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Biomedical subjects

J Kawagoe

Publications and source records attributed to J Kawagoe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Estrogen and raloxifene induce apoptosis by activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade in synthetic vascular smooth muscle cells.

Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) plays a major role as an initiating event of atherosclerosis. Although estrogen directly inhibits the proliferation of VSMC, the mechanism has not been firmly established. In addition, the effect of raloxifene on VSMC remains unknown. 17Beta-estradiol (E(2)) and raloxifene significantly inhibited the growth of VSMC under growth-stimulated conditions. Since mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases have been implicated in VSMC proliferation, the role of MAP kinases in both the E(2)- and raloxifene-induced growth inhibition of VSMC was studied. Both E(2) and raloxifene caused rapid, transient phosphorylation and activation of p38 that was not affected by actinomycin D and was blocked by ICI 182,780. In contrast with p38 phosphorylation, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was significantly inhibited and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation was not changed by E(2). Because VSMC expressed both estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and ERbeta, it is not known which of them mediates the E(2)-induced phosphorylation of p38. Although E(2) did not affect the p38 phosphorylation in A10 smooth muscle cells, which express ERbeta but not ERalpha, transfection of ERalpha expression vector into A10 cells rendered them susceptible to induction of p38 phosphorylation by E(2). We then examined whether E(2) and raloxifene induce apoptosis through a p38 cascade. Both E(2) and raloxifene induced apoptosis under growth-stimulated conditions. The p38 inhibitor SB 203580 completely blocked the E(2)-induced apoptosis. Our findings suggest that both E(2)- and raloxifene-induced inhibition of VSMC growth is due to induction of apoptosis through a p38 cascade whose activation is mediated by ERalpha via a nongenomic mechanism.

Animals↗

Development of severe longitudinal atrophy of thoracic spinal cord following lupus-related myelitis.

A 26-year-old woman suffered from acute myelitis at Th 6 level associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methyl-prednisolone pulse therapy, intravenous high-dose immunoglobulin administration and plasmapheresis were not effective. Her neurological signs had persisted in spite of subsequent administration of oral prednisolone and azathiopurine. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of spinal cord at the onset showed a marked swelling with intramedullary high intensity signals on T2WI along the whole thoracic cord. Three years later, MRI demonstrated a severe longitudinal and segmental atrophy of the mid to low thoracic cord which resulted in transverse spinal signs.

Adult↗

Clinical manifestations of influenza a myocarditis during the influenza epidemic of winter 1998-1999.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical features of myocarditis that developed during the influenza epidemic of winter 1998-1999 were investigated to emphasize the need for medical attention to this disease. METHODS: Nine patients were treated under diagnoses of acute myocarditis during the winter of 1998-1999. Five (two males and three females, mean age 52 +/- 18 years) were examined with myocarditis associated with influenza A. The diagnosis of influenza A myocarditis was based on electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities, increased creatine kinase levels and at least a four-fold increase in influenza A virus titers using paired sera. RESULTS: All patients had preceding flu-like symptoms and fever. Cardiac involvement developed between 4 and 7 days after the onset of influenza symptoms. Dyspnea progressively worsened in three patients, one went into shock and one had persistent fever, cough and mild dyspnea without apparent cardiac symptoms. Three patients had ST elevation associated with Q waves and one had complete left bundle branch block. The creatine kinase levels were abnormally increased and global wall motion of the left ventricle on echocardiography was decreased in all patients. Two patients had diagnoses of fulminant myocarditis. One patient died of pneumonia following cerebral infarction, but the left ventricular dysfunction normalized in the remaining four patients. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac involvement occurred between 4 and 7 days after the onset of influenza symptoms, and worsening dyspnea was the most common symptom. Electrocardiography, echocardiography and creatine kinase levels should be checked to determine the potential for cardiac involvement when patients present with suspected influenza associated with worsening dyspnea or prolonged weakness. Increasing the awareness of influenza myocarditis may help in the earlier identification and treatment of this disease during influenza epidemics.

Adult↗

[Recurrent pulmonary embolism from left subclavian thrombosis: a case report].

A 38-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of pulmonary thromboembolism. Thrombolysis therapy resulted in initial improvement in symptoms and laboratory data. However, 4 months later, pulmonary thromboembolism recurred despite antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy. Contrast venography and venous ultrasonography of both upper and lower extremities revealed subtotal occlusion and venous thrombosis of the left subclavian vein with collateral vessels, but no evidence of lower extremity venous thrombosis. She had no history of subclavian venous catheterization, neoplasm, hypercoagulability or other predisposing cause of thrombus formation. Operative ligation of the left subclavian vein was performed at the junction with the internal jugular vein. White thrombus was identified within the venous lumen. She was well without recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism or venous insufficiency for 10 months after the operation. Surgical interruption of the subclavian vein may be effective to prevent recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism in patients with recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism due to venous thrombosis of the upper extremity despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

Adult↗

Stress protein inductions after brain ischemia.

1. Hippocampal CA1 neurons are the most vulnerable to transient cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism has not been fully understood. 2. The mRNAs for 72-kd (HSP72) and 73-kd (HSC73) heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are located mainly in the cytoplasm, were greatly induced together in CA1 cells, with a peak at 1-2 days in gerbils. However, immunoreactive HSP72 protein was only minimally expressed in CA1 neurons. 3. The mRNA for mitochondrial HSP60 began to increase at 3 hr in CA1 cells and was sustained until 1 day. 4. The level of mRNA for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX-I) progressively decreased in CA1 neurons after a transient ischemia and completely disappeared at 7 days. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) protein also showed an early decrease in CA1 cells and was followed by a reduction in the level of COX-I DNA after 2 days. 5. These results suggest that HSP gene inductions were inhibited at the translational level but that mitochondrial DNA expression was disturbed at the transcriptional level. A disturbance of mitochondrial DNA expression could cause progressive failure of energy production of CA1 cells that eventually results in neuronal cell death.

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Isolation of an ischemia-induced gene and early disturbance of mitochondrial DNA expression after transient forebrain ischemia.

A subtraction cDNA library was made using subtractive hybridization of cDNA libraries constructed from gerbil cerebral cortex of control animals and animals 8 hours after a 10-min transient forebrain ischemia. After differential screening, a cDNA clone (named pGSH3) was isolated as a gene that is expressed only after the ischemic insult. The cDNA insert of pGSH3 (0.7 kb) hybridized to the 2.8-kb mRNA of ischemic cerebral cortex. The gene was normally expressed in a small amount in the cerebellum, kidney, and lung, but was not expressed in the cerebral cortex, heart, liver, or jejunum in a detectable amount. Eight hours after the 10-min transient forebrain ischemia, the gene expression became prominent in the cerebral cortex, and the amount of the mRNA also increased in the lung and kidney. An analysis of DNA sequence revealed that the pGSH3 insert has a 91.3% homology with a 72-kd human heat-shock protein (hsp70) gene. These results indicate that an ischemia-induced gene was isolated as a cDNA clone (pGSH3) by subreactive hybridization and differential screening. Expression of the gene was detected in other organs especially in the kidney and lung after transient forebrain ischemia. Hippocampal CA1 neurons are the most vulnerable to transient cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism has not been fully understood. The level of mRNA for cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COX-I), which is encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), progressively deceased in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of gerbils from 3 hours of the reperfusion after 3.5 min of transient forebrain ischemia, and completely disappeared at 7 days. The activity of cytochrome C oxidase (COX) protein also showed the early decrease in the CA1 cells, and was followed by the reduction of the level of COX-I DNA after 2 days. However, the activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), a mitochondrial enzyme that is encoded by nuclear DNA, maintained normal activity until day 1 in the CA1 cells, and significantly decreased at 7 days. The mRNA for mitochondrial hsp60 began to increase at 3 hours in the CA1 cells, and was sustained until 1 day. The mRNAs for 72-kd (hsp70) and 73-kd (hsc70) heat-shock proteins, which are mainly located in the cytoplasm, were induced together in the CA1 cells with a peak at 1 to 2 days. These results suggest that disturbance of a mitochondrial DNA expression occurred in the CA1 neurons at the early stage of reperfusion, and was aggravated in the course of time. The disturbance could cause progressive failure of energy production of the cells, which eventually results in neuronal cell death.

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Ischemic delayed neuronal death. A mitochondrial hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: A brief period of global brain ischemia causes cell death in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons days after reperfusion in rodents and humans. Other neurons are much less vulnerable. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as delayed neuronal death, but the cause has not been fully understood although many mechanisms have been proposed. SUMMARY OF REVIEW: Hippocampal CA1 neuronal death usually occurs 3 to 4 days after an initial ischemic insult. Such a delay is essential for the mechanism of this type of cell death. Previous hypotheses have not well explained the reason for the delay and the exact mechanism of the cell death, but a disturbance of mitochondrial gene expression could be a possibility. Reductions of mitochondrial RNA level and the activity of a mitochondrial protein, encoded partly by mitochondrial DNA, occurred exclusively in CA1 neurons at the early stage of reperfusion and were aggravated over time. In contrast, the activity of a nuclear DNA-encoded mitochondrial enzyme and the level of mitochondrial DNA remained intact in CA1 cells until death. Immunohistochemical staining for cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin, which are involved in the shuttle movement of mitochondria between cell body and the periphery, also showed early and progressive decreases after ischemia, and the decreases were found exclusively in the vulnerable CA1 subfield. CONCLUSIONS: A disturbance of mitochondrial DNA expression may be caused by dysfunction of the mitochondrial shuttle system and could cause progressive failure of energy production of CA1 neurons that eventually results in cell death. Thus, the mitochondrial hypothesis could provide a new and exciting potential for elucidating the mechanism of the delayed neuronal death of hippocampal CA1 neurons.

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Induction of HSP90 alpha heat shock mRNA after transient global ischemia in gerbil hippocampus.

Distribution of heat shock protein (HSP) 90 alpha mRNA induction after 10 min of transient global ischemia was investigated in gerbil hippocampus by in situ hybridization. A small amount of HSP90 alpha mRNA was normally present in hippocampal cells and the mRNA was further induced with a peak at 8 h after ischemia. In hippocampal CA1 cells that are vulnerable to ischemia, HSP90 alpha mRNA was continuously induced by 1 day and finally diminished at 2 days. The temporal profile of HSP90 alpha mRNA induction in hippocampal CA1 cells was similar to that of HSP70 mRNA reported previously, suggesting a cooperative role of HSP90 alpha with other HSPs after ischemia.

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The preconditioned hippocampus accelerates HSP70 heat shock gene expression following transient ischemia in the gerbil.

To evaluate the mechanism of tolerance for ischemia, inductions of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 mRNA and immunoreactive HSP70 protein were studied in the preconditioned gerbil hippocampus. Following the single 3.5-min ischemia, HSP70 mRNA was induced in all hippocampal cells. However, the hippocampal CA1 cells produced only a minimum HSP70 protein, and the cells were almost lost by 7 days. Following the 3.5-min ischemia after 2-min pretreatment, the CA1 cells produced a strong immunoreactive HSP70 signal and large populations of the CA1 cells survived at 7 days. The peak time of the HSP70 mRNA induction shifted to earlier period of reperfusion in the CA1 cells as compared to the case with single ischemia. This accelerated change of HSP70 expression could play an important role for the acquisition of ischemic tolerance of the hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Regional difference of HSP70 and HSC70 heat shock mRNA inductions in rat hippocampus after transient global ischemia.

Induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 and heat shock cognate protein (HSC) 70 mRNAs, and immunoreactivity for HSP70 were investigated in rat hippocampus after transient global ischemia with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In sham control brain, HSP70 mRNA was scarcely present, while HSC70 mRNA was expressed in most neuronal cells. After 20 min of transient four-vessel occlusion (4VO), ischemia-resistant hippocampal CA3 cells consistently induced HSP70 mRNA along with further HSC70 mRNA. The resistant dentate granule (DG) cells continuously induced HSC70 mRNA even after the great reduction of HSP70 mRNA. In contrast, in ischemia-vulnerable CA1 cells, a relatively lower level of HSC70 mRNA induction than the level of HSP70 mRNA induction was observed. The vulnerable CA1 cells produced a prominent HSP70 immunoreactivity. These results suggest that the vulnerability of the CA1 cells after transient ischemia may not be explained only by the ability of HSP70 induction, but may be related to the imbalance of HSP70 and HSC70 mRNA inductions.

Animals↗

Early disturbance of a mitochondrial DNA expression in gerbil hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia.

The level of mRNA for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX-I), which is encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), progressively decreased in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of gerbils from 1-3 h of the reperfusion after 3.5 min of transient forebrain ischemia, and completely disappeared at 7 days. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) protein also showed the early decrease in the CA1 cells, and was followed by the reduction of the level of COX-I DNA after 2 days. However, the activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), a mitochondrial enzyme that is encoded by nuclear DNA, maintained normal activity until 1 day in the CA1 cells, and significantly decreased at 7 days. These results suggest that the early onset and the progressive disturbance of a mitochondrial DNA expression found selectively in the CA1 neurons could cause progressive failure of energy production of the cells that eventually results in the neuronal cell death.

Animals↗

Temporal profile of the induction of heat shock protein 70 and heat shock cognate protein 70 mRNAs after transient ischemia in gerbil brain.

Distributions of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 and heat shock cognate protein (HSC) 70 mRNAs after 2, 5 and 15 min of transient global ischemia in gerbil forebrain were investigated by in situ hybridization using cloned cDNA probes selective for each mRNA species. Morphological studies were also performed at the dorsal hippocampal level of coronal sections from the identical brains until 7 days after the reperfusion. Following 2 min of ischemia, HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs were induced together in hippocampal dentate granule cells at 1 and 3 h of the reperfusion. No histological change was observed in brain cells. Following 5 min of ischemia, HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs were induced in all hippocampal cells. The induction of HSP70 mRNA in hippocampal CA1 cells sustained until 2 days, while that of HSC70 mRNA declined gradually. Only CA1 cells were lost at 7 days of the reperfusion. Following 15 min of ischemia, the mRNAs were induced in more extensive brain regions including neocortex and thalamic nuclei. In hippocampal CA1 cells, inductions of HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs diminished by 2 days corresponding with the neuronal damage. HSC70 mRNA induction was not so much as HSP70 mRNA induction especially in hippocampal CA1 and thalamic cells. Our results showed that HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs were generally induced together after transient ischemia, but that the inductions were spatially and chronologically different after different periods of ischemia. The dissociation of the induction was also found in cells severely injured after 5 and 15 min of ischemia.

Animals↗

Dissociation of HSP70 and HSC70 heat shock mRNA inductions as an early biochemical marker of ischemic neuronal death.

A significant dissociation of HSP70 and HSC70 heat shock mRNAs after a 10-min transient forebrain ischemia in gerbil was found only in the hippocampal CA1 neurons which eventually die after the initial ischemic insult, while other hippocampal neurons such as the dentate granule and the CA3 cells which survive ischemia expressed both mRNAs cooperatively. The dissociation was observed as early as after 8 h of reperfusion, a period far shorter than 3-4 days, when the cell death becomes pathologically evident. Thus, the dissociation may serve as a set of early biochemical markers for ischemic neuronal cell death.

Animals↗

Disturbance of a mitochondrial DNA expression in gerbil hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia.

Hippocampal CA1 neurons are the most vulnerable to transient cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism has not been fully understood. The level of mRNA for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX-I), which is encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), progressively decreased in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of gerbils from 1 to 3 h of the reperfusion after 3.5 min of transient forebrain ischemia, and completely disappeared at 7 days. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) protein also showed the early decrease in the CA1 cells, and was followed by the reduction of the level of COX-I DNA after 2 days. However, the activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), a mitochondrial enzyme that is encoded by nuclear DNA, maintained normal activity until 1 day in the CA1 cells, and significantly decreased at 7 days. These results suggest that disturbance of mitochondrial DNA expression occurred in the CA1 neurons at the early stage of reperfusion, and was aggravated in the course of time. The disturbance could cause progressive failure of energy production of the cells that eventually results in the neuronal cell death.

Animals↗

Changes of mitochondrial DNA and heat shock protein gene expressions in gerbil hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia.

Hippocampal CA1 neurons are the most vulnerable to transient cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism has not been fully understood. The level of mRNA for cytochrome C oxidase (COX) subunit I (COX-I), which is encoded by mitochondrial (mt) DNA, progressively decreased in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of gerbils from 3 h of reperfusion after 3.5 min of transient forebrain ischemia and completely disappeared at 7 days. The activity of COX protein also showed an early decrease in CA1 cells and was followed by reduction of the level of COX-I DNA after 2 days. However, succinic dehydrogenase, an mt enzyme encoded by nuclear DNA, maintained normal activity until 1 day in the CA1 cells and significantly decreased at 7 days. The mRNA for mt heat shock protein (HSP) 60 began to increase at 3 h in the CA1 cells and was sustained until 1 day. The mRNAs for 72-kDa heat shock protein and 73-kDa heat shock cognate protein, which are located mainly in the cytoplasm, were induced together in the CA1 cells with a peak at 1-2 days. These results suggest that a disturbance of mt DNA expression occurred in the CA1 neurons at the early stage of reperfusion and was aggravated over the course of time. The disturbance could cause progressive failure of energy production of the cells that eventually results in neuronal cell death.

Animals↗

Acceleration of HSP70 and HSC70 heat shock gene expression following transient ischemia in the preconditioned gerbil hippocampus.

To evaluate the mechanism of tolerance to ischemia, inductions of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 and heat shock cognate protein (HSC) 70 mRNAs in gerbil hippocampus were compared with in situ hybridization between cases of a single 3.5-min period of forebrain ischemia and a 3.5-min period of ischemia 2 days after 2-min pretreatment with ischemia. Immunohistochemistry for HSP70 protein and morphological studies were also performed in the same brains up to 7 days after the reperfusion. Following a single 3.5-min period of ischemia, HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs were induced in all hippocampal cells. However, the hippocampal CA1 cells produced only a minimum of HSP70 protein, and the cells were almost lost by 7 days. Following 3.5 min of ischemia after 2-min pretreatment, large populations of the CA1 cells survived at 7 days. The peak time of the HSP70 and HSC70 mRNA induction shifted to an earlier period of reperfusion in all hippocampal cells as compared with the case of a single episode of ischemia. The peak of HSP70 and HSC70 mRNA induction shifted from 1 day to 3 h in the CA1 cells. The CA1 cells produced strongly immunoreactive HSP70 from 3 hr to 2 days. These results suggest that pretreatment with an initial period of ischemia (for 2 min) accelerated HSP70 and HSC70 gene expression at the transcriptional level, ameliorated the translational disturbance of HSP70 mRNA to protein, and saved the CA1 cells from subsequent lethal ischemia (for 3.5 min). These changes of heat shock gene expression might play important roles in the acquisition of ischemic tolerance of hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Animals↗

Isolation and expression of an ischaemia-induced gene from gerbil cerebral cortex by subtractive hybridization.

A subtraction cDNA library was made using subtractive hybridization of cDNA libraries constructed from gerbil cerebral cortex of control animals and animals 8 h after 10 min of transient forebrain ischaemia. After differential screening, a cDNA clone (named pGSH3) was isolated as a gene which is expressed only after the ischaemia insult. The cDNA insert of pGSH3 (0.7 Kb) hybridized to 2.8 Kb mRNA of ischaemic cerebral cortex. The gene was normally expressed in a small amount in the cerebellum, kidney, and lung, but was not expressed in the cerebral cortex, heart, liver, or jejunum in a detectable amount. Eight hours after the 10-min transient forebrain ischaemia, the gene expression became prominent in the cerebral cortex, and the amount of the mRNA also increased in the lung and kidney. An analysis of DNA sequence revealed that the pGSH3 insert has a 91.3 per cent homology with a 70-Kd human heat shock protein (HSP70) gene. These results indicate that an ischaemia-induced gene was isolated as a cDNA clone (pGSH3) by subtractive hybridization and differential screening. Expression of the gene was first detected in other organs especially in the kidney and lung after transient forebrain ischaemia.

Animals↗

Reduction of HSP70 and HSC70 heat shock mRNA induction by pentobarbital after transient global ischemia in gerbil brain.

The effect of pentobarbital on the induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 and heat shock cognate protein (HSC) 70 mRNAs after transient global ischemia in gerbil brains was investigated by in situ hybridization using cloned cDNA probes selective for each mRNA species. In sham control brains, HSP70 mRNA was scarcely present, whereas HSC70 mRNA was present in most cell populations. After a 5-min occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries, HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs were induced together in several cells and were especially dense in hippocampal dentate granule cells at 3 h, but the strong hybridization of the mRNAs continued only in hippocampal CA1 cells by 2 days. At 7 days after the ischemia, CA1 neuronal cell death was apparent, and the HSP70 mRNA disappeared and HSC70 mRNA content returned to the sham level, except for in the CA1 cells. Pretreatment with pentobarbital (40 mg/kg, i.p.) greatly reduced or inhibited the induction of HSP70 and HSC70 mRNAs at both early (3-h) and late (2-day) phases after ischemia. The drug also prevented CA1 cell death at 7 days along with the maintenance of expression of HSC70 mRNA at the sham control level. Hypothermic effects of pentobarbital were noted at 30 and 60 min after the reperfusion, whereas at 2 h there was no statistical significance between the control and drug-treated groups. The great reduction of HSP70 and HSC70 mRNA induction at both early and late phases after ischemia suggests that pentobarbital reduces intra-and/or postischemic stress and may protect CA1 cells from ischemic damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗