Biomedical subjects

Hiroko Oshima

Publications and source records attributed to Hiroko Oshima.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Destruction of pancreatic beta-cells by transgenic induction of prostaglandin E2 in the islets.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance of peripheral tissues and dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells. Furthermore, the number of pancreatic beta-cells decreases as a secondary effect of advanced type 2 diabetes, although the molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. Recently, it has been shown that hyperglycemic conditions induce the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in pancreatic islets and increase the downstream product prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). To investigate whether high glucose-induced PGE(2) has an adverse effect on pancreatic beta-cells, we generated transgenic mice (RIP-C2mE) that express cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in their beta-cells using the rat insulin-2 gene promoter (RIP). The homozygous RIP-C2mE (Tg/Tg) mice showed severe hyperglycemia from six weeks of age. Although the heterozygous RIP-C2mE (Tg/-) mice showed normal blood glucose levels throughout their lifetime, this level increased significantly compared with that of wild-type mice when glucose was loaded. The relative number of beta-cells to the total islet cell number was reduced to 54 and 14% in the RIP-C2mE (Tg/-) and (Tg/Tg) mice, respectively, whereas that in the wild-type mice was 84%. Importantly, the proliferation rate in the islets of the RIP-C2mE (Tg/Tg) mice at four weeks of age decreased significantly in comparison to that in the wild-type mice. Because beta-cells replicate not only during the postnatal period but also in the adult pancreas at a basal level, it is possible that increased PGE(2) signaling thus contributes to the reduction of the pancreatic beta-cell mass through inhibition of proliferation, thereby aggravating diabetes further.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Carcinogenesis in mouse stomach by simultaneous activation of the Wnt signaling and prostaglandin E2 pathway.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Accumulating evidence indicates that prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), a downstream product of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), plays a key role in gastric tumorigenesis. The Wnt pathway is also suggested to play a causal role in gastric carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism remains poorly understood of how the Wnt and PGE(2) pathways contribute to gastric tumorigenesis. To investigate the role of Wnt and PGE(2) in gastric cancer, we have generated transgenic mice that activate both pathways and examined their phenotypes. METHODS: We constructed K19-Wnt1 transgenic mice expressing Wnt1 in the gastric mucosa using the keratin 19 promoter. We then crossed K19-Wnt1 mice with another transgenic line, K19-C2mE, to obtain K19-Wnt1/C2mE compound transgenic mice. The K19-C2mE mice express COX-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in the stomach, showing an increased gastric PGE(2) level. We examined the gastric phenotypes of both K19-Wnt1 and K19-Wnt1/C2mE mice. RESULTS: K19-Wnt1 mice had a significant suppression of epithelial differentiation and developed small preneoplastic lesions consisting of undifferentiated epithelial cells with macrophage accumulation. Importantly, additional expression of COX-2 and mPGES-1 converted the preneoplastic lesions in the K19-Wnt1 mice into dysplastic gastric tumors by 20 weeks of age. Notably, we found mucous cell metaplasia in the glandular stomach of the K19-Wnt1/C2mE mice as early as 5 weeks of age, before the dysplastic tumor development. CONCLUSIONS: Wnt signaling keeps the gastric progenitor cells undifferentiated. Simultaneous activation of both Wnt and PGE(2) pathways causes dysplastic gastric tumors through the metaplasia-carcinoma sequence.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Hyperplastic gastric tumors with spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia caused by tumor necrosis factor-alpha-dependent inflammation in cyclooxygenase-2/microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 transgenic mice.

We showed recently that Helicobacter infection induces expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in the mouse stomach, and that transgenic mice expressing both cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (K19-C2mE mice) develop hyperplastic gastric tumors with inflammatory histopathology. To investigate possible roles of proinflammatory cytokines and acquired immunity in the gastric hyperplasia of K19-C2mE mice, we introduced knockout mutations for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha; Tnf), interleukin-1 receptor-alpha chain (Il1r1), and Rag2 genes, respectively. Among the compound mutants, only the Tnf (-/-) K19-C2mE mice showed significant suppression of hyperplastic tumors with reduced cell proliferation. In contrast, tumorigenesis remained unaffected in either compound mutants of K19-C2mE containing Il1r1 or Rag2 mutation, indicating that neither interleukin-1beta signaling nor T cell/B cell response was required for the development of hyperplastic tumors. Importantly, spasmolytic polypeptide/trefoil factor 2-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) in the K19-C2mE stomach was also suppressed in the Tnf (-/-) K19-C2mE mice, indicating that TNF-alpha-dependent inflammation is responsible for SPEM development. Because gastric metaplasia to the SPEM lineage is considered as a preneoplastic lesion of gastric cancer, it is possible that inhibition of TNF-alpha-dependent inflammation, together with eradication of Helicobacter, can be an effective prevention strategy for gastric cancer.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Hypergravity induces expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in the heart vessels.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a rate-limiting enzyme for prostaglandin biosynthesis, is induced by various stimuli including mechanical stress and plays important roles in pathophysiological conditions. For example, gravitational stress has been shown to induce expression of COX-2 in bone tissues, which is essential for bone homeostasis. To investigate whether COX-2 is induced by gravitational loading in other tissues than bone, we exposed mice to hypergravity at 2G and 3G for 4 h. We demonstrate here that COX-2 is induced in the mouse heart vessels by hypergravity. Moreover, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and its downstream genes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, vascular endothelial growth factor, and heme oxygenase-1 were induced in the heart simultaneously, while none of these genes were induced in the COX-2(-/-) mouse heart. Therefore, COX-2 induced in the heart helps protect the heart function against hypoxia under hypergravity condition through HIF-1alpha induction.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

ROCK-I regulates closure of the eyelids and ventral body wall by inducing assembly of actomyosin bundles.

Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) I mediates signaling from Rho to the actin cytoskeleton. To investigate the in vivo functions of ROCK-I, we generated ROCK-I-deficient mice. Loss of ROCK-I resulted in failure of eyelid closure and closure of the ventral body wall, which gave rise to the eyes open at birth and omphalocele phenotypes in neonates. Most ROCK-I(-/-) mice died soon after birth as a result of cannibalization of the omphalocele by the mother. Actin cables that encircle the eye in the epithelial cells of the eyelid were disorganized and accumulation of filamentous actin at the umbilical ring was impaired, with loss of phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (MLC) at both sites, in ROCK-I(-/-) embryos. Stress fiber formation and MLC phosphorylation induced by EGF were also attenuated in primary keratinocytes from ROCK-I(-/-) mice. These results suggest that ROCK-I regulates closure of the eyelids and ventral body wall through organization of actomyosin bundles.

Abdominal Wall↗

PubMed2004

Hyperplastic gastric tumors induced by activated macrophages in COX-2/mPGES-1 transgenic mice.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the rate-limiting enzyme for prostanoid biosynthesis, plays a key role in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. Among various prostanoids, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) appears to be most responsible for cancer development. To investigate the role of PGE2 in gastric tumorigenesis, we constructed transgenic mice simultaneously expressing COX-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES)-1 in the gastric epithelial cells. The transgenic mice developed metaplasia, hyperplasia and tumorous growths in the glandular stomach with heavy macrophage infiltrations. Although gastric bacterial counts in the transgenic mice were within the normal range, treatment with antibiotics significantly suppressed activation of the macrophages and tumorous hyperplasia. Importantly, the antibiotics treatment did not affect the macrophage accumulation. Notably, treatment of the transgenic mice with lipopolysaccharides induced proinflammatory cytokines through Toll-like receptor 4 in the gastric epithelial cells. These results indicate that an increased level of PGE2 enhances macrophage infiltration, and that they are activated through epithelial cells by the gastric flora, resulting in gastric metaplasia and tumorous growth. Furthermore, Helicobacter infection upregulated epithelial PGE2 production, suggesting that the COX-2/mPGES-1 pathway contributes to the Helicobacter-associated gastric tumorigenesis.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Hepatocarcinogenesis in mice with beta-catenin and Ha-ras gene mutations.

We have established previously a mouse strain containing a mutant beta-catenin allele of which exon 3 was sandwiched by loxP sequences [Catnb(lox(ex3))]. In this mouse strain, a Wnt-activating beta-catenin mutation alone is insufficient for hepatocarcinogenesis, but additional mutations or epigenetic changes may be required. Here we report that hepatocellular carcinoma develops at the 100% incidence in mice with simultaneous mutations in the beta-catenin and H-ras genes that are introduced by adenovirus-mediated Cre expression. Although H-ras mutation alone rapidly causes large cell dysplasia in the hepatocytes, these cells show no autonomous growth within 1 week after infection of the Cre-adenovirus. However, simultaneous induction of an additional mutation in the beta-catenin gene causes a clonal expansion of such dysplastic cells, followed by nodular formation and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. These results indicate that beta-catenin mutations play a critical role in hepatocarcinogenesis in cooperation with another oncogene and that these mice provide a convenient model to investigate early steps of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Susceptibility of medical students to vaccine-preventable viral diseases: a serological study.

As a measure for the prevention and control of nosocomial infections in medical school students, we examined the students' titers of antibodies to measles, rubella, varicella, and mumps viruses to determine whether vaccination was required. We also analyzed and discussed correlations among antibody titers to the viruses. Subjects were 363 Juntendo University students, ranging from freshmen to seniors. EIA was used to measure IgG antibody titers. Eight subjects (2.2%) had negative titers for measles, 36 (9.9%) for rubella, 8 (2.2%) for varicella, and 10 (2.7%) for mumps. Seronegative subjects were vaccinated against each virus and high seroconversion rates were obtained: 100% for measles and rubella, 67% for varicella, and 89% for mumps. In addition, we used Pearson's test to search for correlations among the antibody titers for each virus. A weak correlation was observed among antibody titers for measles, rubella, and mumps but not for varicella. These results suggest that MMR vaccine might be effective in people with low levels of antibody to measles, rubella, and mumps.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Cooperation of cyclooxygenase 1 and cyclooxygenase 2 in intestinal polyposis.

Membrane arachidonic acid is converted by cyclooxygenase (COX) into prostaglandin (PG) G(2) and then to PGH(2) which is subsequently metabolized to PGE(2) by PGE synthase (PGES). Both COX-1 and COX-2 play critical roles in intestinal polyp formation, whereas COX-2 is also expressed in cancers of a variety of organs. Likewise, inducible microsomal PGES (mPGES-1) is expressed in several types of cancer, although its role in benign polyp formation has not been investigated. We demonstrated recently that most COX-2-expressing cells in the polyps are stromal fibroblasts. Here we show colocalization of COX-1, COX-2 and mPGES in the intestinal polyp stromal fibroblasts of Apc(Delta 716) mice, a model for familial adenomatous polyposis. Contrary to COX-2 that was induced only in polyps >1 mm in diameter, COX-1 was found in polyps of any size. In polyps >1 mm, not only COX-2 but also mPGES was induced in the stromal fibroblasts where COX-1 had already been expressed. Although polyp number and size were markedly reduced in COX-1 (-/-) or COX-2 (-/-) compound mutant Apc mice, both COX-2 and mPGES were induced in the COX-1 (-/-) polyps, whereas COX-1 was expressed in the COX-2 (-/-) polyps. We found also in human familial adenomatous polyposis polyps that COX-2 and mPGES were induced in the COX-1-expressing fibroblasts. On the basis of these results, we propose that COX-1 expression in the stromal cells secures the basal level of PGE(2) that can support polyp growth to approximately 1 mm, and that simultaneous inductions of COX-2 and mPGES support the polyp expansion beyond approximately 1 mm by boosting the stromal PGE(2) production.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Targeted disruption of the mouse rho-associated kinase 2 gene results in intrauterine growth retardation and fetal death.

Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), including the ROCK-I and ROCK-II isoforms, is a protein kinase involved in signaling from Rho to actin cytoskeleton. However, in vivo functions of each ROCK isoform remain largely unknown. We generated mice deficient in ROCK-II by gene targeting. ROCK-II(-/-) embryos were found at the expected Mendelian frequency until 13.5 days postcoitum, but approximately 90% died thereafter in utero. ROCK-II(-/-) mice of both genders that survived were born runts, subsequently developed without gross abnormality, and were fertile. Whole-mount staining for a knocked-in lacZ reporter gene revealed that ROCK-II was highly expressed in the labyrinth layer of the placenta. Disruption of architecture and extensive thrombus formation were found in the labyrinth layer of ROCK-II(-/-) mice. While no obvious alteration in actin filament structures was found in the labyrinth layer of ROCK-II(-/-) placenta and stress fibers were formed in cultured ROCK-II(-/-) trophoblasts, elevated expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 was found in ROCK-II(-/-) placenta. These results suggest that ROCK-II is essential in inhibiting blood coagulation and maintaining blood flow in the endothelium-free labyrinth layer and that loss of ROCK-II leads to thrombus formation, placental dysfunction, intrauterine growth retardation, and fetal death.

Actins↗

PubMed2003

[13C-urea breath test].

Infection with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) is thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, and the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) is a convenient and non-invasive method for the detection of H. pylori in the stomach. We have examined the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 13C-UBT, comparing it with histology. The 13CO2/12CO2 ratio was measured by using infra-red spectroscopy(IR) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC-MS). The IR analyzer should be particularly useful for the diagnostic test of H. pylori infection using 13C-UBT.

Breath Tests↗

PubMed2002

Lack of tumorigenesis in the mouse liver after adenovirus-mediated expression of a dominant stable mutant of beta-catenin.

Mutations in the glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) phosphorylation sites of the beta-catenin gene exon 3 are found in 20-30% of human primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas mutations in the APC or AXIN genes are found in other HCC populations. These data strongly suggest that the Wnt signaling pathway is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. To determine the role of beta-catenin in intestinal tumorigenesis, we earlier constructed a mutant mouse strain Catnb(lox(ex3)), in which exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene was sandwiched by loxP sequences. By genetic crosses of these mice with the Fabpl-cre transgenic mice that express the cre gene controlled by the fatty acid binding protein gene promoter, we introduced the beta-catenin stabilizing mutation into the small intestine and liver. Although numerous polyps were formed in the small intestine, we did not find any neoplastic (i.e., dysplastic) foci in the liver, and the mice died in 5 weeks after birth because of acute liver damage accompanying mitochondrial swelling. When a recombinant adenovirus that expresses the cre gene from a human cytomegalovirus early gene promoter was constructed and inoculated at a high multiplicity (10(9) plaque-forming units/mouse), the Catnb(lox(ex3)) mice showed marked hepatomegaly, with similar mitochondrial swelling in the hepatocytes, and died within 3 weeks after infection. On the other hand, when inoculated at lower multiplicities of infection (10(7) and 10(8) plaque-forming units/mouse, respectively), the Catnb(lox(ex3)) mice survived >6 months without any neoplastic foci in the liver, although the nuclear localization of beta-catenin was found in some hepatocytes even after 6 months. These results suggest that, in contrast to intestinal polyposis, the Wnt pathway activation by stabilized beta-catenin is not sufficient for hepatocarcinogenesis, but additional mutations or epigenetic changes may be required.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2002

Cyclooxygenase 2- and prostaglandin E(2) receptor EP(2)-dependent angiogenesis in Apc(Delta716) mouse intestinal polyps.

To investigate angiogenesis during intestinal polyp development, we determined the microvessel density (MVD) in polyps of Apc knockout (Apc(Delta716)) mice, a model for human familial adenomatous polyposis. We scored MVD also in several compound mutants carrying Apc(Delta716), namely, mice with an additional mutation in Smad4, in which the polyps progress into invasive adenocarcinomas; mice with a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 gene (Ptgs2) mutation, in which adenoma growth is suppressed; and mice with prostaglandin E(2) EP receptor gene mutations. In both simple Apc(Delta716) and compound Apc(Delta716) Smad4 mutants, MVD increased in a polyp size-dependent manner only in the polyps expanded beyond a threshold of about 1 mm in diameter. These results indicate that tumor angiogenesis is stimulated only after tumors grow to a certain size, and this angiogenic switch is common to both benign adenomas and malignant adenocarcinomas. In Apc(Delta716) polyposis attenuated by the COX-2 gene mutation, in contrast, MVD did not increase even in polyps larger than 1 mm. The same phenomenon was observed in the compound mutant mice with Apc(Delta716) and the EP(2) receptor gene mutations, but not in other EP compound mutants. We also immunohistochemically studied COX-2 and angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor. Interestingly, expression of these proteins was also increased in polyps larger than 1 mm. These results suggest that, in both benign and malignant mouse intestinal tumors, stromal expression of COX-2 results in elevated prostaglandin E(2) levels that stimulate cell surface receptor EP(2), followed by induction of vascular endothelial growth factor that causes tumor angiogenesis.

Adenocarcinoma↗