Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) are prostaglandin (PG) terminal synthases that function downstream of inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in the PGI2 and PGE2 biosynthetic pathways, respectively. mPGES-1 has been shown to be involved in various COX-2-related diseases such as inflammatory diseases and cancers, but it is not yet known how PGIS is invo...

The importance of the arachidonic acid pathway has been established in colon and lung cancers, as well as in inflammatory diseases. In these diseases, prostacyclin I(2) (PGI2) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE2) are thought to have antagonistic activities, with PGI2 exerting anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities, whereas PGE2 is proinflammatory and antiapoptotic. In human lung cancer, pr...

OBJECTIVE Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) gene transfer have been shown to accelerate re-endothelialization and prevent neointimal formation in balloon-injured arteries. The aim of this study is to evaluate how overexpression of endogenous prostacyclin exerts those beneficial effects in atheromatous arteries. METHODS New Zealand White Rabbits fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet underwent balloon injury ...

BACKGROUND Prostacyclin is a potent vasodilator that also inhibits platelet adhesion and cell growth. We investigated whether in vivo gene transfer of human prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) ameliorates monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS The cDNA encoding PGIS was intratracheally transfected into the lungs of rats by the hemagglutinating virus of Japan-...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A disordered proliferative process in the vascular wall is thought to underlie the pathogenesis of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and carotid endarterectomy. A growth inhibitory property of overexpressed prostacyclin (PGI2) synthase (PGIS) was recently implicated in the pathological proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in vitro. Her...

Results from our molecular-modelling and site-directed-mutagenesis studies of prostaglandin I(2) synthase (PGIS) have suggested that the large PGIS cytoplasmic domain is anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by the N-terminal segment in a way that orients the substrate access channel opening to face the membrane. To test this hypothesis we have explored the accessibility of the PG...

BACKGROUND We tested the hypothesis that bicistronic cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)/prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) and COX-1 gene transfer reduce cerebral infarct volume by augmenting synthesis of protective prostaglandins. METHODS AND RESULTS We infused into lateral ventricle of a rat stroke model recombinant adenoviruses (rAd) containing COX-1 (Adv-COX-1), COX-1 and PGIS (Adv-COX-1/PGIS), or Adv-PG...

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS or PTGIS) is an enzyme that catalyses the conversion of prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) to prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). PGI2 promotes cancer growth by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ), and increases the expression levels of the pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We found that the expression of the PGIS gene was enhance...

Introduction Parotid gland incidentalomas (PGIs) are unexpected hypermetabolic foci in the parotid region that can be found when scanning with whole-body positron emission/computed tomography (PET/CT). These deposits are most commonly due to benign lesions such as Warthin tumor. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PGIs identified in PET/CT scans and to assess the ...

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) is the final committed enzyme in the metabolic pathway leading to prostacyclin (PGI2) production. Patients with severe pulmonary hypertension have a PGIS deficiency of their precapillary vessels, but the importance of this deficiency for lung vascular remodeling remains unclear. We hypothesized that selective pulmonary overexpression of PGIS may prevent the developm...