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T Shimizu

Publications and source records attributed to T Shimizu.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Protective role of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in hypoxia-induced generalized seizure.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels are activated by various metabolic stresses, including hypoxia. The substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), the area with the highest expression of K(ATP) channels in the brain, plays a pivotal role in the control of seizures. Mutant mice lacking the Kir6.2 subunit of K(ATP) channels [knockout (KO) mice] were susceptible to generalized seizures after brief hypoxia. In normal mice, SNr neuron activity was inactivated during hypoxia by the opening of the postsynaptic K(ATP) channels, whereas in KO mice, the activity of these neurons was enhanced. K(ATP) channels exert a depressant effect on SNr neuronal activity during hypoxia and may be involved in the nigral protection mechanism against generalized seizures.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2001

The product of an oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy gene, poly(A)-binding protein 2, interacts with SKIP and stimulates muscle-specific gene expression.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is caused by short expansions of the GCG trinucleotide repeat encoding the polyalanine tract of the poly(A)-binding protein 2 (PABP2). PABP2 binds to the growing poly(A) tail, stimulating its extension during the polyadenylation process, and limits the length of the newly synthesized poly(A) tail. Whereas PABP2 is expressed ubiquitously, the clinical and pathological features of OPMD patients are restricted to the skeletal muscle. To elucidate the possible role of PABP2 in skeletal muscle, we established the stable C2 cell lines expressing human PABP2. These stable cell lines showed morphologically enhanced myotube formation accompanied by an increased expression of myogenic factors, MyoD and myogenin. In nuclear run-on assay, the transcription rate of the MyoD gene was significantly increased by PABP2 transfection. We found the N-terminal region of PABP2 was responsible for the up-regulation of these myogenic factors. Furthermore, Ski-interacting protein (SKIP) was isolated as a binding protein for PABP2 using the yeast two-hybrid system. The interaction of PABP2 and SKIP was confirmed by glutathione S-transferase-pulldown assay and immunoprecipitation. Confocal laser scanning showed PABP2 was co-localized with SKIP in nuclear speckles. The reporter assays showed that PABP2 co-operated with SKIP to synergistically activate E-box-mediated transcription through MYOD: Moreover, both PABP2 and SKIP were directly associated with MyoD to form a single complex. These findings suggest that PABP2 and SKIP directly control the expression of muscle-specific genes at the transcription level.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

ATP-independent fatty acyl-coenzyme A synthesis from phospholipid: coenzyme A-dependent transacylation activity toward lysophosphatidic acid catalyzed by acyl-coenzyme A:lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase.

CoA-dependent transacylation activity in microsomes is known to catalyze the transfer of fatty acids between phospholipids and lysophospholipids in the presence of CoA without the generation of free fatty acids. We previously found a novel acyl-CoA synthetic pathway, ATP-independent acyl-CoA synthesis from phospholipids. We proposed that: 1) the ATP-independent acyl-CoA synthesis is due to the reverse reaction of acyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases and 2) the reverse and forward reactions of acyltransferases can combine to form a CoA-dependent transacylation system. To test these proposals, we examined whether or not recombinant mouse acyl-CoA:1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate (lysophosphatidic acid, LPA) acyltransferase (LPAAT) could catalyze ATP-independent acyl-CoA synthetic activity and CoA-dependent transacylation activity. ATP-independent acyl-CoA synthesis was indeed found in the membrane fraction from Escherichia coli cells expressing mouse LPAAT, whereas negligible activity was observed in mock-transfected cells. Phosphatidic acid (PA), but not free fatty acids, served as an acyl donor for the reaction, and LPA was formed from PA in a CoA-dependent manner during acyl-CoA synthesis. These results indicate that the ATP-independent acyl-CoA synthesis was due to the reverse reaction of LPAAT. In addition, bacterial membranes containing LPAAT catalyzed CoA-dependent acylation of LPA; PA but not free fatty acid served as an acyl donor. These results indicate that the CoA-dependent transacylation of LPA consists of 1) acyl-CoA synthesis from PA through the reverse action of LPAAT and 2) the transfer of the fatty acyl moiety of the newly formed acyl-CoA to LPA through the forward reaction of LPAAT.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMed2001

Evidence for the autocrine induction of capacitation of mammalian spermatozoa.

Mammalian spermatozoa require a maturational event after ejaculation that allows them to acquire the capacity for fertilization. This process, known as capacitation, occurs spontaneously in simple defined medium implicating a potential role of autocrine induction. This study shows that the ether phospholipid 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphocholine (PAF) meets the criteria for an autocrine mediator of capacitation. Sperm released PAF after their dilution into capacitation medium and expressed a receptor for PAF on their membranes. PAF stimulated changes in the motility of sperm and enhanced fertilization in vitro. These actions were inhibited by a PAF receptor antagonist (UR-12519) and by extracellular recombinant PAF:acetylhydrolase (an enzyme that degrades PAF to a biologically inert form). Seminal plasma contained an acid-labile PAF:acetylhydrolase, whereas capacitation was inhibited by an acid-labile factor within seminal plasma, implicating this factor as a potential decapacitation factor within seminal plasma. Sperm from a PAF receptor knock-out mouse strain failed to express the receptor and displayed a significantly (p < 0.01) reduced rate of capacitation, as assessed by the spontaneous onset of the acrosome reaction in vitro. When used for in vitro fertilization, sperm from PAF receptor knock-out mice gave a significantly lower rate of fertilization (21.5%) than did wild-type sperm (66.7%). The study shows for the first time the operation of an autocrine loop that induces capacitation in sperm in vitro and shows that this loop acts in concert with other mediators of capacitation to promote efficient fertilization.

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase↗
PubMed2001

Origin and Co-localization of nitric oxide synthase, CGRP, PACAP, and VIP in the cerebral circulation of the rat.

The origin of perivascular nerve fibres storing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and co-localisation with perivascular neuropeptides were examined in the rat middle cerebral artery (MCA) by retrograde tracing with True Blue (TB) in combination with immunocytochemistry. Application of TB to the proximal part of the middle cerebral artery labelled nerve cell bodies ipsilaterally in the trigeminal, sphenopalatine, otic, and superior cervical ganglia. A few labelled cell bodies were seen contralaterally, suggesting bilateral innervation. In the parasympathetic sphenopalatine and otic ganglia, numerous TB-labelled cell bodies contained neuronal NOS (C- and N-terminal), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP). In the trigeminal ganglion, almost all TB-labelled cell bodies contained calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) but only a few cells contained NOS. In the superior cervical ganglion, the majority of the TB-labelled nerve cells contained neuropeptide Y (NPY) but none of them contained NOS. Removal of the ipsilateral sphenopalatine ganglion caused a slight reduction in the number of perivascular VIP-, PACAP-, and NOS-containing fibres after 3 days in the MCA while there was no difference at 2 and 4 weeks after the denervation as compared to control. This indicates that the parasympathetic VIP-, PACAP-, and NOS-immunoreactive nerve fibres in the rat MCA originate from several sources.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Important role of tetrahydrobiopterin in no complex formation and interdomain electron transfer in neuronal nitric-oxide synthase.

Neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) is composed of a heme oxygenase domain and a flavin-bound reductase domain. Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM) is essential for interdomain electron transfer during catalysis, whereas the role of the catalytically important cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B) remains elusive. The product NO appears to bind to the heme and works as a feedback inhibitor. The present study shows that the Fe(3+)-NO complex is reduced to the Fe(2+)-NO complex by NADPH in the presence of both l-Arg and H4B even in the absence of Ca(2+)/CaM. The complex could not be fully reduced in the absence of H4B under any circumstances. However, dihydrobiopterin and N(G)-hydroxy-l-Arg could be substituted for H4B and l-Arg, respectively. No direct correlation could be found between redox potentials of the nNOS heme and the observed reduction of the Fe(3+)-NO complex. Thus, our data indicate the importance of the pterin binding to the active site structure during the reduction of the NO-heme complex by NADPH during catalytic turnover.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2001

Expression of nm23-H1 gene product in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its association with vessel invasion and survival.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the nm23-H1 gene product expression and its relationship with lymphatic and blood vessel invasion in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 45 patients who were treated surgically were used in this study. Pathologists graded lymphatic and blood vessel invasion in each of the tissue samples. Expression of nm23-Hl gene product was determined using a specific monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Expression of nm23-H1 gene product was present in 17 (37.8%) cases. We found an inverse correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and lymphatic vessel invasion, whereas no correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and blood vessel invasion. Overall survival rate was not different between nm23-H1 gene product positive and negative patients (p = 0.21). However, reduced expression of nm23-H1 gene product was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with involved lymph nodes (p < 0.05), but not in patients without involved lymph nodes (p = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, there appears to be an inverse relationship between nm23-H1 gene product expression and lymphatic vessel invasion. Furthermore, nm23-H1 gene product expression might be a prognostic marker in patients with involved lymph nodes. Our data does not demonstrate any correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and blood vessel invasion.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2001

Effect of tamsulosin hydrochloride on sympathetic hyperactivity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We assessed subclinical sympathetic hyperactivity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, which might be followed by an autonomic spell leading to circulatory collapse, or sudden death as the disease progresses, and investigated the effect of tamsulosin hydrochloride (TSHC) on sympathetic hyperactivity. We measured the plasma norepinephrine (NE) concentrations of 41 ALS patients and 10 normal controls. TSHC, a selective alpha 1 blocker. was then administered to 10 ALS patients who had high plasma NE and to the 10 normal controls. Subsequent plasma NE change was evaluated for the possible alleviating effect of TSHC on subclinical sympathetic hyperactivity in ALS. Plasma NE was high in 20 of the ALS patients (48.8%), but had no relation to respiratory problems, which supports the previous speculation that plasma NE increases in ALS are not secondary to respiratory deficit, but reflect the primary pathomechanism of the disease. ALS patients showed a marked decrease in the NE concentration after TSHC administration, whereas there was no change in the controls. In conclusion, TSHC may be useful for suppressing central sympathetic hyperactivity, presumably the primary pathomechanism in ALS, and for preventing autonomic spells during the advanced stage of the disease.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗
PubMed2001

Co-expression of two LTB4 receptors in human mononuclear cells.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is one of the most potent chemoattractants and activators of leukocytes, and is involved in inflammatory diseases. Two G-protein-coupled-receptors for LTB4, BLT1 and BLT2, have been isolated, and shown to be a high- and low-affinity receptor, respectively. The tissue distributions of these receptors are different, and distinct roles of each receptor remain elusive. We compared the expression of these two receptors using semi-quantitative PCR analyses, and show that these two receptors are expressed in various subsets of human lymphocytes in different quantities. BLT1 expression is highest in CD14+ monocytes, while BLT2 expression is high in CD8+ cytotoxic T-, CD4+ helper T-, and CD19+ B-cells. Moreover, BLT2 expression in these lymphocytes decreased upon activation of the cells. We also established CHO cells stably expressing both receptors, and found that these cells could migrate toward LTB4 with a broad range of LTB4. These findings suggest novel roles of LTB4 in immune system, and the biological significance of high- and low- affinity LTB4 receptors in chemotaxis.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Receptor-mediated control of regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and apoptotic volume decrease (AVD).

A fundamental property of animal cells is the ability to regulate their own cell volume. Even under hypotonic stress imposed by either decreased extracellular or increased intracellular osmolarity, the cells can re-adjust their volume after transient osmotic swelling by a mechanism known as regulatory volume decrease (RVD). In most cell types, RVD is accomplished mainly by KCl efflux induced by parallel activation of K+ and Cl- channels. We have studied the molecular mechanism of RVD in a human epithelial cell line (Intestine 407). Osmotic swelling results in a significant increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and thereby activates intermediate-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ (IK) channels. Osmotic swelling also induces ATP release from the cells to the extracellular compartment. Released ATP stimulates purinergic ATP (P2Y2) receptors, thereby inducing phospholipase C-mediated Ca2+ mobilization. Thus, RVD is facilitated by stimulation of P2Y2 receptors due to augmentation of IK channels. In contrast, stimulation of another G protein-coupled Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaR) enhances the activity of volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying Cl- channels, thereby facilitating RVD. Therefore, it is possible that Ca2+ efflux stimulated by swelling-induced and P2Y2 receptor-mediated intracellular Ca2+ mobilization activates the CaR, thereby secondarily upregulating the volume-regulatory Cl- conductance. On the other hand, the initial process towards apoptotic cell death is coupled to normotonic cell shrinkage, called apoptotic volume decrease (AVD). Stimulation of death receptors, such as TNF receptor and Fas, induces AVD and thereafter biochemical apoptotic events in human lymphoid (U937), human epithelial (HeLa), mouse neuroblastoma x rat glioma hybrid (NG108-15) and rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells. In those cells exhibiting AVD, facilitation of RVD is always observed. Both AVD induction and RVD facilitation as well as succeeding apoptotic events can be abolished by prior treatment with a blocker of volume-regulatory K+ or Cl- channels, suggesting that AVD is caused by normotonic activation of ion channels that are normally involved in RVD under hypotonic conditions. Therefore, it is likely that G protein-coupled receptors involved in RVD regulation and death receptors triggering AVD may share common downstream signals which should give us key clues to the detailed mechanisms of volume regulation and survival of animal cells. In this Topical Review, we look at the physiological ionic mechanisms of cell volume regulation and cell death-associated volume changes from the facet of receptor-mediated cellular processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Regulation of dharma/bozozok by the Wnt pathway.

The zebrafish homeobox gene dharma/bozozok (boz) is required for the formation and/or function of the Nieuwkoop center and the subsequent induction of the Spemann organizer. dharma is expressed soon after the midblastula transition in the dorsal blastomeres and the dorsal yolk syncytial layer (YSL). We found that the expression of dharma was upregulated or ectopically induced by misexpression of a Wnt protein and cytoplasmic components of the Wnt signaling pathway and downregulated by the expression of dominant-negative Tcf3. A 1.4-kbp fragment of the dharma promoter region contains consensus sequences for Tcf/Lef binding sites. This promoter region recapitulated the Wnt-dependent and dorsal dharma expression pattern when it was fused to luciferase or GFP. Deletion and point mutant analyses revealed that the Tcf/Lef binding sites were required to drive this expression pattern. These data established that dharma/boz functions between the dorsal determinants-mediated Wnt signals and the formation of the Nieuwkoop center.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cloning of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha cDNA from chick embryonic ventricular myocytes.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is composed of HIF-1alpha and arylhydrocarbon nuclear receptor translocator (ARNT), which belong to the basic-helix-loop-helix-Per/ARNT/Sim (bHLH-PAS) family of transcription factors. HIF plays key roles in oxygen homeostasis and embryonic cardiovascular development. In this study, we have cloned cDNAs encoding the chick HIF-1alpha from cultured embryonic ventricular myocytes (CEVM) and then examined its expression in various embryonic tissues. The deduced amino acid sequence of the chick HIF-1alpha cDNA showed 79% identity with that of the human HIF-1alpha cDNA. In contrast, sequence homology between the chick HIF-1alpha and endothelial PAS protein 1 (EPAS1), another member of the bHLH-PAS proteins, was only low (49%). HIF-1alpha mRNA was expressed abundantly in CEVM, but scarcely in the liver, which was quite different from expression pattern of EPAS1 mRNA. These data suggest that HIF-1alpha may be involved in embryonic cardiovascular development. HIF-1alpha and EPAS1 may play distinct roles during developmental stages.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Synthesis and reactivity of allenes substituted by selenenyl groups at 1- and 3-positions.

1,3-Bis(methylseleno)- and 1,3-bis(benzylseleno)-1,3-diphenylpropadienes were synthesized by reaction of Ph(2)C(3) dianion, prepared from 1,3-diphenylpropyne and n-butyllithium, with dimethyl diselenide or benzylselenocyanate in the presence of TMEDA, and reaction of the dianion with a mixture of dimethyl diselenide and benzylselenocyanate yielded 1-benzylseleno-3-methylselenoallene along with the symmetric allenes. Diselenocyclic allenes and tetraselenocyclic bisallenes were also obtained by reacting the dianion with corresponding alkane diselenocyanates. The thermal reaction of the 1,3-bis(alkylseleno)allenes mainly afforded enediynes through radical pathway, and the nine-membered cyclic allene provided intramolecular cyclization product via an intramolecular rearrangement. Heating of the cyclic bisallenes gave compounds derived from intramolecular cyclization products together with a small amount of the enediynes. Irradiation of allenes caused rearrangement of the selenenyl group to give alkynes, and the alkynes also reacted photochemically to yield the enediynes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Upregulation of p21(WAF1/CIP1) leads to morphologic changes and esterase activity in TPA-mediated differentiation of human prostate cancer cell line TSU-Pr1.

We reported previously that human prostate cancer cell line TSU-Pr1 can differentiate into microglia-like cells by 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment. In this study, we identified a signal transduction pathway involved in TPA-induced TSU-Pr1 cell differentiation and investigated the mechanism of growth arrest that accompanies this differentiation. TPA-induced differentiation and growth arrest of TSU-Pr1 cells were inhibited by treatment with Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor PD98059. Treatment of TSU-Pr1 cells with TPA for 15 min or longer resulted in translocation of PKCalpha, PKCgamma, and PKCepsilon from cytosolic to membrane fraction. Our results suggest that TPA-induced TSU-Pr1 cell differentiation is associated with activation of MAP kinase and PKCalpha, PKCgamma, and PKCepsilon. The mechanism of growth arrest in TSU-Pr1 cells that underwent TPA-induced differentiation were examined for factors in the signaling pathway downstream of MAP kinase that control the cell cycle. Upregulation of p21(WAF1/CIP1) cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor protein was observed in a manner dependent on PKC or MAP kinase. Moreover, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of recombinant p21(WAF1/CIP1) in TSU-Pr1 cells result in growth arrest, morphological change to microglia-like cells, and increased alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity, all of which are associated with cellular differentiation. Thus, our results indicate that p21(WAF1/CIP1) mediates TPA-induced growth arrest and differentiation of TSU-Pr1 cells.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2001

Unusual role of Tyr588 of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in controlling substrate specificity and electron transfer.

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from l-Arg via N(G)-hydroxyl-l-Arg (NHA) in the heme active site of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). According to the crystal structure of other NOS isoforms, the carboxylate group of l-Arg hydrogen bonds to the hydroxyl group of the conserved Tyr588 residue in the heme distal site of neuronal NOS (nNOS). Indeed, the nNOS mutations Tyr588His, Tyr588Ser, and Tyr588Phe markedly increased the dissociation constants for l-Arg and NHA by 2.2-8.2-fold and 1.5-3.9-fold, respectively. Similarly, Tyr588His and Tyr588Ser mutations markedly decreased the l-Arg-driven NO formation rates by 50 and 30% than that of the wild type, respectively. However, the catalytic activities of the same mutants using NHA were higher than that of the wild type by up to 136%. As a result, the turnover ratio of NHA to l-Arg was 4.12 for the Tyr588Ser mutant, compared with 1.07 for the wild-type enzyme. Intriguingly, heme reduction rates for the Tyr588 mutants were much lower than for wild type by two orders of magnitude.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Loss of precursor B cell expansion but not allelic exclusion in VpreB1/VpreB2 double-deficient mice.

The pre-B cell receptor consists of immunoglobulin (Ig) mu heavy chains and surrogate light chain, i.e., the VpreB and lambda5 proteins. To analyze the role of the two VpreB proteins, mice lacking the VpreB1 and VpreB2 genes were generated. VpreB1(-/-) VpreB2(-/-) mice were impaired in their B cell development at the transition from pre-BI to large pre-BII cells. Pre-BII cells did not expand by proliferation, consequently 40-fold less small pre-BII and immature B cells were found in bone marrow, and the generation of immature and mature conventional B cells in spleen appeared reduced. In addition, only low numbers of B-1a cells were detected in the peritoneum. Surprisingly, Ig heavy chain allelic exclusion was still active, apparently ruling out a signaling role of a VpreB1/VpreB2-containing receptor in this process.

Alleles↗
PubMed2001

The effects of propofol on NMDA- or nitric oxide-mediated neurotoxicity in vitro.

Acute brain ischemia causes neurotoxic cascades including NMDA receptors and NO. Propofol, an i.v. anesthetic, is thought to have a neuroprotective effect. We investigated the influence of propofol on NMDA/NO neurotoxicity using Shibuta's established model of primary brain cultures. Cortical neurons prepared from E16 were used after 13-14 days in culture. The neurons were exposed to various concentrations of propofol with NMDA or NO-donor. The survival rates of neurons exposed to 30 microM NMDA with or without 300 microM propofol were 12.1 +/- 2.2% and 11.9 +/- 2.2%, respectively. The survival rates exposed to 30 microM NO-donor with or without 300 microM propofol were 11.2 +/- 4.2% and 14.0 +/- 3.9%, respectively. These results suggest that neuroprotective effect of propofol is limited and propofol does not offer advantages over thiopental against NMDA/NO-induced cytotoxicity.

Animals↗