I have somewhat regular access to abstracts of published technical articles
from lesser known sources around the world. An example is offered below.
Here's the question - in your opinion, is this listserve an appropriate
forum for displaying them?
Authors D Mantle, G Falkous, S Ishiura, PJ Blanchard, EK Perry
Title Comparison of proline endopeptidase activity in brain tissue from
normal cases and cases with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body
dementia, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease
Full source Clinica Chimica Acta, 1996, Vol 249, Iss 1-2, pp 129-139
Author keywords Alzheimer's disease; Lewy body dementia; Parkinson's
disease; Huntington's disease; proteases; proline
endopeptidase; protein degradation
KeyWords Plus PAIRED HELICAL FILAMENTS; ENZYME; PROTEINASE;
AMINOPEPTIDASE; IDENTIFICATION; PURIFICATION; INHIBITORS;
PROTEASE
TGA/Book No. UP659
Discipline Biochemistry & Biophysics
Document type Article
Language English
Address Mantle D, Newcastle Gen Hosp, Reg Neurosci Ctr, Dept Neurochem,
Newcastle Tyne NE4 6BE, Tyne & Wear, ENGLAND
ISBN/ISSN 0009-8981
Publisher Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands
Abstract Neuronal death associated with plaque and tangle formation
characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) may result from an underlying
defect of intracellular protein catabolism. In an attempt to identify the
proteolytic enzyme types responsible for aberrant protein processing, we have
composed the levels of activity of
proline endopeptidase in brain tissue samples (grey/white matter) from
frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, from normal control
cases, and cases with AD, Lewy body dementia (LED), Parkinson's disease
(PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). The activity of proline endopeptidase
was significantly reduced in AD to similar to 65% of that of corresponding
control tissue - this is of note since previous biochemical analyses have
in general failed to detect altered activity of other protease types in AD
tissues. However, this relatively selective reduction in proline
endopeptidase activity in AD tissue (in terms of protease types
investigated) is not specific for disease type, since activity was also
reduced (65%-70% of control) in tissue samples from
LED, PD and HD cases, The data suggest that reduction in proline
endopeptidase activity may be a characteristic of a generalized process of
neurodegeneration, Although the precise cellular function of this enzyme
in normal/pathological tissues remains to be determined, the question
arises as to whether pharmacological strategies designed to enhance
proline endopeptidase activity in brain tissue may improve patient outcome
in the above disorders.
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