Hydrolase activities increase in the rat aorta with growth and aging but not in liver and kidney

We examined specific activities (based on DNA) of six glycosidases and cathepsin C in aorta, kidney, and liver from male rats of 2, 6, 10, and 14 months of age. The premise was that assessing cellular catabolism of arterial and nonvascular tissues over age might more fully clarify the impact of age (and growth) alone upon vascular wall metabolism. All aortic glycosidases increased significantly (P less than 0.05) over the holding period as follows: neutral alpha-glucosidase, up 93%; beta-galactosidase, up 102%; N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, up 119%; alpha-mannosidase, up 77%; beta-glucuronidase, up 65%; acid alpha-glucosidase, up 95%. Cathepsin C specific activity was unchanged as was aortic DNA content; total protein content increased 136%. In the kidney, all glycosidase specific activities declined over age with decreases ranging 39-55%; cathepsin C was unchanged. In the liver, neutral alpha-glucosidase increased 12%, acid alpha-glucosidase was unchanged, and the four remaining glycosidases decreased an average of 5-35% by 14 months of age. Liver cathepsin C decreased 44% over this period. Thus, enhancement of hydrolase baseline activities prevails during growth and aging in rat aortic tissue whereas hydrolases of kidney and liver tissues generally decline.     

Unique cathepsin D-type proteases in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes and in rat lymphoid tissues.

Two unique cathepsin D-type proteases apparently present only in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes and in rat lymphoid tissues are described. One, termed H enzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of similar to95,000; the other, termed L enzyme, has an apparent molecular weight of similar to45,000, in common with that of most cathepsins D from other tissues and species. Both enzymes differ from cathepsin D, however, by a considerably greater sensitivity to inhibition by pepstatin and by a smaller degree of inhibition by an antiserum which inhibits rat liver cathepsin D. H enzyme is converted to L enzyme by treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol; the relationship between the two enzymes remains unknown. H and L enzyme have been detected in rat lymphoid tissues and in mouse spleen, but they are not present in other rat tissues (liver, kidney, adrenals), rabbit tissues, calf thymus, bovine spleen, or human tonsils. As measured on acid-denatured bovine hemoglobin as substrate, both enzymes have pH activity curves identical with that of rat liver cathepsin D, with optimal activity at pH 3.6. Activity on human serum albumin is much less and also shows an optimum at pH 3.6; hence, neither enzyme has the properties of cathepsin E. Thiol-reactive inhibitiors have no effect on the activity of H and L enzyme; thus they do not belong to the B group of cathepsins. Additional information, discussed in this paper, leads us to conclude that partially purified H and L enzymes are cathepsin D-type proteases.     

Toxic effects of different concentrations of dimethoate on lysosomal enzymes of female albino rats.

The effect of three different concentrations of dimethoate on the activity of certain lysosomal enzymes, viz. beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, cathepsin B and cathepsin D in serum, skin, liver, kidney and spleen and the stability of liver and kidney lysosomes was studied in female albino rats. The activity of beta-glucuronidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, cathepsin D was found to increase in serum and tissues in higher concentration (2.25 mg/100 g body weight) of dimethoate treated rats. A significant increase in the rate of release of beta-glucuronidase was found in the liver and kidney of higher concentration of dimethoate treated rats compared to controls. The results demonstrate that the activity of lysosomal enzymes increased in higher concentration of dimethoate treated rats than the lower concentration (0.56 mg/100 g body weight) of dimethoate treated rats.     

Properties of lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase accumulated in Niemann-Pick mouse liver

Various lysosomal acid hydrolases from tissues of Niemann-Pick mice, a mutant strain of C57BL/KsJ mice (spm/spm), were examined and compared to those from control mice. Activities of beta-hexosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, acid phosphatase, and cathepsin L were elevated in the liver and spleen of the affected mice, whereas no significant changes in beta-glucosidase and acid alpha-glucosidase were observed. Alpha-Mannosidase and neutral alpha-glucosidase activities were rather decreased in the affected mouse liver. The level of beta-hexosaminidase in the Niemann-Pick mice was raised sixfold in the liver and two- to threefold in the spleen and brain, whereas its total activity was decreased in the kidney. Sixty to ninety percent of total activity of lysosomal hydrolases was solubilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in control mice, but most of the beta-hexosaminidase activity of the Niemann-Pick mice remained associated with the membrane fraction of liver lysosomes. The beta-hexosaminidase of the Niemann-Pick mice was appreciably stable when heated at 55 degrees C, while hydrolases of the affected mice and all of the enzymes tested in control mice were heat labile. The relative content of two beta-hexosaminidase fractions separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was 8% for beta-hexosaminidase I and 92% for beta-hexosaminidase II in the case of the control mouse liver. The isozyme pattern of hexosaminidases in Niemann-Pick mice was similar to that of control enzymes. However, the beta-hexosaminidase II accumulated in Niemann-Pick mouse liver was different from that of the control in optimum pH, Km values and thermostability.     

Increased cathepsin D-like activity in cortex, tubules, and glomeruli isolated from rats with experimental nephrotic syndrome.

We have examined the activity and distribution of cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5), a major renal lysosomal endoproteinase, in the various anatomical and functional areas of normal rat kidney. Cathepsin D-like activities (delta A280/h per mg of protein) in normal rat tissues were: cortex, 0.78 +/- 0.05, n = 37; medulla, 0.62 +/- 0.03, n = 12; papilla, 0.63 +/- 0.04, n = 12; tubules, 0.74 +/- 0.04, n = 28; glomeruli, 0.59 +/- 0.03, n = 28; and liver, 0.41 +/- 0.02, n = 28. Enzyme activity was maximal at pH 3.0-3.5 and inhibited more than 90% by pepstatin (6.7 micrograms/ml), suggesting that the enzyme is cathepsin D. In subsequent experiments we measured cathepsin D-like activity in cortex, tubules and glomeruli isolated from rats with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-induced nephrotic syndrome. Treated animals (15 mg of PAN/100g body wt., intraperitoneally) developed proteinuria beginning 4 days after injection and exceeding 900 mg/24h on day 9. In two separate experiments involving 52 animals we observed a significant increase in cathepsin D-like activity in cortex (+82.7%), tubules (+109.6%) and glomeruli (+54.7%) isolated from PAN-treated rats killed during marked proteinuria (day 9, mean total urinary protein excretion: 937 +/- 94 mg/24h). This increase was observed whether the activity was expressed per mg of DNA or per mg of protein. Increased cathepsin D-like activity was first observed in cortex and tubules coincident with the onset of proteinurea (day 4, mean total urinary protein excretion: 112 +/- 23 mg/24h). In contrast with the significant elevation of renal cathepsin D-like activity, the activity (nmol/h per mg of protein) of alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.51), a non-proteolytic enzyme, was markedly decreased in the identical samples used for the measurement of cathepsin D-like activity: cortex (-46.4%); tubules (-46.1%); and glomeruli (-38.5%). In addition to changes in renal enzyme activities, PAN-treated rats excreted large amounts of cathepsin D-like activity in their urine (beginning on day 3) compared with nearly undetectable cathepsin D-like activity in the urine from control rats. The significant increases in glomerular and tubular cathepsin D activity may reflect an important role for this enzyme in the pathophysiology associated with PAN-induced nephrotic syndrome.     

Dehydroepiandrosterone and a beta-agonist, energy transducers, alter antioxidant enzyme systems: influence of chronic training and acute exercise in rats

We examined the influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a beta-agonist, and exercise training on enzymes that detoxify toxic oxygen species. Feeding 0.4% DHEA decreased hepatic cytosolic (c) selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPX), (-26%, P less than 0.0001) and increased hepatic mitochondrial (m) Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD), (+38%, P less than 0.001). DHEA decreased myocardial c-GPX (-21%, P less than 0.05) when compared to a beta-agonist (beta A; L644969 Merck and Co.) fed at 5 ppm but neither differed from the Control (C). In contrast, the beta A increased hepatic m-GPX (+25%, P less than 0.05). In skeletal muscle, DHEA and beta A decreased muscle c-GPX by 20 and 12%, respectively (P less than 0.0009). DHEA increased both muscle (+20%, P less than 0.01) and myocardial (+20%, P less than 0.05) c-glutathione S-transferase (GST) over beta A (+20%, P less than 0.01) but neither was significantly different from C. Similar to DHEA, chronic training (Tr) (1 h/day, 5 days/week at 27 m/min, 15% grade on treadmill) decreased hepatic c-GPX (-16%, P less than 0.003). Tr elevates muscle c-GPX (+36%, P less than 0.05) in C. Tr increased myocardial c-GPX by 28% in the beta A-treated rats, whereas Tr decreased myocardial c-GPX by 22% in the C (P less than 0.05, interaction). One hour of acute exercise (Ex) (70% VO2 max relative work load) decreased hepatic homogenate catalase (-12%, P less than 0.02) and increased hepatic m-Mn SOD (+28%, P less than 0.03). Ex decreased myocardial c-GST (P less than 0.05) only in the DHEA-treated rats. DHEA and Tr may improve efficiency of oxygen utilization at the tissue level with lower antioxidant enzyme activity in liver and locally protective up-regulation in muscle. beta A stresses oxygen utilization systems and liver responds by up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes. The increase in myocardial c-GPX activity in the beta A-treated group may be a protective effect against indirect catecholamine-induced myocardial necrosis which results from free radical generation.     

Cathepsin E from rat neutrophils: its properties and possible relations to cathepsin D-like and cathepsin E-like acid proteinases

An extract of rat neutrophils was found to contain a high hemoglobin-hydrolyzing activity at pH 3.2, about 70% of which does not cross-react with anti-rat liver cathepsin D antibody. A neutrophil non-cathepsin D acid proteinase was successfully isolated from cathepsin D and characterized in comparison with the properties of rat liver cathepsin D. The neutrophil enzyme differed from cathepsin D in chromatographic and electrophoretic behaviors as well as immunological cross-reactivity, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 98,000 by gel filtration on Toyopearl HW 55. These findings strongly suggest that the neutrophil enzyme could be classified as cathepsin E. The enzyme, now designated rat cathepsin E, had an optimal pH at 3.0-3.2, preferred hemoglobin to albumin as substrate, and was markedly resistant to urea denaturation. Rat cathepsins D and E cleaved the insulin B-chain at six and eight sites, respectively; five sites were common for both enzymes. Possible relations among cathepsin E and cathepsin D-like or E-like acid proteinases reported so far were discussed.     

Cathepsins J and K: high molecular weight cysteine proteinases from human tissues

Human tissue extracts contained two high Mr proteinases active in hydrolyzing the fluorogenic substrate Cbz-phe-arg-aminomethylcoumarin. By gel filtration chromatography, cathepsins J and K had apparent molecular weights of 230,000 and 650,000, respectively. Both enzymes were cysteine proteinases with optimum activity at pH 6.2-6.8; neither had aminopeptidase activity. Human kidney, lung and spleen were rich sources of these enzymes, while liver contained moderate amounts. Cathepsins J and K were partially characterized and appeared to differ from the mammalian high Mr cysteine proteinases described in the literature. In rat liver and kidney and in mouse liver, cathepsin J was localized in the particulate fraction, whereas cathepsin K was not detected in these tissues.     

Cathepsin Q, a novel lysosomal cysteine protease highly expressed in placenta

The complete nucleotide sequence of a novel cathepsin cDNA derived from rat placenta was determined and is termed cathepsin Q. The predicted protein of 343 amino acid is a member of the family C1A protease related to cathepsin L. Rat cathepsin Q and its mouse counterpart were found highly expressed in placenta, whereas no detectable levels were found in lung, spleen, heart, brain, kidney, thymus, testicle, liver, or embryonic tissues. It is predicted that cathepsin Q will differ in catalytic specificity to another placental-specific protease, cathepsin P, indicating that these enzymes will have unique proteolytic functions in extra-embryonic tissues.     

Acid proteolytic activities in mouse liver and muscle tissues after treatment with protease inhibitor leupeptin

The activities of acid proteolytic enzymes were assayed in the liver and muscular tissues of mice (Mus musculus) 1, 6 and 24 hr after the administration of a protease inhibitor leupeptin (i.p., 15.5 mg/kg body wt). Leupeptin administration induced a strong inhibition of cathepsin B and a moderate inhibition of cathepsin C and acid autolytic rate in mouse liver 1 hr after injection. Thereafter the inhibition reduced and disappeared during 24 hr. The activity of cathepsin D was increased in liver 6 and 24 hr after injection. The activity of beta-glucuronidase was not affected by the leupeptin treatment. The administration of leupeptin did not affect the rate of acid autolysis and the activities of cathepsin C and D in cardiac and skeletal muscles. A slight increase in cathepsin B activity was observed 1 hr after leupeptin treatment in calf muscles. The cause of both tissue and enzyme specific changes after leupeptin treatment is discussed.     

Characterization of new fluorogenic substrates for the rapid and sensitive assay of cathepsin E and cathepsin D.

Cathepsin E and cathepsin D are two major intracellular aspartic proteinases implicated in the physiological and pathological degradation of intra- and extracellular proteins. In this study, we designed and constructed highly sensitive synthetic decapeptide substrates for assays of cathepsins E and D based on the known sequence specificities of their cleavage sites. These substrates contain a highly fluorescent (7-methoxycoumarin-4-yl)acetyl (MOCAc) moiety and a quenching 2,4-dinitrophenyl (Dnp) group. When the Phe-Phe bond is cleaved, the fluorescence at an excitation wavelength of 328 nm and emission wavelength of 393 increases due to diminished quenching resulting from the separation of the fluorescent and quenching moieties. The first substrate, MOCAc-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ile-Leu-Phe-Phe-Arg-Le u-Lys(Dnp)gamma-NH2, in which the Lys-Pro combination at positions P5 and P4 was designed for specific interaction with cathepsin E, is hydrolyzed equally well by cathepsins E and D (kcat/Km = 10.9 microM(-1) x s(-1) for cathepsin E and 15.6 microM(-1) x s(-1) for cathepsin D). A very acidic pH optimum o was obtained for both enzymes. The second substrate, MOCAc-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ile-Ile-Phe-Phe-Arg-Le u-Lys(Dnp)gamma-NH2, in which the isoleucine residue at position P2 was meant to increase the specificity for cathepsin E, is also hydrolyzed equally by both enzymes (kcat/Km = 12.2 microM(-1) x s(-1) for cathepsin E and 16.3 microM(-1) x s(-1) for cathepsin D). The kcat/Km values for both substrates are greater than those for the best substrates for cathepsins E and D described so far. Unfortunately, each substrate shows little discrimination between cathepsin E and cathepsin D, suggesting that amino acids at positions far from the cleavage site are important for discrimination between the two enzymes. However, in combination with aspartic proteinase inhibitors, such as pepstatin A and Ascaris pepsin inhibitor, these substrates enable a rapid and sensitive determination of the precise levels of cathepsins E and D in crude cell extracts of various tissues and cells. Thus these substrates represent a potentially valuable tool for routine assays and for mechanistic studies on cathepsins E and D.     

Characteristic distribution of cathepsin E which immunologically cross-reacts with the 86-kDa acid proteinase from rat gastric mucosa

The antiserum raised against the high-molecular-weight acid proteinase from rat gastric mucosa, termed 86-kDa acid proteinase, has been shown to recognize rat cathepsin E, but not cathepsin D (Muto, N. et al. (1987) J. Biochem. 101, 1069-1075). Using this specific antiserum, characteristic distribution of cathepsin E in rats was demonstrated. The enzyme was detected in a limited number of tissues, such as stomach, thymus, spleen, bladder, and erythrocyte membranes. Among them, the highest activity was observed in the stomach. In contrast, cathepsin D immunoreactive with the antiserum specific to rat gastric cathepsin D was demonstrated in all the tissues examined. Cathepsin E-type enzymes partially purified from these five tissues were precipitated in the same manner by the specific antiserum, and they had the same molecular weight, electrophoretic mobility, and resistance against denaturation by 4 M urea. These results indicate that they could be exactly classified as cathepsin E. This type of enzyme was also detectable in mice and guinea pigs, but they showed relatively weak immunoreactivities with the antiserum. Thus, it is concluded that the distribution of cathepsin E is intrinsically different from ordinary cathepsin D, suggesting that it has a different physiological role from cathepsin D.     

Increased hexokinase/glucose-6-phosphatase ratio in the diabetic kidney as index of glucose overutilization

In mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes of 3 days' duration, the hexokinase/glucose-6-phosphatase (HK/G6Pase) ratio in the kidney was enhanced by 52% (mean +/- SEM: 0.40 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.26 +/- 0.03; p less than 0.02) compared to control mice as a result of a 25% increase of HK (16.68 +/- 0.93 vs. 13.31 +/- 1.04 nmol/min/mg protein; p = 0.05) and a 17% decrease of G6Pase (42.51 +/- 2.75 vs. 51.25 +/- 1.89; p less than 0.05). In contrast, as expected, the corresponding ratio (HK + glucokinase/G6Pase) was strikingly reduced in the liver. In 9-day diabetic mice, the kidney enzyme changes were much smaller; however, in a chronic disease such as diabetes, even minimal deviations from the normal may lead to significant metabolic changes with time. The enhanced HK/G6Pase ratio in the diabetic kidney suggests an increase in glucose utilization. This may contribute to the increased synthesis of glycogen, glycoproteins (including basement membrane) and RNA (via provision of ribose-phosphate) occurring in the diabetic kidney and supports the view that the kidney (as opposed to other tissues) shows an 'anabolic response' to diabetes.     

Effects of chloroquine on lysosomes and endocytosis by liver cells in vivo.

1. Chloroquine accumulation in rat liver after a single and repeated drug administration and lysosomal changes resembling some symptoms of lysosomal storage diseases were observed. 2. Repeated chloroquine treatment of rats resulted in increased activity of liver lysosomal enzymes acid phosphatase and beta-galactosidase and a significant enhancement of the activities of cathepsin D and cysteine proteinases were found. 3. No changes in the activity of liver macrophages (as assessed by the colloidal carbon clearance test) or in fluid-phase endocytosis of the marker 125I-polyvinyl-pyrrolidone by hepatocytes in vivo were found.     

Effect of a newly synthesized leukotriene antagonist, (E)-2,2-diethyl-3'-2-2-(4-isopropyl) thiazolyl ethenyl succinanilic acid (MCI-826), on immunological liver injury and nephritis in mice.

The effect of a newly synthesized leukotriene antagonist, (E)-2,2-diethyl-3'-2-2-(4-isopropyl) thiazolyl ethenyl succinanilic acid (MCI-826), on liver injury and nephritis in mice was studied. In order to confirm the anti-leukotriene activity of MCI-826, the effect of MCI-826 on leukotriene C4(LTC4)- and leukotriene D4(LTD4)-induced vasculitis, liver and kidney injury was studied. MCI-826 was found to clearly inhibit LTC4- and LTD4-induced vasculitis, as well as liver and kidney injury. In addition to LT-induced reactions, MCI-826 inhibited liver injury induced by injection of either an anti-basic liver protein antibody into DBA/2 mice that had been previously immunized with rabbit IgG or of a bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into Corynebacterium parvum pretreated DDY mice. Moreover, MCI-826 inhibited nephritis, caused by injecting antiglomerular basement membrane antibody into C57BL/6 mice. These results suggest that MCI-826 can be applied to the treatment of certain tissue inflammatory diseases.     

Human kidney cathepsins B and L. Characterization and potential role in degradation of glomerular basement membrane.

Cathepsins B and L were purified from human kidney. SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis demonstrated that cathepsins B and L, Mr 27000-30000, consist of disulphide-linked dimers, subunit Mr values 22000-25000 and 5000-7000. The pH optimum for the hydrolysis of methylcoumarylamide (-NHMec) substrates (see below) is approx. 6.0 for each enzyme. Km and kcat. are 252 microM and 364s-1 and 2.2 microM and 25.8 s-1 for the hydrolysis of Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec (where Z- represents benzyloxycarbonyl-) by cathepsins B and L respectively, and 184 microM and 158 s-1 for the hydrolysis of Z-Arg-Arg-NHMec by cathepsin B. A 10 min preincubation of cathepsin B (40 degrees C) or cathepsin L (30 degrees C) with E-64 (2.5 microM) results in complete inhibition. Under identical conditions Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 (0.56 microM) completely inhibits cathepsin L but has little effect on cathepsin B. Incubation of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) with purified human kidney cathepsin L resulted in dose-dependent (10-40 nM) GBM degradation. In contrast, little degradation of GBM (less than 4.0%) was observed with cathepsin B. The pH optimum for GBM degradation by cathepsin L was 3.5. Cathepsin L was significantly more active in degrading GBM than was pancreatic elastase, trypsin or bacterial collagenase. These data suggest that cathepsin L may participate in the lysosomal degradation of GBM associated with normal GBM turnover in vivo.     

Proteolytic degradation of hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex by lysosomal enzymes from rat liver.

The catabolic degradation of hemoglobin and of its complex with haptoglobin by lysosomal enzymes from rat liver was studied with special emphasis on the action of cathepsins D and E. The digestion of free hemoglobin can be mainly attributed to the action of cathepsin D [EC 3.4.23.5], while the digestion of the complex in the pH rand 2-3 is due more to the action of cathepsin E than that of cathepsin D. The enzymic activities of both cathepsins were strongly inhibited by pepstatin, and 4M urea inactivated cathepsin E. Measurements of the peroxidase activity and optical rotatory dispersion of the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex showed that the complex suffered rapid denaturation below pH 2.9.     

Beta-glycosidases and diabetic microangiopathy. I. Decreases of beta-glycosidase activities in diabetic rat kidney.

Deposition of PAS2-positive materials and thickening of the basement membrane in vascular lesions are characteristic findings in diabetes mellitus, suggesting altered metabolism of glycoprotein. Changes in the activities of the glycosidases, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase [EC 3.2.1.30], beta-glucuronidase [EC 3.2.1.31], beta-galactosidase [EC 3.2.1.23], and beta-glucosidase [EC 3.2.1.21] were measured in various organs and the serum of diabetic rats. The activities of the first three enzymes listed above were found to be much reduced in the kidney but increased in the serum. The decreased activities of beta-glycosidases in the kidney may be one of the factors responsible for the pathogenesis of microangiopathy.