Pepsin, acid and Helicobacter pylori are major factors in the pathophysiology of peptic ulcer disease and reflux oesophagitis. Ecabet sodium reduces the survival of H. pylori in the stomach and inhibits pepsin activity in the gastric juice of experimental animals. Here we have investigated the effects of ecabet sodium on some of the factors involved in the dynamics of the mucosal barrier, i.e. ...

The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of pepsin, rhizopuspepsin, and their active-site hydrogen bond mutants has been determined. These data have permitted the calculation of two active-site ionization constants in the free enzymes (pKe1 and pK32) and in the enzyme-substrate complexes (pKes1 and pKes2). The pKe1 of rhizopuspepsin (2.8) is near that of a normal carboxyl group and near the ...

Pepsin reacts stoicheiometrically with the active-site-directed irreversible inhibitor N-diazoacetyl-l-phenylalanine methyl ester, with concomitant loss of all proteolytic and peptidolytic activity. The reagent esterifies a unique aspartic acid residue in pepsin, which is in the sequence:Ile-Val-Asp-Thr-Gly-Thr-Ser

Tuberculosis of the genitourinary tract is a well-known cause of male infertility. However, infertility from infection by nontuberculous mycobacterium has not been reported. Herein, we present a case of seminal vesiculitis due to Mycobacterium gastri in a diabetic patient leading to male infertility. Improvement in semen quality was noticed after 6 months of therapy with isoniazid, ethambutol a...

Since 1836, when Theodor Schwann signalized the presence in gastric juice of the proteolytic ferment which he was the first to designate as pepsin, a large number of attempts have been made to isolate it in a pure form to determine its chemical nature and its ultimate physiological properties. In a large majority of these, and, especially, all those made before 1895, except that of Brticke (I),...

IMPORTANCE The role of aspiration-associated extraesophageal reflux disease (AERD) in patients with chronic respiratory symptoms is not well defined. Identifying the frequency of AERD in these patients may provide guidance in their treatment. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of AERD in patients with chronic respiratory symptoms and to assess the utility of pepsin as a new marker for AERD...

The present study was designed to compare collagen synthesized by rabbit lens epithelial cells in culture with rabbit lens capsule collagen. Confluent monolayers of rabbit lens epithelial cells were established. Incorporation of [3H]-proline into glycoproteins secreted into the medium and cell surface components were analyzed in the presence of protease inhibitors. Gel filtration chromatography...

To investigate the mechanism of the anti-peptic action of ecabet sodium (TA-2711) observed in pylorous-ligated rats, effects of this drug on the peptic activity of rat gastric juice, purified hog pepsin and pepsinogen were studied in vitro. After incubation with or without ecabet at acidic pH, the reaction mixture was centrifuged, and the peptic activity of the supernatant was measured. Ecabet ...

BACKGROUND Guidelines recommending head of bed (HOB) elevation greater than 30º to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia conflict with guidelines to prevent pressure ulcers, which recommend HOB elevation less than 30º. OBJECTIVES To examine the feasibility of 45º HOB elevation and describe and compare the occurrence of reflux, aspiration, and pressure ulcer development at 30º and 45º HOB el...