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Biomedical subjects

M Ichihara

Publications and source records attributed to M Ichihara.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Signaling pathways activated in a unique mast cell line where interleukin-3 supports survival and stem cell factor is required for a proliferative response.

Stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) both act on several target hematopoietic populations, including mast cells. We have isolated a unique murine mast cell line, B6M, that is phenotypically similar to immature mast cells. For B6M cells, IL-3 is a survival factor and alone does not stimulate proliferation. SCF can stimulate proliferation of B6M cells, and together IL-3 and SCF synergize to stimulate optimal proliferation and long-term growth. A sustained induction of c-myc is observed only in the presence of SCF (with or without IL-3). In B6M cells, both IL-3 and SCF stimulate phosphorylation of Shc and activation of the Ras, Raf-1, MAPK pathway. Interestingly, IL-3 plus SCF synergistically activate MAPK. IL-3, but not SCF, leads to activation of Jak 2 and Stat 5 and induces pim-1 expression. From these data, we suggest that the induction of pim-1 and c-myc is independently regulated. Furthermore, IL-3-stimulated activation of the Jak 2/Stat 5 pathway, induction of pim-1, and activation of the Ras/MAPK pathway are insufficient to mediate proliferation of B6M cells. The unusual IL-3 response of B6M cells provides a useful model to dissect signals required for IL-3-stimulated survival and proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Mouse oncostatin M: an immediate early gene induced by multiple cytokines through the JAK-STAT5 pathway.

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of the interleukin-6 (IL6)-related cytokine subfamily that includes IL6, IL11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), ciliary neurotrophic factor and cardiotrophin-1. While human OSM has been characterized and the bovine OSM gene was recently cloned, the murine counterpart had not been identified. Here we describe molecular cloning of murine OSM as an immediate early gene induced by a subset of cytokines including IL2, IL3 and erythropoietin (EPO) in myeloid and lymphoid cell lines. The induction kinetics of OSM are rapid and transient, reaching a maximal level within 30-60 min and decreasing thereafter. Induction of OSM depends on the signals generated by the membrane-proximal region of the EPO receptor as well as that of the beta chain of the IL3/GM-CSF receptor, which activate JAK2 and STAT5. About 100 bases upstream of the transcription initiation site of the OSM gene contains a possible STAT5 binding site which is essential for IL2, IL3 and EPO-dependent promoter activity of the OSM gene. Expression of STAT5 and the EPO receptor in COS cells conferred EPO-dependent activation of the OSM promoter. Moreover, the mutant IL2 receptor lacking the ability to activate STAT5 induced c-myc but failed to induce OSM. Thus OSM is one of the common targets of a subset of cytokines that activate STAT5. The murine OSM gene is located near to the LIF gene, expressed at high levels in bone marrow and possesses similar biological activity to human OSM. Identification of murine OSM as a cytokine-inducible immediate early gene provides a new insight into the physiological function of this unique cytokine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) poor-responsive inbred mouse strains carry the identical deletion of a branch point in the IL-3 receptor alpha subunit gene.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) stimulates colony formation of multiple lineages of hematopoietic cells. Bone marrow cells of A/J mice are nonresponsive to IL-3, and this observation has recently been correlated with aberrant mRNA splicing and impaired expression of the IL-3 receptor alpha subunit (IL-3R alpha), a binding component of the high-affinity receptors. We examined the IL-3R alpha gene in 27 inbred mouse strains and found the identical mutation, a 5-bp deletion at the branch point of intron 7, in 10 of these mouse strains. Bone marrow cells isolated from these 10 mouse strains did not express IL-3R alpha on the cell surface and did not form colonies in response to IL-3. Because the defective IL-3R alpha gene was found in several distantly related mouse strains, it appears to be a recessive allele rather than a sporadic mutation. In contrast, only 1 of 21 wild-derived mouse strains carried the 5-bp deletion in the IL-3R alpha gene. This study suggests that IL-3 function is not required for normal hematopoiesis in mice, but the retention of the IL-3 and IL-3R system may be of some selective advantage in wild populations.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

Impaired interleukin-3 (IL-3) response of the A/J mouse is caused by a branch point deletion in the IL-3 receptor alpha subunit gene.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3) alone does not support hematopoietic colony formation of bone marrow cells from the A/J mouse. To elucidate the molecular lesion in A/J mice, we examined expression of the alpha and beta subunits of the IL-3 receptor (IL-3R). While IL-3R beta was normally expressed, IL-3R alpha was not detectable on the surface of A/J-derived cells by antibody staining. Genetic linkage analysis using recombinant inbred mouse strains between A/J and IL-3-responsive C57BL/6 indicated that the IL-3R alpha gene locus was responsible for the impaired IL-3 response in A/J mice. Molecular cloning and characterization of A/J-derived IL-3R alpha cDNA revealed that it lacked the sequence corresponding to exon 8, which encodes 10 amino acid residues in the extracellular domain. The aberrant splicing was due to a 5 base pair deletion at the branch point in intron 7 and was reproduced in heterologous cells by transfecting with an IL-3R alpha minigene carrying the deleterious intron. The A/J-specific abnormal form of IL-3R alpha was localized inside the cells, but not on the cell surface, providing the molecular basis for the impaired IL-3 response in the A/J mouse.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Multi-colony stimulating activity of interleukin 5 (IL-5) on hematopoietic progenitors from transgenic mice that express IL-5 receptor alpha subunit constitutively.

The interleukin 3 (IL-3), IL-5, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptors consist of a cytokine-specific alpha subunit and the common beta subunit. Whereas IL-3 stimulates various lineages of hematopoietic cells, including multipotential progenitors, IL-5 acts mainly as an eosinophil lineage-specific factor. To investigate whether the lineage specificity of IL-5 is due to restricted expression of the IL-5 receptor alpha subunit (IL-5R alpha), we generated transgenic mice that express the mouse IL-5R alpha constitutively by phosphoglycerate kinase promoter. The transgenic mouse expressed IL-5R alpha ubiquitously, and the bone marrow cells formed various types of colonies, including multi-lineage colonies, in response to IL-5. IL-5 also supported formation of both multi-lineage and blast cell colonies from dormant progenitors of the 5-fluorouracil-treated transgenic mice. The cells composing the blast cell colony gave rise to many colonies including multi-lineage colonies when they were replated in secondary culture containing either Il-5 or IL-3. There was no significant difference in replating efficiency or in types of secondary colonies between IL-5- and IL-3-stimulated cultures. Conversely, the cells from the IL-3-induced blast cell colonies of the transgenic mice proliferated in response to either IL-3 or IL-5. Thus, the development of the progenitors can be equally supported by either IL-5 or IL-3, suggesting that intracellular signals from the IL-3R can be replaced by those from IL-5. These results strongly suggest that the lineage specificity of IL-5 is mainly due to the restricted expression of IL-5R alpha.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Oncogene-linked in situ immunotherapy of pre-B lymphoma arising in E mu/ret transgenic mice.

We attempted to induce anti-tumour immunity for rejecting pre-B lymphoma derived from E mu/ret transgenic mice (TGM). We established pre-B-lymphoma cell lines of C57BL/6 x Balb/c background (H-2b/d) into which H-2k alloantigen and C3H background were introduced (retL1-6 and retL6-6), and we inoculated BCF1 mice with these immunising tumour cells. After these tumours were rejected by alloantigen (H-2k/C3H background)-specific effector cells, the mice were challenged with the pre-B-lymphoma cell line derived from the original E mu/ret TGM (ret0-2). All non-immunised control mice died within 80 days, whereas half the immunised mice survived for over 300 days. The immunity was also effective against primary pre-B-lymphoma cells from E mu/ret TGM and the ret-driven melanoma cell line (MEL-ret), but not against the pre-B-lymphoma cell line from E mu/myc TGM. This immunity was at least in part mediated by cell-mediated cytotoxicity that was specific to the ret oncogene product or ret-regulated antigen. Next we immunised E mu/ret TGM by inoculating them with retL6-6 cells once every 2 weeks beginning at the age of 1 month. Interestingly, this immunisation enabled the TGM to survive longer than the non-immunised control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, 2 of 11 transgenic mice receiving such immunisation were free from both macroscopic and microscopic tumours at the time when all of the 12 non-immunised control TGM had died from their tumour. This provides a new model for oncogene-linked immunotherapy research.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Pharmacological properties of YM-26365, a low molecular weight, orally active renin inhibitor.

This report describes the pharmacological properties of a novel renin inhibitor (YM-26365: (3R)-3-[3-[(1S)-1-cyclohexylmethyl-2-hydroxy-3- [(1-methyl-5-tetrazolyl)thio]propyl]ureido]-1-methyl-5-phenyl- 2,3-dihydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one) with molecular weight 577 and no peptide bonds. YM-26365 inhibited human plasma renin with an IC50 value of 2.9 x 10(-6) M, but did not affect plasma renin from dogs, rabbits, and rats at 10(-4) M. YM-26365 inhibited not only human renin, but also cathepsin D with an IC50 value of 1.7 x 10(-5) M. This compound competitively inhibited the reaction between recombinant human renin and N-acetyl tetradecapeptide with a Ki value of 1.1 x 10(-6) M. In pithed spontaneously hypertensive rats, YM-26365 at 10 mg/kg i.v. significantly antagonized the pressor response to recombinant human renin, but did not affect responses to angiotensin II, angiotensin I, norepinephrine, or arginine vasopressin. Similarly, oral administration of YM-26365 (10 and 30 mg/kg) to pithed spontaneously hypertensive rats caused a shift to the right of the recombinant human renin dose-pressor response curve. Systemic bioavailability as determined on the basis of the ratio of the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve after 3 mg/kg i.v. and 30 mg/kg orally to rats was 9.6%. These results demonstrate that YM-26365 is a weak but orally absorbed, low molecular weight renin inhibitor.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for nonclonal hematopoietic progenitor cell populations in bone marrow of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Clonality of marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) was analyzed by X-chromosome inactivation pattern using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Five female patients were included in this study; two with refractory anemia (RA) and three with RA with excess blasts (RAEB). They were heterozygous for BstXI restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of the X-chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene. In each patient, erythroid and nonerythroid colonies, grown in the presence of erythropoietin and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), exhibited no remarkable difference in clonal constitution. Two patients showed only one methylation pattern, suggesting the monoclonal origin of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Colonies of two other patients exhibited predominant and minor methylation patterns in PGK gene, indicating that nonclonal progenitor cells remain a minor population. The bone marrow of one patient appeared to contain a greater proportion of nonclonal progenitors. Stem cell factor (SCF), a potent colony-stimulating factor, enhanced both erythroid and nonerythroid colony formation. However, it did not notably alter the clonal constitutions. We conclude that nonclonal hematopoietic progenitor cells can persist in a substantial number of MDS patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Growth analysis of marrow CD34-positive hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

The in vitro colony-forming capacities of marrow CD34-positive (CD34+) cells from 25 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) were studied. In all patients this purified cell population showed erythroid (burst-forming unit erythroid; BFU-E) or non-erythroid colony growth, both of which were more restricted than non-purified mononuclear cell population under stimulation with erythropoietin (EPO) or granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) alone. MDS patients examined were put into two groups; refractory anemia (RA) or RA with ringed sideroblasts (RA/RARS) and RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) or RAEB in transformation (RAEB/RAEB-t). The CD34+ cells of both RA/RARS and RAEB/RAEB-t exhibited a similarity to the cells of normal individuals in their responsiveness to the addition of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-3 or stem cell factor (SCF). SCF caused powerful but highly variable responses in both erythroid and nonerythroid colony formation as compared with IL-6 or IL-3. We demonstrated that MDS marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells reactive to GM-CSF or EPO were additionally stimulated with early-acting hematopoietic growth factors including IL-6, IL-3 and SCF in a fashion similar to those of normal individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effects of stem cell factor (SCF) on human marrow neutrophil, neutrophil/macrophage mixed, macrophage and eosinophil progenitor cell growth.

The effects of stem cell factor (SCF) on the subpopulations of granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) were examined. Hematopoietic progenitor cells were enriched from normal adult bone marrow specimens by immunomagnetic beads using an anti-CD34 antibody and lineage marker antibodies for positive selection and negative selection, respectively. SCF enabled neutrophil and neutrophil/macrophage mixed progenitors to respond to granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin 3 (IL-3) and to develop the colony and further cluster formation. The neutrophil colonies stimulated by GM-CSF or IL-3 consisted mainly of immature cells, while the colonies stimulated by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) consisted of mature neutrophils irrespective of the addition of SCF. In macrophage and eosinophil lineages, SCF augmented the colony formation in the presence of GM-CSF or IL-3, whereas the enhancement of total progenitor cell growth (colonies plus clusters) was not so marked as compared with the neutrophil lineage. Time-course observation revealed that SCF could stimulate macrophage and eosinophil progenitors to form colonies rapidly. These findings indicate that SCF acts on late myeloid progenitor cells in manners different from the lineages of commitment.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Synthesis and structure-activity studies of a series of spirooxazolidine-2,4-diones: 4-oxa analogues of the muscarinic agonist 2-ethyl-8-methyl-2,8-diazaspiro[4.5]decane-1,3-dione.

A series of spirooxazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives related to the putative M1 agonist 2-ethyl-8-methyl-2,8-diazaspiro[4.5]decane-1,3-dione (RS86; 1) were synthesized. The compounds were evaluated as cholinergic agents in in vitro binding assays and in in vivo pharmacological tests including antiamnesic effects using scopolamine-treated mice, hypothermia, and salivation in mice. Four compounds (5a,c,f and 17a) exhibited affinity for cortical M1 receptors and reversed scopolamine-induced impairment of mouse passive avoidance tasks, as did 1. Among these compounds, only 5a exhibited M1-receptor stimulating activity in pithed rats. Structural requirements for muscarinic activity in this series of spirooxazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives were as strict as those reported for spirosuccinimide derivatives including 1. The antiamnesic dose of 3-ethyl-8-methyl-1-oxa-3,8-diazaspiro[4.5]decane-2,4-dione (5a) was 2 orders of magnitude lower than the doses inducing hypothermia and salivation, in contrast to 1 for which the former dose was only 5-10-fold lower than the latter. These results suggest that the 8-azaspiro[4.5]decane skeleton represents a useful template for designing new muscarinic agonists as antidementia drugs.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1992

[A case of multiple myeloma with intracerebral metastasis].

Compared to leukemia, malignant lymphoma and other hematogenous tumors, multiple myeloma rarely metastasizes to the central nervous system. Intracerebral metastasis without involvement of the cranium itself is rarer. We report a case of Ig-G k-type multiple myeloma with metastasis to the left frontal lobe extending to the right basal ganglia without involvement of the cranium. A 71-year-old male complained of exertional dyspnea and lumbago. His laboratory data revealed hyperproteinemia and an abnormal increase in Ig-G (6117mg/dl) in his serum. Serum protein immunoelectrophoresis revealed an IgG k-type band, and Bence-Jones protein was detected in his urine. MMPP, VMCP, VIPP and MP chemotherapy was given, and serum IgG level decreased to a normal range. 21 months after his first admission, incontinence, disorientation, gait disturbance and apathy developed. CT-scan showed an isodense lesion with massive edema in the left frontal lobe and right basal ganglia. On MRI, a Gd-DTPA enhancing lesion was detected extending from the left frontal to the opposite frontal lobe through the splenium. No abnormal skull punched out lesions were noted. Left frontal lobectomy was performed. Histopathology revealed plasmablastic myeloma cells with clear nucleole and eccentric nucleus in the cerebrum. He was diagnosed as having intracerebral metastasis of multiple myeloma without involvement of the cranium. Unfortunately, he died of pancytopenia and pneumonia. Our case suggests the possibility of metastasis via blood into the cerebrum.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Preferential development of pre-B lymphomas with drastically down-regulated N-myc in the E mu-ret transgenic mice.

We established one transgenic mouse line which developed pre-B leukemic lymphomas by introducing ret cDNA driven by the SV40 promoter and the mouse immunoglobulin (Ig) enhancer. Lymphomas developed not only in the lymph nodes and the spleen but also in the thymus between the ages of 7 and 21 weeks. Analyses of cell surface phenotypes and Ig gene rearrangement revealed that these tumors were surface IgM-B220+ pre-B lymphomas. The rearrangement pattern of the Ig heavy chain locus indicated that the tumor cells were mono- or oligoclonal. Northern blot analysis showed that the ret transgene was expressed at a high level not only in the tumors but also in the prelymphomatous lymphoid tissues. We found that the expression of N-myc was dramatically down-regulated in the tumor cells, while the expression of c-myc was rather stable. Further experiments demonstrated that ret gene product did not directly down-regulate the expression of N-myc in transformed pre-B cell lines by in vitro transfection assay. From these results, we conclude that under the control of Ig enhancer, the ret transgene affected B lymphocytes at the early maturation stage as a prerequisite for transformation, preferentially generating a unique maturation stage of pre-B lymphomas whose N-myc expression was developmentally down-regulated.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Gastric antral vascular ectasia.

A case of gastric antral vascular ectasia confined to the antrum in an elderly Japanese male patient is described. The condition is a cause of blood loss and chronic iron deficiency anemia, particularly in the elderly. The clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic findings, which were contrasted with other hyperplastic or gastric vascular abnormalities, are described.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Modulation of the secondary antibody response of murine lymphocytes to sheep red blood cells in vitro by neuraminidase and exoglycosidases.

The effect of digestion of lymphocytes with neuraminidase and exoglycosidases on the secondary antibody response in vitro to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antigen was tested. Treatment of spleen cells from SRBC-primed mice with 3 micrograms/ml of neuraminidase slightly but significantly augmented their plaque-forming cell response to SRBC, whereas treatment with 100 micrograms/ml of a mixture of exoglycosidases did not. Rather unexpectedly, however, treatment of the spleen cells with the mixture of both neuraminidase and exoglycosidases greatly augmented the response. This enzyme action was substrate specific inasmuch it was ablated by addition of mucin as a neuraminidase inhibitor to the enzyme mixture. The target of the enzyme activity was not glass-adherent macrophages, but was glass-non-adherent suppressor cells in the antigen-primed cell population. Evidence was provided that the phenotype of suppressor cells whose activity was ablated by the enzyme treatment was Thy-1+. It is suggested from these results that sialylated complex type oligosaccharides on antigen-primed T cells play a critical role in their suppressor activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Pharmacological properties of YM-21095, a potent and highly specific renin inhibitor.

A novel renin inhibitor, YM-21095 [2RS), (3S)-3-[N alpha-[1,4-dioxo-4-morpholino-2-(1-naphthylmethyl)-buthyl]-L- histidil-amino]-4-cyclohexyl-1-[(1-methyl-5-tetrazolyl)thio]-2-but anol), has been synthesized in our laboratories. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological properties of YM-21095 in in vitro and in vivo experiments. YM-21095 inhibited human renin with an IC50 value of 4.7 x 10(-10) mol/L. YM-21095 was also a potent inhibitor against squirrel monkey renin, but less effective against renins from dog, rabbit, and rat. The effect of YM-21095 is highly specific for renin, since it did not inhibit cathepsin D, pepsin, or angiotensin converting enzyme up to a concentration of 10(-4) mol/L. YM-21095 was resistant to proteolytic actions of the enzymes (pepsin, chymotrypsin, trypsin) and squirrel monkey tissue homogenates (liver, kidney, small intestine). Intravenous infusion of YM-21095 (0.1 to 100 micrograms/kg/min) decreased mean blood pressure and inhibited plasma renin activity in a dose-dependent manner with no effect on heart rate in anesthetized sodium-depleted and sodium-replete squirrel monkeys. The hypotensive effect of YM-21095 in sodium-depleted squirrel monkeys was about ten times as potent as that in sodium-replete squirrel monkeys. Oral administration of YM-21095 to conscious sodium-depleted squirrel monkeys produced dose-related decreases of systolic blood pressure. We conclude that YM-21095 is a potent and highly specific inhibitor of primate renin and produces a blood pressure lowering effect.

Administration, Oral↗