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Biomedical subjects

N Tsuchiya

Publications and source records attributed to N Tsuchiya.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Induction of alternative splicing of HLA-B27 by bacterial invasion.

OBJECTIVE: Alternative splicing of certain class I major histocompatibility complex pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) is known to lead to generation of a cell-free soluble protein analog. This study was undertaken to examine whether this process occurs with HLA-B27, whether the process is modified by arthritis-causing bacteria, and whether the assembly of the soluble molecules follows the same pathway as the integral parent molecules. METHODS: Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and assembly of soluble HLA-B27 by immunoprecipitation followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. RESULTS: There was alternative splicing of the pre-mRNA of HLA-B27. The process could be amplified by invasion with Salmonella or Yersinia bacteria. The soluble HLA-B27 was assembled in a pathway similar to that of the parent molecule. CONCLUSION: The association between arthritis-causing bacteria and HLA-B27 positive cells is a complex event. Soluble HLA-B27 is a potential key player.

Alternative Splicing

Mitochondrial biogenesis during cellular differentiation.

Mitochondrial biogenesis was studied during differentiation of two immortalized cell lines (C2C12, 3T3) with enzyme measurements, Northern blots, and quantitative ultrastructure. Citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (nuclear encoded, mitochondrial matrix location) showed linear, four- to sixfold increases in enzymatic activity in C2C12 cells but increased exponentially in 3T3 cells. Cytochrome oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase (nuclear and mitochondrial encoded, cristae location) increased to a lesser extent and with a pattern dissimilar to the first group. Northern blots and activity of succinate dehydrogenase (cristae location but entirely nuclear encoded) suggested the groupings were based on location of the genes rather than the mature enzyme. However, quantitative electron microscopy and comparisons with adult tissue suggested that mitochondrial ultrastructure can influence the change in cristae enzymes. Cristae surface area per unit mitochondrial volume and per unit cell volume increased much less than did cristae enzymes. Available space on the inner membrane may become limiting and account for some aspects of the pattern of change in electron transport enzymes during differentiation.

3T3 Cells

[Long-term beneficial effect of dual chamber pacing in a patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy].

Dual chamber (DDD) pacing therapy was effective to reduce the left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient for a long time in a patient with pharmacotherapy-resistant hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. A 52-year-old man with pharmacotherapy-resistant pressure gradient was treated by a DDD pacemaker implantation, because the pressure gradient was proved to be reduced (94-->16 mmHg) by transient DDD pacing with an atrioventricular delay of 50 msec. Hemodynamics and ventricular wall thickness were serially observed after the implantation for 2 years. The pressure gradient progressively decreased during the pacing period, at 4 months and 2 years follow-up, (10-->2 mmHg) and during the sinus rhythm period (60-->25 mmHg), and left ventricular ejection fraction and end-diastolic volume index were increased. Although the ventricular wall thickness remained constant, the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve and A/E were reduced during the pacing period in the echocardiography. During the acute effect of DDD pacing, the pressure gradient reduction seemed to be related to dilatation of the left ventricular outflow tract induced by a change of contraction modality of the intraventricular septum. Improved left ventricular diastolic function may contribute to the pressure gradient reduction during extended periods of pacing therapy.

Cardiac Pacing, Artificial

Bacillus stearothermophilus qcr operon encoding rieske FeS protein, cytochrome b6, and a novel-type cytochrome c1 of quinol-cytochrome c reductase.

The gcr of Bacillus stearothermophilus K1041 encoding three subunits of the quinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase (cytochrome reductase, b6c1 complex) was cloned and sequenced. The gene (qcrA) for a Rieske FeS protein of 19,144 Da with 169 amino acid residues, and the gene (qcrC) for cytochrome c1 of 27,342 Da with 250 amino acid residues were found at adjacent upstream and downstream sides of the previously reported qcrB (petB) for cytochrome b6 of subunit 25,425 Da with 224 residues (Sone, N., Sawa, G., Sone, T., and Noguchi, S. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 10612-10617). The three structural genes for thermophilic Bacillus cytochrome reductase form a transcriptional unit. In the deduced amino acid sequence for the FeS protein, the domain including four cysteines and two histidines binding the 2Fe-2S cluster was conserved. Its N-terminal part more closely resembled the cyanobacteria-plastid type than the proteobacteria-mitochondria type when their sequences were compared. The amino acid sequence of cytochrome c1 was not similar to either type; the thermophilic Bacillus cytochrome c1 is composed of an N-terminal part corresponding to subunit IV with three membrane-spanning segments, and a C-terminal part of cytochrome c reminiscent of cytochrome c-551 of thermophilic Bacillus. The subunit IV in the enzyme of cyanobacteria and plastids is the counterpart of C-terminal part of cytochrome b of proteobacteria and mitochondria. These characteristics indicate that Bacillus cytochrome b6c1 complex is unique.

Amino Acid Sequence

Elevated serum level of soluble HLA class I antigens in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical significance of serum soluble HLA class I antigens (sHLA class I) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Serum levels of sHLA class I were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, using a monoclonal antibody against monomorphic determinant of HLA class I (W6/32) and an enzyme-labeled polyclonal antibody to human beta 2-microglobulin. RESULTS: The serum sHLA class I concentration was 1.85 +/- 1.15 micrograms/ml (mean +/- SD) in 27 patients with SLE (P < 0.0001 versus normal controls, P = 0.0001 versus RA), 0.61 +/- 0.34 micrograms/ml in 16 patients with RA (P = 0.02 versus normal controls), and 0.41 +/= 0.20 micrograms/ml in normal controls. The HLA class I levels were significantly correlated with the SLE Disease Activity Index (r = 0.62, P = 0.0004) and with a reduction of CH50 levels (r = -0.60, P = 0.0007). A longitudinal analysis of patients with SLE indicated that serum sHLA class I levels fluctuated in conjunction with other disease activity markers. CONCLUSION: Serum sHLA class I may be useful as a disease activity marker of SLE. The mechanism of secretion and the physiologic role of sHLA class I require further study.

Adolescent

Purification and identification of a novel and four known serine proteinase inhibitors secreted by human glioblastoma cells.

Our previous studies have shown that some human cancer cell lines produce pancreatic trypsinogen, plasminogen, and tissue-type kallikrein. To understand the regulatory mechanism of these proteinases, serine proteinase inhibitors secreted by human glioblastoma cell line T98G were analyzed by gelatin reverse zymography with trypsin. The serum-free conditioned medium of T98G cells showed more than ten trypsin inhibitor bands ranging from 16 to 150 kDa in the reverse zymography. Major trypsin inhibitors were purified by trypsin-affinity chromatography. Analysis of their N-terminal amino acid sequences demonstrated that the purified inhibitors were identical to the secreted forms of amyloid protein precursors (APPs), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), placental protein 5 (PP5)/TFPI-2, and secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor (SLPI). In addition, a novel 25-kDa trypsin-binding protein, tentatively named p25TI, was identified. p25TI showed weak inhibitory activity against trypsin in reverse zymography as compared with the other inhibitors. The secretion of multiple forms of serine proteinase inhibitors by human cancer cells raises the possibility that they might be involved in the abnormal growth of cancer cells.

Amino Acid Sequence

Immunologic mechanisms in common rheumatologic diseases.

Rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondyloarthropathies are rheumatologic diseases that likely are caused by inflammatory reactions occurring in genetically predisposed individuals mounting an immune response to the antigen. Understanding the immunopathology of these diseases provides insight into their etiology, pathogenesis, and a rationale for therapies targeting immune component interactions. Although the antigen in rheumatoid arthritis is not known, several bacterial antigens have been associated with seronegative spondyloarthropathies. These antigens result in an interaction between the human leukocyte antigen-B27 restricted CD8 positive T lymphocytes and the antigen presenting cell, producing an inflammatory response. Rheumatoid factors are autoantibodies directed against the fragment crystallizable portion of the immunoglobulin G. Rheumatoid factor immunoglobulin G immune complexes contribute to the inflammatory events in the rheumatoid joint, and may play an important role in antigen presentation. A novel antigen capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was developed that mimicked B cell surface expressed rheumatoid factor. Conversely, a direct binding enzyme linked immunosorbent assay mimicked secreted rheumatoid factor. Comparison of rheumatoid binding enzyme linked immunosorbent assays showed that the physical state of rheumatoid factor can affect binding characteristics. The state of glycosylation of immunoglobulin G may contribute to its antigenic structure. These physical characteristics may be important in rheumatoid factor's pathogenic role in rheumatoid arthritis.

Antigens, CD

HLA-B27 subtypes in Japanese with seronegative spondyloarthropathies and healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: To determine HLA-B27 subtype frequencies in Japanese patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SpA) and healthy controls. METHODS: We determined HLA-B27 subtypes of 20 Japanese patients with ankylosing spondylitis and one with Reiter's syndrome, and 11 healthy Japanese individuals using a polymerase chain reaction sequence specific oligonucleotide hybridization method specifically designed for the discrimination of B*2701-09. RESULTS: 14 of 21 (67%) patients and 9 of 11 (82%) controls were typed as B*2704. The remainder were B*2705. CONCLUSION: HLA-B*2704 and B*2705 are present in the Japanese population, the former being the predominant subtype of HLA-B27. Both subtypes are associated with SpA.

Asian People

[Prolonged antinociceptive effect after epidural injection of polyethylene glycol-morphine composites in rats].

Epidurally administered morphine is useful in the management of postoperative or cancer pain, and a reliable method which can produce prolongation of analgesia with a single dose may be very useful. We synthesized a polyethylene glycol-morphine (PEG-morphine) composites and examined the duration of analgesia after a single epidural administration dose of this agent in the rat. The molecular weight of PEG was functionally evaluated. PEG-morphine was injected surgically along the epidural space. Morphine in doses of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mg and PEG only were administered. A second group of animals received intramuscular injections of PEG-morphine (5.0mg). Animals were then tested for analgesia using the tail-flick test. The antinociceptive effect of 7.5mg was significantly longer than that of 2.5mg or 5.0mg. Neither PEG alone nor intramuscular administration of PEG-morphine induced antinociceptive effect. Sensory blockade was reversible and the animal appeared to have normal sensory perception. We conclude that the antinociceptive effect of morphine is dose-dependent and its duration can be prolonged when administered as a PEG-morphine composite in the epidural space.

Analgesics, Opioid

Molecular effects of M17055, furosemide and thiazide on cardiac hypertrophy of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Although diuretics have been clinically shown to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the effects of diuretics on cardiac hypertrophy are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the molecular effects of diuretics on hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were given p.o. M17055 (a novel "high ceiling" diuretic) 1.25, 2.5 or 5 mg/kg/day, furosemide 50 mg/kg/day or trichlormethiazide 30 mg/kg/day for 5 weeks. After the treatment, cardiac myosin isoforms were analyzed by gel electrophoresis, and cardiac hypertrophy-related gene expressions were examined by Northern blot analysis. These three diuretics significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy of SHR. M17055 and furosemide, but not trichlormethiazide, significantly increased the proportion of cardiac V3 myosin of SHR by enhancing the gene expression of beta-myosin heavy chain. On the other hand, trichlormethiazide, but not M17055 or furosemide, suppressed the increased cardiac gene expression of skeletal alpha-actin in SHR. Cardiac collagen type III expression of SHR was decreased only by treatment with M17055. Plasma thyroid hormone levels of SHR were slightly decreased by M17055 and by furosemide and were negatively correlated with cardiac V3 myosin contents. Thus the effects on the gene expression of cardiac contractile proteins and collagen are significantly different among these three types of diuretics, which suggests that these diuretics may have different cardiac actions independent of their diuretic and antihypertensive actions. The increased cardiac V3 myosin induced by M17055 and by furosemide may be partially due to the decreased plasma thyroid hormone.

Animals

Association of HLA-B39 with HLA-B27-negative ankylosing spondylitis and pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Japanese patients. Evidence for a role of the peptide-anchoring B pocket.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of HLA-B27 that render susceptibility to seronegative spondylarthropathies. METHODS: Serologic HLA class I typing of Japanese patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), and healthy controls, was performed. HLA-B39 subtypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligohybridization. RESULTS: HLA-B27 was present in 40 of 48 patients with AS (83%), and in only 1 of 210 healthy controls (0.5%). Three of 8 patients (37.5%) who were negative for HLA-B27 were positive for HLA-B39, which was significantly higher compared with the HLA-B27-negative controls (6.2%; P = 0.01). Significant association with HLA-B39 was also noted in the JRA patients (16.7%; P < 0.01), especially in those patients with pauciarticular-onset disease (33.3%; P < 0.01). Ten of 13 HLA-B39-positive patients had subtype B*3901 and 3 had B*3902. CONCLUSION: Because HLA-B27 and HLA-B39 share Glu at position 45 and Cys at position 67, both of which constitute components of the peptide-anchoring B pocket, and because they possess similar peptide-ligand motifs, our results may support either the role of the peptides presented by class I antigens or the importance of Cys at position 67, in the development of spondylarthropathies and pauciarticular-onset JRA.

Arthritis, Juvenile

Insulin, ketone bodies, and mitochondrial energy transduction.

Addition of insulin or a physiological ratio of ketone bodies to buffer with 10 mM glucose increased efficiency (hydraulic work/energy from O2 consumed) of working rat heart by 25%, and the two in combination increased efficiency by 36%. These additions increased the content of acetyl CoA by 9- to 18-fold, increased the contents of metabolites of the first third of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle 2- to 5-fold, and decreased succinate, oxaloacetate, and aspartate 2- to 3-fold. Succinyl CoA, fumarate, and malate were essentially unchanged. The changes in content of TCA metabolites resulted from a reduction of the free mitochondrial NAD couple by 2- to 10-fold and oxidation of the mitochondrial coenzyme Q couple by 2- to 4-fold. Cytosolic pH, measured using 31P-NMR spectra, was invariant at about 7.0. The total intracellular bicarbonate indicated an increase in mitochondrial pH from 7.1 with glucose to 7.2, 7.5 and 7.4 with insulin, ketones, and the combination, respectively. The decrease in Eh7 of the mitochondrial NAD couple, Eh7NAD+/NADH, from -280 to -300 mV and the increase in Eh7 of the coenzyme Q couple, Eh7Q/QH2, from -4 to +12 mV was equivalent to an increase from -53 kJ to -60 kJ/2 mol e in the reaction catalyzed by the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase multienzyme complex (EC 1.6.5.3). The increase in the redox energy of the mitochondrial cofactor couples paralleled the increase in the free energy of cytosolic ATP hydrolysis, delta GATP. The potential of the mitochondrial relative to the cytosolic phases, Emito/cyto, calculated from delta GATP and delta pH on the assumption of a 4 H+ transfer for each ATP synthesized, was -143 mV during perfusion with glucose or glucose plus insulin, and decreased to -120 mV on addition of ketones. Viewed in this light, the moderate ketosis characteristic of prolonged fasting or type II diabetes appears to be an elegant compensation for the defects in mitochondrial energy transduction associated with acute insulin deficiency or mitochondrial senescence.

Animals

Diurnal variations in blood chemical items in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Diurnal variations in 23 blood chemical items were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes at 6 weeks of age. Blood samples were obtained every two hours. One to three periodic components detected by the maximum entropy method from the observed time-series and the optimum fitting parameters were calculated by the least squares method. The fitting curves were compared with the observed data for the evaluation of systematic and fluctuating parts of the time domain as circadian variations. The periodic components were detected from all the blood chemical items examined. This suggests that all items have systematic parts as basic rhythmic changes. The optimum fitting curves corresponded to the observed time-series in the following items: glucose, total protein, A/G ratio, alkaline phosphatase, Na, K, Cl and BUN of both sexes and total cholesterol, triglyceride, cholinesterase, CPK, inorganic phosphorus, direct and total bilirubin, creatinine and uric acid in males. Others showed insufficient correspondence to many fluctuating parts. This randomness was more frequently seen in females than in males.

Animals

[Age-related changes and sex differences on the serum chemistry values in Sprague-Dawley rats--I. 6-30 weeks of age].

Age-related changes of 27 items in serum chemistry were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes from 6 to 30 weeks of age. The following 12 items were shown as an increase in those values during growth and maturity, i.e., total protein, albumin (female only), glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid (female only), beta-lipoprotein, cholinesterase (female only), asparate aminotransferase (female only), creatinine, direct-bilirubin and total-bilirubin. However, the following 4 items decreased with aging, i.e., asparate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase and inorganic phosphorus. No age-related changes were found in the values for calcium, sodium and chloride in both sexes and for alanine aminotransferase, cholinesterase and albumin in males. The sex differences were shown in the following 12 items: higher values in males were alkaline phosphatase, creatinephosphokinase, glucose and inorganic phosphorus, and higher values in females were cholinesterase, albumin, phospholipid, non-esterified fatty acid, urea nitrogen, direct-bilirubin, total-bilirubin and serum iron. No sex-related differences were found in the values for calcium, sodium, chloride and total cholesterol.

Aging

Control of glucose utilization in working perfused rat heart.

Metabolic control analyses of glucose utilization were performed for four groups of working rat hearts perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing 10 mM glucose only, or with the addition of 4 mM D-beta-hydroxybutyrate/1 mM acetoacetate, 100 nM insulin (0.05 unit/ml), or both. Net glycogen breakdown occurred in the glucose group only and was converted to net glycogen synthesis in the presence of all additions. The flux of [2-3H]glucose through P-glucoisomerase (EC 5.3.1.9) was reduced with ketones, elevated with insulin, and unchanged with the combination. Net glycolytic flux was reduced in the presence of ketones and the combination. The flux control coefficients were determined for the portion of the pathway involving glucose transport to the branches of glycogen synthesis and glycolysis. Major control was divided between the glucose transporter and hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) in the glucose group. The distribution of the control was slightly shifted to hexokinase with ketones, and control at the glucose transport step was abolished in the presence of insulin. Analysis of the pathway from 3-P-glycerate to pyruvate determined that the major control was shared by enolase (EC 4.2.1.1) and pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) in the glucose group. Addition of ketones, insulin, or the combination shifted the control to P-glycerate mutase (EC 5.4.2.1) and pyruvate kinase. These results illustrate that the control of the metabolic flux in glucose metabolism of rat heart is not exerted by a single enzyme but variably distributed among enzymes depending upon substrate availability, hormonal stimulation, or other changes of conditions.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Distribution of glycosylation abnormality among serum IgG subclasses from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

IgG from patients with rheumatoid arthritis possess significantly fewer galactose residues in its sugar chains. We made an attempt to analyze the distribution of a galactosylation defect among IgG subclasses by immunoassay using PVL, a recently described lectin specific for N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). A distinct difference between RA and normal controls was present in IgG2 (P = 0.0007). A less remarkable but significant difference was seen in IgG1 (P = 0.0118) and in IgG4 (P = 0.022). A significant difference was not observed in IgG3 (P = 0.169). The possible relationship between such a glycosylation abnormality and RF production was discussed.

Adult

Mechanism for the decrease in the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in Cd-resistant Chinese hamster V79 cells.

The mechanism for the decrease in the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in Cd-resistant Chinese hamster V79 (Cdr) cells in culture was investigated in a comparison with Cd-sensitive (Cds) cells. Both Cdr and Cds cells took up Cd in a time-dependent manner but the rate of uptake of Cd by Cdr cells was about 15% of that by Cds cells. Kinetic studies of the uptake of Cd showed that the Vmax values for Cdr and Cds cells were 0.31 and 0.46 pmol Cd/h per mg protein, respectively. The Km values were 31.95 microM for Cdr cells and 3.15 microM for Cds cells. Mersalyl acid, a sulfhydryl (SH) blocker to which cells are impermeable, inhibited the uptake of Cd by Cds cells at subtoxic concentrations while Cdr cells were insensitive to inhibition by mersalyl acid, suggesting that SH groups in the plasma membrane play a role in the uptake of Cd. Uptake of Cd by Cds cells was dependent on the pH of the incubation medium and the rate of uptake was very high at pH 7.4 and pH 8.0 relative to the rates at pH 6.0 and pH 6.8. By contrast, the uptake of Cd by Cdr cells was lower at all pH values than that by Cds cells. The decrease in the rate of uptake of Cd by Cdr cells could not be ascribed to an increase in the efflux of Cd. A Cd-blotting technique was used to detect plasma membrane proteins with high affinity for Cd. Two major differences in terms of Cd-binding proteins (Cd-BPs) were observed between Cdr and Cds cells. A 110-kDa Cd-BP, detected in Cds cells, was found at a reduced level in Cdr cells, while an 82-kDa Cd-BP, which was not observed in Cds cells, was detected in Cdr cells.

Animals