Inflammation causes vascular dysfunction and perpetuates proatherosclerotic processes. We hypothesized that a broad panel of inflammatory biomarkers and single nucleotide polymorphisms in inflammatory genes is associated with vascular stiffness. We assessed 12 circulating inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, lipoprotein-assoc...

Basal as well as GTP-dependent adenylate cyclase activity was partially resistant to porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2, although more activity was degraded at 16 than at 2 degrees C. In contrast, isoproterenol-dependent activity was completely destroyed regardless of the temperature. Snake venom phospholipase A2 destroyed approximately 90% of basal and GTP-dependent adenylate cyclase activity...

Bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2 covalently inhibited by p-bromo-phenacyl-bromide was crystallized from 50% (v/v) 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. The space group was P3(1)21 with cell dimensions a = b = 46.73 A and c = 102.5 A (1 A = 0.1 nm). Diffraction data were collected by oscillation photography from one single crystal of dimensions 0.2 mm x 0.2 mm x 0.2 mm. The crystal structure was determine...

Manoalide, an unusual nonsteroidal sesterterpenoid recently isolated from sponge, antagonizes phorbol-induced inflammation but not that induced by arachidonic acid, suggesting that manoalide acts prior to the cyclooxygenase step in prostaglandin synthesis, possibly by inhibiting phospholipase A2. We have now studied the inhibitory effect of manoalide on a homogeneous preparation of phospholipas...

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) constitutes a diverse superfamily of enzymes which catalyze the deacylation of phospholipids. At least four types of PLA2 are potentially involved in arachidonic acid release in cells and tissues. Since all of them catalyze the same enzymatic reaction, it is difficult to distinguish between them in mixtures of enzymes normally present in biological samples. Utilizing spe...

2-Lysophosphatidylcholine and cis-unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids, which are the products of the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine catalyzed by phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4), significantly potentiate the differentiation of HL-60 cells to macrophages that is induced by either a membrane-permeant diacylglycerol or a phorbol ester. The cell differentiation was assayed ...

We examined human tears for molecules that killed gram-positive bacteria. The principal mediator of bactericidal activity against staphylococci proved to be a calcium-dependent enzyme, secretory phospholipase A2. Whereas the concentration of secretory phospholipase A2 in the normal tear film exceeded 30 microg/ml, only 1.1 ng (<0.1 nM) of the enzyme per ml sufficed to kill Listeria monocytogene...

The effects of some antibiotics on activities of phospholipase A2, B and C were investigated in vitro. Tetracyclines, macrolides, chloramphenicol and carbenicillin inhibited the activity of Crotalus adamanteus phospholipase A2 towards phospholipids of egg-yolk emulsions. When the ability to inhibit the activity of Penicillium notatum phospholipase B towards mixed micelles of phosphatidylcholine...

Insulin at a concentration close to the physiological range (100 mu-units/ml) stimulated protein synthesis in L6 myoblasts by 17%. Pre-treatment with the phospholipase A2 inhibitors mepacrine or dexamethasone prevented this stimulation and decreased the release of prostaglandin F2 alpha, implicating the action of phospholipase A2 and the subsequent metabolism of arachidonic acid to prostaglandi...

A rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric assay for venom phospholipase A2 based on the hemolysis of guinea pig erythrocytes in the presence of decomplemented serum and cardiotoxin (direct lytic factor) is described. This assay is particularly useful for rapid multisample analyses, such as those used in monitoring chromatography fractions, and is specific for phospholipase A2 in the presence of ...