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Biomedical subjects

H Fujisaki

Publications and source records attributed to H Fujisaki.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Endothelin ETA receptor antagonist blocks cardiac hypertrophy provoked by hemodynamic overload.

BACKGROUND: We have recently shown that angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy of cultured rat cardiomyocytes was partially blocked by an endothelin (ET) receptor antagonist (BQ123) selective for the ETA subtype, suggesting the possible involvement of endogenous ET-1 in the mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy in vitro. In the present study, we studied the in vivo blockade effects of BQ123 on cardiac hypertrophy provoked by left ventricular overload with aortic banding in adult rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty rats were divided into four groups: (1) sham-operated rats without BQ123 administration, (2) rats with aortic banding without BQ123 administration, (3) sham-operated rats with BQ123 administration, and (4) rats with aortic banding with BQ123 administration. BQ123 (250 micrograms/h) was administered continuously by an osmotic pump starting 24 hours before operation. BQ123 blocked increases in the ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight and in the diameter of cardiomyocytes provoked by aortic banding at 1 week, but those blockade actions were no longer observed at 2 weeks. Skeletal alpha-actin and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) mRNA in the left ventricle, transcriptional markers for cardiac hypertrophy, significantly increased in the rats with aortic banding at 1 week and 2 weeks. In the rats with BQ123 administration, despite the hemodynamic overload, skeletal alpha-actin and ANP mRNA in the left ventricle remained at the control levels at 1 week; however, those blockade actions were abolished at 2 weeks. Plasma ET-1 levels increased after aortic banding, peaking at 24 hours, then returned to the basal level at 4 days. Prepro-ET-1 mRNA levels in the left ventricle also increased 24 hours after aortic banding, then declined to the basal level at 4 days. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that endogenous ET-1 synthesized in the cardiovascular system plays a role in the mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy during the early phase of pressure overload in vivo.

Actins↗

Strychnine and brucine as the potent inducers of drug metabolizing enzymes in rat liver: different profiles from phenobarbital on the induction of cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase.

The inducing activities of two alkaloids, strychnine and brucine, on the hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes were studied in rats. Administration of strychnine in the drinking water to rats significantly increased the hepatic microsomal activities of benzphetamine N-demethylation, strychnine 2-hydroxylation and testosterone hydroxylations at positions 16 alpha and 16 beta. These results together with that of immunostaining of microsomal proteins revealed that strychnine is a potent inducer of CYP2B1 and 2B2. The comparable induction of CYP2B1/2 was observed by brucine treatment with less toxic effect. Although this inducer increased CYP2B cytochrome P450s (P450s) to the maximum levels after 4 consecutive days of administration, the maximal increase by strychnine was attained after 3 days of administration. Immunoblotting experiment suggested that significant proteolysis of CYP2B1 occurs during treatment by strychnine and brucine. These alkaloids exhibited no ability to induce the activities of testosterone hydroxylations at positions 2 alpha, 6 beta and 7 alpha, benzo[a]pyrene 3-hydroxylation and aniline hydroxylation. In addition to the CYP2B P450, strychnine and brucine induced glutathione S-transferase toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase toward 4-nitrophenol. On the other hand, the glucuronidations of 4-hydroxybiphenyl and morphine were not enhanced by alkaloid treatments. These results indicated that strychnine and brucine cause phenobarbital-like induction of the P450 enzyme, but show a different profile from phenobarbital in the induction of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase.

Animals↗

Picrotoxin as a potent inducer of rat hepatic cytochrome P450, CYP2B1 and CYP2B2.

The induction by the central stimulant picrotoxin of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes was studied in rats. The hepatic content of P450 and the activity of benzphetamine N-demethylation increased gradually after administration of picrotoxin dissolved in drinking water (2 mg/mL), to three-times higher levels than the initial values at the third day of treatment. The increase in benzphetamine N-demethylase activity by picrotoxin was somewhat higher than the increase produced by phenobarbital. Supporting these results, immunoblot analysis showed that CYP2B1 and 2B2 proteins in the liver microsomes were increased by picrotoxin Picrotoxinin and picrotin, which are components of the picrotoxin molecule, had the same ability to induce the hepatic activity of benzphetamine N-demethylation. The liver microsomal activities of testosterone 16 alpha- and 16 beta-hydroxylation were enhanced significantly after treatment with picrotoxinin and picrotin. However, benzo[a]pyrene 3-hydroxylation, aniline 4-hydroxylation, and testosterone hydroxylations at the 2 alpha- and 7 alpha-positions were not increased by picrotoxinin and picrotin treatment. In addition to monooxygenase, significant induction of glutathione S-transferase activity for 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity for 4-hydroxybiphenyl and 4-nitrophenol was also observed by pretreatment of picrotoxin. These results clearly indicate that picrotoxin is an inducer of phenobarbital-inducible liver enzymes.

Animals↗

[Inhibitory action of E3810 on H+,K(+)-ATPase and gastric acid secretion in vitro].

The inhibitory action of (+-)-sodium 2-[(4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methylpyridine-2-yl) methylsulfinyl]-1H- benzimidazole (E3810) on H+,K(+)-ATPase and gastric acid secretion in vitro was investigated, and it was compared with those of omeprazole (OPZ). E3810 concentration-dependently inhibited the H+,K(+)-ATPase activity of hog gastric vesicles. Its IC50 was 0.26 microM at pH 6.1. The inhibition was irreversible in nature and reversed by dithiothreitol. The potency of E3810 was 10-times that of omeprazole. Acidification of the intravesicular (luminal) space increased 1000-fold the potency of E3810, indicating that E3810 is a specific inhibitor which binds to the luminal cysteine residue of H+,K(+)-ATPase. Prolonged incubation of up to 180 min in the absence of thiol reagents of rabbit gastric glands which had been inhibited by a low concentration of E3810 (0.3 and 0.5 microM) time-dependently and completely reversed the inhibition, as determined by aminopyrine uptake, whereas it did not recover the acid secretion in omeprazole-treated glands. These results suggest that the acid-activated E3810 is a potent specific inhibitor of H+,K(+)-ATPase, and that the duration of the inhibitory action of E3810 is much shorter than that of omeprazole in isolated gastric glands.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Inhibitions of acid secretion by E3810 and omeprazole, and their reversal by glutathione.

A substituted benzimidazole ([4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methylpyridine-2-yl]methylsulfinyl)- 1H-benzimidazole sodium salt (E3810), is a gastric proton pump (H+, K(+)-ATPase) inhibitor. E3810 and omeprazole inhibited acid accumulation dose dependently as measured with aminopyrine uptake in isolated rabbit gastric glands, their IC50 values being 0.16 and 0.36 microM, respectively. The addition of exogenous reduced glutathione (GSH) to the gland suspension reactivated dose dependently the acid secretion which had been inhibited by 2 microM E3810 or omeprazole as a function of the incubation time. Furthermore, GSH at 1 and 3 mM reversed the antisecretory effect of E3810 more quickly than it did that of omeprazole. The antisecretory effect of E3810 was slightly greater than that of omeprazole in histamine-stimulated fistula dogs in vivo. The duration of the antisecretory activity of E3810 at concentrations of 2 and 4 mg/kg was shorter than that of omeprazole at the same concentrations in pentagastrin-stimulated fistula dogs. The reversal of the antisecretory activity of the inhibitors in dogs is suggested to be due to the action of endogenous extracellular GSH, in addition to de novo synthesis of the proton pump, because bullfrog gastric mucosae were found in the present study to secrete GSH into the mucosal solution at the rate of about 0.25 nmol/min/g tissue.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

The potency of substituted benzimidazoles such as E3810, omeprazole, Ro 18-5364 to inhibit gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase is correlatedwith the rate of acid-activation of the inhibitor.

The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of substituted benzimidazoles for the H+, K(+)-ATPase in hog gastric vesicles were measured by using the pyruvate kinase-lactate dehydrogenase-linked system in which hydrolysis of ATP was coupled with the oxidation of NADH. The vesicles were incubated in a solution containing a high concentration of KCl, valinomycin and Mg-ATP, and the intravesicular medium was acidified. The inhibitor was activated in the acidic medium and reacted with SH groups on the luminal (intravesicular) side of the ATPase. The active compound formed in the extravesicular medium (pH 6.11) was quenched by GSH. Under these conditions, IC50 of new compound E3810, 2[(4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methylpyridine-2-yl)methyl-sulfinyl]-1H- benzimidazole sodium salt, was 0.072 microM and that of omeprazole was 0.47 microM at 25 degrees. On the other hand, the rates of formation of active compounds, tetracyclic sulfenamide derivatives, from original substituted benzimidazoles in 0.1 N HCl (k) were determined by measuring optical density at the characteristic wavelengths of the active compounds. There was a good correlation between IC50 and k for various substituted benzimidazoles including E3810, methoxy derivative of E3810, omeprazole, Ro 18-5364, H compound, picoprazole and timoprazole. This fact suggest that the rate of the formation of the acid-activated compound is a main factor determining the potency of the inhibitor.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Extensive purification from Acanthamoeba castellanii of a microtubule-dependent translocator with microtubule-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity.

A protein which supported MgATP-dependent movement of latex beads from the minus to the plus end of microtubules and which had microtubule-activated Mg2+-ATPase was purified from Acanthamoeba castellanii. At concentrations as low as 0.6 micrograms ml-1, the translocator supported movement of beads at a rate of 3 to 4 micron s-1. The translocator protein had a Ca2+-ATPase activity of 1.7 mumol min-1 mg-1 and a Mg2+-ATPase activity of about 0.03 mumol min-1 mg-1 in the absence of microtubules. The Mg2+-ATPase in the presence of microtubules had a Vmax of 3.4 mumol min-1 mg-1; half-maximal Mg2+-ATPase activity required only 0.45 microM microtubules (concentration of dimer subunits). The highly purified native protein had a Stokes radius of 8.5 nm, and three polypeptides of Mr 134,000, 139,000, and 147,000 were associated with the fractions that had maximum translocator and ATPase activities.

Acanthamoeba↗

Purification and characterization of an ATP-sensitive actin gelation protein from Acanthamoeba castellanii.

A protein which cross-links actin filaments in a nucleotide-sensitive manner has been purified to homogeneity from Acanthamoeba castellanii. This protein, GF-210, is a slightly asymmetric molecule composed of six subunits, each with an apparent mass of 35,000 Da. As determined by the method of falling ball vicometry, GF-210 was shown to cross-link actin filaments at hexamer:actin molar ratios of 1:500, with gelation occurring at molar ratios of 1:300 and higher. Actin gels did not form in the presence of 10 microM ATP, and filament cross-linking was completely inhibited by 100 microM ATP. Although ATP was the most effective inhibitor of actin filament cross-linking, other phospho-compounds including ADP, GTP, sodium phosphate, and sodium pyrophosphate prevented gelation at concentrations lower than 1.5 mM. In contrast, 50 mM KCl was required to inhibit the formation of actin networks. Direct binding studies showed that GF-210 binds to F-actin with a KD of 1.2 microM in the absence of ATP but with a KD of 72.8 microM in the presence of 2 mM ATP. This weakening of the interaction between F-actin and GF-210 may explain the inhibition of GF-210-induced actin cross-linking by nucleotides and other phospho-compounds.

Actins↗

ATPase activities and actin-binding properties of subfragments of Acanthamoeba myosin IA.

Previous studies had led to the conclusion that the globular, single-headed myosins IA and IB from Acanthamoeba castellanii contain two actin-binding sites: one associated with the catalytic site and whose binding to F-actin activates the Mg2+-ATPase activity and a second site whose binding results in the cross-linking of actin filaments and makes the actin-activated ATPase activity positively cooperative with respect to myosin I concentration. We have now prepared a 100,000-Da NH2-terminal peptide and a 30,000-Da COOH-terminal peptide by alpha-chymotryptic digestion of the myosin IA heavy chain. The intact 17,000-Da light chain remained associated with the 100,000-Da fragment, which also contained the serine residue that must be phosphorylated for expression of actin-activated ATPase activity by native myosin IA. The 30,000-Da peptide, which contained 34% glycine and 21% proline, bound to F-actin with a KD less than 0.5 microM in the presence or absence of ATP but had no ATPase activity. The 100,000-Da peptide bound to F-actin with KD = 0.4-0.8 microM in the presence of 2 mM MgATP and KD less than 0.01 microM in the absence of MgATP. In contrast to native myosin IA, neither peptide cross-linked actin filaments. The phosphorylated 100,000-Da peptide had actin-activated ATPase activity with the same Vmax as that of native phosphorylated myosin IA but this activity displayed simple, noncooperative hyperbolic dependence on the actin concentration in contrast to the complex cooperative kinetics observed with native myosin IA. These results provide direct experimental evidence for the presence of two actin-binding sites on myosin IA, as was suggested by enzyme kinetic and filament cross-linking data, and also for the previously proposed mechanism by which monomeric myosins I could support contractile activities.

Actins↗

Regulation of the actin-activated ATPase activity of Acanthamoeba myosin I by cross-linking actin filaments.

The actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity of phosphorylated Acanthamoeba myosin I was previously shown to be cooperatively dependent on the myosin concentration (Albanesi, J. P., Fujisaki, H., and Korn, E. D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11174-11179). This observation was rationalized by assuming that myosin I contains a high-affinity and a low-affinity F-actin-binding site and that binding at the low-affinity site is responsible for the actin-activated ATPase activity. Therefore, enzymatic activity would correlate with the cross-linking of actin filaments by myosin I, and the cooperative increase in specific activity at high myosin:actin ratios would result from the fact that cross-linking by one myosin molecule would increase the effective F-actin concentration for neighboring myosin molecules. This model predicts that high specific activity should occur at myosin:actin ratios below that required for cooperative interactions if the actin filaments are cross-linked by catalytically inert cross-linking proteins. This prediction has been confirmed by cross-linking actin filaments with either of three gelation factors isolated from Acanthamoeba, one of which has not been previously described, or by enzymatically inactive unphosphorylated Acanthamoeba myosin I.

Actins↗

[Cardiac function noninvasively evaluated by phasic pattern analysis of ventricular power during ejection].

To evaluate cardiac function, ventricular power during ejection (power) and the rate of change of power (dPower/dt) were assessed noninvasively. Power was determined from the product of aortic flow (Fa(t] and brachial arterial pressure (Pa(t]. Fa(t) was measured at the suprasternal notch using an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler flowmeter with a 2 MHz carrier frequency and 10 KHz repetition frequency. The maximum detectable blood velocity was 380 cm/sec. Pa(t) was measured using a newly-developed method based on indirect unloading techniques and an air pressure system. There were 21 normal subjects and seven patients with coronary artery disease in this study. The following results were obtained. There was no significant difference between power patterns calculated by Pa(t) and Pao(t) (aortic pressure measured by catheter). The average peak dPower/dt was 160.2 J/sec2 in normal subjects, 145.2 L/sec2 in patients with ejection fractions greater than 50%, and 93.5 J/sec2 in patients with ejection fraction less than 50%. Peak dPower/dt was significantly decreased in patients with the lower ejection fraction (p less than 0.005). The results indicated that this index is clinically useful in evaluating cardiac contractility.

Adult↗

Effect of actin filament length and filament number concentration on the actin-activated ATPase activity of Acanthamoeba myosin I.

The actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activities of phosphorylated Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB were previously found to have a highly cooperative dependence on myosin concentration (Albanesi, J. P., Fujisaki, H., and Korn, E. D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11174-11179). This behavior is reflected in the requirement for a higher concentration of F-actin for half-maximal activation of the myosin Mg2+-ATPase at low ratios of myosin:actin (noncooperative phase) than at high ratios of myosin:actin (cooperative phase). These phenomena could be explained by a model in which each molecule of the nonfilamentous myosins IA and IB contains two F-actin-binding sites of different affinities with binding of the lower affinity site being required for expression of actin-activated ATPase activity. Thus, enzymatic activity would coincide with cross-linking of actin filaments by myosin. This theoretical model predicts that shortening the actin filaments and increasing their number concentration at constant total F-actin should increase the myosin concentration required to obtain the cooperative increase in activity and should decrease the F-actin concentration required to reach half-maximal activity at low myosin:actin ratios. These predictions have been experimentally confirmed by shortening actin filaments by addition of plasma gelsolin, an F-actin capping/severing protein. In addition, we have found that actin "filaments" as short as the 1:2 gelsolin-actin complex can significantly activate Acanthamoeba myosin I.

Actins↗

A kinetic model for the molecular basis of the contractile activity of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB.

Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB are single-headed, monomeric molecules consisting of one heavy chain and one light chain. Both have high actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity, when the heavy chain is phosphorylated, but neither seems to be able to form the bipolar filaments that are generally thought to be required for actomyosin-dependent contractility. In this paper, we show that, at fixed F-actin concentration, the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activities of myosins IA and IB increase about 5-fold in specific activity in a cooperative manner as the myosin concentration is increased. The myosin concentration range over which this cooperative change occurs depends on the actin concentration. More myosin I is required for the cooperative increase in activity at high concentrations of F-actin. The cooperative increase in specific activity at limiting actin concentrations is caused by a decrease in the KATPase for F-actin. The high and low KATPase states of the myosin have about the same Vmax at infinite actin concentration. Both myosins are completely bound to the F-actin long before the Vmax values are reached. Therefore, much of the actin activation must be the result of interactions between F-actin and actomyosin. These kinetic data can be explained by a model in which the cooperative shift of myosin I from the high KATPase to the low KATPase state results from the cross-linking of actin filaments by myosin I. Cross-linking might occur either through two actin-binding sites on a single molecule or by dimers or oligomers of myosin I induced to form by the interaction of myosin I monomers with the actin filaments. The ability of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB to cross-link actin filaments is demonstrated in the accompanying paper (Fujisaki, H., Albanesi, J.P., and Korn, E.D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11183-11189).

Actins↗

Experimental evidence for the contractile activities of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB.

The low-shear viscosity of 5-30 microM F-actin was greatly increased by the addition of 0.1-0.5 microM unphosphorylated Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB. The increase in viscosity was about the same in 2 mM ADP as in the absence of free nucleotide but was much less in 2 mM ATP. The single-headed monomolecular Acanthamoeba myosins were as effective as an equal molar concentration of two-headed muscle heavy meromyosin and much more effective than single-headed muscle myosin subfragment-1. These results suggest that Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB can cross-link actin filaments as proposed in the accompanying paper (Albanesi, J. P., Fujisaki, H., and Korn, E. D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11174-11179) to explain the actin-dependent cooperative increase in actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity as a function of the concentration of myosin I. Superprecipitation occurred when phosphorylated myosin IA or IB was mixed with F-actin. In addition to myosin I heavy chain phosphorylation, superprecipitation required Mg2+ and ATP. ATP hydrolysis was linear during the time course of the superprecipitation, and inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis inhibited superprecipitation. A small, dense contracted gel was formed when the reaction was carried out in a cuvette, and a birefringent actomyosin thread resulted from superprecipitation in a microcapillary. The rate and extent of superprecipitation depended on the actin and myosin I concentrations with maximum superprecipitation occurring at an actin:myosin ratio of 7:1. These results provide strong evidence for the ability of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB to perform contractile and motile functions.

Actins↗

Monomeric Acanthamoeba myosins I support movement in vitro.

Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB were found to have molecular weights of 159,000 and 150,000 and Stokes radii of 6.2 and 5.9 nm, respectively. Both enzymes have frictional ratios of 1.7. Myosin IA consists of 22% alpha-helix, 32% beta-structure, and 46% unordered structure, while myosin IB is 16% alpha-helix, 46% beta-structure, and 38% unordered. Both myosins remain monomolecular under conditions in which other myosins form filaments. Beads coated with myosin IA or IB move unidirectionally on actin cables of Nitella. Movement requires ATP and phosphorylation of the myosin I heavy chain which is also required for actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity. Movement is inhibited by myosin I antiserum that inhibits actin-activated ATPase activity. These studies establish that these nonfilamentous, monomolecular myosins with single heavy chains of 130,000 and 125,000 daltons (IA and IB, respectively) can support actin-dependent movement analogous to that supported by filamentous myosins.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Effect of secretin on stress-induced gastric bleeding in rats.

The effect of secretin on gastric bleeding induced by water (20 degrees C) immersion stress was studied by means of either perfusion of hydrochloric acid (0.13 N) or instillation of hydrochloric acid solution (0.4 N) into the rat stomach. When the stomach was perfused with acid solution, gastric bleeding occurred 20 min after the stress of water immersion and the amount of bleeding increased with time. It was found that integrated amounts of gastric bleeding after stress were more significantly decreased in the secretin-treated group (7.5 clinical units/kg/hr) than the saline control. On the other hand, intraduodenal administration of cimetidine (100 mg/kg) or propantheline (30 mg/kg) did not affect gastric bleeding. It was also revealed that the total amount of glycoprotein in the 4-hr perfusate was decreased 30% by the water immersion, but that secretin treatment prevented the 30% decrease in glycoprotein in the perfusate. In experiments on intragastric instillation of hydrochloric acid solution, it was found that gastric bleeding was seen only when the concentration of hydrochloric acid solution was higher than 0.4 N. However, the bleeding was also significantly prevented by treatment with secretin (2.5 and 7.5 clinical units/kg/hr). In conclusion, secretin prevents stress-induced gastric bleeding at least in part by increasing glycoprotein secretion in the gastric mucosa in the rat.

Animals↗