Electron-spin-echo envelope-modulation study of the distance between dangling bonds and hydrogen atoms in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Matsuda.
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Melanin is specifically produced in melanocytes. The pathway for melanin biosynthesis is regulated by a number of melanocyte-specific proteins, including tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1, b locus protein). To understand the regulation of melanogenesis, we examined tyrosinase activities, mRNA levels of tyrosinase and TRP-1, and eumelanin and pheomelanin contents in mouse B16-F1 melanoma cells after they had been treated with some melanotropic reagents. Cholera toxin, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP increased tyrosinase activity and stimulated eumelanin biosynthesis. These reagents elevated intracellular cAMP levels. In contrast, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate reduced tyrosinase activity and eumelanin synthesis. In all cases, the mRNA levels of tyrosinase and TRP-1 changed in parallel with tyrosinase activity and eumelanin content. TRP-1 was induced simultaneously with tyrosinase, although its inducibility was lower than that of tyrosinase. These results suggest that the expressions of tyrosinase and TRP-1 genes are coordinately regulated by melanotropic reagents through cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C in mouse B16-F1 cells, and that their coordinate expression causes eumelanin biosynthesis.
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A self-complementary decadeoxyribonucleotide, 5'd(GAAGFGCTTC)3', containing 5-fluorocytosine (F) in substitution for cytosine at the methylation site of DNA-cytosine methylase HhaI (MHhaI) has been synthesized. MHhaI was inhibited by the pre-incubation of the enzyme with d(GAAGFGCTTC).
Using portacaval anastomosis (PCA) rats as a model with or without injection of ammonium acetate, we investigated the effects of MHS-G on the abnormalities of electroencephalogram (EEG) and brain amines metabolism in comparison with those of SF-1008C, a commercial nutritional preparation for hepatic failure. MHS-G (0.68 g/kg, p.o.) clearly improved both the abnormalities of EEG (such as reduction of amplitude, increasing delta wave distribution and decreasing beta wave distribution) and brain amines metabolism (such as increasing of Trp and DOPAC content) after injection of ammonium acetate. Moreover, MHS-G significantly increased branched chain amino acid concentrations and decreased aromatic amino acid concentrations in plasma and brain in comparison with water, and it significantly decreased the ammonia level in plasma in comparison with water and SF-1008C. These results suggest that MHS-G has a positive effect on abnormalities of EEG and amino acids metabolism in the plasma and brain of PCA rats.
A novel 2'-deoxyuridine analogue carrying an aminobutyl linker at 1'-position of the sugar residue was synthesized and incorporated into oligonucleotides, then an anthraquinone derivative was attached to the amino group. The oligonucleotides carrying the linker groups were more resistant to nuclease P1 and venom phosphodiesterase than an unmodified oligonucleotide.
We newly synthesized 1-(2-deoxy-2-C-fluoromethyl- and 2-C-hydroxymethyl-arabinofuranosyl)cytosines and evaluated their biological activities. The syntheses of these compounds were achieved by radical deoxygenation of tert-alcohol of 2'-position of the corresponding fluorohydrine and acetoxymethyl derivative. 1-(2-Deoxy-2-C-fluoromethylarabinofuranosyl)cytosine (5) showed potent antileukemic and anticytomegalovirus activities.
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We examined the effects of novel tachykinin antagonists, FR 113680 (N alpha-[N alpha-(N alpha-acetyl-L-threonyl)-N1-formyl-D-tryptophyl]-N- methyl-N-phenylmethyl-L-phenylalaninamide) and FK 224 (N-[N2-[N-[N-[N-[2,3-didehydro-N-methyl-N-[N[3-(2-phenthylpheny l) - propionyl]-L-threonyl]-tyrosyl]-L-leucynyl]-D-phenylalanyl]-L-allo - threonyl]-L-asparaginyl]-L-serine nu-lactone) on rat tracheal plasma extravasation induced by cigarette smoke. Intravenous injection of FK 224 (0.032-3.2 mg kg-1) inhibited rat tracheal plasma extravasation induced by cigarette smoke and capsaicin. FR 113680 (32 mg kg-1 i.v.) also significantly inhibited cigarette smoke-induced plasma extravasation, whereas D-chlorpheniramine maleate, FPL 55712, atropine sulfate and indomethacin had no effect. Tracheal plasma extravasation induced by substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), but not histamine, was also reduced by intravenous administration of FR 113680 and FK 224. These findings suggest that cigarette smoke stimulates primary afferent sensory nerves, releases tachykinins and evokes plasma extravasation in rat trachea.
An X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract was performed on 56 patients with systemic cutaneous disease that is often considered associated with internal malignancies. Found were one case of esophageal cancer, two cases of gastric cancer, and two cases of colon cancer. The prevalence of gastric and colon cancer in these patients showed a statistically significant increase compared to the general population. The rate of gastric cancer was 16.26 times higher than the general population and that of colon cancer 32.26. X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with systemic cutaneous disease is useful for detecting malignancy.
Chemical modifications of the potent A2 adenosine receptor agonist 2-(1-hexyn-1-yl)adenosine (7, 2-HA) at the 5'-position have been carried out to find more potent and selective A2 agonists. These analogues were evaluated for adenosine A1 and A2 receptor binding affinity in rat brain tissues and antihypertensive effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Among the series of compounds, 2-(1-hexyn-1-yl)adenosine-5'-N-cyclopropyluronamide (16d) had the most potent affinity to the A2 receptor with a Ki of 2.6 nM, which is essentially the same as that of the parent agonist, 2-HA. However, the most selective agonist for the A2 receptor was 2-(1-hexyn-1-yl)adenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (16b) with a Ki of 11 nM and a 162-fold selectivity. The N-alkyl substituents of 5'-uronamide derivatives did not seem to potentiate the A2 binding affinity but drastically reduced the A1 affinity compared with the parent 2-HA. Therefore, the A1/A2 selectivity was consequently increased. Other 5'-deoxy-5'-substituted derivatives of 2-HA such as the chloro (20), carboxamide (27, 28), sulfonamide (29), urea (30), and thiourea (22) analogues were also prepared. Among these nucleosides, no active compounds with potent or selective affinities to both receptors were found except 20. Although glycosyl conformations and sugar-puckering of these nucleosides were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy, there were no positive correlations between active and inactive agonists. 2-(1-Hexyn-1-yl)adenosine-5'-uronamide (16a) and 16d had a potent hypotensive effect at ED30 values of 0.18 and 0.17 micrograms/kg, respectively, upon iv administration to anesthetized SHR.
Acetyl CoA: deacetylcephalosporin C o-acetyltransferase(DCPC-ATF) catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of cephalosporin C (CPC) in Acremonium chrysogenum. The gene encoding DCPC-ATF, cefG, has been isolated from an A. chrysogenum genomic library using a DCPC-ATF cDNA probe. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that cefG contains two short introns of 79bp and 65bp. The gene was found to be closely linked to the cefEF gene encoding deacetoxycephalosporin C synthetase/deacetylcephalosporin C synthetase, which catalyses the preceding two steps in the pathway. The two genes are separated by a 1114 bp segment from which they are divergently transcribed. Introduction of the cloned cefG gene to A.chrysogenum resulted in an increased level of DCPC-ATF activity. A plasmid carrying a cefG gene interrupted in the coding region by a selectable marker for resistance to hygromycin B was constructed and used to disrupt the cefG locus in A.chrysogenum. The cefG-disrupted strains were found to lack the ability to produce CPC, and accumulated its precursor, deacetylcephalosporin C in the culture broth. Southern hybridization analysis confirmed that the disruption resulted from a gene replacement event at the cefG locus.
Adenosine receptor-binding profiles in rat brain tissues and antihypertensive effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of a series of 2-(cycloalkylalkynyl)adenosines (2-CAAs) and their congeners are described. The structure-activity relationship of this series of compounds is discussed, focusing on the length of the alkynyl side chain and bulkiness of the terminal cycloalkyl substituents in terms of binding activity and cardiovascular effects. All the 2-CAAs had a preferential affinity for A2 receptors. Of these derivatives, 2-(3-cyclopentyl-1-propyn-1-yl)adenosine (10b) exhibited the most selective affinity for A2 receptors (Ki ratio: A1/A2 = 70) on the basis of receptor binding. In the C-2 binding region of adenosine, compounds often have potent and/or selective A2 activity from introduction of an acetylenic group at the C-2 position followed by one methylene residue further followed by a hydrophobic substituent such as a cycloalkyl ring at the terminal position of the alkynyl side chain. Intravenous injection of 10b up to 100 micrograms/kg had a potent hypotensive effect without a marked decrease in heart rate in anesthetized SHR. Compounds 10j-s, with a hydroxyl group in the C-3" position of the alkynyl side chain, had a potent affinity for both A1 and A2 receptors, but they were not highly selective for A2 receptors. These compounds caused a marked bradycardia upon intravenous administration in anesthetized SHR. Oral administration of 10b (0.1-1 mg/kg) had a potent and long-lasting antihypertensive effect in conscious SHR.
The antitumor effects of 2'-C-cyano-2'-deoxy-1-beta-D- arabinofuranosylcytosine (CN-DAC), a synthetic 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-cytosine (ara-C) derivative, were examined and compared with that of ara-C in murine tumors and in various human tumors using three different chemosensitivity tests. CNDAC extended the life span of mice bearing P388 leukemia. CNDAC had a unique in vitro antitumor spectrum for human cancers different from that of ara-C. Compared with ara-C, CNDAC was more effective in 10 human tumors (2 lung, 4 stomach and 4 osteosarcoma), equal in 2 tumors (lung and fibrosarcoma) and less potent in 11 tumors (4 lung, 4 osteosarcoma, bladder, renal and epidermoid). Characteristically CNDAC showed excellent activities against tumors, refractory to ara-C, such as HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma implanted in chick embryos or athymic mice, although its cytotoxicity against HT-1080 was almost equal to that of ara-C. Thus, CNDAC is an interesting and promising agent that should be considered for further detailed preclinical evaluation.
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing N6-methoxyadenine (M) have been synthesized. The order of stability of duplexes consisting of synthesized oligodeoxyribonucleotides, 5'd(CCTGGTAXCAGGTCC)3'-5'd(GGACCTGNTACCAGG)3' (X = M, A, G. N = A, G, T, C), was M: A (Tm = 52 degrees C) greater than M: T (50 degrees C) greater than M: G (48 degrees C) greater than M: C (46 degrees C) observed by thermal denaturation in a buffer of 0.01 M Na cacodylate, and 0.1 M NaCl at pH 7.0. The Tms are within a range of 6 degrees of difference, which is smaller than those of Tms of the duplexes containing A:N pairs (11 degrees) and G:N pairs (11 degrees). DNA replication study on a template-primer system, 5'd(32p-CAGCTTTCGC)3' 3'd(GTCGAAAGCGMAGTCG)5', showed that TTP and dCTP were incorporated into DNA strands at a site opposite to M by Klenow DNA polymerase, but dATP and dGTP were not.
Acetyl CoA: deacetylcephalosporin C o-acetyltransferase(DCPC-ATF) catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of cephalosporin C, the conversion of deacetylcephalosporin C to cephalosporin C. A cDNA encoding DCPC-ATF has been isolated from a cDNA library of a cephalosporin C producing fungus Acremonium chrysogenum using oligonucleotide probes based on N-terminal amino acid sequences of the enzyme. The cDNA contains a single large open reading frame for a putative precursor consisting of 12 amino acid(AA) leader peptide of unknown function, 274 AA large subunit and 126 AA small subunit at the carboxyl end. The cDNA was expressed in yeast exhibiting a functional DCPC-ATF activity. It was also indicated that the leader peptide was not essential for expression of the enzyme activity. The primary structure of DCPC-ATF shows significant homology with those of acetyl CoA: homoserine o-acetyltransferase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Ascobolas immersus.