The activities of the enzymes arginase and rhodanese were examined in homogenates of 13 mouse cell strains and 2 human cell strains after long cultivation of the cells in vitro. Three strains of mouse liver origin showed both high arginase and rhodanese activities in keeping with activities of the tissue of origin. Two strains of cells of human epithelial origin, HeLa and epidermis, were found ...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the influence of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) on hemolysis biomarkers in sickle cell anemia patients. METHODS Fifty adult sickle cell anemia patients were included in the study. All patients were taking hydroxyurea for at least six months and were followed at the outpatient clinic of a hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The control group consisted of 20 he...

OBJECTIVE Insulin promotes adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium through increased expression of surface adhesion molecules. We determined whether src-homology domain-2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2), a downstream effecter of insulin signaling, is involved in insulin-induced endothelial inflammation. METHODS AND RESULTS In human umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells, ...

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation plays a fundamental role in the vascular remodeling seen in pulmonary hypertensive diseases associated with hypoxia. Arginase II, an enzyme regulating the first step in polyamine and proline synthesis, has been shown to play a critical role in hypoxia-induced proliferation of human PASMC (hPASMC). In addition, there is evidence that pati...

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory airways' disease, characterized by allergen-induced early and late bronchial obstructive reactions, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway inflammation and airway remodelling. Recent ex vivo and in vivo studies in animal models and asthmatic patients have indicated that arginase may play a central role in all these features. Thus, increased arginase a...

Macrophages can respond to diverse signals and adopt multiple phenotypes. Although interleukin-4 (IL-4) is shown to potently induce the expression of arginase 1 and contribute to differentiation of macrophages to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, other modulators may potentiate or reduce the effect of IL-4. In this report, we focus on the combinatorial effects of IL-4 with all-trans retinoic ...

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, and survival remains poor for patients with advanced disease. Novel immune therapies are currently in development, but clinical outcomes have not matched preclinical results. Here, we describe key mechanisms in which neuroblastoma inhibits the immune response. We show that murine and human neuroblastoma tumor cells suppress...

Macrophages can express two arginase isoforms with distinct subcellular localization (cytosolic AI and mitochondrial AII). These isoforms are products of different genes and are capable of differential induction. Experiments were performed to identify the specific arginase isoforms induced by interleukin (IL)-4, a Th2 cytokine shown by others to increase arginase activity in macrophages, and se...

The hypertrophy and hyperplasia of infected roots into clubs are the intrinsic characteristics of clubroot, one of the economically most important diseases in Brassica crops worldwide. Polyamines, arginine (Arg)-derived metabolites, have long been recognized as cell proliferation and differentiation regulators in plants and consequently are suitable candidates for potential gall development fac...

Eris i r M., N. Aydilek, M. Aksakal : Effect of Vitamin E on Arginase Activity in the Liver and Kidneys of Testosterone-Treated and Castrated Rabbits. Acta Vet. Brno 2005, 74:527-531. In the present study we examined the effect of vitamin E administration on arginase activity in the liver and kidneys of testosterone-treated and castrated rabbits. Forty-six 3-month-old male rabbits were divided ...