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Biomedical subjects

K Kohno

Publications and source records attributed to K Kohno.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Indispensable role of tissue-type plasminogen activator in growth factor-dependent tube formation of human microvascular endothelial cells in vitro.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates the migration and proliferation of, and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) synthesis in, human omental microvascular endothelial (HOME) cells in culture, as well as inducing the formation by these cells. In the present study, we examined the effects of various growth factors, i.e., transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on HOME cells, and compared their effects with that of EGF. IGF-1 stimulated the proliferation and migration of these cells at a level comparable to EGF. EGF and TGF-alpha induced expression of tPA in HOME cells, while IGF-1 and HGF did not. EGF and TGF-alpha induced tube formation by HOME cells in type I collagen gel, while IGF-1 and HGF did not. The stimulatory effect of EGF on tube formation in the gel was blocked by anti-tPA antibody and by a serine protease inhibitor, aprotinin. When exogenous tPA and IGF-1 or HGF were added simultaneously to the culture, a marked induction of tube formation in the gel was observed. Exogenously added tPA alone, however, had no such inducible effect on tube formation. These results indicated an indispensable role of tPA in growth factor-dependent tube formation by HOME cells. Two subsets of growth factors appeared to modulate angiogenesis: One with fully active angiogenic activity which could induce PA (this included EGF and TGF-alpha), and the other, which could not induce PA and was not angiogenic, but could promote angiogenesis in the presence of PA. This subset included IGF-1 and HGF.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1993

Morphological change and destabilization of beta-actin mRNA by tumor necrosis factor in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) produced morphological changes from a cobblestone-like shape into a spindle shape in human omental microvascular endothelial (HOME) cells and also a drastic rearrangement of actin filaments. Expression of beta-actin gene was diminished in HOME cells treated with TNF-alpha for 24 h. Northern blot analysis of the beta-actin gene demonstrated that the cellular level of beta-actin mRNA was decreased at 6-12 h after exposure to TNF-alpha. However, there appeared to be no changes in cellular mRNA levels of beta-tubulin, fibronectin, laminin B1, laminin B2, and laminin binding protein genes after treatment with TNF-alpha. Nuclear run-on assays showed increased transcription of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene, but not of the beta-actin gene. These data suggested that the TNF-alpha-induced inhibition of beta-actin gene expression was not due to altered transcription activity. The degradation rates of beta-actin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and epidermal growth factor receptor mRNAs were examined in the presence of actinomycin D. beta-Actin mRNA was found to be specifically destabilized in TNF-alpha-treated HOME cells, while other mRNA species were not. Coadministration of cycloheximide blocked the TNF-alpha-induced degradation of beta-actin mRNA. The TNF-alpha-induced destabilization of beta-actin mRNA and rearrangement of actin filaments are discussed in relation to the morphological changes in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed1993

Successful total removal of intramedullary hemangioblastoma from the medulla oblongata.

The case of a large solid hemangioblastoma embedded wholly in the medulla oblongata is reported. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging provided precise indications of the anatomical location and radiologic features of the tumor, which facilitated its total removal by microsurgery. Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials were monitored throughout the operation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Sulfated glycoprotein-2 mRNA in the rat brain following transient forebrain ischemia.

Expression of sulfated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) mRNA was studied by in situ hybridization in rat brains submitted to transient forebrain ischemia of 30 min. Induction of this multifunctional protein has been previously observed following diverse types of brain lesions, and an involvement in programmed cell death and synaptic remodelling has been proposed. Ischemia was produced by four-vessel occlusion and followed by various recirculation times ranging from 15 min to 7 days. Up to 6 h after ischemia SGP-2 mRNA did not change in any brain region. After 12 h recirculation, SGP-2 mRNA induction was observed in the stratum lacunosum moleculare of CA1 sector of hippocampus. This induction peaked at 3 days recirculation and then declined. From 24 h recirculation onward, induction also occurred in patchy areas of the cortex, and after 7 days recirculation in the ventral thalamus and in a corona around lesioned parts of the striatum. No induction occurred at any recirculation time in pyramidal neurons of hippocampus or other neuronal populations that are damaged by ischemia. The combination of in situ hybridization with GFAP immunohistochemistry revealed that SGP-2 mRNA was mainly induced in reactive actrocytes. This excludes a direct involvement in ischemic neuronal death and supports the possible participation in the post-lesional reorganization of the tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Reduction of drug accumulation in cisplatin-resistant variants of human prostatic cancer PC-3 cell line.

We have isolated cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP)-resistant variants, P/CDP4 and P/CDP5, from human prostatic cancer PC-3 cells after a stepwise exposure to CDDP. P/CDP4 and P/CDP5 showed 11-fold and 23-fold higher resistance to CDDP than did PC-3. P/CDP5 was cross-resistant to carboplatin, mitomycin C, etoposide, m-AMSA, bleomycin and UV irradiation. Alkaline elution of DNA showed an increased amount of DNA interstrand cross-links in PC-3 but not in P/CDP5 when PC-3 and P/CDP5 were cultured with CDDP. Flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry revealed that intracellular accumulation of CDDP in P/CDP4 and P/CDP5 was decreased to 18 to 34% and 9 to 18% of that of PC-3, respectively, when PC-3 and its CDDP-resistant counterparts were incubated with 5 and 10 micrograms./ml. of CDDP for 24 hours. These data suggest that decreased drug accumulation is involved in the development of CDDP-resistance in the PC-3 cell line.

Cisplatin↗
PubMed1993

Properties of DNA-binding of HU heterotypic and homotypic dimers from Escherichia coli.

The interactions of three forms of HU dimer from Escherichia coli with DNA were compared. The complexes formed between HU and short DNA fragments (35 to 132 bp), uncurved oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) with and without 5-bp deoxyriboadenosine (dA) stretches and curved oligo with 5-bp dA stretches, were analyzed by the gel retardation technique. The binding of HU homodimers to the DNA was less efficient than that of HU heterodimer, and the HU-1 homodimer had lower DNA-binding capacity than the HU-2 homodimer. The equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) for DNA of the HU-1 homodimer was 3 times that of the HU heterodimer. The HU dimers had two- to fourfold higher affinity for DNA duplexes containing 5-bp dA stretches, particularly for curved DNA. The binding of HU heterodimer to the DNA was inhibited more by the curved DNA competitor than the uncurved DNA competitor without dA stretches.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1993

The promoter region of the yeast KAR2 (BiP) gene contains a regulatory domain that responds to the presence of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells contains an abundant 78,000-Da protein (BiP) that is involved in the translocation, folding, and assembly of secretory and transmembrane proteins. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as in mammalian cells, BiP mRNA is synthesized at a high basal rate and is further induced by the presence of increased amounts of unfolded proteins in the ER. However, unlike mammalian BiP, yeast BiP is also induced severalfold by heat shock, albeit in a transient fashion. To identify the regulatory sequences that respond to these stimuli in the yeast KAR2 gene that encodes BiP, we have cloned a 1.3-kb segment of DNA from the region upstream of the sequences coding for BiP and fused it to a reporter gene, the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene. Analysis of a series of progressive 5' truncations as well as internal deletions of the upstream sequence showed that the information required for accurate transcriptional regulation of the KAR2 gene in S. cerevisiae is contained within a approximately 230-bp XhoI-DraI fragment (nucleotides -245 to -9) and that this fragment contains at least two cis-acting elements, one (heat shock element [HSE]) responding to heat shock and the other (unfolded protein response element [UPR]) responding to the presence of unfolded proteins in the ER. The HSE and UPR elements are functionally independent of each other but work additively for maximum induction of the yeast KAR2 gene. Lying between these two elements is a GC-rich region that is similar in sequence to the consensus element for binding of the mammalian transcription factor Sp1 and that is involved in the basal expression of the KAR2 gene. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting that yeast cells monitor the concentration of free BiP in the ER and adjust the level of transcription of the KAR2 gene accordingly; this effect is mediated via the UPR element in the KAR2 promoter.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Induction of vascular endothelial tubular morphogenesis by human glioma cells. A model system for tumor angiogenesis.

We have developed two different models of tumor angiogenesis by human brain tumors: one being tube formation by bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells cocultured with tumor cells in vitro, and other being in vivo angiogenesis in mice when tumor cells are transplanted into the dorsal sac. We investigated whether tube formation could be induced in BAE cells in type I collagen gel when these cells were cocultured with seven human glioma cell lines. Four of the seven glioma cell lines, which had high levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA, induced tube formation by BAE cells. The tube formation was blocked by coadministration of anti-bFGF antibody. In in vivo model system of tumor angiogenesis in mice, these four cell lines were highly angiogenic. In contrast, with the other three glioma cell lines, which had poor expression of bFGF, BAE cells showed no apparent tube formation. These three cell lines did not efficiently develop capillary networks in mice. The results demonstrated a correlative relationship in the tubulogenesis of BAE cells, bFGF mRNA levels and angiogenesis in mice. The present study with two model systems of tumor angiogenesis suggests that the angiogenesis of some human glioma cell lines is mediated by bFGF, possibly via paracrine control.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Determination of cardiac ejection fraction and left ventricular volume: contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR imaging vs IV digital subtraction ventriculography.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of contrast-enhanced, single breath-hold cine MR imaging in the calculation of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction, we compared values obtained by using this method with those obtained by using IV digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All patients (n = 28) had conventional cine and contrast-enhanced ultrafast cine MR imaging. For ultrafast cine MR imaging, a phase-rewind gradient-echo (rewind-SMASH) sequence was used: TR, 8 msec (standard excitation and acquisition block of 6 msec with phase rewind pulse of 2 msec); TE, 3.2 msec; a 128 x 96 matrix (pile encode factor, 6; k-space segment, 16); a 200-mm field of view; and one excitation. RESULTS: Values for left ventricular volume and ejection fraction obtained with ultrafast cine MR imaging correlated well with those obtained with IV-DSA (end-diastolic volume, y = 0.986x - 7.79, r = .985; end-systolic volume, y = 0.863x + 0.71, r = .984; ejection fraction, y = 0.877x + 6.44, r = .887). In the calculation of left ventricular volume by the area-length method, manual tracing of the left ventricular cavity was more difficult when the conventional cine method was used than when the enhanced ultrafast cine method was used. CONCLUSION: Our results show that cardiac multiphase study with horizontal long-axis, first-pass, contrast-enhanced, single breath-hold, cine MR imaging is an accurate and highly reproducible method of evaluating left ventricular volume and ejection fraction.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗
PubMed1993

Analysis of the site on a TNF-alpha molecule which affects type II TNF receptor binding in human cells.

The epitope region on the TNF-alpha molecule recognized by monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3-D-6, which neutralizes the cytotoxic activity on murine LM cells, has been determined as Gly24-Gln-Leu-Gln-Trp-Leu-Asn-Arg31. To examine whether this region participates in TNF receptor binding in human cell lines, four kinds of TNF-alpha mutants (Gln25 --> Glu, Gln27 --> Glu, Leu29 --> Val, and Arg31 --> Ser) were prepared using site-directed mutagenesis. One mutant, mRS31, which has a nonconserative mutation at position 31 (Arg --> Ser), showed markedly reduced binding in U-937 cells and in HL-60 cells compared with the wild-type recombinant TNF-alpha (rTNF-alpha). These two cell lines have been reported to have both type I and type II TNF receptors. mRS31 also showed reduced cytotoxicity on U-937 cells. Another mutant, mLV29, which has a conservative mutation at position 29 (Leu --> Val), showed, to a lesser extent, reduced binding in U-937 cells and HL-60 cells and reduced cytotoxic activity in U-937 cells. However, all four TNF-alpha mutants showed a similar binding in HEp-2 cells and in HeLa cells, which have been reported to have only the type I TNF receptor. These results suggest that Leu29 may be involved in direct contact with the type II receptor and that the nonconservative mutation at position 31 may induce a local conformational change in the site involved in type II TNF receptor binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

[Clinical significance of preoperative serum IAP levels in patients with gastric cancer].

We investigated the relationship between preoperative serum IAP levels and lymphocyte subsets in 81 gastric cancer patients to clarify the clinical significance of serum IAP level of cancer host. In the two groups divided by cut-off point of serum IAP 580 micrograms/ml, the percentage of CD4+ cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio of the high IAP group was significantly lower than that of the low group and the percentage of CD11b+ cells and CD25+ cells of the high IAP group was significantly higher than that of the low group. There was positive correlation between the IAP levels and CD11b+ cells, CD25+ cells. These results suggest that BRM therapy will be more effective in the low IAP group. Assaying of serum IAP is thought to be useful as immunological parameter in BRM therapy for cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Differentially potentiating effects by dipyridamole on cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil against three human maxillary cancer cell lines derived from a single tumor.

Dipyridamole (DPM), an inhibitor of nucleoside transport, is a unique potentiator of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). We examined the combined effects of DPM and 5-FU on three cell lines (IMC-2, IMC-3, IMC-4) derived from a single tumor of a patient with maxillary cancer. DPM at 1.0-2.0 microM potentiated the cytocidal action of 5-FU > 20-fold against IMC-2 cells, while DPM at 10-20 microM potentiated the action of 5-FU against IMC-3 cells by 2-fold and against IMC-4 cells by approximately 4-fold. We examined why DPM differentially potentiated 5-FU against the three cell lines. The three maxillary cell lines showed heterogeneous sensitivities to the combination of 5-FU and DPM. We compared intracellular metabolism of 5-FU in IMC-2, IMC-3 and IMC-4 cells by HPLC. Determination of 5-FU metabolites demonstrated that cellular contents of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP) were 104.66, 15.35 and 61.5 fmol/10(6) cells in IMC-2, IMC-3 and IMC-4 cells, respectively, in the presence of 10 microM DPM when the three cell lines had similar levels (0.21-0.33 fmol/10(6) cells) of FdUMP in the absence of DPM. By contrast, cellular levels of 5-FU and 5-fluorouridine triphosphate (FUTP) were not appreciably changed by DPM in three cell lines. The cellular level of thymidylate synthase mRNA in IMC-2 cells was found to be about one-fifth of that in IMC-3 and IMC-4 cells. The differential effects of DPM on the potentiation of 5-FU cytotoxicity might be closely related to the cellular levels of FdUMP and its target enzyme, thymidylate synthase in three human maxillary cancer cell lines.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1993

Enhanced expression of the human multidrug resistance 1 gene in response to UV light irradiation.

The multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene encodes a M(r) 170,000 membrane glycoprotein termed P-glycoprotein, which catalyzes the energy-dependent efflux of multiple anticancer agents. We investigated the activation of the MDR1 gene promoter by UV light irradiation in human cancer KB cells after both transient and stable transfection assays of the MDR1 promoter fused to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. Following exposure to UV irradiation, CAT gene expression was about 20-fold increased. A series of promoter dissection analyses showed that two elements extending from -136 to -76 of the 5' flanking sequence and from +1 to +121 of the sequence downstream from the initiation site were required for the stress induction of MDR1 promoter activity. Gel shift assays showed that the specific DNA binding activities of the transacting protein to the MDR1 promoter were augmented in nuclear extracts from the cells treated with UV irradiation. A DNA sequence, an inverted CCAAT box, was identified that specifically bound to this protein, and mutation of this sequence abolished the binding of this protein. Two guanines in the inverted CCAAT box were found to be critical, as methylation of these guanines abrogated the binding. Nuclear run-on assay demonstrated that the transcription level was increased about 5-fold. These results suggest that the activation of the MDR1 promoter may result from transcriptional rather than posttranscriptional events. These studies will provide the basis for understanding the regulatory mechanism for appearance of the drug-resistant phenotype during cancer chemotherapy.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Histone-like proteins are required for cell growth and constraint of supercoils in DNA.

The gene hns of Escherichia coli K-12, which encodes the histone-like protein H-NS, was inactivated by insertion of a DNA (gene hph) encoding hygromycin phosphotransferase. The growth rates of two mutants lacking either one or the other of the histone-like proteins, HU and IHF, were not affected by introduction of the hns mutation. However, cells depleted of HU, IHF and H-NS simultaneously, could not be constructed by P1 phage-mediated transduction. These results, together with our previous finding that cells deficient in both HU and IHF are viable at 30-37 degrees C [Kano and Imamoto, Gene 89 (1990) 133-137] showed that E. coli cells deficient in any two of these three histone-like proteins are viable at 30-37 degrees C, and suggested that simultaneous deficiency of all three of the proteins is lethal. There were no detectable differences in the levels of superhelicity of the reporter plasmids isolated from cells deficient in either IHF or H-NS, or from wild-type cells, but about 15% decrease in negative superhelicity was detected for the reporter plasmid isolated from cells lacking HU and lacking both HU and H-NS. However, the cryptic bgl operon, whose expression was reported to be regulated through topological changes of cellular DNA, could not be activated in cells depleted of HU or IHF. The bgl operon was expressed in cells depleted of both HU and H-NS as well as in cells depleted of H-NS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Different sensitivities of human esophageal cancer cells to multiple anti-cancer agents and related mechanisms.

Mechanisms responsible for drug resistance in human esophageal cancer cell lines were investigated. Three cell lines established from human esophageal carcinoma (TE-1, SH-1, and TH) showed different sensitivities to vindesine, vincristine, cisplatin (CDDP), etoposide (VP-16), and pepleomycin. Both SH-1 and TH cell lines were twofold to sevenfold more resistant to pepleomycin, vindesine, and vincristine than TE-1 was. SH-1 showed twofold more resistance to CDDP than either TE-1 or TH did, and TH and TE-1 showed a 3-fold or 1.5-fold more resistance, respectively, to VP-16 than SH-1 did. The accumulation of tritiated vincristine in SH-1 and TH was approximately 50% that in TE-1. Two multidrug resistance reversal agents, cepharanthine and a synthetic dihydropyridine analogue (NK-252; Nikken Chemicals, Saitama, Japan), potentiated the cytocidal actions of vindesine against SH-1, TH, and TE-1 cells, with no apparent expression of P-glycoprotein in the three cell lines. The glutathione S-transferase pi gene was expressed in all three cell lines. DNA topoisomerase II levels were lowest in TE-1, followed by SH-1 and TH, although the accumulation of tritiated VP-16 was less in both TH and SH-1 than in TE-1. Differential sensitivities to anti-cancer drugs appear to be mediated through pleiotropic mechanisms.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1992

Amino acid substitution in the C-terminal arm domain of HU-2 results in an enhanced affinity for DNA.

Three mutants of the Escherichia coli hupA gene, encoding the HU-2 protein, were constructed by synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide-directed, site-specific mutagenesis on M13mp18 vectors. The resulting HupAN10, HupAN11 and HupAN12 proteins contained Thr59-->Lys, Gln64-->Lys and Asn53-->Arg substitutions, respectively. These amino acid (aa) changes increased the positive charge of the N-terminal half of the two-strand, antiparallel beta-ribbon of the arm structure, which is believed to be a domain for DNA binding. The three mutant proteins bound to DNA more tightly than wild-type HU-2, and their affinities for DNA increased in the order of HupAN10, HupAN11, HupAN12. The mutant proteins showed a slightly increased HU activity for supporting Mu phage development. A mutant HU-2 protein with increased basicity, but with an altered aa sequence in the arm region due to a frameshift mutation, was also constructed. This mutant protein showed a reduced affinity to DNA and was unable to support Mu growth, suggesting that a unique aa sequence of the arm domain, rather than mere basicity of this domain, is required for efficient binding to DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Activation of human multidrug resistance-1 gene promoter in response to heat shock stress.

The multidrug resistance (MDR1) gene encodes a P-glycoprotein, which catalyzes the energy-dependent efflux of anticancer agents. Various environmental stresses including heat shock can induce the expression of endogenous MDR1 genes. In order to study the regulatory mechanisms of MDR1 gene expression, we have established human cancer KB cell lines which could stably integrate bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene driven by various lengths of the MDR1 promoter. Kst-6 has an integrated plasmid, pMDRCAT1, containing the human MDR1 promoter of -2 kilobases. The MDR1 gene promoter contains a typical heat shock element (HSE) motif located -152 bp to -178 bp from the initiation site. Heat shock at 45 degrees C for 90 min significantly induced CAT activity in Kst-6 cells. Northern blot analysis showed a 4-5 fold increase in CAT mRNA levels in Kst-6 cells. Deletion analysis of the MDR1 promoter demonstrated that the induction of CAT activity was observed in Kxh-14 cells containing a HSE-deleted MDR1 promoter construct, pMDRCAT7. However, further deletion analysis showed that heat shock could not induce CAT activity in Khp-1 cells containing -76 approximately +121 base sequence of the promoter, suggesting that a new heat shock responsible element was located at between -136 and -76. Gel shift assay showed that the heat shock factor (HSF) could bind to the HSE motif located at -152 bp to -178 bp in the MDR1 promoter. We also found that one distinct DNA-protein complex formed specifically within the MDR1 promoter region -99 to -66 was not significantly increased, but relatively more stabilized under mild denaturing condition in the nuclear extract of heat-shocked cells. In our present assay system, activation of the MDR1 promoter in response to heat shock appears to be mediated through both a new heat shock responsive element and MDR1 specific transcription factor.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗