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Biomedical subjects

Chikahisa Higuchi

Publications and source records attributed to Chikahisa Higuchi.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Myxoid liposarcoma with adipocytic maturation: detection of TLS/CHOP fusion gene transcript.

This report describes a 49-year-old woman with a well-circumscribed nodule of liposarcoma. The patient noticed a soft, slowly growing mass at the right sural region. Both axial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a soft tissue tumor consisting of nonfatty lesion measuring 5 x 3 x 3 cm circumscribed by a 1-cm thickened fatty area. Histologically, the tumor was made of 2 distinct components: the inner component of the tumor was a classic myxoid liposarcoma with numerous lipoblasts; the outer component was a lipoma-like lesion consisting of mature adipocytes without atypical nuclei. Immunohistochemically, MDM2 overexpression was observed and p53 immunophenotype was negative in both components. Molecular analysis revealed that type 1 TLS/ CHOP fusion gene transcript, characteristic of myxoid/round cell liposarcoma, was detected in both areas.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2002

A novel anti-rheumatic drug, T-614, stimulates osteoblastic differentiation in vitro and bone morphogenetic protein-2-induced bone formation in vivo.

T-614 (N-[3-(formylamino)-4-oxo-6-phenoxy-4H-chromen-7-yl]methanesulfonamide), a newly developed anti-rheumatic drug under clinical trial, is an anti-inflammatory agent which has been reported to show the inhibitory effect of bone destruction in vivo arthritis model. We found that T-614 stimulated osteoblastic differentiation of stromal cell line (ST2) and preosteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1) in the presence or absence of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). Calcium content of mineralized nodules was 14-fold elevated by the addition of T-614 in the presence of rhBMP-2 in ST2 but not MC3T3-E1. Oral administration of T-614 to mice also promoted rhBMP-2 induced bone formation in vivo. Northern blot analysis showed that transcriptional level of osterix, an essential transcription factor for osteoblastic differentiation, was 3-fold increased by T-614 with rhBMP-2 in ST2. Taken together, these results suggested that T-614 possessed anabolic effects on bone metabolism, besides suppressor of bone resorption, by increased expression of osterix.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed2002

Continuous inhibition of MAPK signaling promotes the early osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization of the extracellular matrix.

We screened the small molecule compounds that stimulate osteogenesis by themselves or promote bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced bone formation. We found that a specific inhibitor for MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK)-1, promoted the early osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization of extracellular matrix (ECM) in C2Cl2 pluripotent mesenchymal cells treated with recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) and MC3T3-E1 preosteoblastic cells. ALP activity was synergistically increased by the treatment with a specific MEK-1 inhibitor PD98059 and rhBMP-2 in both cell lines. Twenty-five micromolar PD98059 promoted mineralization of ECM in rhBMP-2-treated C2Cl2 cells and MC3T3-E1 cells. In contrast, PD98059 reduced osteocalcin (OCN) secretion and its transcriptional level in rhBMP-2-treated C2Cl2 cells but increased its secretion and mRNA level in MC3T3-E1 cells. Stable expression of a dominant-negative MEK-1 mutant in C2Cl2 cells represented high ALP activity and low osteocalcin production in the presence of rhBMP-2, while a constitutively active mutant of MEK-1 attenuated both of them. Together, our results indicated that BMP-2-induced mineralization of ECM of pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells and preosteoblastic cells could be controlled by a fine tuning of the MAPK signaling pathway. Further, MEK-1 inhibitors would be useful for the promotion of bone formation, for instance, the treatments for delayed fracture healing or advance of localized osteoporotic change after fracture healing.

Animals↗