title: Inhibition of proteolysis by a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin.
abstract: The effect of indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug upon purified calpain has been studied. Also, its effects upon Ca2+-mediated degradation of cytoskeletal proteins (neurofilament) in spinal cord homogenate has been investigated. A dose-dependent inhibition of purified calpain activity was observed. A 50% inhibition of 14C-caseinolytic activity was obtained with less than 1.1 mM of indomethacin while the activity was completely inhibited at 3.3 mM concentration. The inhibitory effect of ketorlac, another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, upon calpain was weaker than that of indomethacin. The degradation of myelin basic protein (MBP) by cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine protease, was significantly inhibited by indomethacin. It also inhibited the Ca2+-mediated degradation of neurofilament protein (NFP) in spinal cord homogenate. The extent of NFP degradation was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and the inhibition shown by indomethacin was weaker than that observed with leupeptin and the calpain inhibitor E64-d. The inhibitory effect of indomethacin on the activity of multicatalytic proteinase complex was negligible. These results suggest that indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and cyclooxygenase inhibitor also inhibits proteinases, including cathepsin B and calpain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Banik
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matzelle
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gantt-Wilford
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hogan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D002154:Calpain; D007213:Indomethacin