Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is an intraluminal protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that is essential for the assembly of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins. In this study, we examine how the livers of mice respond to two distinct methods of blocking MTP function: Cre-mediated disruption of the gene for MTP and chemical inhibition of MTP activity. Blocking M...

The discovery of the role of MTP in mediating lipid transfer to apoB has greatly expanded our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in apoB-containing lipoprotein assembly. In this review, advances referring to the structure, regulation and function of MTP are summarized and discussed. In addition to the well-known lipid transfer activity function, MTP has been shown to physically inte...

LPS and MTP-PE (liposome-encapsulated N-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl-L-alanine-2-:[1',2'dipalmitoyl -sni-glycero-3-(hydroxy-phosphoryl-oxyl)] etylamide) induce in liver macrophages a synthesis and release of TNF-alpha, nitric oxide and prostanoids. Both agents induce an expression of mRNA's encoding TNF-alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and of ...

RATIONALE Systemic inflammation has emerged as a key pathophysiological process that induces multiorgan injury and causes serious human diseases. Endothelium is critical in maintaining cellular and inflammatory homeostasis, controlling systemic inflammation, and progression of inflammatory diseases. We postulated that endothelium produces and releases endogenous soluble factors to modulate infl...

BACKGROUND Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is essential for the assembly of lipoproteins. MTP has been shown on the surface of lipid droplets of adipocytes; however its function in adipose tissue is not well defined. We hypothesized that MTP may play critical role in adipose lipid droplet formation and expansion. METHODS Plasmids mediated overexpression and siRNA mediated knock...

OBJECTIVE To compare the reproducibility of the standing extended view (SEV) (also known as the standing anteroposterior view) with the semiflexed, postero-anterior view [the 'metatarsophalangeal' (MTP)] view for assessing joint space width (JSW) and osteophytes in osteoarthritis of the knee when used in a busy routine X-ray department. METHODS Forty-seven patients (24 men) had both SEV and M...

We reported previously that human fibroblasts release 5-methoxytryptophan (5-MTP) which inhibits cancer cell COX-2 overexpression and suppresses cancer cell migration and metastasis. To determine whether fibroblasts block cancer cell epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) via 5-MTP, we evaluated the effect of Hs68 fibroblasts (HsFb) on A549 cancer cell EMT in a two-chamber system. Co-incubatio...

To examine the multiple stages of lipoprotein packaging during development, we studied localization, ontogeny, and regulation of microsomal transfer protein (MTP), a crucial protein for lipid transport. With the use of immunofluorescence, MTP was identified in villus and crypt epithelial cells in different regions of human fetal intestine, including colon. Staining was detected as early as the ...

Recent studies show that type II transmembrane serine proteases play important roles in diverse cellular activities and pathological processes. Their expression and functions in the central nervous system, however, are largely unexplored. In this study, we show that the expression of one such member, matriptase (MTP), was cell type-restricted and primarily expressed in neural progenitor (NP) ce...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether skin resistance measurements can objectively identify the location of myofascial trigger points (MTPs) and to differentiate between 3 states. DESIGN Static group comparison. SETTING Climate-controlled laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Forty-nine participants (age, 20.5+/-2.6 y) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups based on clinical examination result: absent (n=21), laten...