title: Serine proteases and cardiac function.
abstract: The serine proteases of the trypsin superfamily are versatile enzymes involved in a variety of biological processes. In the cardiovascular system, the importance of these enzymes in blood coagulation, platelet activation, fibrinolysis, and thrombosis has been well established. Recent studies have shown that trypin-like serine proteases are also important in maintaining cardiac function and contribute to heart-related disease processes. In this review, we describe the biological function of corin, tissue kallikrein, chymase and urokinase and discuss their roles in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and aneurysm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Research, Berlex Biosciences, 2600 Hilltop Drive, Richmond, CA 94804, USA. qywu88@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Qingyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hai-Chien
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Gary Gang
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology; D053818:Chymases; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D020840:Tissue Kallikreins / Q000502:physiology; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; C119812:CORIN protein, human; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D020840:Tissue Kallikreins; D053818:Chymases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator