Anti-Cathepsin B monoclonal antibody, clone 2Q48

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a disease characterized by irreversible destruction and fibrosis of the parenchyma, leading to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. In developed countries, the etiology for 60% to 70% of CP amongst male patients is alcohol and 25% are classified as idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP). The genetic predisposition to CP could be an inappropriate activation of trypsinogen in the pancreas. Two common haplotypes, c.101A > G (p.N34S) and c.-215G > A, and four intronic alterations of the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene have been found to increase the risk for CP in the Asia Pacific region. Hence, SPINK1 is thought to be a candidate gene for pancreatitis. A loss-of-function alteration in chymotrypsinogen C (CTRC) gene has been shown to be associated with tropical calcific pancreatitis (TCP). Cathepsin B (CTSB) is also found to be associated with TCP. However mutations in cationic and anionic trypsinogen gene do not play an important role in causing CP in Asia Pacific region.

Corpus luteum (CL) regression is required during the estrous cycle. During CL regression, luteal cells stop producing progesterone and are degraded by apoptosis. However, the detailed mechanism of CL regression in cattle has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate autophagy, lysosome activity, and apoptosis during CL regression in cattle. The expression of autophagy-related genes (LC3 alpha, LC beta, Atg3, and Atg7) and the protein LC3-II was significantly higher in the late CL than in the mid CL. In addition, autophagy activity was significantly increased in the late CL. Moreover, gene expression of the autophagy inhibitor mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was significantly lower in the late CL than in the mid CL. Lysosome activation and expression of cathepsin-related genes (CTSB, CTSD, and CTSZ) showed significant increases in the late CL and were associated with an increase in cathepsin B protein. In addition, mRNA expression and activity of caspase 3 (CASP3), an apoptotic enzyme, were significantly higher in the late CL than in the mid CL. These results suggest simultaneous upregulation of autophagy-related factors, lysosomal enzymes and apoptotic mediators, which are involved in regression of the bovine CL.