Role of Chymotrypsin in Management of Moderate Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion in Children

Aims:To show the benefit of chymotrypsin as an adjuvant therapy in cases of moderate parapneumonic pleural effusion in children.Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.Place and Duration of Study:Pulmonology Unit, Pediatric Department and Radiology Department, Tanta University Hospital, Egypt between Februray, 2019 to Februray, 2020.Methodology:Subjects comprised of 60 children randomized into three groups 20 children each (41 males, 19 females; age range 1-14 years) with moderate parapneumonic pleural effusion by chest ultrasound. Clinical as well as complete blood count, C-reactive protein and chest ultrasonography at time of presentation, after one week (first end point) and after two weeks (second end point). Management with antibiotics, analgesics, antipyretics, chest tube insertion and oral chymotrypsin in group 2 and intramuscular chymotrypsin in group 3.Results:There was statistically significant decrease in fluid thickness by chest u/s (mm) in group 2 (Mean ±SD= 6.400±3.872) and group 3 (Mean ±SD= 6.150±2.720) after one week and after two weeks group 2 (Mean ±SD= 15.3±4.658) while group 3 (Mean ±SD= 3.3±1.559) in comparsion to group 1 after one week (Mean ±SD= 16.100±10.351) and after two weeks (Mean ±SD= 11.35±7.066) ( P < 0.001), duration of hospitalization (days) and chest tube (days) were statistically significant lower in group 2 (Mean±SD= 15.200±4.112 ), (Mean±SD= 9.100±2.808) respectively and group 3 (Mean±SD= 14.050±3.300), (Mean±SD= 7.400±1.698 ), in relative to group 1 (Mean±SD= 18.65±3.329 ),(Mean±SD= 9.85±3.265 ), (P <0.001, P=0.017 respectively) and percentage of decortication wasstatistically significant lower in group 2 and 3 in relative to group 1. (P =0.017). Conclusion:Chymotrypsin has an adjuvant role in management of moderate parapneumonic pleural effusion evidenced by earlier recovery less hospital stay, derease in chesttube insertion and need for decortication and intramuscular chymotrypsin injection has better effect than oral chymotrypsin in moderate parapneumonic pleural effusion

An in-gel digestion method of chymotrypsin to improve sequence coverage of membrane protein by mass spectrometry / 生物工程学报

In recent years, mass spectrometry has been widely used to study membrane protein structure and function. However, the application of mass spectrometry to study integral membrane protein is limited because there are many hydrophobic amino acids in the trans-membrane domain of integral membrane protein to cause low sequence coverage detected by LC-MS/MS. Therefore, we used vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1), a human integral membrane protein, as a model to optimize the digestion conditions of chymotrypsin, and developed an in-gel digestion method of chymotrypsin to improve sequence coverage of membrane protein by mass spectrometry. By exploring the effects of calcium concentration, pH value and buffer system on the percentage of sequence coverage, number of total detected and types of unique peptide, and the size of unique peptide, sequence coverage and peptide diversity could be considered under condition of Tris-HCl buffer with 5-10 mmol/L calcium ion concentration and pH value 8.0-8.5. This method could make the sequence coverage of membrane protein to reach more than 80%. It could be widely used in the study of membrane protein structure and function, identification of interaction site between membrane proteins, and identification of binding site between membrane protein and small molecular drug.

Advances in Treponema denticola and oral diseases / 口腔疾病防治

@#Treponema denticola is an important pathogenic Treponema pathogen in the human oral cavity. Early studies have found that Treponema denticola is closely related to the occurrence and development of periodontal diseases. With the development of technical methods in recent years, many studies have shown that Treponema denticola not only can participate in periodontal diseases through a variety of mechanisms but also can play an important role in the development of various oral diseases. Treponema denticola is detected in high concentrations in peri-apical diseases and peri-implant diseases, and its surface protein is also prevalent in oral tumor samples. This paper reviews the research progress of Treponema denticola in periodontal diseases, pulp peri-apical diseases, peri-implant diseases and oral tumors, and summarizes the relevant mechanisms. For example, Treponema denticola can cause immune regulation disorder, destroy the epithelial barrier, induce bone absorption, promote the occurrence and development of inflammation through a variety of surface proteins, including chymotrypsin-like protease complex (CTLP), major outer sheath protein (Mosp), Td92, and LOS. It can also escape complement-mediated killing effects through surface FhbB lipoproteins and promote the occurrence and development of oral tumors by regulating the tumor microenvironment. These theories provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the development of oral diseases, controlling the infection of Treponema denticola, and exploring more effective treatment strategies.

Analysis of therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2 and discovery of potential drugs by computational methods

SARS-CoV-2 has caused tens of thousands of infections and more than one thousand deaths. There are currently no registered therapies for treating coronavirus infections. Because of time consuming process of new drug development, drug repositioning may be the only solution to the epidemic of sudden infectious diseases. We systematically analyzed all the proteins encoded by SARS-CoV-2 genes, compared them with proteins from other coronaviruses, predicted their structures, and built 19 structures that could be done by homology modeling. By performing target-based virtual ligand screening, a total of 21 targets (including two human targets) were screened against compound libraries including ZINC drug database and our own database of natural products. Structure and screening results of important targets such as 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), Spike, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and papain like protease (PLpro) were discussed in detail. In addition, a database of 78 commonly used anti-viral drugs including those currently on the market and undergoing clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 was constructed. Possible targets of these compounds and potential drugs acting on a certain target were predicted. This study will provide new lead compounds and targets for further and studies of SARS-CoV-2, new insights for those drugs currently ongoing clinical studies, and also possible new strategies for drug repositioning to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Bioactive natural compounds against human coronaviruses: a review and perspective

Coronaviruses (CoVs), a family of enveloped positive-sense RNA viruses, are characterized by club-like spikes that project from their surface, unusually large RNA genome, and unique replication capability. CoVs are known to cause various potentially lethal human respiratory infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the very recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Unfortunately, neither drug nor vaccine has yet been approved to date to prevent and treat these diseases caused by CoVs. Therefore, effective prevention and treatment medications against human coronavirus are in urgent need. In the past decades, many natural compounds have been reported to possess multiple biological activities, including antiviral properties. In this article, we provided a comprehensive review on the natural compounds that interfere with the life cycles of SARS and MERS, and discussed their potential use for the treatment of COVID-19.

Impact of chymotrypsin, N-acetylcysteine and chain protease on image visibility in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy / 中国内镜杂志

Objective?To compare the effect of chymotrypsin, N-acetylcysteine and chain protease on the image visibility before upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.?Methods?The patients who underwent painless gastroscopy from January 2016 to July 2016 were divided into four groups before gastroscopy. Group A is the control group (simethicone 600 mg + NaHCO3 2 g). Group B is the chymotrypsin group (simethicone 600 mg + chymotrypsin 200 u + NaHCO3 2 g). Group C is the N-acetylcysteine group (simethicone 600 mg + N-acetylcysteine 600 mg+ NaHCO3 2 g). Group D is the chain protease group (simethicone 600 mg + chain protease 20 000 u + NaHCO3 2 g). The corresponding drug is diluted in 100 ml of normal saline. Each group of patients was required to oral the diluted solution 30 minutes before gastroscopy. All patients’ gastroscopies were completed by one endoscopist, and each patient’s endoscopic image visibility were evaluated by the other two endoscopists. The three endoscopists were unaware of grouping. Each group chose 54 patients diagnosed with chronic gastritis to conduct a retrospective study. The total patients were 216. The total scores of image visibility, the washing time and the incidence of complications were compared and analyzed.?Results?The total image scores of group A, B, C and D were (32.19 ± 3.06), (36.64 ± 3.18), (39.03 ± 3.69) and (39.89 ± 3.35), respectively. Group A was the lowest (P < 0.05), followed by group B (P < 0.05). The total scores of group C and D were higher, and there was no difference between groups (P > 0.05). The washing time of each group were (42.00 ± 21.67) s, (17.78 ± 13.39) s, (12.32 ± 11.08) s and (11.98 ± 10.04) s. Group A was the longest (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences among group B, C and D (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in adverse effects among groups after upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.?Conclusion?Before conducting upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, simethicone in combination with chymotrypsin, N-acetylcysteine and chain protease can safely and effectively improve the visibility of endoscopic images and shorten the washing time. There is no obvious adverse reactions. N-acetylcysteine group and the chain protease group have the best effect, and the two effects are similar. So simethicone in combination with N-acetylcysteine or chain protease can be more effective in enhancing gastroscopic image visibility, shorter washing time, which can improve the detection rate of early lesions. When the clinical use of N-acetylcysteine and chain protease is limited, the use of chymotrypsin can also be considered to improve the visibility of endoscopic images.

Application of modified negative pressure closed drainage technique in early treatment of cobra bite ulcer / 中国基层医药

Objective To investigate the application of modified negative pressure closure drainage in early stage of snakebite .Methods 60 patients with early bite ulcer were selected as study objects ,and they were randomly divided into two groups according to the digital table .30 patients in the observation group received vacuum sealing drainage(VSD) combined with chymotrypsin continuous rinsing treatment .30 patients in the control group were given conventional dressing bandaging treatment .The two stage skin grafting time,wound healing time,complications,disa-bility rate,hospitalization time and C reactive protein ( CRP) levels of the two groups were observed .And the treatment effect was analyzed .Results The incidence rates of complications and disability in the observation group were 0.00％and 3.33％,respectively,which were significantly lower than 16.67％and 26.67％in the control group ,and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (χ2 =4.356,6.405,all P<0.05).The CRP levels of 3 d and 7 d in the observation group were (15.8 ±1.7)mg/L,(6.9 ±1.6)mg/L,respectively,which in the control group were (18.6 ±2.3) mg/L,(13.8 ±1.9) mg/L,respectively,there were statistically significant differences between two groups(t=5.362,15.214,all P<0.01).The two stage skin grafting,wound healing,hospital stay of the observation group were (9.5 ±1.8) d,(24 ±1.8) d,(25.3 ±1.9) d,respectively,which were significantly shorter than those of the control group [(16.2 ±2.6)d,(32.0 ±3.2)d,(33.2 ±3.7)d],the differences were statistically significant(t=11.604,11.93410.403,all P<0.01).Conclusion For patients with injury of cobra bite to early ulcer,using VSD technology combined with chymotrypsin continuous irrigation ,can significantly reduce the level of CRP and the occurrence of complications and disability rate ,shorten the time of two stage skin grafting ,wound healing time,hospitalization time,reduce the pain of patients,it is the best treatment to accelerate recovery .

Clinical application of vacuum sealing drainage combined with chymotrypsin in the treatment of post-traumatic mandibular osteomyelitis / 中华口腔医学杂志

This article introduces the combined application of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) and chymotrypsin in the treatment of post-operative mandibular osteomyelitis. The lesion was washed by chymotrypsin (4000U) and saline (500 ml). VSD is effective in the treatment of traumatic mandibular osteomyelitis. This study investigates the effect of VSD combined with chymotrypsin in the treatment of patients with osteomyelitis after mandibular trauma. It is proved that it has a good effect in ensuring drainage, controlling infection and retaining internal fixation, and can create a good environment for fracture healing.

In vitro characterization of jellyfish venom fibrin(ogen)olytic enzymes from Nemopilema nomurai

Background: Because jellyfish are capable of provoking envenomation in humans, they are considered hazardous organisms. Although the effects of their toxins are a matter of concern, information on the venom components, biological activity and pathological mechanisms are still scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate a serine protease component of Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV) and unveil its characteristics. Methods: To determine the relationship between fibrinolytic activity of NnV and the serine protease, fibrin zymography was performed using metalloprotease and serine protease inhibitors. The biochemical characterization of serine proteases of NnV were determined by the amidolytic assay. Fractions with fibrinolytic activity were obtained by DEAE cation exchange column. Results: NnV displayed fibrinolytic activities with molecular masses of approximately 70, 35, 30, and 28 kDa. The fibrinolytic activity of NnV was completely obliterated by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, a prototype serine protease inhibitor. Based on amidolytic assays using chromogenic substrates specific for various kinds of serine proteases, NnV predominantly manifested a chymotrypsin-like feature. Its activity was completely eliminated at low pH (< 6) and high temperatures (> 37 °C). Some metal ions (Co2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+) strongly suppressed its fibrinolytic activity, while others (Ca2+ and Mg2+) failed to do so. Isolation of a serine protease with fibrionolytic activity from NnV revealed that only p3 showed the fibrinolytic activity, which was completely inhibited by PMSF. Conclusion: The present study showed that N. nomurai jellyfish venom has a chymotrypsin-like serine protease with fibrinolytic activity. Such information might be useful for developing clinical management of jellyfish envenomation and pharmacological agents with therapeutic potential for thrombotic diseases in the future.(AU)

In vitro characterization of jellyfish venom fibrin(ogen)olytic enzymes from Nemopilema nomurai

Abstract Background: Because jellyfish are capable of provoking envenomation in humans, they are considered hazardous organisms. Although the effects of their toxins are a matter of concern, information on the venom components, biological activity and pathological mechanisms are still scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate a serine protease component of Nemopilema nomurai jellyfish venom (NnV) and unveil its characteristics. Methods: To determine the relationship between fibrinolytic activity of NnV and the serine protease, fibrin zymography was performed using metalloprotease and serine protease inhibitors. The biochemical characterization of serine proteases of NnV were determined by the amidolytic assay. Fractions with fibrinolytic activity were obtained by DEAE cation exchange column. Results: NnV displayed fibrinolytic activities with molecular masses of approximately 70, 35, 30, and 28 kDa. The fibrinolytic activity of NnV was completely obliterated by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, a prototype serine protease inhibitor. Based on amidolytic assays using chromogenic substrates specific for various kinds of serine proteases, NnV predominantly manifested a chymotrypsin-like feature. Its activity was completely eliminated at low pH ( 6) and high temperatures (> 37 °C). Some metal ions (Co2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+) strongly suppressed its fibrinolytic activity, while others (Ca2+ and Mg2+) failed to do so. Isolation of a serine protease with fibrionolytic activity from NnV revealed that only p3 showed the fibrinolytic activity, which was completely inhibited by PMSF. Conclusion: The present study showed that N. nomurai jellyfish venom has a chymotrypsin-like serine protease with fibrinolytic activity. Such information might be useful for developing clinical management of jellyfish envenomation and pharmacological agents with therapeutic potential for thrombotic diseases in the future.

Bioassay-guided isolation of novel and selective urease inhibitors from Diospyros lotus / 中国天然药物

Two new dimeric naphthoquinones, 5',8'-dihydroxy-6,6'-dimethyl-7,3'-binaphthyl-1,4,1',4'-tetraone (1; Di-naphthodiospyrol D) and 5',8'-dihydroxy-5,8-dimethoxy-6,6'-dimethyl-7,3'-binaphthyl-1,4,1',4'-tetraone (2; Di-naphthodiospyrol E), along with known naphthoquinones diospyrin (3) and 8-hydroxy diospyrin (4) were isolated from the chloroform fraction of extract of Diospyros lotus roots. Their structures were elucidated by advanced spectroscopic analyses, including HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and J-resolved NMR experiments. The fractions and compounds 1-4 were evaluated for urease activity and phosphodiesterase-I, carbonic anhydrase-II and α-chymotrypsin enzyme inhibitory activities. Compounds 1 and 2 and their corresponding fractions showed significant and selective inhibitory effects on urease activities. The IC values of 1 and 2 were 260.4 ± 6.37 and 381.4 ± 4.80 µmol·L, respectively, using thiourea (IC = 21 ± 0.11 µmol·L) as the standard inhibitor. This was the first report demonstrating that the naphthoquinones class showed urease inhibition.

The application of cystic cavity flushing technique in percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy for thyroid colloid cysts / 介入放射学杂志

Objective To discuss the application of cystic cavity flushing technique in percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy for the thyroid colloid cysts.Methods A total of 49 patients with thyroid colloid cysts were randomly divided into the study group (n=33) and the control group (n=16).Patients in the study group received cystic cavity flushing treatment by using saline together with α-chymotrypsin,which was followed by percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).Patients in the control group underwent simple aspiration of cyst fluid followed by PEI.The residual cystic volume,the effective rate and the untoward effects were calculated at one,3 and 6 months after the treatment,and the results were compared between the two groups.Results Striking difference in the changes of postoperative residual cystic volume existed between the study group and the control group.The effective rate of PEI in the study group was 93.9％,which was obviously better than 68.8％ in the control group,the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.05).No untoward effect was observed during the performance of aspiration of cyst fluid and flushing of cystic cavity.Nevertheless,bad side effect occurred in PEI procedure in both the study group (6.1％) and the control group (8.3％),but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.75).Conclusion For the treatment of thyroid colloid cysts,the use of aspiration of cyst fluid together with cystic cavity flushing technique by using saline combined with α-chymotrypsin is safe and reliable,it can improve the curative effect of subsequent PEI.

Role of chymotrypsin C in development and progression of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer / 临床肝胆病杂志

Chymotrypsin C (CTRC) is a trypsinogen synthesized by pancreatic acinar cells and secreted by pancreatic duct cells and belongs to the family of serine chymotrypsin. The main function of CTRC is to regulate the balance between activation and degradation of trypsin and maintain the structural and functional integrity of the pancreas. CTRC gene mutations can cause abnormal activation of trypsinogen and abnormal degradation of trypsin and then lead to the development of pancreatitis. The downregulation or absence of CTRC expression may be associated with the development and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. This article introduces the structure and biological function of CTRC and its mechanism of action in the development and progression of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Allergenic Characterization of a Novel Allergen, Homologous to Chymotrypsin, from German Cockroach

PURPOSE: Cockroach feces are known to be rich in IgE-reactive components. Various protease allergens were identified by proteomic analysis of German cockroach fecal extract in a previous study. In this study, we characterized a novel allergen, a chymotrypsin-like serine protease. METHODS: A cDNA sequence homologous to chymotrypsin was obtained by analysis of German cockroach expressed sequence tag (EST) clones. The recombinant chymotrypsins from the German cockroach and house dust mite (Der f 6) were expressed in Escherichia coli using the pEXP5NT/TOPO vector system, and their allergenicity was investigated by ELISA. RESULTS: The deduced amino acid sequence of German cockroach chymotrypsin showed 32.7 to 43.1% identity with mite group 3 (trypsin) and group 6 (chymotrypsin) allergens. Sera from 8 of 28 German cockroach allergy subjects (28.6%) showed IgE binding to the recombinant protein. IgE binding to the recombinant cockroach chymotrypsin was inhibited by house dust mite chymotrypsin Der f 6, while it minimally inhibited the German cockroach whole body extract. CONCLUSIONS: A novel allergen homologous to chymotrypsin was identified from the German cockroach and was cross-reactive with Der f 6.

Purification of a protease inhibitor from Dolichos biflorus using immobilized metal affinity chromatography.

Plant protease inhibitors (PIs) are generally small proteins which play key roles in regulation of endogenous proteases and may exhibit antifeedant, antifungal, antitumor and cytokine inducing activities. Dolichos biflorus (horse gram) is an unexploited legume, which is rich in nutrients and also has therapeutic importance. It contains a double-headed PI, which is an anti-nutritional factor. As there is no report available on its simultaneous removal and purification in single step, in this study, a double-headed PI active against both trypsin and chymotrypsin was purified from Dolichos biflorus to ~14-fold with ~84% recovery using an immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) medium consisting of Zn-alginate beads. The method was single-step, fast, simple, reliable and economical. The purified inhibitor showed a single band on SDS-PAGE corresponding to molecular mass of 16 kDa and was stable over a pH range of 2.0-12.0 and up to a temperature of 100°C for 20 min. The optimum temperature for trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor was observed to be 50°C and 37°C, respectively and pH optimum was pH 7.0 and 8.0, respectively. Thus, IMAC using Zn-alginate beads was useful in simultaneous purification and removal of an anti-nutritional factor from horse gram flour in single step. This procedure may also be employed for purification of other plant PIs in one step.

Vacuum sealing drainage technology in combination with multiple factors for treatment of severe soft tissue injury / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The technique of vacuum sealing drainage, initialy used for better wound healing, has been widely applied to al kinds of refractory wounds. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the research progress in vacuum sealing drainage for treatment of severe soft tissue injury. METHODS: An electronic retrieve was performed in Wanfang database, VIP database and PubMed database from January 1989 to August 2014 was performed for papers regarding the vacuum sealing drainage technology with the key words of “vacuum sealing drainage technology; injury; gentamicin; hyperbaric oxygen; nerve growth factor; chymotrypsin” in Chinese or English. Finaly 48 articles were involved in the final analysis according to the inclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Vacuum sealing drainage is a highly effective treatment technique to promote wound healing which can promote wound blood circulation, reduce sweling, inhibit bacterial growth, stimulate growth of granulation tissue by mechanical stress, inhibit cel apoptosis, thereby helping wound healing. Compared to conventional open-dressings, vacuum sealing drainage has a faster wound healing speed, lower infection rate, and fewer dressing change frequency. With recent advances in medicine, vacuum sealing drainagetechnology cannot be simply used for treatment of skin soft tissue damage, but in combination with gentamicin, hyperbaric oxygen, nerve growth factor and chymotrypsin to achieve better therapeutic effects.

Evaluation of the treatment effect of inhalation of different drug on neonatal pneumonia / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and its security on different kinds of atomization with mucosolvan and chymotrypsin in treating neonatal pneumonia.Methods Seventy-eight neonates who were diagnosed as neonatal pneumonia were divided into treatment group (n =39) and control group (n =39) by random number table method from Jul 2011 to Aug 2013 in our hospital.The control group was treated with chymotrypsin atomization,and the treatment group was treated with compression atomizing to inhale mucosolvan.The treatment effects of two groups were compared.Results Compared with the control group after treatment for 24 h,48 h,72 h,the treatment group had more significant increasing in PaO2,more decreasing in PaCO2 and more significant improvement in oxygenation index.There were statistical significances between the two groups(P ＜ 0.01).The treatment group spent shorter time in remission of symptoms,disappear of signs and hospital stay than that of the control group(P ＜ 0.05).In the treatment group,25 cases were markedly improved,9 cases were effective,5 cases were invalid.The effective rate was 87.2％.In the control group,14 cases were markedly effective,6 cases were effective,19 cases were invalid.The effective rate was 51.3％.The effective rate was significant difference between the two groups (P ＜ 0.01).The adverse drug reactions were not found in the process of treatment for two groups.Conclusion Mucosolvan atomizing inhalation has a better treatment effect than chymotrypsin.It can shorten the course of treatment,and is worth promoting the application.

Study on expression,puriifcation and properties of recombinant human Chymotrypsin / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To study the prokaryotic expression, puriifcation and properties of recombinant human Chymotrypsin. Methods The protein was highly expressed in E.coliBL 21 (DE 3) as inclusion body. After refolding and activated with trypsin, the activated protein was obtained and purified with ion-exchange chromatography(CM-FF), some properties of the recombinant human chymotrypsin was investigated. Results The molecular weight of chymotrypsinogen was about 30 KD in SDS-PAGE, total activity recovery rate of CM-FF puriifcation was 93.7%. The recombinant chymotrypsin kept stable from pH 3 to pH 5, and owned good temperature stability. Km was 0.067 mmol/L with BTEE as a substrate. The UV maximum absorption wavelength was 281 nm.Conculsion The recombinant human enzyme was expressed successfully, and a feasible production method to get a high activity of the recombinant human chymotrypsin was established.

Allergenic potential and enzymatic resistance of buckwheat

Buckwheat is known as a health food but is one of the major food allergens triggering potentially fatal anaphylaxis in Asia, especially in Japan and Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristic of enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein and allergenic potential. Enzymatic resistance of buckwheat protein was performed with in vitro digestibility test in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), pH 1.2, using pepsin and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin. Reactivity of buckwheat proteins to human IgE was performed using six allergic patients sensitized to buckwheat. Buckwheat's IgE levels were measured using the Phadia UniCAP-system. Buckwheat protein, 16 kDa, still remained after 30 min treatment of pepsin on SDS-PAGE. Even though 16 kDa almost disappeared after 60 min treatment, two out of the six buckwheat patients' sera showed reactivity to hydrolysate after 60 min treatment, indicating that allergenicity still remained. In simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) using chymotrypsin, buckwheat protein, 24 kDa, showed resistance to hydrolysis with chymotrypsin on SDS-PAGE, and still had allergenicity based on the result of ELISA. Our results suggest that buckwheat proteins have strong resistance to enzyme degradation. This may be attributed in part to the allergenic potential of buckwheat. Further study should be continued regarding buckwheat allergy.

Mast cells in the mechanism of action of abdominal aortic aneurysm / 国际外科学杂志

Mast cells regulate inflammation and immunity.Experimentally induced abdominal aortic aneurysm in mast cells-deficient animals and animals treated with mast cells inhibitors demonstrate that mast cells are involved in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm via several different mechanisms.Mast cells-dependent activation of metalloproteinases and the renin-angiotensin system,contribution to smooth muscle cell apoptosis,and release of proteolytic enzymes are some key examples.Activated mast cells also contribute to neovascularization,inflammation,and atherosclerosis,all hallmarks of abdominal aortic aneurysm.Thus,we may envision that mast cells stabilizing agents,as well as leukotriene receptor antagonists and histamine receptor blockers already in clinical use for treatment of other diseases,could also be tested for their efficacy in treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm.