ovalbumin and chymostatin

We investigated the contribution of mast cell chymase in mast cell-dependent angiogenesis using the hamster sponge-implant model, where angiogenesis in the granulation tissue surrounding the subcutaneously implanted sponge was evaluated by measuring the hemoglobin content. Daily local injection of compound 48/80 (3-100 microg/site/day), a potent mast cell activator, induced formation of granulomas and angiogenesis in time- and dose-dependent manners. This angiogenic response was inhibited by chymase inhibitors including chymostatin (> or = 1 nmol/site/day), soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI; > or = 1.4 nmol/site/day) and lima bean trypsin inhibitor (LBTI; > or = 3.3 nmol/site/day), but not by a tryptase inhibitor like leupeptin (> or = 700 nmol/site/day). Although pyrilamine (> or = 2,580 nmol/site/day), a histamine H1 receptor antagonist, and protamine (300 microg/site/day) also inhibited angiogenesis, these effects were much less pronounced than those by chymase inhibitors. Furthermore, antigen-induced angiogenesis in hamsters pre-sensitized with ovalbumin was also inhibited by the chymase inhibitors by 60-70%. Our results suggest that chymase is a major mediator in mast cell-mediated angiogenesis.

Topics: Animals; Chymases; Cricetinae; Granuloma; Hemoglobins; Heparin; Histamine; Hypersensitivity; Male; Mast Cells; Mesocricetus; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Oligopeptides; Ovalbumin; p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine; Serine Endopeptidases; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; Trypsin Inhibitors

Protein carboxyl methylation activity was detected in the cytosol and in purified brush-border membranes (BBM) from the kidney cortex. The protein carboxyl methyltransferase (PCMT) activity associated with the BBM was specific for endogenous membrane-bound protein substrates, while the cytosolic PCMT methylated exogenous substrates (ovalbumin and gelatin) as well as endogenous proteins. The apparent Km for S-adenosyl-L-methionine with endogenous proteins as substrates were 30 microM and 4 microM for the cytosolic and BBM enzymes, respectively. These activities were sensitive to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, a well known competitor of methyltransferase-catalyzed reactions, but were not affected by the presence of chymostatin and E-64, two protein methylesterase inhibitors. The activity of both cytosolic and BBM PCMT was maximal at pH 7.5, while BBM-phospholipid methylation was predominant at pH 10.0. Separation of the = methylated proteins by acidic gel electrophoresis in the presence of the cationic detergent benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride revealed distinct methyl accepting proteins in the cytosol (14, 17, 21, 27, 31, 48, 61 and 168 kDa) and in the BBM (14, 60, 66, 82, and 105 kDa). Most of the labelling was lost following electrophoresis under moderately alkaline conditions, except for a 21 kDa protein in the cytosol and a 23 kDa protein in the BBM fraction. These results suggest the existence of two distinct PCMT in the kidney cortex: a cytosolic enzyme with low selectivity and affinity, methylating endogenous and exogenous protein substrates, and a high-affinity BBM-associated methylating activity.

Topics: Animals; Cell Membrane; Cytosol; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Gelatin; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kidney Cortex; Kinetics; Leucine; Male; Methylation; Microvilli; Oligopeptides; Ovalbumin; Protein O-Methyltransferase; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; S-Adenosylmethionine