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Biomedical subjects

K Ohnishi

Publications and source records attributed to K Ohnishi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Tumor suppressor p53 response is blunted by low-dose radiation.

To estimate the effects of space radiation on health of space crews, we aimed to clarify whether g-ray-irradiation at a low-dose-rate interferes in a p53 centered signal transduction pathway induced by radiation in human cultured cells and CB-17 Icr+/+ mice. In vitro experiments, the human cultured squamous cell carcinoma cells (SAS/neo) were examined for cellular levels of p53 and Bax, and the incidence of apoptosis after irradiation at a low-dose-rate (1 mGy/min) or a high-dose-rate (1 Gy/min). It was found that challenging irradiation-induced apoptosis was depressed by chronic irradiation at 1.5 Gy for 25 h with the depression of p53 and Bax accumulation. In vivo experiments, a significant suppression of Bax and apoptosis induced by challenging irradiation at 3.0 Gy was observed when the mice were pre-irradiated chronically at 1.5 Gy for 25 h in the spleen of CB-17 Icr+/+ mice. These findings suggest that chronic pre-irradiation suppressed p53 function through radiation-induced signaling and/or p53 stability.

Animals↗

[Q fever].

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Acute Disease↗

Biological effects of space radiation.

To determine the effects of space radiation on human health for long-term stays in space, we performed 21 space experiments on radiation biology. Two main characteristics of space are microgravity and space radiation that consists of low dose, chronic exposure at low dose-rates, and heavy particles. Through space experiments, we demonstrated the formation of DNA strand breaks, induced mutations, abnormal cell differentiation and the inducible gene expression of a tumor suppressor gene product, p53, in various kinds of organisms. In addition, we investigated the influence of microgravity on radiation-induced biological effects in in vitro biochemical reaction systems and in vivo cell culture systems of bacteria and lower eukaryotes. We review here the importance of radiation biology studies on space radiation from the viewpoints of human health and biological evolution, from the beginning of life until today, in the context of environmental genotoxic radiation.

Aerospace Medicine↗

Kringle 1-4 of hepatocyte growth factor inhibits proliferation and migration of human microvascular endothelial cells.

NK4 composed of the N-terminal hairpin and subsequent four-kringle domains of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is bifunctional, acting as a competitive antagonist for HGF and an angiogenesis inhibitor. In this study, we determined whether or not four-kringle domains of HGF (K1-4) have anti-angiogenic activity. For this purpose, we prepared recombinant K1-4 and NK4, using the baculovirus expression system. Although NK4 antagonized HGF-induced DNA synthesis of rat hepatocytes, cell scattering of MDCK cells and the c-Met/HGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in endothelial cells, K1-4 failed to antagonize HGF-induced DNA synthesis, cell scattering and the c-Met/HGF receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in endothelial cells, thus, indicating that K1-4 lacks HGF-antagonist activity. However, endothelial proliferation and migration induced by HGF was inhibited by K1-4, similar to the case seen with NK4. Furthermore, K1-4 inhibited the proliferation and migration of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells induced by vascular endothelial growth factor or by basic fibroblast growth factor. We propose that kringle 1-4 of HGF inhibits angiogenic responses in endothelial cells, independently of HGF-c-Met signaling pathways.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

Wortmannin sensitizes human glioblastoma cell lines carrying mutant and wild type TP53 gene to radiation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), on TP53 (formerly known as p53) signal transduction initiated by ionizing radiation and radiosensitization in isogenic derivatives of human glioblastoma cells differing in TP53 status. Wortmannin inhibited the accumulation of TP53 and CDKN1A (formerly known as WAF1) after 6 Gy irradiation in A-172/neo cells bearing wild-type TP53. In A-172/Trp248 cells carrying mutant TP53, X-rays induced no significant accumulation of TP53 and slight increase of CDKN1A. There were, consequently, little differences in the expression of TP53 and CDKN1A between A-172/Trp248 cells exposed to 6 Gy alone and wortmannin plus 6 Gy. However, wortmannin sensitized both A-172/neo and A-172/Trp248 cells to radiation. These studies indicate that wortmannin inhibits TP53 upregulation, but this suppression does not account for the radiosensitization by this drug. These results indicate that inhibitors of PI3K-related kinases may present a new class of radiosensitizers, regardless of the TP53 status of tumor cells.

Androstadienes↗

Prolongation of the QT interval and ventricular tachycardia in patients treated with arsenic trioxide for acute promyelocytic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Recently, arsenic trioxide has increasingly been used for relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, it is known to have several adverse effects, including acute cardiac toxicities. OBJECTIVE: To determine cardiac toxicities resulting from arsenic trioxide therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory acute promyelocytic leukemia. DESIGN: Phase II clinical prospective cohort study. SETTING: A university hospital in Hamamatsu, Japan. PATIENTS: 8 patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia. INTERVENTION: Arsenic trioxide, 0.15 mg/kg of body weight, administered daily by 2-hour infusion for a maximum of 60 days. MEASUREMENTS: Continuous monitoring with ambulatory electrocardiography. RESULTS: Five patients (63%) achieved complete remission. During induction therapy with arsenic trioxide, prolonged QT intervals were observed in all patients. Ventricular premature contractions were noticed during 8 of 12 courses of therapy. Four patients developed nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and required treatment with antiarrhythmic agents. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac toxicity occurs during arsenic trioxide therapy in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Such patients should be monitored for prolonged QT intervals and ventricular arrhythmia.

Adult↗

A portion of the nucleotide sequence corresponding to the N-terminal coding region of livJ is essential for its transcriptional regulation.

We investigated the regulation of the livJ and livKHMGF operons, which are involved in branched-chain amino acid high-affinity transport in Salmonella typhimurium. When livJ was fused to lacZ at the second codon of livJ to make a livJ-lacZ protein fusion, expression from the livJ promoter was not repressed even under repressing growth conditions; however, expression of an analogous construct of livK-lacZ was repressed. When livJ was fused to lacZ at the twelfth codon of livJ, the expression level under unrepressing growth conditions was elevated, resulting in apparent repressibility of the livJ-lacZ protein fusion. Expression from the livJ-lacZ operon fusion, in which livJ was fused to lacZ 159 bp downstream from the A of the start codon of livJ, was relatively normal under unrepressing growth conditions. Deletion analysis and site-directed base-substitution analysis strongly suggested that cis-acting element for regulation of livJ transcription, 5'-GGCAGGATGTATCG-3', starting at +21 and ending at +34 downstream from the A of the start codon of livJ, was present in the N-terminal coding region of livJ.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The identification of a nonclassical cadherin expressed during B cell development and its interaction with surrogate light chain.

A 130-kDa glycoprotein (p130) has been found to be associated with surrogate light chain on pro- and pre-B I cells. Using peptide sequences obtained from purified p130 we have cloned its gene. The gene encodes a typical cadherin type 1 membrane protein with six extracellular cadherin domains (one pseudo domain) but lacking the catenin-binding site in its cytoplasmic part. Even without this catenin-binding site, p130 mediates Ca(2+)-dependent homotypic adhesion of cells. The interaction of p130 with surrogate light chain is confirmed by co-transfection and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. The expression of p130 is biphasic during the B cell development. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometric analyses revealed that it is expressed on B220(+)c-Kit(+) pro-B and pre-B-I cells as well as on B220(+)CD25(-)IgM(+) immature and mature B cells but not on B220(+)CD25(+) pre-B-II cells. It is also expressed in fetal liver, at low levels in myeloid cells, and strongly in intestinal epithelial cells. In the spleen, p130-expressing cells are mainly localized in the marginal zone. We call this B lineage-, intestine-, liver- and leukocyte-expressed gene BILL-cadherin. The possible functions of BILL-cadherin in B cell development are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Peripheral nerve regeneration across an 80-mm gap bridged by a polyglycolic acid (PGA)-collagen tube filled with laminin-coated collagen fibers: a histological and electrophysiological evaluation of regenerated nerves.

We evaluated peripheral nerve regeneration across an 80-mm gap using a novel artificial nerve conduit. The conduit was made of a polyglycolic acid (PGA)-collagen tube filled with laminin-coated collagen fibers. Twelve beagle dogs underwent implantation of the nerve conduit across an 80-mm gap in the left peroneal nerve. In four other dogs used as negative controls, the nerve was resected and left unconnected. Histological observation showed that numerous unmyelinated and myelinated nerve fibers, all smaller in diameter and with a thinner myelin sheath than normal nerve fibers, regrew through and beyond the gap 12 months after implantation. The distribution of the regenerated axonal diameters was different from that of the normal axonal diameters. Compound muscle action potentials, motor evoked potentials, and somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded in most animals 3 months after implantation. Peak amplitudes and latencies recovered gradually, which indicating the functional establishment of the nerve connection with the target organs. In addition to the ordinary electrophysiological recoveries, potentials with distinct latencies originating from Aalpha, Adelta and C fibers became distinguishable at the 6th lumbar vertebra following stimulation of the peroneal nerve distal to the gap 12 months after implantation. The pattern of walking without load was restored to almost normal 10-12 months after implantation. Neither electrophysiological nor histological restoration was obtained in the controls. Our nerve conduit can guide peripheral nerve elongation and lead to favorable functional recovery across a wider nerve gap than previously reported artificial nerve conduits.

Animals↗

Transfection with mutant p53 gene inhibits heat-induced apoptosis in a head and neck cell line of human squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To confirm that human cancer cells show p53-dependent heat sensitivity through an apoptosis-related mechanism, we examined the heat sensitivity and Bax-mediated apoptosis after heating in a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line, SAS, with identical genetic backgrounds except for the p53 status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed colony formation assay, Western blotting and analyses of apoptosis, using the SAS cells transfected with pC53-248 vector with mutant p53 gene (SAS/Trp248 cells) or the cells transfected with pCMV-Neo-Bam vector (SAS/neo cells) as a control. RESULTS: SAS/Trp248 cells showed heat resistance due to the dominant negative nature of mp53, compared with SAS/neo cells. The incidence of DNA ladders and apoptotic bodies increased markedly after heating in SAS/neo cells, but increased very little in SAS/Trp248 cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that heat resistance brought by mp53-transfection is p53-dependent and closely correlates with the induction of apoptosis in human squamous cell carcinomas.

Apoptosis↗

The dependence of p53 on the radiation enhancement of thermosensitivity at different let.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the dependence of p53-gene status on the radiation enhancement of thermosensitivity at different levels of linear energy transfer (LET). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We used two kinds of human glioblastoma transfectants of A-172 cells bearing the wild-type p53 gene, A-172/neo cells with control vector containing the neo gene and A-172/mp53 cells with both the dominant negative mutated p53 gene and neo gene. We exposed these cells to X-rays and accelerated carbon-ion (C-) beams (13-200 KeV/microm) followed by heating at 44 degrees C. Cellular sensitivities were determined using clonogenic assay. RESULTS: The radiation enhancement of thermosensitivity was LET-dependent for the A-172/neo cells, but this was not clearly demonstrated in the A-172/mp53 cells. The supraadditive radiation enhancement of thermosensitivity was observed in A-172/neo cells at the LET range of 13 to 70 KeV/microm, though only an additive effect was observed at higher LET. In A-172/mp53 cells, only an additive effect was observed through all the LET examined. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the radiation enhancement of thermosensitivity is p53- and LET-dependent. Our results suggest that the combined use of high-LET radiation and hyperthermia brings useful application for cancer therapeutic purposes.

Cell Survival↗

Reconstruction of rat peripheral nerve gap without sutures using freeze-dried alginate gel.

Many materials have been used for artificial tubular prostheses to assist peripheral nerve gap reconstruction. However, the clinical use of these devices has been restricted because a microsurgical procedure requires specialized techniques and expensive equipment, such as operating microscope systems. Therefore the authors developed a new gluing method, without sutures, that uses freeze-dried alginate gel. A 7-mm gap in the sciatic nerve of rats was bridged with freeze-dried alginate gel. Regeneration was evaluated by electrophysiologic testing and histologic study. Eighteen weeks after surgery, functional reinnervation of motor and sensory nerves had occurred, as demonstrated by recovery of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), compound nerve action potentials (CNAP), and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP). Histologically, many regenerated nerve fasciculi, including myelinated and unmyelinated fibers, were observed and the implanted alginate gel had disappeared. In conclusion, a gluing technique using alginate gel is a potential alternative to the conventional nerve autograft technique. Advantages include simple application and rapid repair. Freeze-dried alginate gel is a promising material for artificial nerve guides for peripheral nerves and also could be used for repair of disrupted pathways in central nervous tissue that is amorphous and cannot be sutured.

Action Potentials↗

Tubular aggregates in the skeletal muscle of the senescence-accelerated mouse; SAM.

We investigated the skeletal muscles of nine strains of senescence accelerated mouse (SAM), DDD, AKR/J, C57BL/6J, A/J and BALB/c mice. We found that male SAMP8, SAMP7, C57BL/6J, A/J and BALB/c mice expressed tubular aggregates (TAs) in their skeletal muscle. Among these strains, the SAMP8 strain, which exhibits a short life span and various age-associated neurodegenerative disorders plus mitochondrial dysfunction, showed TAs more markedly than the others. Thus, we compared SAMP8 mice against SAMR1 mice, an accelerated senescence-resistant strain. Light- and electron micrographs showed that male SAMP8 mice exhibited an age-dependent aggravation of TA accumulation. There were no significant differences in the serum lactate/pyruvate levels between the SAMP8 and SAMR1 mice. However, the serum creatine kinase (CK) levels of the 3 and 6-month-old SAMP8 mice were higher than that of the corresponding SAMR1 mice. Considering the serum CK levels and the mitochondrial dysfunction of SAMP8 mice, we conclude that the TAs may be involved in the homeostasis of energy metabolism that is not appropriately regulated in the SAMP8 mouse mitochondrion.

Aging↗

An effective family shuffling method using single-stranded DNA.

Family shuffling, which is one of the most powerful techniques for in vitro protein evolution, always involves the problem of reassembling the gene fragments into parental gene sequences, because such a process prevents the formation of chimeric sequences. In order to improve the efficiency of hybrid formation in family shuffling, single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) were used as templates. The ssDNAs of two catechol 2,3-dioxygenase genes, nahH and xylE, were prepared, the xylE strand being complementary to the nahH strand. When these ssDNAs were digested by DNase I and reassembled, chimeric genes were obtained at a rate of 14%, which was much higher than the rate of less than 1% obtained by shuffling with double-stranded DNAs. Chimeric catechol 2,3-dioxygenases that were more thermally stable than the parental enzymes, XylE and NahH, were obtained by this ssDNA-based DNA shuffling.

Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase↗

The major immediate-early genes of human cytomegalovirus induce two novel proteins with molecular weights of 91 and 102 kilodaltons.

Mouse monoclonal antibody MAB810 is known to recognize the major immediate-early (IE) proteins, 68 kDa IE1 (IE1p68) and 80 kDa IE2 (IE2p80), of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Using this antibody we found that two additional proteins with higher molecular weights of approximately 91 (p91) and 102 kDa (p102) are also synthesized in HCMV-infected cells. p91 and p102 were produced in cells stably transfected with plasmid expressing IE1p68 and IE2p80, respectively, and shown to be related with IE1p68 and IE2p80, respectively, in primary amino acid sequence. Taken together, these results indicate that p91 and p102 are expressed from the IE1 and IE2 genes, respectively.

Animals↗