Biomedical subjects

Yoko Hashimoto

Publications and source records attributed to Yoko Hashimoto.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

[Therapeutic agents for disorders of bone and calcium metabolism--Teriparatide, parathyroid hormone (1-34) as a daily subcutaneous injection].

Teriparatide is the recombinant N-terminal fragment (1-34) of endogenous human parathyroid hormone (PTH) and has been approved and used in many countries including the United States and Europe. Treatment with teriparatide 20 microg/day for 18 months increased spine bone mineral density (BMD) by approximately 10% and reduced the incidence of vertebral fractures by 65% and nonvertebral fragility fractures by 53%. Furthermore, the results from paired-biopsy showed that the treatment with teriparatide improved bone architecture. Teriparatide is being developed in Japan as a treatment for osteoporosis.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Significance of 32-kDa cathepsin L secreted from cancer cells.

It is recognized that many cancer cells secrete cathepsin L to degrade the components of extracellular matrices and basement membranes, thus promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. However, very little information is available concerning the secreted forms of cathepsin L and their possible role in human cancer. We initially demonstrated that approximately 10-fold higher mature cathepsin L activity was secreted in a medium of human fibrosarcoma (HT 1080) cells, compared with their intracellular activity. A 32-kDa major-activity band, together with a 41-kDa faint-activity band, was detected in the medium by our newly developed gelatin zymography. The two forms were further confirmed to be cathepsin L by immunoblot analysis. Both were apparently secreted directly from the cells, as neither was affected when the cells were cultured in the presence of various kinds of proteinase inhibitors. Human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulated not only the production of the 32-kDa cathepsin L, but also its secretion. Moreover, the 32-kDa cathepsin L activities in 3 colon and 2 lung cancer tissues were significantly higher than in normal tissues. Based on the foregoing, there are good reasons to speculate that the 32-kDa cathepsin L found in HT 1080 cell medium is involved in cancer invasion and metastasis.

Cathepsin L↗

PubMed2005

Structural and functional properties of homologous electrical synapses between retinal amacrine cells.

Retinal amacrine cells regulate activities of retinal ganglion cells, the output neurons to higher visual centers, through cellular mechanism of lateral inhibition in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Electrical properties of gap junction networks between amacrine cells in the IPL were investigated using combined techniques of intracellular recordings, Lucifer yellow and Neurobiotin injection, dual patch-clamp recordings and high voltage electron microscopy in isolated retinas of cyprinid fish. Six types of gap-junctionally connected amacrine cells were classified after their light-evoked responses to light flashes were recorded. Among them, gap junction networks of three types of amacrine cells were studied with structure-function correlation analysis. Cellular morphology of intercellular connections between three homologous cell classes was characterized. The interconnections between laterally extending dendrites in the IPL were localized at dendritic tip terminals. Three types of cells presented the dendrodendritic connections of tip-contact manner in the homologous cell population. High voltage as well as conventional electron microscopy revealed gap junctions between the dendritic tips of Neurobiotin-coupled cells. Receptive field properties of these amacrine cells were examined, displacing a slit of light along the distance from recording sites in the dorsal intermediate region of the retina. Receptive field size, space length constant, response latency and conduction velocity were measured. Spatial and temporal properties of receptive fields were symmetric along horizontally expanding dendrites in the dorsal retina. Simultaneous dual patch-clamp recordings revealed that the lateral gap junction connections between homologous amacrine cells expressed bidirectional electrical synapses passing Na(+) spikes. These results demonstrate that bidirectional electrical transmission in gap junction networks of these amacrine cells is symmetric along the lateral gap junction connections between horizontally extending dendrites. Lateral inhibition regulated by amacrine cells in the IPL appears to be associated with the directional extension of the dendrites and the orientation of dendrodendritic gap junctions.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2004

Disruption of type 5 adenylyl cyclase negates the developmental increase in Galphaolf expression in the striatum.

The two stimulatory G protein alpha subunits, Galphas and Galphaolf, activate adenylyl cyclase in a similar way. We examined whether type 5 adenylyl cyclase knockout, the major striatal isoform, can differentially and/or developmentally change the expression of these G proteins in the striatum. Galphas and Galphaolf expressions at birth were unaffected in knockouts, which, however, demonstrated a blunted developmental increase in Galphaolf, but not Galphas. Adenylyl cyclase activity was unaffected at birth, but subsequently became lower in knockouts. These findings suggest that type 5 adenylyl cyclase does not contribute to striatal cAMP signaling at birth. However, it may play an important role in developmental changes in the expression of Galphaolf, but not Galphas.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

PubMed2003

Fatty acids as an energy source for the operation of axoplasmic transport.

Fatty acids are utilized as a cellular energy source. In the present study, we investigated whether fatty acids could affect axoplasmic transport. Cultured mouse superior cervical ganglion neurons were placed in the glucose-containing medium (145 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl(2), 1 mM MgCl(2), 5 mM D-glucose, 10 mM Hepes, pH 7.3, 37 degrees C), and axoplasmic transport of particles in neurites was observed under video-enhanced contrast microscopy. A variety of fatty acids (acetate (C2), caproate (C6), caprylate (C8), caprate (C10), 2-decenoate (C10:1), arachidonate (C20:4); 0.1-1 mM) caused a transient increase in the amount of particles transported in both anterograde and retrograde directions. The increasing effects of fatty acids were dose-dependent. A half-maximum effective dose (ED(50)) for acetate was 0.8 mM, which is similar to the reported K(m) value of acetyl-CoA synthetase for acetate. The ED(50) for caprylate was 28 microM, which is near the K(m) value of acyl-CoA synthetase for medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Application of 5 mM malonate, an inhibitor of the citrate cycle, induced a steady-state decrease in axoplasmic transport, indicating that energy derived from the citrate cycle is required for the maintenance of axoplasmic transport. The increasing effect of acetate (1 mM) on axoplasmic transport was completely abolished by pretreatment with malonate (5 mM), suggesting that acetate produces ATP for axoplasmic transport via the citrate cycle. Alternatively, the effect of caprate (1 mM) was retained after treatment with malonate. Thus, fatty acids except acetate produce ATP probably through both the beta-oxidation pathway and the citrate cycle, increasing axoplasmic transport. Since the effect of fatty acids was transient, certain negative feedback mechanisms might be involved. The removal of glucose from the medium resulted in a low steady-state level of axoplasmic transport. Under such condition, the acetate (1 mM)-induced transient increase in axoplasmic transport remained. Since intracellular ATP must be low under glucose-free condition, intracellular ATP concentrations are unlikely to be involved in the feedback system. Instead, acetyl-CoA or its downstream products in the citrate cycle might lead to feedback inhibition. Application of citrate (5 mM) caused a strong decrease following a transient increase in axoplasmic transport, whereas no other acetyl-CoA product decreased axoplasmic transport. Thus, excessive citrate may be one of factors leading to feedback inhibition of metabolic pathways to arrest and reverse the increase in axoplasmic transport induced by fatty acids.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Motor dysfunction in type 5 adenylyl cyclase-null mice.

Various neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, stimulate adenylyl cyclase to produce cAMP, which regulates neuronal functions. Genetic disruption of the type 5 adenylyl cyclase isoform led to a major loss of adenylyl cyclase activity in a striatum-specific manner with a small increase in the expression of a few other adenylyl cyclase isoforms. D1 dopaminergic agonist-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was attenuated, and this was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of the D1 dopaminergic receptor and G(s)alpha. D2 dopaminergic agonist-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity was also blunted. Type 5 adenylyl cyclase-null mice exhibited Parkinsonian-like motor dysfunction, i.e. abnormal coordination and bradykinesia detected by Rotarod and pole test, respectively, and to a lesser extent locomotor impairment was detected by open field tests. Selective D1 or D2 dopaminergic stimulation improved some of these disorders in this mouse model, suggesting the partial compensation of each dopaminergic receptor signal through the stimulation of remnant adenylyl cyclase isoforms. These findings extend our knowledge of the role of an effector enzyme isoform in regulating receptor signaling and neuronal functions and imply that this isoform provides a site of convergence of both D1 and D2 dopaminergic signals and balances various motor functions.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

PubMed2002

Repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) in Magnaporthe grisea: implications for its sexual cycle in the natural field context.

Repeat-induced point mutation (RIP) is a process that detects DNA duplications and peppers their sequences with C:G to T:A transitions in the sexual phase of the life cycle. So far, this unique mechanism has been identified as a currently active process in only two fungal species, Neurospora crassa and Podospora anserina. To determine whether a RIP-like process operates in the plant pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe grisea, the retrotransposon MAGGY and the hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene were introduced into the fungus as multiple transgenes and examined for sequence alterations after a cross. Frequent C:G to T:A transitions in the transgenes were found in the descendants, preferentially in (A/Tp)Cp(A/T)contexts, suggesting that a process similar to RIP functions in M.grisea. We also examined the sequence of another retrotransposon Pyret in six field isolates of M. grisea. Even though no perfect stage has been known in M. grisea under field conditions to date, RIP-like transitions were found in all the field isolates tested. Interestingly, the frequency of the transitions mostly correlated with the fertility of the isolates examined under laboratory conditions. These results imply that the sexual cycle of this fungus exists or existed in the natural field context.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Molecular detection of cancer cells in saliva from oral and pharyngeal cancer patients.

A key to improve the prognosis of head and neck cancers is an early diagnosis of the disease. No screening method to detect these cancers has been developed yet. Molecular techniques using polymerase chain reaction are a sensitive method to detect a small population of cancer cells among normal cells. We conducted a series of microsatellite analysis to detect cancer cells in saliva from 23 oral and pharyngeal cancer patients. Eight microsatellite markers were selected to test for microsatellite instability (MSI) in the tumor and saliva samples. Of 23 samples, 5 (22%) had MSI in the tumor samples. In 4 of 5 (80%) MSI positive samples, we detected the identical MSI in saliva. The possibility of the molecular screening and molecular follow-up is discussed.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗