title: Carrageenan inhibits granzyme A-induced detachment of and interleukin-8 release from alveolar epithelial A549 cells.
abstract: Granzyme A (GrA) is a lymphocyte serine protease that is believed to enter virus-infected cells and growing tumors and induce apoptosis. We found recently that recombinant rat GrA (rGrA) promotes detachment of and interleukin (IL)-8 release from alveolar epithelial A549 cells and suggested that this protease is involved in the pathogenesis of certain inflammatory lung diseases. In the present study, we found that lambda-carrageenan (a sulfated oligosaccharide constituting the cell walls of seaweeds) potently inhibits rGrA-induced detachment and IL-8 release of A549 cells. This sulfated oligosaccharide might be useful for suppressing the development of inflammatory lung diseases in which GrA is thought to be involved.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirayasu
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuzuki
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fushiki