Studies on the biochemistry of heart valves II. The effect of aging and anti-inflammatory drugs on the synthesis of glucosamine 6-phosphate and phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate by bovine heart valves

Abstract

• 1.

  1. l-Glutamine-d-fructose 6-phosphate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.16) has been isolated from liquid nitrogen-powdered aortic and pulmonary-valves of calves and cows.

• 2.

  2. Young valves show greater enzymatic activity than older, while, in calves, the aortic-valve aminotransferase is more active than the pulmonary-valve enzyme.

• 3.

  3. Sodium salicylate produces a marked inhibition of the aortic and pulmonary-valve aminotransferase, while its isomer, p-hydroxybenzoic acid has a much less inhibitory effect. Chloroquine diphosphate causes a marked inhibition only at high concentration.

• 4.

  4. The aortic and pulmonary-valve 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate-synthesizing systems have been isolated and have been found to be unaffected by the drugs studied.

• 5.

  5. The possibility of the enzymatic synthesis of glucosamine 6-phosphate being one control point for the action of some anti-inflammatory drugs is discussed.