title: Bromelain protease F9 reduces the CD44 mediated adhesion of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
abstract: The thiol protease bromelain has been shown to remove T-cell CD44 molecules from lymphocytes and to affect T-cell activation. We investigated the effect of a highly purified bromelain protease F9 (F9) on the adhesion of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Preincubation of the lymphocytes with F9 reduced the adherence to about 20% of unstimulated and to about 30% of phorbol-dibutyrate (P(Bu)2) stimulated lymphocytes. Using flow cytometry, both crude bromelain and protease F9 reduced the expression of CD44, but not of LFA-1, on PBL. F9 was about 10 times more active than crude bromelain; at 2.5 micrograms/ml of F9 about 97% inhibition of CD44 expression was found. A mAb against CD44 was tested and found to block the F9-induced decrease in PBL-binding to HUVEC. The results indicate that F9 selectively decreases the CD44 mediated binding of PBL to HUVEC.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmazie der Freien Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munzig
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harrach
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Maurer
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001963:Bromelains / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D001963:Bromelains; C089216:bromelain protease F9