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Biomedical subjects

H Okuda

Publications and source records attributed to H Okuda.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Cytokines accumulated in acquired renal cysts in long-term hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines play a pivotal role in growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we measured cytokine content in the renal cyst fluid of patients with acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) in order to elucidate the possibility that cytokines are related to the development of ACDK. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All or some of 15 cytokines, IL-1a, -1b, -2, -4, -5, -6, -8, -10, IFN-alpha, -gamma, G-, M-, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed in cyst fluid and serum of 12 patients on hemodialysis (HD) including 8 with ACDK and 8 with normally functioning kidneys by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Out of these cytokines, only IL-6, -8, M-CSF, and VEGF were detected in the cyst fluid of patients with ACDK. Moreover, IL-6, -8, and VEGF showed significantly higher concentrations in the cyst fluid than in the blood (194.9 +/- 90.9 vs. 0.0 +/- 0.0 pg/ml, 2,377. 5 +/- 602.9 vs. 0.0 +/- 0.0 pg/ml, 5,167.8 +/- 1,316.9 vs. 41.1 +/- 14.7 pg/ml, respectively), while M-CSF showed comparable concentrations in the cyst fluid with those in the blood (3,519.4 +/- 730.0 vs. 3,250.3 +/- 319.1 pg/ml, p = 0.69). Additionally, IL-6, -8, and VEGF accumulated more abundantly in the cyst fluid of patients with ACDK than in that of patients with other cystic nephropathies including ADPKD patients on HD (194.9 +/- 90.0 vs. 4.6 +/- 3.2 pg/ml, 2,377.5 +/- 602.9 vs. 76.8 +/- 46.5 pg/ml, 5,167.8 +/- 1,316.9 vs. 131.1 +/- 63.1 pg/ml, respectively). However, there was no significant correlation between the intracystic concentrations of these cytokines and the corresponding cyst diameters. CONCLUSION: These results showed that in ACDK patients a local environment exists in which production or accumulation of certain cytokines is selectively enhanced compared with patients with other cystic nephropathies. They imply that these cytokines are closely related to pathogenesis particular to ACDK.

Adult↗

Antitumour activity and side effects of combined treatment with chitosan and cisplatin in sarcoma 180-bearing mice.

We examined the possible modulation by chitosan of the antitumour effects and side effects of cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum, CDDP). The study showed that CDDP had potent antitumour activity when administered orally as well as intraperitoneally. We also compared the antitumour activity and side effects of orally administered CDDP plus orally administered chitosan versus intraperitoneally administered CDDP plus orally administered chitosan in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. When CDDP (1.25 mgkg(-1) x 2 day(-1)) was intraperitoneally administered to sarcoma 180-bearing mice, myelotoxicity (the reduction of leucocyte and platelet numbers), nephrotoxicity (the increase of blood nitrogen urea level), immunotoxicity (the reduction of spleen and thymus weight) and a reduction in body weight resulted. These intraperitoneally administered CDDP-induced side effects were not prevented by oral administration of chitosan (150 mgkg(-1) x 2 day(-1) and 750 mgkg(-1) x 2 day(-1)) for 14 consecutive days. On the other hand, the side effects such as the reductions of body and spleen weights induced by orally administered CDDP (1.25 mgkg(-1) x 2 day(-1)) were prevented by the oral administration of chitosan (150 mgkg(-1) x 2 day(-1) and 750 mg kg(-1) x 2 day(-1)). From these results, we conclude that the orally administered chitosan plus CDDP might be useful for the prevention of body weight reduction and immunotoxicity (the reduction of spleen weight) induced by the orally administered CDDP without diminishing antitumour activity.

Administration, Oral↗

Effects of naturally occurring stilbene glucosides from medicinal plants and wine, on tumour growth and lung metastasis in Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice.

Stilbene glucosides are naturally occurring phytoalexins, found in a variety of medicinal plants. Among the stilbene derivatives, resveratrol 3-O-D-glucoside (piceid) is found in grapes and wine. We studied the effects of stilbene glucosides isolated from medicinal plants and grapes on tumour growth and lung metastasis in mice bearing highly metastatic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumours. We also studied the inhibitory effects of stilbene glucosides on differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to form a capillary network. Tumour growth in the right hind paw and lung metastasis were inhibited by oral administration of the stilbene glucosides, piceid and 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-D-glucoside for 33 consecutive days, in LLC-bearing mice. As the number of CD8+ and NK1.1+ T cells in the spleen was not affected, the inhibitory effects of these stilbene glucosides on tumour growth and lung metastasis could not be explained by natural killer or cytotoxic T lymphocyte activation. Piceid inhibited the DNA synthesis in LLC cells at a concentration of 1000 microM, but not at lower concentrations (10-100 microM). 2,3,5,4'-Tetra-hydroxystilbene-2-O-D-glucoside also inhibited DNA synthesis in LLC cells (IC50 81 microM). In addition, both stilbene glucosides inhibited the formation of capillary-like tube networks (angiogenesis) of HUVECs at concentrations of 100 to 1000 microM. We suggest that the antitumour and antimetastatic activity of the stilbene glucosides, piceid and 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-D-glucoside, might be due to the inhibition of DNA synthesis in LLC cells and angiogenesis of HUVECs.

Animals↗

Electrochemotherapy can eradicate established colorectal carcinoma and leaves a systemic protective memory in mice.

Mice bearing subcutaneously established colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were given intratumoral, intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of various doses of bleomycin (BLM), followed by the delivery of direct current, square wave electric pulses to the tumor. Approximately 50% of animals treated with electrochemotherapy with BLM had completely eradicated established CRC tumors. Importantly, it was shown that CRC-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes were elicited in the spleens of cured animals, resulting in the protection of the rechallenge with CRC. These results indicate that electrochemotherapy with BLM is promising for the treatment of metastatic CRC as well as the original lesion.

Animals↗

Mechanism of the stimulatory action of okadaic acid on lipolysis in rat fat cells.

Okadaic acid was found to induce concentration- and time-dependent lipolysis in rat fat cells in the absence of lipolytic hormones, but it did not significantly increase the total hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) activity in these fat cells, the activity of HSL extracted from fat layer and that of HSL in the supernatant of homogenized fat cells. Western blotting of fat cell homogenate fractions with an antiserum raised against synthetic peptide derived from rat HSL showed that HSL protein shifted from the supernatant to the fat layer in response to okadaic acid, which increased the HSL protein content on the fat layer and concomitantly reduced that of the supernatant, concentration- and time-dependently. Sonication of the fat cells abolished their responsiveness to okadaic acid. The lipolytic action of okadaic acid was examined and its site was identified using a cell-free system comprising lipid droplets isolated from rat fat cells and HSL. Okadaic acid induced lipolysis in this cell-free system and sonication of the lipid droplets caused disappearance of lipolytic action of okadaic acid. Okadaic acid failed to stimulate lipolysis in a cell-free system comprising HSL and artificial lipid droplets (trioleoylglycerol emulsified with gum arabic) instead of lipid droplets isolated from rat fat cells. These results suggest that okadaic acid does not increase the catalytic activity of HSL but induces translocation of HSL to the lipid droplets isolated from rat fat cells. The site of the lipolytic action of okadaic acid in relation to the interaction between HSL and lipid droplet is discussed.

Adipocytes↗

Prediction of in vivo drug-drug interactions based on mechanism-based inhibition from in vitro data: inhibition of 5-fluorouracil metabolism by (E)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)uracil.

The fatal drug-drug interaction between sorivudine, an antiviral drug, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been shown to be caused by a mechanism-based inhibition. In this interaction, sorivudine is converted by gut flora to (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil (BVU), which is metabolically activated by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and the activated BVU irreversibly binds to DPD itself, thereby inactivating it. In an attempt to predict this interaction in vivo from in vitro data, inhibition of 5-FU metabolism by BVU was investigated by using rat and human hepatic cytosol and human recombinant DPD. Whichever enzyme was used, increased inhibition was observed that depended on the preincubation time of BVU and enzyme in the presence of NADPH and BVU concentration. The kinetic parameters obtained for inactivation represented by k(inact) and K'(app) were 2.05 +/- 1.52 min(-1), 69.2 +/- 60.8 microM (rat hepatic cytosol), 2.39 +/- 0.13 min(-1), 48.6 +/- 11.8 microM (human hepatic cytosol), and 0.574 +/- 0.121 min(-1), 2.20 +/- 0.57 microM (human recombinant DPD). The drug-drug interaction in vivo was predicted quantitatively based on a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model, using pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from the literature and kinetic parameters for the enzyme inactivation obtained in the in vitro studies. In rats, DPD was predicted to be completely inactivated by administration of BVU and the area under the curve of 5-FU was predicted to increase 11-fold, which agreed well with the reported data. In humans, a 5-fold increase in the area under the curve of 5-FU was predicted after administration of sorivudine, 150 mg/day for 5 days. Mechanism-based inhibition of drug metabolism is supposed to be very dangerous. We propose that such in vitro studies should be carried out during the drug-developing phase so that in vivo drug-drug interactions can be predicted.

Adult↗

Mechanism-based inactivation of human dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase by (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil in the presence of NADPH.

Purified recombinant human dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (hDPD) was incubated with (14)C-labeled (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil ([(14)C]BVU) in the presence of NADPH to investigate a possible mechanism in the 18 patient deaths caused by interactions of 5-fluorouracil prodrugs with the new oral antiviral drug, sorivudine. BVU is formed from sorivudine by gut flora and absorbed through intestinal membrane. hDPD, a rate-limiting enzyme for the catabolism of 5-fluorouracil and endogenous pyrimidines in the human, was NADPH dependently radiolabeled and inactivated by [(14)C]BVU. Two radioactive tryptic fragments, I and II, isolated from radiolabeled hDPD were found by complete amino acid sequencing to originate from a common regional amino acid sequence located at positions 656 (Lys) to 678 (Arg) for I and positions 657 (Ser) to 678 (Arg) for II. However, only Cys(671), which should be present in the peptides, was not identified by amino acid sequencing. Mass spectrometric analysis of the tryptic fragments indicated that the sulfhydryl group of Cys(671) in the hDPD was modified with 5, 6-dihydro-5-(2-bromoethylydenyl)uracil (BEDU), a putative allyl bromide type of reactive molecule, to form a sulfide bond with loss of hydrogen bromide. The Cys(671) sulfide bearing the debrominated BEDU had a 5,6-dihydrouracil ring highly strained by the exocyclic double bond at the 5-position, so that it underwent facile hydrolytic ring fission with alkali and heated acid treatments. A new proposal is also made for the amino acid sequence of the pyrimidine-binding domain, including Cys(671), of DPD in the human and other species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[A case of emphysematous pyelonephritis improved with conservative therapy--indication for conservative therapy].

A 51-year-old female patient was hospitalized in our department with high fever and left flank pain. Laboratory examination showed leukocytosis, increase of C-reactive protein (CRP), hyperglycemia and renal insufficiency. Enterobacter aerogenes grew out of the cultured urine. The radiograph and computerized tomographic (CT) scan revealed streaky gas in the destroyed left renal parenchyma with perirenal gas. She was diagnosed with left emphysematous pyelonephritis. Antibiotics therapy, treatment for sepsis and disseminated intravesicular coagulation was initiated resulting in mitigation of inflammation. High blood glucose initially required insulin therapy, but finally returned to normal levels through administration of oral antidiabetics. Although leukocytosis and low grade fever continued, the patient was discharged on day 53 with a negative CRP. CT scan indicated that the emphysematous change was localized after three months and almost resolved after four months. Renal scintigram indicated the residual function of the affected kidney. Because of the possibility of residual renal function and the cure by conservative therapy alone, the conservative therapy is preferred when the initial treatment is effective.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Detection of circulating cancer cells with von hippel-lindau gene mutation in peripheral blood of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene have been detected in up to 60% of sporadic clear cell renal carcinomas (RCCs). Even patients with RCCs believed to be curable with radical nephrectomy sometimes develop distant metastasis 5-10 years after surgery, suggesting hematogenous circulation of cancer cells. Useful tumor markers have not yet been established for RCC. To detect patients at high risk of metastasis after surgery, we developed a highly sensitive and specific nested reverse transcription-PCR method using VHL gene mutation to detect circulating cancer cells. We screened 29 sporadic clear cell RCCs from patients for mutations of the VHL gene by direct sequencing. We next examined blood samples from patients with the VHL gene mutation using mutation-specific nested reverse transcription-PCR. Somatic mutations were detected in 20 of 29 (69.0%) sporadic clear cell RCCs. The VHL gene mutations were detected in peripheral and/or renal venous blood from 15 of 20 (75%) patients. The mutations were detected in the peripheral blood in 2 of 17 (11.8%) patients before surgery, 6 of 16 (37.5%) patients within 24 h after surgery, 3 of 16 (18.8%) patients on day 7 after surgery, and 2 of 11 (18.2%) patients on day 30 after surgery. In seven of nine (77.8%) patients, mutations were detected in renal venous blood during surgery. These findings indicate the presence of circulating cancer cells with VHL gene mutation. Although much larger studies are needed to determine the clinical significance, our study shows that this technique is feasible for detecting circulating RCC cells.

Adult↗

Prevention by carp extract of myelotoxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil without loss of antitumor activity in mice.

The combined effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) extract on antitumor activity, myelotoxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity were examined in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Carp extract was found to prevent the occurrence of myelotoxicity as determined by the reduction of leukocyte number, and of gastrointestinal toxicity, as determined by the reduction of small intestinal weight, induced by 5-FU without loss of the antitumor activity of 5-FU.

Amino Acids↗

Anesthesia with sevoflurane, but not isoflurane, prolongs bleeding time in humans.

PURPOSE: Halothane has been shown to suppress platelet aggregation in vitro and ex vivo and to prolong bleeding time. In a previous in vitro study, we demonstrated that sevoflurane had a stronger suppressive effect on platelet aggregation than halothane. The present study investigated whether clinical use of sevoflurane affects bleeding time in vivo. METHODS: Thirty-four patients undergoing minor elective surgery were randomly assigned to sevoflurane or isoflurane. Anesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopental and maintained with sevoflurane or isoflurane with nitrous oxide. Bleeding time was measured by the Duke method. An initial (control) measurement was obtained in the operating room before the induction of anesthesia, and a second was obtained 5-10 min after endotracheal intubation but before starting the operation, when the end-expiratory concentration of sevoflurane or isoflurane had been stabilized at 1-1.5 times the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), and the mean arterial pressures were between 80% and 120% of the preanesthetic values. RESULTS: Bleeding time was increased from the preanesthetic value of 2.07 +/- 0.82 min to 2.83 +/- 0.93 min (n = 15) in the sevoflurane group (P < 0.01) but was not significantly altered in the isoflurane group. CONCLUSION: Sevoflurane alters bleeding time in the clinical situation.

Clinical Trial↗

Cancer gene therapy with HSV-tk/GCV system depends on T-cell-mediated immune responses and causes apoptotic death of tumor cells in vivo.

To examine the immunological mechanisms involved in cancer gene therapy using the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene and ganciclovir (GCV), murine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, BNL1ME A.7R.1, were transduced retrovirally with the HSV-tk gene. HSV-tk-transduced cells exhibited a more than 2,000-fold higher sensitivity to GCV compared with untransduced parental cells. When HSV-tk-transduced HCC cells were mixed with parental cells at a 50% ratio and implanted subcutaneously into immunocompetent syngeneic mice, complete inhibition of tumor formation was achieved by GCV treatment. Conversely, no significant inhibitory effects on tumor formation were observed in athymic nude mice. When established solid tumors in immunocompetent mice containing HSV-tk-transduced cells at an only 5% ratio were treated with GCV, marked infiltration by lymphocytes including CD4(+) and CD8(+) ones, and apoptotic death of tumor cells were induced, and significant reduction or even complete regression of tumors was achieved. Furthermore, such cured mice rejected rechallenge with parental HCC cells into the contraflank regions. Our results indicate that cancer gene therapy with the HSV-tk/GCV system can indeed induce efficient antitumor effects and protective immunity in immunocompetent mice but not in nude mice, indicating that T-cell-mediated immune responses may be a critical factor for achieving successful gene therapy against cancer using the HSV-tk/GCV system.

Animals↗

Protein kinase Calpha promotes apoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells depending upon loss of anchorage.

Disruption of interactions between epithelial cells and extracellular matrix proteins leads to apoptosis of the cells, a phenomenon termed anoikis. Anoikis seems to play important roles in control of cellular positioning and inhibition of inappropriate cell growth. Here we found that a protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) promoted cell death in human gastric cancer cell lines MKN45 and MKN74 only when they lost anchorage. Loss of anchorage slightly increased enzymatic activity of PKCalpha, and an addition of TPA promoted cell death with further increase of PKCalpha activity, but not PKCbeta in MKN45 cells, implicating an involvement of PKCalpha in anoikis. Furthermore, vaccinia virus-mediated overexpression of PKCalpha strongly increased CPP32 activity in the detached MKN45 and MKN74 cells, and augmented anoikis, however it had little effect on viability and CPP32 activity in the attached cells. Taken together, PKCalpha promotes apoptotic cell death in gastric cancer cells depending upon loss of anchorage, thereby may be a modulator of anoikis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Direct interaction of the beta-domain of VHL tumor suppressor protein with the regulatory domain of atypical PKC isotypes.

VHL tumor suppressor protein contains two domains, alpha and beta. The alpha-domain is involved in the formation of a large protein complex suggested to be involved in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. However, the role of the beta-domain, which may recognize the target proteins for protein degradation, remains unknown. Here we report that the beta-domain interacts directly with atypical PKC isotypes, PKCzeta and PKClambda. Further, the regulatory domain of aPKC is sufficient for this direct protein-protein interaction. Since aPKC isotypes have been implicated in the regulation of cell growth and apoptosis, these results suggest that aPKC isotypes are potential direct target of the VHL beta-domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Sequence analysis of the spacer region between the RHD and RHCE genes.

Numerous variants of the Rh blood group system, discovered by Levine and Stetson in 1939, have been detected and more than forty antigens have been identified. By performing the molecular genetic analysis of the introns as well as the exons in both RH genes, it was elucidated that Rh variants were generated by gene conversion or recombination, deletions, or mutations. For understanding the generation of many Rh variants and Rh antigens in detail, it is necessary to analyze not only the RHCE and RHD genes but also the structure and the physical distance between both these RH genes. In order to achieve the aforesaid purpose, the spacer region between the RHD and RHCE genes were amplified by the long PCR method. Therefore the full spacer region was determined to be 12159 bp in length and contained the Alu consensus sequences and the putative CpG island. It was probable that the duplication of both RH genes occurred within about 12 kb region. Analysis of the spacer region provides new information for the research on the transcription-control region, the molecular evolution of RH genes, Rh variants, and the deletion of the RHD gene in Rh blood group system.

Alu Elements↗

BAG-1 accelerates cell motility of human gastric cancer cells.

BAG-1 is a Hsp70/Hsc70-binding protein that interacts with Bcl-2, Raf-1, steroid hormone receptors, Siah-1, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptors, implying multiple functions for the BAG-1 protein. Here, we provide evidence that gene transfer-mediated overexpression of BAG-1 markedly enhances the motility of human gastric cancer cells. Two independent in vitro migration assays showed that the BAG-1-expressing MKN74 cells exhibited more active migration compared with control transfectants or parent MKN74 cells. In MKN74 cells, the overexpression of BAG-1 affected neither cell adhesion capability nor migration responses to HGF. The promotive effect of BAG-1 on cell migration was similarly observed in transfectants of another human gastric cancer MKN45 cell line. In BAG-1 transfected gastric cancer MKN74 cells, BAG-1 colocalized with cytokeratin as well as actin filaments, and was concentrated at membrane ruffles induced by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Taken together, these studies demonstrate that BAG-1 has a novel function as promoter of cell migration in human gastric cancer cells, possibly through cooperation with cytoskeletal proteins.

Actins↗

Cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy can induce efficient anti-tumor effects and protective immunity in immunocompetent mice but not in athymic nude mice.

Murine hepatocellular carcinoma cells were retrovirally transduced with the bacterial cytosine deaminase (CD) gene. CD-transduced cells exhibited more than 120-fold higher sensitivity to 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) compared with parental cells. When syngeneic immunocompetent mice were inoculated s.c. with parental hepatocellular carcinoma cells containing as little as 5% CD-transduced cells, significant inhibition of tumor formation was induced by 5-FC treatment. Furthermore, established solid tumors in immunocompetent mice containing only 5% CD-transduced cells were infiltrated markedly with CD4- and CD8+ T lymphocytes and macrophages by 5-FC treatment, such that significant reduction or even complete regression of tumors was observed. These tumor-free mice resisted subsequent rechallenge with wild-type tumor. Conversely, when athymic nude mice were inoculated with a cell mixture containing CD-transduced cells and parental cells at a ratio of 40:60, all developed tumors despite 5-FC treatment. Our results indicate that gene therapy using the CD/5-FC system can induce efficient anti-tumor effects and protective immunity in immunocompetent mice but not in athymic immunodeficient mice, suggesting that the host's immunocompetence may be a critical factor for achieving successful gene therapy against cancer.

Animals↗