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Biomedical subjects

J Nishimura

Publications and source records attributed to J Nishimura.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Lineage non-specific down regulation of P210bcr/abl in the CML cell line, KU-812-F, during differentiation.

CML cell line, KU-812-F, originally established from a patient with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myelocytic leukemia has maintained the ability to differentiate into both granuloid (basophilic) and erythroid lineages. The expression of P210bcr/abl in KU-812-F cells during differentiation was studied by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine sera revealed the down-regulation of P210bcr/abl in both granuloid and erythroid lineages. Immunoprecipitation with anti-abl antibodies of 35S-methionine-labelled cells revealed a reduced rate of synthesis of P210bcr/abl protein. Cytotoxic agents that caused growth inhibition of the cells did not alter the expression of P210bcr/abl. These results indicate that the down regulation of P210bcr/abl protein is a lineage non-specific event accompanied by differentiation.

Cell Differentiation

Molecular heterogeneity of beta-thalassaemia in the Japanese: identification of two novel mutations.

Five unrelated Japanese beta-thalassaemia genes, from one homozygote and four heterozygotes, have been systematically characterized using DNA polymorphism analysis, polymerase chain reaction, dot-blot hybridization and direct sequencing of amplified genomic DNA. Four different molecular defects were observed on three different beta-globin gene frameworks. One of these, the A----G mutation in the TATA box, a previously described mutation, was detected by dot-blot hybridization in one homozygote and one heterozygote with the beta-globin gene of framework 2. The second mutation is a C----T substitution at position 654 of IVS-2, the mutation commonly found in Chinese, which was associated with the framework 1 gene. Another two mutations, both associated with framework 3 genes, are novel ones; an amber mutation in codon 90 (GAG to TAG) and a frameshift (+G) insertion in codon 54, both of which cause a beta 0-thalassaemia phenotype by premature termination of the beta-globin chain synthesis.

Adult

A genetic defect of erythrocyte band 4.2 protein associated with hereditary spherocytosis.

We report two patients with hereditary spherocytosis associated with band 4.2 protein deficiency from a Japanese family. The defect of band 4.2 protein was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) not only in freshly prepared white ghosts but also in washed whole erythrocytes. The finding was quite reproducible and was also recognized postsplenectomy. The interaction of ankyrin with band 3 in the patients' ghosts was stable both at low ionic strength and at acidic pH. Our results suggested that band 4.2 protein might not be essential for the structural stability of band 3-ankyrin interaction. On the other hand, membrane protein phosphorylation studies revealed an increased phosphorylation of spectrin/ankyrin, band 3 and band 4.1 in the patients' erythrocytes as compared with normal cells. The finding might be related to a dysregulation of protein phosphorylation which could result in membrane instability in affected cells. Band 4.2 deficiency is an inherited disorder in association with hereditary haemolytic anaemias and seems to be relatively prevalent in the Japanese population.

Adult

Evidence for increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in norepinephrine-activated vascular smooth muscle.

The agonist-induced change in Ca2+ sensitivity of smooth muscle myofilaments was investigated in intact and permeabilized vascular preparations isolated from the rat and the rabbit. In intact rat mesenteric artery, membrane depolarization by 80 mM K+ solution or alpha-adrenergic stimulation by norepinephrine (NE) increased tension monotonically with increasing extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]e). The [Ca2+]e-tension curve generated during activation by NE was located to the left of that during activation by high K+. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) shifted the high K+ [Ca2+]e-tension curve to the left but did not affect the NE curve. In rat mesenteric artery permeabilized by alpha-toxin, tension was measured while the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was controlled using 2 mM ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N'N'-tetraacetic acid and Ca2+ buffer solutions. The alpha-toxin-permeabilized fibers developed tension as a function of Ca2+ concentration. TPA and guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP gamma S, a nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue) significantly shifted the pCa-tension curve to the left. In intact rabbit inferior vena cava, tension was recorded simultaneously with [Ca2+]i as measured by fura-2. TPA caused a gradual increase in tension without change in [Ca2+]i. In rabbit mesenteric artery permeabilized by alpha-toxin, the tissue still responded to NE, indicating that alpha-adrenergic receptors remained intact. The response to NE was augmented by GTP and inhibited by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP beta S, a nonhydrolyzable GDP analogue) suggesting that a G protein is coupled with the alpha-adrenergic receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actin Cytoskeleton

Abnormality of platelet membrane glycoprotein GPIIb in a myelodysplastic syndrome with 3q inversion presenting with marked dysmegakaryopoiesis.

Platelet membrane glycoproteins were analyzed in a case of myelodysplastic syndrome with inv(3) (q21q26) presenting with prominent dysmegakaryopoiesis by three different labelling techniques for surface proteins. Markedly decreased level of platelet membrane glycoprotein GPIIb was observed in the patient's platelets by terminal sialic acid labelling method, whereas no significant changes in the levels of glycoproteins including GPIIb could be detected either by penultimate galactose labelling or by tyrosine/histidine labelling. These results indicate a decreased sialylation of GPIIb in the patient's platelets, implying aberrant process in thrombopoiesis in the disease.

Bone Marrow Examination

A patient with hypocortisolism and Cushing's syndrome-like manifestations: cortisol hyperreactive syndrome.

One patient is reported who has the manifestations of Cushing's syndrome in spite of persistent hypocortisolemia. His serum levels of cortisol and free cortisol were below normal, and 24-h urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids and cortisol were decreased. There was a rapid and substantial increase in serum cortisol in response to synthetic ACTH-(1-24). Plasma levels of ACTH were marginally increased by successive administration of CRH and vasopressin, which were followed by substantial increases in serum cortisol. Glucocorticoid activity of the patient's serum, as measured by a RRA was low. There were no responses of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids after metyrapone treatment. These laboratory examinations ruled out any known clinical conditions resulting in hypocortisolemia. The clinical condition could also be explained by cortisol hyperreactivity of the patient's cells. In vitro hyperreactivity to glucocorticoids was demonstrated in cultured skin fibroblasts whose aromatase activity was increased 1.5- to 1.8-fold above that of normal cells, and [3H]thymidine incorporation was inhibited more effectively by the addition of cortisol or dexamethasone. The mechanism by which the patient is hyperreactive to glucocorticoids remains unexplained.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

[Acute promyelocytic leukemia developed in the course of systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report].

A-36-year old Japanese female who had been suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and treated with prednisolone for 3.5 years developed de novo acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) without preleukemic state. She had a short period of complete remission in leukemia but she died with recurrence of leukemia. While malignant tumors including lymphoid malignancy have been shown to develop occasionally in the course of SLE, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) following SLE is a very rare condition. Although combination of SLE and AML may be incidental, review of the literatures revealed some interesting insight into the pathogenesis of SLE and AML.

Adult

Multiple myeloma associated with Budd-Chiari syndrome.

A 51-year-old Japanese woman with Budd-Chiari syndrome, following dermatoplasty of the leg for burns, developed multiple myeloma and amyloidosis during the four-year observation period. In Budd-Chiari syndrome, polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia is frequently seen as the result of intestinal antigenic stimulation through the portacaval shunt. Although monoclonal gammopathy is occasionally presented in chronic liver diseases, multiple myeloma has not been previously recognized as occurring in association with Budd-Chiari syndrome. This case demonstrates that, in Budd-Chiari syndrome, the development of multiple myeloma may be the result of chronic stimulation of the intestinal microbes.

Budd-Chiari Syndrome

A novel CD10-positive erythroid cell line, RM10, established from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

A novel erythroid cell line, RM10, was established from a long-term bone marrow culture of a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). RM10 cells were positive for periodic acid Schiff (PAS), but negative for peroxidase and dual esterase. RM10 cells had la, pre B (CD10), myeloid (CD13, CD14, CD33) and erythroid (glycophorin A) markers, but had no other lymphoid, megakaryocytic, or mesenchymal cell markers. RM10 cells spontaneously synthesized hemoglobin, which was markedly enhanced with hemin. Isoelectric focusing of the cell lysates and northern blot analysis of the total cellular RNA revealed hemoglobin synthesis in the cells. Using 125I-labeled recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo), two classes of Epo receptors were demonstrated in the RM10 cells. However, Epo did affect neither growth nor erythroid differentiation of the cells. RM10 cells rapidly differentiated to monocytic cells in the presence of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, and simultaneously expressed glycoprotein IIb/IIIa. RM10 cells had Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), and expressed p210bcr-abl using immunoprecipitation with anti-c-abl and anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. These results indicate that the RM10 cells have the characteristics of multipotential hemopoietic cells originating from Ph-positive CML and that high affinity Epo receptor class is not a sufficient condition for Epo responsiveness.

Adult

[Two cases of familial occurrence of aplastic anemia].

It is quite rare that aplastic anemia except Fanconi's type occurs in members of a single family. Here we reported two patients with aplastic anemia, a 14-year-old female and a 49-year-old her mother. In both cases, hematological findings were compatible to that of a typical aplastic anemia. In the case of daughter, CFU-E formation of control bone marrow cells was significantly inhibited by the addition of the patient's bone marrow cells, suggesting the presence of cellular immune mechanism. In the case of mother, no inhibitory activity on CFU-C formation of control bone marrow cells was detected in the patient's serum, though the ratio of helper/suppressor T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was increased. We could not sufficiently clarify the common immune mechanism causing aplastic anemia in both cases. It was noticeable, however, that both cases share HLA DR2, which is frequently found in patients with various autoimmune diseases and is believed to relate closely to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. This evidence suggests the possibility that genetically inherited susceptibility may also be the important factor for causing aplastic anemia.

Adolescent

Possible involvement of actomyosin ADP complex in regulation of Ca2+ sensitivity in alpha-toxin permeabilized smooth muscle.

The effects of substrate condition and ADP beta S on the pCa2+-tension relationships were investigated, using alpha-toxin permeabilized rabbit mesenteric artery at 37 degrees C. The contraction induced by 10 microM Ca2+ solution after permeabilization was as large as that induced by 145 mM K+ PSS solution containing 10 microM NE in the intact tissue, indicating that the majority of the cells were permeabilized. The Ca2+ sensitivity was greatly affected by the substrate condition and increasing the ratio of ATP/CP induced a leftward shift of the pCa2+-tension curve. Addition of 100 microM ADP beta S had a similar effect. When the ATP/CP ratio was high, the 0.1 microM Ca2+ solution relaxed the tissue precontracted by 10 microM Ca2+ solution more slowly showing hysteresis. One mM vanadate, which is reported to relax muscle by forming actomyosin-ADP-Vi (AM-ADP-Vi), completely inhibited both contractions induced by 0.18 microM Ca2+ solution containing 2 mM MgADP and 0.3 microM Ca2+ solution containing 0.3 microM PDBu. These results indicated that the population of AM-ADP complex in the crossbridge had increased due to the accumulation of ADP inside the tissue or activation of PKC and that the inhibition of ADP release from AM-ADP complex may be playing a key role in increasing Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments.

Actomyosin

Direct regulation of smooth muscle contractile elements by second messengers.

The effects of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and phorbol 12,13 dibutyrate (PDBu) on the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile elements in the rat mesenteric artery were investigated, using a method of permeabilizing smooth muscle with Staphylococcal alpha-toxin. Both cAMP and cGMP relaxed the permeabilized rat mesenteric artery at the intracellular Ca2+ concentrations [( Ca2+]i) held constant with Ca2+ EGTA buffer and Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin. In addition, forskolin and sodium nitroprusside which activate adenylate and guanylate cyclases, respectively, also induced relaxation at a fixed [Ca2+]i. In contrast PDBu which stimulates protein kinase C caused an increase in force at a constant [Ca2+]i which could be partially reversed by cAMP or cGMP. These results indicate that second messengers exert direct control over smooth muscle Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile elements, which is of physiologic and pharmacologic importance.

Animals

New galactosyllactose containing alpha-glycosidic linkage isolated from ovine (Booroola dorset) colostrum.

Three trisaccharides, tetra-, penta-, hexa- and certain higher oligosaccharides were obtained from ovine colostrum as free forms. The chemical structure of the three trisaccharides were determined by methylation and 13C-NMR analyses to be as follows: Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc, Gal beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc (3'-galactosyllactose) and Gal beta 1-6Gal beta 1-4Glc (6'-galactosyllactose). Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc, which had been confirmed as the oligosaccharide portion of a glycolipid prepared biosynthetically from rat spleen or bone marrow, has been identified for the first time from natural sources as a free form. The trisaccharide containing alpha-galactosyl unit is a novel compound in mammalian milk.

Animals

Down-regulation of a Mr 90,000 heat shock cognate protein during granulocytic differentiation in HL-60 human leukemia cells.

Modulation of the synthesis of heat shock proteins in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells during differentiation was studied by metabolic labeling with [35S]methionine and Northern blot analysis. HL-60 cells were found to synthesize constitutively a high level of a Mr 90,000 protein (heat shock cognate protein, hsc90), which was very closely related to Mr 90,000 heat shock protein, hsp90, as far as molecular weight, isoelectric point, peptide maps, immunoreactivity, and encoded mRNA were concerned. Differentiation induction by dimethyl sulfoxide markedly decreased the level of the hsc90 expression, but preserved the ability to preferentially express hsp90 in response to heat stress. These results suggest distinct regulatory mechanisms of the synthesis between hsc90 and hsp90 although they are indistinguishable by conventional protein or mRNA analysis, and indicate that hsc90 has some role in cell growth and differentiation.

Cell Differentiation

Rejoining between 9q+ and Philadelphia chromosomes results in normal-looking chromosomes 9 and 22 in Ph1-negative chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Rearrangement of the breakpoint cluster region (bcr) and the chromosomal location of c-abl and 3'-bcr were studied in two patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-negative chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). One patient (patient 1) had a normal karyotype and the other (patient 2), 46,XY,inv(3)(q21q26). Both patients showed the bcr rearrangement by Southern blot analysis with a 1.2kb 3'-bcr probe. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated the location of the homologous sequences of bcr on chromosome 22 in patient 1, and on chromosomes 9 and 22 in patient 2. These findings indicate that the morphologically normal-looking chromosomes 9 and 22 in patient 2 are the result of a retranslocation between chromosomes 9q+ and 22q-, abnormalities which were first formed by a standard Ph1 translocation.

Adult

Histamine-induced calcium transients in vascular smooth muscle cells: effects of verapamil and diltiazem.

We investigated the effects of verapamil and diltiazem on histamine-induced Ca2+ transients in vascular smooth muscle. 1) With the use of quin2 microfluorometry, cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations were directly measured in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells of the rat aorta. In the presence of extracellular Ca2+, histamine induced an elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations of a peak and plateau type. The peak component is due to a release of Ca2+ from cellular store sites, and the plateau component depends on extracellular Ca2+. Verapamil and diltiazem inhibited the plateau component, and the 50% inhibitive concentration (IC50) of verapamil and diltiazem for 10 microM histamine was 0.09 and 0.18 microM, respectively. Only at high concentrations did verapamil (IC50 = 8.7 microM) and diltiazem (IC50 = 95.7 microM) inhibit the Ca2+ release from the cellular store sites, as induced by 10 microM histamine. 2) Histamine, verapamil, and diltiazem competed with [3H]mepyramine for binding to the porcine aortic membranes, the order of potency being verapamil (Ki = 7.1 microM) greater than histamine (Ki = 18 microM) greater than diltiazem (Ki = 114 microM). From these results, we conclude that verapamil and diltiazem strongly inhibit the histamine-mediated, extracellular Ca2+-dependent intracellular [Ca2+] increase. In addition, verapamil and diltiazem seem to inhibit the release of Ca2+ from intracellular store sites, only at high concentrations, and probably by competing with histamine for binding to the H1-receptor. The inhibitory effects of Ca2+ antagonists on the histamine-induced contraction or spasm of vascular smooth muscle may well relate to these mechanisms.

Aminoquinolines

Bone marrow stromal cells in myeloproliferative disorders.

The number of bone marrow-derived fibroblastoid colony-forming cells (CFU-F) and the production of colony-stimulating activity (CSA) by bone marrow stromal cells were studied in 71 patients with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). The numbers of CFU-F in chronic-phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) were not different from those in normal subjects. However, the number of CFU-F in acute-phase CML was markedly decreased. Bone marrow adipocyte colony-forming capacity (adipo-CFC), which was previously shown to reflect both the number of preadipocytes and the stromal cell function in vivo, was increased in patients with chronic-phase CML, PV and ET, but was absent in acute-phase CML patients. The production of CSA by marrow stromal cells of MPD patients, however, was not different from that of normal subjects. These results suggest that the characteristics of marrow stromal and its precursor cells of chronic-phase MPD patients were not different from those of normal subjects, however, they became changed in acute-phase CML patients.

Adipose Tissue