

Intracellular calcium levels play an important role in myofibril disintegration and regeneration of muscle fibers. Earlier studies have shown that the calcium activated protease, calpain, is involved in the removal of Z-discs from myofibrils of striated muscle and the tripeptide-aldehyde, leupeptin, which is an inhibitor of calpain, inhibits this activity. In the present communication, we demonstrate that leupeptin and another calpain inhibitor, E64d, inhibit the fusion of mouse skeletal muscle C2C12 myoblasts to form multinucleated myotubes in tissue culture.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

The accessibility of the thiol groups on G- and F-actin of rabbit muscle.

The accessibility of the cysteine residues of actin from rabbit muscles to the thiol-targeted reagent 7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-(N-maleimidyl)coumarin (DACM) was investigated. Under conditions where the actin is in the unpolymerized form (G-actin), the most reactive thiol group was Cys-257, suggesting that it was located on the surface of the actin molecule. The selective modification of Cys-374 for this reagent as reported by Sutoh [(1982) Biochemistry 21, 3654-3661] was not observed. Cys-10, Cys-217 and Cys-374 were much less reactive and only gradually became extensively modified when the concentration of DACM approached 5 molar equivalents of actin. Presumably these thiol groups were located further inward away from the surface or situated in a different environment that rendered them less reactive. On the other hand, Cys-285 was completely inaccessible and presumably was buried. The lack of preferential labelling of Cys-374 by DACM is incompatible with the finding with iodoacetic acid as the reagent as reported by Elzinga & Collins [(1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 5897-5905]. This discrepancy, however, might well be due to the different reagents employed. The DACM-G-actin largely retained its competence for polymerization. Upon polymerization of G-actin, practically all the thiol groups became inaccessible to DACM, suggesting that a drastic change occurred in the conformation of actin units in the transition of monomers to filamentous actin.

Actins↗

PubMed1989

In situ phosphorylation of platelet actin-binding protein by cAMP-dependent protein kinase stabilizes it against proteolysis by calpain.

To identify the protein kinase that is responsible for catalyzing phosphorylation of actin-binding protein (ABP) in platelets, we have examined the effects of protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent protein kinase on this process. We found that purified platelet protein kinase C from platelets was unable to phosphorylate ABP in vitro. However, a crude platelet kinase preparation phosphorylated ABP in the presence of cAMP, but not in the presence of Ca2+/phosphatidylserine. Fresh platelet plasma membranes incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP phosphorylated ABP in the presence of cAMP and the process was blocked by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor; ABP phosphorylation induced by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) appeared to be reduced by the subsequent addition of thrombin. These results strongly suggest that in situ ABP is phosphorylated by activated cAMP-dependent protein kinase when platelet function is inhibited by PGE1. Furthermore, in the PGE1-treated platelets, ABP was proteolyzed at a slower rate than in control platelets when they were lysed with Triton in the absence of EGTA. Partially purified ABP was proteolyzed by calpain in vitro at a slower rate as well. It was demonstrated that ABP from PGE1-treated platelets recovered its sensitivity to calpain after ABP was incubated with a protein phosphatase that had been purified from platelets. We postulate that ABP is stabilized against proteolysis in response to cAMP-elevating agents and that this blocks cytoskeleton reorganization.

Blood Platelets↗

PubMed1989

Purification and characterization of a calcium binding protein with "synexin-like" activity from human blood platelets.

A calcium binding protein of Mr = 54,000 has been isolated from human blood platelets. This protein has been shown to enhance Ca2+-induced aggregation of phosphatidylserine liposomes, suggesting that it may be a member of a recently recognized class of binding proteins known to interact with phospholipids and the membrane in a Ca2+ dependent manner. Because of the "synexin-like" activity of this protein it may be involved in Ca2+ regulated platelet secretion as well as cell motility.

Annexin A7↗