title: beta-Hexosaminidases: potent mitogens of airway smooth muscle.
abstract: beta-Hexosaminidases A & B, inflammatory marker enzymes, are mannosyl-rich glycoproteins that are implicated in acute asthma. At physiologically and pathologically relevant concentrations (nM), beta-Hexosaminidases act as potent mitogens of bovine airway smooth muscle cells. This mitogenic action is mediated via 175 kD mannose recognizing receptors that have been isolated from bovine airway smooth muscle cells and human bronchial smooth muscle. There seems to be an involvement of multiple signal transduction pathways in this process and this mitogenic effect is cell density dependent. Moreover, beta-Hexosaminidases are protease resistant. Thus, beta-Hexosaminidases may serve as key inflammatory mediators critical to airway remodeling process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Lew
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008934:Mitogens; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015398:Signal Transduction; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases