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Clinical Trial
. 2010 May;130(5):1468-70.
doi: 10.1038/jid.2009.430. Epub 2010 Jan 14.

Cathepsin S elicits itch and signals via protease-activated receptors

Vemuri B Reddy, Steven G Shimada, Parul Sikand, Robert H Lamotte, Ethan A Lerner
Clinical Trial

Cathepsin S elicits itch and signals via protease-activated receptors

Vemuri B Reddy et al. J Invest Dermatol. 2010 May.
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recombinant human cathepsin S evokes itch. (a) Mean perceived intensity of itch, pricking/stinging and burning sensations evoked by a single inactivated spicule reconstituted with cathepsin S. Briefly, spicules were inactivated by autoclaving and then soaked in a solution containing 4 mg/ml cathepsin S for one hour, washed, and dried. The spicules were applied to the skin, and nine, healthy, unmedicated volunteers (four female, five male, 18 years or older) rated the evoked sensations, according to similar methods described (Reddy at al. 2008). The mean rating of each sensory quality, obtained every 30 sec, is accompanied by a SE that is plotted every 5 min starting at the peak magnitude of the sensory quality. (b) Mean perceived intensity of sensations evoked by a single spicule of native cowhage (same 9 subjects).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Recombinant human cathepsin S activates human PARs. (a) Single cell imaging of cathepsin S (2 µM) induced responses in HeLa cells transfected with either PAR 2 or PAR 4 as measured by ratiometric calcium imaging in cells loaded with fura-2 as in Reddy et al. 2008. The responses to PAR 2 and 4 were blocked by the protease inhibitor E64 (10 µM) as a control. Other controls included vector alone and PAR1. Cathepsin S was added as indicated. (b) Concentration - effect responses of cathepsin S in HeLa cells transiently transfected with PARs 2 and 4 as determined by ratiometric imaging of 20 cells per data point. Salmon sperm (SS) DNA as control. For both (a) and (b), the averages from at least three separate experiments were then combined +/− SD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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