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S Nam

Publications and source records attributed to S Nam.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Molecular characteristics of the inhibition of human neutrophil elastase by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are known as clinically effective agents for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase has been thought to be a major facet of the pharmacological mechanism of NSAIDs. However, it is difficult to ascribe the antiinflammatory effects of NSAIDs solely to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Human neutrophil elastase (HNElastase; HNE, EC 3.4.21.37) has been known as a causative factor in inflammatory diseases. To investigate the specific relationship between HNElastase inhibition and specificity of molecular structure of several NSAIDs, HNElastase was purified by Ultrogel AcA54 gel filtration, CM-Sephadex ion exchange, and HPLC (with TSK 250 column) chromatography. HNElastase was inhibited by aspirin and salicylate in a competitive manner and by naproxen, ketoprofen, phenylbutazone, and oxyphenbutazone in a partial competative manner, but not by ibuprofen and tolmetin. HNElastase-phenylbutazone-complex showed strong Raman shifts at 200, 440, 1124, 1194, 1384, 1506, and 1768 cm(-1). The Raman bands 1194, 1384, and 1768 cm(-1) may represent evidences of the conformational change at -N=N-phi radical, pyrazol ring, and -C=O radical of the elastase-drug complex, respectively. Phenylbutazone might be bound to HNElastase by ionic and hydrophobic interaction, and masked the active site. Inhibition of HNElastase could be another mechanism of action of NSAIDs besides cyclooxygenase inhibition in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Different inhibition characteristics of HNE-lastase by NSAIDs such as aspirin, phenylbutazone-like drugs and ineffective drugs could be important points for drawing the criteria for appropriate drugs in clinical application.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed2000

Non-enzymatic reduction of azo dyes by NADH.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) reduces a variety of azo dyes by four electrons to generate the corresponding aromatic amines. This reduction is pH-dependent and increases with decreasing pH. Reduction of 4-(4'-sulfophenylazo)-phenol and 2-(4'-sulfophenylazo)-phenol, specifically substituted with methyl, methoxy, halo, and nitro groups, was examined to determine the susceptibility of azo dyes to reduction by NADH. Except for the nitro-substituted azo dyes, all other azo dyes were reduced. Possible mechanisms of reduction are proposed. The implications of our findings to microbial degradation and mammalian metabolism of azo dyes are discussed.

Amines↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of GAR-2, a novel G protein-linked acetylcholine receptor from Caenorhabditis elegans.

We have previously identified two G protein-linked acetylcholine receptors (GARs), GAR-1 and GAR-3, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Whereas GAR-3 is a homologue of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs), GAR-1 is similar to but pharmacologically distinct from mAChRs. In the current work we isolated a new type of GAR using C. elegans genome sequence information. This receptor, named GAR-2, consists of 614 amino acid residues and has seven putative transmembrane domains. Database searches indicate that GAR-2 is most similar to GAR-1 and closely related to GAR-3/mAChRs. The overall amino acid sequence identities to GAR-1 and GAR-3 are approximately 32 and approximately 23%, respectively. When GAR-2 was coexpressed with the G protein-activated inwardly rectifying K(+) (GIRK1) channel in Xenopus oocytes, acetylcholine was able to evoke the GIRK current in a dose-dependent fashion. Oxotremorine, a classical muscarinic agonist, had little effect on the receptor, indicating that GAR-2 is pharmacologically different from mAChRs but rather similar to GAR-1. GAR-2 differs from GAR-1, however, in that it showed virtually no response to muscarinic antagonists such as atropine, scopolamine, and pirenzepine. Expression studies using green fluorescent protein reporter gene fusion revealed that GAR-2 is expressed in a subset of C. elegans neurons, distinct from those expressing GAR-1. Together with our previous reports, this study demonstrates that diverse types of GARs are present in C. elegans.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and sequencing of the mouse cDNA encoding a phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase.

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx), a selenoprotein, reduces the hydroperoxides of phospholipid, cholesterol, and cholesteryl ester in biomembranes. In this study, a full-length cDNA clone encoding the PHGPx was isolated from mouse testes using a RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) technique. According to sequence analysis, the cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 197 amino acids (aa) that initiates the translation at ATG(145-147) and contains an inframe TGA selenocysteine codon. It also has selenocysteine insertion sequences in the 3'-UTR that are involved in the insertion of selenocysteine at an opal codon. Moreover, the mouse PHGPx contains the active-site residues Gln108 and Trp163 that interact with selenocysteine, and the N-terminal 27-aa residues that may act as a potential mitochondrial targeting signal. According to the deduced aa analysis, mouse PHGPx shares a high level of aa identity with pig (93.4%), human (92.9%), and rat (98%) PHGPxs. However, the PHGPx mRNA particularly showed a high degree of expression in testis. This suggests that the PHGPx in testis may have more than just an antioxidant function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Genomic expressions of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I).

Human T-lymphocyte cell line termed MT-2 is producing persistently HTLV-I virion and has a strong potential to transform human T-lymphocytes when cocultivated. The virion of HTLV-I (MT-2) was isolated and its RNA was extracted to analyze the gene and gene products of HTLV-I. HTLV (MT-2) virion RNA was translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system in vitro in which a gag precursor polyprotein (p53) and a putative gag-prt fusion protein (p76) were synthesized from a full length 35S RNA. The full length provirus, HTLV-I (MT-2), was molecularly cloned and its genomic expression was examined transiently and permanently by transfecting in human lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells. The cloned provirus expressed the same virological activities as observed in naturally occurring infection of the virus. A new protease gene of HTLV-I was found and its function of the gene product was studied.

Animals↗