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Biomedical subjects

A Sakurai

Publications and source records attributed to A Sakurai.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

[Genetic analysis of hormone resistance].

Thyroid hormone resistance is a syndrome defined as impaired tissue response to thyroid hormone which would be excessive under normal circumstances. Although it has long been speculated that this defect was caused by an abnormality at the site of the nuclear receptor for thyroid hormone, isolation of complementary DNA encoding thyroid hormone receptors has only recently enabled us to directly examine this hypothesis. Thyroid hormone receptors are coded on two separate genes, THRA and THRB. Both genes give rise to multiple receptor subtypes through alternative splicing or different usage of promoters. Tight linkage between THRB locus and resistant phenotype was demonstrated in one affected family, and subsequently, more than 30 genetic abnormalities of the THRB gene were isolated. No abnormalities have been demonstrated on the THRA gene. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to screen abnormalities on the THRB gene of affected families, and the results also strongly supported the hypothesis that thyroid hormone resistance is caused by an abnormal THRB gene. Molecular analysis of thyroid hormone resistance will facilitate understanding of the pathophysiology of this syndrome and the molecular mechanism of thyroid hormone action.

Humans↗
PubMed1993

The retroesophageal subclavian artery--a case report and review.

In an 80-year-old Japanese male cadaver, the right subclavian artery originated from the aortic arch distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery, i.e., it was the last branch of the aortic arch. It coursed obliquely upwards and to the right behind the esophagus and trachea heading for the superior thoracic aperture. Its area of distribution was normal. Here, we describe this rare anomaly, and discuss its morphologic types, development, incidence, common associated anomalies and clinical correlations.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Cloning and characterization of the human thyroid hormone receptor beta 1 gene promoter.

The promoter region of the human (h) thyroid hormone receptor (TR) beta 1 gene was isolated from a human placenta genomic library. Primer extension and S1 nuclease mapping confirmed a single transcriptional start site. DNA sequence analysis of the 5' upstream region revealed the existence of a putative thyroid response element (TRE) which is highly homologous to TREs found in several thyroid hormone responsive genes. Binding of hTR protein to the promoter region of the hTR beta 1 gene was confirmed by gel mobility shift assay. A transient transfection study demonstrated that hTR activated the expression of a reporter gene containing the promoter sequence of the hTR beta 1 gene in a hormone dependent manner. The TRE in the hTR beta 1 gene promoter may be involved in the autoregulation of hTR beta 1 gene expression.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Effects of the histamine H3 receptor ligands thioperamide and (R)-alpha-methylhistamine on histidine decarboxylase activity of mouse brain.

The effects of the histamine H3 receptor ligands thioperamide and (R)-alpha-methylhistamine on the histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity and histamine content of mouse brain were examined. Thioperamide, a histamine H3 antagonist, significantly increased the HDC activity in the brain of ddY, W/Wv and ICR mice 2-6 hr after its intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. On the other hand, (R)-alpha-methylhistamine, a histamine H3-receptor agonist, caused no significant change in the HDC activity. The whole brain histamine content of ddY mice decreased significantly to 60-70% of the control level 2-8 hr after injection of thioperamide (25 mg/kg, i.p.), but then increased to 90% of the control level 10 hr after the injection. These in vivo results showed that blockade of the presynaptic histamine H3-receptor, which causes release of presynaptic histamine, increased the HDC activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Regulation of rat hepatic peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase bifunctional enzyme by thyroid hormone.

Rat hepatic t protein that is negatively regulated by thyroid hormone in nuclear globulin extract was characterized by the antibodies. The following evidence indicated that t protein is a peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase bifunctional enzyme (bifunctional enzyme). 1. Both proteins had an identical molecular size, and were immunologically indistinguishable from each other. 2. The t protein was abundant in mitochondrial fraction which contained abundant peroxisomes. 3. The amount of the t protein was increased by a peroxisomal proliferator. 4. The activity of the peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme corresponded to the t protein in CM-Sephadex column chromatography. The amount of peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme was increased by thyroidectomy and decreased by 3,5,3'- triiodo-L-thyronine treatment in the whole homogenate of rat liver. These results indicate that the levels of peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme were regulated by thyroid hormone in vivo.

3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1992

Expression and function of a human thyroid hormone receptor-derived DNA-binding domain protein.

DNA binding domain proteins (DBDP) were prepared using a pET construct containing an insert coding for amino acids 49-122 of human thyroid hormone receptor (hTR) alpha and 103-179 of hTR beta. These proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3)-plysS after induction by isopropyl-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The hTR alpha and hTR beta DBDP contain respectively 79 and 82 amino acids, including an amino terminal 4 amino acid extension derived from pET-3a or the synthesized initiation codon. Using a gel shift assay, both DBDPs were found to bind to a DNA oligonucleotide containing a thyroid hormone response element (TRE). The DBDPs competed with full length hTR alpha 1 for binding to the oligonucleotide. Apo-DBDPs (Zn2+ released by low pH) failed to bind to the palindromic TRE. DNA binding is restored however if apo-DBDP is preincubated in 500 microM Zn2+. When the DBDPs were expressed in COS-7 cells using a pCB6+ expression vector, they did not induce expression of a TRE-CAT fusion gene. hTR DBDPs thus can bind to DNA, presumably as monomers, since they do not contain the leucine zipper-like motif for dimerization. In COS-7 cells, they fail to cause transactivation of a TRE-CAT fusion gene. It is inferred that this may be because the DBDPs are not translocated to the nucleus or lack a transactivation domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Recessive inheritance of thyroid hormone resistance caused by complete deletion of the protein-coding region of the thyroid hormone receptor-beta gene.

Generalized resistance to thyroid hormone is a syndrome of reduced responsiveness of target tissues to thyroid hormone. The determination of amino acid sequences of the human thyroid receptor-beta (hTR beta), deduced from cDNA sequencing, has enabled evaluation of the genetic basis for this syndrome. Distinct point mutations in the ligand-binding domain of hTR beta have been identified in affected members of unrelated families, producing single amino acid substitutions that result in products with decreased or no hormone-binding activity. Inheritance in these families was autosomal dominant. We now report the molecular basis of generalized resistance to thyroid hormone in a consanguineous family unique for its autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Deletion of the entire coding region of both hTR beta alleles in homozygous affected members of the family was demonstrated by the failure to amplify the coding exons 3-8 by the polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for flanking intronic sequences and by the demonstration of the presence of only two noncoding exons in Southern blots hybridized with exon-specific probes. As expected, obligate heterozygotes were phenotypically normal, since, in contrast to alleles with point mutations, the deleted allele could not act in a dominant negative fashion. Survival and maintenance of a euthyroid state are presumably mediated through expression of the hTR alpha gene, present in affected subjects, and the maintenance of high thyroid hormone levels. Furthermore, the clinical manifestations were relatively more mild that those observed in a homozygous patient with a single amino acid deletion in the hTR beta gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Effect of administration of thyroxine on the risk of postpartum recurrence of hyperthyroid Graves' disease.

In our previous study, we reported that the administration of T4 to patients with Graves' disease who were under treatment with methimazole (MMI) decreased the level of antibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptors and the rate of recurrence of hyperthyroidism. In this study, the effect of T4 administration on the rate of postpartum recurrence of hyperthyroidism was examined. Seventy-eight patients with Graves' disease had been treated with MMI for 1-3 yr before pregnancy, and MMI was discontinued 5-6 months after the onset of pregnancy because the levels of antibodies to TSH receptors decreased during early pregnancy. The patients were then divided into two groups. Group A (n = 40) was given T4 (100 micrograms/day) and group B (n = 38) was not given any drugs from 5 months after the onset of pregnancy until 1 yr after delivery. The levels of the antibodies to TSH receptors and serum concentrations of thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) and T4 were not different between the two groups before and during pregnancy, although a transient increase in serum T4 and TBG concentrations were observed during the pregnancy in both groups. After delivery, levels of antibodies to TSH receptors increased in both groups. The rate of increase, however, was more rapid in group B than in group A. The levels were significantly higher in group B than A at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after delivery. Serum T4 and TBG concentrations decreased after delivery in both groups. Serum concentrations of T4 increased after delivery in group B but not in group A. The concentration of T4 was significantly higher in group B than in group A at 9 and 12 months after delivery. Postpartum recurrence of hyperthyroidism was 5.0% in group A and 31.6% in group B, respectively, during the first year after delivery. These results suggest that administration of T4 during pregnancy and after delivery is effective in decreasing the level of antibodies to TSH receptors and to prevent the postpartum recurrence of hyperthyroidism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Recognition of a 56 kDa protein in partially purified rat hepatic nuclear thyroid hormone receptor by anti-human c-erb A beta antibody.

Human beta thyroid hormone receptor (c-erb A beta protein) produced by an Escherichia coli expression system was purified by sequential column chromatography followed by electroelution from an electrophoresis gel and an antibody was prepared. The antibody recognized a 56 kDa protein band in a partially purified rat hepatic nuclear thyroid hormone receptor fraction on Western blotting. Although multiple bands appeared on Western blotting of crude rat hepatic receptor preparations, a 56 kDa band was the most prominent and preadsorption of the antibody by purified c-erb A protein resulted in almost complete disappearance of the 56 kDa band, indicating that the 56 kDa band was formed by a specific antigen-antibody interaction. Furthermore, the 56 kDa protein appeared to co-elute with 3, 5, 3'-triiodo-L-thyronine binding activity in hydroxylapatite, Sephacryl S-200, and DNA-cellulose column chromatography of rat hepatic nuclear receptor, and sequential column purification resulted in selective enrichment of the 56 kDa band. These results suggest that the 56 kDa protein may be the major component of the rat hepatic thyroid hormone receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Phosphorylation of CRE-BP1, a cyclic AMP response element binding protein, by protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

CRE-BP1 is a transcriptional activator binding to the cyclic AMP response element, which has a putative metal finger structure and the leucine zipper motif linked to a cluster of basic amino acids in the amino and carboxyl-terminal regions, respectively. The activities of a number of transcription factors are known to be controlled through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. At the first step for understanding of the regulation of CRE-BP1, phosphorylation of CRE-BP1 was studied in vitro. The human recombinant CRE-BP1 was phosphorylated by protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. These two protein kinases recognized distinct seryl residues of CRE-BP1. Amino acid sequence analysis after phosphopeptide map indicated that two seryl residues, Ser-340 and Ser-367, located in the basic region of CRE-BP1 were identified as the major protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, whereas Ser-62 downstream of the metal finger structure was determined as the phosphorylation site by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. The phosphorylation of CRE-BP1 by these two protein kinases may regulate the function of this transcriptional activator protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Antitumor activity of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor in combination with hyperthermia against heterotransplanted human prostatic carcinoma and its lymph node metastasis in nude mice.

The antitumor activity of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rhTNF) against heterotransplanted human prostatic carcinoma (PC-3) and spontaneous lymphatic tumor metastasis was studied in vivo. The spontaneous lymphatic metastasis of PC-3 tumor was found in approximately 50% of cases. Significant antitumor activity was observed with repeated intratumoral administration of a large dose of rhTNF, not only on the subcutaneous tumor xenografts but also on the lymph node metastases. Strong antitumor activity could be achieved even with the intratumoral administration of a small dose of rhTNF in combination with mild hyperthermia on either the transplanted tumors or on the metastatic tumors.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1991

Phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein, CRE-BP1, by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C.

The human recombinant CRE-BP1 was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C, in vitro. These two protein kinases modified distinct serine residues of CRE-BP1. Ser-62 downstream of a putative metal finger structure of CRE-BP1 was the phosphorylation site by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, whereas two serine residues, Ser-340 and Ser-367, located in the basic region of this protein were the major protein kinase C phosphorylation sites. It seems possible that transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of CRE-BP1 are regulated by phosphorylation with these protein kinases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Administration of thyroxine in treated Graves' disease. Effects on the level of antibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone receptors and on the risk of recurrence of hyperthyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Antibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptors that stimulate the thyroid gland cause hyperthyroidism in patients with Graves' disease, and their production during antithyroid drug treatment is an important determinant of the course of the disease. One factor that might contribute to the persistent production of antibodies to TSH receptors is stimulation of the release of thyroid antigens by TSH during antithyroid drug therapy. We therefore studied the effect of the suppression of TSH secretion by thyroxine on the levels of antibodies to TSH receptors after thyroid hormone secretion had been normalized by methimazole. METHODS AND RESULTS: The levels of antibodies to TSH receptors were measured during treatment with methimazole, either alone or in combination with thyroxine, in 109 patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease. The patients first received 30 mg of methimazole daily for six months. All were euthyroid after six months, and their mean (+/- SD) level of antibodies to TSH receptors decreased from 64 +/- 9 percent to 25 +/- 15 percent (P less than 0.01; normal, 2.9 +/- 1.4 percent). Sixty patients then received 100 micrograms of thyroxine and 10 mg of methimazole and 49 received placebo and 10 mg of methimazole daily for one year. In the thyroxine-treated group, the mean serum thyroxine concentration increased from 108 +/- 16 nmol per liter to 145 +/- 11 nmol per liter (P less than 0.01), and the level of antibodies to TSH receptors decreased from 28 +/- 10 percent to 10 +/- 3 percent after one month of combination therapy. In the patients who received placebo and methimazole, the mean serum thyroxine concentration decreased and the level of antibodies to TSH receptors did not change. Methimazole, but not thyroxine or placebo, was discontinued in each group 1 1/2 years after the beginning of treatment. The level of antibodies to TSH receptors further decreased (from 6.6 +/- 3.2 percent at the time methimazole was discontinued to 2.1 +/- 1.2 percent one year later) in the patients who continued to receive thyroxine, but it increased (from 9.1 +/- 4.8 percent to 17.3 +/- 5.8 percent during the same period) in the patients who received placebo. One patient in the thyroxine-treated group (1.7 percent) and 17 patients in the placebo group (34.7 percent) had recurrences of hyperthyroidism within three years after the discontinuation of methimazole. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of thyroxine during antithyroid drug treatment decreases both the production of antibodies to TSH receptors and the frequency of recurrence of hyperthyroidism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Screening of nineteen unrelated families with generalized resistance to thyroid hormone for known point mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene and the detection of a new mutation.

Generalized resistance to thyroid hormone (GRTH) is a syndrome characterized by impaired tissue responsiveness to thyroid hormone. Two distinct point mutations in the hormone binding domain of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) beta have recently been identified in two unrelated families with GRTH. One, Mf, involves a replacement of the normal glycine-345 for arginine in exon 7 and another, Mh, replaces the normal proline-453 for histidine in exon 8. To probe for the presence of the Mf and Mh defect in 19 unrelated families with GRTH, we applied separate polymerase chain reactions using allele-specific oligonucleotide primers containing the normal and each of the two mutant nucleotides at the 3'-position. A total of 24 affected subjects and 13 normal family members were studied. The mode of inheritance was dominant in 13 families, was unknown in 5 families, and was clearly recessive in 1 family in which only the consanguineous subjects were affected. Primers containing the substitutions specific for Mf and Mh amplified exons 7 and 8, respectively, only in affected members of each of the two index families. Primers containing the normal sequences amplified exons 7 and 8 of the TR beta gene in all subjects except affected members of one family. In this family with recessively inherited GRTH, neither exon could be amplified using any combinations of primers and DNA blot revealed absence of all coding exons. These results indicate a major deletion of the TR beta gene, including both DNA and hormone binding domains. Since heterozygous members of this family are not affected, the presence of a single normal allele is sufficient for normal function of the TR beta. These data also support the hypothesis that in the dominant mode of GRTH inheritance the presence of an abnormal TR beta interferes with the function of the normal TR beta. Distinct mutations are probably responsible for GRTH in unrelated families.

Alleles↗
PubMed1991

Effects of zinc and other divalent metals on deoxyribonucleic acid binding and hormone-binding activity of human alpha 1 thyroid hormone receptor expressed in Escherichia coli.

Full-length human thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 (hTR alpha 1) was expressed in Escherichia coli using a T7 expression system. While present in large amounts, the receptor was highly enriched in the insoluble fraction after cell lysis. We describe here the successful solubilization and refolding of the expressed receptor in a functional form in the presence of Zn2+. Using a DNA-cellulose binding assay and gel shift assay, we found that treatment of expressed receptor with 1 mM EDTA in the denaturing agent (5 M guanidine-HCl) results in the formation of aporeceptor that does not specifically recognize target DNA, while it does retain T3-binding activity. This aporeceptor recovered DNA-binding activity by adding Zn2+ during refolding. Zinc-induced restoration of DNA-binding activity occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, once recovered, this DNA-binding activity persisted without Zn2+, even in the presence of 1 mM EDTA. These data indicate that the hTR alpha 1 molecule has a high affinity for Zn2+, and this metal coordination is essential for proper folding of TR protein into its native active structure.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Dipole tracing method analysis for source of auditory brainstem response (wave V) in two normal hearing subjects].

The location and vector moment of the equivalent current dipoles of ABR (wave V) evoked by unilateral acoustic stimuli were estimated in normal adults with the Dipole Tracing (DT) Method. The ABR's were recorded through 21 electrodes arranged according to the international 10-20 standard. The DT method is based on a realistic head shape with uniform volume conductor and individual differences of the skull were corrected for afterwards. The 3-D dipole locations were plotted on the cross-sectional MRI data of the subject. As a result the dipole of the wave V of auditory brainstem responses was found near the contralateral midbrain.

Acoustic Stimulation↗