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Katsuo Kamata

Publications and source records attributed to Katsuo Kamata.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Changes in aortic endothelial gene expressions and relaxation responses following chronic short-term insulin treatment in diabetic rats.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the changes in the expressions of several mRNAs and changes in endothelial function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic and chronic short-term insulin-treated rats. Aortas from later-stage (10 week) diabetics, but not those from their insulin-treated counterparts, showed an impaired endothelial function. We found that the mRNA expressions for 30 genes were significantly upregulated, while those for 13 other genes were downregulated in aortic endothelial cells from diabetes. In later-stage diabetes, chronic insulin treatment ameliorated the endothelial dysfunction and normalized the expressions for 20 out of the 43 genes altered in diabetes. Further, 12 of the remaining 23 genes were altered by high-dose insulin treatment in the controls. In early-stage (1 week) diabetic aortas, which did not show impaired endothelial function, expression changes were shown by only 12/30 and 5/13 of the genes up- or downregulated, respectively, in later-stage diabetes. Thus, in the diabetic aortas endothelial gene expressions and function exhibited time-related changes, and several gene expressions and endothelial function were normalized by insulin treatment. The hyperinsulinemia caused by this treatment may oppose the alterations in some gene expressions and the endothelial proliferation (cell growth-related gene expressions) that occur in established diabetes.

Animals↗

Cilostazol improves endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor-type relaxation in mesenteric arteries from diabetic rats.

We previously reported that in mesenteric arteries from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats that 1) endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-type relaxation is impaired, possibly due to a reduced action of cAMP via increased phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) activity (Matsumoto T, Kobayashi T, and Kamata K. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 285: H283-H291, 2003) and that 2) PKA activity is decreased (Matsumoto T, Wakabayashi K, Kobayashi T, and Kamata K. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 287: H1064-H1071, 2004). Here we investigated whether chronic treatment with cilostazol, a PDE3 inhibitor, improves EDHF-type relaxation in mesenteric arteries isolated from STZ rats. We found that in such arteries 1) cilostazol treatment (2 wk) improved ACh-, A-23187-, and cyclopiazonic acid-induced EDHF-type relaxations; 2) the ACh-induced cAMP accumulation was transient and sustained in arteries from cilostazol-treated STZ rats; 3) the EDHF-type relaxation was significantly decreased by a PKA inhibitor in the cilostazol-treated group, but not in the cilostazol-untreated group; 4) cilostazol treatment improved both the relaxations induced by cAMP analogs and the PKA activity level; and 5) PKA catalytic subunit (Cat-alpha) protein was significantly decreased, but the regulatory subunit RII-beta was increased (and the latter effect was significantly decreased by cilostazol treatment). These results strongly suggest that cilostazol improves EDHF-type relaxations in STZ rats via an increase in cAMP and PKA signaling.

Animals↗

Functional changes in adenylyl cyclases and associated decreases in relaxation responses in mesenteric arteries from diabetic rats.

To assess the functional change in adenylyl cyclases (AC) associated with the diabetic state, we investigated AC-mediated relaxations and cAMP production in mesenteric arteries from rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. The relaxations induced by the water-soluble forskolin (FSK) analog NKH477, which is a putative AC5 activator, but not by the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol (Iso) and the AC activator FSK, were reduced in intact diabetic mesenteric artery. In diabetic rats, however, Iso-, FSK-, and NKH477-induced relaxations were attenuated in the presence of inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase. To exclude the influence of phosphodiesterase (PDE), we also examined the relaxations induced by several AC activators in the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX; a PDE inhibitor). Under these conditions, the relaxation induced by Iso was greatly impaired in STZ-diabetic rats. This Iso-induced relaxation was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with SQ-22536, an AC inhibitor, in mesenteric rings from age-matched controls but not in those from STZ-diabetic rats. Under the same conditions, the relaxations induced by FSK or NKH477 were impaired in STZ-diabetic rats. Neither FSK- nor A-23187 (a Ca2+ ionophore)-induced cAMP production was significantly different between diabetics and controls. However, cAMP production induced by Iso or NKH477 was significantly impaired in diabetic mesenteric arteries. Expression of mRNAs and proteins for AC5/6 was lower in diabetic mesenteric arteries than in controls. These results suggest that AC-mediated relaxation is impaired in the STZ-diabetic rat mesenteric artery, perhaps reflecting a reduction in AC5/6 activity.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Effects of chronic administration of fruit extract (Citrus unshiu Marc) on endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

We investigated the effects of chronic administration of fruit extract (Citrus unshiu MARC) on the endothelial dysfunction seen in aortae from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. A ten-week administration of this fruit extract preserved acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, but not sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced endothelium-independent relaxation, in the diabetic aorta. In age-matched control rats, chronic administration of the fruit extract had no influence on the ACh- or SNP-induced aortic relaxation. The increased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels seen in STZ-induced diabetic rats were not normalized by fruit-extract treatment. These results suggest that Citrus unshiu MARC extract preserves endothelial function in the aorta in STZ-induced diabetic rats without lowering plasma cholesterol. This beneficial effect may be due to this extract protecting of nitric oxide against inactivation by oxygen free radicals.

Animals↗

Effect of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate on smooth muscle tone in rat stomach fundus.

We investigated the effects of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), a typical protein kinase C (PKC) activator, on smooth muscle tone in the rat stomach fundus. In 5-hydroxytriptamine (5-HT)-precontracted stomach fundus strips, PDBu induced dose-dependent relaxation, but 4alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, a phorbol ester that does not activate PKC, did not induce relaxation. A PDBu-induced dose-dependent relaxation was also observed in strips precontracted with platelet-activating factor (PAF), carbachol, or 60 mM K+. In stomach fundus strips pretreated with PDBu, the contractile responses to 5-HT and PAF were completely blocked, but those induced by carbachol and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were only partially inhibited. In stomach fundus strips preincubated with carbachol in Ca2+-free medium, the Ca2+-induced contraction was decreased by preincubation with PDBu. In strips preincubated with 5-HT, PAF, or ET-1 in Ca2+-free medium, Ca2+-induced contractions were greatly inhibited by pretreatment with PDBu. These results suggest that in rat stomach fundus strips, PDBu-induced relaxation is mediated by activation of PKC. We speculate that a major factor mediating the relaxant action of PDBu in rat stomach fundus smooth muscle is represented by a reduction in Ca2+ influx via an inhibition of Ca2+ channels.

Animals↗

Effects of dual-action genistein derivatives on relaxation in rat aorta.

Protein tyrosine kinases and nitric oxide (NO) play important roles in several cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we examined the actions of two compounds, each has structure of genistein (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) and an NO donor, on endothelium-independent relaxation responses in the isolated rat aorta. By rational drug design, genistein was modified to acquire an NO donor, and we synthesized two such compounds (G-II, G-VI). These compounds and genistein induced dose-dependent relaxation responses in endothelium-denuded aortic strips, the rank order of potencies being G-VI > G-II > genistein. Incubation of endothelium-denuded strips with 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo[4,3-a]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 microM), a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, inhibited both the G-II- and G-VI-induced relaxations, but not the genistein-induced relaxation. The residual relaxations induced by these two compounds were similar to the genistein-induced relaxation. Incubation of endothelium-denuded strips with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC, 20 microM)-which is a major atherogenic lysophospholipid component of oxidized low-density lipoprotein and is known to activate tyrosine kinase-caused a significant rightward shift in the dose-response curve for genistein. LPC also shifted the G-II- and G-VI-induced relaxation curves to the right; however, these relaxations in the presence of LPC were greater than that induced by genistein. The sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation in endothelium-denuded strips was similar between in the absence and presence of LPC. These results suggest that each of our newly developed G-II and G-VI compounds has a dual action, as an NO donor and a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These compounds may be useful against certain cardiovascular diseases.

Animals↗

Diabetes-related changes in contractile responses of stomach fundus to endothelin-1 in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The contractile response of the stomach fundus to endothelin-1 (ET-1) was examined in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In STZ-diabetic rats (versus age-matched control rats) (a) ET-1 caused a longer-lasting contraction of stomach fundus strips, and (b) in the dose-response curve, the ET-1-induced contraction was significantly greater for a given concentration (3 x 10(-7) to 10(-7) M). Although repeated application of ET-1 led to desensitization, the desensitization was less pronounced in STZ-diabetic rats than in the controls. The density of the binding sites for [(125)I]-ET-1 was increased in the diabetic stomach fundus (versus the controls), but Kd values were similar between the two groups. The ET(B) receptor mRNA expression level was significantly increased in the diabetic stomach fundus. These results suggest that the diabetes-related enhancement of the ET-1-induced contraction of the stomach fundus may be due to an increase in the ET(B) receptor population.

Animals↗

IGF-I-induced enhancement of contractile response in organ-cultured aortae from diabetic rats is mediated by sustained thromboxane A2 release from endothelial cells.

We have investigated the mechanisms underlying the changes in vascular contractile responsiveness induced by insulin and IGF-I in established streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The contractile response to noradrenaline (NA) in organ-cultured diabetic rat aortae cultured with insulin or IGF-I was significantly greater than the corresponding responses in (a) diabetic rat aortae cultured in serum-free medium and (b) control rat aortae cultured with insulin or IGF-I. In aortae from which the endothelium was removed after organ culture the contractile response to NA was greater in those cultured with insulin or IGF-I than in those cultured in serum-free medium. This was not true of aortae endothelium denuded before organ culture. The IGF-I-induced enhancement was prevented by treatment with indomethacin (cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor), SQ29548 (thromboxane (TX) A2 receptor antagonist) or fregrelate (TXA2 synthase inhibitor). IGF-I-induced production of TXB2, a metabolite of TXA2, was greater in diabetic than in control aortae and was attenuated by endothelium denudation, indomethacin or AG1024 (IGF-I receptor inhibitor). The expression of the protein and mRNA for the IGF-I receptor (as assessed by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry) was markedly increased within endothelial cells in diabetic aortae but only slightly increased within smooth muscle cells (versus control rat aortae). Thus, the NA-induced contractile response in aortae from diabetic rats was enhanced by both insulin and IGF-I and this enhancement may be mediated by sustained cyclo-oxygenase-dependent TXA2 production from endothelial cells. The observed enhancement of IGF-I receptor expression within endothelial cells may be causally related to the potentiation of vascular contractility and the increase in TXA2 production.

Animals↗

Effect of chronic insulin on cromakalim-induced relaxation in established streptozotocin-diabetic rat basilar artery.

Our goals were to determine whether the response of the rat isolated basilar artery to activation of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels is altered in diabetes mellitus, and to determine the effect of chronic insulin treatment on this response in established diabetic rats. The relaxation induced by cromakalim, an activator of KATP channels, was significantly weaker in insulin-untreated streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats than in the controls. This impairment was significantly improved following chronic administration of insulin. The relaxations induced by two Ca2+-activated K+-channel activators [1-ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (1-EBIO) or 1, 3-dihydro-1-[2-hydroxy-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-benzimidazol-2-one (NS1619)] were not significantly different between control and insulin-untreated diabetic rats. The sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation was similar among the three groups (control, diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic). These results suggest that: (a) the impaired cromakalim-induced relaxation seen in diabetic rats is not due to a nonspecific effect of diabetes mellitus on vasorelaxation, but at least partly to an effect on KATP channels, and (b) that this impaired relaxation can be restored by chronic insulin treatment.

Animals↗

Effects of chronic insulin on endothelial dysfunction of basilar arteries from established streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Our goals were to determine both the effects of chronic insulin treatment on the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation present in basilar arteries from established diabetic rats and the molecular basis of these effects. Acetylcholine-induced relaxation in basilar artery rings was impaired in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic group, and this impaired response was recovered by insulin treatment. The contraction induced by a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor was decreased in the insulin-untreated diabetic group, but was increased by insulin or NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor treatment. The manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) mRNA level was significantly lower in basilar arteries from insulin-untreated diabetic rats than in those from the controls, whereas the mRNA for gp91phox, an NAD(P)H oxidase subunit, was increased. In the insulin-treated group, the basilar artery p22phox mRNA level was reduced (vs. insulin-untreated diabetic). These results suggest that the presence of endothelial dysfunction in the diabetic basilar artery is related to increased oxidative stress, and that insulin preserves endothelial function by alleviating oxidative stress. Furthermore, we directly demonstrated that the expression profile for SOD and NAD(P)H oxidase was altered in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic basilar artery.

Animals↗

Impairment of PI3-K/Akt pathway underlies attenuated endothelial function in aorta of type 2 diabetic mouse model.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway, which activates serine/threonine protein kinase Akt, enhances endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation and nitric oxide (NO) production. We investigated the involvement of the PI3-K/Akt pathway in the relaxation responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and clonidine in a new type 2 diabetic model (streptozotocin plus nicotinamide-induced diabetic mice). Plasma glucose and insulin levels were significantly elevated in our model, and intravenous glucose tolerance tests revealed clear abnormalities in glucose tolerance and insulin responsiveness. Although in our model the ACh-induced relaxation and NOx- (NO2-+NO3-)/cGMP production were unchanged, the clonidine-induced and insulin-induced relaxations and NOx-/cGMP production were all greatly attenuated. In control mice, the clonidine-induced and insulin-induced relaxations were each abolished by LY294002 and by Wortmannin (inhibitors of PI3-K), and also by Akt-inhibitor treatment. The ACh-induced relaxation was unaffected by such treatments in either group of mice. The expression level of total Akt protein was significantly decreased in the diabetic mice aorta, but those for the p85 and p110gamma subunits of PI3-K were not. The clonidine-induced Ser-473 phosphorylation of Akt through PI3-K was significantly decreased in our model; however, that induced by ACh was not. These results suggest that relaxation responses and NO production mediated via the PI3-K/Akt pathway are decreased in this type 2 diabetic model. This may be a major cause of endothelial dysfunction (and the resulting hypertension) in type 2 diabetes.

Acetylcholine↗

Diabetes-related changes in cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and decrease in relaxation response in rat mesenteric artery.

Using superior mesenteric artery rings isolated from age-matched controls and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, we recently demonstrated that EDHF-type relaxation is impaired in STZ-induced diabetic rats, possibly due to a reduced action of cAMP via increased phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity (Matsumoto T, Kobayashi T, and Kamata K. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 285: H283-H291, 2003). Here, we investigated the activity and expression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), an enzyme that is produced by a pleiotropic and plays key roles in the transduction of many external signals through the cAMP second messenger pathway and in cAMP-mediated vasorelaxation. The relaxation induced by cilostamide, a selective PDE3 inhibitor, was significantly weaker in superior mesenteric artery rings from STZ-induced diabetic rats than in those from age-matched controls. The relaxation responses to 8-bromo-cAMP (8Br-cAMP) and N6,O2-dibutyryl-adenosine-cAMP (db-cAMP), a cell-permeant cAMP analog, were also impaired in the STZ diabetic group. PKA activity in the db-cAMP-treated mesenteric artery was significantly lower in the STZ diabetic group. The expression levels of the mRNA and protein for PKA catalytic subunit Cat-alpha were significantly decreased in the STZ diabetic group, but those for PKA regulatory subunit isoform RII-beta were increased. We conclude that the abnormal vascular relaxation responsiveness seen in STZ-induced diabetic rats may be attributable not only to increased PDE activity but also to decreased PKA activity. Possibly, the decreased PKA activity may result from an imbalance between PKA catalytic and regulatory subunit expressions.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Differential expression of alpha2D-adrenoceptor and eNOS in aortas from early and later stages of diabetes in Goto-Kakizaki rats.

The aim of the present study was to compare vascular dysfunction between the early (12 wk old) and later (36 wk old) stages of spontaneous diabetes in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. We also evaluated the aortic expression of the alpha(2D)-adrenoceptor and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Vascular reactivity was assessed in thoracic aortas from age-matched control rats and 12- and 36-wk GK rats. Using RT-PCR and immunoblots, we also examined the changes in expression of the alpha(2D-)adrenoceptor and eNOS. In aortas from GK rats (vs. those from age-matched control rats): 1) the relaxation response to ACh was enhanced at 12 wk but decreased at 36 wk; 2) the relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside was decreased at both 12 and 36 wk, 3) norepinephrine (NE)-induced contractility was decreased at 12 wk but not at 36 wk, 4) the expressions of alpha(1B)- and alpha(1D)-adrenoceptors were unaffected, whereas those of alpha(2D)-adrenoceptor and eNOS mRNAs were increased at both 12 and 36 wk; and 5) NE- and ACh-stimulated NO(x) (nitrite and nitrate) levels were increased at 12 wk, although at 36 wk ACh-stimulated NO(x) was lower, whereas NE-stimulated NO(x) showed no change. These results clearly demonstrate that enhanced ACh-induced relaxation and impaired NE-induced contraction, due to NO overproduction via eNOS and increased alpha(2D)-adrenoceptor expression, occur in early-stage GK rats and that the impaired ACh-induced relaxation in later-stage GK rats is due to reductions in both NO production and NO responsiveness (but not in eNOS expression).

Acetylcholine↗

Modulations of shear stress-induced contractile responses and agonist-induced vasodilation in hypercholesterolemic rats.

We used mesenteric arterial beds from normal rats and beef tallow-fed rats (hypercholesterolemic model) to study the interaction between the effects of viscosity-induced shear stress and agonists mesenteric vasoreactivity. Mesenteric arterial beds were perfused under constant-flow conditions (5 ml/min) via a peristaltic pump using warm oxygenated modified Krebs-Henseleit solution containing either 4% BSA to increase viscosity or 300 microM L-arginine, a NO synthase substrate. Whether beds were perfused with BSA alone or L-arginine alone as pretreatment, the methoxamine-induced contractile responses were similar to those in normal beds. However, methoxamine-induced contractile responses were significantly reduced following pretreatment with L-arginine plus BSA. These reduced responses underwent significant recovery when either tyrphostin A23 (30 microM, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) or wortmannin (300 nM, a PI3K inhibitor) was present. The dose-response curve for methoxamine was shifted to the right and the maximum contractile response was reduced in mesenteric arterial beds from beef tallow-fed rats, but the modulation of this response induced by L-arginine plus BSA was preserved. In beef tallow-fed rats, the ACh-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilation was attenuated in both thoracic aortic strips and mesenteric arterial beds. These results suggest that in hypercholesterolemic rats, agonist-induced endothelial function is impaired, while shear stress-induced responses (tyrosine kinase- and PI3K-mediated NO production) are preserved. These abnormal vascular responses may contribute to hypertension in beef tallow-fed hypercholesterolemic model rats.

Acetylcholine↗

Mechanisms underlying enhanced contractile response to endothelin-1 in diabetic rat basilar artery.

We investigated the influence of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the responsiveness of the rat basilar artery to endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO), which is known to counteract ET-1. In basilar arteries isolated from diabetic rats: (a) the ET-1-induced contraction was enhanced, (b) the contraction induced by N(G)-nitro-l-arginine [a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor] was weaker, and (c) the levels of the mRNAs for ET(A)/ET(B) receptors and prepro-ET-1, but not for NOS, were significantly elevated (all versus age-matched controls). These data indicate that ET-1-induced vasoconstriction may be increased in the diabetic rat basilar artery, and that this hyper-reactivity to ET-1 may be due to an overproduction of ET-1, an up-regulation of ET(A)/ET(B) receptors, and a defect in the bioavailability of NO.

Animals↗

Endothelin-1-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxation in aortas isolated from controls and diabetic rats.

An accumulating body of evidence indicates that an increased endothelin-1 level is related to endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we tested whether prolonged treatment of aortas with endothelin-1 induces endothelial dysfunction. When isolated aortas from control rats were cultured with endothelin-1, at levels above the plasma concentration, the acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was significantly decreased (as compared with endothelin-1-nontreatment). This endothelin-1-induced endothelial dysfunction was more marked in aortas obtained from rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes than in those from the controls. The endothelin-1- induced attenuation was very strongly suppressed by co-incubation with J-104132, endothelin receptor A/B antagonist, or polyethylene-glycolated superoxide dismutase, a cell-permeant superoxide anion scavenger or LY294002, phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor. These results indicate that endothelin-1 can induce endothelial dysfunction, and that this may be related to superoxide generation and to PI3-kinase activity.

Acetylcholine↗

Alterations in vascular endothelial function in the aorta and mesenteric artery in type II diabetic rats.

We used the partial protection exerted by suitable dosages of nicotinamide against the beta-cytotoxic effect of streptozotocin (STZ) to create an experimental diabetic syndrome in adult rats that appears closer to type II diabetes mellitus than other available animal models. The dosage of 230 mg/kg of nicotinamide given intraperitoneally 15 min before STZ administration (65 mg/kg i.v.) yielded animals with hyperglycemia (187.8 +/- 17.8 vs. 103.8 +/- 2.8 mg/dL in controls; P < 0.001) and preservation of plasma insulin levels. This study assessed the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and agonist-induced contractile responses in such rats. In the thoracic aorta, the acetylcholine (ACh) induced relaxation was significantly reduced and the noradrenaline (NA) induced contractile response was significantly increased in diabetic rats compared with age-matched control rats. In the superior mesenteric artery, the ACh-induced relaxation was similar in magnitude between diabetic and age-matched control rats; however, the ACh-induced endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) type relaxation was significantly weaker in diabetic rats than in the controls. The phenylephrine (PE) induced contractile response was not different between the two groups. The plasma concentration of NOx (NO2- + NO3-) was significantly lower in diabetic rats than in control rats. We conclude that vasomotor activities in conduit arteries are impaired in this type II diabetes model.

Acetylcholine↗