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Biomedical subjects

T Kataoka

Publications and source records attributed to T Kataoka.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Prodigiosin 25-C and metacycloprodigiosin suppress the bone resorption by osteoclasts.

Prodigiosin 25-C and metacycloprodigiosin were found to suppress PTH-stimulated pit formation by cultured osteoclasts on bone slices. They also inhibited the acidification of vacuolar organelles in intact osteoclastic cells. Since the acidic pH in these organelles is generated by the action of proton-pumping ATPases of the organelle, these results indicate that the proton-pumping activity of V-ATPase in osteoclastic cells is essential in bone resorption and that the inhibition of the acidification of vacuolar organelles by prodigiosins results in suppression of PTH-stimulated bone resorption.

Animals↗

[Pulmonary metastasis after resection of non-invasive thymoma: a case report--analysis of nuclear DNA pattern and pathological findings].

After resection of a non-invasive thymoma, two metastatic lung tumors were found in the left upper lobe and the left lower lobe. There were differences in tumor doubling time (TDT) and invasion between the metastatic tumor in the lower lobe and the one in the upper lobe. The TDTs of the tumors were 834.1 days and 328.3 days, and the tumor of the left lower lobe invaded the left lateral basal segmental bronchus (B9). The differences in the two tumors were determined by pathological findings and nuclear DNA pattern. Pathologically, the resected thymoma and both of the metastatic tumors were mixed type, which consisted of epithelial cells and lymphocytes. But by epithelium form, the resected thymoma and the tumor in the lower lobe were classified as cortex type, and only the slow growing tumor in the upper lobe contained a spindle-cell component. The DNA pattern of the resected thymoma was aneuploid and the two metastatic tumors were diploid. As this case is very interesting clinically and pathologically, we reported it.

Cell Division↗

Suppression of apoptotic cell death of IL-3-dependent cell lines by ER/SR Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors upon IL-3 deprivation.

An ER/SR Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), was found to suppress apoptotic cell death of IL-3-dependent cell lines, FDC.P2, IC-2, and Ba/F3, upon IL-3 deprivation. Structurally unrelated ER/SR Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors, thapsigargin and 2,5-di(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone also maintained cell viability in the absence of IL-3. In the Ca2+-free medium CPA failed to suppress apoptosis, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic activity of CPA is dependent on extracellular calcium. The culture supernatant of CPA-treated cells was able to prolong cell survival of FDC.P2 in the absence of IL-3. An anti-IL-4 antibody almost completely eliminated the anti-apoptotic activity of CPA. Indeed, a significant amount of IL-4 was detected in the supernatant of cells treated with ER/SR Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors. Thus, our present data clearly demonstrate not only that ER/SR Ca2+-ATPase inhibitors induce the secretion of IL-4 in IL-3-dependent cell lines, but also that IL-4 can replace IL-3 in protecting these cells from apoptotic cell death in an autocrine manner.

Animals↗

Difference in the mechanism of interaction of Raf-1 and B-Raf with H-Ras.

Ras is known to possess multiple cellular targets including Raf-1. Here, we measured both direct binding of various H-Ras mutants to two representative mammalian Ras targets, Raf-1 and B-Raf, and the activity of the mutants to stimulate Raf-1 and B-Raf, and analysed the difference in their Ras-interaction mechanisms. B-Raf was shown to share almost the same H-Ras binding-specificity with Raf-1 by examining binding of the H-Ras mutants to Raf-1 and B-Raf in the yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding assays. Mutants, Y32F, A59E, and V45E bound to Raf-1 in Sf9 cells coexpressing them, but failed to activate Raf-1. On the other hand, Y32F activated B-Raf in a cell-free system which consisted of rat brain cytosol and recombinant MEK. These results suggest that there is a subtle structural difference in requirements for the interaction of Ras with Raf-1 and B-Raf.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Exercise training in patients with heart failure. A randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the benefit of exercise training in patients with heart failure caused by left ventricular systolic dysfunction and to further describe the physiologic changes associated with exercise training in these patients. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Urban outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: 40 men with compensated heart failure who were receiving standard medical therapy were randomly assigned to an exercise-training group or to a control group that did not exercise. Fifteen of the 21 patients assigned to exercise training and 14 of the 19 patients assigned to the control group completed the study. INTERVENTION: Patients assigned to exercise training participated in a program of three exercise sessions per week for 24 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Symptom-limited exercise tests with gas exchange analysis done just before randomization, at week 12, and at week 24. RESULTS: At week 24, the following changes (mean +/- SE) were seen in patients in the exercise group and patients in the control group, respectively; exercise duration, 2.8 +/- 0.6 minutes and 0.5 +/- 0.5 minutes; peak oxygen consumption (VO2), 231 +/- 54 L/min and 58 +/- 38 L/min; peak ventilation, 12 +/- 3 L/min and -4 +/- 3 L/min; peak heart rate, 10 +/- 4 beats/min and -2 +/- 4 beats/min; and peak power output, 20 +/- 6 W and 2 +/- 5 W. Differences between the increases occurring in the exercise group and the changes occurring in the control group were significant (P < 0.05). Among patients in the exercise group, 85% of the increase in peak VO2 occurred by week 12, and 46% of the increase in peak VO2 was caused by the increase in peak heart rate. CONCLUSION: Exercise training does not appear to be contraindicated in patients with compensated heart failure. Exercise training improved exercise tolerance, as measured by increases in peak VO2, exercise duration, and power output. This improved exercise tolerance was caused in part by an increase in peak heart rate.

Adult↗

Concanamycin A, a powerful tool for characterization and estimation of contribution of perforin- and Fas-based lytic pathways in cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Perforin- and Fas-based cytolytic pathways are two major mechanisms of cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Recently, we have shown that an inhibitor of vacuolar type H+-ATPase, concanamycin A (CMA), inhibits perforin-based cytotoxic activity, mostly due to accelerated degradation of perforin by an increase in the pH of lytic granules. Here we show that CMA failed to inhibit the cytolytic activity of CD4+ CTL clone and perforin-deficient CD8+ CTL clone, which exclusively mediate Fas-based cytotoxicity, although CMA inhibited acidification and induced drastic vacuolation of cytoplasmic granules in these clones. In a wide range of alloantigen-specific CTL, a significant amount of the lysis of Con A blasts from normal mice and of Fas-positive tumor cells remained unaffected even in excess concentrations of CMA. However, CMA almost completely inhibited the lysis of Con A blasts from lpr mice and of Fas low expressing or negative tumor cells. Cytolysis by alloantigen-specific CD8+ CTL derived from gld mice was completely prevented by CMA. Furthermore, CMA-insensitive cytolysis exerted by CD8+ CTL clone was completely inhibitable by soluble Fas molecules. Thus, these data clearly indicate not only that CMA-insensitive cytolysis mediated by alloantigen-specific CTL is Fas dependent, but also that CMA is a selective inhibitor to block only the perforin-based killing pathway. In contrast, brefeldin A blocked the Fas-based cytotoxicity, but only marginally reduced the perforin-based cytotoxicity. Moreover, CMA and brefeldin A in combination completely abrogated all cytolytic activity of alloantigen-specific CTL. Taken together, these results reveal that CTL mainly exert perforin-based cytotoxicity and complementary Fas-based cytotoxicity, and that CMA is a powerful tool to clarify the contributions of the two distinct cytolytic pathways.

Animals↗

Differential structural requirements for interaction of Ras protein with its distinct downstream effectors.

Ras proteins have multiple effectors of distinct structures that do not share significant structural homology at their Ras interaction sites. To prove possible differences in their recognition mechanisms of Ras, we screened 44 human Ha-Ras proteins carrying mutations in the effector region and its flanking sequences for interaction with human Raf-1, Schizosaccharomyces pombe Byr2, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae adenylyl cyclase. The Ras binding specificities were largely shared between Raf-1 and Byr2 although Ras mutants, Y32F, T35S, and A59E, had their affinities for Byr2 selectively reduced. The only exception was Ras(D38N), which lost the ability to bind Raf-1 while retaining the activity to bind Byr2 and complement the Byr2- phenotype of S. pombe. On the other hand, adenylyl cyclase had quite distinct requirements for Ras residues; mutations P34G and T58A selectively abolished the ability to bind and activate it without considerably affecting the interaction with Raf-1 and Byr2. Y32F mutant, whereas losing the ability to activate Raf-1 and Byr2, could activate adenylyl cyclase efficiently. In addition, V45E mutation was found to impair the ability of Ras to activate both Raf-1 and adenylyl cyclase without significantly affecting the binding affinities for them. These results demonstrate that significant differences exist in the recognition mechanisms by which the three effector molecules associate with Ras and suggest that a region of Ras required for activation of the effectors in general may exist separately from that for binding the effectors.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Post-translational modification of H-Ras is required for activation of, but not for association with, B-Raf.

B-Raf is regulated by Ras protein and acts as a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase kinase in PC12 cells and brain. Ras protein undergoes a series of post-translational modifications on its C-terminal CAAX motif, and the modifications are critical for its function. To elucidate the role of the post-translational modifications in interaction with, and activation of, B-Raf, we have analyzed a direct association between H-Ras and B-Raf, and constructed an in vitro system for B-Raf activation by H-Ras. By using methods based on inhibition of yeast adenylyl cyclase or RasGAP activity and by in vitro binding assays, we have shown that the segment of B-Raf corresponding to amino acid 1-326 binds directly to H-Ras with a dissociation constant (Kd) comparable to that of Raf-1 and that the binding is not significantly affected by the post-translational modifications. However, when the activity of B-Raf to stimulate MAP kinase was measured by using a cell-free system derived from rat brain cytosol, we observed that the unmodified form of H-Ras possesses an almost negligible activity to activate B-Raf in vitro compared to the fully modified form. H-RasSer-181,184 mutant, which was farnesylated but not palmitoylated, was equally active as the fully modified form. These results indicate that the post-translational modifications, especially farnesylation, are required for H-Ras to activate B-Raf even though they have no apparent effect on the binding properties of H-Ras to B-Raf.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Telomerase activity in human breast tumors.

BACKGROUND: The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is not detected in normal somatic cells; thus, with each cell division, the ends of chromosomes consisting of the telomeric repeats TTAGGG progressively erode. The current model gaining support is that telomerase activity in germline and immortal cells maintains telomere length and thus compensates for the "end-replication problem." PURPOSE: Our objective was to determine when telomerase activity is reactivated in the progression to malignant breast cancer and if knowledge of telomerase activity may be an indicator for the diagnosis and potential treatment of breast cancer. METHODS: Using a polymerase chain reaction-based telomerase activity assay, we examined telomerase activity in 140 breast cancer specimens (from 140 patients), four phyllodes tumors (from four patients), 38 noncancerous lesions (20 fibroadenomas, 17 fibrocystic diseases, one gynecomastia; from 38 patients), and 55 adjacent noncancerous mammary tissues (from 55 of the 140 breast cancer patients). In addition, 33 fine-needle-aspirated breast samples (from 33 patients) were analyzed. RESULTS: Among surgically resected samples, telomerase activity was detected in 130 (93%) of 140 breast cancers. Telomerase activity was detected in 68% of stage I primary breast cancers, in 73% of cancers smaller than 20 mm, and in 81% of axillary lymph node-negative cancers. Moreover, the activity was detected in more than 95% of advanced stage tumors but in only two (4%) of 55 adjacent noncancerous tissues. While telomerase activity was not detected in any of 17 specimens of fibrocystic disease, surprisingly low levels of telomerase activity were detected in nine (45%) of 20 fibroadenomas. Among samples obtained by fine-needle aspiration, 14 (100%) of 14 patients whose fine-needle-aspirated specimen contained telomerase activity and who subsequently underwent surgery were confirmed to have breast cancer. Multivariate analysis of 125 specimens from patients for whom data were available on age at surgery, stage of disease, tumor size, lymph node status tumor histology, and menopausal status indicated that stage classification exhibited the strongest association with telomerase activity (for stage I versus stages II-IV: odds ratio = 1.0 versus 73.4; 95% confidence interval = 2.0-959.0; P = .02). CONCLUSION: Telomerase activity was detected in more than 95% of advanced stage breast cancers. It was absent in 19%-32% of less advanced cancers. Since a determination of any association between telomerase activity and patient survival is not possible at the present time, it remains to be determined whether lack of telomerase activity predicts for favorable outcome.

Adult↗

Structure-activity relationship within a series of degradation products of tautomycin.

Tautomycin, a protein serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor, was chemically degraded, and five derivatives were investigated for their biological activities. None of them exerted any inhibitory effects on the activity of protein phosphatase types 1 and 2A. However, one derivative, named TM2a, induced a significant morphological change (bleb-formation) of human myeloid leukemia K562 cells. TM2b, the trimethyl ester of TM2, did not induce bleb-formation. Thus, the maleic anhydride structure played an important role in the biological activity. The biological properties of TM2a toward K562 cells resembled those of a phorbol ester, rather than of tautomycin. The phorbol ester-induced bleb formation was abrogated by a non-specific inhibitor of protein kinases, staurosporine, and by an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), H-7, but TM2a-induced bleb formation was abrogated only by staurosporine. Enhanced phosphorylation of the two proteins was observed after their exposure to TM2a. This suggest that the effect was not due to any inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 or 2A, but rather to the activation of an unidentified kinase, possibly of the PKC family, or to inhibition of a protein phosphatase other than type 1 or 2A.

Antifungal Agents↗

Identification of low molecular weight probes on perforin- and Fas-based killing mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Perforin- and Fas-based killing pathways are two major mechanisms of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL)-mediated cytotoxicity. In this paper, we have reported the identification of low molecular weight probes on CTL-mediated cytolysis. In addition to inhibitors of acidification so far reported, three other groups of compounds have been identified to block perforin-based cytolysis by the CD8+ CTL clone: (1) an inhibitor of actin polymerization (cytochalasin D), (2) respiratory inhibitors (antimycin A and oligomycin A), and (3) protein kinase inhibitors (calphostin C, herbimycin A, K252a, and staurosporine). Since Fas-based cytolysis by CD4+ CTL clone was inhibitable or rather increased by these agents, only vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitors such as concanamycin A have been shown to be highly specific probes to block perforin-based CTL-mediated cytotoxicity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Estimation of pH and the number of lytic granules in a CD8+ CTL clone treated with an inhibitor of vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase concanamycin A.

A vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitor, concanamycin A (CMA), raised the pH and induced morphologic changes such as vacuolation in lytic granules in the CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte clone OE4. Here we measured the pH in lytic granules present in OE4 by immunoelectron microscopic observation using (3-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-3'-amino-N-methyldipropylamine (DAMP) as a pH probe. In control OE4, only the peripheral region, but not cores, were heavily stained with DAMP. Exposure to 100 nM CMA for 60 min raised the pH in the lytic granules from 5.7 +/- 0.2 to 6.8 +/- 0.2. Furthermore, the number of lytic granules in OE4 was estimated under phase contrast microscopy after Wright staining. About 20 lytic granules in average were detected in control cells, while CMA induced vacuolation and decreased their number by 20 to 30%.

Animals↗

Immunosuppressive activity of streptonigrin in vitro and in vivo.

The immune system is composed of various cells with distinct functions. Thus, highly selective immunomodulators are necessary for artificial regulation of immune reactions. We screened microbial products for such immunomodulators and we identified streptonigrin as a selective suppressor of B-cell proliferation induced by lipopolysaccharide. Streptonigrin directly suppressed the late phase of proliferation of B-cells. The inhibition of topoisomerase II was implicated as the mechanism of the B-cell-selective suppression. In cultured cell lines, however, streptonigrin preferentially suppressed the growth of an interleukin-3-dependent myeloid cell line rather than B-cell lines. In addition, the treatment with streptonigrin in vivo suppressed T-cells more significantly than B-cells and dramatically reduced the spleen weight. These results suggest that streptonigrin preferentially suppresses myeloid T-cell precursors in vivo.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Cysteine-rich region of Raf-1 interacts with activator domain of post-translationally modified Ha-Ras.

The interaction between "switch I/effector domain" of Ha-Ras and the Ras-binding domain (RBD, amino acid 51-131) of Raf-1 is essential for signal transduction. However, the importance of the "activator domain" (approximately corresponding to amino acids 26-28 and 40-49) of Ha-Ras and of the "cysteine-rich region" (CRR, amino acids 152-184) of Raf-1 have also been proposed. Here, we found that Raf-1 CRR interacts directly with Ha-Ras independently of RBD and that participation of CRR is necessary for efficient Ras-Raf binding. Furthermore, Ha-Ras carrying mutations (N26G and V45E) in the activator domain failed to bind CRR, whereas they bound RBD normally. On the contrary, Ha-Ras carrying mutations in the switch I/effector domain exhibited severely reduced ability to bind RBD, whereas their ability to bind CRR was unaffected. Mutants that bound to either RBD or CRR alone failed to activate Raf-1. Ha-Ras without post-translational modifications, which lacks the ability to activate Raf-1, selectively lost the ability to bind CRR. These results suggest that the activator domain of Ha-Ras participates in activation of Raf-1 through interaction with CRR and that post-translational modifications of Ha-Ras are required for this interaction.

Animals↗

Thiol-protease inhibitors selectively inhibit presentation of antigen incorporated through B cell antigen receptors.

B cells efficiently uptake exogenous antigens through cell surface IgM molecules and present them to specific T cells. Although it is implicated that antigens taken up by surface IgM associate with newly synthesized class II molecules, the precise pathway of the presentation is still unclear. Here we report that thiol-protease inhibitors inhibit the presentation of trinitrophenol-conjugated ovalbumin by a leukemic B cell line, A20.HL, which constitutively expresses trinitrophenol-specific surface IgM although they had only a minimum effect on the presentation of unconjugated ovalbumin. In addition, thiol-protease inhibitors slightly reduced the surface expression of class II molecules. Our results suggest that exogenous antigen taken up through surface IgM is presented by a pathway which involves proteolysis by thiol-proteases and distinct from that for the antigens taken up through non-specific endocytosis.

Antigen Presentation↗