Arctium lappa fruit has been used in traditional medicine, and it is known to exert beneficial effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. However, the effects of the Arctium lappa fruit on the allergic response remain unknown. In this study, we evaluated the anti-allergic effects of Arctium lappa fruit extract (AFE) and its fermented form (F-AFE) using immunoglobuli...

A 42 year old man presented with a slowly progressive gait disturbance, generalised weakness, dysarthria, clumsiness and tremor of his hands, and involuntary jerks. Hexosaminidase A activity in plasma, leucocytes and fibroblasts was considerably reduced, establishing the diagnosis of GM2 gangliosidosis. Clinical examination showed two previously unreported features, a clinically evident sensory...

The gene encoding the periplasmic beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase B) from a marine Alteromonas sp. strain, O-7, was cloned and sequenced. The protein sequence of GlcNAcase B revealed a highly significant homology with Vibrio GlcNAcase and alpha- and beta-chains of human beta-hexosaminidase.

INTRODUCTION Similar to matrix metalloproteinases, glycosidases also play a major role in cartilage degradation. Carbohydrate cleavage products, generated by these latter enzymes, are released from degrading cartilage during arthritis. Some of the cleavage products (such as hyaluronate oligosaccharides) have been shown to bind to Toll-like receptors and provide endogenous danger signals, while ...

The introduction in recent years of more refined techniques for the isolation and characterization of biological lipids has led to the detection of a number of disorders which share with Tay-Sachs disease a disturbance of ganglioside metabolism. Gangliosides are sphingosine-containing glycolipids distinguished by the inclusion of neuraminic acid, and the various gangliosidoses are attributable ...

Neutrophils are a class of leukocytes involved in innate immunity by monitoring and scavenging invading microorganisms and toxic substances. The actions of neutrophils in damaged tissues are still not well understood, particularly in the early stage of inflammation, and as-yet-unknown neutrophil-activating substances are proposed to induce their acute transmigration and activation. Here, we iso...

To find a new biomarker of Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease. The lyso-GM2 ganglioside (lyso-GM2) levels in the brain and plasma in Sandhoff mice were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography and the effect of a modified hexosaminidase (Hex) B exhibiting Hex A-like activity was examined. Then, the lyso-GM2 concentrations in human plasma samples were determined. The lyso-...

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative condition, is the result of a deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A (hex A). Heterozygotic individuals are screened by analysis for hex A and hex B activities; the percent of hex A is the critical determinant of carrier vs noncarrier status. Most laboratories use a heat-inactivation assay that exploits the differential thermolabili...

We studied the effects of representative endocrine-disrupting chemicals on beta-hexosaminidase release from mast cells and their putative neurosteroid receptor involvement. Some endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as amitrol, benzophenon, bisphenol A, pentachlorophenol, and tetrabromophenol A did not cause hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells, but they blocked the release by dehydroepiand...