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M Nangaku

Publications and source records attributed to M Nangaku.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Renal catabolism of advanced glycation end products: the fate of pentosidine.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated through the Maillard reaction significantly alter protein characteristics. Their accumulation has been incriminated in tissue injury associated with aging, diabetes, and renal failure. However, little is known about their clearance from the body. The present study delineates the catabolic pathway of a well-defined AGE product, pentosidine. Synthesized pentosidine given intravenously in rats with normal renal function was rapidly eliminated from the circulation through glomerular filtration, but was undetectable in the urine by chemical analysis. Immunohistochemistry with anti-pentosidine antibody disclosed that pentosidine accumulated transiently in the proximal renal tubule one hour after its administration, but had disappeared from the kidney at 24 hours. After an intravenous load of radiolabeled pentosidine, radioactivity peaked in the kidney at one hour and subsequently decreased, whereas it rose progressively in the urine. Over 80% of the radioactivity was recovered in the 72-hour collected urine. However, only 20% of urine radioactivity was associated with intact pentosidine chemically or immunochemically. In gentamicin-treated rats with tubular dysfunction, up to 30% of the pentosidine load was recovered as intact pentosidine in the urine. The present study suggests that free pentosidine (and possibly other AGEs) is filtered by renal glomeruli, reabsorbed in the proximal tubule where it is degraded or modified, and eventually excreted in the urine. Kidney thus plays a key role in pentosidine disposal.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A new model of renal microvascular injury.

The vascular endothelial injury with its consequent activation is actively involved in inflammation and promotion of a procoagulant state, which are likely to be of major importance in the pathogenesis of various disorders, including renal thrombotic microangiopathy. This study briefly reviews the consequences of glomerular endothelial cell injury or activation, as shown by recent experimental data.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1998

CD59 protects glomerular endothelial cells from immune-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy in rats.

CD59 is a cell membrane-bound complement regulatory protein on glomerular cells that inhibits C5b-9 assembly and insertion. This report describes a recently developed model of immune thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) induced by the renal artery perfusion of anti-glomerular endothelial cell (anti-GEN) antibody. To examine the role of CD59 in protecting the GEN from immune-mediated injury, rats underwent selective renal artery perfusion with F(ab')2 fragments of anti-CD59 monoclonal antibody to block CD59 activity or control mouse IgG followed by anti-GEN antibody or control goat IgG. Neutralization of CD59 in normal rats did not result in any significant functional or histologic changes. Perfusion with anti-CD59 did not change deposition of the pathogenic anti-GEN IgG used to induce the TMA model. However, neutralization of CD59 in the TMA model resulted in more C5b-9 formation in glomeruli, accompanied by increased platelet and fibrin deposition, more severe endothelial injury, and reduced renal function compared with the animals perfused with control F(ab')2 fragments. These results demonstrate directly that CD59 serves a protective role for GEN in this TMA model of rats, and confirm that C5b-9 formation has a critical pathogenic role in the mediation of the disease. CD59 may play an important role in protecting glomerular endothelium from other complement-mediated types of injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Cloning of a new human gene with short consensus repeats using the EST database.

The complement system, which provides many of the effector functions of humoral immunity and inflammation, is tightly regulated by various complement regulatory proteins. The most common structural feature of these proteins is a motif called short consensus repeat (SCR). In order to identify a new human complement regulatory protein, we performed a similarity search using SCR on the expressed sequence tag (EST) database and found a partial sequence of a new human gene. Using a probe containing this partial sequence, we obtained a full-length cDNA of this gene from a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) library. The sequencing reaction demonstrated an open reading frame of 1383 nucleotides coding for a 461 amino acid polypeptide with a deduced relative molecular mass of 51 000. Structural analysis showed that the protein has three SCRs with one transmembrane domain. A characteristic feature of these SCR was that they have six conserved cysteines per repeat instead of the usual four. Therefore, we named this cDNA THECY (three hexa-cysteine motifs). A six cysteine motif is a characteristic feature of selectins. We used northern blot analysis to show that a 2.0 kilobase (kb) transcript was ubiquitously present in most organs studied, and the mRNA was most abundant in the heart. In conclusion, we discovered a member of a new class of membrane-bound SCR-containing molecules using the EST database. Utilization of the EST database may be useful in the search for other new immunological proteins. The function of this gene remains to be elucidated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Mesangial cell proliferation mediated by PDGF and bFGF is determined by levels of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p27Kip1.

Mesangial cell proliferation in vitro is regulated by many cytokines. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are potent mesangial cell mitogens, whereas transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) reduces their effects. We examined how these cytokines regulate rat mesangial cell proliferation at the level of the cell-cycle. Quiescent mesangial cells in vitro express the cyclin kinase inhibitor, p27Kip1 (p27), and PDGF- and bFGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation is associated with a substantial decrease in p27 levels. Consequently there is a marked increase in expression (Western blot analysis, immunostaining) of cyclin A and CDK2. The decline in p27 levels was prevented by TGF-beta1 during inhibition of PDGF- and bFGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation. To determine the functional role of p27 during cytokine-mediated mesangial cell proliferation, the expression of p27 was reduced with specific p27Kip1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Reducing the levels of p27 resulted in an increased magnitude of mesangial cell proliferation (BrdU and 3H-thymidine incorporation) induced by PDGF and bFGF compared to non-transfected mesangial cells and mesangial cells transfected with control mismatch oligodeoxynucleotides. Furthermore, the onset of maximal proliferation occurred earlier in mesangial cells transfected with antisense compared to control. The reduction in proliferation by TGF-beta1 were not altered by decreased p27 expression. Reducing p27 expression in the absence of mitogens was not associated with entry into the cell-cycle. These results suggest cytokine mediated mesangial cell proliferation is associated with specific cell-cycle proteins, and that the levels of p27 may be important in determining the mesangial cell's proliferative response to PDGF and bFGF in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A new model of renal microvascular endothelial injury.

Although the importance of injury with consequent activation of endothelium is well-recognized in diseases affecting the glomerular endothelial cell (GEN), research on GEN injury in vivo has been hampered by the lack of adequate animal models. Here we report the establishment and characterization of a new GEN injury model in rats. This model was induced by selective renal artery perfusion with anti-GEN IgG and resulted in the severe acute renal failure with marked platelet deposition and development of a thrombotic microangiopathy involving glomeruli. Peritubular capillary endothelial cells were also damaged that was associated with severe tubular necrosis. Although the glomerular changes were severe, half of the glomeruli recovered by day 10, while interstitial changes remained throughout our observation time course. Proliferation of GEN was observed during the recovery phase. An increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in GEN was also observed, and may be an adaptive mechanism to counteract the thrombosis and ischemia. This model should be useful to investigate the pathophysiology of renal microvascular diseases and the mechanisms of GEN injury, activation and recovery in vivo.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

Cyclin kinase inhibitors are increased during experimental membranous nephropathy: potential role in limiting glomerular epithelial cell proliferation in vivo.

The inadequate proliferative response of the visceral glomerular epithelial cell (GEC) following injury in vivo may contribute to the development of progressive glomerulosclerosis in many forms of glomerular disease. Cell proliferation is ultimately controlled by cell-cycle regulatory proteins, including cyclins that bind to cyclin dependent kinases (CDK), and the active complex formed is necessary for progression through the cell-cycle. By inhibiting cyclin-CDK complexes, cyclin kinase inhibitors arrest the cell-cycle and prevent proliferation. To determine the mechanisms that may be responsible for the lack of GEC proliferation in vivo, we examined GEC expression of specific cell-cycle proteins in normal rats and in the passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) model of membranous nephropathy, where the GEC are the target of complement-mediated injury. Following antibody deposition and complement activation there was a marked up-regulation in the cyclin kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 in rats with PHN. By associating with cyclin A-CDK2 complexes, p21 and p27 limited the kinase activity of CDK2. Giving bFGF to rats with PHN was associated with an increase in GEC mitosis and ploidy and a decrease in expression of p21, but not CDK2 or p27. Furthermore, apoptosis was not present in PHN, but was increased in rats given bFGF. In conclusion, this study shows that the low proliferative capacity of the GEC in vivo in response to immune injury may be due to an increase in the expression of specific cyclin kinase inhibitors. The increase in mitosis in PHN rats given bFGF may be due to a decrease in p21. Thus, changes in cell cycle regulatory proteins may regulate the response of GEC to injury and underlie the development of progressive glomerulosclerosis in diseases of the GEC.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Renal microvascular injury induced by antibody to glomerular endothelial cells is mediated by C5b-9.

We have recently developed a model of thrombotic microangiopathy with injury to the glomerular endothelial cell (GEN) induced by heterologous antibody to rat GEN. In addition to GEN injury rats developed glomerular platelet aggregation and fibrin deposition, acute renal failure, and acute tubular necrosis with interstitial inflammation. To study the role of complement in mediating this lesion, we induced the disease in normal complement PVG rats and measured the effects of generalized complement depletion with cobra venom factor (CVF) and of selective C6 deficiency using genetically C6 deficient PVG animals. Complement sufficient rats developed severe endothelial injury accompanied by platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition, decrease in endothelial cells assessed by antibody staining in the glomerulus, and macrophage infiltration. These changes were associated with marked reduction in renal function. These features were either absent or markedly diminished in complement depleted or C6 deficient rats. This demonstrates that C5b-9, the terminal product of activation of the complement cascade, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this immune renal microvascular endothelial injury model. Thus, the complement system may play a pathogenic role in renal microvascular diseases such as thrombotic microangiopathy.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

Overexpression of Crry protects mesangial cells from complement-mediated injury.

Crry is a membrane-associated complement regulatory protein expressed on glomerular mesangial, endothelial, and epithelial cells, which reduces C3/C5 convertase activity. This study utilized an overexpression strategy to determine the functional significance of Crry in cultured rat mesangial cells. A Crry expression vector was constructed and was tagged with a c-myc epitope that allowed transfected Crry to be distinguished from the constitutively expressed protein. In stable clones, overexpressed Crry was clearly detected immunocytochemically both by anti-c-myc and anti-Crry antibody in a membrane localization. The overexpression of Crry was also confirmed by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. To determine if overexpression of Crry by mesangial cells confers a protective effect from complement attack, complement-mediated cell lysis assays were performed. Crry-transfected mesangial cells demonstrated complete resistance to complement-mediated cell lysis, which was reversed by neutralization of Crry with both monoclonal antibody and F(ab')2 fragments of the antibody. This study also investigated the role of Crry in protecting cells from the effects of sublytic complement attack. Overexpressed Crry suppressed antibody/complement induced production of superoxide, one of the inflammatory mediators induced by sublytic complement attack. Immunocytochemical staining confirmed a reduction in C3 and C5b-9 deposition in Crry-transfected cells. These results demonstrate directly that transfected Crry functions as a potent protector of mesangial cells against complement-mediated injury. Crry may play an important role in modulating the glomerular response to immune injury in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Transfected CD59 protects mesangial cells from injury induced by antibody and complement.

CD59 is a complement regulatory protein on the glomerular cells that inhibits C5b-9 assembly and insertion. We employed an overexpression strategy to determine the functional significance of CD59 in mesangial cells. We made a CD59 expression vector tagged with FLAG utilizing site-directed mutagenesis and PCR, which allows transfected CD59 to be distinguished from the constitutively expressed protein. In stable clones, overexpressed CD59 was clearly detected immunocytochemically both by anti-FLAG and anti-CD59 antibody in a granular pattern. The overexpression of CD59 was also confirmed by Western blotting. To determine if overexpression of CD59 by mesangial cells protected these cells from C5b-9 attack, we performed complement-mediated cell lysis assays. CD59-transfected mesangial cells demonstrated marked resistance to complement-mediated cell lysis which was reversed in the presence of antibody to CD59. We also investigated the role of CD59 in protecting cells from the effects of membrane insertion of sublytic quantities of C5b-9. Overexpressed CD59 suppressed production of superoxide, one of the inflammatory mediators induced by sublytic C5b-9 attack. These results demonstrate directly that transfected CD59 functions as a potent protector of mesangial cells against both lytic and sublytic attack by C5b-9. CD59 may be an important regulator of complement-mediated disease in the glomerular mesangium.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Changes in cell-cycle protein expression during experimental mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.

A characteristic response to mesangial cell injury is proliferation, which is closely linked to mesangial matrix accumulation and the progression of glomerular disease. Cell proliferation in non-renal cells in vitro is regulated at the level of the cell-cycle by specific cyclins and their catalytic partners, cyclin dependent kinases (CDK). Cyclin kinase inhibitors (CKI) prevent proliferation by inhibiting cell-cycle progression. However, the expression of cell-cycle regulatory proteins in the kidney and in renal disease is unknown. To determine this we studied the expression of cell-cycle proteins in vivo in normal rats and rats with experimental mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (Thy1 model). Normal quiescent rat glomeruli have a differential expression for CKI's, where p27Kip1 is highly expressed, and the levels for p21 (Cip1, Waf1, Sdi1, Cap20) (p21) are low. The onset of mesangial cell proliferation in Thy1 glomerulonephritis is associated with a reduction in p27Kip1 levels when mesangial cell proliferation is maximal. Mesangial cell proliferation in vivo is also associated with an increase in glomerular expression of cyclin A, and an increase in expression and activity for CDK2. The resolution of mesangial cell proliferation was associated with a return to baseline levels for p27Kip1, while the expression for p21 increased substantially. Furthermore, mesangial cell p21 expression was maintained following the resolution of proliferation. These results provide evidence for a complex interplay of cell-cycle regulatory proteins during the glomerular response to injury in vivo. The marked increase in CDK2 expression during mesangial cell proliferation and the sustained increase in p21 expression following the resolution of mesangial cell proliferation suggests that the in vivo expression of certain cell-cycle proteins may differ from that described in non-renal cells in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Beneficial effects of systemic immunoglobulin in experimental membranous nephropathy.

To test the hypothesis that systemic administration of immunoglobulin might reduce glomerular injury in membranous nephropathy through mechanisms involving inhibition of complement activation, we studied the passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) model of membranous nephropathy in rats. The daily administration of immunoglobulin goat IgG (600 mg/kg i.p.) reduced proteinuria by 52%. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis showed that the glomerular deposition of C3c, an indicator of ongoing complement attack, and of C5b-9 was significantly decreased in the immunoglobulin treated group, while deposition of anti-Fx1A was not affected. Electron microscopic analysis demonstrated that the extent of subepithelial immune complexes did not appreciably differ between treated and control animals. Systemic complement levels were not altered by immunoglobulin treatment. These data suggest that the reduction in proteinuria that resulted from systemic immunoglobulin administration was mediated by modifying the effect of complement induced glomerular injury. This interpretation was further supported by in vitro data that documented a significant reduction in C5b-9 induced glomerular epithelial cell lysis in the presence of both goat and rat IgG. These results indicate that systemic administration of immunoglobulin can substantially reduce ongoing complement activation in the glomerulus in PHN rats and that this effect is associated with a significant reduction in glomerular injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

KIF2 is a new microtubule-based anterograde motor that transports membranous organelles distinct from those carried by kinesin heavy chain or KIF3A/B.

Kinesin is known as a representative cytoskeletal motor protein that is engaged in cell division and axonal transport. In addition to the mutant assay, recent advances using the PCR cloning technique have elucidated the existence of many kinds of kinesin-related proteins in yeast, Drosophila, and mice. We previously cloned five different members of kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) in mouse brain (Aizawa, H., Y. Sekine, R. Takemura, Z. Zhang, M. Nangaku, and N. Hirokawa. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 119:1287-1296) and demonstrated that one of them, KIF3A, is an anterograde motor (Kondo, S., R. Sato-Yashitake, Y. Noda, H. Aizawa, T. Nakata, Y. Matsuura, and N. Hirokawa. J. Cell Biol. 1994. 125:1095-1107). We have now characterized another axonal transport motor, KIF2. Different from other KIFs, KIF2 is a central type motor, since its motor domain is located in the center of the molecule. Recombinant KIF2 exists as a dimer with a bigger head and plus-end directionally moves microtubules at a velocity of 0.47 +/- 0.11 microns/s, which is two thirds that of kinesin's. Immunocytological examination showed that native KIF2 is abundant in developing axons and that it accumulates in the proximal region of the ligated nerves after a 20-h ligation. Soluble KIF2 exists without a light chain, and KIF2's associated-vesicles, immunoprecipitated by anti-KIF2 antibody, are different from those carried by existing motors such as kinesin and KIF3A. They are also distinct from synaptic vesicles, although KIF2 is accumulated in so-called synaptic vesicle fractions and embryonal growth cone particles. Our results strongly suggest that KIF2 functions as a new anterograde motor, being specialized for a particular group of membranous organelles involved in fast axonal transport.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

KIF1B, a novel microtubule plus end-directed monomeric motor protein for transport of mitochondria.

To further elucidate the mechanism of organelle transport, we cloned a novel member of the mouse kinesin superfamily, KIF1B. This N-terminal-type motor protein is expressed ubiquitously in various kinds of tissues. In situ hybridization revealed that KIF1B is expressed abundantly in differentiated nerve cells. Interestingly, K1F1B works as a monomer, having a microtubule plus end-directed motility. Our rotary shadowing electron microscopy revealed mostly single globular structures. Immunocytochemically, KIF1B was colocalized with mitochondria in vivo. Furthermore, a subcellular fractionation study showed that KIF1B was concentrated in the mitochondrial fraction, and purified K1F1B could transport mitochondria along microtubules in vitro. These data strongly suggested that KIF1B works as a monomeric motor for anterograde transport of mitochondria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Kinesin family in murine central nervous system.

In neuronal axons, various kinds of membranous components are transported along microtubules bidirectionally. However, only two kinds of mechanochemical motor proteins, kinesin and brain dynein, had been identified as transporters of membranous organelles in mammalian neurons. Recently, a series of genes that encode proteins closely related to kinesin heavy chain were identified in several organisms including Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Aspergillus niddulans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditus elegans, and Drosophila. Most of these members of the kinesin family are implicated in mechanisms of mitosis or meiosis. To address the mechanism of intracellular organelle transport at a molecular level, we have cloned and characterized five different members (KIF1-5), that encode the microtubule-associated motor domain homologous to kinesin heavy chain, in murine brain tissue. Homology analysis of amino acid sequence indicated that KIF1 and KIF5 are murine counterparts of unc104 and kinesin heavy chain, respectively, while KIF2, KIF3, and KIF4 are as yet unidentified new species. Complete amino acid sequence of KIF3 revealed that KIF3 consists of NH2-terminal motor domain, central alpha-helical rod domain, and COOH-terminal globular domain. Complete amino acid sequence of KIF2 revealed that KIF2 consists of NH2-terminal globular domain, central motor domain, and COOH-terminal alpha-helical rod domain. This is the first identification of the kinesin-related protein which has its motor domain at the central part in its primary structure. Northern blot analysis revealed that KIF1, KIF3, and KIF5 are expressed almost exclusively in murine brain, whereas KIF2 and KIF4 are expressed in brain as well as in other tissues. All these members of the kinesin family are expressed in the same type of neurons, and thus each one of them may transport its specific organelle in the murine central nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

[MRI pathology of the globus pallidus in a patient with oculogyric crisis and tremor].

A 24-year-old woman developed occasional attacks of oculogyric crisis at the age of 18. She also suffered from postural tremor, dystonic gait, pyramidal tract signs, and peripheral nerve damages. No history of encephalitis was elicited. Nerve conduction velocity revealed decreased velocity and amplitude. Needle electromyography showed a neurogenic pattern. Sural nerve biopsy showed marked Wallerian degenerations. Muscle biopsy revealed small grouped atrophies. It was unlikely that she suffered from juvenile Parkinsonism, and we failed to obtain an evidence of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. Recently, Furumoto et al. reported a similar case who developed oculogyric crisis at the age of 12. So far, some authors have reported about changes of MRI image in the putamen and the substantia nigra in extrapyramidal movement disorders. However, few have paid attention to the changes of the pallidum. The most characteristic finding in the present case was the restoration of signal intensity of the globus pallidus on T2 weighted high-field MRI. It is known that pallidal damages produce dystonic disorders. However, the exact role which the pallidum played in pathogenesis of our patient's signs and symptoms is unknown at now.

Adult↗