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Human pancreatic ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) is considered to be the human counterpart of bovine pancreatic RNase A. Truncation of seven amino-acid residues from the amino-terminal sequence resulted in RNase 1 Delta N7, which has a reduced ribonucleolytic activity and a lower affinity for the human placental RNase inhibitor (PRI). This RNase 1 variant has been cloned, heterologously overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Its crystal structure has been determined and refined using data to 1.9 A resolution. The molecule displays the alpha + beta folding topology typical of members of the RNase A superfamily. The main distinct features found in RNase 1 Delta N7 are basically located in three loops affecting the fitting of the enzyme to the active site of subtilisin and the shape of the B2 subsite. These changes, taken with the lack of the catalytically active residue Lys7, may explain the reduced affinity of RNase 1 Delta N7 for PRI and the low ribonucleolytic activity of the protein when compared with the native enzyme.

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BACKGROUND: Human pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase 1) is a pancreatic enzyme that is present at high levels in the serum of most patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. For this reason, the authors studied its patterns of expression at the single-cell level in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemical analysis and in situ hybridization (ISH). METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis with polyclonal antibodies against RNase 1 and by ISH with digoxigenin-labeled RNase 1 probe were used to detect RNase 1 in the neoplastic cells of ductal type pancreatic adenocarcinomas. RESULTS: Fifteen of 18 carcinoma samples were positive for RNase 1, demonstrating that the expression of ribonuclease that the authors observed previously in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines was not an artifact of cell culture. The authors also found RNase 1 in some of the metaplastic ducts and atrophic islets in 4 of 6 chronic pancreatitis samples, and they observed RNase 1 immunostaining in hyperplastic ducts adjacent to one of the well-differentiated adenocarcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: The expression levels of RNase 1 by tumor cells from pancreatic adenocarcinomas are consistent with the high RNase 1 levels found in the serum of most patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This expression of RNase 1, which is an acinar protein, demonstrates that the patterns of gene expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma are distinct from those of normal pancreatic duct cells. Conversely, RNase 1 expression levels in altered ductal cells from some chronic pancreatitis tissues and hyperplastic ducts from carcinoma tissues suggest that abnormal expression levels may be an early event in pancreatic tumorigenesis.

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Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP; RNase 3) is a human ribonuclease found only in eosinophil leukocytes that belongs to the RNase A superfamily. This enzyme is bactericidal, helminthotoxic and cytotoxic to mammalian cells and tissues. The protein has been cloned, heterologously overexpressed, purified and crystallized. Its crystal structure has been determined and refined using data up to 1. 75 A resolution. The molecule displays the alpha+beta folding topology typical for members of the ribonuclease A superfamily. The catalytic active site residues are conserved with respect to other ribonucleases of the superfamily but some differences appear at substrate recognition subsites, which may account, in part, for the low catalytic activity. Most strikingly, 19 surface-located arginine residues confer a strong basic character to the protein. The high concentration of positive charges and the particular orientation of the side-chains of these residues may also be related to the low activity of ECP as a ribonuclease and provides an explanation for its unique cytotoxic role through cell membrane disruption.

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Human ribonucleases have been considered as a possible tumor marker for pancreatic cancer, and elevated serum levels of ribonuclease activity in patients with pancreatic cancer have been reported by many authors. The reason for this elevation is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines synthesize and secrete different ribonucleases. We isolated and characterized human pancreatic, or secretory, ribonuclease (RNase 1) from the conditioned media of the human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines Capan-1, MDAPanc-3, IBF-CP3 and Panc-1, and the ampullary adenocarcinoma cell line MDAAmp-7, which represent a wide range of differentiation stages. Only one of these cell lines, Panc-1, produces significant amounts of nonsecretory ribonuclease. We then established a purification procedure for both secretory and nonsecretory ribonucleases, consisting of concentration of the supernatant by tangential filtration, anion-exchange and cation-exchange liquid chromatography and C4 RP-HPLC. Ribonuclease activity fractions were monitored using both the spectrophotometric and negative-staining zymogram techniques. The results of N-terminal sequence analysis, kinetic analysis and endoglycosidase digestion studies indicate that the main ribonuclease secreted by all the cell lines is the secretory-type ribonuclease and that it is composed of several differently N-glycosylated forms. Northern blot analyses confirm that some of the cell lines express secretory ribonuclease mRNA. The mRNA levels produced by Panc-1 and MDAPanc-28 are too low to be detected. Similar levels of expression of nonsecretory ribonuclease are found by Northern blot analysis in all the cell lines except Panc-1, which expresses higher levels. Here, we describe, for the first time, that several human pancreatic cancer cell lines with different degrees of differentiation express and secrete ribonucleases. This fact indicates that one origin of the elevated serum RNase levels in patients with pancreatic cancer are tumor cells. Analysis of the oligosaccharide moiety of the RNase 1 secreted by Capan-1 shows that it is highly glycosylated and its N-glycan chains are significantly different from that of the RNase 1 produced by normal pancreas. These results renew the possibility of using human serum RNase 1 determination as a tumor marker.

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The RNase 4 family is unique among RNase enzymes, displaying the highest level of sequence similarity and encompassing the shortest polypeptide chain. It is the only one showing high specificity. The human representative is an intracellular and plasma enzyme, first isolated from colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29. The crystal structures of human recombinant RNase 4, unliganded and in complex with d(Up), have been determined, revealing in the unique active site an explanation for the uridine specificity. Arg101, at a position not involved in catalysis in the other RNase enzymes, penetrates the enzyme moiety shaping the recognition pocket, a flip that is mediated by the interaction with the (shorter chain) C-terminal carboxylate group, providing an anchoring point for the O4 atom of the substrate uridine. The bulky Phe42 side-chain forces Asp80 to be in the chi1=-72.49 degrees rotamer, accepting a hydrogen bond from Thr44, further converting the latter into a hydrogen bond acceptor. This favours an interaction with the -NH-donor group of uridine at position 3 over that with the =N-acceptor of cytidine. The two chemical groups that distinguish uracyl from cytosine are used by the enzyme to discriminate between these two bases.

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We present the case of a young man who suffered severe anteroapical myocardial necrosis caused by electrocution. In addition to the enzymatic and electrocardiographic changes suggesting necrosis, a clear positive segmental image on 99mTc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy and a defect on a 201Tl SPECT scan at rest were also found. Although these tests were indicative of extensive anteroapical transmural myocardial necrosis, the echocardiographic study only revealed mild anteroapical hypokinesia.

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In the field of brassinosteroids, which are potent plant growth regulators, we have developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship study to develop knowledge from a structural point of view and to find out new requirement definitions. This will help identify other suitable active brassinosteroid derivatives with a good activity/synthetic cost ratio for further application in agriculture. The methodology used to achieve this goal represents a multidisciplinary study involving synthesis, molecular modeling calculations, and bioactivity evaluation. The influence of different molecular properties in the bioactivity of a set of synthetic compounds (i.e., molecular electrostatic potential and the ability to form H bonds) is discussed. The molecular electrostatic potential is expressed in terms of the electrostatic Carbó similarity index (CI) between brassinolide (1) and other brassinosteroids. We have found that the electrostatic charges of the functional groups play an important role in the description of the activity, as evidenced by its good correlation with the CI in most cases. Deviation from this rule could be explained by the H bonding abilities of some of these compounds, which we believe may play an essential role in binding to the natural receptors.

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Interleukin (IL)-10 is a potent immunosuppressant of monocyte/macrophage function and may help control the inflammatory response induced by bacterial infection. To analyze whether IL-10 is detectable in plasma of patients with septic shock and to evaluate its relationship with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-induced and monocyte/macrophage-induced inflammatory response, plasma IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, LPS, and neopterin were studied in 24 patients with septic shock and in 12 critically ill patients. Eighty-three percent of patients with septic shock and 25% of critically ill patients had detectable levels of IL-10 (P < .001). There was a significant correlation between plasma IL-10, neopterin (r = .72), TNF-alpha (r = .76), IL-6 (r = .68), and IL-8 (r = .61) levels in patients with septic shock. Monocyte/macrophage activation leads to massive secretion of IL-10, which, however, seems to be unable to control the increased production of proinflammatory mediators during septic shock.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between nitric oxide production, endotoxemia, and hemodynamic alterations in human septic shock. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: A 32-bed intensive care unit in a university referral hospital. PATIENTS: Two groups of septic patients with shock (n = 13) or without shock (n = 16) and an additional group of nonseptic patients as control group (n = 25). MEASUREMENTS: Plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations were measured as an index of nitric oxide generation. Nitrite and nitrate concentrations were correlated with plasma endotoxin and hemodynamic variables. MAIN RESULTS: Increased plasma nitrite and nitrate concentrations were found in patients with septic shock (p < .01). Nitrite and nitrate correlated directly with endotoxin concentration (r2 = .21, p < .05) and cardiac output (r2 = .49, p < .05), and inversely with systolic blood pressure (r2 = .24, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the activation of the L-arginine:nitric oxide pathway in human endotoxemic septic shock, suggesting that nitric oxide may be an important mediator of the hemodynamic disturbances in this pathophysiologic situation.

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The synthesis of four new brassinosteroids with 2 beta,3 beta-diol functionality and A/B cis and A/B trans ring junction is reported. These brassinosteroids could present activity as antiecdysteroids.

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Sepsis is the most important cause of mortality in the Intensive Care Units. At present, sepsis is understood to be the inflammatory response of the host to infection, rather than a direct effect of microbial aggression. From the clinical standpoint, this inflammatory response is known as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Pathophysiologically, SIRS is characterized by the activation of several groups of cell (monocytes/macrophages, PMNs, and endothelial cells) and by the release of inflammatory mediators (cytokines and others). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is the first cytokine released by endotoxin action over monocyte/macrophage. TNF secretion, modulated by interferon gamma (IFN gamma) and interleukin 10 (IL-10), is followed by release of other cytokines such as interleukins (IL) (IL-1, IL-6 and IL-8). These mediators are able to act over hemostasis activating the extrinsic pathway through tissue factor expression. The action of the mediators over endothelial cells induces an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) levels with inhibition of fibrinolysis. Both coagulation activation and fibrinolysis blockade result in fibrin deposit in the microvascular system. The complexity of the mechanisms implicated in systemic inflammatory response make a general rule so difficult to establish, because patient response is highly individualized and it is not possible to know which moment of this dynamic process is being analyzed.

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The clinical picture, treatment and evolution of seven patients presenting snake bites are analyzed. Local symptoms were constant, with a spontaneous favorable evolution in 7 to 10 days. The most relevant systemic manifestations were coagulation anomalies which appeared in two patients. Treatment always included local wound care, antitetanicum antibiotic and anticoagulant prophylaxis with specific antiophidic serum in five patients.

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