Biomedical subjects

Y Inoue

Publications and source records attributed to Y Inoue.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Molecular design of crown ethers. 19.(1) synthesis of novel disulfide- and diselenide-bridged Bis(benzo-12-crown-4)s and their Ag(+)-selective electrode properties

Two novel heteroatom-bridged bis(benzo-12-crown-4 ether)s, i.e., bis(2-nitro-4,5-(1,4,7,10-tetraoxadecamethylene)phenyl) disulfide (4) and diselenide (5), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and mass, IR, UV, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. An X-ray crystallographic structure was obtained for 4. Ion-selective electrodes (ISE) for Ag(+), containing 4 and 5 in PVC membrane as neutral carriers, were prepared, and their selectivity coefficients for Ag(+) () were determined against other heavy metal ions, alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions, and ammonium ion using the matched potential method. These ISEs showed excellent Ag(+) selectivities, log </= -4.0, against most of the interfering cations examined, except for Hg(+) (log >/= -1.2). These values are comparable to those reported for the representative Ag(+)-selective thioethers 6 and 7, revealing that both disulfide and diselenide functionalities in 4 and 5 are equally effective Ag(+)-selective binding sites as the 1,7-dithia-4-oxa functionality in 6 and 7, irrespective of the different atom type and relative position of the sulfur/selenium donors in the ligands. Also discussed are the steric and electronic effects of the nitro groups in 4 and 5 on the Nernstian slopes obtained with the 4- and 5-based ISEs.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

The Yap1p-dependent induction of glutathione synthesis in heat shock response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Glutathione is synthesized in two sequential reactions catalyzed by gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GSH1 gene product) and glutathione synthetase (GSH2 gene product). The expression of GSH1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been known to be up-regulated by Yap1p, a critical transcription factor for the oxidative stress response in yeast. The present study demonstrates that GSH2 expression is also regulated by Yap1p under oxidative stress-induced conditions. In addition to oxidative stress, expression of GSH1 and GSH2 was induced by heat shock stress in a Yap1p-dependent manner with subsequent increases in intracellular glutathione content. Oxygen respiration rate increased when cells were exposed to higher temperatures, and as a result, intracellular oxidation levels were increased. The heat shock-induced expression of GSH1 and GSH2 did not occur under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, even under aerobic conditions, the heat shock response of these genes was not observed when cells were pretreated with KCN to block oxygen respiration. We speculate that heat shock stress enhances oxygen respiration, which in turn results in an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria. This signal may be mediated by Yap1p, resulting in the elevation of intracellular glutathione levels.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Single-motor mechanics and models of the myosin motor.

Recent progress in single-molecule detection techniques is remarkable. These techniques have allowed the accurate determination of myosin-head-induced displacements and how mechanical cycles are coupled to ATP hydrolysis, by measuring individual mechanical events and chemical events of actomyosin directly at the single-molecule level. Here we review our recent work in which we have made detailed measurements of myosin step size and mechanochemical coupling, and propose a model of the myosin motor.

Actins↗

PubMed2000

Study on selectin blocker. 8. Lead discovery of a non-sugar antagonist using a 3D-pharmacophore model.

We have developed a pharmacophore model of a ligand/E-selectin complex to screen drug candidates for selectin blockers. In a series of sugar mimetic studies of the E-selectin ligand, sialyl Lewis X (sLe(x)), we have already found a potent compound, a sulfated Le(x) analogue (1), and also have proposed how compound 1 binds to E-selectin (Tsujishita, H.; Hiramatsu, Y.; Kondo, N.; Ohmoto, H.; Kondo, H.; Kiso, M.; Hasegawa, A. J. Med. Chem. 1997, 40, 362-369). To find drug candidates that fit into the binding pocket of E-selectin, we constructed an original 3D-pharmacophore model from structural information of a compound 1/E-selectin complex model and screened lead compounds for selectin blockers using a commercially available database ACD-3D. As a result, we discovered a lead compound (2) containing good selectin inhibitory activity, and in addition, we succeeded to preliminarily optimize it to a more active lead compound (3) with micromolar IC(50) values, based on the 3D-pharmacophore model investigation. This methodology using the 3D-pharmacophore model could be applicable as a pre-screen system for selectin blockers.

Benzamides↗

PubMed2000

Benzannulation from alkynes and allyl tosylates via a pi-allylpalladium intermediate

[reaction: see text] Allyl tosylate is a good allyl source for a novel palladium-catalyzed benzannulation that affords polysubstituted benzenes from 1 mol of an allyl compound and 2 mol of internal alkynes. Using triphenyl phosphite as a ligand, the reaction with terminal alkynes gave trisubstituted benzenes regioselectively.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Identification of a gene coding for a new squamous cell carcinoma antigen recognized by the CTL.

Peptide-based specific immunotherapy has resulted in tumor regression in some melanoma patients. However, tumor Ags and peptides for specific immunotherapy, except for treatment of melanomas, have not yet been well identified. In this study, we report a gene encoding a new squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) Ag recognized by cells of the HLA-A24-restricted and tumor-specific CTL line. This gene with 3958-bp length was transcribed from the chromosome 6q22 with six exons, and its mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in both SCCs and normal tissues, and partly expressed in adenocarcinomas. The deduced 958-aa sequence encoded by this gene showed no similarity to any known amino acid sequences. This gene product had a characteristic of an endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein. A 100-kDa protein was detected in the vast majority of SCCs from various tissues, in majority of renal cell carcinomas and brain tumors, and in about one-third of melanomas and adenocarcinomas from various organs other than the breast. In contrast, it was not expressed at all in any of the normal cells or tissues tested, including the testis and fetal liver. Three different peptides at positions 93-101, 161-169, and 899-907 of this Ag were recognized by this CTL line, and all of them induced HLA-A24-restricted and tumor-specific CTLs from PBMCs of SCC patients. Therefore, these peptides may be useful for peptide-based specific immunotherapy of HLA-A24+ patients with SCC in various organs, as well as for treatment of other cancer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2000

Relationship between alcohol drinking, ADH2 and ALDH2 genotypes, and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in Japanese.

The polymorphism in the ALDH2 gene plays a central role in Asian alcohol hypersensitivity and has been associated with the risk for esophageal cancer. In the present study, we attempted to examine associations between the ADH2 and ALDH2 polymorphisms, alcohol drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in a case-control study in Japan. One hundred and two patients with HCC (85 males and 17 females) and 125 control subjects (101 males and 24 females) were enrolled in the study. Higher cumulative amounts of alcohol consumption (drink-years of > or = 40 drinks/day x year) showed a significant association with HCC development (odds ratio, OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.3-5.5, adjusted for age and smoking). By contrast, we could find no association of the ALDH2 genotypes with HCC development (adjusted OR for ALDH2*1/*2 = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.6-2.1). Likewise, the ADH2 genotypes were not associated with HCC development (adjusted OR for ADH2*2/*2 = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.5-1.5). The present results do not support a contribution of acetaldehyde, an active metabolite of ethanol, to HCC development and rather indicate a direct involvement of ethanol in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Dynamic transformation of Bergmann glial fibers proceeds in correlation with dendritic outgrowth and synapse formation of cerebellar Purkinje cells.

Bergmann glia (BG) are unipolar cerebellar astrocytes, whose radial (or Bergmann) fibers associate with developing granule cells and mature Purkinje cells (PCs). In the present study, we investigated the morphodifferentiation of BG by immunohistochemistry for glutamate transporter GLAST and electron microscopy. GLAST was expressed widely in cerebellar radial glia/astrocytes during fetal and neonatal periods and became concentrated in BG postnatally. During the second postnatal week when PC dendrites grow actively, GLAST immunostaining revealed dynamic cytologic changes in Bergmann fibers in a deep-to-superficial gradient; Bergmann fibers traversing the external granular layer were stained as rod-like fibers, whereas in the molecular layer, the rod-like pattern was gradually replaced with a reticular meshwork. At postnatal day 10, the superficial rod-like domain was composed of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive/GLAST-positive straight fibers, forming cytoplasmic swellings and short filopodia. Along this domain, the tip of growing PC dendrites ascended vertically and entered the base of the external granular layer. The deeper reticular domain of Bergmann fibers was characterized by active expansion of GFAP-negative/GLAST-positive lamellate processes, which surrounded PC synapses almost completely. Therefore, the transformation of Bergmann fibers proceeds in correlation with dendritic differentiation of PCs. The intimate PC-BG relationships during cerebellar development raise the possibility that a preexisting glial shaft could serve as a structural substrate that directs dendritic outgrowth toward the pial surface, whereas the successive formation of a reticular glial meshwork should lead to structural maturation of newly formed PC synapses.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

PubMed2000

Prevention of acute liver failure in rats with reversibly immortalized human hepatocytes.

Because of a critical shortage in suitable organs, many patients with terminal liver disease die each year before liver transplantation can be performed. Transplantation of isolated hepatocytes has been proposed for the temporary metabolic support of patients awaiting liver transplantation or spontaneous reversion of their liver disease. A major limitation of this form of therapy is the present inability to isolate an adequate number of transplantable hepatocytes. A highly differentiated cell line, NKNT-3, was generated by retroviral transfer in normal primary adult human hepatocytes of an immortalizing gene that can be subsequently and completely excised by Cre/Lox site-specific recombination. When transplanted into the spleen of rats under transient immunosuppression, reversibly immortalized NKNT-3 cells provided life-saving metabolic support during acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Potent effects of novel anti-platelet aggregatory cilostamide analogues on recombinant cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase isozyme activity.

The inhibitory potential of novel anti-platelet aggregatory cilostamide analogues on phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozyme activities was investigated with recombinant PDE isozymes expressed in a baculovirus/ Sf9 expression system. The recombinant enzymes (PDE1-PDE5 and PDE7) showed Km values and sensitivities to selective inhibitors similar to those reported previously for native enzymes purified from tissues. The cyclooctylurea derivative OPC-33540 (6-[3-[3-cyclooctyl-3-[(1R*,2R*)-2-hydroxycyclohexyl]ureido]-propoxy]-2(1H)-quinolinone) inhibited recombinant PDE3A (IC50 = 0.32 nM) more potently and selectively than the classical PDE3 inhibitors cilostamide, cilostazol, milrinone, and amrinone. The cyclopropylurea derivative OPC-33509 [(-)-6-[3-[3-cyclopropyl-3-[(1R,2R)-2-hydroxycyclohexyl]ureido]-propoxy]-2(1H)-quinolinone] was less potent (IC50 = 0.10 microM) than OPC-33540, demonstrating that the cyclooctyl moiety was important for a potent inhibitory effect. In platelets, OPC-33540 potentiated cyclic AMP accumulation concentration-dependently in both the absence and the presence of 3 nM prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (doubling concentrations: 32.5 and 6.2 nM, respectively). OPC-33540 inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation potently (Ic50 = 27.8 nM). The anti-platelet aggregation effect also was stimulated in the presence of 3 nM PGE1 (IC50 = 6.0 nM). There was a good correlation between the IC50 values of PDE3 inhibitors in this study for recombinant PDE3A activity and their IC50 values for thrombin-induced platelet aggregation (r = 0.998). These data demonstrated that OPC-33540 is a highly selective and potent PDE3 inhibitor and a useful probe for identification of the intracellular functions of PDE3.

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗

PubMed2000

A REIC gene shows down-regulation in human immortalized cells and human tumor-derived cell lines.

Normal human cells stop proliferation after a certain number of cell divisions. This phenomenon is called cellular aging. The fact that the senescence phenotype is dominant and the immortal one is recessive indicates that immortalization of human cells may be caused by loss of functions of certain genes in normal cells. Based on this evidence, several cDNA clones whose expression was down-regulated during the immortalization process of human cells were isolated by the representative difference analysis (RDA) system in our laboratory. One of them, which was named REIC, was expressed to a lower degree in three human immortalized cell lines as compared with their parental normal counterparts. In addition, the expression of REIC was markedly lower in eight human tumor-derived cell lines (Hep3B and HuH-7 hepatocellular carcinomas, HuH-6 Clone 5 hepatoblastoma, HuCCT-1 cholangiocarcinoma, A549 lung cancer, HaCaT immortalized keratinocyte, HeLa cervical carcinoma, and Saos-2 osteosarcoma). In contrast, among the human tissues examined, the heart and brain, which contain a large number of post-mitotic cells, showed the highest expression of REIC. The full-length REIC cDNA revealed that the predicted protein is 350 amino acids in length and possesses coiled-coil tertiary structures in each of the amino- and carboxyl-termini. Furthermore, a search of the protein database revealed a match of this gene product with Dkk-3, which is a novel inhibitor of Wnt oncogene. These results indicate that the REIC cloned by us may function as a tumor suppressor.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2000

Transplantation of highly differentiated immortalized human hepatocytes to treat acute liver failure.

BACKGROUND: Temporary support of a damaged liver by a bioartificial liver (BAL) devise is a promising approach for the treatment of acute liver failure. Although human primary hepatocytes are an ideal source of hepatic function in BAL, shortage of human livers available for hepatocyte isolation is the limiting factor for the use of this modality. A clonal human hepatocyte cell line that can grow economically in culture and exhibit liver-specific functions should be an attractive solution to this problem. METHODS: To test this alternative, primary human fetal hepatocytes were immortalized using Simian virus 40 large T antigen. To investigate the potential of the immortalized cells for BAL, we transplanted the cells into the spleen of adult rats and performed a 90% hepatectomy 12 hr later. RESULTS: One of the cloned human liver cell lines, OUMS-29, showed highly differentiated liver functions. Intrasplenic transplanting of 20x10(6) OUMS-29 cells protected the animals from hyperammonemia and the associated hepatic encephalopathy. Survival was significantly prolonged in 90% of hepatectomized rats receiving OUMS-29 cells. CONCLUSIONS: A highly differentiated immortalized human hepatocyte cell line, OUMS-29, was able to provide metabolic support during acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy in rats. Essentially unlimited availability of OUMS-29 cells may be clinically useful for BAL treatment.

Ammonia↗

PubMed2000

Novel synthetic routes to several new, differentially substituted ruthenium tris(4,4 disubstituted-2,2-bipyridine) complexes.

The stepwise synthesis of several novel Ru(tris(pp)) complexes (pp = 4,4'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridine; substituent = H, Me, chiral ester, or chiral amide) is described, where the pp ligands may be the same, or different, in each complex. All of the complexes detailed have been resolved into their pure delta- and lambda-enantiomers or diastereomers. The complexes, which are prepared starting from RuCl3, contain novel ligand architectures, with a range of chiral esters and amides attached to the 4,4'-positions of the bpy ligands. It was postulated that these chiral groups would be capable of inducing chirality at the metal center, but our investigations have shown this not to be the case, and in all reactions completely racemic products were formed. Resolution by chiral HPLC, and the subsequent characterization of the products through NMR, UV-vis, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, has been carried out; the characteristics of the CD spectra have been discussed with respect to the electron-donating/ withdrawing ability of the groups at the 4,4'-positions. The X-ray crystal structure of the optically pure complex lambda-[Ru(dmbpy)2(4,4'-bis((R)-(+)-alpha-phenylethylamido)-2,2'-bipyridine)] x 2PF6 x 2CHCl3 was obtained and solved using direct methods. This result, in conjunction with the CD spectra, enabled the complete and unambiguous assignment of the stereocenters of all of the novel Ru(tris(bpy)) complexes prepared in this investigation.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Diastereoselective preparation and characterization of ruthenium bis(bipyridine) sulfoxide complexes.

A new concept in the synthesis of optically active octahedral ruthenium complexes was realized for the first time when cis- or trans-Ru(bpy)2Cl, (cis- or trans-1) was reacted with either (R)-(+)- or (S)-(-)-methyl p-tolyl sulfoxide (2 or 3); this novel asymmetric synthesis leads to the diastereoselective formation of the ruthenium bis(bipyridine) complex cis-delta-[Ru(bpy)2(2)Cl]Cl (4) (49.6% de) or cis-lambda-[Ru(bpy)2(3)Cl]Cl (5) (48.4% de), respectively. cis- or trans-Ru(dmbpy)2Cl2 (cis- or trans-6) (dmbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) also reacts with 2 or 3, leading to the diastereoselective formation of cis-delta-[Ru(dmbpy)2(2)Cl]Cl (7) (59.5% de) or cis-lambda-[Ru(dmbpy)2(3)Cl]Cl (8) (57.2% de), respectively. The diastereoselectivity of these reactions is governed solely by the chirality of the sulfoxide nucleophile. This represents the first process by which a sigma-bonded ligand occupying only a single coordination site has had such an important influence on the stereochemical outcome of a ruthenium bis(bipyridine) complex formation. These novel complexes were fully characterized by elemental analysis and IR, UV/vis, and 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR spectroscopy. An investigation into the chiroptical properties of these novel ruthenium bis(bipyridine) sulfoxide complexes has been carried out, and circular dichroism spectra are used to assign absolute stereochemistry.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2000

Developmentally regulated expression of a peptide:N-glycanase during germination of rice seeds (Oryza sativa) and its purification and characterization.

Peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase; EC 3.5.1.52) activity was detected in dormant rice seeds (Oryza sativa) and the imbibed rice grains. Time-course studies revealed that the enzyme activity remained almost constant until about 30 h after imbibition in both of endosperm- and embryo tissue-containing areas, and started to increase only in growing germ part, reached a peak at about 3-day stage, followed by a gradual decrease concomitant with a sharp increase in the coleoptile. The specific activity increased about 6-fold at about 3-day stage. PNGase was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the extracts of germinated rice seeds at 24 h, and the apparent molecular weight of the purified enzyme, estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), was about 80,000. The purified enzyme was designated PNGase Os to denote its origin. The N-terminal sequence of the 10 residues was determined to be SYNVASVAGL. The purified PNGase Os in SDS-PAGE appeared as a rather broad band, consistent with the presence of multiple glycoforms as indicated by chromatographic behavior on a Sephadex G-75 column. PNGase expressed in coleoptile under anoxia condition was also purified, and both of the purified enzymes were found to exhibit very similar, if not identical, electrophoretic mobility in SDS-PAGE. PNGase Os exhibited a broad pH-activity profile with an optimum of 4-5 and, interestingly, was significantly inactivated by K(+) and Na(+) at near the physiological concentration, 100 mM. These results are discussed in relation to other work.

Amidohydrolases↗

PubMed2000

X-linked retinoschisis with point mutations in the XLRS1 gene.

BACKGROUND: X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) is a relatively rare vitreoretinal dystrophy that causes visual loss in young men. Recently, a gene responsible for this disease, designated XLRS1, was identified, and several deleterious gene mutations were reported. OBJECTIVE: To analyze Japanese patients clinically diagnosed as having XLRS formutational changes in the XLRS1 gene. METHODS: Ten patients with XLRS underwent full ophthalmologic examination, including slitlamp biomicroscopy and dilated funduscopy. Genomic DNA was isolated from leukocytes, and all exons of the XLRS1 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and analyzed using a direct sequencing method. RESULTS: Point mutations in the XLRS1 gene were identified in all 10 patients. The mutations were identical in each of 2 pairs of brothers. Six of the point mutations represented missense mutations, 1 was a nonsense mutation, and 1 was a frameshift mutation. Five of the mutations are newly reported herein. CONCLUSIONS: The discovery of new point mutations in this study increases the available information regarding the spectrum of genetic abnormalities and clinical manifestations of XLRS. However, the limited data failed to reveal a correlation between mutation and disease phenotype. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Identification of mutations in the XLRS1 gene and expanded information on clinical manifestations will facilitate early diagnosis, appropriate early therapy, and genetic counseling regarding the prognosis of XLRS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Local hemostatic effects of microcrystalline partially deacetylated chitin hydrochloride.

The hemostatic effects of microcrystalline partially deacetylated chitin hydrochloride (DAC-HCl) were compared with those of cotton and collagen hydrochloride (collagen-HCl). The DAC-HCl had excellent physical properties as a hemostatic agent such as its ability to absorb and retain blood. In canine blood it induced the release of substances involved in the process of platelet activation, such as beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4, and it also had excellent hemoagglutinative properties. Moreover, in a hemostatic study on bleeding from cancellous bone in canines it exhibited a hemostatic effect comparable to that exhibited by collagen-HCl. Because it also has an intrinsic promotive effect on wound healing, chitin hydrochloride is considered to be a promising hemostatic material.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Artificial peptides with unnatural components designed for materializing protein function.

In order to design functional peptides, we employed two strategies. The first one is to incorporate rigid unnatural amino acids into peptides to make the peptide backbone rigid. Functions were expected to appear through the conformational control by the strategy. A series of cyclic peptides constituted of alternating natural amino acids and 3-aminobenzoic acid, used as an unnatural amino acid, were synthesized. These cyclic peptides were found to function as strong binders for phosphomonoester, catalysts for ester hydrolysis, and/or ion channels. The second strategy is to conjugate peptides with unnatural and inherently functional molecules. Following this strategy, oligo(L-leucine)- or oligo(L-phenylalanine)-modified ruthenium tris(bipyridine) complexes were synthesized. Distance dependence of the photoinduced electron transfer from the ruthenium complexes and the function as sensors for phosphate anion (H(2)PO(-)(4)) are discussed.

Amino Acids↗