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Biomedical subjects

Y Daikuhara

Publications and source records attributed to Y Daikuhara.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Intracellular calcium as a second messenger for human hepatocyte growth factor in hepatocytes.

Human hepatocyte growth factor is a newly discovered substance that stimulates DNA synthesis in vitro. In this study, we examined intracellular Ca2+ movement as one of the second messengers for human hepatocyte growth factor in primary-cultured hepatocytes. The addition of hHGF induced Ca2+ oscillation, but the frequency of oscillations varied from cell to cell. We also saw marked intercellular heterogeneity in the initial latent period for the Ca2+ response; the mean latent period was rather longer than those seen with phenylephrine and vasopressin. This difference in the initial latent period may be due to the difference in the pathways of Ca2+ elevation. Duration of culture determined the number of human hepatocyte growth factor-responsive cells; their number peaked at 2 to 5 hours of confluent culture, whereas the peak was earlier in a low-density culture. These changes in responsiveness during culture can be explained by the cell cycle-dependent sensitivity to human hepatocyte growth factor of hepatocytes. The Ca2+ response to human hepatocyte growth factor was dose dependent; 10(-10) mol/L hHGF gave the highest Ca2+ response, similar to the dose-response curve of DNA synthesis. We even observed the Ca2+ response in the Ca(2+)-free buffer, so the increase in Ca2+ was considered due to release from intracellular Ca2+ stores. These results suggest that human hepatocyte growth factor causes the intracellular Ca2+ elevation in the early stage of the cell cycle and that it plays important roles in the signal transduction systems for human hepatocyte growth factor and the proliferation of hepatocytes.

Animals↗

Extracellular proteolytic cleavage by urokinase is required for activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor.

The extracellular protease urokinase is known to be crucially involved in morphogenesis, tissue repair and tumor invasion by mediating matrix degradation and cell migration. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a secretory product of stromal fibroblasts, sharing structural motifs with enzymes of the blood clotting cascade, including a zymogen cleavage site. HGF/SF promotes motility, invasion and growth of epithelial and endothelial cells. Here we show that HGF/SF is secreted as a single-chain biologically inactive precursor (pro-HGF/SF), mostly found in a matrix-associated form. Maturation of the precursor into the active alpha beta heterodimer takes place in the extracellular environment and results from a serum-dependent proteolytic cleavage. In vitro, pro-HGF/SF was cleaved at a single site by nanomolar concentrations of pure urokinase, generating the active mature HGF/SF heterodimer. This cleavage was prevented by specific urokinase inhibitors, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 and protease nexin-1, and by antibodies directed against the urokinase catalytic domain. Addition of these inhibitors to HGF/SF responsive cells prevented activation of the HGF/SF precursor. These data show that urokinase acts as a pro-HGF/SF convertase, and suggest that some of the growth and invasive cellular responses mediated by this enzyme may involve activation of HGF/SF.

Animals↗

Human hepatocyte growth factor stimulates the growth of HUH-6 clone 5 human hepatoblastoma cells.

The effects of human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF), a potent mitogen for rat and human hepatocytes in primary culture, on proliferation of human hepatoma and hepatoblastoma cells were examined. Out of five cell lines; HLE, HuH-6 clone 5, HuH-7, PLC/PRF/5, and Hep G2, only HuH-6 Clone 5 cells were stimulated by recombinant hHGF. Both native and recombinant hHGFs caused dose-dependent increases in cell number and DNA synthesis of cells. This stimulation was strongly inhibited by anti-hHGF monoclonal antibody.

Animals↗

The presence of scatter factor in patients with metastatic spread to the pleura.

Pleural effusion fluid obtained from eleven patients with metastatic spread to the pleura was screened for the ability to cause the dispersal--'scattering'--of MDCK colonies in vitro. Four of these samples proved to be positive using this assay. Of these two had titres high enough to warrant further purification on a cation exchange Mono S column. Active material from both lung samples, eluted at the same positions as factor from cultured human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) and human placenta but in a slightly different position to murine scatter factor. In both cases the semi-purified active agent was identified as hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) using an ELISA detection system specific for human HGF/SF. This is the first report identifying the presence of significant amounts of HGF/SF in the pleura of patients where malignant spread has occurred.

Animals↗

Human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells proliferate in vitro in response to human hepatocyte growth factor.

In previous studies, intrahepatic human biliary epithelial cells (BEC) were isolated in high purity. However, these cells demonstrated only limited growth responses. Here we report that human BEC proliferate in response to human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF), retain BEC-specific phenotype, and can be serially passaged. BEC showed dose-dependent growth in response to 0.01-100 ng/ml hHGF. The maximum S-phase labeling index reached 40% with half-maximal stimulation at 1 ng/ml. The response of cells from normal and primary biliary cirrhotic liver to hHGF was similar. Cultures were immunostained with specific antibodies and then processed for [3H]thymidine autoradiography. Proliferating cells expressed BEC-specific markers (HEA125 and CK-19), but were negative for desmin and factor VIII-related antigen. Occasional vimentin-positive cells were observed, but these were nonproliferative. In conclusion, cells responding to hHGF were clearly BEC in origin. The observation that HGF is mitogenic for BEC as well as hepatocytes has important implications. First, greater yields of intrahepatic BEC are available for subsequent studies of the pathogenesis and etiology of diseases of the biliary epithelium. Secondly, some means of regulating the cellular response to HGF in vivo must operate, in that HGF levels rise early after partial hepatectomy and yet BEC proliferate 24 h later than hepatocytes.

Animals↗

Evidence for the identity of human scatter factor and human hepatocyte growth factor.

Scatter factor (SF), a secretory protein of fibroblasts, dissociates and increases the motility of epithelial cells and may be involved in cell migration processes during embryogenesis and tumor progression. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a protein isolated from serum of patients with liver failure, is a potent mitogen for hepatocytes and is thought to play a role in liver regeneration. Here we present structural and functional evidence that human SF and human HGF (and also the human lung fibroblast-derived mitogen) are identical proteins encoded by a single gene, since (i) no major difference could be found by protein sequencing, by cDNA analysis, and by immunological comparison and (ii) SF in fact acts as a hepatocyte growth factor--i.e., stimulates DNA synthesis of activity--i.e., dissociates and induces invasiveness of various epithelial cells. The human SF/HGF gene was localized to chromosome bands 7q11.2-21. These results have important consequences for further studies on the involvement of SF/HGF as a modulator of cellular growth and motility in embryonal, malignant, and regenerative processes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification, characterization, and studies on biosynthesis of a 59-kDa bone sialic acid-containing protein (BSP) from rat mandible using a monoclonal antibody. Evidence that 59-kDa BSP may be the rat counterpart of human alpha 2-HS glycoprotein and is synthesized by both hepatocytes and osteoblasts.

A monoclonal antibody was raised against a mineralized tissue-specific sialoprotein containing no phosphorus using partially purified noncollagenous bone matrix proteins from rats as antigen. Then the sialoprotein was purified by high performance liquid chromatography from rat mandibulae using the monoclonal antibody as a marker. The sialoprotein (59-kDa bone sialoprotein (BSP)) with a molecular weight of 59,000 contained 1.4% sialic acid but no detectable phosphorus. Immunohistochemical studies with the antibody showed that the protein was specific to mineralized tissues such as bone and dentin, and present in osteoblasts, osteocytes, and bone matrix. No other soft tissues, such as the cartilage, liver, kidney, and periosteum, were stained. However, Western blot analysis showed that plasma contained immunoreactive 59-kDa BSP. The quantitative amino acid composition of 59-kDa BSP resembled that of human alpha 2-HS glycoprotein (alpha 2-HSG) (Lee, C.-C., Bowman, B.H., and Yang, F. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4403-4407; Kellermann, J., Haupt, H., Auerswald, E.-A., and Muller-Esterl, W. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14121-14128) and rat 64-kDa protein (Franzén, A., and Heinegård, D. (1985) in The Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Tissues (Butler, W.T., ed), p. 132, EBSCO Media, Birmingham, AL). Amino acid sequence analyses of the amino-terminal region and four peptide fragments of 59-kDa BSP revealed that about 50% of the amino acids were homologous with those of human alpha 2-HSG, which is known to be synthesized by the liver, transported in the bloodstream, and incorporated into calcified tissues. But when newborn rat calvaria, primary cultures of osteoblast-rich cells, and adult rat hepatocytes were incubated with radioactive leucine, immunoreactive 59-kDa BSP was detected in their conditioned medium by fluorography. Several characteristics, including the amino acid sequence, suggest that 59-kDa BSP may be the rat counterpart of human alpha 2-HSG. However, rat 59-kDa BSP is a single peptide and synthesized by both osteoblasts and hepatocytes, whereas human alpha 2-HSG is known to be a heterodimer and to be synthesized by the liver.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The role of E-cadherin and scatter factor in tumor invasion and cell motility.

The acquisition of invasive properties by transformed epithelial cells constitutes an essential step in the progression of carcinomas. We have defined 2 types of interferences leading to enhanced motility and invasiveness of epithelial cells: (i) disturbances of intercellular adhesion, and (ii) treatment with "scatter factor", a secretory protein of mesenchymal cells. Invasive properties (invasion of collagen gels or embryonal heart tissue) are acquired by epithelial cells in vitro when intercellular adhesion is inhibited by antibodies that are specific for the cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Furthermore, we found that differentiated human carcinoma cell lines are noninvasive and express E-cadherin, whereas dedifferentiated carcinoma lines are invasive and have lost E-cadherin expression. Invasiveness of these latter cells could be prevented by transfection with E-cadherin cDNA and was again induced by treatment of the transfected cells with anti-E-cadherin antibodies. A correlation between the degree of tumor differentiation and the amount of E-cadherin expression was also visualized on frozen sections of ovarian carcinomas, lobular breast carcinomas, and squamous carcinomas of head and neck. Thus, loss of E-cadherin appears to be a critical step in the establishment of an invasive, i.e. fully malignant phenotype. Scatter factor, which is also capable of dissociating epithelial cell colonies in vitro, was isolated from conditional medium of human fibroblasts; it is a 92,000 mol.wt glycoprotein, which is proteolytically cleaved into 62,000 and 34/32,000 mol.wt subunits. The purified glycoprotein induces invasion of MDCK cells into collagen matrices, and induces or enhances the invasive properties of various human carcinoma cell lines. Sequencing of tryptic peptides of scatter factor revealed strong similarity with hepatocyte growth factor. Furthermore, both factors exhibit identical activities, i.e. scatter factor stimulates DNA synthesis of primary hepatocytes and hepatocyte growth factor dissociates and increases the motility of various epithelial cells. Thus scatter factor and hepatocyte growth factor represent identical or closely similar proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Human hepatocyte growth factor in blood of patients with fulminant hepatic failure. Basic aspects.

Human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) was purified from the plasma of six patients with fulminant hepatic failure due to hepatitis B in two and non-A, non-B hepatitis in four. The purified hHGF from each patient contained two major protein bands having molecular weights of 79,000 and 86,000 and several minor bands having molecular weights between 76,000 and 92,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis performed under nonreduced conditions. After reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol, three major bands having molecular weights of 58,000, 34,500, and 31,500 were evident. In addition, a band having a molecular weight of 21,000 was detected. hHGF activity was destroyed by its reduction. The hHGF purified from patients demonstrated a dose response in terms of an increase in DNA synthesis using cultured hepatocytes. The hHGF concentration in the plasma of the patients with grade III-IV hepatic coma was calculated to be in the range of 1.8-3.0 nM. Finally the heavy chain of hHGF was not recognized by an anti-human albumin antibody, indicating that hHGF is not biliprotein, an albumin-bilirubin complex, that has been reported to be a putative liver growth factor.

Animals↗

Native and recombinant human hepatocyte growth factors are highly potent promoters of DNA synthesis in both human and rat hepatocytes.

Human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) has recently been expressed as a recombinant polypeptide from Chinese hampster ovary cell transfectants. Using a primary rat hepatocyte bioassay, we have tested the biological activity of recombinant hHGF and compared it with native hHGF. Dose-response curves were almost identical, with half-maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis at 1-2 ng/ml (equivalent to approximately 10 pM). S-phase labeling index was similarly enhanced and numerous mitotic cells were observed. Recombinant and native hHGF also stimulated DNA synthesis and S-phase labeling index in primary adult human hepatocytes. Human cells were more responsive than rat hepatocytes, with recombinant hHGF slightly more potent than native hHGF (half-maximal stimulation 0.3 and 0.6 ng/ml, respectively). Since HGF levels rise in patients with fulminant hepatic failure and in animals after partial hepatectomy or administration of hepatotoxins, situations where liver regeneration occurs, HGF is suggested to play a key role in regulation of hepatic growth. The high potency of the factor on human hepatocytes reinforces its candidacy as a critical mitogen in human liver growth. The availability of a recombinant hHGF opens the way for in vivo experimental studies and to the possibility of using hHGF as a clinical therapeutic agent, either alone or in combination with other factors.

Adult↗

A monoclonal antibody against dentin phosphophoryn recognizes a bone protein(s) appearing at the beginning of ossification.

Decalcified and nondecalcified sections of fetal bovine tibia were stained immunohistochemically with a monoclonal antibody against dentin phosphophoryn. In the epiphyseal portion of the long bone, osteoblasts, osteocytes and the bone matrix were stained, but chondrocytes and the cartilage matrix were not. Similar staining was observed in the epiphyseal and diaphyseal portions of bones. These findings suggest that a protein(s) with the same epitope as phosphophoryn may be synthesized and secreted by osteoblasts at the beginning of ossification and may be involved in mineralization of bone tissue. On Western blots of proteins extracted from fetal bovine bone, the antibody reacted with two bands of molecular weights of about 71,000 and 63,000. These proteins and antibody(s) to the proteins may be useful for detection of the phenotype of osteogenesis.

Animals↗

Purification and partial characterization of hepatocyte growth factor from plasma of a patient with fulminant hepatic failure.

Human hepatocyte growth factor (hHGF) has been purified approximately 209,000-fold with 18% yield from plasma of a patient with fulminant hepatic failure. The purification involves heat treatment of plasma, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and chromatography on Affi-Gel Blue, heparin-Sepharose, and hydroxylapatite. Purified hHGF shows several bands with molecular weights between 76,000 and 92,000. Each band shows growth-stimulating activity on cultured hepatocytes which is proportional to the intensity of the band. After reduction of the sample with 2-mercaptoethanol, SDS-PAGE yields two chains with molecular weights of 31,500-34,500 and 54,000-65,000. The effect of hHGF on DNA synthesis by hepatocytes is half-maximal at 3.5 ng/ml. hHGF stimulates proliferation of cultured hepatocytes more effectively than human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) or insulin, and the effect of hHGF is additive or synergistic with the maximal effects of hEGF and insulin. These results suggest that hHGF is a new growth factor which is different from hEGF.

Cell Division↗

Effect of histamine H2-receptor antagonists on DNA synthesis in adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Cimetidine enhanced hepatocytes proliferation stimulated with insulin and epidermal growth factor.

The effects of three of the most widely used histamine H2-receptor antagonists, cimetidine, ranitidine and famotidine, on liver cell growth were studied in vitro using adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture, because these antagonists are commonly given to patients with hepatic cirrhosis or fulminant hepatic failure for protection against peptic ulcers and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. At their clinically effective concentrations in the blood (0.5-5 micrograms/ml cimetidine, 0.25-2.5 micrograms/ml ranitidine and 0.05-0.5 microgram/ml famotidine), these three antagonists did not have any effect on replicative DNA synthesis either in the presence or absence of insulin plus epidermal growth factor (EGF). However, unexpectedly DNA synthesis stimulated by insulin and EGF was found to be enhanced by 0.05-0.5 mg/ml cimetidine, although it was unaffected or inhibited by ranitidine and famotidine at the concentrations tested. Cimetidine caused maximal enhancement of 1.5-2 times the control level of DNA synthesis at a concentration of 0.25 mg/ml. Cimetidine also had an enhancing effect at submaximal concentrations of insulin and EGF, but neither cimetidine nor the other antagonists had any stimulatory effect on DNA synthesis in the absence of insulin plus EGF. This enhancement of DNA synthesis by cimetidine resulted in significant increase in the total DNA content of the hepatocytes in culture. Under the conditions used, cimetidine had the lowest toxicity of these three antagonists and ranitidine the highest, as judged from data on DNA synthesis and the total protein content of cultured hepatocytes, leakage of aminotransferases from the cells and morphological observations.

Animals↗

Human hepatocyte growth factor in plasma from patients with fulminant hepatic failure.

Plasma from patients with fulminant hepatic failure obtained during plasma exchange therapy, like their serum, demonstrated marked stimulatory activity on DNA synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes. Heat treatment at 56 degrees C for 30 min did not affect this activity of the plasma, but reduced that of the serum. This growth-promoting activity was confirmed by showing that the patients' serum and plasma increased the labeling index with [3H]thymidine and the total number of nuclei in hepatocyte cultures. The activity of pooled active fractions obtained by gel filtration of the heated plasma was lost completely on heat treatment at 80 degrees C for 10 min or on treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin, which suggests that it was due to a protein. The human hepatocyte growth factor was purified about 600-fold from heated plasma of a patient by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatographies on Affi-Gel Blue and hydroxylapatite. The maximum effect of this partially purified factor on DNA synthesis in cultured hepatocytes was greater than that of epidermal growth factor. The molecular weight of the hepatocyte growth factor was about 85,000 as determined by SDS-PAGE.

Animals↗

Degradation of [125I]iodoglucagon by normal rat plasma in radioimmunoassay mixture containing aprotinin and its prevention by p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate and leupeptin.

Degradation of [125I]iodoglucagon during RIA of glucagon would result in erroneously high values for immunoreactive glucagon (IRG). Normal rat plasma was found to have high activity for glucagon degradation that was not suppressed by the aprotinin and EDTA routinely added to the RIA system. About 30% of the added radioactive glucagon was degraded during RIA in assay mixture at pH 7.4 containing 0.2 ml normal rat plasma, and the IRG value was calculated to be 150-180 pg/ml plasma. The degradation was completely inhibited by addition of 2 mM p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate (PCMS) plus 0.25 mM leupeptin as protease inhibitors, and in their presence the IRG value was about 80 pg/ml. The glucagon-degrading activity was about half as much in assay mixture at pH 8.8 as in that at pH 7.4, but the degradation still affected the accuracy of IRG values. When rat plasma was incubated with [125I]iodoglucagon in the assay conditions used for RIA and then subjected to Bio-Gel P-6 filtration, three new peaks of radioactivity were found in low mol wt fractions, with decrease in the peak corresponding to [125I]iodoglucagon, whereas on similar treatment in the presence of PCMS and leupeptin all the radioactivity was recovered in the glucagon fraction. The average recoveries of authentic glucagon as IRG in the absence and presence of the inhibitors were less than 60% and more than 90%, respectively. These findings indicate that determination of plasma IRG in rats by RIA with assay mixture containing aprotinin gives spuriously high values owing to degradation of the radiotracer, and that PCMS and leupeptin should be added to the sample and assay mixture to prevent this degradation.

4-Chloromercuribenzenesulfonate↗

Immunohistochemical studies with a monoclonal antibody on the distribution of phosphophoryn in predentin and dentin.

A monoclonal antibody was raised against phosphophoryn, a unique noncollagenous phosphoprotein in dentin. Mouse myeloma NS-I cells were fused with spleen cells obtained from BALB/c mice immunized with phosphophoryn from fetal calf tooth germs. Mice inoculated with the hybridoma produced ascites fluid containing the antibody and this reacted only with a band of phosphophoryn transblotted from polyacrylamide gel. Immunohistochemical studies with the antibody showed that phosphophoryn was present in odontoblasts, odontoblastic processes and dentin, but not in the matrix of predentin, and that the phosphophoryn content of the dentin layer was high at and around the predentin-dentin junction and gradually decreased toward the enamel layer. The area corresponding to mantle dentin was not stained with the antibody.

Animals↗

Increased activities of liver cathepsins T and D in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats.

Changes in activities of a new proteinase cathepsin T as well as some other lysosomal acid proteinases and hydrolases were examined in liver homogenate from rats treated with a single hepatotoxic dose of carbon tetrachloride. The most striking changes were several-fold increases of liver cathepsin T and D activities over their levels in untreated rats 3 days after administration of the agent to rats. Increase of cathepsin T was greater than that of cathepsin D at all doses of the hepatotoxin examined. The activities of N alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine 2-naphthylamide hydrolase, acid phosphatase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase in poisoned rat liver were unchanged or only slightly increased. Cathepsin T and D activities were less enhanced in mitochondrial lysosomal fractions than in the homogenate, and were greatly elevated in the supernatant fractions of liver from the treated rats. As judged from the molecular weights, the elevated activities of cathepsins T and D in the treated rat liver could be attributable to the two cathepsins themselves and not to other proteinases. Administration to rats of other hepatotoxic agents, thioacetamide and dimethylnitrosamine, also induced the elevation of the two cathepsin activities in liver, but on partial hepatectomy the activities of liver cathepsins T and D did not show such marked increases. Nonparenchymal liver cell fractions were responsible for almost all the increased activities of liver cathepsins T and D. It is possible that cathepsins T and D play a role in the heterolytic breakdown of hepatocyte molecules following CCl4 poisoning.

Animals↗