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M Nose

Publications and source records attributed to M Nose.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Formation of reactive oxygen intermediates might be involved in the trypanocidal activity of gallic acid.

We investigated the mechanism of the trypanocidal activity of gallic acid (GA). GA-induced trypanocidal activity was significantly reduced by pretreatment with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and/or catalase. The ESR technique with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) as a spin trapping agent revealed that a DMPO-OH adduct was detected in culture medium containing GA. The intensity of ESR signals of the DMPO-OH adduct was increased in a time dependent manner. SOD also inhibited the formation of GA-induced DMPO-OH adducts. Furthermore, GA enhanced DNA single-strand breaks induced by Fenton reagent. These results suggest the possibility that GA acts as pro-oxidant for trypanocidal activity.

Animals↗

Trypanocidal effects of curcumin in vitro.

During the course of study searching for the antiparasitic agents from natural compounds, we found that curcumin showed cytotoxicity against African trypanosomes in vitro. The LD50 values of curcumin were 4.77 +/- 0.91 microM for bloodstream forms and 46.52 +/- 4.94 microM for procyclic forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei (GUTat 3.1 clone).

Animals↗

Continuous growth of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei in an axenic culture system containing a low concentration of serum.

An effective axenic culture system for bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei GUT at 3.1 containing a low concentration of serum is described. Bloodstream forms routinely maintained in Iscove's modification of Dulbecco's medium supplemented with 100 microM hypoxanthine, 30 microM thymidine, 40 microM adenosine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 50 microM L-glutamine, 100 microM 2-mercaptoethanol and 20% FBS for more than one year were grown in the same medium supplemented with 5% FBS without reducing their growth rate. Then culture adapted trypanosomes in the culture medium containing 5% FBS were transferred into the modified medium supplemented with 0.5% FBS. For the constant growth of bloodstream forms in the medium containing 0.5% FBS, the culture medium was further supplemented with 200 microM L-alanine, 100 microM glycine, 10 microM L-oruithine hydrochloride and 10 microM L-citrullin. The trypanosomes propagated in this culture system for one year retained their infectivity for mice. This culture system was also shown to be useful for cloning of T.b. brucei GUT at 3.1 which is important for separation of mutants.

Animals↗

Antitrypanosomal effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicines on bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in vitro.

The antitrypanosomal activity of traditional Chinese herbal medicines and these crude drug ingredients were determined using axenic cultured bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma b. rhodesiense which is one of the two causative agents of African sleeping sickness in man. The drugs tested were 8 traditional Chinese herbal medicines and these 14 crude drug ingredients. Of these traditional Chinese medicines examined, san'o-shasin-to and oren-gedoku-to showed most potent antitrypanosomal effect. The minimal effective concentration (MEC) which killed all bloodstream form populations within 24 hours of both drug exposure was 125 microg/ml. The 50% effective concentration (EC50) of san'o-shashin-to and oren-gedoku-to was 63 and 74 microg/ml, respectively. In the crude drug ingredients tested, Scutellaria baicalensis G. and Coptis japonica M. which are the main components of san'o-shasin-to and oren-gedoku-to, showed the most powerful antitrypanosomal activity. The MEC and EC50 value of these crude drug ingredients were 30 and 60 microg/ml, and 20 and 36 microg/ml.

Animals↗

Rheumatic diseases in an MRL strain of mice with a deficit in the functional Fas ligand.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize Fas antigen expression on the cell surface, and to determine the effect of this expression in rheumatic diseases using a newly established gld-congenic MRL strain of mice (MRL/gld), which is defective in its functional Fas ligand (Fas-L). METHODS: Flow cytometric analyses of lymphoid cells and macrophages were performed using anti-Fas and other cell surface markers. Histopathologic manifestations were examined using immunochemistry and light and electron microscopy. Serum levels of IgG and anti-DNA antibodies were measured by single radial immunodiffusion and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULTS: MRL/gld mice developed systemic lymphadenopathy with an accumulation of Thy1.2+, B220+ and CD4-, CD8- T cells, which both express the Fas antigen. Splenic B cells positive for surface IgM and/or surface IgD, and resident peritoneal macrophages exhibited up-regulated expression of the Fas antigen, at much higher levels than those observed in MRL/MpJ-+/+ (MRL/+) mice. Forms of rheumatic disease were observed in these mice, although not in C3H/HeJ-gld/gld mice. These forms included diffuse glomerulonephritis, granulomatous arteritis, and arthritis, and were associated with the infiltration of mononuclear cells expressing the Fas antigen. Serum levels of IgG and anti-DNA antibodies were significantly increased in MRL/gld mice compared with MRL/+ mice. CONCLUSION: Rheumatic disease was generated by the gld gene in mice with an MRL background, as it is by the lpr gene, which is a Fas deletion mutant, associated with autoimmune traits. Rheumatic disease in this MRL strain was initiated by an incapacity for Fas/Fas-L-induced apoptosis, resulting in the development of autoimmunity and allowing for a persistent immune response in the affected lesions.

Animals↗

FMLP actions and its binding sites in isolated human coronary arteries.

The chemoattractant f-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP) can modulate human coronary arterial tone without the involvement of peripheral leukocytes. We investigated the actions of FMLP and its cellular mechanism in human coronary arteries isolated 2-3 h after death. A single dose of FMLP (0.01-10 microM) produced transient contraction (or, followed by relaxation) responses in most human coronary rings examined. These responses to FMLP were in large part mediated by the generation of cyclooxygenase products, mainly thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). Radiolabeled N-formyl hexapeptide. 125I-f-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-Tyr-Lys bound densely to intimal and adventitial sites that accumulated macrophages (CD68-positive) with a Kd of 14-29 nM and, further, weakly to the media with a Kd of 2.4-3.6 microM. Several cell types including macrophages, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells were positively immunostained for both TXA2 synthase and PGI2 synthase. However, there was no significant relation between the magnitude of the responses to FMLP and dense macrophage accumulation in the intimal plaques or the adventitia. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed predominant expression of FMLP receptor homologues, FPRH1 and FPRH2 mRNA, in human coronary medial tissues relative to that in leukocytes. In conclusion. FMLP produced transient tension changes in human coronary arteries, mainly via the generation of TXA2 and PGI2. This effect of FMLP did not appear to be mediated by the activation of densely accumulated intimal and/or adventitial macrophages, but by the activation of unidentified medial tissue cells which might have functional FMLP receptor homologues.

Adolescent↗

Accessory parotid gland tumor: a case report.

We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma which was assessed pre-operatively as arising from the accessory parotid gland. Computed tomography (CT)-sialography provided information about the relationship between the tumor and the remaining normal accessory parotid tissue, and fine-needle aspiration of the tumor provided additional information as to the histologic features of the tumor, i.e. it was identified as of salivary origin. Zygomatic and buccal branches of the facial nerve extended over the accessory parotid gland tumor and the parotid duct was located just beneath the tumor. Therefore, pre-operative assessment of the tumor's nature was important for prevention of facial nerve damage and salivary fistula. The normal accessory parotid gland tissue associated with the accessory parotid tumor was histologically different from that of normal parotid gland tissue dissected in other patients with pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland. It is suggested that the difference in cell composition between these glands affects the development of the associated tumors.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

Autologous killing by a population of intermediate T-cell receptor cells and its NK1.1+ and NK1.1- subsets, using Fas ligand/Fas molecules.

Self-reactive clones, estimated by anti-V beta monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in conjunction with the Mls system, are confined to a population of intermediate (int) T-cell receptor (TCR) (or CD3) cells (i.e. TCRint cells), but are not found among TCRhigh cells. The next questions to be answered are whether autologous killing is confined to TCRint cells and how such killing is mediated. In this study, 51Cr-labelled thymocytes of syngeneic or allogeneic origin were used as target cells (4-hr assay). When liver and splenic mononuclear cells (MNC) obtained from B6 mice were used as effector cells, prominent autologous killing was seen in liver MNC, but not splenic MNC. Such killing was not seen when thymocytes from B6-lpr/lpr mice (i.e. Fas-) were used as target cells, nor when liver MNC from MRL-gld/gld mice (i.e. Fas ligand-) were used as effector cells (target thymocytes of MRL(-)+/+ mice). Cell separation experiments using a cell sorter revealed that autologous killing was mediated for the most part by CD3int cells, while allogeneic killing was mediated entirely by natural killer (NK) cells, TCRint cells and TCRhigh cells. Among CD3int cells, the NK1.1+ subset (i.e. NK1.1+ T cells) manifested a higher level of autologous killing than did the NK1.1- subset. Consistent with the results of a functional assay, it was found by reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay that CD3int cells among liver MNC showed the expression of Fas ligand mRNA, while thymocytes expressed Fas mRNA. When class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC)- thymocytes (from beta 2-microglobulin-deficient mice) were used as target cells, NK cells, but not CD3int cells, showed potent cytotoxicity. These results suggest that autologous killing is a major function of TCRint cells with self-reactivity, and that such killing is mediated by means of Fas ligand/Fas molecules.

Animals↗

Amelioration of systemic autoimmune disease by the stimulation of apoptosis-promoting receptor Fas with anti-Fas mAb.

Fas antigen (Fas) is a cell surface receptor molecule that mediates apoptosis-inducing signals into activated and/or autoreactive peripheral T and B cells by stimulation with Fas ligand or agonistic anti-Fas mAb. The i.p. administration of the hamster anti-mouse Fas mAb RK-8, which induced apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro, did not kill adult mice, whereas those given another hamster anti-mouse Fas mAb Jo2 rapidly die of fulminant hepatitis with hemorrhage. Here, we report that MRL-gld/gld mice thoroughly recovered and/or were prevented from glomerulonephritis, arthritis, sialadenitis, vasculitis and lymphoadenopathy after receiving a single administration of the agonistic anti-mouse Fas mAb RK-8. The serum levels of autoantibodies were decreased after the administration. All the therapeutic effects of RK-8 persisted for >6 months. These findings suggest that the systemic administration of agonistic anti-Fas mAb without fulminant hepatitis-inducing activity is a useful therapeutic strategy for treating systemic autoimmune disease.

Animals↗

Alteration of DNA methylation levels in MRL lupus mice.

Recent reports suggest that DNA methylation is involved in the cause of autoimmune disease. We investigated the alteration of DNA methylation levels in lupus strains of mice, MRL/lpr as a model, which develop an age-dependent lymphadenopathy and autoimmune disease. DNA methylation levels of thymus and axillary lymph nodes in 20-week-old MRL/lpr mice, which are in an autoimmune disease state, were lower than those of 4-week-old MRL/lpr mice with no symptoms as yet. No significant changes were observed in MRL/+ strain mice, which seemed normal at least 20 weeks, while DNA methylation levels in the spleen of both strains of mice increased significantly from the age of 4 to 20 weeks. However, no significant changes of DNA methylation levels in peripheral blood were observed with ageing in MRL strains. Moreover, we clarified that administration of 5-azacytidine had a strong effect on longer survival of MRL/lpr mice and reduced DNA methylation levels in the axillary lymph nodes and spleen. The possible relevance of DNA methylation levels to the progression of autoimmune disease is discussed.

Animals↗

Internal iliac arterial infusion chemotherapy for rabbit invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Internal iliac arterial infusion (IA) chemotherapy has been used clinically for locally invasive bladder cancer, but there have been no experimental studies to actually demonstrate whether IA is more effective than intravenous infusion (i.v.) chemotherapy in this setting. METHODS: We compared the effects of IA and i.v. using a rabbit invasive bladder cancer model. A 0.2 mL suspension containing 2 x 10(6) VX2 cancer cells was inoculated into the posterior submucosa of the bladder. Two weeks later the rabbits were divided into 3 treatment groups of 8 rabbits each: controls, a group treated with IA consisting of 10 mg/kg carboplatin and 1 mg/kg pirarubicin once a week for 3 weeks (days 14, 21, and 28), and the third treated with the same regimen intravenously. RESULTS: All bladder tumors of the rabbits in the IA group decreased in size, and 3 of the tumors totally disappeared (37.5%). There was also no evidence of lung metastasis. All tumors in the rabbits in the i.v. treatment group increased in size (tumor volume of IA vs. i.v., P = 0.008) and 2 rabbits had lung metastases. All tumors of the control group increased in size and all rabbits had lung metastases. The concentrations of platinum and pirarubicin in the bladder tumors were significantly higher in the IA treatment group than those in the i.v. treatment group at time points from 5 to 10 minutes (P < 0.05) after drug infusion. CONCLUSION: The antitumor effect of IA may be due to higher drug concentrations in the early stage after drug delivery, and the initial circulation of high concentrations of drugs may be the most important factor in suppressing tumor growth.

Animals↗

Effect of hachimi-jio-gan on immunoglobulin A producing cells in Peyer's patch by oral administration.

We investigated here the effect of Hachimi-jio-gan (HJ), a Japanese and Chinese herbal medicine, on immunoglobulin A (IgA) producing cells in Peyer's patch. The oral administration of HJ (0.1, 0.2, 1.0 g/kg for 2 d) enhanced the IgA producing cells almost 2-fold compared with the control group on days 4 and 5 after the administration. Furthermore, HJ augmented antigen-specific IgA (anti-SRBC IgA) production. These results suggested that HJ acted as a polyclonal B cell activator. To characterize its active ingredients, HJ was fractionated by ethanol precipitation. The crude polysaccharide fraction (EP fraction) showed the ability to augment IgA production, but low molecular weight fraction (ES fraction) did not. These results suggest that the crude polysaccharide fraction might be responsible for the augmentation of IgA production by HJ.

Administration, Oral↗

Effect of karasurin-A on nitric oxide production by murine macrophages and mitogenic response of murine splenocytes in vitro.

We studied the effect of karasurin-A, a type-I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from fresh root tubers of Trichosanches kirilowii MAX. var. japonica KITAMURA, on the mitogenic response of murine splenocytes and nitric oxide (NO) production by murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Karasurin-A inhibited the lymphocyte proliferation by LPS, ConA and PHA and NO production by LPS at non-cytotoxic concentrations (10-1000 ng/ml for splenocytes and 10-100 ng/ml for macrophages, respectively). These data suggest that karasurin-A has immunosuppressive activity in vitro.

Animals↗

The effects of crude polysaccharide fractions of 4 kinds of kampo-hozai administered orally on nitric oxide production by murine peritoneal macrophages.

In order to characterize the pharmacological role of the crude polysaccharide fraction in kampo-hozai, we chose 4 kinds of kampo-hozai, Shosaiko-to, Daisaiko-to, Hachimi-jio-gan and Hochu-ekki-to, and studied the effects of their crude polysaccharide fractions on nitric oxide (NO) production by 3% thioglycollate-induced murine peritoneal macrophage. Oral administration of these fractions for 7 d augmented lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.1-10 micrograms/ml)-induced NO production by peritoneal macrophages. These results suggest the possibility that a crude polysaccharide fraction affect the macrophage function in most kampo-hozai.

Administration, Oral↗

Salazosulfapyridine suppresses chondrocyte mediated degradation induced by interleukin 1beta.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of salazosulfapyridine (SASP) and methotrexate (MTX) on interleukin (IL)-1beta treated rabbit chondrocytes. METHODS: Normal rabbit chondrocytes were cultured to confluency. IL-1beta was added to serum-free culture medium in the presence or absence of SASP or MTX. After 2 days' incubation, the effects were evaluated from the responses of metalloproteinases, glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). RESULTS: SASP and MTX suppressed GAG and collagenase release into the culture medium from IL-1beta stimulated rabbit chondrocytes in a dose dependent manner. Only SASP suppressed stromelysin and PGE2 release. CONCLUSION: SASP may have a protective effect on cartilage degradation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Animals↗

Host modifier genes affect mouse autoimmunity induced by the lpr gene.

A defect in apoptotic signal transmission through CD95 is an essential genetic mechanism for lymphoproliferation and autoimmunities in lpr or gld mice. However, disease manifestations are largely affected by the host genetic background. To identify and map such host genes modifying lpr gene effect, ie, the lpr modifier (Lprm) genes, 82 MRL/lpr x (MRL/lpr x C3H/lpr) F1 mice were subjected to immunopathological and genetical analyses. High-grade vasculitis and glomerulonephritis among backcross mice were observed in separate groups of mice. Microsatellite analysis revealed that there were two host genes affecting the occurrence of vasculitis, Lprm1 (chromosome 4) and Lprm2 (chromosome 3). A recessive MRL allele at Lprm1 enhanced vasculitis to occur in both sexes, whereas that of Lprm2 inhibited its development selectively in females. Genotype combinations of these two genes explained the severity of vasculitis in crosses of MRL/lpr and C3H/lpr mice and also the vasculitis-prone recombinant inbred strain McH5/lpr. A recessive MRL allele at Lprm3 (chromosome 14) suppressed glomerulonephritis. The weight of the spleen was increased by a recessive MRL allele at Lprm4 (chromosome 5) yielding a logarithm of odds score of 2.02 in a quantitative trait locus analysis. In contrast, the weight of axillary lymph nodes was increased by a recessive MRL allele at a locus on chromosome 2, but its presence was not supported by the quantitative trait locus analysis. The titer of anti-dsDNA autoantibody was controlled by the locus Lprm5 on chromosome 16, which had an logarithm of odds score of 3.41. Possible candidate genes for Lprm genes deduced from their map locations are discussed and compared with the autoimmunity genes reported thus far. In conclusion, autoimmune disease manifestations by the lpr mutation are affected by multiple host genes separately.

Animals↗

Thymus transplantation, a critical factor for correction of autoimmune disease in aging MRL/+mice.

MRL/MP-+/+ (MRL/+) mice develop pancreatitis and sialoadenitis after they reach 7 months of age. Conventional bone marrow transplantation has been found to be ineffective in the treatment of these forms of apparent autoimmune disease. Old MRL/+ mice show a dramatic thymic involution with age. Hematolymphoid reconstitution is incomplete when fetal liver cells (as a source of hemopoietic stem cells) plus fetal bone (FB; which is used to recruit stromal cells) are transplanted from immunologically normal C57BL/6 donor mice to MRL/+ female recipients. Embryonic thymus from allogeneic C57BL/6 donors was therefore engrafted along with either bone marrow or fetal hematopoietic cells (FHCs) plus fragments of adult or fetal bone. More than seventy percent of old MRL/+ mice (> 7 months) that had been given a fetal thymus (FT) transplant plus either bone marrow or FHCs and also bone fragments survived more than 100 days after treatment. The mice that received FHCs, FB, plus FT from allogeneic donors developed normal T cell and B cell functions. Serum amylase levels decreased in these mice whereas they increased in the mice that received FHCs and FB but not FT. The pancreatitis and sialoadenitis already present at the time of transplantations were fully corrected according to histological analysis by transplants of allogeneic FHCs, FB and FT in the MRL/+ mice. These findings are taken as an experimental indication that perhaps stem cell transplants along with FT grafts might represent a useful strategy for treatment of autoimmune diseases in aged humans.

Aging↗