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Biomedical subjects

T Kishimoto

Publications and source records attributed to T Kishimoto.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[A case of chronic interstitial pneumonia with transient acute excerbation induced by dust exposure and spontaneous remission by the admission to hospital].

A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of dyspnea. He has been a plasterer with exposure to dust for 35 years since the age of 19 years. Initially, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia was diagnosed because of findings of ground-glass opacity without honeycombing on chest radiography and CT scanning. Restrictive and diffusional dysfunction of the lung was observed through pulmonary function testing. Videoscope-assisted thoracic surgery revealed pleural plaques and a lung histology showing usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). Asbestos bodies and peri-bronchial and vascular dust deposition were detected by microscope. This patient recovered without any medication, with verification from the pulmonary function test results, chest radiographs and CT scanning results. The diagnosis was chronic interstitial pneumonia with transient excerbation. The cause of these pulmonary changes was thought to be dust exposure. Therefore, since dust exposure was avoided after the patient's admission to hospital, dust (including asbestos) exposure may be an important factor in the acute excerbation.

Chronic Disease↗

[Effects of cernitin pollen-extract (Cernilton) on inflammatory cytokines in sex-hormone-induced nonbacterial prostatitis rats].

Cernitin pollen-extract (Cernilton, CN) is a preparation made from eight kinds of pollen and has been used for various prostatic diseases in Japan and Europe. We reported previously that CN possessed a recovery action on the sex-hormone-induced nonbacterial prostatitis in rats. To clarify the possible mechanism of action of CN, we investigated the effects of CN on inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha) in the same model. Aged Wistar rats were castrated and injected 17 beta-estradiol (0.25 mg/kg/day, s.c.) for 30 days. CN (630 and 1,260 mg/kg, p.o.) or testosterone (2.5 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered for the last 14 days of the treatment of 17 beta-estradiol. In control rats, prostatic IL-6 and TNF-alpha contents were increased approximately 2-3 fold, and acinar glandular inflammation and stromal proliferation were found histopathologically, as compared with those of intact rats. On the other hand, CN decreased the increased contents of cytokines in a dose-dependent manner. The histopathological changes mentioned above were restored in rats treated with 1,260 mg/kg. Testosterone also ameliorated them significantly. These results indicate that CN has an anti-inflammatory action, and that the inhibitory effect of CN on the prostatic inflammatory cytokine is an important factor in its action.

Animals↗

Preferential and persistent activation of the STAT1 pathway in rheumatoid synovial fluid cells.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha are produced in great quantities in inflamed rheumatoid joints. However, little is known about the pathogenic significance of each cytokine in the proliferative synovitis and destruction of bone and joint. We investigated the role of cytokine receptor signals transduced into cells at the foci of rheumatoid inflammation. METHODS: Synovial fluid (SF) cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) were examined for the activation of a group of cytokine receptor signaling molecules, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT). RESULTS: DNA binding of STAT1 in SF cells was observed in 8 out of 14 patients with RA, but in none of the 10 patients with OA studied, and this was prevented by preincubation of these cells with neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody. IL-6 activated both STAT1 and STAT3 in normal peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes, and preferentially STAT1 in rheumatoid SF cells. Moreover, STAT1 activation in rheumatoid SF cells appeared to be continuous, in contrast to the transient activation in normal PB leukocytes. CONCLUSION: STAT1 and STAT3 are differentially regulated in response to IL-6 in different cell types. The continuous STAT1 activation may be of pathogenic significance in the progression and persistence of RA.

Adult↗

Clinical study on 53 cases of cadaveric kidney transplantation at Osaka City University Hospital.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we examined the effects of nonimmunological factors on cadaver kidney transplant. METHODS: Fifty-three cadaver kidney transplant recipients were studied. They were divided into two groups, Group I ( donor age<60, n=38 ) and Group II ( donor age > or = 60, n=15). These patients were studied to determine whether donor age and recipient Body Mass Index (BMI) affected transplant outcome. RESULTS: The 3 and 5-year overall graft / patient survival was 80.6 / 100% and 72.7 97.3%, respectively. The best S-Cr after transplantation was significantly (p<0.05) lower in Group I compared to Group II. The 1, 5 and 8-year graft survival was significantly (p<0.05) better in Group I. In the low BMI patients of Group II, 5-year graft survival was significantly (p<0.01) better than high BMI patients. DISCUSSION: An aged cadaver donor was a risk factor for decreased posttransplant renal functions and lower graft survival. However, if a recipient with a low BMI can be selected, the outcome of cadaver kidney transplants from aged donors may be improved.

Adult↗

c-Mos forces the mitotic cell cycle to undergo meiosis II to produce haploid gametes.

The meiotic cycle reduces ploidy through two consecutive M phases, meiosis I and meiosis II, without an intervening S phase. To maintain ploidy through successive generations, meiosis must be followed by mitosis after the recovery of diploidy by fertilization. However, the coordination from meiotic to mitotic cycle is still unclear. Mos, the c-mos protooncogene product, is a key regulator of meiosis in vertebrates. In contrast to the previous observation that Mos functions only in vertebrate oocytes that arrest at meiotic metaphase II, here we isolate the first invertebrate mos from starfish and show that Mos functions also in starfish oocytes that arrest after the completion of meiosis II but not at metaphase II. In the absence of Mos, meiosis I is followed directly by repeated embryonic mitotic cycles, and its reinstatement restores meiosis II and subsequent cell cycle arrest. These observations imply that after meiosis I, oocytes have a competence to progress through the embryonic mitotic cycle, but that Mos diverts the cell cycle to execute meiosis II and remains to restrain the return to the mitotic cycle. We propose that a role of Mos that is conserved in invertebrate and vertebrate oocytes is not to support metaphase II arrest but to prevent the meiotic/mitotic conversion after meiosis I until fertilization, directing meiosis II to ensure the reduction of ploidy.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A nonproteolytic function of the proteasome is required for the dissociation of Cdc2 and cyclin B at the end of M phase.

Inactivation of cyclin B-Cdc2 kinase at the exit from M phase depends on the specific proteolysis of the cyclin B subunit, whereas the Cdc2 subunit remains present at nearly constant levels throughout the cell cycle. It is unknown how Cdc2 escapes degradation when cyclin B is destroyed. In Xenopus egg extracts that reproduce the exit from M phase in vitro, we have found that dissociation of the cyclin B-Cdc2 complex occurred under conditions where cyclin B was tethered to the 26S proteasome but not yet degraded. The dephosphorylation of Thr 161 on Cdc2 was unlikely to be necessary for the dissociation of the two subunits. However, the dissociation was dependent on the presence of a functional destruction box in cyclin B. Cyclin B ubiquitination was also, by itself, not sufficient for separation of Cdc2 and cyclin B. The 26S proteasome, but not the 20S proteasome, was capable of dissociating the two subunits. These results indicate that the cyclin B and Cdc2 subunits are separated by the proteasome through a mechanism that precedes proteolysis of cyclin B and is independent of proteolysis. As a result, cyclin B levels decrease on exit from M phase but Cdc2 levels remain constant.

Animals↗

Residual Cdc2 activity remaining at meiosis I exit is essential for meiotic M-M transition in Xenopus oocyte extracts.

To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of the cell cycle transition from M phase to M phase in meiotic cycles, a Xenopus oocyte extract that performs the M-M transition has been developed. Using the meiotic extract, we found that a low level of Cdc2 activity remained at the exit of meiosis I (MI), due to incomplete degradation of cyclin B. The inactivation of the residual Cdc2 activity induced both entry into S phase and tyrosine phosphorylation on Cdc2 after MI. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that a considerable amount of Wee1 was present at the MI exit and Cdc2 inhibitory phosphorylation during this period was suppressed by the dominance of Cdc2 over Wee1. Consistently, the addition of more than a critical amount of Wee1 to the extract induced Cdc2 inhibitory phosphorylation, changing the M-M transition into an M-S-M transition. Thus, the Cdc2 activity remaining at MI exit is required for suppressing entry into S phase during the meiotic M-M transition period.

Animals↗

Effect of TEI-9874, an inhibitor of immunoglobulin E production, on allergen-induced asthmatic model in rats.

As TEI-9874, 2-(4-(6-cyclohexyloxy-2-naphtyloxy)phenylacetamide)ben zoic acid reduces allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro, we evaluated its potency on an allergen-induced asthmatic model in Brown-Norway rats. Inhaled ovalbumin induced the immediate-phase asthmatic response, the late-phase asthmatic response, the infiltration of leukocytes into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and an increase of serum anti-ovalbumin IgE. These parameters were suppressed by the treatment with TEI-9874 (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg p.o.). The ovalbumin-induced airway hyperresponsiveness was prevented by TEI-9874 (30 mg/kg p.o.). Furthermore, the suppression of the immediate-phase asthmatic response and the late-phase asthmatic response by TEI-9874 was almost completely extinguished by the exogenous administration of rat anti-ovalbumin antiserum. These results indicate that the efficacy of TEI-9874 on the asthmatic response is mainly mediated by the suppression of allergen-specific IgE production and TEI-9874 appears to be a good candidate as therapy for IgE-mediated allergic asthma.

Allergens↗

Defective thymocyte development and perturbed homeostasis of T cells in STAT-induced STAT inhibitor-1/suppressors of cytokine signaling-1 transgenic mice.

Previous experiments have shown that STAT-induced STAT inhibitor-1 (SSI-1; also named suppressors of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) or Janus kinase binding protein) is predominantly expressed in lymphoid organs and functions in vitro as a negative regulator of cytokine signaling. To determine the function of SOCS-1 in vivo, we generated SSI-1 transgenic mice using the lck proximal promoter that drives transgene expression in T cell lineage. In thymocytes expressing SSI-1 transgene, tyrosine phosphorylation of STATs in response to cytokines such as IFN-gamma, IL-6, and IL-7 was inhibited, suggesting that SSI-1 suppresses cytokine signaling in primary lymphocytes. In addition, lck-SSI-1 transgenic mice showed a reduction in the number of thymocytes as a result of the developmental blocking during triple-negative stage. They also exhibited a relative increase in the percentage of CD4+ T cells, a reduction in the number of gammadelta T cells, as well as the spontaneous activation and increased apoptosis of peripheral T cells. Thus, enforced expression of SSI-1 disturbs the development of thymocytes and the homeostasis of peripheral T cells. All these features of lck-SSI-1 transgenic mice strikingly resemble the phenotype of mice lacking common gamma-chain or Janus kinase-3, suggesting that transgene-derived SSI-1 inhibits the functions of common gamma-chain-using cytokines. Taken together, these results suggest that SSI-1 can also inhibit a wide variety of cytokines in vivo.

Animals↗

Developmentally regulated, alternative splicing of the Rpn10 gene generates multiple forms of 26S proteasomes.

The 26S proteasome is a multisubunit protein- destroying machinery that degrades ubiquitin-tagged proteins. To date only a single species of Rpn10, which possibly functions as a multiubiquitin chain-binding subunit, has been identified in various organisms. Here we report that mouse Rpn10 mRNAs occur in at least five distinct forms, named Rpn10a to Rpn10e, and that they are generated from a single gene by developmentally regulated, alternative splicing. Rpn10a is ubiquitously expressed, whereas Rpn10e is expressed only in embryos, with the highest levels of expression in the brain. Both forms of Rpn10 are components of the 26S proteasome, with an apparently similar affinity for multiubiquitylated [(125)I]lysozyme in vitro. However, they exert markedly divergent effects on the destruction of B-type cyclin in Xenopus egg extracts. Thus, the 26S proteasome occurs in at least two functionally distinct forms: one containing a ubiquitously expressed Rpn10a and the other a newly identified, embryo-specific Rpn10e. While the former is thought to perform proteolysis constitutively in a wide variety of cells, the latter may play a specialized role in early embryonic development.

Alternative Splicing↗

Genetic defect in human X-linked agammaglobulinemia impedes a maturational evolution of pro-B cells into a later stage of pre-B cells in the B-cell differentiation pathway.

Surrogate light chains (lambda 5/VpreB) are selectively expressed in early precursors of B cells. B-cell defects in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) are caused by mutations in the gene for Bruton's tyrosine kinase. To elucidate the nature of early B-lineage cells in bone marrow (BM), samples from 13 XLA patients and 24 healthy controls of different ages were comparatively analyzed using an antihuman VpreB monoclonal antibody. Expression of surrogate light (SL) and mu-heavy chains were examined after cell membrane permeabilization because they are mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of early B-lineage cells. A flow cytometric analysis of normal BM identified 5 discrete cell types of B cells: mu(-)SL(++) (pro-B [B-cell progenitor]), mu(low)SL(++) (pre-B1a), mu(low)SL(+) (pre-B1b), mu(low)SL(- )(pre-B2), and mu(high)SL(- )(B). The large cells, presumably in cycling states, were enriched in pre-B1a cells. The frequencies of B-lineage cells in BM were higher in young children, and declined with advancing age. In contrast, XLA showed a profound reduction in BM B-lineage cells. In XLA BM, an expansion of pro-B cells with some small pre-B1a cells was marked, but other cells were negligible. These observations illustrate a B-cell maturation defect in XLA as well as a normal human B-cell differentiation pathway. The results suggest that the genetic defect in XLA may impede the evolution of pro-B cells beyond the earlier pre-B stage into the later stage of pre-B cells in B-cell development. (Blood. 2000;96:610-617)

Adolescent↗

Enhancement of Th2 response in IL-6-deficient mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein.

To investigate the mechanism for the resistance of IL-6-deficient mice to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), we examined the production of cytokines in lymph nodes (LNs) of wild-type and IL-6-deficient mice immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Significant up-regulation of IL-4 production and down-regulation of IFN-gamma production were found in LNs from IL-6-deficient mice as compared to LNs from wild-type mice. Administration of IL-6, which caused typical EAE in IL-6-deficient mice immunized with MOG, reduced IL-4 production but did not restore IFN-gamma production in LNs of IL-6-deficient mice. These results implied that the resistance of IL-6-deficient mice to EAE might be mainly due to enhancement of Th2 response.

Animals↗

Human fatty acid omega-hydroxylase, CYP4A11: determination of complete genomic sequence and characterization of purified recombinant protein.

The gene of the human fatty acid omega-hydroxylase, CYP4A11, has been isolated from a human BAC library, and its complete genomic sequence has been determined. The CYP4A11 gene spanned 12,568 bp and contained 12 exons. The known PPAR recognition elements (PPRE), which were reported to be involved in the induction of CYP4A6 by clofibric acid, were not observed within the 5'-flanking region of the CYP4A11 gene. The recombinant CYP4A11 protein expressed in Escherichia coli using the pCWOri expression vector was purified to an almost electrophoretically homogeneous state with a specific content of 6.4 nmol of P450/mg of protein. This P450 exhibited omega-hydroxylation activity toward laurate, with a turnover number of 14.7 nmol/min/nmol of P450. The apparent K(m) and V(max) values were 56.7 microM and 15.2 nmol/min/nmol of P450, respectively. It also showed omega-hydroxylation activity toward palmitate, with a turnover number of 0.78 nmol/min/nmol of P450. Although several reports from other groups described that CYP4A11 preparations catalyzed omega-hydroxylation of arachidonic acid, our purified recombinant protein exhibited no activity toward arachidonic acid nor prostaglandin A(1).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Calpain-dependent proteolytic cleavage of the p35 cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activator to p25.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is a unique CDK, the activity of which can be detected in postmitotic neurons. To date, CDK5 purified from mammalian brains has always been associated with a truncated form of the 35-kDa major brain specific activator (p35, also known as nck5a) of CDK5, known as p25. In this study, we report that p35 can be cleaved to p25 both in vitro and in vivo by calpain. In a rat brain extract, p35 was cleaved to p25 by incubation with Ca(2+). This cleavage was inhibited by a calpain inhibitor peptide derived from calpastatin and was ablated by separating the p35.CDK5 from calpain by centrifugation. The p35 recovered in the pellet after centrifugation could then be cleaved to p25 by purified calpain. Cleavage of p35 was also induced in primary cultured neurons by treatment with a Ca(2+) ionophore and Ca(2+) and inhibited by calpain inhibitor I. The cleavage changed the solubility of the CDK5 active complex from the particulate fraction to the soluble fraction but did not affect the histone H1 kinase activity. Increased cleavage was detected in cultured neurons undergoing cell death, suggesting a role of the cleavage in neuronal cell death.

Animals↗

IFN regulatory factor-1-mediated transcriptional activation of mouse STAT-induced STAT inhibitor-1 gene promoter by IFN-gamma.

STAT-induced STAT inhibitor-1 (SSI-1), also referred to as suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 and JAK-binding protein, is a member of a new family, the members of which are negative regulators of cytokine signals. SSI-1 is induced by various cytokines; however, the transcriptional mechanism of the SSI-1 gene is not fully understood. Here, we showed that transcription of the mouse SSI-1 gene was initiated from six adjoining sites accompanying three GC boxes and a single GC box-like element near them, but not from the TATA box or an initiator sequence. We also showed that IFN-gamma induced SSI-1 mRNA more strongly than IL-6 in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and that this IFN-gamma effect was mediated by Stat1. To determine the signal pathway downstream of Stat1, transcriptional activities of several mutant promoters were examined. The region mediating stimulatory effect of IFN-gamma to the gene transcription was localized to the -88/-60 region containing three tandem GAAA units, named variant IFN-gamma-responsive element (VIRE), while four IFN-gamma activation site (GAS)-like elements located far upstream were not related to the IFN-gamma response. Gel-shift assays revealed that IFN-gamma induced IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) binding to VIRE, but not that of IRF-2 or three components of ISGF3. Furthermore, forced expression of IRF-1 mimicked and that of IRF-2 inhibited the stimulatory effect of IFN-gamma on SSI-1 gene transcription. Finally, mouse embryonal fibroblasts lacking IRF-1 showed impaired SSI-1 mRNA induction by IFN-gamma. These results demonstrated that IRF-1, which is induced by activation of Stat1, mediated transcriptional activation of the SSI-1 gene by IFN-gamma via VIRE.

3T3 Cells↗

PCCX1, a novel DNA-binding protein with PHD finger and CXXC domain, is regulated by proteolysis.

We identified a novel gene PCCX1 that encoded a nuclear protein carrying a PHD finger, a CXXC domain, and an acidic region. The CXXC domain was found to be sufficient for binding to DNA. The acidic region exhibited a high transactivation ability, but the full-length protein was inactive due to regions which inhibited the acidic region, including the C-terminal region. We examined the expression of PCCX1 during cellular aging and immortalization of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts. PCCX1 mRNA was expressed constitutively through stages of cellular aging and immortalization, but at the protein level, a shorter form lacking the C-terminal region appeared as the cells approached crisis. These results suggested that PCCX1 was activated by proteolytic cleavage, which removed the C-terminal inhibitory region.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Signals transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-induced STAT inhibitor-1 (SSI-1)/suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) suppresses tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced cell death in fibroblasts.

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-induced STAT inhibitor-1 [SSI-1; also known as suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1)] was identified as a negative feedback regulator of Janus kinase-STAT signaling. We previously generated mice lacking the SSI-1 gene (SSI-1 -/-) and showed that thymocytes and splenocytes in SSI-1 -/- mice underwent accelerated apoptosis. In this paper, we show that murine embryonic fibroblasts lacking the SSI-1 gene are more sensitive than their littermate controls to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced cell death. In addition, L929 cells forced to express SSI-1 (L929/SSI-1), but not SSI-3 or SOCS-5, are resistant to TNF-alpha-induced cell death. Furthermore L929/SSI-1 cells treated with TNF-alpha sustain the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. In contrast, SSI-1 -/- murine embryonic fibroblasts treated with TNF-alpha show hardly any activation of p38 MAP kinase. These findings suggest that SSI-1 suppresses TNF-alpha-induced cell death, which is mediated by p38 MAP kinase signaling.

Androstadienes↗