Publications by authors named "G P Cottam"

In this study, increased expression of an endopeptidase hydrolyzing beta-endorphin (beta-Ep) to gamma-endorphin (gamma-Ep, beta-Ep1-17) was observed upon immobilized anti-CD3 stimulated activation of human peripheral blood CD4+ T cells (hCD4+ T cells). Although freshly isolated hCD4+ T cells are devoid of significant beta-Ep endopeptidase activity ( < 0.1 nmol h(-1) 10(6) cells (-1)), activation of these cells with immobilized anti-CD3 results in a time dependent appearance of beta-Ep endopeptidase activity which reaches a maximal value of 17.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The presence and regulated expression of peptidase activity is a powerful mechanism with the potential to terminate or alter receptor recognition, cell membrane signal transduction, and physiological responses of immune cells to exogenous opioid peptides. In this study, the expression of an endopeptidase that hydrolyzes beta-endorphin to gamma-endorphin and other peptide products was investigated during in vitro differentiation and maturation of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) -derived, bone marrow-derived macrophages. In freshly isolated intact isolated mouse bone marrow cells the rate of beta-endorphin hydrolysis is undetectable (<0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Simple equations that relate glucose and glutamate 13C-NMR multiplet areas to gluconeogenesis and pyruvate recycling during metabolism of [1,2,3-(13)C3]propionate are presented. In isolated rat livers, gluconeogenic flux was 1.2 times TCA cycle flux and about 40% of the oxaloacetate pool underwent recycling to pyruvate prior to formation of glucose.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Beta-endorphin metabolism by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and the thymoma cell line, EL4, was investigated. In all three cell types, extracellular beta-endorphin was metabolized exclusively by a secreted, metal-dependent, thiol peptidase. The enzyme activity is expressed constitutively in EL4 cells and following activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with anti-CD3 antibody.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF