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Biomedical subjects

Yuji Naito

Publications and source records attributed to Yuji Naito.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, nabumetone, prevents indometacin-induced gastric damage via inhibition of neutrophil functions.

Nabumetone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works as a prodrug and is extensively metabolized to an active metabolite, 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6MNA). It is well known that neutrophil infiltration and activation are critical in the pathogenesis of NSAID-induced gastric injury, and nabumetone shows less incidence of gastrointestinal irritancy. We examined the effects of nabumetone on neutrophil activation and on indometacin-induced gastric damage. In the indometacin-induced gastric mucosal injury, rats were treated with indometacin and then nabumetone or 6MNA was orally administered. Nabumetone prevented gastric damage accompanied by the reduction of neutrophil infiltration into gastric mucosa, but such an effect was not observed with 6MNA. Nabumetone reduced the formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced respiratory burst of human neutrophils to 30% of the control level in-vitro, but 6MNA did not. In addition, nabumetone prevented the fMLP-induced migration of neutrophils. Nabumetone did not inhibit O2- generation in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. These results suggest that nabumetone prevents gastric damage induced by the active metabolite, 6MNA, via the suppression of neutrophil activation in gastric mucosa.

Animals↗

[A case of advanced gastric cancer with bone metastases and DIC responding to oral administration of TS-1].

The patient was a 71-year-old man whose chief complaints were staggering and fatigue. As a result of various examinations, he was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer, Borrmann 3, with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and bone metastases. The DIC was treated with oral administration of TS-1 (120 mg/day). Furthermore, both the primary gastric tumor and metastatic bone lesions were reduced in size by the treatment with TS-1. TS-1 appears to be an effective therapeutic agent for advanced gastric cancer with DIC or bone metastases.

Administration, Oral↗

Combined cox maze procedure, septal myectomy, and mitral valve replacement for severe hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy complicated by chronic atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported to be an important prognostic indicator for clinical deterioration particularly in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). A 66-year-old female complained of severe exertional dyspnea and tachycardia, which were resistant to medical treatments. Doppler echocardiography demonstrated a peak left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient of 117 mmHg at rest. A catheter examination revealed left ventricular end diastolic pressure of 34 mmHg, a cardiac index of 1.94 L/minute/m(2), and a peak LVOT gradient of 70 mmHg at rest. A transaortic septal myotomy/myectomy was performed first, and Cox maze III procedure was performed through the right and left atrium followed by mitral valve replacement. The patient recovered dramatically except for temporary complete atrioventricular block. One year after operation, the patient is doing well with sinus rhythm and the echocardiogram revealed a peak LVOT pressure gradient of 7.6 mmHg at rest. This surgical approach might be recommended for the treatment of AF in HOCM. (Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003; 9: 323-5)

Aged↗

Alpha-tocopherol prevents apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells via a mechanism exceeding that of mere antioxidation.

Alpha-tocopherol has been reported to exert an anti-atherogenesis effect. We attempted to clarify the effect of alpha-tocopherol-both as an antioxidant and as a nonantioxidant--on apoptosis induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or oxysterols. Oxidized LDL and oxysterols induced necrosis and/or apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. The induction of apoptosis was associated with increased caspase-3 activity and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, both the effects of which were attenuated by alpha-tocopherol. Apoptosis was also decreased by beta-tocopherol or intracellular radical scavengers, but these suppressive effects were less than those of alpha-tocopherol. Neither beta-tocopherol nor the scavengers had pronounced effect on caspase-3 activity, but each of them decreased the generation of reactive oxygen species to the same extent as alpha-tocopherol. Our study suggests that alpha-Toc protects against apoptosis not only by scavenging reactive oxygen species, but also by inhibiting caspase activity, which means that its activity may exceed that of a mere antioxidant.

Antioxidants↗

Enhancement of lipid peroxidation and of the antitumor effect of hyperthermia upon combination with oral eicosapentaenoic acid.

The present study was designed to determine the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on the susceptibility of tumor cells to treatments that kill the cells by lipid peroxidation. Using AH109A carcinoma, a rat liver cancer, we measured EPA content, levels of antioxidants, and degree of lipid peroxidation in tumor tissue and normal liver tissue after oral administration of EPA. In the control group treated with distilled water, EPA in tumor tissue was lower than in normal liver tissue, suggesting that its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (the substrates for lipid peroxidation) was inherently low. Levels of antioxidants also tended to be lower in tumor tissue. EPA level increased in both tumor and normal tissues after oral administration of EPA. At the same time, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) increased in normal tissue, whereas tumor tissue displayed no increase in antioxidants; instead GSH decreased. The EPA-induced change in balance between substrates for lipid peroxidation and antioxidants suggested that tumor tissue might become more susceptible to lipid peroxidation than normal liver tissue. In fact, hyperthermia treatment did enhance lipid peroxidation and antitumor action. Our results indicate that oral EPA specifically increases the susceptibility of liver tumor tissue to lipid peroxidation, and hence enhance the antitumor effect of hyperthermia and prolongs survival.

Administration, Oral↗

Molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infection leads to different clinical and pathological outcomes in humans, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric neoplasia. The key determinants of these outcomes are the severity and distribution of the H. pylori-induced inflammation. Antral-type gastritis is associated with excessive acid secretion and a high risk of duodenal ulcer. In contrast, gastritis that involves the acid-secreting corpus region leads to hypochlorhydria, progressive gastric atrophy, and an increased risk of gastric cancer. The key pathophysiological event in H. pylori infection is initiation and continuance of an inflammatory response. Bacteria or their products trigger this inflammatory process and the main mediators are cytokines. Identification of both host- and bacterial-factors that mediate is an intense area of interest in current researches. Recent data indicates that the cag pathogenicity island plays a crucial role in H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation via the activation of gene transcription. It has been demonstrated that oxidative and nitrosative stress associated with inflammation plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis as a mediator of carcinogenic compound formation, DNA damage, and cell proliferation. Genetic information regulating such stress would be one of the host factors determining the outcome--particularly when the outcome is gastric cancer--of H. pylori infection, and the compound that attenuates such stress may be a candidate for use in chemoprevention. This review highlights recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms underlying chronic inflammation following infection with H. pylori.

Animals↗

Inhibitory effect of a novel water-soluble vitamin E derivative on atherosclerosis in rabbits.

A novel vitamin E derivative that is freely soluble in water, 2-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)methyl-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-6-ol (TMG), was evaluated for ability to inhibit development of atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits or cholesterol-loaded New Zealand White rabbits. Although TMG rapidly entered the circulation blood after oral administration, the blood TMG concentration remained low, while neither TMG nor its metabolites appeared in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction. TMG did not decrease serum total cholesterol and the various lipoprotein-associated cholesterol fractions (very LDL-, or high-density lipoprotein- (HDL) cholesterol). TMG reduced the serum concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS; an index of lipid peroxidation) in cholesterol-loaded rabbits but not WHHL rabbits. Nonetheless, TMG inhibited aortic atherosclerosis as effectively as probucol in both models. Our results indicate that TMG opposes progression of atherosclerosis not only by preventing oxidation of LDL, but also by presently unknown mechanisms. Even an antioxidant with no uptake by LDL apparently can inhibit development of atherosclerosis despite a very low serum concentration.

Administration, Oral↗

alpha-Phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone provides protection from dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)-dependent up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) occurs in inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated the effect of alpha-phenylN-tert-butylnitrone (PBN), a spin-trapping agent that inhibits NF-kappaB activity, on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colonic mucosal injury and inflammation in mice. Acute colitis was induced with DSS in female BALB/c mice receiving 0, 0.3, 3, and 30 mg/kg i.p. PBN daily. Colonic mucosal inflammation was evaluated biochemically and histologically. Nitric oxide was evaluated as luminal nitrite/nitrite concentration by the Griess reaction and as immunoreactive nitrotyrosine in mucosal cells. Mucosal tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were determined by immunoassay. Colonic mRNA expression for iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and NF-kappaB activation was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. After DSS administration, mice showed increased luminal nitrite/nitrate, mucosal TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, and mRNA for iNOS and these cytokines, in addition to decreased colonic length and increased inflammatory score, luminal hemoglobin, and colonic myeloperoxidase activity. PBN inhibited increases in luminal nitric oxide production, nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity, and mucosal TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. Colonic iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma mRNA were suppressed by PBN, as was a DSS-induced increase in colonic NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity. NF-kappaB is essential to DSS-induced colitis, suggesting molecular approach targeting of NF-kappaB for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Animals↗

A novel water-soluble vitamin E derivative, 2-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)methyl-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-6-ol, protects against acute lung injury and mortality in endotoxemic rats.

Satisfactory therapy for acute lung injury related to endotoxemia remains to be established. However, in vivo antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine reportedly suppresses acute lung injury and proinflammatory cytokine production induced by endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). In addition, intrinsic vitamin E is protective against LPS-induced insults. We determined the effects of a novel water-soluble vitamin E derivative, 2-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)methyl-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-6-ol (TMG), on acute lung injury and mortality induced by LPS in rats. Intravenous injection of TMG (4 or 40 mg/kg) effectively decreased mortality and prevented the increased alveolar permeability and pulmonary edema that were caused by intravenous injection of LPS (20 mg/kg). Treatment with TMG decreased the enhanced lung expression of TNF-alpha caused by LPS. TMG also suppressed the sequestration of neutrophils in the lung induced by LPS. These results indicate that TMG is a possible therapeutic agent for acute lung injury and mortality, especially that caused by gram-negative bacteria. The therapeutic effects could be mediated at least partly through suppression of the increased expression of TNF-alpha and neutrophil sequestration in the lung that are caused by LPS.

Acute Disease↗

Inhibitory effect of polaprezinc on the inflammatory response to Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori-infected gastrointestinal mucosa is frequently infiltrated by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes, and these invading cells have been implicated in gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation. To clarify the efficacy of polaprezinc, a chelate compound consisting of zinc and L-carnosine, against H pylori-induced inflammation including PMN infiltration, the in vitro effects of this drug on interleukin (IL)-8 production by an established gastric cancer cell line (MKN 45 cells) and on PMN-endothelial cell adhesive interactions was investigated. Polaprezinc and zinc sulphate inhibited IL-8 production by MKN 45 cells in response to stimulation with H pylori water extract (HPE) in a dose-dependent manner from 10(-7) M to 10(-5) M. In addition, the expression of CD11b and CD18 on PMN and PMN-dependent adhesion to endothelial cells elicited by HPE was inhibited by polaprezinc and zinc sulphate in a concentration-dependent manner. L-carnosine did not have any effects on IL-8 production or PMN-endothelial cell interactions. These results suggest that polaprezinc, mainly the zinc component, may inhibit H pylori-induced PMN-mediated gastric inflammation by attenuating CD11b/CD18 expression on PMN and IL-8 production from gastric epithelial cells.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

Pioglitazone, a PPAR-gamma ligand, provides protection from dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice in association with inhibition of the NF-kappaB-cytokine cascade.

Nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines occurs in inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated the effect of pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligand, on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colonic mucosal injury and inflammation in mice. Acute colitis was induced in female mice receiving 0, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg i.p. of pioglitazone daily. Colonic mucosal inflammation was evaluated chemically and histologically. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and tissue-associated myeloperoxidase activity were measured in intestinal mucosa as indices of lipid peroxidation and neutrophil infiltration, respectively. Colonic mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase was measured by reverse transcription-PCR and nuclear factor-kappaB activation was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Dextran sulfate sodium administration resulted in decreases in body weight and colon length and increases in lipid peroxide and neutrophil accumulation of the intestine. In contrast, co-administration with pioglitazone prevented these changes. Transcripts coding for pro-inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide were expressed in high levels after the development of colitis, and pioglitazone markedly reduced mRNA expression of these genes. DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-kappaB was markedly increased, whereas in pioglitazone co-treated intestines the effect was significantly reduced. These data suggest that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma may be a novel therapeutic target for the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

Animals↗

Astaxanthin protects beta-cells against glucose toxicity in diabetic db/db mice.

Oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia possibly causes the dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells and various forms of tissue damage in patients with diabetes mellitus. Astaxanthin, a carotenoid of marine microalgae, is reported as a strong anti-oxidant inhibiting lipid peroxidation and scavenging reactive oxygen species. The aim of the present study was to examine whether astaxanthin can elicit beneficial effects on the progressive destruction of pancreatic beta-cells in db/db mice--a well-known obese model of type 2 diabetes. We used diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice and db/m for the control. Astaxanthin treatment was started at 6 weeks of age and its effects were evaluated at 10, 14, and 18 weeks of age by non-fasting blood glucose levels, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test including insulin secretion, and beta-cell histology. The non-fasting blood glucose level in db/db mice was significantly higher than that of db/m mice, and the higher level of blood glucose in db/db mice was significantly decreased after treatment with astaxanthin. The ability of islet cells to secrete insulin, as determined by the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, was preserved in the astaxanthin-treated group. Histology of the pancreas revealed no significant differences in the beta-cell mass between astaxanthin-treated and -untreated db/db mice. In conclusion, these results indicate that astaxanthin can exert beneficial effects in diabetes, with preservation of beta-cell function. This finding suggests that anti-oxidants may be potentially useful for reducing glucose toxicity.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Inhibitory effects of catechins on neutrophil-dependent gastric inflammation.

The inhibitory effects of tea against carcinogenesis have been attributed to the biological activity of the polyphenol fraction of tea. However, the molecular mechanisms of these effects are not completely understood. Chronic inflammation induced by Helicobacterpylori has been proposed to be a causative pathway in the carcinogenesis of stomach cancer. Therefore, an agent possessing anti-inflammatory properties may be chemopreventative against stomach cancer. In the present study, we have investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of tea catechins. After addition of IL-1beta to MKN45 cells, a gastric cancer cell line, or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), IL-8 production was detected in supernatants. This IL-8 production was inhibited by catechins. Incubation of HUVECs or polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) with IL-1beta or IL-8, respectively, resulted in an increased surface expression of adhesion molecules. Catechins also inhibited this expression of adhesion molecules on HUVECs and PMNs. Of these major effects, the strongest effect of catechins was to reduce expression of the adhesion molecules CD1lb and CD18 on PMNs. These results suggest that tea may inhibit carcinogenesis partly through the anti-inflammatory effects of tea catechins on PMN-dependent gastric mucosal inflammation.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

A specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligand, pioglitazone, ameliorates gastric mucosal damage induced by ischemia and reperfusion in rats.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, has recently been implicated as a regulator of cellular proliferation and inflammatory responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of pioglitazone on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats. Gastric ischemia was induced for 30 min by applying a small vascular clamp to the celiac artery and reperfusion was produced by removal of the clamp in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with and without pioglitazone. Pioglitazone was given to the rats intraperitoneally 2 h before the vascular clamping. The area of gastric mucosal erosion (erosion index) significantly increased from mean basal levels after 60 min of reperfusion. This erosion index was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with pioglitazone in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the gastric mucosa were both significantly increased after I/R, and pretreatment with pioglitazone significantly reduced these increases. The contents of both mucosal TNF-alpha and CINC-2beta in the I/R group were significantly increased compared with the levels in the sham-operated group. These increases in TNF-alpha and CINC-2beta were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with pioglitazone at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The results of the present study indicate that pioglitazone inhibited lipid peroxidation and reduced development of the gastric mucosal inflammation induced by I/R in rats. This investigation suggests that pioglitazone has potential as a new therapeutic agent for reperfusion injury.

Animals↗

Suppression of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by a specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligand, pioglitazone, in rats.

Neutrophil activation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induction play a critical role in ischemia-reperfusion-induced intestinal inflammation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, has recently been implicated as a regulator of inflammatory responses. The aim of the present study was to determine whether pioglitazone, a specific PPAR-gamma ligand, can ameliorate reperfusion-induced intestinal injury in rats, and whether the agent can inhibit the increase in neutrophil accumulation associated with TNF-alpha expression. Intestinal damage was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion. Reperfusion after 30 min ischemia resulted in an increase in luminal protein concentrations with levels reaching a maximum after 60 min of reperfusion. In contrast, pretreatment with pioglitazone 2 h before ischemia inhibited the increase in luminal protein concentrations after 60 min reperfusion in a dose-dependent manner (1-30 mg/kg). The increase in tissue-associated myeloperoxidase activity, an index of neutrophil infiltration, after reperfusion was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with pioglitazone. Pioglitazone also inhibited increases in intestinal TNF-alpha protein and mRNA expression determined by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. In conclusion, activation of PPAR-gamma may represent a novel approach to the treatment of intestinal inflammation induced by ischemia-reperfusion.

Animals↗