Meeting report: mitochondrial DNA and cancer epidemiology.
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DNA, Mitochondrial↗
Biomedical subjects
Masashi Tanaka
Publications and source records attributed to Masashi Tanaka.
Congenital left ventricular diverticulum in an adult.
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Adult↗
Mitochondrial haplogroup N9b is protective against myocardial infarction in Japanese males.
Superoxide, which mitochondria mainly produce in vascular endothelial cells, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Accordingly, mitochondrial functional differences are thought to be one of the most important factors for the risk of myocardial infarction among various individuals. In the present study, we surveyed mitochondrial haplogroups associated with myocardial infarction in Japanese subjects. The study population comprised 2,137 unrelated Japanese individuals, including 1,181 subjects with a first myocardial infarction (920 males, 261 females) and the control subjects (522 males, 434 females). Twenty-eight mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms of 12 major mitochondrial haplogroups (A, B, D4, D5, F, G1, G2, M7a, M7b, M7c, N9a, and N9b) were determined by use of 28-plex PCR and fluorescent beads combined with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and prevalence of smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes, a significantly (P = 0.0019) lower prevalence of haplogroup N9b was detected in subjects with myocardial infarction than in the controls. Especially, the prevalence of this haplogroup was significantly lower (P = 0.0007) in the male subjects with the disease than in the male controls. In contrast, there were trends towards higher prevalence of the disease in haplogroup G1 for males (P < 0.05). No significant haplogroup-related associations were detected for females. Our data suggest that haplogroup N9b confers resistance against myocardial infarction in Japanese males.
Adult↗
A phase II study of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
We conducted this phase II study to explore the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Elderly patients (> or = 70 years old) of stage IIIB, IV, or recurrent NSCLC with PS 0 or 1 were enrolled. Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin at the target dose of the area under the curve (AUC) of six on Day 1 every 28 days for at least two cycles. Forty-two patients were enrolled and 40 patients were treated with a median of three cycles (range, 1-5). The overall response rate (ORR) was 45% (95% confidence interval, 30-60%). The median survival time (MST) was 14 months and the 1-year survival rate was 62%. Twenty-eight patients (70%) had grade 3/4 neutropenia and two patients (5%) experienced grade 3 febrile neutropenia. Non-hematological toxicities were generally mild to moderate and grade 3 peripheral neuropathy was seen in one patient (3%). There was one treatment-related death by infection due to neutropenia. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy was an effective and safe regimen in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. A randomized trial comparing this treatment with the conventional tri-weekly regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin is warranted.
Aged↗
In vitro and in vivo efficacy of a recombinant immunotoxin against folate receptor beta on the activation and proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis synovial cells.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the recombinant immunotoxin dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38, which consists of the disulfide-stabilized Fv fragment (dsFv) of the anti-folate receptor beta (anti-FRbeta) antibody and the 38-kd portion of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE38), on the activation and proliferation of cells that function in inflammatory and degradative processes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue. METHODS: The Ig VH-PE38 fusion protein and the Ig VL protein were produced in Escherichia coli, and then joined with a disulfide bond by engineering cysteine residues in the framework regions of these proteins. The effects of dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38 on the activation and proliferation of cells in RA synovial tissue were investigated by immunohistochemistry; the numbers of cells expressing CD68, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, angiopoietin 1, CD34, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and interleukin-6 and the numbers of apoptotic cells were counted in RA synovial tissue engrafted into SCID mice treated or not treated with dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38. The effects of dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38 on the generation of osteoclasts from RA adherent synovial mononuclear cells in vitro was investigated by counting the number of resorption pits on dentin slices treated or not treated with dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38. RESULTS: Administration of dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38 reduced the numbers of macrophages, activated fibroblast-like cells, endothelial cells, and proliferating cells and increased the numbers of apoptotic cells in RA synovial tissue engrafted into SCID mice. In vitro, the generation of osteoclasts from RA adherent synovial mononuclear cells was largely suppressed by treatment with dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that dsFv anti-FRbeta-PE38 immunotoxin would be a promising tool for the treatment of RA synovitis, especially when administered intraarticularly.
ADP Ribose Transferases↗
Identification of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms that alter mitochondrial matrix pH and intracellular calcium dynamics.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is highly polymorphic, and its variations in humans may contribute to individual differences in function as well as susceptibility to various diseases such as Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder, and cancer. However, it is unclear whether and how mtDNA polymorphisms affect intracellular function, such as calcium signaling or pH regulation. Here we searched for mtDNA polymorphisms that have intracellular functional significance using transmitochondrial hybrid cells (cybrids) carrying ratiometric Pericam (RP), a fluorescent calcium indicator, targeted to the mitochondria and nucleus. By analyzing the entire mtDNA sequence in 35 cybrid lines, we found that two closely linked nonsynonymous polymorphisms, 8701A and 10398A, increased the basal fluorescence ratio of mitochondria-targeted RP. Mitochondrial matrix pH was lower in the cybrids with 8701A/10398A than it was in those with 8701G/10398G, suggesting that the difference observed by RP was mainly caused by alterations in mitochondrial calcium levels. Cytosolic calcium response to histamine also tended to be higher in the cybrids with 8701A/10398A. It has previously been reported that 10398A is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder, and cancer, whereas 10398G associates with longevity. Our findings suggest that these mtDNA polymorphisms may play a role in the pathophysiology of these complex diseases by affecting mitochondrial matrix pH and intracellular calcium dynamics.
Alzheimer Disease↗
[Mitochondrial dysfunctions and age-associated diseases].
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Aged↗
Co-existing point mutations of mitochondrial DNA in a patient with a heart abnormality and Pearson syndrome-like symptoms.
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DNA, Mitochondrial↗
Pyruvate ameliorates the defect in ureogenesis from ammonia in citrin-deficient mice.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mutations in SLC25A13, encoding the mitochondrial aspartate-glutamate carrier citrin, cause adult-onset type II citrullinemia (CTLN2) in humans. We have previously reported that although citrin-knockout (Ctrn-/-) mice fail to display symptoms of CTLN2, liver perfusion revealed a deficit in ureogenesis from ammonia accompanied by an increase in the perfusate lactate-to-pyruvate (L/P) ratio. The present study explores the effects of pyruvate, aspartate and citrate on improving the abnormalities observed in the Ctrn-/- liver. METHODS: We measured the rate of ureogenesis from ammonium chloride using the liver-perfusion system. RESULTS: Pyruvate infusion lowered the L/P ratio and corrected the deficit in ureogenesis in the Ctrn-/- liver. This effect was found to be dose-dependent in both instances. Phenazine methosulfate, a cytosolic oxidant, also improved the rate of ureogenesis in the Ctrn-/- liver and led to a fall in the L/P ratio. The addition of aspartate or citrate did not change either the rate of ureogenesis or the L/P ratio in the Ctrn-/- liver. CONCLUSIONS: Citrin deficiency disturbs urea synthesis primarily as a result of an elevated cytosolic NADH/NAD+ ratio owing to limited reoxidation of reducing equivalents. Clinically, pyruvate may have a therapeutic benefit for CTLN2 patients.
Amino Acids↗
Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase overexpression suppresses graft coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND: Graft coronary artery disease (GCAD) is the leading cause of death after the first year of heart transplantation. The reduced bioavailability of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) may play a role in endothelial vasodilator dysfunction and the structural changes that are characteristic of GCAD. A potential contributor to endothelial pathobiology is asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous NO synthase inhibitor. We hypothesized that lowering ADMA concentrations by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) overexpression in the recipient might suppress GCAD and long-term immune responses in murine cardiac allografts. METHODS AND RESULTS: In one series, donor hearts of C-H-2(bm12)KhEg (H-2(bm12)) wild-type (WT) mice were heterotopically transplanted into C57BL/6 (H-2b) transgenic mice overexpressing human DDAH-I or WT littermates and procured after 4 hours of reperfusion (WT and DDAH-I recipients, n=6 each). In a second series, donor hearts were transplanted into DDAH-I-transgenic or WT mice and procured 30 days after transplantation (n=7 each). In DDAH-I recipients, plasma ADMA concentrations were lower, in association with reduced myocardial generation of superoxide anion (WT versus DDAH-I, 465.7+/-79.8 versus 173.4+/-32.3 micromol.L(-1).mg(-1).h(-1); P=0.02), inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules, and chemokines. GCAD was markedly reduced in cardiac allografts of DDAH-I-transgenic recipients as assessed by luminal narrowing (WT versus DDAH, 79+/-2% versus 33+/-7%; P<0.01), intima-media ratio (WT versus DDAH, 1.1+/-0.1 versus 0.5+/-0.1; P<0.01), and the percentage of diseased vessels (WT versus DDAH, 100+/-0% versus 62+/-10%; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of DDAH-I attenuated oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and GCAD in murine cardiac allografts. The effect of DDAH overexpression may be mediated by its reduction of plasma and tissue ADMA concentrations.
Amidohydrolases↗
In vivo visualization of cardiac allograft rejection and trafficking passenger leukocytes using bioluminescence imaging.
BACKGROUND: We investigated the feasibility of bioluminescence imaging (BLI) for the in vivo assessment of cardiac allograft viability and visualization of passenger leukocytes during the course of acute rejection. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hearts of FVB (H-2q) luciferase-green fluorescent protein transgenic mice (beta-actin promoter) or FVB luciferase transgenic mice (CD5 promoter) were heterotopically transplanted into either BALB/c (H-2d) or FVB recipients. Light intensity emitting from the recipient animals was measured daily by in vivo BLI until 12 days after transplantation. Graft beating score (0 to 4) was assessed by daily abdominal palpation until 12 days after transplantation. Inflammatory cell infiltration (CD45 stain) and structural changes of green fluorescent protein-positive cardiomyocytes were followed by immunohistochemistry. All cardiac allografts were acutely rejected by 12 days after transplantation. The intensity of light emitting from cardiac allografts declined 4 days after transplantation and correlated with graft beating scores (R2=0.91, P=0.02). Immunohistochemistry confirmed these results by showing an increase of CD45+ inflammatory cell infiltration and destruction of green fluorescent protein-positive cardiomyocytes in the cardiac allografts during acute rejection. In vivo BLI visualized migration and proliferation of CD5+ passenger leukocytes in both syngeneic and allogeneic recipients. In the allograft recipients, light signal from CD5+ passenger leukocytes peaked at 6 hours and diminished by 12 hours, whereas in the syngeneic recipients, the signal remained high until 10 days after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: BLI is a useful modality for the quantitative assessment of in vivo cardiac graft viability and tracking of passenger leukocytes in vivo during the course of acute rejection.
Animals↗
Embryonic stem cell immunogenicity increases upon differentiation after transplantation into ischemic myocardium.
BACKGROUND: We investigated whether differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in ischemic myocardium enhances their immunogenicity, thereby increasing their chance for rejection. METHODS AND RESULTS: In one series, 129/SvJ-derived mouse ESCs (ES-D3 line) were transplanted by direct myocardial injection (1 x 10(6) cells) into murine hearts of both allogeneic (BALB/c, n=20) and syngeneic (129/SvJ, n=12) recipients after left anterior artery ligation. Hearts were procured at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after ESC transplantation and analyzed by immunohistochemistry to assess immune cell infiltration (CD3, CD4, CD8, B220, CD11c, Mac-1, and Gr-1) and ESC differentiation (hematoxylin and eosin). In a second series (allogeneic n=5, sham n=3), ESC transplantation was performed similarly; however after 2 weeks, left anterior descending artery-ligated and ESC-injected hearts were heterotopically transplanted into naive BALB/c recipients. After an additional 2 weeks, donor hearts were procured and analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In the first series, the size of all ESC grafts remained stable and there was no evidence of ESC differentiation 2 weeks after transplantation; however, after 4 weeks, both allogeneic and syngeneic ESC grafts showed the presence of teratoma. By 8 weeks, surviving ESCs could be detected in the syngeneic but not in the allogeneic group. Mild inflammatory cellular infiltrates were found in allogeneic recipients at 1 and 2 weeks after transplantation, progressing into vigorous infiltration at 4 and 8 weeks. The second series demonstrated similar vigorous infiltration of immune cells as early as 2 weeks after heterotopic transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: In vivo differentiated ESCs elicit an accelerated immune response as compared with undifferentiated ESCs. These data imply that clinical transplantation of allogeneic ESCs or ESC derivatives for treatment of cardiac failure might require immunosuppressive therapy.
Animals↗
Novel injectable bioartificial tissue facilitates targeted, less invasive, large-scale tissue restoration on the beating heart after myocardial injury.
BACKGROUND: Implantation of bioartificial patches distorts myocardial geometry, and functional improvement of the recipient heart is usually attributed to reactive angiogenesis around the graft. With the liquid bioartificial tissue compound used in this study, we achieved targeted large-scale support of the infarcted left ventricular wall and improvement of heart function. METHODS AND RESULTS: A liquid compound consisting of growth factor-free Matrigel and 10(6) green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive mouse (129sv) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) was generated and injected into the area of ischemia after ligation of the left anterior descending artery in BALB/c mice (group I). Left anterior descending artery-ligated mice (group II) and mice with Matrigel (group III) or ESC treatment alone (group IV) were used as the control groups (n=5 in all groups). The hearts were harvested for histology 2 weeks later after echocardiographic assessment with a 15-MHz probe. The liquid injectable tissue solidified at body temperature and retained the geometry of the infarcted lateral wall. Immunofluorescence stains revealed voluminous GFP grafts. The quality of restoration (graft/infarct area ratio) was 45.5+/-10.8% in group I and 29.1+/-6.7% in group IV (P=0.034). ESCs expressed connexin 43 at intercellular contact sites. The mice treated with the compound had a superior heart function compared with the controls (P<0.0001 by ANOVA/Bonferroni test; group I: 27.1+/-5.4, group II:11.9+/-2.4, group III:16.2+/-2.8, group IV: 19.1+/-2.7). CONCLUSIONS: Injectable bioartificial tissue restores the heart's geometry and function in a targeted and nondistorting fashion. This new method paves the way for novel interventional approaches to myocardial repair, using both stem cells and matrices.
Animals↗
Prolonged cold ischemia in rat cardiac allografts promotes ischemia-reperfusion injury and the development of graft coronary artery disease in a linear fashion.
BACKGROUND: Prolonged cold ischemia is thought to exacerbate ischemia-reperfusion injury and graft coronary artery disease (GCAD). We investigated the effect of varying lengths of cold ischemia on inflammation and apoptosis during ischemia-reperfusion injury and correlated this with the degree of GCAD in rat cardiac allografts. METHODS: PVG rat (RT1c) hearts subjected to 30, 60, 90, 120, or 150 minutes of cold ischemia were heterotopically transplanted into ACI rats (RT1a). Grafts were procured after 4 hours of reperfusion and analyzed for superoxide generation, myeloperoxidase activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (MCP-1/CCL2) production, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and caspase-2, -3, -8, -9 activities. Additional transplanted animals received cyclosporine A (7.5 mg/kg/day) for 10 days as chronic rejection models. Indices of GCAD were determined at 90 days. RESULTS: A direct linear correlation was found between cold ischemic time, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and GCAD. Superoxide generation, myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, MCP-1/CCL2 production, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and caspase-2, -3, -8, and -9 activities increased with ischemic time, peaking at 120 minutes and plateauing at 150 minutes. GCAD, assessed by the percentage of luminal narrowing, the intima/media ratio, and the percentage of diseased vessels, worsened with increased ischemic time, peaking at 120 minutes and plateauing at 150 minutes. All tested variables in both the acute and chronic phases were significantly increased with 120-minute ischemia compared with 30-minute ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the degree of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response in cardiac allografts during ischemia-reperfusion injury depends on the duration of cold ischemia. More important, that prolonged cold ischemia correlates with increased GCAD.
Animals↗
Molecular imaging using labeled donor tissues reveals patterns of engraftment, rejection, and survival in transplantation.
Tissue regeneration and transplantation of solid organs involve complex processes that can only be studied in the context of the living organism, and methods of analyzing these processes in vivo are essential for development of effective transplantation and regeneration procedures. We utilized in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to noninvasively visualize engraftment, survival, and rejection of transplanted tissues from a transgenic donor mouse that constitutively expresses luciferase. Dynamic early events of hematopoietic reconstitution were accessible and engraftment from as few as 200 transplanted whole bone marrow (BM) cells resulted in bioluminescent foci in lethally irradiated, syngeneic recipients. The transplantation of autologous pancreatic Langerhans islets and of allogeneic heart revealed the tempo of transplant degeneration or immune rejection over time. This imaging approach is sensitive and reproducible, permits study of the dynamic range of the entire process of transplantation, and will greatly enhance studies across various disciplines involving transplantation.
Actins↗
Stimulation of paracrine pathways with growth factors enhances embryonic stem cell engraftment and host-specific differentiation in the heart after ischemic myocardial injury.
BACKGROUND: Growth factors play an essential role in organogenesis. We examine the potential of growth factors to enhance cell engraftment and differentiation and to promote functional improvement after transfer of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells into the injured heart. METHODS AND RESULTS: Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive embryonic stem cells derived from 129sv mice were injected into the ischemic area after left anterior descending artery ligation in allogenic (BALB/c) mice. Fifty nanograms of recombinant mouse vascular endothelial growth factor, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF) was added to the cell suspension. Separate control groups were formed in which only the growth factors were given. Echocardiography was performed 2 weeks later to evaluate heart function (fractional shortening [FS]), end-diastolic diameter, and left ventricular wall thickness). Hearts were harvested for histology (connexin 43, alpha-sarcomeric actin, CD3, CD11c, major histocompatability complex class I, hematoxylin-eosin). Degree of restoration (GFP-positive graft/infarct area ratio), expression of cardiac markers, host response, and tumorigenicity were evaluated. Cell transfer resulted in improved cardiac function. TGF-beta led to better restorative effect and a stronger expression of connexin 43, alpha-sarcomeric actin, and major histocompatability complex class I. TGF-beta and FGF retained left ventricular diameter. FS was better in the TGF-beta, FGF, and embryonic stem cells-only group compared with left anterior descending artery-ligated controls. Growth factors with cells (TGF-beta, FGF) resulted in higher FS and smaller end-diastolic diameter than growth factors alone. CONCLUSIONS: Growth factors can promote in vivo organ-specific differentiation of early embryonic stem cells and improve myocardial function after cell transfer into an area of ischemic lesion. TGF-beta should be considered as an adjuvant for myocardial restoration with the use of embryonic stem cells.
Animals↗
Vaccination of dendritic cells loaded with interleukin-12-secreting cancer cells augments in vivo antitumor immunity: characteristics of syngeneic and allogeneic antigen-presenting cell cancer hybrid cells.
Cancer immunotherapy by fusion of antigen-presenting cells and tumor cells has been shown to induce potent antitumor immunity. In this study, we characterized syngeneic and allogeneic, murine macrophage/dendritic cell (DC)-cancer fusion cells for the antitumor effects. The results showed the superiority of allogeneic cells as fusion partners in both types of antigen-presenting cells in an in vivo immunotherapy model. A potent induction of tumor-specific CTLs was observed in these immunized conditions. In addition, the immunization with DC-cancer fusion cells was better than that with macrophage-cancer fusion cells. Both syngeneic and allogeneic DC-cancer fusion cells induced higher levels of IFN-gamma production than macrophage-cancer fusion cells. Interestingly, allogeneic DC-cancer fusion cells were superior in that they efficiently induced Th1-type cytokines but not the Th2-type cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-4, whereas syngeneic DC-cancer fusion cells were powerful inducers of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. These results suggest that allogeneic DCs are suitable as fusion cells in cancer immunotherapy. To further enhance the antitumor immunity in the clinical setting, we prepared DCs fused with IL-12 gene-transferred cancer cells and thus generated IL-12-secreting DC-cancer fusion cells. Immunization with these gene-modified DC-cancer fusion cells was able to elicit a markedly enhanced antitumor effect in the in vivo therapeutic model. This novel IL-12-producing fusion cell vaccine might be one promising intervention for future cancer immunotherapy.
Animals↗
Multiplex amplified product-length polymorphism analysis of 36 mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms for haplogrouping of East Asian populations.
We present a reliable, rapid, and economical multiplex amplified product-length polymorphism (APLP) method for analyzing the haplogroup-diagnostic mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) in East Asian populations. By examining only 36 haplogroup-specific mtSNPs in the coding region by using four 9-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent electrophoresis, we could safely assign 1815 individuals from 8 populations of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Germans to 45 relevant haplogroups. This multiplex APLP analysis of coding-region mtSNPs for haplogrouping is especially useful not only for molecular phylogenetic studies but also for large-scale association studies due to its rapid and economical nature. This is the first panel of mtSNPs in the coding region to be used for haplogrouping of East Asian populations.
Asian People↗