Method of measuring neprilysin activity

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of measuring the activity of neprilysin, etc. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of measuring the activity of neprilysin in nerve cells; a method of screening a protein, a peptide or a compound enhancing the activity or expression of neprilysin in nerve cells by measuring the activity of neprilysin; a method of enhancing the activity or expression of neprilysin; and so on. Thus, the compound enhancing the activity and/or expression of neprilysin, which is obtained by the screening method characterized by using the method of measuring the activity of neprilysin in accordance with the present invention, is useful as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease. The method of measuring the activity of the present invention can be used for presymptomatic diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method of enhancing the activity of neprilysin, which comprises administering to a mammal an effective dose of somatostatin, a protein containing substantially the same amino acid sequence as somatostatin or its partial peptide, an agonist of somatostatin receptor or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         29 . A method of enhancing the expression of neprilysin, which comprises administering to a mammal an effective dose of somatostatin, a protein containing substantially the same amino acid sequence as somatostatin or its partial peptide, an agonist of somatostatin receptor or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         30 . A method of enhancing the activity or expression of neprilysin, which comprises promoting the activity of somatostatin receptor in a mammal. 
     
     
         31 - 49 . (canceled)