During the mid-1990s, Vancouver experienced a well characterized HIV outbreak among injection drug users (IDU) and many questioned how this could occur in the presence of a high volume needle exchange program (NEP). Specific concerns were fuelled by early research demonstrating that frequent needle exchange program attendees were more likely to be HIV positive than those who attended the NEP le...

Neutral endopeptidase (NEP, EC 3.4.24.11) is a type I1 membrane protein that possesses a large extracellular domain anchored to the plasma membrane by a N-terminal transmembrane spanning domain (for review see [ 11). Various molecular forms of NEP have been produced that differ in the type of anchoring mechanism(s) used to attach the protein to the membrane (reviewed in [2]). Briefly, a soluble...

In spontaneously breathing subjects, intrathoracic expiratory flow limitation can be detected by applying a negative expiratory pressure (NEP) at the mouth during tidal expiration. To assess whether NEP might increase upper airway resistance per se, the interrupter resistance of the respiratory system (Rint,rs) was computed with and without NEP by using the flow interruption technique in 12 awa...

The cell membrane-associated enzyme CD10/neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (CD10/NEP) functions in multiple organ systems to downregulate responses to peptide hormones. Recently, CD10/NEP was found to hydrolyze bombesin-like peptides (BLP), which are mitogens for normal bronchial epithelial cells and small cell lung carcinomas. Growth of BLP-responsive small cell lung carcinomas was potentiated by CD...

Expression of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) 24.11 is diminished in metastatic, androgen-independent prostate cancers (PCs; C. N. Papandreou et al., NAT: MED:, 4: 50--57, 1998). To determine the effects on androgen-independent PC cells of overexpressing cell-surface NEP, an inducible tetracycline-regulatory gene expression system was used to stably introduce and express the NEP gene in androgen-in...

The plastid genome is transcribed by two distinct RNA polymerases, the PEP encoded by the plastid genome and the NEP encoded in the nucleus. Initial models of plastid transcription held that the NEP is responsible for the transcription of housekeeping genes needed early in development, and that the PEP transcribes genes required for photosynthesis. Recently, this model was challenged by the dis...

Angiotensin I is a substrate for both the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP). The present study examined the hypothesis that a high ACE expression is associated with a low NEP activity. Male Sprague-Dawley rats had two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C), N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension, which were ei...

BACKGROUND Neutral endopeptidase (NEP), an enzyme that cleaves inflammatory bioactive peptides, may play a protective role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, its low extracellular activity hinders the precise measurement of changes that take place during ALI/ARDS. The main objective of this study was to clarify the regulation ...