Prostate tissue is composed of both androgen-dependent and -independent cells. To identify the gene program induced by effectors of apoptosis in both of these cell types, we performed differential hybridization on a complementary DNA library prepared from an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line, AT-3, exposed to ionomycin. Five distinct complementary DNAs representing ionomycin-induci...

The proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) belongs to the family of seven transmembrane region receptors, and, like the related thrombin receptor, it is activated by specific proteolytic cleavage of its extracellular amino terminus. It is not known which proteinase is the physiological activator of the PAR-2, but candidates can be found among the enzymes involved in the inflammatory cascade sy...

Thrombin plays a pivotal role in haemostasis and thrombosis as the main effector protease of the coagulation cascade converting circulating fibrinogen into fibrin. Thrombin is also a powerful activator of platelets, inducing platelet shape change, release of the granular content, integrin αIIbβ3 activation and platelet aggregation (1). Since thrombin and platelets are critical in the developmen...

Cholecystitis is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. Inflammation induces the activation of proteases that can signal to cells by cleaving protease-activated receptors (PARs) to induce hemostasis, inflammation, pain, and repair. However, the distribution of PARs in the gallbladder is unknown, and their effects on gallbladder function have not been fully investigated. We localized ...

BACKGROUND Exposure to pesticides and industrial toxins are implicated in cardiovascular disease. Paraquat (PAR) is a toxic chemical widely used as an herbicide in developing countries and described as a major suicide agent. The hypothesis tested here is that PAR induced myocardial dysfunction may be attributed to altered mechanisms of Ca(2+) transport which are in turn possibly linked to oxida...

Recent studies investigating protease-activated receptor type 2 (PAR-2) suggest an association between the receptor and periodontal inflammation. It is known that gingipain, a bacterial protease secreted by the important periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis can activate PAR-2. Previous studies by our group found that PAR-2 is overexpressed in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patien...