Browsing by Author "GRECO, AV"

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    CHOLESTEROL CRYSTALLIZATION-PROMOTING ACTIVITY OF AMINOPEPTIDASE-N ISOLATED FROM THE VESICULAR CARRIER OF BILIARY LIPIDS
    (WILEY, 1993) NUNEZ, L; AMIGO, L; RIGOTTI, A; PUGLIELLI, L; MINGRONE, G; GRECO, AV; NERVI, F
    Different hydrophobic glycoproteins are associated to native biliary vesicles, which are the major carrier of biliary cholesterol. Some of these proteins promote cholesterol crystallization, a key step in cholesterol gallstone formation. This study was specifically conducted to identify the 130 kDa biliary vesicle-associated glycoprotein and to determine its in vitro effect on the cholesterol crystal formation time. The 130 kDa vesicular glycoprotein was identified as aminopeptidase-N by amino acid sequencing and specific enzymatic assay. Polyclonal antibodies raised against aminopeptidase-N allowed us to determine its concentration in human hepatic bile, which varied from 17.3 to 57.6 mug/ml. Aminopeptidase-N showed a concentration-dependent cholesterol crystallization activity when it was added to supersaturated model bile at a concentration range usually found in native bile. Because of this promoting effect on in vitro cholesterol crystal formation, we suggest that biliary aminopeptidase-N may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstone disease.
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    PROTECTIVE ROLE OF BILIARY CHOLESTEROL AND PHOSPHOLIPID LAMELLAE AGAINST BILE ACID-INDUCED CELL-DAMAGE
    (W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC, 1994) PUGLIELLI, L; AMIGO, L; ARRESE, M; NUNEZ, L; RIGOTTI, A; GARRIDO, J; GONZALEZ, S; MINGRONE, G; GRECO, AV; ACCATINO, L; NERVI, F