Ac-VEID-AMC is a fluorogenic substrate based on the caspase-6 cleavage site in lamin A at amino acids VEID during apoptosis.1It has also been reported to be cleaved by related proteases, including caspase-8.2Caspase activity can be quantified by fluorescent detection of free AMC (also known as 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin), which is excited at 340-360 nm and emits at 440-460 nm. 1.Talanian, R.V., Quinlan, C., Trautz, S., et al.Substrate specificities of caspase family proteasesJ. Biol. Chem.272(15)9677-9682(1997) 2.Chae, H.J., Park, K.M., Lee, G.Y., et al.Je-Chun-Jun induced apoptosis of human cervical carcinoma HeLa cellsActa Pharmacologica Sinica25(10)1372-1379(2004)
LL-37 is a cationic and α-helical antimicrobial peptide expressed in human bone marrow, testis, granulocytes, and gingival epithelium and is upregulated in psoriatic lesions. It inhibits growth of Gram-positive E. coli D21 and Gram-negative B. megatarium in a concentration-dependent manner and LL-37 expression is induced in A549 epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, and monocyte-derived macrophages following M. tuberculosis infection. LL-37 binds sheep erythrocytes coated with S. minnesota Re-LPS and induces agglutination with a minimal agglutinating concentration (MAC) of 12.1 μg/ml. It is a chemoattractant for, and can induce calcium mobilization in, human monocytes, neutrophils, and T cells that naturally express formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1) and FPRL1-transfected HEK293 cells. LL-37 (10-15 μM) pretreatment of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) reduces its infectivity as well as levels of viral genomic RNA and NS1 antigen. In vivo, LL-37 inhibits cecal ligation and puncture-induced caspase-1 activation and pyroptosis of peritoneal macrophages, reduces levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and improves survival in polybacterial septic mice.
Skullcapflavone I has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic potential, it can significantly inhibit LPS stimulated NO and PGE(2) release in J774A.1 macrophages and inhibit LPS induced IL-6 production in a concentration dependent manner. Skullcapflavone I se