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Biomedical subjects

Kiyoshi Yamaguchi

Publications and source records attributed to Kiyoshi Yamaguchi.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

High-grade gliomas derived from an ovarian mature teratoma: clonal dynamics and genetic insights.

UNLABELLED: High-grade glioma (HGG) arising from a mature ovarian teratoma is extremely rare and its genetic alterations remain largely unknown. We report a case of WHO Grade 4 HGG (HGG-G4) developing 3 years after cystectomy for ovarian mature teratoma, where a WHO Grade 3 HGG (HGG-G3) was identified upon pathological reevaluation. Whole-exome sequencing confirmed the clonal relationship between HGG-G3 and HGG-G4, revealing genome-wide copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, copy-number alterations, and whole-genome doubling in both HGGs. Genomic and epigenetic analyses have suggested multistep tumorigenesis and clonal alteration during the clinical course, particularly in response to chemotherapy, in HGGs arising from ovarian teratomas. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13691-025-00790-x.

High-grade glioma↗

Growth inhibition and apoptosis by (-)-epicatechin gallate are mediated by cyclin D1 suppression in head and neck squamous carcinoma cells.

In recent studies, green tea components have been shown to induce cell growth arrest and apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. In this report, we have investigated the effects of epicatechin gallate (ECG), one of the catechins in green tea, on anti-cancer activity in vitro. We found that cyclin D1 was highly expressed in HNSCC cells, and ECG suppressed 90% of cyclin D1 expression in SCC7 cells. We have also evaluated the effect of ECG on cell growth and apoptosis, showing that ECG (50 microM) exhibited a significant inhibition (50%) on the growth of SCC7 cells via G1 cell cycle arrest. ECG suppressed cyclin D1 in SCC7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the suppression of the beta-catenin pathway by ECG is one of the mechanism to facilitate ECG-induced cell growth arrest. These results suggest that ECG has a potential usage as a chemopreventive agent in HNSCC.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 over expression in transgenic mice suppresses intestinal neoplasia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) was identified as a proapoptotic, antitumorigenic protein in vitro, induced by many antitumorigenic and chemopreventive drugs including cyclooxygenase inhibitors. However, its antitumorigenic activity has not been elucidated in vivo. METHODS: Transgenic mice were generated that ubiquitously overexpress human NAG-1 under the control of a chicken beta-actin promoter (CAG). The NAG-1 transgenic mice (NAG-(Tg+)) were characterized, and then the antitumorigenic activity was evaluated with 2 colorectal carcinogenesis models: chemical induction with azoxymethane and genetic induction using the Apc(Min+) mutation. RESULTS: NAG-(Tg+) showed no apparent phenotype other than a reduction in body weight, particularly in males. To examine whether NAG-1 expression would suppress intestinal tumorigenesis, the NAG-(Tg+) mice were treated with the colorectal carcinogen azoxymethane. NAG-(Tg+) mice developed 50% fewer aberrant crypt foci and no tumors, in comparison with nontransgenic littermates. This result demonstrates that expression of this human protein in vivo can suppress chemically induced carcinogenesis in the colon. The NAG-(Tg+) mice were also crossed with Apc(Min+) mice to determine the effect of the transgene on intestinal polyp formation. NAG-(Tg+) mice heterozygous for the Apc(Min+) mutation had a significantly reduced polyp load (60%) compared with nontransgenic Apc(Min+) littermates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support NAG-1 as an important regulator of intestinal adenoma growth in vivo and suggest that NAG-1 may act as a tumor suppressor gene.

Animals↗

Activating transcription factor 3 and early growth response 1 are the novel targets of LY294002 in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent pathway.

LY294002, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, has been widely used to study the function of PI3K in cellular responses. Based on its inhibitory effect on PI3K, LY294002 has been shown to exert antitumorigenic effect in vivo and in vitro. Here, we report that LY294002 alters early growth response 1 (EGR-1) phosphorylation and subsequently enhances activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression independently of PI3K inhibition. This pathway may be, in part, responsible for the antitumorigenic effect of LY294002 in human colorectal cancer cells. ATF3 expression was increased by LY294002, followed by the induction of apoptosis in several colorectal cancer cell lines. This is consistent with results showing that the down-regulation of the ATF3 gene by small interfering RNA suppressed LY294002-induced apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. On the other hand, ATF3 expression was not affected by another PI3K inhibitor, wortmannin, as well as phosphatase and tensin homologue or dominant-negative Akt overexpression. We also found that LY294002 increases ATF3 promoter activity and the transactivation is partly mediated by a GC-rich sequence located in the promoter. EGR-1 binds to the ATF3 promoter as assessed by gel shift assay. Furthermore, phosphorylated EGR-1 was highly increased in LY294002-treated cells, indicating that EGR-1 phosphorylation induced by LY294002 may facilitate ATF3 transactivation. Our data suggest that EGR-1 acts as a mediator in LY294002-induced ATF3 expression via a PI3K-independent pathway. ATF3 and EGR-1 may provide a novel explanation for the antitumorigenic properties of LY294002 in human colorectal cancer cells.

Activating Transcription Factor 3↗

A novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligand, MCC-555, induces apoptosis via posttranscriptional regulation of NAG-1 in colorectal cancer cells.

Apoptosis and/or differentiation induction caused by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligand is a promising approach to cancer therapy. The thiazolidinedione derivative MCC-555 has an apoptotic activity in human colorectal cancer cells, accompanied by up-regulation of a proapoptotic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) in a PPARgamma-independent manner. Treatment with MCC-555 resulted in the induction of NAG-1 expression and apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. Down-regulation of NAG-1 by small interfering RNA suppressed MCC-555-induced apoptosis. MCC-555 was found to affect NAG-1 mRNA stability. To further define the underlying mechanism of RNA stability affected by MCC-555, we cloned the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of human NAG-1 mRNA, which contains four copies of an AU-rich element (ARE), downstream from the luciferase gene. The reporter activity was reduced to approximately 70% by inserting the 3'UTR. In addition, deletion of ARE sequences in the 3'UTR or MCC-555 treatment substantially restored activity. This effect of MCC-555 on the ARE-mediated mRNA degradation was inhibited by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway inhibitors. Subsequently, rapid phosphorylation of ERK1/2 by MCC-555 treatment was detected. Moreover, ERK small interfering RNA suppressed MCC-555-induced NAG-1 expression. These results suggest that ARE sequences in the 3'UTR of the NAG-1 gene contribute to mRNA degradation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation is responsible for the stabilization of NAG-1 mRNA. These findings may provide a novel explanation for the antitumorigenic and/or proapoptotic action of MCC-555 in human colorectal cancer and the ability of pharmacologic approaches to be used against diseases caused by alterations of RNA stability.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Anti-proliferative effect of horehound leaf and wild cherry bark extracts on human colorectal cancer cells.

Marubium vulgare (horehound) and Prunus serotina (wild cherry) have been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory-related symptoms such as cold, fever, and sore throat. In this report, we show that extracts of anti-inflammatory horehound leaves and wild cherry bark exhibit anti-proliferative activity in human colorectal cancer cells. Both horehound and wild cherry extracts cause suppression of cell growth as well as induction of apoptosis. We found that horehound extract up-regulates pro-apoptotic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) through transactivation of the NAG-1 promoter. In contrast, wild cherry extract decreased cyclin D1 expression and increased NAG-1 expression in HCT-116 and SW480 cell lines. Treatment with wild cherry extract resulted in the suppression of beta-catenin/T cell factor transcription, as assessed by TOP/FOP reporter constructs, suggesting that suppressed beta-catenin signaling by wild cherry extract leads to the reduction of cyclin D1 expression. Our data suggest the mechanisms by which these extracts suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis involve enhanced NAG-1 expression and/or down-regulation of beta-catenin signaling, followed by reduced cyclin D1 expression in human colorectal cancer cells. These findings may provide mechanisms for traditional anti-inflammatory products as cancer chemopreventive agents.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

Conjugated linoleic acid stimulates an anti-tumorigenic protein NAG-1 in an isomer specific manner.

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), naturally occurring fatty acids in ruminant food products, have anti-tumorigenic and pro-apoptotic properties in animal as well as in vitro models of cancer. However, the cellular mechanism has not been fully understood. NAG-1 (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1) is induced by several dietary compounds and belongs to a TGF-beta superfamily gene associated with pro-apoptotic and anti-tumorigenic activities. The present study was performed to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which CLA stimulates anti-tumorigenic activity in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The trans-10, cis-12-CLA (t10,c12-CLA) repressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, whereas linoleic acid or c9,t11-CLA showed no effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis. We also found that t10,c12-CLA induced the expression of a pro-apoptotic gene, NAG-1, in human CRC cells. Inhibition of NAG-1 expression by small interference RNA (siRNA) results in repression of t10,c12-CLA-induced apoptosis. Microarray analysis using t10,c12-CLA-treated HCT-116 cells revealed that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was induced and its expression was confirmed by western analysis. The t10,c12-CLA treatment followed by the overexpression of ATF3 increased NAG-1 promoter activity in HCT-116 cells. We further provide the evidence that t10,c12-CLA inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and the blockage of GSK-3 by siRNA abolished t10,c12-CLA-induced ATF3 and NAG-1 expression. The current study demonstrates that t10,c12-CLA stimulates ATF3/NAG-1 expression and subsequently induces apoptosis in an isomer specific manner. These effects may be through inhibition of AKT/GSK-3beta pathway in human CRC cells.

Activating Transcription Factor 3↗

Indole-3-carbinol and 3,3'-diindolylmethane induce expression of NAG-1 in a p53-independent manner.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), present in cruciferous vegetables, and its major in vivo product 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), have been reported to suppress cancer development. However, the responsible molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 (NAG-1) is a TGF-beta superfamily gene associated with pro-apoptotic and anti-tumorigenic activities. The present study was performed to investigate whether I3C and DIM influence NAG-1 expression and to provide the potential molecular mechanism of their effects on anti-tumorigenesis. The I3C repressed cell proliferation and induced NAG-1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, DIM increased the expression of NAG-1 as well as activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), and the induction of ATF3 was earlier than that of NAG-1. The DIM treatment increased luciferase activity of NAG-1 in HCT-116 cells transfected with NAG-1 promoter construct. The results suggest that I3C represses cell proliferation through up-regulation of NAG-1 and that ATF3 may play a pivotal role in DIM-induced NAG-1 expression in human colorectal cancer cells. Furthermore, the mixture of I3C with resveratrol enhances NAG-1 expression, suggesting the synergistic effect of these two unrelated compounds on NAG-1 expression.

Activating Transcription Factor 3↗

Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the activation of early growth response-1 and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental and food contaminants with known or suspected carcinogenic properties. In this study, we have evaluated whether PAHs activate the early growth response (EGR-1) gene and bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) and delta (PPAR beta/delta) in cell culture systems. Luciferase reporter systems were employed and several PAHs were evaluated for their ability to activate EGR-1 and PPARs. Some PAHs enhanced EGR-1 expression and activated PPAR alpha and PPAR beta. Among them, benz(a)anthracene was found to act as a relatively potent activator of PPAR alpha and PPAR beta/delta, and to significantly enhance EGR-1 transcription. These in vitro assays were confirmed by Western blot analysis, using cell lysates of tissue samples from mouse trapped at a highly contaminated Superfund site in the Chattanooga Creek floodplain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We have found that a PPAR target gene, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), was down-regulated and EGR-1 was up-regulated in the mouse samples of Chattanooga Creek. In addition, select PAHs repressed GSK-3beta and induced CYP4A in FaO rat hepatoma cells. In conclusion, PAHs activate PPAR alpha and PPAR beta/delta, and up-regulate EGR-1 expression in vitro as well as in vivo. These data may provide a diversity of PAH activity in several biological pathways.

Animals↗

Identification of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) as a novel downstream target of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/GSK-3beta pathway.

The signaling pathway of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, which is involved in cell survival, proliferation, and growth, has become a major focus in targeting cancer therapeutics. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) was previously identified as a gene induced by several anti-tumorigenic compounds including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligands, and dietary compounds. NAG-1 has been shown to exhibit anti-tumorigenic and/or pro-apoptotic activities in vivo and in vitro. In this report, we showed a PI3K/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) pathway regulates NAG-1 expression in human colorectal cancer cells as assessed by the inhibition of PI3K, AKT, and GSK-3beta. PI3K inhibition by LY294002 showed an increase in NAG-1 protein and mRNA expression, and 1l-6-hydroxymethyl-chiro-inositol 2(R)-2-O-methyl-3-O-octadecylcarbonate (AKT inhibitor) also induced NAG-1 expression. LY294002 caused increased apoptosis, cell cycle, and cell growth arrest in HCT-116 cells. Inhibition of GSK-3beta, which is negatively regulated by AKT, using AR-A014418 and lithium chloride completely abolished LY294002-induced NAG-1 expression as well as the NAG-1 promoter activity. Furthermore, the down-regulation of GSK-3 gene using small interference RNA resulted in a decline of the NAG-1 expression in the presence of LY294002. These data suggest that expression of NAG-1 is regulated by PI3K/AKT/GSK-3beta pathway in HCT-116 cells and may provide a further understanding of the important role of PI3K/AKT/GSK-3beta pathway in tumorigenesis.

Apoptosis↗

Selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs induce thymosin beta-4 and alter actin cytoskeletal organization in human colorectal cancer cells.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for their anti-inflammatory effects and have been shown to have chemopreventive effects as well. NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) activity to exert their anti-inflammatory effects, but it is not clear whether their antitumorigenic ability is through COX inhibition. Using subtractive hybridization, we previously identified a novel member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily that has antitumorigenic activity from indomethacin-treated HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells. On further investigation of this library, we now report the identification of a new cDNA corresponding to the thymosin beta-4 gene. Thymosin beta-4 is a small peptide that is known for its actin-sequestering function, and it is associated with the induction of angiogenesis, accelerated wound healing, and metastatic potential of tumor cells. However, only selective NSAIDs induce thymosin beta-4 expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. For example, indomethacin and SC-560 [5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole] induce thymosin beta-4 expression whereas sulindac sulfide does not. We show that selective NSAIDs induce actin cytoskeletal reorganization, a precursory step to many dynamic processes regulating growth and motility including tumorigenesis. This is the first report to link thymosin beta-4 induction with NSAIDs. These data suggest that NSAIDs alter the expression of a diverse number of genes and provide new insights into the chemopreventive and biological activity of these drugs.

Actins↗