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Gamma-glutamyltransferase (also γ-glutamyltransferase, GGT, gamma-GT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; [1] EC 2.3.2.2) is a transferase (a type of enzyme) that catalyzes the transfer of gamma-glutamyl functional groups from molecules such as glutathione to an acceptor that may be an amino acid, a peptide or water (forming glutamate).
Human gamma-glutamyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of the glutamyl moiety of glutathione to a variety of amino acids and dipeptide acceptors. This heteroduplex enzyme is composed of a heavy chain and a light chain, which are derived from a single precursor protein, and is present in tissues involved in absorption and secretion.
Sympathomimetic drugs are used to treat cardiac arrest and low blood pressure, or even delay premature labor, among other things. These drugs can act through several mechanisms, such as directly activating postsynaptic receptors, blocking breakdown and reuptake of certain neurotransmitters, or stimulating production and release of catecholamines.
Drug metabolism is the metabolic breakdown of drugs by living organisms, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. More generally, xenobiotic metabolism (from the Greek xenos "stranger" and biotic "related to living beings") is the set of metabolic pathways that modify the chemical structure of xenobiotics, which are compounds foreign to an organism's normal biochemistry, such as any drug ...
COPD causes airflow limitations in the lungs because of inflammation. Smoking is the main risk factor but inhalation of toxic and harmful particles and gases can also cause the disease. The symptoms are abnormal mucus production, inflation in the lungs that causes airflow limitation, abnormal gas exchange and pulmonary hypertension.
Heparin production experienced a break in the 1990s. Until then, heparin was mainly obtained from cattle tissue, which was a by-product of the meat industry, especially in North America. With the rapid spread of BSE, more and more manufacturers abandoned this source of supply. As a result, global heparin production became increasingly ...
The major mechanism for this immunosuppression is through inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells . NF-κB is a critical transcription factor involved in the synthesis of many mediators (i.e., cytokines) and proteins (i.e., adhesion proteins) that promote the immune response.
In the lung, cAMP decreases calcium concentrations within cells and activates protein kinase A. Both of these changes inactivate myosin light-chain kinase and activate myosin light-chain phosphatase. In addition, β 2 agonists open large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels and thereby tend to hyperpolarize airway smooth muscle ...