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Biomedical subjects

H Greiling

Publications and source records attributed to H Greiling.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Pathobiochemistry of joint destruction in inflammatory and degenerative joint diseases].

While the biochemical mechanism which leads to the destruction of joints in the course of degenerative and inflammatory arthropathies has not been cleared up completely to this day, basic differences have been noted in the way the two types of arthropathy affect the articular cartilage. The differences are described from the viewpoint of pathobiochemistry as they are fundamental to causal therapy.

Arthritis↗

Pathobiochemical significance of granulocyte elastase complexed with proteinase inhibitors: effect on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in cultured synovial cells.

Interactions between elastase inhibitor complexes and synovial cells are of special interest, since, in chronic joint diseases, granulocytes release large amounts of elastase into the synovial fluid and connective tissue, where the proteinase is bound to alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin. To study the effect of elastase-alpha 2-macroglobulin and elastase-alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor complexes on the glycosaminoglycan metabolism of cultured synovial cells, we determined the distribution of [3H]glucosamine-labelled hyaluronate, which represents the main synthesized glycosaminoglycan, and of 35SO4(2-)-labelled chondroitin sulphate into the intracellular, pericellular and extracellular compartments of the cell culture. Exposure of the synovial cells to elastase-alpha 2-macroglobulin complexes leads to an enhanced synthesis and secretion of hyaluronate, and chondroitin sulphate, and also induces a rise of the fibronectin concentration in the medium. Analogous but less pronounced effects are observed in the presence of elastase-alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor complexes. Native uncomplexed elastase, however, causes no significant changes in hyaluronate metabolism. An increase of prostaglandin E2 in the culture medium during incubation with elastase inhibitor complexes occurs in parallel to the stimulatory effect on glycosaminoglycan metabolism. Our results demonstrate that elastase, whose enzymic activity is inactivated by the formation of complexes with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor or alpha 2-macroglobulin, nevertheless acts as an inflammatory mediator, which in vitro induces metabolic changes closely resembling the in vivo findings in inflammatory joint diseases.

Adult↗

UDP-D-xylose: proteoglycan core protein beta-D-xylosyltransferase: a new marker of cartilage destruction in chronic joint diseases.

We investigated the diagnostic significance of UDP-D-xylose : proteoglycan core protein beta-D-xylosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.26) in different chronic joint diseases. This enzyme is located almost exclusively within chondrocytes, where it initiates the formation of chondroitin sulphate during the biosynthesis of proteoglycans and from which it is easily released after damage of articular cartilage. Xylosyltransferase activity was determined in synovial fluid and serum by a radiochemical method, based on the incorporation of [14C]xylose from UDP-[14C]xylose into an exogenous acceptor protein. Serum has been shown to be the appropriate material for the determination of xylosyltransferase activity in blood, since in plasma fibrinogen causes an inhibition of enzyme activity of about 50%. The catalytic concentrations of xylosyltransferase in synovial fluids and sera of patients with chronic joint diseases (n = 131) ranged from 0.5 to 22.0 mU/l and from 0.8 to 5.6 mU/l, respectively. On most cases we found higher xylosyltransferase activities in synovial fluids than in the corresponding sera. The highest catalytic concentrations of the enzyme were observed in the synovial fluids of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (median value: 5.56 mU/l, 90%-range: 3.2-22.0 mU/l). Synovial fluids of patients with arthritis urica, however, showing a comparable high degree of inflammation, contained lower enzyme catalytic concentrations (median value: 2.38 mU/l, 90%-range: 0.7-5.2 mU/l), which were in the range of those in osteoarthrosis (median value: 2.50 mU/l, 90%-range: 0.8-4.8 mU/l). The higher xylosyltransferase activities in rheumatoid synovial fluids seem to be attributed to an increased cartilage destruction during the course of this disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Granulocyte elastase as a new biochemical marker in the diagnosis of chronic joint diseases.

Human granulocyte elastase (EC 3.4.21.37) is released from granulocytes in large amounts in chronic inflammatory joint diseases and is therefore of special pathogenic and diagnostic importance. In order to examine the diagnostic significance of this enzyme as a clinico-chemical parameter, we determined the concentration of granulocyte elastase in complex with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor by an enzyme immunoassay in synovial fluids and plasma of patients with chronic joint diseases. In inflammatory synovial fluids the concentration of complexed elastase correlates well with the granulocyte number and may increase to an extremely high level. In 90% of patients with manifest rheumatoid arthritis increased elastase levels are also observed in the plasma, probably due to the large gradient between the synovial fluid and plasma concentration, whereas in osteoarthrosis normal plasma concentrations were observed. Thus, these results indicate that normal plasma concentrations in patients with chronic joint diseases exclude the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis with high probability. The simultaneous determination of complexed elastase in plasma and synovial fluid improves the nosological differentiation of chronic joint diseases. Elastase activity on a specific chromogenic substrate, which was found in many inflammatory synovial fluids, is mainly attributed to elastase alpha 2-macroglobulin complexes. In some purulent synovial fluids, however, we were able to detect free elastase, which has been shown to play an important role in the destruction of articular cartilage.

Adolescent↗

The influence of triiodothyronine (T3) and inducers on hepatic drug metabolism in rats of different ages.

After a 3-day treatment with T3 the ethylmorphine N-demethylation rate was diminished in 10- to 60-day-old rats, whereas the ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation rate was distinctly enhanced in some age-groups, particularly in 33-day-old rats. P-450 concentration was decreased in young rats and not changed in 60-day-old ones. Phenobarbital administration enhanced the rate of both reactions and P-450 concentration in all age-groups. This treatment significantly attenuated the T3 effects on P-450 concentration and ethylmorphine N-demethylation. beta-Naphthoflavone induced ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation and P-450 concentration in all age-groups. Compared with non-induced animals, the T3 effects on ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation (increase) and ethylmorphine N-demethylation (decrease) were more distinct, whereas P-450 concentration was scarcely influenced by T3. Age-differences in T3 actions were generally diminished by inducers.

Age Factors↗

Pathobiochemical mechanisms during the acute phase response.

The acute phase response is characterised by the following sequence of principle phenomena: (1) an early local inflammatory reaction, (2) formation of inflammatory humoral factors inducing a systemic reaction, (3) stimulation of glycoprotein synthesis predominantly in the hepatocytes, and (4) an increase in the plasma concentration of acute phase proteins, when the rate of biosynthesis exceeds the degradation rate. Inflammatory mediators (lysosomal enzymes, oxygen derived radicals, prostaglandins) are mainly released during phagocytosis by granulocytes and macrophages. The signal reaching the hepatocytes is not yet clearly identified. A leukocyte endogenous mediator (LEM) released by macrophages is described. There is evidence that prostaglandins and probably proteinase alpha 2-macroglobulin complexes are also involved. The hepatic acute phase protein synthesis is modulated by hormones (insulin, cortisol, somatotropin). The biochemical events in the hepatocyte include an increase in protein synthesis and the regulatory control of the glycosylation of polypeptide precursors. The secreted glycoproteins serve variously as inhibitors or mediators of the inflammatory processes.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

Changes in the catalytic activities of proteoglycan-degrading lysosomal enzymes in parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells and in serum during the development of experimental liver fibrosis.

The catalytic activities of 4 glycosidases (hyaluronate-4-glycanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.35), beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30), beta-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31), alpha-L-iduronidase (EC 3.2.1.76)), of the arylsulphatases A and B (EC 3.1.6.1) and of the protease cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) were measured in extracts from hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells and in serum during the development of thioacetamide-induced rat liver fibrosis (22 weeks). In non-parenchymal liver cells the catalytic activities of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, alpha-L-iduronidase and cathepsin D were increased significantly during chronic liver damage, but that of hyaluronate-4-glycanohydrolase was reduced by 40 to 65% during the period of application of thioacetamide. The catalytic activities of the arylsulphatases were lowered by 65% compared to control values in the 12th week but with advancing liver damage the catalytic activities returned to nearly normal values. Parenchymal cells of rats, which had been liver-damaged for 6 months, contained strongly elevated activities of beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase, arylsulphatases A and B, and cathepsin D but only slightly increased activities of hyaluronate-4-glycanohydrolase and alpha-L-iduronidase, respectively. In the serum of liver-damaged rats the activity of alpha-L-iduronidase was strongly elevated, while that of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was only slightly increased. The activities of beta-glucuronidase and of arylsulphatases A and B were decreased during the whole period of treatment. The catalytic functions of hyaluronate-4-glycanohydrolase and of cathepsin D, respectively, were decreased initially, but both enzyme activities were elevated during the more advanced stages of long term thioacetamide treatment.

Animals↗

Biosynthesis of proteokeratan sulfate in the bovine cornea. 2) Isolation of subcellular membrane fragments from bovine cornea cells with keratan sulfate synthesizing activity.

Cornea cells were isolated from bovine corneae after collagenase treatment. Subcellular fragments were fractionated by density gradient centrifugation. The density gradient run was monitored by determination of the marker enzyme activities for mitochondria, plasma membranes, lysosomes and endoplasmatic reticulum, of the enzyme activities involved in keratan sulfate synthesis and of the protein content. The fractions were further investigated by electron microscopy. Two membrane fractions with keratan sulfate-synthesizing activity (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:keratan-N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase, UDPgalactose:keratan galactosyltransferase and keratan sulfotransferase) were detected: a heavy fraction separated from the other organells investigated and a light fraction exhibiting the same density as plasma membranes. The activities of the three enzymes were found in the same density gradient fractions with a similar distribution pattern between the fractions, which suggests a joint localization of these 3 enzymes at the same intracellular sites.

Animals↗

The influence of triiodothyronine (T3) on the postnatal development of drug metabolism in rat liver.

The influence of T3 on some cytochrome P-450-dependent biotransformation reactions (ethylmorphine N-demethylation, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation) was investigated in rats of different ages. After T3 administrations on 3 consecutive days to rats of different ages, on the 4th day ethylmorphine N-demethylation rate was diminished in all age groups. On the contrary, ethoxyresorufin and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation rates were considerably enhanced, preferentially in 33-day-old animals. The P-450 concentration was increased to a smaller degree. After T3 treatment on the first 8 days of life long-term effects on ethylmorphine N-demethylation were observed. Low T3 doses accelerated this reaction in 33- and 60-day-old rats. Ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation was not influenced. T3 administrations cannot diminish age-differences in drug metabolism.

Aging↗

Age-related decrease in the activity of UDP-xylose:core protein xylosyltransferase in rat costal cartilage.

The activity of UDP-xylose:core protein xylosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.26) in costal cartilage of young rats (3 months) and old rats (36 months) was measured. The enzyme activity in cartilage of young rats (mean +/- S.D.) is 3370 +/- 1440 Bq h-1 mg-1 DNA, which is about three times higher than that determined in cartilage of old rats (1090 +/- 520 Bq h-1 mg-1 protein). The amount of galactosamine-containing proteoglycosaminoglycans that are extractable with 4 M guanidinium chloride from cartilage is significantly higher in young rats (29.1 +/- 4.8 nmol GalN per mg cartilage wet weight) than in old animals (5.8 +/- 3.0 nmol GalN per mg cartilage wet weight). Thus, if xylosyltransferase activity is referred to the amount of galactosamine-containing proteoglycans in cartilage, nearly identical values are obtained (young rats, 80 +/- 30 Bq h-1 mumol-1 GalN; old rats, 85 +/- 35 Bq h-1 mumol-1 GalN). The results support the assumption that the synthesis of proteochondroitin sulfate is diminished in costal cartilage of old rats by a mechanism involving a reduced activity of xylosyltransferase.

Aging↗

Structure of the linkage-region between polysaccharide chain and core protein in bovine corneal proteokeratan sulfate.

Peptidokeratan sulfate from bovine cornea was degraded by a combination of desulfation, exo-enzymic digestion and finally digestion with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D. The same procedure was carried out both with [3H]fucose-labelled and [3H]mannose-labelled peptidokeratan sulfate. Data obtained by methylation analysis of peptidokeratan at the different degradation steps, as well as action of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D, showed that the binding-region in proteokeratan sulfate from bovine cornea is identical with a structure found in various GlcNAc(beta 1-N)-Asn-linked mannosyl glycoproteins. The existence of a chitobiose unit between asparagine and mannose was proved by action of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D. The existence and position of an (alpha 1 leads to 6)-linked fucosyl residue at the Asn-bound GlcNAc was demonstrated by action of alpha-fucosidase, endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D and by gel chromatography on Bio-Gel P-4. By gas chromatography/mass spectrometry studies, the existence of a 1,4,6-trisubstituted beside a 1,4-disubstituted GlcNAc in the binding-region oligosaccharide was shown. Other results reported here are according to analytical data previously published (Keller, R., Stein, T., Stuhlsatz, H.W., Greiling, H., Ohst, E., Müller, E. & Scharf, H.-D. (1981) Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 362, 327-336).

Acetylglucosamine↗

Studies on the characterization of the linkage-region between polysaccharide chain and core protein in bovine corneal proteokeratan sulfate.

1) A new method of enrichment of the linkage-region in corneal proteokeratan sulfate is described, which consists of desulfation of peptidokeratan sulfate, followed by chromatography on Con A-Sepharose 4B and enzymatic degradation with beta-D galactosidase and beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase. 2) After permethylation, hydrolysis, reduction with sodium borohydrid and acetylation gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses were performed. The followings products could be detected as their peracetates: 2,3,4-tri-O-methylfucitol; 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methylmannitol; 3,4,6-tri-O-methylmannitol; 2,4-di-O-methylmannitol; 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methylgalactitol; 2,4,6-tri-O-methylgalactitol; 2,4-di-O-methylgalactitol. 3) The results point to the presence of a branched linkage region in the proteokeratan sulfate molecule with one mannose as the branching point and two mannose residues as the starting point of two disaccharide chains.

Animals↗

Studies on the polydispersity and heterogeneity of proteokeratan sulfate from calf and porcine cornea.

After proteolysis of the calf and porcine corneae with papain 66 (calf) and 56 (hog) polysaccharide-containing fractions were obtained by chromatography on Dowex 1X2 and fractionating precipitation with ethanol (calf) and by chromatography on Dowex 1X2 and CPC-cellulose (hog). The sulfatation degrees (mol sulfate/mol hexosamine) and molecular weights (Mw) of 13 peptidokeratan sulfate fractions from calf cornea and of 9 such fractions from porcine cornea were 0.41-1.25 (Mw 3200-21 500), and 0.42-1.41 (Mw = 4900-25 600), respectively. It was found that the sulfatation degree increases more than proportionally with the chain-length. More than 90% of total keratan sulfate in both cases contain 2-3 mannose and 5-9 amino acid molecules per peptidokeratan sulfate molecule. About 30% of the corepeptide amino acids were asparagine or aspartic acid. More than 90% of the peptidokeratan sulfates from porcine cornea exhibits chain lengths of 31-47 disaccharide units. Two oligosaccharide peptides were isolated from porcine cornea, both being sulfate-free. Besides a core peptide of about 9 amino acids (2 Asx) one of them showed a sugar composition very similar to that of the binding-region from corneal keratan sulfate accord. to Keller, R., Stein, T., Stuhlsatz, H.W., Greiling, H., Ohst, E., Müller, E., & Scharf, H.-D. (1981) Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem. 362, 327-336: 3 Man, 2 Gal, 4 GlcNAc. The calculated molecular weight based on 3 mannose residues (Mw = 2 600) agrees with that determined by gel chromatography. The second oligosaccharide peptide was homogeneous on electrophoresis and contained the constituents of the linkage region from chondroitin sulfate beside those from keratan sulfate. Based on 4 mannose residues the calculated molecular weight (4 300) is in agreement with that from gel chromatography. The sequence Asn-X-Asx starting with the binding-Asn is postulated in the core protein of proteokeratan sulfate from amino acid analyses of the corneal peptidokeratan sulfate fractions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗