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Biomedical subjects

M Niwa

Publications and source records attributed to M Niwa.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Adenovirus-mediated tumor suppressor p53 gene therapy for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

The present study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of adenovirus-mediated wild-type (wt) tumor suppressor p53 expression in four human thyroid carcinoma cell lines harboring p53 mutations (ARO, FRO, NPA, and WRO) and normal human thyroid follicular cells with wt-p53 in vitro and in vivo. In vitro infection of replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus vector expressing wt-p53 led to a dose-dependent cell killing in both normal and carcinoma cells. In contrast, adenovirus expressing Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase showed little effect. The sensitivity to p53-mediated cell killing varied among the cells used. It was, at least partly, dependent on their adenovirus infectivity in carcinoma cells, whereas normal thyroid cells were relatively resistant to p53-mediated cell death despite its highest adenovirus infectivity. The mechanism of cell killing by wt-p53 was shown, by flow cytometric analysis, to be apoptosis. Furthermore, wt-p53 expression renders two out of four carcinoma cell lines (FRO and NPA) more sensitive to doxorubicin and one (FRO) to 5-fluorouracil, independent of treatment schedule. In vivo experiments, using FRO and NPA cells, showed that growth of sc tumors in nude mice was nearly completely inhibited by direct injection of adenovirus expressing wt-p53 [1 x 10(9) plaque-forming units/tumor]. This effect was augmented by its combination with doxorubicin treatment (4 mg/kg, thrice a week), which led to tumor regression. Our results therefore indicate that adenovirus-mediated wt-p53 gene introduction seems to be a potential clinical utility in gene therapy for anaplastic thyroid carcinomas, particularly when combined with chemotherapy.

Adenoviridae↗

Direct identification of a novel disulfide bond linkage system of new isolated isomer (isomer V) in recombinantly produced h-IGF-I.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I or somatomedin C) is a serum polypeptide with three intramolecular disulfide bonds. In the course of synthesis by the recombinant DNA method, three disulfide bond isomers, all of which have Cys18-Cys61 with three combinations of two disulfide bonds formed by Cys6, Cys47, Cys48 and Cys52, were identified. Natural type, isomer II, was proved to have a Cys6-Cys48, Cys18-Cys61, Cys47-Cys52 disulfide bond system. Now, the fourth isomer, isomer V which doesn't have Cys18-Cys61 disulfide, has been isolated, and its novel disulfide bond linkage system was identified by a chemical synthetic method. The supposed conformation constrained in 3D structure for isomer V would be discussed for its biological activity.

3T3 Cells↗

Impairment of early insulin response after glucose load, rather than insulin resistance, is responsible for postprandial hyperglycemia seen in obese type 2 diabetes: assessment using nateglinide, a new insulin secretagogue.

The insulin secretory pattern as a phenotype of type 2 diabetes is an impairment in the rapid, pulsatile secretion of insulin in response to a rise in blood glucose after meal-intake. The restoration of endogenous rapid insulin secretion after oral glucose load was established for the first time by using nateglinide, which is a newly developed insulin secretagogue, in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It was clearly demonstrated that with nateglinide, serum insulin levels were quickly raised, and glycemic response curves were almost normalized with the same amount of insulin secretion during 180 min. Therefore, the lack of rapid, pulsatile secretion of insulin in response to glycemic rise after oral glucose load, rather than insulin resistance, is responsible for postprandial glycemic response in obese type 2 diabetes patients.

Adult↗

Beta-blockade, but not normoglycemia or hyperinsulinemia, markedly diminishes stress-induced hyperglycemia in diabetic dogs.

Stress-induced hyperglycemia can lead to significant deterioration in glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. Previously, we have shown in normal dogs that, after intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of carbachol (a model of moderate stress), increases in both the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of glucose and endogenous glucose production (GP) occur. However, in hyperglycemic diabetic dogs subjected to the same stress, the MCR of glucose does not increase and glycemia therefore markedly deteriorates because of stimulation of GP. Our aims were to determine the following: 1) whether insulin-induced acute normalization of glycemia, with or without beta-blockade, would correct glucose clearance and prevent the hyperglycemic effect of stress, and 2) whether hyperinsulinemia per se could correct these abnormalities. Stress was induced by ICV carbachol in 27 experiments in five alloxan-administered diabetic dogs subjected to the following protocols in random order: 1) basal insulin infusion (BI) to restore normoglycemia; 2) basal insulin infusion with beta-blockade (BI+block); 3) normoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with threefold elevation of insulin above basal (3x BI); and 4) normoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with fivefold elevation of insulin above basal (5 x BI). The BI+block protocol fully prevented stress-induced hyperglycemia, both by increasing MCR (deltaMCR at peak: 0.72 +/- 0.25 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) vs. no change in BI, P < 0.05) and by diminishing the stress-induced increment in GP observed in BI (deltaGP at peak: 3.72 +/- 0.09 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1) for BI+block vs. 14.10 +/- 0.31 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1) for BI, P < 0.0001). In contrast, 3x BI and 5x BI treatments with normoglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps proportionately increased basal MCR at baseline, but paradoxically were not associated with an increase in MCR in response to stress, which induced a twofold increase in GP. Thus, in alloxan-administered diabetic dogs, stress increased GP but not MCR, despite normalization of glycemia with basal or high insulin. In contrast, beta-adrenergic blockade almost completely restored the metabolic response to stress to normal and prevented marked hyperglycemia, both by limiting the rise in GP and by increasing glucose MCR. We conclude that acute normalization of glycemia with basal insulin or hyperinsulinemia does not prevent hyperglycemic effects of stress unless accompanied by beta-blockade, and we speculate that short-term beta-blockade may be a useful treatment modality under some stress conditions in patients with diabetes.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Transient hypoxia/hypoglycemia upregulates endothelin B receptors in cultured rat astrocytes.

Endothelins are potent vasoactive peptides that bind to their specific receptors, playing an important role in the CNS under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Astrocytes, which have been shown to express these receptors, also have a considerable role to play under physiological and pathophysiological conditions, particularly those involved in delayed neuronal death. We carried out in vitro receptor autoradiographic binding experiments using specific ligands for endothelin receptors on cultured rat astrocytes. On astrocytes, the specific binding sites for (125)I-PD151242 (a selective endothelin A receptor antagonist) and (125)I-IRL 1620 (a selective endothelin B receptor agonist) were detected. We also characterized the qualitative and quantitative changes of endothelin receptors 24 h after subjecting cultured rat astrocytes to a transient 4-h hypoxia/hypoglycemia insult, used as a model of delayed neuronal death. After transient hypoxia/hypoglycemia, the number of endothelin B receptors increased significantly on cultured astrocytes, but this did not occur among the endothelin A receptors. These findings suggest that the astrocytic effects associated with endothelin in delayed neuronal death include gliosis or the repair process or both, manifested primarily by an increase in the number of endothelin B receptors. This rise does not require interaction with other types of CNS cells. Endothelin A receptors might have a role taking their number into consideration on rat astrocytes under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

Animals↗

Transient ischemic injury in the rat retina caused by thrombotic occlusion-thrombolytic reperfusion.

PURPOSE: To establish a clinically relevant model of transient retinal ischemia by thrombotic occlusion-thrombolytic reperfusion of the central retinal artery of the rat. METHODS: Thrombus was photochemically induced in the central retinal artery by the combination of intravenous injection of photo-sensitive dye, rose bengal, and green laser irradiation focused on the artery. Transient retinal ischemia for 60 minutes was achieved by a subsequent systemic administration of tissue-type plasminogen activator to reperfuse the occluded vessel. Samples of retinas were excised from the animals killed 3, 9, 12, 24, 48, and 78 hours after the reperfusion. The experimental data were processed using the TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method to detect apoptotic cells. RESULTS: The transient retinal ischemia caused time-sequential apoptotic changes in the retinal cells as evaluated by counting the number of TUNEL-positive cells. The most remarkable changes occurred in the central area of retina, and further on the sections taken 24 hours after reperfusion. The peripheral area was less affected, and the outer nuclear cell layer was almost unaffected throughout the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method to cause retinal transient ischemia is highly reproducible, and it is easy to simulate the progress and topographical distribution of retinal changes observed in the clinical cases of central retinal arterial occlusion and its subsequent thrombolytic reperfusion. This may provide a useful tool for constructing the effective thrombolytic strategies against the central retinal arterial occlusion and for evaluating the effects of neuroprotective agents.

Animals↗

Identification of the sites of asparagine-linked glycosylation on the human thyrotropin receptor and studies on their role in receptor function and expression.

The amino-terminal ectodomain of human thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) contains six potential N-linked glycosylation sites (N-Xaa-S/T). This study was designed to evaluate the functional role of TSHR carbohydrates in detail. Because our previous mutagenesis study by Asn to Gln substitutions suggested the critical role of the first and third glycosylation sites (amino acids 77 and 113) for expression of the functional TSHR, we first constructed TSHR mutants having these two glycosylation sites to elucidate whether these two sites are sufficient for TSHR function and expression; this mutant however proved to be nonfunctional. Also the expression levels and function of TSHR mutants with a Ser/Thr to Ala substitution at the first or third glycosylation site were found to be intact. These data indicate that our previous data appear to result from amino acid substitution itself, not from disruption of glycosylation. The next series of the mutants was therefore constructed to identify at least how many glycosylation sites are necessary. Neither TSH binding nor cAMP response was detected in TSHR mutants with three glycosylation sites. However, the mutants with four glycosylation sites were fully functional in terms of TSH binding and cAMP production, although the expression levels were 30 to 40% of that in wild-type TSHR. Finally, Western blot revealed that all six glycosylation sites are actually glycosylated. These data indicate that 1) TSHR ectodomain contains six N-linked carbohydrates, and 2) glycosylation of at least four sites appears necessary for expression of the functional TSHR.

Animals↗

A role for presenilin-1 in nuclear accumulation of Ire1 fragments and induction of the mammalian unfolded protein response.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) mediates signaling from the endoplasmic reticulum to the nucleus. In yeast, a key regulatory step in the UPR is the spliceosome-independent splicing of HAC1 mRNA encoding a UPR-specific transcription factor, which is initiated by the transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease Ire1. We show that yeast HAC1 mRNA is correctly spliced in mammalian cells upon UPR induction and that mammalian Ire1 can precisely cleave both splice junctions. Surprisingly, UPR induction leads to proteolytic cleavage of Ire1, releasing fragments containing the kinase and nuclease domains that accumulate in the nucleus. Nuclear localization and UPR induction are reduced in presenilin-1 knockout cells. These results suggest that the salient features of the UPR are conserved among eukaryotic cells and that presenilin-1 controls Ire1 proteolysis in mammalian cells.

Animals↗

Effects of Helical Sense and Macrodipole on Helix Interaction in Poly(glutamic acid) Monolayers at the Air-Water Interface.

The effect of the helical sense and the helical macrodipole moment of poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) amphiphiles on miscibility in their binary surface monolayers was examined by means of the surface pressure-area isotherm and spectroscopic measurements. Four types of PGA amphiphiles, having different chirality (l or d) and two long alkyl chains at the C- or N-terminus (1 or 2), were successfully prepared by polymerization of the corresponding NCAs. In acidic solutions, these amphiphiles were found to take right-handed or left-handed helical conformation, depending upon the chirality of the glutamic acid unit, and are dispersed in water molecularly without aggregation. On the other hand, the binary mixed monolayer of 1L and 1D provided a marked positive deviation from an ideal mixing curve, while that of the combination of 1L and 2L gave a much smaller negative deviation, suggesting that helical sense would play a more important role in monolayer miscibility. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

Involvement of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase in prostaglandin f(2alpha)-stimulated induction of heat shock protein 27 in osteoblasts.

We previously reported that prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) activates both phosphoinositide-hydrolyzing phospholipase C and phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells and then induces the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). In this study, we investigated the effect of PGF(2alpha) on the induction of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a low-molecular-weight heat shock protein, in these cells. PGF(2alpha) significantly induced the accumulation of HSP27 dose-dependently within the range of 10 nM to 10 microM. PGF(2alpha) stimulated the increase in the levels of mRNA for HSP27. A total of 10 nM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an activator of PKC, induced the accumulation of HSP27. The stimulative effect of PGF(2alpha) was reduced in the PKC down-regulated cells. Calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of PKC, suppressed the PGF(2alpha)-induced HSP27 accumulation as well as that induced by TPA. HSP27 induction by PGF(2alpha) was reduced by U-73122, a phospholipase C inhibitor, or propranolol, a phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase inhibitor. PGF(2alpha) and TPA stimulated p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. PD98059, an inhibitor of the upstream kinase that activates p42/p44 MAP kinase, suppressed the induction of HSP27 stimulated by PGF(2alpha) or TPA. PD98059 and calphostin C reduced the levels of mRNA for HSP27 increased by PGF(2alpha). These results indicate that PGF(2alpha) stimulates the induction of HSP27 via p42/p44 MAP kinase activation, which depends on upstream PKC activation in osteoblasts.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Failure of preventive effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on ischemia-induced gerbil hippocampal neuronal damage by induced hyperthermia.

Post-ischemic administration of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a glucose antimetabolite, markedly reduces the occurrence of ischemia-induced delayed neuronal death (DND) in the gerbil hippocampus. This means that the reduction of energy dependent metabolism after ischemia prevents ischemia-induced damages of hippocampal neurons. In the present study, we demonstrated hyperthermia during ischemia fails to preserve neurons in hippocampal CA1 of 2-DG treated gerbil following transient forebrain ischemia.

Animals↗

Sphingosine 1-phosphate regulates heat shock protein 27 induction by a p38 MAP kinase-dependent mechanism in aortic smooth muscle cells.

In an aortic smooth muscle cell line, A10 cells, we investigated the effect of sphingosine 1-phosphate on the induction of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a low-molecular-weight heat shock protein. Sphingosine 1-phosphate significantly induced the accumulation of HSP27 in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner. The effect was dose-dependent in the range between 0.1 and 30 microM. Sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulated an increase in the levels of mRNA for HSP27. Sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulated both p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and p38 MAP kinase activation. PD98059, an inhibitor of the upstream kinase that activates p42/p44 MAP kinase, did not affect sphingosine 1-phosphate-stimulated HSP27 induction. In contrast, SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, reduced sphingosine 1-phosphate-induced HSP27 induction. SB203580 reduced the levels of mRNA for HSP27 induced by sphingosine 1-phosphate. These results indicate that sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulates the induction of HSP27 via p38 MAP kinase activation in aortic smooth muscle cells.

Animals↗

Effect of metformin on advanced glycation endproduct formation and peripheral nerve function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The effects of metformin treatment on advanced glycation endproduct formation and peripheral nerve function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were examined. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with low dose metformin (50-65 mg kg(-1) daily) or high dose metformin (500-650 mg kg(-1) daily) for 10 weeks. While the metformin-untreated diabetic group showed a significant increase of advanced glycation endproducts (6.1-fold in the lens, 1.6-fold in the sciatic nerve, 2.3-fold in the renal cortex, and 1.9-fold in plasma; all P < 0.01) compared with the healthy control group, both metformin-treated groups had significantly less advanced glycation endproduct deposition. The % decrease in the diabetes-induced increase in advanced glycation endproduct formation by low and high dose metformin treatment was 25% and 72% in the lens (both P < 0.01), 31% and 42% in the sciatic nerve (both P < 0.05), and 16% and 33% in the renal cortex (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), respectively. However, the plasma advanced glycation endproduct level showed no significant difference from that in the untreated diabetic group, in spite of slight decrease in plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels in the metformin-treated groups. The diabetes-induced sciatic nerve conduction velocity deficits were improved by 46% and 42% by low and high dose metformin treatment, respectively (both P < 0.01). These data suggest that metformin may have a direct antiglycative action, which in turn contributes to amelioration of peripheral nerve function. Thus, metformin treatment may be effective in the prevention of diabetic complications through not only lowering plasma glucose, but also directly inhibiting advanced glycation endproduct formation.

Animals↗

Comparison of the antithrombotic effects and bleeding risk of fractionated aurin tricarboxylic acid and the GPIIb/IIIa antagonist GR144053 in a hamster model of stenosis.

The present study compared the antithrombotic properties of fractionated aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATA), an inhibitor of platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib, and GR144053, a GPIIb/IIIa antagonist, in a hamster model of stenosis. Endothelial cell injury in the hamster carotid artery was achieved by a 2F modified catheter. Arterial blood flow in the control groups was interrupted 5.4+/-0.9 minutes after the injury. When ATA (0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg per hour) or GR144053 (0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg per hour) were continuously infused intravenously, the time elapse before the vessel completely occluded was prolonged in a dose-dependent manner. However, all arteries in the ATA-treated groups ultimately occluded during the observation period even if the aggregation of platelets ex vivo and induced by botrocetin was completely inhibited. When either ATA (0.1 mg/kg per hour) or GR144053 (0.3 mg/kg per hour) were infused via an implanted osmotic pump together with tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), late patency of the reperfused artery was improved compared to that of arteries treated with TPA alone. However, the cyclic reflow pattern after reperfusion on days 0 and 1 was not reduced by the ATA treatment. The bleeding time was significantly prolonged when either ATA or GT144053 was coadministered with tPA. The treatment with ATA showed an especially marked prolongation of the bleeding time. In conclusion, both inhibition of platelet activation by ATA or GR144053 prevent arterial thrombosis and enhance the thrombolytic effect of tPA, but GR144053 was more protective in its antithrombotic effect and more effective during thrombolytic therapy than ATA.

Animals↗

Enhanced efficacy of transcriptionally targeted suicide gene/prodrug therapy for thyroid carcinoma with the Cre-loxP system.

Our recent study demonstrates the feasibility of the thyroglobulin (TG) promoter in transcriptionally targeted gene therapy for thyroid carcinomas expressing TG, albeit less effectively than the constitutive viral promoter. The present study was, therefore, designed to enhance the activity of the TG promoter with the Cre-loxP system. Our data demonstrate that the in vitro cytotoxic effect of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir obtained with the TG promoter and the Cre-loxP system is approximately 5-10-fold higher than that with the TG promoter alone. Enhanced tumor growth inhibition was also observed in in vivo tumor models. These data indicate the usefulness of the Cre-loxP system to enhance the activity of a tissue (or tumor)-specific promoter in transcriptionally targeted cancer gene therapy.

Animals↗

Measurement of the novel decapeptide cetrorelix in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A sensitive LC-MS quantitation method of cetrorelix, a novel gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, was developed. Plasma and urine samples to which brominated cetrorelix was added as an internal standard (I.S.) were purified by solid-phase extraction with C8 cartridges. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 reversed-phase column using acetonitrile-water-trifluoroacetic acid (35:65:0.1, v/v/v) as mobile phase. The mass spectrometric analysis was performed by electrospray ionization mode with negative ion detection, and the adduct ions of cetrorelix and I.S. with trifluoroacetic acid were monitored in extremely high mass region of m/z 1543 and 1700, respectively. The lower limit of quantitation was 1.00 ng per 1 ml of plasma and 2.09 ng per 2 ml of urine, and the present method was applied to the analysis of pharmacokinetics of cetrorelix in human during phase 1 clinical trial.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗