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Biomedical subjects

M Asamoto

Publications and source records attributed to M Asamoto.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Modifying effects of chemicals on the development of liver preneoplastic placental glutathione S-transferase positive foci in analbuminemic and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Nagase analbuminemic rats (NARs) were compared to the Sprague-Dawley (SD) stock in a medium-term assay system for hepatocarcinogenesis regarding their susceptibilities to the influence of chemicals on the development of glutathione S-transferase, placental form, positive (GST-P+) foci. Two weeks after initiation with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), the animals were exposed alternatively to 0.06% 3'-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB), 50 ppm DEN, 0.25% ethionine, 1% clofibrate, and 1% butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) for a 6-wk period. Adequate controls included groups only initiated with DEN or treated with each test compound alone. For evaluation of the modifying potential of the chemicals, indices were generated by using the mean values obtained for number and area of GST-P+ foci after each treatment. Comparison between these indices suggests that SD rats were relatively more sensitive than NARs to the modifying effects of complete carcinogens (3'-Me-DAB and DEN). The strains were similarly-susceptible to the promoting influence of ethionine, a nongenotoxic carcinogen. The inhibitory influence of BHA was more intense in NARs, whereas in both strains clofibrate was associated to similarly reduced values for number and area of GST-P+ foci. The degree of susceptibility of each strain to the modifying influence of chemicals on foci development depended on the chemical agent investigated.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Change of membrane potential in rat urinary bladder epithelium treated with sodium L-ascorbate.

We previously showed that 5% sodium L-ascorbate (Na-AsA) in the diet promotes rat urinary bladder carcinogenesis, whereas 5% ascorbic acid (AsA) and 1% sodium chloride (NaCl) in the diet do not. In order to cast light on basic properties of these compounds regarding the rat urinary bladder, we examined membrane potential levels in the bladder epithelium of F344 rats treated with 5% Na-AsA, 5% AsA or 1% NaCl in the diet for 2, 4 or 8 weeks. Microelectrode measurement showed Na-AsA to induce hyperpolarization of the membrane potential, which was, however, lacking with AsA and NaCl from week 2 until the end of experiment. Thus a good correlation between the effects on membrane potential and tumor promoting activity could be established.

Animals↗

Ras involvement in cells transformed with 2-amino-4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)thiazole (ANFT) in vitro and with N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazoyl]formamide in vivo.

N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (FANFT) administration to rats followed by sodium saccharin results in transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, of which 24% harbor an activated H-ras gene. Since 2-amino-4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)thiazole (ANFT) is the mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolite of FANFT in vivo, we wished to examine ras activation in in vitro ANFT-transformed rat bladder epithelial cells as well as four cell lines established in culture from in vivo FANFT-induced rat bladder tumors. Screening by Western blotting revealed no enhanced levels of p21ras in ANFT-transformed cells nor in cells established in culture from FANFT-induced rat bladder carcinomas. Further investigations using immunohistochemical staining with a different pan-reactive p21 monoclonal antibody (Cetus Corporation) specific for this method, however, showed two groups of cells from FANFT-induced rat bladder tumors had enhanced immunoreactivity. Apart from this, p21ras expression of most of the cells groups varied little from the controls. We examined the reported hot spots (exons 1 and 2) of each of the ras genes (H-, K- and N-ras) by direct sequencing of amplified DNA. No mutations were present. We conclude, therefore, that ANFT transformation of primary rat bladder epithelial cells in vitro may not in this case be mediated by ras activation, although this is difficult to determine since others have observed that optimal culture conditions can select for certain populations of cells without ras activation.

Animals↗

[Increasing the sensitivity of an immunohistochemical method for detecting carcinogen adducts with DNA].

Application of polyclonal antibodies against N7-methylguanine (N7-MG) for immunohistochemical detection of the DNA damage following exposure to methylnitrosourea in cultured cells (CHO and IAR-27) has been shown. The approaches were applied: a) an extraction of nuclei, and b) a silver intensification of the end product of peroxidase reaction. Both the approaches were effective in increasing the sensitivity of immunohistochemical detection of N7-MG, the latter technique being most sensitive. It is proposed that the silver intensification technique is very perspective to have a high levels of sensitivity and specificity, a sufficient contrast and preservation of the cell morphology. The efficiency of the new approach in application to the purposes of molecular epidemiology is discussed.

Animals↗

Lack of synergism in rat urinary tract carcinogenesis between prior uracil treatment and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine administration.

Combination effects of sequential treatment with uracil prior to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) with regard to carcinogenesis in the urinary bladder and renal pelvis were investigated in male F344 rats. Uracil was administered for 15, 10 or 5 weeks followed by BBN for 23 weeks, the total observation time being 40 weeks. Carcinoma(s) and papilloma(s) were induced in the urinary tract by the 15-week uracil treatment independent of subsequent BBN administration. It was concluded that uracil administration prior to BBN treatment is not associated with any synergistic effects, although both uracil and BBN alone exerted carcinogenicity.

Animals↗

L-ascorbic acid amplification of bladder carcinogenesis promotion by K2CO3.

The dose dependence of K2CO3 promotion of two-stage urinary bladder carcinogenesis and the amplifying effects of additional L-ascorbic acid (AsA) administration were investigated. Male F344 rats were given 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine in their drinking water for 4 weeks and then fed basal diet containing K2CO3 at levels of 0, 1, 1.5, 2.2, and 3% with or without 5% AsA or 3% NaHCO3 supplementation from weeks 5 to 8 (4 weeks) and weeks 12 to 20 (9 weeks). During weeks 9 to 11 (3 weeks), the rats were fed 3% uracil in their diet. For controls, rats without N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine treatment were given either 3% K2CO3, 5% AsA, or both plus the uracil treatment. The total observation period was 20 weeks. K2CO3 dose dependently increased the numbers of the putative preneoplastic lesion, papillary or nodular hyperplasia, and papillomas in rats initiated with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine. AsA (5%), while itself exerting no promoting effect, amplified the enhancing influence of K2CO3 on the induction of papillary or nodular hyperplasia and papillomas. The dose-dependent elevation of urinary pH and K+ concentration was associated with K2CO3 treatment with or without AsA. Thus, increased urinary pH and K+ concentration appear to play important roles in K2CO3 promotion, and AsA amplifies this promotion.

Animals↗

Molecular mechanisms of TPA-mediated inhibition of gap-junctional intercellular communication: evidence for action on the assembly or function but not the expression of connexin 43 in rat liver epithelial cells.

We found that a rat liver epithelial cell line (IAR 20) expresses connexin 43, the major cardiac gap-junction protein, but not connexin 26 or connexin 32, major liver gap-junction proteins. The effects of TPA on connexin 43 expression in IAR 20 were investigated using northern blot analysis, western blot analysis, and an immunofluorescence technique. Gap-junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in this cell line decreased within 60 min of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment and recovered after 24 h. The number of immunofluorescence spots of connexin 43 on IAR 20 was closely related to the change in GJIC induced by TPA. However, TPA did not change the level of mRNA measured by northern blot analysis. Moreover, connexin 43 protein expression analyzed by western blotting suggests that connexin 43 proteins were still present in TPA-treated cells at a similar level. These results suggest that GJIC of these rat liver epithelial cells was mediated by connexin 43 protein and that TPA inhibited GJIC by inhibiting posttranslational processing of connexin 43 proteins, e.g., localization or assembly.

Animals↗

Immunohistochemical detection of DNA alkylation adducts in rat and hamster liver after treatment with dimethylnitrosamine.

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies specific for methylation adducts have been applied in an immunohistochemical study of DNA damage in rat and hamster liver following exposure to dimethylnitrosamine. The approach was validated, for frozen and paraffin-embedded sections, by comparison with biochemical data on adduct levels in whole tissues or specific cell populations in the same experimental systems. The potential application of this method to human exposure assessment is discussed.

Alkylation↗

Regulation of connexin 43-mediated gap junctional intercellular communication by Ca2+ in mouse epidermal cells is controlled by E-cadherin.

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of cultured mouse epidermal cells is mediated by a gap junction protein, connexin 43, and is dependent on the calcium concentration in the medium, with higher GJIC in a high-calcium (1.2 mM) medium. In several mouse epidermal cell lines, we found a good correlation between the level of GJIC and that of immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, at cell-cell contact areas. The variant cell line P3/22 showed both low GJIC and E-cadherin protein expression in low- and high-Ca2+ media. P3/22 cells showed very low E-cadherin mRNA expression. To test directly whether E-cadherin is involved in the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of GJIC, we transfected the E-cadherin expression vector into P3/22 cells and obtained several stable clones which expressed high levels of E-cadherin mRNA. All transfectants expressed E-cadherin molecules at cell-cell contact areas in a calcium-dependent manner. GJIC was also observed in these transfectants and was calcium dependent. These results suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of GJIC in mouse epidermal cells is directly controlled by a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin. Furthermore, several lines of evidence suggest that GJIC control by E-cadherin involves posttranslational regulation (assembly and/or function) of the gap junction protein connexin 43.

Animals↗

Summation effects of uracil and other promoters on epithelial lesion development in the F344 rat urinary bladder initiated by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine.

Five non-genotoxic chemicals previously demonstrated to be bladder cancer promoters in 36-week in vivo assays for carcinogenesis were reevaluated in a 20-week experiment in order to assess the summation influence of dietary uracil, a component of RNA, on the development of (pre)neoplastic lesions. The test chemicals, sodium bicarbonate, sodium L-ascorbate, sodium citrate, butylated hydroxytoluene and ethoxyquin, were mixed into the diet at concentrations of 3%, 5%, 5%, 1% and 0.8%, respectively, and administered to male F344 rats after initiation with 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) in their drinking water for 4 weeks. The test chemicals were given from the 4th to the 8th and the 11th to 20th experimental weeks, uracil being administered at the level of 3% in the diet during the intervening period. Rats in the control group received only BBN and uracil. All animals were killed at week 20 and the bladders were evaluated for the occurrence of putative preneoplastic papillary or nodular (PN) hyperplasia and tumors. Significant increase in the occurrence of PN hyperplasia was observed in all groups initiated with BBN and fed uracil and test chemicals. Quantitative values for papillomas were also significantly increased except in the ethoxyquin-treated group. The results confirm that uracil given in the middle of the post-initiation stage enhances the promoting activity of chemicals and suggest that the use of this chemical might be useful to reduce the duration of current bioassays for bladder chemical carcinogens.

Animals↗

Inhibition of rat hepatic glutathione S-transferase placental form positive foci development by concomitant administration of antioxidants to carcinogen-treated rats.

Inhibition potential of concomitant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), catechol or sodium ascorbate (Na-AsA) administration on development of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) initiated glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in rat liver under the influence of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) or 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB) plus partial hepatectomy (PH) was investigated. Whereas BHA, BHT and catechol exerted marked inhibitory effects, Na-AsA lacked any modifying potential. The compounds that demonstrated inhibition also induced GST-P in the hepatic periportal areas, suggesting that development of GST-P positive foci is negatively influenced by extra-focal increase in this enzyme form observed with BHA, BHT or catechol.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗

Species differences in sodium o-phenylphenate induction of urinary bladder lesions.

The effects of sodium o-phenylphenate (Na-OPP) treatment on urinary bladder epithelium were examined in male F344 rats, B6C3F1 mice, Syrian golden hamsters and Hartley guinea pigs. Na-OPP was incorporated into diet at a dose of 2% and administered for 4, 8, 12, 24, 36 or 48 weeks. Simple and papillary or nodular (PN) hyperplasias were evident on light microscopy and pleomorphic microvilli demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy were only observed in rats, the lesions becoming more advanced with continued chemical feeding. In mice, hamsters and guinea pigs, proliferative lesions relating to Na-OPP administration were not observed. No significant differences in urinary pH, osmolality or crystal formation were apparent between the various animal species. Since carcinogenicity has been demonstrated for Na-OPP in rats but not in mice, the present findings suggest that Na-OPP might not exert urinary bladder carcinogenic potential in hamsters and guinea pigs.

Animals↗

Immunohistochemical analysis of c-erbB-2 oncogene product and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human urinary bladder carcinomas.

Expression of the product of the c-erbB-2 gene, a proto-oncogene related to, but distinct from c-erbB-1 encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), was investigated in human urinary bladder carcinomas. In addition, levels of EGF-R and transferrin receptor were also analyzed using an immunohistochemical approach, and the results compared with histological pattern and grading, and tumor staging. Increased expression of c-erb B-2 product was found in 32% of cases (7/22), a positive reaction being observed in 60% of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) Grade 3 lesions (3/5), 20% of Grade 2 TCCs (2/10) and 100% of adenocarcinomas (AC) (2/2), but in none of the cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Although no statistical correlation with staging was evident, TCCs or SCCs of high grade and stage often showed EGF-R-positive staining, whereas other well differentiated lesions and normal bladder epithelium were generally negative. Most cases of urinary bladder carcinoma were positive for the transferrin receptor, which was not detected in normal bladder. The results thus suggested that a positive reaction for c-erbB-2 product is correlated with TCC histological grading or AC morphology. A high intensity of EGF-R staining in human bladder carcinomas may be associated with poor differentiation and invasion, whereas transferrin receptor expression might reflect tumor growth.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Immunohistochemical distribution of epithelial membrane antigen in bladder carcinomas as detected with a monoclonal antibody.

Expression of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) was investigated immunohistochemically in 27 cases of bladder carcinoma using a monoclonal antibody. Normal urothelial epithelium showed EMA staining restricted to the upper layer of the surface epithelium. G-I transitional cell carcinomas demonstrated positive EMA staining which could be divided into the following 3 types; type 1, in which highly stained cells occurred in the upper layer of the neoplastic epithelium; type 2, in which the whole tumour focus was slightly stained; and type 3, in which cells strongly positive for EMA were scattered throughout the tumour focus. G-III (undifferentiated) transitional cell lesions exhibited irregular expression of EMA whereas squamous cell demonstrated specific intense EMA staining within keratinized tumour cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Involucrin expression in urinary bladder carcinoma.

Expression of involucrin was investigated immunohistochemically in 27 cases of urinary bladder carcinoma. Although no keratinization was observed in the transitional cell carcinomas examined all displayed involucrin staining to various degrees. Involucrin expression in foci of G-I transitional cell carcinomas was classified into 3 types: type 1, a mixture of intensely stained and slightly positive cells; type 2, highly positive cells intermingled with negative tumour cells; and type 3, all tumour cells slightly positive. Undifferentiated cell carcinomas demonstrated an irregular distribution of involucrin of varying staining intensity while deposition in squamous cell carcinomas was limited to keratinized areas.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Comparison of enzyme phenotypes in human bladder tumours and experimentally induced hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat urinary bladder. A combined histochemical and immunohistochemical approach.

The expression of a number of enzymes involved in drug metabolism, membrane function etc. was compared in hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the rat bladder and in human bladder tumours. Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) in both rat and Man were characterized by decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and increased gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), beta-glucuronidase (beta-G1), succinate dehydrogenase (SD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activities. In addition, binding for antibodies specific for different cytochrome P-450 species (UT50, PB3a, MC1, MC2) and microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEHb) was elevated in both murine and human tumours. Comparison of the enzyme phenotype in hyperplastic lesions induced by freeze ulceration or uracil administration with that in preneoplastic papillary or nodular hyperplasia (PNH) and TCC suggested, however, that most of the alteration in enzyme content or activity was non-specific and related to requirements for epithelial cell proliferation. On the other hand, the decreased ALP, and increased GGT and beta-G1 activity appeared more directly related to neoplastic transformation. The results suggested that qualitative differences exist between reactive hyperplasia and preneoplastic or neoplastic lesions in the urinary bladder. The finding of increased cytochrome P-450, in clear contrast to the reduction characteristic of preneoplastic hepatic lesions, may be important with regard to the observed difference in neoplastic transformation between the bladder and liver in response to drug metabolising enzyme inducers.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Modification by sodium L-ascorbate, butylated hydroxytoluene, phenobarbital and pepleomycin of lesion development in a wide-spectrum initiation rat model.

Rats were treated for 1 week each with 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN), 0.2% N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)-nitrosamine (DHPN) and 0.2% N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN) in the drinking water, and then administered diet containing 5% sodium L-ascorbate (Na-AsA), 1% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or 0.05% phenobarbital (PB), or weekly intraperitoneal injections of 2 mg of pepleomycin per kg body weight until week 36. Histopathological examination revealed that all exerted significant modulation effects on tumor development in the various target organs. Na-AsA was found to inhibit liver but promote renal pelvis and bladder carcinogenesis. BHT similarly decreased liver and enhanced bladder lesion development. PB, in contrast promoted hepatocarcinogenesis. However both PB and BHT were associated with increased incidences of adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the thyroid. Thus the wide-spectrum initiation model allowed confirmation of site-specific modification potential and in addition demonstrated potentiation of kidney and bladder carcinogenesis promotion by pepleomycin.

Animals↗