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Biomedical subjects

K Umezawa

Publications and source records attributed to K Umezawa.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Inhibition of experimental metastasis by an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, 1,6-epi-cyclophellitol.

Isolated from a culture filtrate of Phellinus sp., cyclophellitol is a specific inhibitor of beta-glucosidase, but unlike castanospermine, it does not inhibit experimental metastasis. However, its structural analogue, 1,6-epi-cyclophellitol, inhibited alpha-glucosidase as well as beta-glucosidase, and inhibited experimental metastasis. 1,6-Epi-cyclophellitol depressed alpha-glucosidase activity in cultured B16/F10 cells after 48 h of incubation. Preincubation of B16/F10 cells for 48 h with 1,6-epi-cyclophellitol inhibited invasion of the cells in a Boyden chamber assay at the doses effective in inhibiting alpha-glucosidase in situ. Pulmonary metastasis of B16/F10 cells in mice was inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with 1,6-epi-cyclophellitol in culture. The inhibitor reduced the collagen type I- and IV-mediated attachment of the cells, whereas it had no effect on laminin-mediated attachment. These results suggest that alpha-glucosidase in tumor cells is essential for the metastatic process through the cellular interaction with collagen type I and IV.

Animals↗

Induction of normal phenotypes in ras-transformed cells by damnacanthal from Morinda citrifolia.

We have screened tropical plant extracts for substances that induce normal morphology in K-rasts-NRK cells. As a result we isolated an anthraquinone compound, damnacanthal, from the chloroform extract of the root of Morinda citrifolia. Damnacanthal induced normal morphology and cytoskeletal structure in K-rasts-NRK cells at the permissive temperature, without changing the amount and localization of Ras. The effect of damnacanthal was reversible, and the compound had no effect on the morphology of RSVts-NRK cells expressing the src oncogene. Thus, damnacanthal is a new inhibitor of ras function.

Animals↗

Inhibition of serum-induced M-phase progression by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erbstatin.

A tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erbstatin, increased the number of M-phase cells in exponentially growing NRK, NIH3T3, and RSV-NRK cells. In synchronized NRK cells prepared by serum starvation or hydroxyurea treatment, erbstatin also increased the number of M-phase cells in the presence of serum when added before M-phase. Erbstatin did not inhibit serum-induced DNA synthesis at all. The accumulated M-phase cells later divided even in the presence of erbstatin, indicating that the effect of erbstatin is reversible. An inactive analogue, 5'-O-methylerbstatin, did not increase the number of mitotic figures. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that erbstatin reversibly accumulated 4n DNA containing cells when added to G1/S-synchronized NRK cells. Increased cellular H1 kinase activity at M-phase is decreased after mitosis, and this decrease was inhibited by erbstatin. Thus tyrosine kinase is suggested to be involved in the progression of the M-phase.

3T3 Cells↗

Isolation of a novel substrate-competitive tyrosine kinase inhibitor, desmal, from the plant Desmos chinensis.

In the course of a screening program for tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the chloroform extract of a tropical plant, Desmos chinensis, strongly inhibited the enzyme activity. The active substance was purified by silica gel, gel filtration, and finally crystallized. The structure was elucidated by mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography to be 8-formyl-2,5,7-trihydroxy-6- methylflavanone, and we named it desmal. Desmal competed with peptide substrate and non-competed with ATP. It inhibited tyrosine kinase in situ in epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-overexpressing NIH3T3 (ER12) cells. It also inhibited EGF-induced inositol phosphate formation and morphological changes.

3T3 Cells↗

Involvement of tyrosine kinase in growth factor-induced phospholipase C activation in NIH3T3 cells.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erbstatin and lavendustin derivative inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)- and bombesin-induced inositol phosphate formation and phospholipase C (PLC) activation in quiescent NIH3T3 cells. However, bombesin-induced PLC activation was only partially inhibited by tyrosine kinase inhibitors, whereas PDGF-induced activation was completely. Moreover, although bombesin-induced PLC activation was partially inhibited by pertussis toxin alone, this toxin inhibited almost completely in the presence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Thus, tyrosine kinase was suggested to be involved in PDGF- and bombesin-induced PLC activation in a different manner.

3T3 Cells↗

Thrombin may contribute to the pathophysiology of central nervous system injury.

Thrombin has multiple functions, including its function as a key enzyme during blood coagulation and other physiologic activities. We studied brain tissue reactions to thrombin that might be present in the central nervous system (CNS) following injury. Thrombin and three different types of controls--buffer, albumin, and plasmin--were individually infused into the rat caudate nucleus by a continuous osmotic mini-pump. Brains were examined by conventional histologic and immunohistologic techniques. Antibodies for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, and laminin were employed to assess the infiltration of inflammatory cells, proliferation activity of cells, and reaction of astrocytes and mesenchymal cells, respectively. The number of inflammatory cells, number of BrdU-positive cells, area and number of vimentin-positive astrocytes, and the area of GFAP-positive astrocytes were quantitatively analyzed. Thrombin caused infiltration of inflammatory cells, proliferation of mesenchymal cells, induction of angiogenesis, and an increase in vimentin-positive reactive astrocytes. These histologic changes caused by thrombin infusion resembled the inflammation, scar formation, and reactive gliosis in the CNS following injury. These results suggest that thrombin may play an important role in inflammatory responses to CNS injury since thrombin is one of the blood borne factors that may interact with brain tissue after CNS injury. The data further suggest that the therapeutic application of antithrombin agents for CNS injury suppresses inflammation and the excessive gliosis and scar formation, which are barriers to neuronal regeneration.

Animals↗

Dephostatin, a novel protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor produced by Streptomyces. I. Taxonomy, isolation, and characterization.

A novel inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase, dephostatin, was isolated from the culture broth of a strain of Streptomyces. The active principle was extracted from the broth filtrate with ethyl acetate and purified by silica gel chromatography and by HPLC. Dephostatin inhibited protein tyrosine phosphatase prepared from a human neoplastic T-cell line with an IC50 at 7.7 microM. The inhibitory pattern of dephostatin was competitive against the substrate. Dephostatin inhibited the growth of Jurkat cells.

Cell Division↗

Isolation and structure determination of novel phosphatidylinositol turnover inhibitors, piericidin B5 and B5 N-oxide, from Streptomyces sp.

In the course of a screening program for inhibitors of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced phosphatidylinositol turnover in human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431, we discovered two novel compounds of the piericidin family from the culture broth and mycelia of a Streptomyces strain MJ288-OF3. We named them piericidin B5 and B5 N-oxide. By NMR and mass spectrometric analyses, the molecular formulas of piericidin B5 and B5 N-oxide were determined to be C27H41NO4 (MW 443) and C27H41NO5 (MW 459), respectively. Piericidin B5 and B5 N-oxide inhibited phosphatidylinositol turnover of A431 cells with IC50S of 10.0 micrograms/ml and 1.1 micrograms/ml, respectively.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Inhibition of Abelson oncogene function by erbstatin analogues.

The authors examined the effect of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erbstatin, and its analogues on abl oncogene functions. Erbstatin and its stable analogue methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate (2,5-MeC) inhibited the growth of v-ablts-NIH3T3 cells at the permissive temperature (33 degrees C) at lower concentrations than at the non-permissive temperature (39 degrees C). 2,5-MeC inhibited the morphological transformation and the activation of v-abl tyrosine kinase by the temperature shift (39 degrees C to 33 degrees C) more effectively than erbstatin. Previously the authors reported that erbstatin induced erythroid differentiation of K562 human chronic myelogenous leukaemia cells, so they examined the effect of erbstatin analogues on the erythroid differentiation. Among eight erbstatin analogues studied, ethyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells most effectively. Ethyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate also inhibited bcr-abl tyrosine kinase. These results indicate that the stable analogues of erbstatin suppress oncogene functions of Abl by inhibiting its tyrosine kinase.

Abelson murine leukemia virus↗

Induction of morphological and enzymic differentiation in rat pheochromocytoma PC12h cells by stable erbstatin analogues.

Erbstatin, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is known to induce transient differentiation in rat pheochromocytoma PC12h cells. The authors tested seven newly synthesized stable erbstatin analogues for their ability to induce neurite formation and acetylcholine esterase in PC12h cells. Among the inhibitors tested hexyl 2,3-dihydroxycinnamate most efficiently induced neurite formation in PC12h cells. Although this analogue is much more stable than erbstatin, the induction by it was again transient. In addition, the analogue weakly induced acetylcholine esterase activity in PC12h cells. Thus hexyl 2,3-dihydroxycinnamate is a potent inducer of morphological differentiation in PC12h cells.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor functions by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NIH3T3 cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces transformed phenotypes in EGF receptor-overexpressing NIH3T3 (ER12) cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erbstatin and its stable analogue methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate inhibited the EGF-induced phenotypic changes in these cells; while 5'-O-methylerbstatin, an inactive analogue, did not. Methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate inhibited intracellular tyrosine kinase activity in EGF-treated ER12 cells. Methyl 2,5-dihydroxycinnamate also delayed the EGF-induced DNA synthesis from the quiescent phase ER12 cells without showing irreversible cytotoxicity. It inhibited the DNA synthesis most efficiently at the early G1 phase. Thus, tyrosine kinase inhibitors may modify malignant phenotypes in EGF receptor-overexpressing neoplasms.

3T3 Cells↗

Inhibition of glucocerebrosidase and induction of neural abnormality by cyclophellitol in mice.

Cyclophellitol, a cyclitol with an epoxide, is a novel microbial secondary metabolite that inhibits beta-glucosidase and beta-glucocerebrosidase. Daily administration of cyclophellitol induces a severe abnormality of the nervous system in mice while it has no toxicity in various cultured cells. It was shown to inhibit glucocerebrosidase in vivo significantly in mice and the content of glucocerebroside in liver, spleen, and brain was increased markedly. The enzyme activity was completely suppressed in brain, liver, spleen, kidney, and muscle. On the other hand hexosaminidase activity was not affected in all tissues. After a single administration of cyclophellitol the maximal inhibition of glucocerebrosidase was observed within 30 min in brain and liver, and the inhibition lasted for 2-4 days. A single administration of cyclophellitol also induced a severe abnormality of the nervous system known as Gaucher's-like disease in mice. Conduritol B epoxide is also known to inhibit glucocerebrosidase and induce Gaucher's like-disease in mice by repetitive injection. Cyclophellitol was shown to be more potent than conduritol B epoxide in inhibition of glucocerebrosidase and in induction of the neural abnormality.

Animals↗

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor primes phospholipase D activity in human neutrophils in vitro: role of calcium, G-proteins and tyrosine kinases.

The addition of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to human peripheral blood neutrophils primes phospholipase D (PLD) to subsequent stimulation by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The present investigation was directed at the elucidation of the pathway(s) involved in the regulation of the activity of PLD in untreated as well as in GM-CSF-primed neutrophils. Pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PT) totally inhibited fMLP-induced activation of PLD in control or GM-CSF-treated cells. PT did not affect the activation of PLD by PMA but inhibited the priming effect of GM-CSF. Activation of PLD by fMLP was dose-dependently inhibited by erbstatin, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinases. Furthermore, pre-incubation with GM-CSF accelerated the tyrosine phosphorylation response to fMLP (as analysed by protein immunoblot with antiphosphotyrosine antibodies). In PMA-stimulated neutrophils, erbstatin antagonized the priming effect of GM-CSF on PLD without affecting the direct effects of the phorbol ester. Buffering cytoplasmic calcium with the chelator BAPTA inhibited fMLP-induced activation of PLD as monitored by the formation of phosphatidylethanol. The stimulation of PLD by PMA was partially attenuated in BAPTA-loaded cells while the priming effect of GM-CSF was abolished. Thus, priming of human neutrophil PLD by GM-CSF may be mediated by G-proteins, by increases in the levels of cytosolic free calcium, and by stimulation of protein kinase C and/or tyrosine kinase(s).

Calcium↗

Inhibition of CDP-DG: inositol transferase by inostamycin.

Inostamycin, a novel microbial secondary metabolite, inhibited [3H]inositol and 32P1 incorporation into phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in cultured A431 cells, the IC50 being 0.5 micrograms/ml, without inhibiting macromolecular synthesis. The drug inhibited cellular inositol phosphate formation only when it was added at the same time as labeled inositol. It was found to inhibit in vitro CDP-DG:inositol transferase activity of the A431 cell membrane, the IC50 being about 0.02 micrograms/ml. It did not inhibit tyrosine kinase, PtdIns phospholipase C, or PtdIns kinase. Therefore, inhibition of PtdIns turnover by inostamycin must be due to the inhibition of CDP-DG:inositol transferase. Thus, inostamycin is a novel inhibitor of CDP-DG:inositol transferase.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗