16,16-Dimethyl-PGE2 (PGE2) may interact with one of four prostaglandin type E (EP) receptors, which signal via cAMP (via EP2 or EP4 receptors) or intracellular Ca(2+) (via EP1 receptors). Furthermore, EP3 receptors have several splice variants, which may signal via cAMP or intracellular Ca(2+). We sought to determine the PGE2 receptor interactions that mediate recovery of transmucosal resistanc...

AIM To investigate the toxicity of the E-prostanoid 2 (EP2) receptor agonist, butaprost against human subconjunctival (Tenon's capsule) fibroblasts, and to determine the underlying mechanism. METHODS We isolated Tenon's fibroblasts from the subconjunctival area of healthy subjects and evaluated the types of EP receptors expressed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase c...

BACKGROUND The widespread threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to human health has made urgent the development of fast and accurate analytical methods for its early diagnosis and a safe and efficient antiviral vaccine for preventive use. For this purpose, we investigated the antigenicity of different regions of the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid (N) protein. METHODS Th...

The pro-inflammatory chemokine CCL2 [chemokine (Cys-Cys motif) ligand 2; also known as MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1)] is up-regulated in the glomerular compartment during the early phase of LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced nephritis. This up-regulation also occurs in cultured MCs (mesangial cells) and is more pronounced in MCs lacking the PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) receptor EP2 or in MCs ...

To identify the E-prostanoid (EP) receptors that mediate the hemodynamic actions of PGE2, we studied acute vascular responses to infusions of PGE2using lines of mice in which each of four EP receptors (EP1 through EP4) have been disrupted by gene targeting. In mixed groups of males and females, vasodepressor responses after infusions of PGE2were significantly diminished in the EP2 -/- and EP4 -...

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) has complex effects on airway tone, and the existence of four PGE(2) [E-prostanoid (EP)] receptors, each with distinct signaling characteristics, has provided a possible explanation for the seemingly contradictory actions of this lipid mediator. To identify the receptors mediating the actions of PGE(2) on bronchomotor tone, we examined its effects on the airways of w...

PURPOSE To evaluate the role of topical betaxolol on experimental ocular inflammation in rabbits. METHOD Transcorneal diffusion of highly selective agonists for prostaglandin E2 receptor subtypes (EP), 25 microg/ml, with the use of a glass cylinder, was performed to produce aqueous flare elevation in pigmented rabbits. Betaxolol was topically administered before EP agonist application. Aqueou...

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been reported to control angiogenesis and play an important role in wound healing in soft tissues, although the precise mechanism is still unknown. Since basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been reported to generate neovascularization, PGE2 and bFGF might work closely, or one might control the expression of the other. In this study, we demonstrate that PGE2 enh...

The orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR3 enhances the processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) to the neurotoxic beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptide via incompletely understood mechanisms. Through overexpression and shRNA knockdown experiments in HEK293 cells, we show that β-arrestin2 (βarr2), a GPCR-interacting scaffold protein reported to bind γ-secretase, is an essential factor for GPR3-...

Dysregulation of enzymes involved in prostaglandin biosynthesis plays a critical role in influencing the biological behavior and clinical outcome of several tumors. In human gliomas, overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 has been linked to increased aggressiveness and poor prognosis. In contrast, the role of prostaglandin E synthase in influencing the biological behavior of human gliomas has not b...