The thiol pool in human plasma: the central contribution of albumin to redox processes.

Pharmacognostic and pharmacological profile of Humulus Lupulus L.

Beer constituents as potential cancer chemopreventive agents

Copper is an essential component of life because of its convenient redox potential of 200-800 mV when bound to protein. Extensive insight into copper homeostasis has only emerged in the last decade and Enterococcus hirae has served as a paradigm for many aspects of the process. The cop operon of E. hirae regulates copper uptake, availability, and export. It consists of four genes that encode a repressor, CopY, a copper chaperone, CopZ, and two CPx-type copper ATPases, CopA and CopB. Most of these components have been conserved across the three evolutionary kingdoms. The four Cop proteins have been studied in vivo as well as in vitro and their function is understood in some detail.

Copper homeostasis in Enterococcus hirae

Simplified 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine spectrophotometric assay for quantification of carbonyls in oxidized proteins

Hydrogen peroxide-mediated degradation of protein: different oxidation modes of copper- and iron-dependent hydroxyl radicals on the degradation of albumin

Humulone, a bone resorption inhibitor isolated from hop extract, induced apoptosis in the premyocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 between 1 and 100μg/ml. Our data suggested that there was a correlation between the apoptosis-inducing activity of humulone and its antioxidative activity.

Apoptosis to HL-60 by humulone.

Ebelactones A and B, natural products from Streptomyces aburaviensis are potent inhibitors of pancreatic lipase. Lipase is the key enzyme required for the absorption of dietary triglycerides (TG). Ebelactone B inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the intestinal absorption of fat after fat-feeding in the rat. The most effective inhibition was observed when the inhibitor was administered at 60 min prior to fat-feeding. When ebelactone B (10 mg/kg) was administered, the serum levels of TG (58%) and cholesterol (36%) were decreased. Since ebelactone B effectively inhibits absorption of dietary fat, it may provide a promising means for prophylaxis or therapeutics of hyperlipidemia and obesity.

Effects of Ebelactone B, a Lipase Inhibitor, on Intestinal Fat Absorption in the Rat

It has been suggested that the activities of type IV collagenase and/or ectopeptidases possessed by malignant cells are related to their metastatic potentials. In the present study, we examined the activities of three aminopeptidases, two serine proteases, as well as type IV collagenase, in three kinds of cell lines of malignant cells. The activities of the aminopeptidases and serine proteases, rather than of type IV collagenase, were found to be proportionate to the metastatic potentials of those cell lines. Such activities of aminopeptidases were effectively suppressed by the addition of low molecular weight inhibitors.

Tomoji Kocha

Papers

Hydrogen peroxide-mediated degradation of protein: different oxidation modes of copper- and iron-dependent hydroxyl radicals on the degradation of albumin

Apoptosis to HL-60 by humulone.

Effects of Ebelactone B, a Lipase Inhibitor, on Intestinal Fat Absorption in the Rat

Proportionality of protease activities in malignant cells to their metastatic potentials.

A New Type of Major Aminopeptidase in Bovine Brain