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Biomedical subjects

S Muramatsu

Publications and source records attributed to S Muramatsu.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

The tissue distribution of the B7-2 costimulator in mice: abundant expression on dendritic cells in situ and during maturation in vitro.

B7-2 is a recently discovered, second ligand for the CTLA-4/CD28, T cell signaling system. Using the GL-1 rat monoclonal antibody (mAb), we monitored expression of B7-2 on mouse leukocytes with an emphasis on dendritic cells. By cytofluorography, little or no B7-2 was detected on most cell types isolated from spleen, thymus, peritoneal cavity, skin, marrow, and blood. However, expression of B7-2 could be upregulated in culture. In the case of epidermal and spleen dendritic cells, which become highly immunostimulatory for T cells during a short period of culture, the upregulation of B7-2 was dramatic and did not require added stimuli. Lipopolysaccharide did not upregulate B7-2 levels on dendritic cells, in contrast to macrophages and B cells. By indirect immunolabeling, the level of staining with GL-1 mAb exceeded that seen with rat mAbs to several other surface molecules including intercellular adhesion molecule 1, B7-1, CD44, and CD45, as well as new hamster mAbs to CD40, CD48, and B7-1/CD80. Of these accessory molecules, B7-2 was a major species that increased in culture, implying a key role for B7-2 in the functional maturation of dendritic cells. B7-2 was the main (> 90%) CTLA-4 ligand on mouse dendritic cells. When we applied GL-1 to tissue sections of a dozen different organs, clear-cut staining with B7-2 antigen was found in many. B7-2 staining was noted on liver Kupffer cells, interstitial cells of heart and lung, and profiles in the submucosa of the esophagus. B7-2 staining was minimal in the kidney and in the nonlymphoid regions of the gut, and was not observed at all in the brain. In the tongue, only rare dendritic cells in the oral epithelium were B7-2+, but reactive cells were scattered about the interstitial spaces of the muscle. In all lymphoid tissues, Gl-1 strongly stained certain distinct regions that are occupied by dendritic cells and by macrophages. For dendritic cells, these include the thymic medulla, splenic periarterial sheaths, and lymph node deep cortex; for macrophages, the B7-2-rich regions included the splenic marginal zone and lymph node subcapsular cortex. Splenic B7-2+ cells were accessible to labeling with GL-1 mAb given intravenously. Dendritic cell stimulation of T cells (DNA synthesis) during the mixed leukocyte reaction was significantly (35-65%) blocked by GL-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Abatacept↗

Highly sensitive and specific determination of pravastatin sodium in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with laser-induced fluorescence detection after immobilized antibody extraction.

A method for the determination of pravastatin sodium (PS), a cholesterol-lowering agent, in plasma was developed by using an immobilized antibody column extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analyte was monitored by a laser-induced fluorescence detector after fluorogenic derivatization. The PS antibody was coupled to Sepharose 4B and used as an extraction phase for sample cleanup and extraction of the drug. A plasma sample was applied to the column and washed with water, and the drug was eluted with methanol. N-Dansylethylenediamine (DNS-ED) was coupled to the carboxyl moiety of the drug in the presence of diethyl phosphorocyanidate (DEPC) and triethylamine (TEA) in dioxane. Derivatization was completed in 5 min at room temperature. A column-switching technique was utilized to remove excess reagents and byproducts. A He-Cd laser-induced fluorescence detector was applied to achieve an ultrasensitive determination. The detection limit was 2 pg/injection of PS, which was 20 times more sensitive than the conventional fluorescence detection. The limit of quantitation was 100 pg/mL when 1 mL of plasma sample was available. An average coefficient of variations of the overall method were less than 8% at the concentration range of 1-100 ng/mL. A single oral dose of PS in rats (20 mg/kg) and dogs (5 mg/kg) resulted in average maximum concentrations of 142 and 310 ng/mL, respectively.

Animals↗

Augmenting effect of opioid peptides on murine macrophage activation.

We investigated the effect of several opioid peptides on the activation of murine peritoneal exudate macrophages (M phi) in vitro. M phi were treated with interferon (IFN) as a priming agent and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a triggering agent in the presence or absence of opioid peptides. M phi activation was assessed by their tumoricidal activity. When treatment with IFN and LPS resulted in a high level activation of M phi, dynorphin-A exerted no further enhancing effect. When treatment induced only weak activation, however, dynorphin-A augmented the M phi activation. Leucine-enkephalin, methionine-enkephalin, and also beta-endorphin had augmenting effects. An opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone, reduced the effect of dynorphin-A and beta-endorphin. When M phi were treated sequentially with IFN and LPS, beta-endorphin operated in combination with LPS only. Moreover, beta-endorphin was effective for already activated M phi. These results indicate that opioid peptides act on M phi via classical opioid receptors, and that responsiveness to opioid peptides is induced in the triggering stage of M phi activation.

Animals↗

Requirement of a second signal from antigen presenting cells in the clonal deletion of immature T cells.

The role of antigen presenting cells (APC) in T cell clonal deletion was investigated by culturing murine thymic lymphocytes with the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in the absence or presence of APC. As the APC, we used B lymphoma cell lines A20.2J and BAL17.2, both expressing MHC class II antigens at high levels. SEB reactive V beta 8+ cells were deleted only when A20.2J cells were used as APC. By using thymocytes from transgenic mice carrying a TCR beta chain transgene, it was further shown that the deletion occurred at the CD4+CD8+ stage. The other cell line, BAL17.2, failed to induce clonal deletion, although this cell line was able to stimulate the proliferative response of SEB-primed T cells. The activity of A20.2J cells to induce clonal deletion was completely abolished by fixation with paraformaldehyde, whereas the same treatment kept the ability of this cell line to induce the proliferative response of non-primed as well as SEB-primed T cells. It was further shown that the deletion was abolished by the addition of anti-MHC class II but not anti-B7 mAb in the culture. These results provided explicit evidence that a signal(s) from APC, which is distinct from that required for primary or secondary proliferative response of mature peripheral T cells, is involved in clonal deletion of thymic immature T cells.

Animals↗

Milbemycin derivatives: modification at the C-5 position.

Protection of the hydroxyl group at the C-5 position of milbemycin A4 and D was carried out to investigate the influence of the C-5 hydroxyl group on the anthelmintic potency of these derivatives. Moreover, the hydroxyl group was converted into amide groups as bioisosters. Biological activities of these derivatives were measured against Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in vitro, and minimal concentrations which induce 100% immotility in worms were determined for each derivative. Biological testing revealed that the hydroxyl group at C-5 is a structural requirement for retaining anthelmintic activity.

Animals↗

Milbemycin derivatives: epoxidation of milbemycins.

Epoxidation reactions (MCPBA epoxidation and Sharpless epoxidation) were examined as a means of chemically modifying milbemycins as part of our program for discovering anthelmintics. 8,9-Epoxy-, 14,15-epoxy-, 8,9-14,15-diepoxy-, and 3,4-8,9-14,15-triepoxymilbemycin A4 were selectively obtained from milbemycin A4 and its derivatives, in which either the C-5 and C-7 hydroxyl groups or C-5 alone were protected as appropriate by a silyl ether (in the former case) or a carbonyl group. Further silylation or epoxidation on these epoxidized compounds indicated that the configuration of each epoxide moiety of the mono- and diepoxides is in accord with that of the corresponding epoxide moiety of the triepoxide. Furthermore, in order to confirm the absolute configurations of these epoxide functionalities, an X-ray analysis of a carbamate derivative from the triepoxymilbemycin was conducted.

Anthelmintics↗

Biotransformation of pravastatin sodium (I). Mechanisms of enzymic transformation and epimerization of an allylic hydroxy group of pravastatin sodium.

One of the major metabolites, R-416(3'alpha-OH), of pravastatin sodium(PV, 6'beta-OH), and a minor metabolite, R-418 (6'alpha-OH), were produced in rat liver cytosol in the presence of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate as a cofactor. The reactions were inhibited by the inhibitors for sulfotransferases, and 18OH was introduced to the 3'alpha- and 6'alpha-positions of R-416 and R-418, respectively, by incubation with H2 18O. These results strongly suggested that PV was metabolically activated by sulfation at the 6'beta-hydroxy group by sulfotransferases, followed by nucleophilic attack of hydroxy anions at the 3'alpha- or 6'alpha-position, to give R-416 or R-418, respectively.

Animals↗

Granulocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells arise from a common major histocompatibility complex class II-negative progenitor in mouse bone marrow.

The developmental origin of dendritic cells, a specialized system of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-rich antigen-presenting cells for T-cell immunity and tolerance, is not well characterized. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is known to stimulate dendritic cells, including growth and development from MHC class II-negative precursors in suspension cultures of mouse bone marrow. Here we studied colony formation in semi-solid methylcellulose cultures, a classical bioassay system in which GM-CSF induces the formation of mixed granulocyte-macrophage colonies. When colonies were induced from MHC class II-negative precursors, a small subset (1-2%) of typical dendritic cells developed alongside macrophages and granulocytes. The dendritic cells were distinguished by their cytologic features, high levels of MHC class II products, and distinct intracellular granule antigens. By using differential adherence to plastic, enriched populations of the various myeloid cell types were isolated from colonies. Only the dendritic cells stimulated a primary T-cell immune response, the mixed leukocyte reaction, and the potency was comparable to typical dendritic cells isolated from spleen. Macrophages from mixed or pure colonies were inactive as stimulator cells. Therefore, three distinct pathways of myeloid development--granulocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells--can develop from a common MHC class II-negative progenitor under the aegis of GM-CSF.

Animals↗

Identification of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 binding heptapeptide in vitronectin.

We have shown that a heptapeptide which resides in the middle part of vitronectin (VN) is responsible for binding to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). A single PAI-1 binding peptide was isolated from human VN after limited proteolysis with protease V8. The amino acid sequence of the fragment corresponded to residues Gly-115-Glu-121 of VN. A murine monoclonal antibody (JYV-1) raised against human VN bond to the same fragment and inhibited binding of PAI-1 to VN. A synthetic peptide (V-115), comprising residues Gly-115-Glu-121 of human VN, competed with VN for both PAI-1 and JYV-1 in a dose-dependent manner. Synthetic peptide V-111 (Ser-111-Glu-121) had a stronger inhibitory effect than V-115 on binding of PAI-1 or JYV-1 to VN. V-111 also inhibited the binding of human PAI-1 to mouse and rabbit VN. The functional half-life of PAI-1 activity was prolonged approximately 2-fold in the presence of V-111 (1 mM). This stabilizing effect of V-111 was equivalent to intact VN, although a 1000-fold higher molar concentration of V-111 over VN was required. These data indicated that VN residues Gly-115-Glu-121 contain a PAI-1 binding site.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Stereoselective determination of the active metabolites of a new anti-inflammatory agent (CS-670) in human and rat plasma using antibody-mediated extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

The main metabolites of (+-)-2-[4-(2-oxocyclohexylidenemethyl)phenyl]propionic acid (CS-670), a new pro-drug anti-inflammatory agent of the 2-arylpropionic acid type, have one or two chiral centres arising from reduction of the oxocyclohexylidene moiety in addition to an original chiral centre in the propionic acid moiety. To determine these metabolites stereoselectively, antibody-mediated extraction was investigated as a stereoselective clean-up method prior to chiral HPLC. Immunoglobulin G, which recognizes each stereoisomeric cyclohexanol moiety, was coupled to cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose 4B to prepare re-usable immobilized antibody, and its specificity was improved by examination of a washing process after charging of samples. Plasma extracted with the immobilized antibody column was derivatized with a chiral reagent to separate the enantiomers of the propionic acid moiety by HPLC. This newly developed analytical method clarified the stereoselective biotransformation of the pro-drug to pharmacologically active forms in humans and rats related to reduction of the oxocyclohexylidene moiety and chiral inversion in the propionic acid moiety.

Animals↗

Clonal deletion of thymic mature T cells induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin B in murine fetal thymus organ culture.

The present study aims at investigating the intrathymic maturational stage of T cells at which clonal deletion can be induced. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was added to organ cultures of murine fetal thymus lobes at various time points of culture, and V beta 8-expressing cells were assayed on day 14. V beta 8 low-expressing (V beta 8lo) cells were reduced to 40-60% of the control receiving no SEB, though the reduction was ambiguous when SEB was given on day 13. In marked contrast, V beta 8 high-expressing (V beta 8hi) cells were virtually completely deleted in all groups including the group given SEB on day 13. Most of the V beta 8hi cells that were deleted by 24 h of treatment with SEB were shown to be of the CD4+8- mature phenotype, though CD4-8+V beta 8hi cells were also deleted. It was further shown that the thymic V beta 8hi CD4+8- cells recovered from organs cultured for 14 days without SEB responded to immobilized anti-V beta 8 monoclonal antibody, indicating that V beta 8hi cells, which were highly sensitive to clonal deletion, were functionally competent mature T cells. These results strongly suggest that the thymus is capable of eliminating all T cells recognizing antigen present in the thymus regardless of the maturational stage of T cells.

Animals↗

Potentiation of in vivo antitumor effects of recombinant interleukin-1 alpha by gelatin conjugation.

Chemical conjugation of a recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1) with gelatin was conducted using a water-soluble carbodiimide in an attempt to augment the indirect effect of IL-1 on in vivo tumor cell growth in mice. Chromatographic studies of the IL-1-gelatin conjugate demonstrated that the apparent molecular weight of IL-1 was increased by the gelatin conjugation and about 60% of IL-1 activity was retained in the prepared conjugate. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the conjugate significantly suppressed the intraperitoneal growth of a subline of Meth A fibrosarcoma cells (RR1 cells), compared with the effect of free IL-1 at the same dose, although the cells per se were resistant not only to free IL-1 but also to gelatin-conjugated IL-1. Simple mixing of gelatin with free IL-1 did not augment the in vivo antitumor effect as compared with that of free IL-1. Gelatin conjugation improved the in vivo stability of IL-1. Prolonged retention of IL-1 activity in the peritoneal cavity as well as the circulation of mice was observed after i.p. injection of the IL-1-gelatin conjugate in comparison with free IL-1 injection, irrespective of the presence of tumor cells. Gelatin conjugation was effective in augmenting the in vivo antitumor effects of IL-1 to activate host cells, e.g. macrophages (M phi). The i.p. injection of the conjugate enhanced M phi infiltration into the peritoneal cavity of tumor-bearing mice and peritoneal M phi were strongly activated to inhibit the in vitro growth of RR1 cells. Thus, gelatin conjugation was effective in augmenting the indirect effect of IL-1 via host cells, leading to a high suppressive effect on in vivo growth of tumor cells.

Animals↗