Chromatographic characterization of substance P endopeptidase in the rat brain reveals affected enzyme activity following heat stress.
This paper describes a study of substance P endopeptidase (SPE)-like activity in various regions of the brain from male rats subjected to heat stress (HS). The enzyme activity was found to be affected in several brain areas including cerebellum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus[sol ]thalamus and the spinal cord following HS. Significant increases in SPE activity were observed in, for example, hippocampus and the spinal cord. SPE-containing extracts from hippocampus were pooled and subsequently purified by size exclusion chromatography (using a Superdex 75 HR column) and by anion-exchange chromatography (using Resource Q column). The gel permeation chromatography separated the SPE-like activity into two fractions, one of which was suggested to be identical to neutral endopeptidase owing to its molecular size and inhibitory profile. The other active enzyme fraction behaved in conformity with SPE, previously identified in human cerebrospinal fluid. The activity of the purified fraction of these two enzymes was found to be increased (27%) in HS-treated animals.
Karlsson
Krister
K
Uppsala University, Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, PO Box 591, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden. krister-karlsson@yahoo.com
Sharma
Hari
H
Nyberg
Fred
F
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C029610:substance P degrading enzyme