title: Characterization of serine/cysteine protease inhibitor alpha1-antitripsin from meconium-instilled rabbit lungs.
abstract: We have recently purified from meconium-instilled rabbit lungs a novel serine proteinase inhibitor, with an apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa, which we assign to be alpha1-antitripsin. We hypothesize that serpin may attenuate pulmonary inflammation and improve surfactant function after meconium aspiration. Alpha1-antitripsin is a member of the proteinase inhibitor (serpin) superfamily and inhibitor of neutrophil elastase, and it can be identified as a member of the family by its amino acid sequence due to the high degree of conserved residues. Alpha1-antitripsin is synthesized by epithelial cells, macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils. Deficiency in alpha1-antitripsin leads to exposure of lungs to uncontrolled proteolytic attack from neutrophil elastase or other damaging factors culminating in lung destruction and cell apoptosis. We hypothesize that accumulation of alpha1-antitripsin in the lungs serves as a predisposed protection against meconium-induced lung injury. In this paper, we show how this knowledge can lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of MAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, The University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zagariya
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhabotynsky
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navale
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Keiderling
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vidyasagar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008470:Meconium; D011817:Rabbits; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin