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Biomedical subjects

Minoru Yoshida

Publications and source records attributed to Minoru Yoshida.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Melatonin prevents the increase in hydroxyl radical-spin trap adduct formation caused by the addition of cisplatin in vitro.

We studied the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by cisplatin administration and the preventive effect of melatonin, the main secretory product of the pineal gland, on the reaction in vitro using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Cisplatin induced generation of the hydroxyl radical (OH*) in phosphate buffer in pH 7.4 as a dose-dependent manner. However, OH* was not generated in phosphate buffer containing chloride ions at concentration exceeding 120 mM. The induction of OH. production by cisplatin was completely inhibited by the addition of melatonin, but not by the addition of 6-hydroxymelatonin, which is a hepatic metabolite of melatonin. Furthermore, melatonin was the most effective agent for preventing of OH* formation among various well-known antioxidants including mannitol and reduced glutathione. These results indicate that melatonin may scavenge OH. directly and thereby prevent renal tissue damage caused by OH* produced in response to cisplatin treatment.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Four different clones of mouse anti-acetyllysine monoclonal antibodies having different recognition properties share a common immunoglobulin framework structure.

By employing two different immunogens and two different antibody-screening strategies, we established four mouse hybridoma clones producing monoclonal antibodies against N epsilon -acetyllysine. Three different protocols were used in this study; i.e., mice were (1) immunized with an N epsilon -acetyllysine-containing peptide, Gly-Lys(Ac)- epsilon -aminocaproic acid (Aca)-Cys, conjugated to KLH, and the hybridoma clones were screened for their reactivity to a histone H3 peptide containing five acetyllysines; (2) immunized as in "1" and screened with chemically acetylated bovine serum albumin (BSA); (3) immunized with chemically acetylated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and screened with chemically acetylated BSA. Antibodies produced by the four different hybridomas established here all reacted with acetyllysine residues, but their reactivity was not the same when evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, and resonant mirror sensor analyses. Among the three protocols examined, protocol "3" was especially useful to obtain hybridomas producing anti-N epsilon -acetyllysine antibodies that could detect not only the acetylated histones but also other acetylated proteins. By cloning and sequencing the cDNAs encoding the variable regions of the antibodies, we found that their framework sequences were almost the same, which suggests that some framework amino acids in addition to their complementarity determining regions (CDRs) directly contribute to their recognition function.

Acetylation↗

Chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-dependent nuclear export of Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1) is essential for negative regulation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling by Smad7.

Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1), a HECT type E3 ubiquitin ligase, interacts with inhibitory Smad7 and induces translocation of Smad7 to the cytoplasm. Smurf1 then associates with the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta type I receptor, TbetaR-I, enhancing turnover. However, the mechanism of nuclear export of Smad7 by Smurf1 has not been elucidated. Here we identified a functional nuclear export signal (NES) in a C-terminal region of Smurf1. In transfected cells, the Smurf1-Smad7 complex was accumulated in the cytoplasm by the nuclear export receptor, CRM1; this action was prevented by treatment with leptomycin B, a specific inactivator of CRM1 function. A green fluorescence protein fusion protein containing the C-terminal NES motif of Smurf1, located in the cytoplasm, accumulated in the nucleus following treatment with leptomycin B. Moreover, Smurf1 was shown to bind physically to CRM1 through NES, and nuclear export of the Smurf1-Smad7 complex was prevented by mutations of Smurf1 within the NES. Finally, the Smurf1 NES mutant reduced inhibition by Smad7 of the transcriptional activation induced by TGF-beta. These results thus suggest that CRM1-dependent nuclear export of Smurf1 is essential for the negative regulation of TGF-beta signaling by Smad7.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

From discovery to the coming generation of histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Trichostatin A (TSA) is a Streptomyces metabolite that causes differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells as well as specific inhibition of the cell cycle of some lower eukaryotes and mammalian cells. The targeted molecule of TSA has been shown by genetic and biochemical analyses to be histone deacetylases (HDACs). Histone acetylation is a key modification to control transcription, and HDACs are profoundly involved in pathogenesis of cancer through removing acetyl groups from histones and other transcriptional regulators. Trapoxin (TPX) and FK228 (also known as FR901228 and depsipeptide because FK228 = FR901228 = depsipeptide), structurally unrelated microbial metabolites, were also shown to inhibit HDACs. These HDAC inhibitors cause cell cycle arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis of many tumors, suggesting their usefulness for chemotherapy and differentiation therapy. In addition, HDAC inhibitors play important roles in identifying the specific function of the enzymes. Indeed, we identified tubulin as one of the substrates of HDAC6 by means of differential sensitivity to HDAC inhibitors. Since recent studies have revealed that HDACs are structurally and functionally diverse, it should be important to develop inhibitors specific to individual enzymes as more promising agents for cancer therapy. We have synthesized novel TSA/TPX hybrids, which will serve as a basis for developing enzyme-specific HDAC inhibitors.

Acetylation↗

Nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of proteins as a target for therapeutic drugs.

Recruitment of cytoplasmic signaling proteins into the nucleus is an essential step in the activation of gene expression in response to an extracellular signal. Nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of macromolecules is mediated by the transport receptors of an importin beta family. Post-translational modifications and masking/unmasking of specific signal sequences responsible for nuclear import and export are important for the coordinated control of the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. Malfunctioning of the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is profoundly involved in a number of diseases including cancer. Leptomycin B (LMB) is a Streptomyces metabolite that causes specific inhibition of the cell cycle of fission yeast and mammalian cells. The target molecule of LMB has been shown by genetic and biochemical analyses to be CRM1, a highly conserved protein in eukaryotes. CRM1 was shown to be a member of the importin beta family and a receptor for the nuclear export signal (NES) of proteins in both yeast and mammalian cells. LMB binds directly to CRM1, which results in dissociation of the NES from the nuclear export machinery containing CRM1. Thus, LMB serves as a potent tool for understanding the molecular mechanisms of nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of proteins and a potential therapeutic drug for diseases caused by mislocalization of regulatory proteins.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

[The effect of intravenous ciprofloxacin for community acquired pneumonia in adults].

To verify the indication of intravenous fluoroquinolone in guideline for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia published in Japanese Respiratory Society, the effect of intravenous ciprofloxacin was investigated in this study. 49 cases of community-acquired pneumonia were treated by intravenous ciprofloxacin. Total response rate was 77.1%. 66.7% of response rate was achieved even in the cases which other antibiotics had been already introduced and failed. The data of this study indicated that intravenous ciprofloxacin was one of the effective and appropriate therapeutics for community-acquired pneumonia in adults.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Protein deacetylases: enzymes with functional diversity as novel therapeutic targets.

It is becoming increasingly clear that reversible acetylation of proteins is a signal directly controlling the activity of key cellular regulators. The enzymes controlling protein acetylation were identified as histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Following the discovery of HATs and HDACs, a number of non-histone proteins have been identified as substrates for these enzymes. HDACs play important roles in transcriptional regulation and pathogenesis of cancer through removing acetyl groups from histones and other transcriptional regulators. HDAC inhibitors case cell cycle arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis of many tumors, suggesting their usefulness for chemotherapy and differentiation therapy. Since recent studies have revealed that HDACs are structurally and functionally diverse, it should be possible to develop inhibitors specific to individual HDACs as more promising agents for cancer therapy.

Acetylation↗

[Management of patients with stable COPD].

Management of patients with stable COPD is consisted with education for smoking cessation, pharmacologic therapy and non-pharmacologic therapy. Smoking cessation is a basic standing point for management of COPD. Prognosis of COPD with less economical cost is improved by smoking cessation. Pharmacotherapy should be arranged according to the severity of disease. beta 2 agonists, anticholinergic agents, theophylline and a combination of one or more of these drugs are available to improve obstructive ventilatory impairment. Inhaled steroid is used for patients with asthmatic symptom and with documented spirometric response to steroid. Pulmonary rehabilitation is useful for patients with all severity to reduce symptoms and to improve quality of life. Selected patients can take beneficial effect by long-term oxygen therapy, ventilatory support and surgical treatment.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

In vivo destabilization of dynamic microtubules by HDAC6-mediated deacetylation.

Trichostatin A (TSA) inhibits all histone deacetylases (HDACs) of both class I and II, whereas trapoxin (TPX) cannot inhibit HDAC6, a cytoplasmic member of class II HDACs. We took advantage of this differential sensitivity of HDAC6 to TSA and TPX to identify its substrates. Using this approach, alpha-tubulin was identified as an HDAC6 substrate. HDAC6 deacetylated alpha-tubulin both in vivo and in vitro. Our investigations suggest that HDAC6 controls the stability of a dynamic pool of microtubules. Indeed, we found that highly acetylated microtubules observed after TSA treatment exhibited delayed drug-induced depolymerization and that HDAC6 overexpression prompted their induced depolymerization. Depolymerized tubulin was rapidly deacetylated in vivo, whereas tubulin acetylation occurred only after polymerization. We therefore suggest that acetylation and deacetylation are coupled to the microtubule turnover and that HDAC6 plays a key regulatory role in the stability of the dynamic microtubules.

Acetylation↗

Leptomycin B, an inhibitor of the nuclear export receptor CRM1, inhibits COX-2 expression.

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, the inducible prostaglandin synthase, is overexpressed in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Post-transcriptional regulation of COX-2 mRNA is important in controlling the expression of the COX-2 gene. Here, we report that leptomycin B (LMB), a specific inhibitor of the nuclear export factor CRM1 potently inhibits the stabilization of COX-2 mRNA in MDA-MB-231 human mammary cancer cells. However, COX-2 promoter-driven reporter gene expression is not inhibited by LMB, suggesting that LMB acts at the post-transcriptional level. Subcellular fractionation experiments indicate that LMB inhibited the time-dependent export of COX-2 mRNA into the membrane-bound polysomal compartment at the endoplasmic reticulum. LMB suppressed COX-2 expression by interleukin-1beta in HT-29 human colon cancer cells and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells but had no effect on COX-2 expression induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide in monocytic THP-1 cells. These data suggest that the nuclear export of COX-2 mRNA may be rate-liming in a cell-specific manner. LMB may be useful to control COX-2 expression in various human diseases in which COX-2 plays a pathogenetic role.

Animals↗

Regulation of E2A activities by histone acetyltransferases in B lymphocyte development.

Genetic studies have demonstrated that the basic helix-loop-helix protein E2A is an essential transcription factor in B lymphocyte lineage commitment and differentiation. However, the mechanism underlying E2A-mediated transcription regulation is not fully understood. Here, we investigated the physical and genetic interactions between E2A and co-activators histone acetyltransferases (HATs) in B cells. Gel filtration analysis of human pre-B cell nuclear extract showed that E2A co-elutes with the HATs p300, CBP, and PCAF. A co-immunoprecipitation assay further demonstrated that a fraction of endogenous E2A proteins is associated with each of the three HATs. We show that these HATs acetylate E2A in vitro, enhance E2A-mediated transcription activity, and promote nuclear retention of E2A proteins. A catalytic mutation of p300 completely abrogates the ability of p300 to acetylate E2A and to promote E2A nuclear retention in 293T cells. A breeding test between E2A heterozygous mice and p300 heterozygous mice demonstrated that these two genes interact for proper B cell development. Collectively, these results suggest that E2A and HATs collaboratively regulate B cell development.

Acetyltransferases↗

New Rev-transport inhibitor with anti-HIV activity from Valerianae Radix.

Bioassay-guided separation by use of the fission yeast expressing NES of Rev, a HIV-1 viral regulatory protein, resulted in isolation of valtrate (1) as a new Rev-transport inhibitor from the nucleus to cytoplasm from Valerianae Radix. Valtrate (1) also inhibited the p-24 production of HIV-1 virus without showing any cytotoxicity against the host MT-4 cells.

Biotin↗

VHL tumor suppressor gene alterations associated with good prognosis in sporadic clear-cell renal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Somatic alteration of the von Hippel-Lindau disease tumor suppressor gene (VHL) is one of the most common genetic changes observed in the sporadic, clear-cell subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the prognostic utility of VHL mutations has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between VHL mutations and the risk of death from sporadic clear-cell RCC. METHODS: A total of 187 Japanese patients with clear-cell RCC who underwent nephrectomy from October 1986 through December 1995 were examined for somatic VHL gene alteration. Clinicopathologic and survival data were also collected. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore associations. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: A VHL alteration (mutation or hypermethylation) was detected in 108 RCC tumor samples: intragenic mutations in 98 (52%) and hypermethylation in 10 (5.3%). VHL alterations were strongly associated with better cancer-free survival and cancer-specific survival for the 134 patients with stage I-III clear-cell RCC treated by radical nephrectomy (log-rank P =.024 and.023, respectively). These associations were more statistically significant among patients with relatively advanced disease (stage III [P =.014 and.010, respectively] or stage II + III [P =.002 and.009]) or higher grade tumors (G3 or higher [P =.013 and.032] or G2 or higher [P =.013 and.018]) and among patients who presented with symptoms (P =.005 and.012). VHL alterations remained an independent prognostic factor for patients with stage I-III tumors after adjustment for sex, age, stage, grading, and symptomatic presentation. VHL alterations were not associated with cancer-specific survival for the 53 patients with stage IV tumors treated with palliative or adjunctive nephrectomy (log-rank P =.760). CONCLUSION: The VHL alteration status may provide useful prognostic information, as a biomolecular marker, for patients with stage I-III clear-cell RCC who have undergone nephrectomy.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗

FK228 (depsipeptide) as a natural prodrug that inhibits class I histone deacetylases.

FK228 is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, the molecular mechanism of inhibition of which has been unknown. Here we show that reduction of an intramolecular disulfide bond of FK228 greatly enhanced its inhibitory activity and that the disulfide bond was rapidly reduced in cells by cellular reducing activity involving glutathione. Computer modeling suggests that one of the sulfhydryl groups of the reduced form of FK228 (redFK) interacts with the active-site zinc, preventing the access of the substrate. HDAC1 and HDAC2 were more strongly inhibited by redFK than HDAC4 and HDAC6. redFK was less active than FK228 in inhibiting in vivo HDAC activity, due to rapid inactivation in medium and serum. Thus, FK228 serves as a stable prodrug to inhibit class I enzymes and is activated by reduction after uptake into the cells. The glutathione-mediated activation also implicates its clinical usefulness for counteracting glutathione-mediated drug resistance in chemotherapy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, suppresses collagen synthesis and prevents TGF-beta(1)-induced fibrogenesis in skin fibroblasts.

Excessive production of collagens by alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-positive myofibroblasts leads to fibrotic skin diseases, such as hypertrophic scarring. This process is characterized by an imbalance between extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and degradation, while transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta(1)), known to be a key mediator of fibrogenesis, is up-regulated. In this study we have investigated the possible antifibrogenic effect of Trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, on rat skin fibroblasts in culture. mRNA steady-state levels and de novo protein synthesis of procollagen types I and III and alpha-SMA were inhibited when skin fibroblasts were treated with 100 nM TSA with or without TGF-beta(1). While the transcription rate of the procollagen alpha1(I) gene was increased following TSA or TGF-beta(1) treatment, TSA abrogated the stimulatory effect of TGF-beta(1) on procollagen alpha1(I) transcription when both compounds were added simultaneously. The reduction of procollagen alpha1(I) and alpha1(III) mRNA steady-state levels by TSA did not require de novo protein synthesis, while the effect of TSA on alpha-SMA mRNA steady-state levels was cycloheximide-sensitive. Interestingly, TSA affected TGF-beta(1) and its downstream mediators, i.e., the Smad family proteins. TSA strongly induced in a biphasic way the expression of 5'TG3' interacting factor (TGIF), a known endogenous corepressor molecule of the TGF-beta(1) signaling pathway. Addition of exogenous TGF-beta(1) did not interfere with the effect of TSA on the TGIF mRNA level. Our study shows that inhibition of histone deacetylases by TSA reduces expression of fibrosis-related genes in skin fibroblasts and this coincides by alterations in the TGF-beta(1) signaling pathway.

Animals↗

A novel oral neutrophil elastase inhibitor (ONO-6818) inhibits human neutrophil elastase-induced emphysema in rats.

We investigated the effects of a novel oral neutrophil elastase inhibitor (ONO-6818) on acute lung injury and pulmonary emphysema induced by human neutrophil elastase (HNE). Young male Wistar rats were divided into four treatment groups: (1) control group (saline); (2) HNE group (HNE 200 U + 0.5% carboxymethyl-cellulose [solution for ONO-6818]); (3) low-dose ONO-6818 group (HNE 200 U + ONO-6818 10 mg/kg); and (4) high-dose ONO-6818 group (HNE 200 U + ONO-6818 100 mg/kg). Saline and HNE were applied via the trachea using a microsprayer. ONO-6818 was administered orally 1 hour before HNE application. Six hours after HNE application, neutrophil counts and hemoglobin concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue myeloperoxidase activity were determined. Eight weeks after the application, FRC, TLC, lung compliance, and mean linear intercept were estimated. ONO-6818 attenuated dose-dependently HNE-induced increases in lung myeloperoxidase activity, hemoglobin, and neutrophil count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Furthermore, it significantly attenuated HNE-induced increases in FRC, TLC, lung compliance, and mean linear intercept. ONO-6818 inhibited acute lung injury induced by HNE by minimizing lung hemorrhage and accumulation of neutrophils in the lung. ONO-6818 also inhibited the development of HNE-induced emphysematous changes including lung hyperinflation, degradation of elastic recoil, and airspace enlargement.

Administration, Oral↗