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Biomedical subjects

Koichi Shudo

Publications and source records attributed to Koichi Shudo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A new RXR agonist, HX630, suppresses intimal hyperplasia in a mouse blood flow cessation model.

The nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR) forms heterodimers with other nuclear receptors and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. RXR is implicated in the progression of arteriosclerosis; however, the effects of selective RXR activation on smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation are unknown. We synthesized a novel RXR agonist, HX630, and examined its effect on vascular SMC (VSMC) proliferation. Male C57BL/6 mice (n=15) were subjected to ligation of the left carotid artery and fed 5 or 10 mg/kg/day HX630 for 4 weeks. HX630-fed mice showed significantly suppressed intimal hyperplasia progression compared to that in control mice (0.286+/-0.093 vs. 1.022+/-0.134 intima/media ratio, P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry of the carotid artery showed that HX630 suppressed cytokine and adhesion molecule staining in lesions undergoing intimal thickening. Interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced VSMC proliferation was inhibited by HX630 and the expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein in VSMCs was suppressed. The RXR agonist HX630 exerts antiproliferative effects in VSMCs in vivo and in vitro. Thus, the RXR may serve as a therapeutic target for vascular injury and intimal thickening.

Animals↗

Synthetic retinoid Am80 reduces scavenger receptor expression and atherosclerosis in mice by inhibiting IL-6.

BACKGROUND: Macrophage scavenger receptors facilitate the uptake of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL), formation of foam cells, and development of atherosclerosis. Given that proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, can modulate the macrophage foaming process, the aim of the present study was to determine whether the synthetic retinoic acid receptor-alpha/beta-specific agonist Am80, which is also an IL-6 inhibitor, can modulate macrophage lipid accumulation and foam cell formation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Am80 suppressed IL-6 production induced by 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or angiotensin II in mouse Raw264 macrophages. It also suppressed expression of the 2 major scavenger receptors (scavenger receptor-A [SR-A] and CD36), in part by inhibiting IL-6, and inhibited macrophage foam cell formation. Systemic administration of Am80 led to reductions in the areas of atherosclerotic lesions and foam cell accumulation in the aortas of apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice and reduced serum concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1beta without affecting body weights, serum lipid profiles or IL-10 levels. CONCLUSIONS: Am80 suppresses scavenger receptor expression and macrophage foam cell formation in vitro and prevents atherogenesis in apoE-deficient mice in vivo. This suggests Am80 is a novel candidate agent that could be highly useful in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Animals↗

[Retinoid therapy for autoimmune diseases].

Retinoid is a collective term for compounds which bind to and activate retinoic acid receptors (RARalpha, beta, gamma and RXRalpha, beta, gamma), members of nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. The most important endogeneous retinoid is all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) which is an RARalpha, beta and gamma ligand. ATRA and its mimics have been in clinical use for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and some skin diseases. Many synthetic retinoids have been developed and attempts to improve their medicinal properties have been made. Among them, tamibarotene (Am80) is an RARalpha- and RARbeta-specific (but RARgamma- and RXRs-nonbinding) synthetic retinoid that is effective in the treatment of psoriasis patients and relapsed APL. Experimentally, this compound is also active in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. On this background, possible application of retinoids for the treatment of autoimmune diseases was discussed. In particular, Th1 dominant autoimmune diseases may be the targets of the retinoids.

Animals↗

Synthetic retinoid Am80 suppresses smooth muscle phenotypic modulation and in-stent neointima formation by inhibiting KLF5.

Modulation of smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype plays a central role in neointima formation. We recently demonstrated that Am80, a synthetic retinoic acid receptor alpha-specific agonist, inhibits the activity of the transcription factor KLF5, which is essential for neointima formation after vascular injury. In the present study, we aimed to further analyze the mechanism by which Am80 inhibits KLF5 and the effects of inhibiting KLF5 on SMCs and vascular lesion formation, as well as to evaluate potential of Am80 for use in the prevention of in-stent neointima formation. We found that Am80 inhibited both the expression and transcriptional function of KLF5. Of particular interest was our finding that KLF5 forms a transcriptionally active complex with unliganded RAR/RXR heterodimer on the PDGF-A promoter; Am80 disrupts this complex, thereby inhibiting KLF5-dependent transcriptional activation. Knocking down KLF5 using small interfering RNA suppressed serum-induced downregulation of SMC differentiation marker gene expression in cultured SMCs, and haploinsufficiency of KLF5 in mice attenuated phenotypic modulation of SMCs after vascular injury, indicating that KLF5 plays a key role in the control of SMC phenotype. Am80 augmented expression of the SMC differentiation marker genes in culture and within the vessel walls, and oral administration of Am80 significantly inhibited in-stent neointima formation in a rabbit stent-placement model. Taken together, these results demonstrate that KLF5 plays an important role in the control of SMC phenotype after vascular injury and suggest the feasibility of using Am80, delivered systemically and/or with a drug eluting stent, to prevent in-stent neointima formation.

Actins↗

RXR agonist enhances the differentiation of cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells in serum-free conditions.

Signaling from the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) is essential for cardiovascular morphogenesis in vivo. RAR and/or RXR signaling can also enhance the in vitro induction of cardiomyocytes from murine embryonic stem (ES) cells in the presence of serum. The present study examined the effect of RXR agonist that was specifically bound to RXRs on the differentiation of mouse ES cells into cardiomyocytes in vitro in the absence of serum. The number of beating embryoid body-like spheres (EBSs) derived from the ES cells increased significantly following treatment with PA024, an RXR agonist. In contrast, when EBSs were treated with PA452, which was specifically bound to RXR and worked as an antagonist, the number of beating EBSs was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that RXR signaling regulates cardiomyocyte numbers during the differentiation of ES cells in vitro and probably in normal development.

Animals↗

HX531, a retinoid X receptor antagonist, inhibited the 9-cis retinoic acid-induced binding with steroid receptor coactivator-1 as detected by surface plasmon resonance.

HX531 is a retinoid X receptor (RXR) antagonist that inhibits 9-cis retinoic acid-induced neutrophilic differentiation of HL-60 cells. In order to elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of HX531, we have developed a novel ligand sensor assay for RXR in which the receptor-coactivator interaction is directly monitored using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology. A 20-mer peptide from steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), containing nuclear receptor interaction motif LXXLL was immobilized on the surface of a BIAcore sensor chip. Injection of human recombinant RXR with or without 9-cis retinoic acid resulted in ligand-dependent interaction with the SRC-1 peptide. Kinetic analysis revealed dissociation constants (KD) of 9-cis RA-preincubated RXR to SRC-1 was 5.92 x 10(-8)M. Using this technique, we found that 1 microM HX531 reduced the ka value of liganded-RXR with SRC-1, suggesting that HX531 reduced the affinity of RXR to SRC-1. This SPR assay system was applied to obtain quantitative kinetic data of RXR ligand binding to the SRC-1 peptide and the alteration of these data by antagonists.

Alitretinoin↗

Differential modulation of PI3-kinase/Akt pathway during all-trans retinoic acid- and Am80-induced HL-60 cell differentiation revealed by DNA microarray analysis.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and Am80 are natural and synthetic derivatives of Vitamin A and have been used in the fields of oncology and dermatology for years. Their action was considered to be achieved mainly through binding to nuclear hormone receptors, retinoic acid receptors (RARs), although they have been observed to have different biological effects. For example, the two compounds have similar effects on differentiation but different effects on proliferation in human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 cells. To elucidate the genes responsible for this and other differences, we attempted for the first time to determine the genes whose expressions were differentially modulated during the time course of HL-60 cell differentiation by ATRA and Am80 treatment up to 72h utilizing DNA microarray and clustering analyses. As a result, the expressions of 204 genes were found to be modulated differentially by ATRA and Am80. Among them, we focused on two components of the PI3-kinase/Akt signal transduction pathway, phosphoinositide-3-kinase, beta-catalytic subunit and ribosomal protein S6 kinase polypeptide 1, which are related to the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Their expressions were specifically suppressed by ATRA, which coincided with the suppressive effects of ATRA on the HL-60 cell proliferation. Moreover, PI3-kinase inhibitors suppressed the proliferation of Am80-treated cells to the same extent as ATRA did. These results indicated that these gene products play a role in HL-60 cell growth suppression during the late stage of differentiation. The complete data and a list of the genes are available at .

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Docosahexaenoic acid reduces haloperidol-induced dyskinesias in mice: involvement of Nur77 and retinoid receptors.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of schizophrenia's symptoms with typical antipsychotic drugs shows some efficacy, but the induction of extrapyramidal symptoms represents a serious handicap, which considerably limits their usefulness. Recent evidence suggests that Nur77 (nerve growth factor-induced B) and retinoids are involved in biochemical and behavioral effects of antipsychotic drugs associated with striatal functions. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of retinoid ligands on oral dyskinesias (vacuous chewing movements) induced by haloperidol in wild-type and Nur77-deficient mice. RESULTS: Nur77 gene ablation (knockout) or administration of a retinoid antagonist induced vacuous chewing movements and exacerbated those induced by haloperidol, whereas the retinoid agonist docosahexaenoic acid (an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid) reduced them. Both the prodyskinetic effect of the retinoid antagonist and the antidyskinetic effect of docosahexaenoic acid are dependent on the presence of Nur77, since these drugs remained inactive in Nur77 knockout mice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that nuclear receptors Nur77 and retinoid X receptor are involved in haloperidol-induced dyskinesias and that retinoid agonists may represent a new way to improve typical antipsychotic drug therapy.

Analysis of Variance↗

Identification of intermediates in the bile acid synthetic pathway as ligands for the farnesoid X receptor.

Bile acid synthesis from cholesterol is tightly regulated via a feedback mechanism mediated by the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor activated by bile acids. Synthesis via the classic pathway is initiated by a series of cholesterol ring modifications and followed by the side chain cleavage. Several intermediates accumulate or are excreted as end products of the pathway in diseases involving defective bile acid biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated the ability of these intermediates to activate human FXR. In a cell-based reporter assay and coactivator recruitment assays in vitro, early intermediates possessing an intact cholesterol side chain were inactive, whereas 26- or 25-hydroxylated bile alcohols and C27 bile acids were highly efficacious ligands for FXR at a level comparable to that of the most potent physiological ligand, chenodeoxycholic acid. Treatment of HepG2 cells with these precursors repressed the rate-limiting cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase mRNA level and induced the small heterodimer partner and the bile salt export pump mRNA, indicating the ability to regulate bile acid synthesis and excretion. Because 26-hydroxylated bile alcohols and C27 bile acids are known to be evolutionary precursors of bile acids in mammals, our findings suggest that human FXR may have retained affinity to these precursors during evolution.

Bile Acids and Salts↗

Improvement in reliability of probabilistic test of significant differences in GeneChip experiments.

A probabilistic test (FUMI theory) for GeneChip experiments has been proposed for selecting the genes which show significant differences in the gene expression levels between a single pair of treatment and control. This paper describes that the reliability of the judgment by the FUMI theory can be enhanced, when the selected genes are referred to biomolecular-functional networks of a commercial database. The genes judged as being differently expressed are grouped into a cluster in the biomolecular networks. It is also demonstrated that false positive genes have a trend in the networks to be isolated from each other, and also away from the clustered genes, since the false positive genes are randomly selected.

Algorithms↗

In vitro farnesoid X receptor ligand sensor assay using surface plasmon resonance and based on ligand-induced coactivator association.

Ligand binding to nuclear receptors leads to a conformational change that increases the affinity of the receptors to coactivator proteins. We have developed a ligand sensor assay for farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in which the receptor-coactivator interaction can be directly monitored using surface plasmon resonance biosensor technology. A 25-mer peptide from coactivator SRC1 containing the LXXLL nuclear receptor interaction motif was immobilized on the surface of a BIAcore sensor chip. Injection of the FXR ligand binding domain (FXRLBD) with or without the most potent natural ligand, chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), over the surface of the chip resulted in a ligand- and LXXLL motif-dependent interaction. Kinetic analysis revealed that CDCA and its conjugates decreased the equilibrium dissociation constant (K(d)) by 8-11-fold, indicating an increased affinity. Using this technique, we found that a synthetic bile acid sulfonate, 3alpha,7alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholane-24-sulfonate, which was inactive in a FXR response element-driven luciferase assay using CV-1 cells, caused the most potent interaction, comparable to the reaction produced by CDCA. This method provides a rapid and reliable in vitro ligand assay for FXR. This kinetic analysis-featured technique may be applicable to mechanistic studies.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Effect of synthetic retinoid, TAC-101, on experimental autoimmune disease.

The effect of 4-[3,5-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamido] benzoic acid (TAC-101), one of the synthetic retinoids, on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats was studied. TAC-101 at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg clearly inhibited the development of CIA in terms of the swelling of fore- and hind-limbs and bone destruction in knee joints. TAC-101 also suppressed the production of anti-type II collagen (CII) IgG antibody and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) against CII. In addition, TAC-101 delayed the onset and development of EAE but did not affect the maximum symptom of EAE in rats. The elevation of serum antimyelin basic protein (MBP) antibody and DTH to MBP on day 13 clearly suppressed by TAC-101 in EAE rats. Moreover, TAC-101 inhibited the IL-1beta-induced PGE(2) production by MG-63 cells, human osteoblast-like cells, through the suppression of cyclooxygenase II mRNA expression. These findings suggest that TAC-101 inhibits CIA in mice and EAE in rats due to the suppression of immune response to auto-antigen and the production of PGE(2).

Animals↗

Test of significant differences with a priori probability in microarray experiments.

A traditional method for comparing two expression levels of genes in microarray experiments is the two-sample t-test. Because of the difficulty in using a large number of microarrays, an alternative method is required which can provide a reliable judgment of the comparison from a small number of replicates, even from a single pair of control and treatment. We present a method for detecting the changes in the gene expression levels under two different conditions in microarray experiments. Our method targets a single experiment for each condition, while retaining the statistical advantages of the t-test. The new proposals are: 1) standard deviation (SD) estimates of the expression levels which are an indicator for significant differences are given a priori as a function of the expression levels; 2) the limit of detection (LOD) for the expression levels is used to eliminate the majority of genes expressed at extremely low levels. The a priori SD estimates are obtained from six replicates under a fixed condition and are shown to be the approximate, but proper description of the expression uncertainty covering diverse conditions (e.g., different samples (human and rat) and different DNA chips). The LOD is defined as three times blank SD according to the IUPAC recommendation. A cell line (HL60) which will undergo macrophage differentiation on treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) is taken as an example. Our method is compared with the t-test for the data on duplicate TPA experiments and the former alone is evaluated with the data on a single TPA experiment. The errors from sample preparation and instrumental analysis are discussed.

Animals↗

Clinically potential subclasses of retinoid synergists revealed by gene expression profiling.

Retinoids have chemopreventive and therapeutic potency in oncology and dermatology, although their application is restricted by many undesirable side effects. For the development of more effective and less toxic retinoids, gene expression analyses using DNA microarrays have the potential to supplement conventional screening methods, which are based on the changes in cell morphology and/or function. In this study, we applied the class prediction algorithm, which was used in the molecular phenotyping of tumors, for the classification of synthetic retinoids (Am80 and Tp80) and retinoid synergists (HX630, TZ335, and PA024) as all-trans retinoic acid-like, 9-cis retinoic acid-like, and control-like classes. By analyzing the effects of all-trans retinoic acid and 9-cis retinoic acid on the gene expressions in a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL60, we successfully selected 50 marker genes whose expression pattern could distinguish these classes. Moreover, the classification revealed the existence of two subclasses among the retinoid synergists used with Am80. Close inspection of the DNA microarray analyses indicated that these two subclasses had different effects on the apoptosis of HL60 cells, and this was confirmed by in vivo experiments. These results indicate that the retinoidal activity of Am80, which has already been used in clinical trials, could be modulated differently by the two classes of retinoid synergists. Thus, these two subclasses of retinoid synergists have the potency to widen the usage of Am80. Our analyses demonstrated that the gene expression profiling could provide important information for developing useful retinoid synergists by compensating conventional screening methods.

Alitretinoin↗

Determination of endogenous levels of retinoic acid isomers in type II diabetes mellitus patients. Possible correlation with HbA1c values.

A sensitive HPLC method for simultaneous determination of endogenous levels of all-trans-(ATRA), 13-cis-(13cRA), and 9-cis-retinoic acids (9cRA) was applied to serum samples from healthy volunteers and type II diabetes mellitus patients. Levels of 9cRA (around 0.2 ng/ml in both groups) were below the limit of quantification. The concentrations of ATRA and 13cRA were reliably quantified, and the within-day and between-days variances indicated that they were well maintained with little variation. Concentrations of serum ATRA and 13cRA of diabetic patients (ATRA: 1.76 +/- 0.54 ng/ml; 13cRA: 1.77 +/- 0.39ng/ml, n=13) were rather lower than those of healthy subjects (ATRA: 2.08 +/- 0.53 ng/ml; 13cRA: 2.05 +/- 0.26 ng/ml, n = 18), but the differences were not significant, except for the sum of ATRA and 13cRA (p = 0.033). Interestingly, the serum levels of retinoic acids in diabetic patients correlated positively with the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values (ATRA: r = 0.57, p < 0.05; 13cRA: r = 0.62, p < 0.05). The results warrant further studies on the possible involvement of uncontrolled serum retinoic acids levels in the pathogenesis and/or treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

Superacid-Catalyzed Reaction of Substituted Benzaldehydes with Benzene.

Benzaldehydes bearing an electron-withdrawing group reacted with 2 equiv of benzene in the presence of a superacid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, to give substituted triphenylmethane in good yields. On the other hand, benzaldehydes bearing an electron-donating or a neutral group reacted under the similar conditions to give unsubstituted diphenylmethane and triphenylmethanol, together with substituted benzene. We propose a new mechanism of this reaction, which involves transalkylation as the key step.

Journal Article↗