Carrageenan inhibits granzyme A-induced detachment of and interleukin-8 release from alveolar epithelial A549 cells.
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.
Yoshikawa
Yumiko
Y
Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
Hirayasu
Hirofumi
H
Tsuzuki
Satoshi
S
Fushiki
Tohru
T