APPLICATION OF SPECIFIC SERINE PROTEASE INHIBITORS IN ASSAYS FOR ACTIVATED CONTACT FACTORS.

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Tans ◽  
T Janssen-Claessen ◽  
J Rosing ◽  
J H Griffin

We developed amidolytic assays to determine human Factor Xlla, Factor XIa and plasma kallikrein in mixtures containing variable amounts of each enzyme. The commercially available chromogenic substrates pro-phe-arg-pNA (S2302 or chromozym PK), glu-pro-arg-pNA (S2366), ile-glu-(piperidyl)-gly-arg-pNA (S2337), and ile-glu-gly-arg-pNA (S2222) were tested for their suitability as substrates in these assays. 8-Factor Xlla, Factor XIa and plasma kallikrein each exhibit considerable activity towards a number of these substrates. This precludes direct quantitation of the individual enzymes when large amounts of other activated contact factors are present. Several serine protease inhibitors were tested on their ability to selectively inhibit those contact factors that may interfere with the factor tested for. Soybean trypsin inhibitor efficiently inhibits kallikrein, inhibits Factor XIa at moderate concentrations, but did not affect the amidolytic activity of Factor Xlla. Therefore, this inhibitor can be used to abolish a kallikrein and Factor XIa contribution in a Factor Xlla assay. We also report the rate constants of inhibition of contact activation factors by three different chloromethylketones. D-phe-pro-arg-CH 2 Cl was moderately active against contact factors (k - 2271 M-ls-1 at pH 8.3) but showed no differences in specif ity. D-phe-phe-arg-CH2 Cl was a very efficient inhibitor of kallikrein (k = 118,000 M-ls-1 at pH 8.3) whereas it slowly inhibited Factor Xlla (k = 1389 M-ls-1) and Factor XIa (k = 110 M-ls-1). Also dansyl-glu-gly-arg-CH2Cl was more reactive towards kallikrein (k 15,662 M-ls-1) than towards Factor Xlla (k = 462 M-ls-1) and Factor XIa (k = 63 M-ls-1). Since phe-phe-arg-CH2Cl is highly specific for kallikrein it can be used in a Factor XIa assay to selectively inhibit kallikrein. Based on the catalytic efficiencies of chromogenic substrate conversion and the inhibition characteristics of serine protease inhibitors and chloromethyl ketones we were able to develop quantitative assays for Factor Xlla, Factor XIa and kallikrein in mixtures of contact activation factors.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1185-1185
Author(s):  
Melissa van Pel ◽  
Ronald van Os ◽  
Gerjo A. Velders ◽  
Henny Hagoort ◽  
Ivan J. Lindley ◽  
...  

Abstract Previously, we have shown that IL-8 and G-CSF-induced hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization is inhibited in mice that underwent low dose (0.5 Gy) total body irradiation (TBI), whereas the number of progenitor cells in the bone marrow remained similar in all groups. The mechanism underlying this inhibition remains unknown. Since the release of granular proteases by neutrophils is well known to play a role in HSC mobilization, we also considered a possible role for serine protease inhibitors in the induction of HSC mobilization. Serine proteases, such as elastase and cathepsin G, are irreversibly inhibited by serine protease inhibitors including alpha-1 antitrypsin (alpha-1 AT) and alpha2-macroglobulin. In-vitro tests revealed that addition of bone marrow extracellular extracts, that were obtained from murine femurs 24 hours following low dose (0.5 Gy) TBI, inhibited the activity of exogenous elastase in a chromogenic substrate conversion assay up to 78.1 % compared to extracts obtained from sham irradiated controls (p<0.05). Since elastase inhibition by alpha2-macroglobulin cannot be detected in a chromogenic substrate conversion assay, alpha-1 AT was considered as the primary candidate serine protease inhibitor to inhibit elastase activity in our in-vitro system. Quantitative PCR of total bone marrow cells revealed that alpha-1 AT mRNA was 20-fold increased relative to the housekeeping gene ß-actin and 7-fold relative to the housekeeping genes HPRT and GAPDH at 24 hours following low dose (0.5 Gy) TBI. In addition, Western blot analysis indicated that alpha-1 AT protein concentrations were significantly (p<0.01) increased in bone marrow extracellular extracts derived from low dose (0.5 Gy) irradiated mice, compared to extracts obtained from sham-irradiated controls (5.1 ± 0.6 scanning units [SU] vs. 3.9 ± 0.7 SU for 0.5 Gy;n=8 vs. 0 Gy; n=6 respectively). To further substantiate a possible in-vivo role of alpha-1 AT in the inhibition of HSC mobilization, we administered alpha-1 AT (300 μg/mouse i.p.) at 2 hours and at 5 minutes prior to IL-8 injection (30 μg/mouse i.p.). Administration of alpha-1 AT prior to IL-8 injection completely (p<0.05) inhibited IL-8-induced HSC mobilization (472.9 ± 289.5 CFU-GM per ml blood for IL-8; n=5 vs. 44.8 ± 35.5 CFU-GM per ml blood for alpha-1 AT/IL-8; n =11). These results indicate that 1) alpha-1 AT is a potent inhibitor of IL-8-induced HSC mobilization and 2) in-vivo induced alpha-1 AT contributes to the inhibition of HSC mobilization after low-dose (0.5 Gy) TBI. We hypothesize that a critical balance between serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors plays an important role in cytokine-induced HSC mobilization.


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