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Biomedical subjects

Y Tominaga

Publications and source records attributed to Y Tominaga.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Expression of a soluble form of LFA-1 and demonstration of its binding activity with ICAM-1.

The interaction between lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is of importance in a number of cellular events, including antigen-specific T cell activation and emigration of leukocytes into sites of inflammation. We describe here the first use of a recombinant soluble form of human LFA-1 (sLFA-1) for the measurement of the binding between LFA-1 and ICAM-1. sLFA-1 has been successfully expressed and purified. The expressed sLFA-1 was shown to be functionally active by their binding to ICAM-1. Binding of sLFA-1 to ICAM-1 was observed by receptor binding assay. Both monomeric (soluble ICAM-1 or the first two domains of ICAM-1) and dimeric ICAM-1 (IgG chimera of each ICAM-1 fragment) showed inhibitory activity on assay with IC50 values of 400 nM and 40 nM, respectively. These results suggest that the soluble constructs would be useful tools for molecular analysis of ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction as well as in screening for ICAM-1/LFA-1 antagonists.

CD18 Antigens

Administration of IL-4 prevents autoimmune diabetes but enhances pancreatic insulitis in NOD mice.

The present study demonstrated that the administration of recombinant interleukin-4 (rIL-4) prevented overt diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice whose T cells produced relatively low amounts of IL-4. However, massive insulitis was observed in rIL-4-treated NOD mice. The flow cytometric analysis of islet-infiltrating T cells revealed that the number of CD45RBlowCD4+ T cells was significantly increased by in vivo administration of rIL-4. By measuring the cytokine production of splenic T cells after stimulation, it was shown that CD45RBlowCD4+ T cells predominantly produced IL-4 and IL-10 but produced less IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). A semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay revealed a higher expression of IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA and an apparent decrease in IFN-gamma mRNA in the islets of NOD mice which were administered rIL-4. These results suggested that autoreactive CD45RBlowCD4+ T helper 2 (Th2)-like cells which developed following rIL-4 administration were predominant in the infiltrate of the islets, and overt diabetes was prevented. On the other hand, when splenocytes from rIL-4-treated NOD mice were transferred to irradiated NOD recipients, along with splenocytes from diabetic NOD mice, all of the recipient mice became diabetic within 8 weeks after transfer. Considered together, a supplement of rIL-4 administered to NOD mice may protect against autoimmune diabetes by facilitating the development of Th2-like autoreactive T cells in the islets.

Animals

Parathyroid hormone suppression by 22-oxacalcitriol in the severe parathyroid hyperplasia.

The suppression of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion by the administration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D3] and 22-oxacalcitriol (OCT) was evaluated in nude mice transplanted with human hyperplastic parathyroid tissue. The parathyroid tissue was obtained for transplantation from a patient with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism who had undergone a parathyroidectomy. Tissue specimens were transplanted into the gluteus muscle of female nude mice. Animals were divided into two groups; one group was fed a normal diet, and the other group was fed a low calcium diet during the administration of OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3. OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3 were intraperitoneally administered two times every week, for a total of eight times. Serum calcium and phosphate levels were significantly higher in the mouse administered 1,25(OH)2D3 than in the mouse administered OCT. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity was elevated similarly in the mouse administered either OCT or 1,25(OH)2D3. OCT strongly suppressed human PTH secretion from the graft in mice with normal serum calcium levels as did 1,25(OH)2D3. However, human PTH secretion from the graft was stimulated by the administration of a low-calcium diet, despite OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3 administration. In summary, OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3 suppress PTH secretion even from severe secondary hyperplastic parathyroid tissue only in mice with normal or high calcium serum levels.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Surgical significance of supernumerary parathyroid glands in renal hyperparathyroidism.

In secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT) fundamentally all parathyroid glands, including supernumerary glands, become hyperplastic, and stimulation of parathyroid glands continues after parathyroidectomy (PTx). Therefore supernumerary glands have special significance during surgery for 2HPT, whether persistent or recurrent HPT. In the present study 570 patients underwent initial total PTx with a forearm autograft. The frequency, type, location, histopathology, and clinical significance of the supernumerary glands were evaluated. At the initial operation 90 supernumerary glands were removed from 82 to 570 patients (14.4%); 12 patients (2.1%) required extirpation of supernumerary glands for persistent/recurrent HPT. Altogether 104 supernumerary glands were identified at operation in 94 of the 570 patients (16.5%). Among these 104 glands, 25 (24.0%) were of the rudimentary, or split, type and 79 (76.0%) of the proper type. Supernumerary glands were most frequently identified in the thymic tongue (53/104, 51.0%); 32 (60.4%) of these 53 glands were identified only microscopically. In 6 of the 570 cases (1.1%), reoperation was required for persistent HPT due to supernumerary glands located in the mediastinum, and 6 patients underwent neck reexploration for recurrence. Histopathologically, 61 of 104 (58.7%) supernumerary glands, including 36 glands recognized only microscopically, showed diffuse hyperplasia, and 43 (41.3%) displayed nodular hyperplasia. Residual small supernumerary glands with diffuse hyperplasia have the potential to be transformed to nodular hyperplasia during long-term hemodialysis. Therefore all parathyroid glands including supernumerary glands should, if possible, be removed at the initial operation. Routine removal of the thymic tongue and careful examination of the regions surrounding the lower poles of the thyroid, especially on the left side, are important steps in the surgical treatment.

Adult

Synthesis and structure--antibacterial activity relationships of 7-(3-amino-1-propynyl and 3-amino-1-propenyl)quinolones.

7-(3-Amino-1-propynyl)-1-cyclopropyl-6,8-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-4- oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (7a) and some related compounds (7b-f, 8a, b, 9) were prepared via palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of 7-iodoquinolone 12 with acetylenic compounds and their antibacterial activity was tested. The methylene homologue (7d) and the N-methyl derivative (7e) of 7a showed essentially the same activity as that of 7a. Addition of methyl group(s) to C'-3 of 7a (giving 7b, c) reduced the activity. The hydrogenation of 7a to (Z)-3-amino-1-propenyl (8a), (E)-3-amino-1-propenyl (8b) and 3-amino-1-propyl (9) compounds retained or enhanced the activity of 7a. Among the compounds prepared, 8a was the most active, but was less active than ciprofloxacin (1). In order to get insight into structure-activity relationships, the spatial distribution of the amino groups of 7a, 8a, b, and 9 was examined by means of computer-aided molecular modeling.

Anti-Infective Agents

7-(2-Aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl)-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acids as potent antibacterial agents: design, synthesis, and antibacterial activity.

2-Aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl, -1-pyrrolidinyl, and -1-piperidinyl groups were designed as novel C-7 substituents for potential antibacterial quinolone agents. Of the three substituents, the 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl group (compound 12a) was found to be the most favorable for enhancing the activity of the 6,8-difluoroquinoline molecule 12. Therefore the 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl group was introduced into a variety of quinolines (giving 24-26a, and 28a) and naphthyridines (giving 31a and 32a). Through optical resolution of 1-benzylazetidine-2-carboxamide (19) and chiral synthesis of its R-isomer, both enantiomers of 2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl quinolines 12a and 24-26a were also prepared. The most active of all the compounds was 5-amino-6,8-difluoroquinoline (R)-26a. The activity of (R)-26a was more potent than those of the corresponding 1-piperazinyl derivative (3) and sparfloxacin (1), and was comparable to those of the corresponding 3-amino-1-pyrrolidinyl (4), 3-aminomethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl (5), and 3-amino-1-azetidinyl (6) derivatives.

4-Quinolones

Subgingival distribution of periodontopathic bacteria in adult periodontitis and their susceptibility to minocycline-HCl.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of several periodontopathic bacteria in adult periodontitis, their in vitro susceptibility to minocycline-HCl, and whether the efficacy of the drug changes with a decrease in bacterial susceptibility. Twenty-one patients (43 to 75 years old) with 62 periodontal lesions from pockets > or =4 mm participated in the study. After subgingival sampling, an ointment containing 2% minocycline-HCl was applied locally to the selected pockets once a week for 4 weeks. The lesions were clinically examined after 1 and 4 weeks of administration. The distribution of the subgingival microorganisms included Capnocytophaga sputigena (37.1%), Prevotella intermedia (22.6%), Porphyromonas gingivalis (22.6%), Fusobacterium nucleatum (20.1%), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (9.7%), and Eikenella corrodens (4.8%). The distribution was complex, with 76.8% of the sites containing 1 to 3 bacterial spieces. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of minocycline-HCl for each organism showed that most were inhibited by a minocycline-HCl concentration equal to or less than the MIC for reference strains. However, some clinical strains of Prevotella intermedia seemed to exihibit low susceptibility to minocycline-HCl. There were no significant differences among sites with strains exhibiting low or normal susceptibility to minocycline-HCl. The concentration of the drug applied to deep periodontal pockets inhibited the growth of most of the microorganisms investigated in this study.

Administration, Topical

Effects of voglibose on glycemic excursions, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of voglibose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, on daily glycemic excursions, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-treated NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: An open prospective study was conducted in 27 NIDDM patients receiving diet therapy alone or treatment with a sulfonylurea drug. Of the study subjects, 14 patients were treated with voglibose; the remaining 13 patients served as the control group. The metabolic parameters were evaluated before treatment and at week 4 of treatment as follows: glycemic excursions by M-value and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG), insulin secretion by area under the curve of daily serum insulin (AUCinsulin), and insulin sensitivity by the K index of the insulin tolerance test (KITT). RESULTS: After the study treatment, HbA1c and plasma glucose in the patients who had received voglibose were comparable to those of patients in the control group. M-value was lower in the patients treated with voglibose than in the control subjects (5.7 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.8 +/- 1.2, P < 0.05). 1,5-AG was higher in the patients treated with voglibose than in the control subjects (12.2 +/- 1.0 vs. 8.2 +/- 0.7 micrograms/ml, P < 0.01). A statistically significant increase in AUCinsulin occurred after treatment with voglibose (2,223.5 +/- 390.6 to 1,546.7 +/- 303.4 pmol.l-1.h, P < 0.05), but no change occurred in the control group (2,364.5 +/- 315.4 to 2,464.2 +/- 269.3 pmol.l-1.h, P = 0.60). Insulin sensitivity (KITT) was improved to a statistically significant level in both the patients treated with voglibose and the patients in the control group. KITT in the patients after voglibose treatment was comparable to that of the control group (3.18 +/- 0.30 vs. 3.21 +/- 0.23%/min, P = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that voglibose lowers the daily glycemic excursions and inhibits overwork of the pancreatic beta-cells but has little effect on insulin sensitivity in NIDDM patients.

Blood Glucose

Double-sector Lorenz plot scattering in an R-R interval analysis of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation: incidence and characteristics of vertices of the double-sector scattering.

Animal experiments have demonstrated that the minimum R-R interval during atrial fibrillation is proportional to the functional refractory period of the atrioventricular node. On Lorenz plots, atrial fibrillation is characterized by sector-shaped scattering; the vertex of the sector (ie, the minimum R-R interval) represents the functional refractory period. According to the atrioventricular nodal dual-pathway theory, it was hypothesized that the dual atrioventricular nodal pathways associated with chronic atrial fibrillation represent two vertices with two sectors. Detection of two-sector Lorenz plot scattering was attempted in 48 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation who underwent 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. Lorenz plot scattering was constructed by means of a computer. Two sectors, suggesting dual pathways, were detected in 19 (40%) of the 48 patients. The two vertices, located at 388 +/- 61 ms (mean +/- SD) and 580 +/- 60 ms were considered to represent the functional refractory periods of the fast and slow pathways, respectively. The vertex indicating the fast pathway showed greater circadian variation than that indicating the slow pathway. In one patient with dual-sector Lorenz plot scattering, whose atrial fibrillation spontaneously converted to sinus rhythm, an electrophysiologic study demonstrated dual atrioventricular nodal pathways. Thus, the Lorenz plot analysis identified two sectors, indicating the dual pathways, in approximately 40% of the patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, and the characteristics of the functional refractory periods of both pathways were estimated from the characteristics of the vertices. Although this study did not provide direct evidence of the dual atrioventricular nodal pathways, the analysis of Lorenz plot scattering may be clinically useful for studying the effects of drugs and/or ablation on the ventricular response in patients with atrial fibrillation based on the dual atrioventricular nodal pathway theory.

Aged

Expression of IFN-inducible protein-10 in chronic hepatitis.

Chemokines such as IFN-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and JE/monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) are induced in the murine liver in a tissue-specific manner. We examined whether IP-10 and MCP-1 are pathologically involved in chronic hepatitis. Whereas the serum levels of IP-10 and MCP-1 in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis C were elevated compared with those in normal volunteers, both chemokine levels were further significantly higher in patients with the active form (chronic active hepatitis (CAH)). The elevated IP-10 level was not a general phenomenon of inflammation, because it was not seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whereas MCP-1 levels were elevated to the same extent in both patient groups. Better responsiveness to IFN therapy in CAH was related to lesser grades of necroinflammatory activity and was predicted by the lower IP-10 and higher MCP-1 levels. IP-10 levels in patients cured by IFN therapy decreased to the levels in normal volunteers, while the MCP-1 levels only slightly decreased. Serum levels of both chemokines in patients who were not cured remained unchanged after IFN therapy. In situ hybridization analysis of CAH revealed that IP-10 mRNA was expressed mainly in hepatocytes around intralobular focal and periportal piecemeal necrosis, while some MCP-1 mRNA was expressed in some sinusoidal cells. These results suggested that IP-10 plays a specific role in the intralobular accumulation of mononuclear cells and/or the death of hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis.

Chemokine CCL2

Possible participation of cyclooxygenase-2 in the recurrence of allergic inflammation in rats.

In the recurrence of allergic inflammation in a rat air pouch model, pouch fluid volume, prostaglandin E2 concentration in the pouch fluid, leukocyte infiltration into the pouch fluid, and granulation tissue weight were markedly increased by the antigen challenge. To clarify the role of cyclooxygenase-2 in the recurrence of allergic inflammation, the time-course of changes in protein levels of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the granulation tissue and in the infiltrated leukocytes was examined by Western blot analysis. It was shown that cyclooxygenase-1 levels in the granulation tissue and in the infiltrated leukocytes were not changed by the antigen challenge, but cyclooxygenase-2 levels were increased. Furthermore, treatment with the selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, NS-398 ([N-2(cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl]-methanesulfonamide), suppressed the recurrence of allergic inflammation as did the non-selective cyclooxygenase-1/cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, indomethacin. The steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone, inhibited the induction of cyclooxygenase-2, and suppressed the allergic inflammation. These findings strongly suggested that cyclooxygenase-2 induced by the antigen challenge plays a role in the recurrence of inflammation induced by the allergic mechanism.

Animals

Organization and expression of the mouse MTH1 gene for preventing transversion mutation.

An enzyme, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydrodeoxyguanosine triphosphatase (8-oxo-dGTPase), is present in various organisms and plays an important role in the control of spontaneous mutagenesis. The enzyme hydrolyzes 8-oxo-dGTP, an oxidized form of dGTP, to 8-oxo-dGMP, thereby preventing the occurrence of A:T to C:G transversion, caused by misincorporation. We isolated the mouse genomic sequence encoding the enzyme and elucidated its structure. The gene, named MTH1 for mutT homologue 1, is composed of at least five exons and spans approximately 9 kilobase pairs. A genomic region containing the pseudogene was also isolated. The promoter region for the gene is GC-rich, contains many AP-1 and AP-2 recognition sequences, and lacks a typical TATA box. Primer extension and S1 mapping analyses revealed the existence of multiple transcription initiation sites, among which a major site was defined as +1. The putative promoter region was placed upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, and control of expression of the gene was examined by introducing the construct into mouse NIH 3T3 cells. Deletion analysis indicated that a sequence from -321 to +9 carries the basic promoter activity while an adjacent region, spanning from +352 to +525 stimulates the frequency of transcription.

3T3 Cells

A unique enzyme from Saccharothrix sp. catalyzing D-amino acid transfer.

A newly isolated actinomycete belonging to Saccharothrix sp. was found to produce a unique enzyme catalyzing D-amino acid transfer. The enzyme, which was tentatively named D-amino acid transferase, was purified 2600-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity and the molecular mass was 41 kDa. The enzyme was D-configuration specific and recognized aromatic D-amino acid esters to form oligo D-amino acid esters. D-Phenylalanine ester was favored as substrate over other D-amino acid esters. The optimum conditions for oligo D-phenylalanine ester formation by D-amino acid transferase were pH 7.0 and 40 degrees C. The enzyme was inhibited by DAN, EPNP and DFP.

Actinomycetales