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SUMMARYThe alanine-rich repeating region (A-region) in the surface protein antigen (PAc) of Streptococcus mutans has received much attention as an antigenic component for vaccines against dental caries. The PAc (residue 361–386) peptide in the A-region possesses a multiple binding motif (L- -V-K- -A) to various HLA-DR molecules and a B-cell core epitope (- Y- - -L- -Y- - - -) that recognizes the inhibiting antibody to S. mutans. In the present study, we investigated the immunogenicity of the PAc (361–386) peptide in humans and regulators of induction of the anti-PAc (361–386) peptide IgA antibody (aPPA) in saliva. The PAc (361–386) peptide was confirmed as an ideal peptide antigen for induction of the inhibiting antibody to S. mutans in 151 healthy human subjects (36·6 ± 12·6 years old) by quantitative analyses of oral bacteria and ELISA, as the aPPA titre in human saliva decreased significantly in an age-dependent manner. Homozygous DRB1*0405 and 1502, and heterozygous DRB1*0405/1502 showed a negative association with production of aPPA and tended to reduce the number of total streptococci in saliva. In contrast, the DRB1*1501 allele was significantly correlated with a high level of induction of the antibodies, and also tended to reduce lactobacilli and mutans streptococci. Further, peptide immunogenicity was confirmed in NOD-SCID mice grafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our results indicate that the interplay between regulators such as age, DRB1 genotype, cytokines, and peptide immunogenicity may provide a potential means for developing a vaccine useful for the prevention of dental caries as well as their diagnosis.

This study was designed to investigate possible effects of the Rho-kinase inhibitor, fasudil, on the progression of renal failure in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction. The renal failure markers monitored were the extent of renal interstitial fibrosis and that of macrophage infiltration. In kidneys with unilateral ureteral obstruction, interstitial fibrosis was observed, using Sirius-Red staining, on day 16 after unilateral ureteral obstruction. Macrophage infiltration was observed by immunohistochemistry, using the antibody, ED1. Interstitial fibrosis and macrophage infiltration were significantly attenuated in fasudil-treated animals. The migration of monocytes in vitro elicited by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine was potently inhibited by fasudil and its active metabolite, hydroxyfasudil. These results suggest that inhibition of Rho-kinase produces a reduction of macrophage infiltration and represents a new therapeutic strategy for renal fibrosis, a major factor in the progression to end-stage renal failure.

The aim of this study was to develop a new model of vasopressin-induced chronic myocardial damage based on sustained ST-segment depression in electrocardiogram (ECG) with progression of myocardial fibrosis in rats. Furthermore, using this model, we examined the prophylactic potential of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, against myocardial damage induced by vasopressin. In 10-week old male Donryu rats, intravenous administration of arginine vasopressin (0.5 iu/kg) induced significant ST-segment depression. Two days and one week after the administration of vasopressin, ST-segment depression was -0.19 +/- 0.02 and -0.14 +/- 0.02 mV, respectively. Fasudil (10 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly attenuated the ST-segment depression induced by vasopressin. One week after the administration of vasopressin, the percent area of myocardial fibrosis in control animals (0.42 +/- 0.11%, p0.01) was significantly greater than that in normal animals (0.05 +/- 0.01%). Fasudil (10 and 30 mg/kg) significantly prevented the development of the fibrosis. We present a new model of chronic myocardial damage based on sustained ST-segment depression with progression of myocardial fibrosis in rats, and suggest that this model may be useful to investigate the treatment of chronic angina. Inhibition of Rho-kinase is efficacious in preventing the ECG change and development of fibrosis induced by vasopressin in this model.

The neuroprotective property and the effects on hemodynamics of hydroxy fasudil, an active metabolite of an antispastic drug, fasudil, were examined. In rats, hydroxy fasudil was found following intravenous infusion or intraperitoneal administration of fasudil, and the maximum plasma concentration of hydroxy fasudil was approximately 25 or 40% of the parent drug, respectively. The i.v. administration of hydroxy fasudil produced significant increases in regional cerebral blood flow in dogs. Hydroxy fasudil relaxed the KCl, PGF2alpha or U-46619-induced contraction in canine basilar or middle cerebral arterial strips, concentration-dependently. The neuroprotective property of hydroxy fasudil was examined on delayed neuronal death in gerbils. Hydroxy fasudil (3 mg/kg) significantly protected against the ischemia-induced neuronal loss. To further clarify the effect on neurological impairments, hydroxy fasudil was tested in a rat model of microembolization stroke. Intravenous administration of hydroxy fasudil improved neurological functions, significantly reduced the size of the infarct area and prevented the accumulation of neutrophils. The present findings suggest that hydroxy fasudil has an efficacy to improve the hemodynamic function and to inhibit neutrophil-mediated damage, and contributes to the potency and long duration of the cytoprotective properties of fasudil on ischemic brain damage, and also suggest a critical role for rho kinase in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemic injury, and the potential utility of rho kinase inhibitor as a therapeutic agent in stroke.

Objective: We recently demonstrated that Rho-kinase/ROK/ROCK is functionally upregulated at the arteriosclerotic coronary lesions and plays a key role for coronary vasospastic responses in our porcine model with interleukin (IL)-1β. In the present study, we tested our hypothesis that Rho-kinase is involved in the pathogenesis of coronary arteriosclerosis per se in our porcine model. Methods: Segments of the left porcine coronary artery were chronically treated from the adventitia with IL-1β. Two weeks after the procedure, coronary stenotic lesions with constrictive remodeling and vasospastic response to serotonin were noted at the IL-1β-treated site, as previously reported. Then, animals were randomly divided into two groups; one group was treated with fasudil for 8 weeks followed by 1 or 4 weeks of washout period and another group served as a control. After oral absorption, fasudil is metabolized to hydroxyfasudil that is a specific inhibitor of Rho-kinase. Results: In the fasudil group, coronary stenosis and vasospastic response were progressively reduced in vivo, while the coronary hyperreactivity was abolished both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that in the fasudil group, the Rho-kinase activity (as evaluated by the extent of phosphorylation of myosin binding subunit of myosin phosphatase, one of the major substrates of Rho-kinase) was significantly reduced, while histological examination demonstrated a marked regression of the coronary constrictive remodeling. Conclusions: These results indicate that Rho-kinase is substantially involved in constrictive remodeling and vasospastic activity of the arteriosclerotic coronary artery, both of which could be reversed by long-term inhibition of the molecule in vivo. Thus, Rho-kinase may be regarded as a novel therapeutic target for arteriosclerotic vascular disease.

The hallmark of type 2 diabetes, the most common metabolic disorder, is a defect in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in peripheral tissues. Although a role for phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) activity in insulin-stimulated glucose transport and glucose transporter isoform 4 (Glut4) translocation has been suggested in vitro, its role in vivo and the molecular link between activation of PI3K and translocation has not yet been elucidated. To determine the role of PI3K in glucose homeostasis, we generated mice with a targeted disruption of the gene encoding the p85alpha regulatory subunit of PI3K (Pik3r1; refs 3-5). Pik3r1-/- mice showed increased insulin sensitivity and hypoglycaemia due to increased glucose transport in skeletal muscle and adipocytes. Insulin-stimulated PI3K activity associated with insulin receptor substrates (IRSs) was mediated via full-length p85 alpha in wild-type mice, but via the p50 alpha alternative splicing isoform of the same gene in Pik3r1-/- mice. This isoform switch was associated with an increase in insulin-induced generation of phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)triphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3) in Pik3r1-/- adipocytes and facilitation of Glut4 translocation from the low-density microsome (LDM) fraction to the plasma membrane (PM). This mechanism seems to be responsible for the phenotype of Pik3r1-/- mice, namely increased glucose transport and hypoglycaemia. Our work provides the first direct evidence that PI3K and its regulatory subunit have a role in glucose homeostasis in vivo.

Phosphate binders that contain aluminum or calcium are frequently prescribed to treat hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but an accumulation of aluminum can lead to encephalopathy, aluminum-related bone disease (ARBD) such as osteomalacia, anaemia, and resistance to erythropoietin, and calcium accumulation can lead to hypercalcaemia. High phosphate concentrations are reduced in vitro and in vivo by a phosphate adsorption pill, which is synthesized by hydrolyzing ferrous sulfate in the presence of saccharides, to form an iron (III)-saccharide complex that is acid resistant and binds phosphate greater than iron (III) hydroxide alone. Under in vitro conditions, containing 3.26 mg P/dL, the iron (III)-sucrose complex showed the highest phosphate adsorption capacity at pH 2 with artificial gastric juice, 58.9 mg P/g binder. For the 7 day in vivo study, 0% (Group 1), 1% (Group 2), 4% (Group 3), and 8% (Group 4) iron (III)-sucrose complex was admixed into the rodent chow by weight and fed to 15 male Wistar rats. The weight and volume of the feces and urine, and the calcium, iron, and phosphorus excretions in the feces and urine samples were monitored for any signs of irregularity. Total urine outflow was collected during a 24-h period to determine the amount of phosphate recovered, which indicates the ability of the phosphate binder to reduce gastrointestinal phosphate absorption. The fecal iron excretion was significantly effected by the amount of binder ingested throughout the study for Group 2 (p0.001), Group 3 (p0.01), and Group 4 (p0.001). The urinary calcium excretion (mg/rat/24-h) significantly increased by the 7th day for Group 2 (p0.05) and Group 4 (p0.01) in comparison to the control. Finally, after 7 days, there was a significant drop in the urinary phosphorus levels (mg P/rat/24-h) in a dose dependent manner for Group 2: from 7.82 +/- 1.46 to 1.98 +/- 0.10 mg P/rat/24-h (102 mg P/dL/24-h; p0.05); Group 3: from 6.70 +/- 1.14 to 0.16 +/- 0.09 mg P/rat/24-h (6.0 mg P/dL/24-h; p0.01); and Group 4: from 8.25 +/- 0.67 to 0.04 +/- 0.01 mg P/rat/24-h (0.9 mg P/dL/24-h; p0.01). The results show that this new adsorbent might provide an alternative to conventional aluminum and calcium containing phosphate-binding agents for combating hyperphosphataemia.

The flush induced by two fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents, balofloxacin and ofloxacin, was studied in beagle dogs. Intradermal injection of the fluoroquinolones at concentrations above 10(-5) M produced a localized flushed area. The flush responses to fluoroquinolones were inhibited by co-administration with H2-antagonist(s) (ranitidine or cimetidine), but not with H1-antagonist(s) (mepyramine or chlorpheniramine). Similar inhibitory effects of these H2-antagonists were observed for the response to histamine. The flush responses to fluoroquinolones were inhibited by a local pretreatment with compound 48/80 administered to deplete the local stores of mast cell-bound histamine. When the fluoroquinolones were orally administered at a dose of 400 mg/kg, the concentration of histamine in plasma was increased, being accompanied by systemic erythema. These results indicate that the flush induced by fluoroquinolones is mediated by histamine release from canine cutaneous mast cells and H2-receptor stimulation.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) is implicated in the regulation of diverse cellular processes, including insulin-stimulated glucose transport. PI-3 kinase is composed of a 110-kDa catalytic subunit and an 85-kDa regulatory subunit. Here, we describe p55PIK, a new regulatory subunit that was isolated by screening expression libraries with tyrosine-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). p55PIK is composed of a unique 30-residue NH2 terminus followed by a proline-rich motif and two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains with significant sequence identify to those in p85. p55PIK mRNA is expressed early during development, remains abundant in adult mouse brain and testis tissue, and is detectable in adult adipocytes and heart and kidney tissues. p55PIK forms a stable complex with p110, and it associates with IRS-1 during insulin stimulation. Moreover, the activated insulin receptor phosphorylates p55PIK in Sf9 cells, and insulin stimulates p55PIK phosphorylation in CHOIR/p55PIK cells. The unique features of p55PIK suggest that it is important in receptor signaling.

The activity of a free N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac)-hydroxylating enzyme which converted Neu5Ac into N-glycolyl-neuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) was demonstrated in the soluble fraction of pig mandibular gland. The hydroxylation was possible only with NADPH as the electron donor. The apparent Km was 4.5 mM Neu5Ac. At 0.5 mM monovalent cations had no effect on the hydroxylation of Neu5Ac whereas bivalent cations gave varied inhibition capacities ranging from 14 to 75%. EDTA gave a time-dependent enhancement of activity. It was concluded that the enzyme does not require an exogenously added inorganic cofactor. Results from salt fractionation of the soluble fraction and the use of inhibitors such as mercurials suggested that the hydroxylation of Neu5Ac to Neu5Gc may involve other, as yet unknown, component(s) and the possibility of electrons donated by NADPH being transferred to activated molecular oxygen (second substrate). We propose to name this enzyme N-acetyl-neuraminic acid hydroxylase.

We reported previously that G proteins from bovine spleen contain at least five forms of the gamma subunit (designated S1 through S5), among which S1 and S5 have been identified as novel gamma and gamma 2 subunits, respectively. In this study, we identified the other three forms of the gamma subunit, namely, S2, S3 and S4. Amino acid sequences of proteolytic fragments obtained from S2, S3 and S4 coincided exactly with internal sequences of gamma 7, gamma 5 and gamma 2, respectively. However, sequence analysis of undigested S4 revealed that S4 was an N-terminally truncated form of gamma 2, while analysis of the C-terminal fragment by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry revealed that the C-terminus of S4 seemed to be geranylgeranylated and carboxymethylated as is that of intact gamma 2. Thus, the three types of gamma subunit obtained from bovine spleen were identified as gamma 7, gamma 5, and an N-terminally truncated gamma 2.

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates the expression of genes that mediate cell survival, proliferation, and angiogenesis and is aberrantly activated in various types of malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We examined whether it could be a novel therapeutic target for RCC by using the STAT3 inhibitor WP1066. Methods: The antitumour activities and related mechanisms of WP1066 were investigated in vitro on renal cancer cell lines and in vivo on murine xenografts. Results: In Caki-1 and 786-O renal cancer cells, 5 μM WP1066 prevented the phosphorylation of STAT3, and 2.5 μM WP1066 significantly (P

The effects of isopropanol on the development of inflammation were studied in rats. Isopropanol inhibited both the histamine-induced increase in cutaneous vascular permeability and the carrageenan-induced plasma exudation into the pleural cavity. The lipopolysaccharide-induced leucocyte emigration into the subcutaneous pouch was unaffected by isopropanol, but the leucocyte emigration of carrageenan-induced pleural inflammation was markedly inhibited by isopropanol. In contrast, when isopropanol was administered with an anti-inflammatory drug (indomethacin or dexamethasone), it enhanced the pleural inflammatory reaction. These results suggest that isopropanol may exert toxic effects through interference with the normal processes of inflammation and interaction with other agents that affect inflammatory reactions.

A G(o) type G protein distinct from the major species of G(o) was recently isolated from bovine brain and designated G(o)*. The cDNAs encoding two forms of mammalian G(o) alpha were also isolated and designated GoA alpha and GoB alpha. To recognize two forms of G(o) type G proteins, we raised antibodies in rabbits against two peptides with sequences found only in the respective proteins of murine GoA alpha (SNTYEDAAAYIQTQF) and GoB alpha (TEAVAHIQGQYWSK). Purified anti-GoA alpha antibodies reacted with the major species of G(o) alpha purified from bovine and rat brain, whereas anti-GoB alpha antibodies reacted only with rat G(o)*alpha, but not with the major species of G(o) alpha or bovine G(o)*alpha. These results indicate that the major species of G(o) alpha is encoded by GoA alpha cDNA and G(o)*alpha is encoded by GoB alpha cDNA. Using these antibodies, the distribution of GoA and GoB was studied in various rat tissues and cloned cells. Both GoA and GoB were present in many tissues, but their distribution in peripheral tissues was distinct. GoA alpha seemed to associate mainly with neural tissues. On the other hand, relatively high concentrations of GoB alpha were present in the brain, pituitary gland, adipose tissue, lung, and testis. The concentrations of both GoA and GoB in the brain increased during ontogenic development, but the increase in GoB was observed at a later age. Both GoA and GoB were found in such cloned cells as PC12, NG108-15, C6, GA-1, G8, and 3T3-L1 cells. Treatment of PC12 cells with nerve growth factor caused the extension of neuron-like processes and the increase in the level of GoA, but not in the level of GoB.

To clarify the functional differences among G-proteins, we investigated the localization of Gi and Go in the olfactory bulb of rats by both immunohistochemical and immunochemical techniques, using purified antibodies specific to the alpha-subunits of Gi1 (Gi1 alpha), Gi2 (Gi2 alpha), and Go (Go alpha), respectively. We found that Gi2 alpha is localized exclusively in the accessory olfactory bulb, but it is present at only low levels in the main olfactory bulb. The unique pattern of immunoreactivity specific for Gi2 alpha and Go alpha within the glomeruli of the accessory olfactory bulb and the results of immunoassays indicate that the accessory olfactory bulb is divided into two parts: the anterior region is rich in Gi2, while the posterior region is rich in Go. These findings suggest that the accessory olfactory bulb has two different functions. In addition, we found that the concentration of Gi2 alpha in the accessory olfactory bulb increases during puberty and reaches the adult level at 12 weeks after birth, while that in the main olfactory bulb remains constant. By contrast, the concentrations of Go alpha in the accessory olfactory bulb and the main olfactory bulb increase with similar kinetics. These findings suggest that Gi2 is a key protein in signal transduction in the accessory olfactory bulb, and increases in its level seem to be related to sexual maturation.

We examined the effects of the recently developed calcium antagonist HA1077 on cerebral haemodynamics during the chronic stage of the two-haemorrhage canine model system of vasospasm. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), regional cerebral blood velocity and regional cerebral blood volume in the canine parietal cortex were measured by Laser-doppler flowmeter. On the 7th day after the initial injection of autogenous blood, subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) produced a significant decrease in rCBF (59% of control, p less than 0.05) and blood velocity (48% of control, p less than 0.05) with no remarkable change in blood volume (108% of control). Bolus intravenous administration of HA1077 (0.1-0.3 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased the rCBF and blood velocity, without significantly changing the blood volume on Day 7 after SAH. HA1077 improves haemodynamic function manifested by an increase in rCBF and velocity in this SAH model, and may be suitable for the treatment of vasospasm in patients with SAH.

Background and Purpose— Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in vascular protection. The Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, prevents the downregulation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) under hypoxic conditions. However, it is unknown whether inhibition of ROCK can attenuate ischemia-induced endothelial dysfunction and tissue damage in vivo. Methods— Human vascular endothelial cells were treated with increasing concentrations of hydroxyfasudil (0.1 to 100 μmol/L) and eNOS expression and activity were measured. To determine the physiological relevance of eNOS regulation by ROCK, we administered fasudil, which is metabolized to hydroxyfasudil in vivo, to mice for 2 days before subjecting them to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Cerebral blood flow, cerebral infarct size, and neurologic deficit were measured. Results— In a concentration-dependent manner, hydroxyfasudil increased eNOS mRNA and protein expression, resulting in a 1.9- and 1.6-fold increase, respectively, at 10 μmol/L ( P P P Conclusions— These findings indicate that the neuroprotective effect of ROCK inhibition is mediated by endothelium-derived NO and suggest that ROCK may be an important therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

ICGN is a strain of mice with hereditary nephrotic syndrome of an unknown cause. In this study, early glomerular alterations in newborn ICGN mice were observed with electron microscopy to gain a better insight into the onset of the disease. Development of the glomeruli was normal until fusion of epithelial and endothelial basement membranes in the developing capillary stage. From the maturing glomerulus stage onward, the fused glomerular basement membrane (GBM) increased in thickness by excessive accumulation of the basement membrane material secreted from the epithelial cells. This accumulation was followed by overall loss of epithelial foot processes in the glomeruli. These findings indicate that the disease in ICGN mice is caused by some defect(s) in the GBM maturation process, which may be crucial for the generation of the glomerular permselectivity . ICGN (ICR-derived strain with glomerulonephritis) is a newly established strain of mice with hereditary nephrotic syndr~me.~,~ Usually 40% of animals of each generation are affected by this disease, showing heavy proteinuria, hypo- albuminemia, hyperlipidemia, and systemic edema.5 A serial biopsy study demonstrated that affected mice could be dis- tinguished from unaffected ones as early as 40 days after birth by the presence of ultrastructural lesions of the glo- merular basement membrane (GBM) consisting of multilam- inar splitting of the lamina densa and fusion of epithelial foot processes.2 However, it is not known whether these GBM alterations are present from a certain stage of nephrogenesis onward or are absent during nephrogenesis but appear after maturation of GBM. A homozygous line of this strain (1 00% affected) has been established, allowing examination of the earliest GBM lesions. In the present study, we investigated nephrogenesis of homozygous ICGN mice to gain a better insight into the mechanisms underlying onset of the disease. Ten specific-pathogen-free3 ICGN mice (2, 4, 9, 14, and 20 days of age) from a homozygous line were used in this study. Mice were allowed free access to low-protein (18%) laboratory diet (CE-7, Crea, Japan) and tap water. The an- imals were anesthetized with ether and euthanatized by cer- vical dislocation. Sections (0.5 mm thick) were cut from the kidneys and fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M caco

Based on animal models, lafutidine, a novel histamine H(2) receptor (H(2)R) antagonist, is reported to show potent and long-lasting antagonisms of histamine H(2)R-mediated effects. However, no reports have been published concerning its direct interaction with the human H(2)R. This study aims at characterizing its interaction with human H(2)R.Chinese hamster ovary cell lines stably expressing human H(2)Rs were obtained. The dose-dependent effects of lafutidine and famotidine on [(3)H]tiotidine binding and histamine-stimulated cAMP production were analyzed. The effects of preincubation with 2.78 x 10(-7) M of lafutidine or famotidine for 30 min on histamine-dependent cAMP production and [(3)H]tiotidine binding were also examined after 0, 1, 2, 4, and 12 h. This concentration is below the C(max) of lafutidine (10 mg p.o.) and above the C(max) of famotidine (20 mg p.o.).Lafutidine inhibited [(3)H]tiotidine binding and histamine-stimulated cAMP production as or more potently than famotidine. At higher concentrations lafutidine was more potent than famotidine. In addition, preincubation with 2.78 x 10(-7) M lafutidine, but not with 10(-5) M famotidine, had marked inhibitory effects which persisted as long as after extensive washing.Lafutidine shows a potent and long-lasting antagonism on the human H(2)R.

G proteins play important roles in transmembrane signal transduction, and various isoforms of each subunit, alpha, beta and gamma, are highly expressed in the brain. The Ggamma5 subunit is a minor isoform in the adult brain, but we have previously shown it to be highly expressed in the proliferative region of the ventricular zone in the rat embryonic brain. We show here that Ggamma5 is also selectively localized in a proliferative region in the adult rat brain, including the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and rostral migratory stream. The Galphai2 subunit colocalized with Ggamma5 in these regions, the two subunits being present in neuronal precursors and ependymal cells but not in proliferating astrocytes. In addition, intense staining of Ggamma5 was seen in axons of the olfactory neurons, which are known to regenerate. These results suggest specific roles for Ggamma5 in precursor cells during neurogenesis so that this isoform might be a useful biological marker.

Electroporation facilitates transfer of chemicals or plasmid DNA from extracellular milieu into cells by increasing the permeability of the cell membrane. Delivery of electric pulses to established tumors thereby can improve the susceptibility of tumors to an anti-cancer agent administered. We examined whether electroporation-mediated transfer of cytokine genes into solid tumors could produce anti-tumor effects in the tumor-bearing mice. Plasmid DNA containing cytokine genes were injected into human esophageal T.Tn tumors developed in nude mice and electric pulses were then delivered. Administration of murine GM-CSF or human IL-2 gene followed by electroporation significantly suppressed the subsequent growth of T.Tn tumors and prolonged the survival of the inoculated mice. In contrast, electroporation-mediated introduction of a control gene, human GM-CSF gene, whose products do not bind to murine GM-CSF receptors, did not achieve any anti-tumor effects. In vivo transfection of cytokine genes with electroporation could be a possible therapeutic strategy for established solid tumors.

We studied the antiischemic properties of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, in conscious rabbits with coronary vasospasm induced by vasopressin and endothelin. Pretreatment with fasudil (0.3 and 3 mg/kg) attenuated the maximum elevation of the T-wave elicited by endothelin. Pretreatment with fasudil inhibited the T-wave elevation elicited by vasopressin. Fasudil and hydroxy fasudil, an active metabolite of fasudil, relaxed the endothelin-, U-46619-, 5-hydroxytryptamine- or histamine-induced contraction in swine coronary arterial strips. Fasudil and hydroxy fasudil significantly prevented the reduction in coronary flow by vasopressin in the Langendorff perfused rat heart. Fasudil was effective in protecting the heart against vasopressin and endothelin-induced myocardial ischemic change in conscious rabbits, and this beneficial effect can be attributed to its action of ameliorating the severe contraction of arteries. The inhibition of Rho-kinase may have implications for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for vasospastic angina in patients.

Long-term inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with Nω-nitro- l -arginine methyl ester ( l -NAME) induces coronary vascular remodeling in rats. To determine the pathogenic mechanism involved in vascular remodeling, we examined the effects of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, on vascular lesion formation. In rats treated with l -NAME at 10 mg/kg/day, vascular remodeling was evident in both large and small coronary arteries at the fourth week. Fasudil (3 mg/kg, p.o., twice daily) markedly prevented the development of vascular remodeling in small coronary arteries. Coronary flow was measured in Langendorff perfused isolated heart preparations. Long-term treatment with l -NAME caused a significant decrease in coronary flow, which was significantly inhibited by fasudil. Fasudil suppressed the structural and functional changes in coronary arteries by chronic blockade of NO synthesis. Thus, the Rho-kinase pathway may be substantially involved in the pathogenesis of vascular remodeling in this rat model.

Pro-phenoloxidase (proPO) in insects is implicated in the defense against microbes and wounding. The presence of proPO in the cuticle was suggested more than 30 years ago, but it has not been purified. The extract of cuticles of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was shown to contain two proPO isoforms (F-type and S-type proPOs, which have slightly different mobilities in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions). The two isoforms were purified to homogeneity. From hemolymph of the same insect, two types of proPO with the same electrophoretic mobilities as those of cuticular isoforms were separated and were shown to be different at five amino acid residues in one of their subunits. The isoforms in the hemolymph and cuticle were activated by a specific activating enzyme. The resulting active phenoloxidases exhibited almost the same substrate specificities and specific activities toward o-diphenols. The substrate specificities and the susceptibilities to inhibitors, including carbon monoxide, indicated that the purified proPO isoforms were not zymogens of laccase-type phenoloxidase. The proPO in hemolymph was shown to be transported to the cuticle. This demonstration was corroborated by the failure to detect proPO transcripts by Northern analysis of total RNA from epidermal cells. In reversed-phase column chromatography, cuticular and hemolymph proPOs gave distinct elution profiles, indicating that some yet to be identified modification occurs in hemolymph proPO and results in the formation of cuticular proPO. There was little transportation of cuticular proPO to the cuticle when it was injected into the hemocoel. The nature of the modification is described in the accompanying paper (Asano, T., and Ashida, M. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 11113-11125).

Pro-phenoloxidase (proPO) in insects is activated through the action of a protease cascade triggered by minute amounts of microbial cell wall components. It is an important molecule for the defense against invading microorganisms and for the repair of wounds. In the accompanying paper (Asano, T., and Ashida, M. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 11100-11112), a proPO isoform, proPO-HS, in the hemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, is reported to be transported to the cuticle. The transported proPO isoform was recovered from the cuticle and named proPO-CS. The elution profiles of proPO-CS and proPO-HS in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were found to be different, giving a basis to the inference that proPO-CS is a modified form of proPO-HS. In the present study, we investigated the nature of the modifications occurring in proPO-CS, in which proteolytically and chemically cleaved fragments originating from the subunits of proPO-CS and proPO-HS were analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC, amino acid sequencing, and mass spectrometry. A subunit of the heterodimeric proPO-CS was found to contain five or six methionine sulfoxides, and another subunit was found to contain one methionine residue oxidized to the sulfoxide. All of the oxidized methionyl residues were identified. Other than oxidation of the methionyl residues, no additional modification of proPO-CS was found. In the model structure of each subunit of proPO-CS constructed by protein modeling with the known structures of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, hemocyanin type II subunit as templates, the methionine residues identified as methionine sulfoxide had high degrees of accessibility to the solvent. The implication of the oxidation at the methionine residues is discussed in relation to the mechanism of transepithelial transport of proPO from the hemolymph to the cuticle.

Based on animal models, IT-066, a histamine H2-receptor antagonist, is reported to possess potent and long-lasting antagonisms on histamine H2 receptor (H2R) -mediated effects. However, no reports have been published concerning its interaction with the human H2R. The aim of this study is to characterize its interaction with human H2R. Chinese hamster ovary cell lines stably expressing human H2Rs were obtained. The effects of IT-066, famotidine, and ranitidine on tiotidine binding and histamine-stimulated cAMP production were analyzed. IT-066 inhibited [3H]tiotidine binding and histamine-stimulated cAMP production more potently than famotidine or ranitidine. In addition, preincubation with 10(-5) M IT-066, but not with 10(-5) M famotidine or 10(-4) M ranitidine, had marked inhibitory effects long after extensive washing. Paraformaldehyde fixation of the cells blunted inhibition of [3H]tiotidine binding induced by preincubation with IT-066, but not that by preincubation with famotidine or ranitidine. IT-066 has potent and long-lasting antagonisms on human H2R. At least one of the IT-066 binding sites is not shared by famotidine, ranitidine, or tiotidine and is affected by paraformaldehyde fixation.

There is a large body of evidence that reactive oxygen species play a major role in the pathogenesis of ischaemic brain damage. On the other hand, it has recently been suggested that superoxide anions participate in the development of neuronal tolerance against lethal ischaemia following ischaemic preconditioning (PC). The present study aimed to examine whether or not the intravenous administration of human recombinant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (hr SOD) prior to PC would affect the subsequent development of neuronal tolerance. Animals were randomly assigned to the following three groups: group 1, sham PC treated with vehicle; group 2, PC treated with hr SOD and group 3, PC treated with vehicle. For PC, 10 min occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by a modified intraluminal suture method was followed by 60 min recirculation and this procedure was successively repeated three times. The procedures were similar for sham PC except that the MCA was kept unoccluded. Just prior to PC or sham PC, a bolus of hr SOD (6 x 103 IU/2 ml/kg) was administered intravenously. Seventy-two hours thereafter, rats were subjected to lethal ischaemia, i.e. MCA occlusion for 100 min followed by recirculation for 48 h. The infarct area and volume were assessed with the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium stain. A significant difference in the infarct volume was revealed between the sham PC/vehicle and the PC/vehicle groups (total and cortex P0.01; striatum P0.05), showing that PC induced a marked neuronal tolerance against lethal ischaemia. The infarct volume in the PC/SOD group was close to that in the sham PC/vehicle group, being significantly greater than that in the PC/vehicle group (total and cortex P0.01) and showing that the administration of hr SOD suppressed the development of neuronal tolerance induced by PC. In a parallel experiment, expression of 72-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp 72) at 72 h after PC was considerably reduced in rats treated with hr SOD compared with those treated with vehicle. These results suggest that superoxide anions intraluminally generated within cerebral microvessels participate in the development of neuronal tolerance as well as the induction of hsp 72 following PC.

There are five regulatory subunit isoforms of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), which are classified into three groups: proteins of 85 kDa (p85alpha and p85beta), 55 kDa (p55alpha and p55gamma) and 50 kDa (p50alpha). Structural differences between the three groups reside in the N-terminus. To elucidate the unique functional role of the 55 kDa regulatory subunits, GST (glutathione S-transferase) fusion proteins containing a unique N-terminal portion consisting of a 34-amino-acid sequence of p55alpha or p55gamma (GST-p55alpha/gammaN(1-34)) were used as affinity matrices to screen rat brain cell extracts for proteins to which this portion binds specifically. A protein that bound was identified as beta-tubulin by protein sequencing. In addition, not only the beta isoform of tubulin, but also the alpha and gamma isoforms, were detected in the protein absorbed from cell lysates with GST-p55gammaN(1-34) and GST-p55alphaN(1-34) by immunoblotting. Indeed, the only regulatory subunit present in the purified microtubule assembly from rat brain was the 55 kDa isoform; neither 85 kDa nor 50 kDa subunits were detected. These results indicate endogenous binding of 55 kDa regulatory subunits of PI 3-kinase to tubulin in the brain. Finally, we measured tubulin-associated PI 3-kinase activity in CHO/IR cells overexpressing each of the five regulatory subunit isoforms. Only in cells expressing p55alpha or p55gamma was there a significant elevation of tubulin-associated PI 3-kinase activity in response to insulin. These results suggest that the p55alpha and p55gamma regulatory subunits have important roles in regulating PI 3-kinase activity, particularly for microtubules at the cell periphery.

We examined the effect of herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase gene (HSV-TK)-mediated suicide gene therapy on human esophageal cancer. Two human lines, T.Tn cells which bears truncated p53 and TE2 cells with wild-type p53, were transduced with the HSV-TK gene and tested for their sensitivities to a prodrug, ganciclovir (GCV). The transduced cells, T.Tn/TK and TE2/TK, increased in vitro sensitivity to GCV compared with that of respective wild-type cells. However, the growth suppression of T.Tn/TK tumors induced by GCV was marginal in nude mice and the tumors regrew thereafter. In contrast, the growth of TE2/TK tumors was significantly inhibited by GCV and all the tumors disappeared. The status of the p53 gene of tumor cells thereby may influence the efficacy of the HSV-TK/GCV system.

Objective: We recently demonstrated in our swine model of coronary artery spasm that enhanced myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylations (both MLC mono- and diphosphorylations) play a central role in the pathogenesis of the spasm. However, the molecular mechanism for and the phosphorylation sites for the enhanced MLC phosphorylations were unknown. In the present study, we addressed these points using hydroxyfasudil, a novel inhibitor of protein kinases, which we found preferentially inhibits Rho-kinase. Methods: The specificity of the inhibitory effects of hydroxyfasudil on Rho-kinase, MLCK, MRCKβ and PKC were examined by kinase assay in vitro. The left porcine coronary artery was chronically treated with interleukin-1β (IL-1β, 2.5 μg). Two weeks after the operation, coronary artery vasomotion was examined both in vivo and in vitro. MLC phosphorylations were examined by Western blot analysis and the sites for the phosphorylations by anti-phosphorylated MLC antibodies that identified the monophosphorylation site as Ser19 and diphophorylation sites as Ser19/Thr18 of MLC. Results: Inhibitory effects of hydroxyfasudil was at least 100 times more potent for Rho-kinase as compared with other protein kinases tested. Intracoronary serotonin (10 μg/kg) caused coronary hyperconstriction at the IL-1β-treated site in vivo, which was dose-dependently inhibited by hydroxyfasudil ( p

Histamine H(2) receptor antagonists are widely used for the treatment of peptic ulcer disorders. However, whether the H(2) receptor is present in parietal or immune cells in the lamina propria remains controversial. This study is designed to determine the H(2) receptor localization immunohistochemically using an antibody against the newly cloned mouse histamine H(2) receptor.We cloned the mouse histamine H(2) receptor gene and generated a specific antipeptide antibody against the C terminus. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with this antibody and with a monoclonal antibody against H(+)/K(+) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase).Histamine H(2) receptors were localized on the plasma membrane and on the cytoplasm just beneath the plasma membrane on the basolateral sides of gastric cells. Confocal microscopy of double-stained sections using the monoclonal antibody against H(+)/K(+) ATPase, a specific parietal cell marker, showed that histamine H(2) receptors colocalized with H(+)/K(+) ATPase. No specific histamine H(2) receptor immunoreactivities were observed in the submucosal regions.The H(2) receptor is localized in the gastric parietal cell.

The anti-tumor effects of high-energy shock waves (HESW) in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) and ATX-70, as a photosensitizer, were investigated in vitro and in vivo.Active oxygen generation by HESW was studied by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) system. The anti-tumor effects of HESW in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) and ATX-70 was investigated in vitro and in vivo.HESW exposure induced singlet oxygen or hydroxyl radical. Adding ATX-70 enhanced the cell damage induced by HESW dose-dependently. Ascorbic acid inhibited the combined effect of HESW and ATX-70. Adding CDDP did not enhanced cell damage by HESW. The combined therapy of HESW, CDDP and ATX-70 showed further inhibition of tumor growth in vivo.These results indicate that HESW activated ATX-70, and that the anti-tumor effect of HESW and ATX-70 was caused by active oxygen generation. HESW is able to be utilized with any other cancer treatment.

The beta and gamma subunits of G proteins are tightly bound under physiological conditions, and so far, seven beta and 11 gamma subunit isoforms have been found. The relative abilities of the beta and gamma subunits to associate with each other have been studied using transfected cell assays, in vitro translation and the yeast two-hybrid system, but have not been fully characterized in various tissues. In the present study, we demonstrated the selectivity of association of the beta with gamma isoforms in bovine tissues. Immunoprecipitation of betagamma complexes from tissue extracts with antibodies against various gamma subunits and subsequent analyses revealed that beta(4) associated with the gamma subunits with the following rank order of selectivity: gamma(5)gamma(12)gamma(2)gamma(3), while beta(2) bound to gamma(2), gamma(3), and gamma(12) more selectively than to gamma(5). By contrast, beta(1) associated with all gamma subunits without significant selectivity. Analyses of purified betagamma complexes containing various gamma isoforms revealed beta subunit compositions similar to those found in the immunoprecipitates. Particular combinations of beta and gamma subunit isoforms may contribute to maintaining efficient and specific signal transduction mediated by G proteins.

The effects of [Leu13]motilin were examined in vivo after its intravenous administration into anesthetized dogs and in vitro with isolated preparations of canine mesenteric artery. [Leu13]Motilin (0.1-10 nmol x kg(-1), i.v.) induced both strong and clustered phasic contractions in the gastric antrum and duodenum. At doses of over 1 nmol x kg(-1), [Leu13]motilin also produced transient decreases in arterial blood pressure, left ventricular pressure, maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure, and total peripheral resistance, and an increase in aortic blood flow and heart rate. A selective motilin antagonist, GM-109 (Phe-cyclo[Lys-Tyr(3-tBu)-betaAla] trifluoroacetate), completely abolished the gastric antrum and duodenal motor responses induced by [Leu13]motilin. In contrast, hypotension induced by [Leu13]motilin (1 nmol x kg(-1)) was unchanged in the presence of GM-109. In isolated mesenteric artery preparations precontracted with U-46619 (10(-7) M), [Leu13]motilin (10(-8)-10(-5) M) induced an endothelium-dependent relaxation, and this was inhibited by a pretreatment with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase (10(-4) M). A high dose (10(-4) M) of GM-109 slightly decreased [Leu13]motilin-induced relaxation, and shifted the concentration-response curve of [Leu13]motilin to the right. However, the pA2 value (4.09) of GM-109 for [Leu13]motilin in the present study was conspicuously lower than that previously demonstrated in the rabbit duodenum (7.37). These results suggest that [Leu13]motilin induces hypotension via the endothelial NO-dependent relaxation mechanism and not through the receptor type that causes upper gastrointestinal contractions.

We have examined the antitumor effect of the retrovirally expressed interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene in murine colon carcinoma cells (Colon 26) on a disseminated model within the peritoneal cavity. Intraperitoneal injection of IL-2-producing Colon 26, but not wild-type cells, into syngeneic mice did not cause animal death and conferred T-cell-dependent, tumor-specific protective immunity on the inoculated mice. Direct administration of the retrovirus harboring IL-2 gene into the peritoneal cavity of the mice that had intraperitoneal tumor of wild-type cells significantly prolonged the survival of the mice compared with that of the mice that received control retrovirus. In the surviving mice treated with the retrovirus we also observed the induction of protective immunity with tumor specificity. Integrated retrovirus DNA was not detected in any organs examined. Thus, in vivo IL-2 gene transfer by retrovirus enabled tumor-bearing mice to generate antitumor immunity without unnecessary retroviral insertion into host genome.

The inoculation of cytokine-producing tumor cells into syngeneic animals can produce antitumor effects. We previously reported that injection of a mixed population of murine colon carcinoma (Colon 26) cells transduced with interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene developed subcutaneous tumors in syngeneic mice, but these tumors thereafter regressed spontaneously (Oncology 1997;54:69-73). In this study, we found the generation of tumor-specific acquired immunity in the mice which had rejected the tumors of a mixed population of IL-4 and GM-CSF producer cells, and that the immunity was mediated by mature T cells. Moreover, local secretion of both IL-4 and GM-CSF in the vicinity of tumors was found to be crucial for this rejection. These data suggest that enhanced host defense brought about by the combined expression of IL-4 and GM-CSF genes in tumor cells is a potential therapeutic strategy.

To elucidate the mechanism of human cell elimination from severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice transplanted with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (hu-PBL-SCID mice), we explored the immunocytes in the peritoneal cavity in SCID mice where human PBL were transferred. When the phenotype of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) was compared by flow cytometry among three congenic strains of SCID mice that differ in their acceptability for human PBL, the PEC in NOD-scid mice, which exhibit the highest acceptability, contained the smallest number of F4/80lo/-Mac-1(+)-activated macrophages. Moreover, the proportions of natural killer cells in PEC of the three strains of SCID mice were not always correlated with the acceptability. These findings suggest the possibility that peritoneal macrophages eliminate human cells in hu-PBL-SCID mice. To verify this hypothesis, we evaluated the engraftment of human PBL into SCID mice that were treated with liposome-encapsulated dichloromethylene diphosphonate, which selectively depletes macrophages by inducing apoptosis, or 8-aminoguanidine hemisulphate salt, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase of macrophages. As a result, both of these regimens improved engraftment of human PBL, indicating that peritoneal macrophages take part in human cell elimination in the peritoneal cavity of hu-PBL-SCID mice and that it is mediated, at least in part, by direct macrophage cytotoxicity utilizing nitric oxide.

The present study was designed to obtain evidence for direct interactions of G-protein alpha (Galpha) and beta gamma subunits (Gbeta gamma) with N- (alpha1B) and P/Q-type (alpha1A) Ca2+ channels, using synthetic peptides and fusion proteins derived from loop 1 (cytoplasmic loop between repeat I and II) and the C terminus of these channels. For N-type, prepulse facilitation as mediated by Gbeta gamma was impaired when a synthetic loop 1 peptide was applied intracellularly. Receptor agonist-induced inhibition of N-type as mediated by Galpha was also impaired by the loop 1 peptide but only when applied in combination with a C-terminal peptide. For P/Q-type channels, by contrast, the Galpha-mediated inhibition was diminished by application of a C-terminal peptide alone. Moreover, in vitro binding analysis for N- and P/Q-type channels revealed direct interaction of Galpha with C-terminal fusion proteins as well as direct interaction of Gbeta gamma with loop 1 fusion proteins. These findings define loop 1 of N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels as an interaction site for Gbeta gamma and the C termini for Galpha.

We examined the antitumor effect of low and high interleukin-2 (IL-2) producers of murine colon carcinoma cells (Colon 26) which were generated by transduction with IL-2 gene in an experimental lung metastasis model using syngeneic mice. Intravenous injection of the low IL-2 producer cells formed multiple lung metastatic foci and the survival of the mice was not different from that of the mice injected with wild-type cells. However, the mice administrated with the high producer cells survived significantly longer. Subcutaneous inoculation of the low producers, although it caused the development of local tumors at the inoculation sites in some of the mice tested, inhibited lung metastasis of wild-type cells subsequently inoculated and prolonged the survival of the mice rechallenged with Meth A cells, syngeneic fibrosarcoma cells. In contrast, inoculation of the high producers did not cause the development of subcutaneous tumors and inhibited the experimental metastasis of parental but not Meth A cells inoculated thereafter. Thus, the amount of secreted IL-2 from tumor cells differentially influences antitumor effects by inducing tumor specific and nonspecific immunity.

Different phospholipase C (PLC) isoforms were located in human platelet cytosol and membranes. PLCgamma2 and PLCbeta3b were mainly located in the cytosol and PLCbeta2 and PLCbeta3a were in both cytosol and membranes by using specific antibodies against PLC isozymes (Banno Y, Nakashima S, Ohzawa M, Nozawa Y. J Biol Chem 1996; 271: 14989-94). Three PLC fractions activated by G protein betagamma subunits were purified from human platelet cytosol and membrane fractions. Two PLC fractions from membranes were identified as PLCbeta2 and PLCbeta3a, and one from cytosol was PLCbeta3b. These PLCbeta isoforms were activated by the purified betagamma subunits of brain G proteins in the order PLCbeta3bPLCbeta3aPLCbeta2. Western blot analysis of gamma subunits of the purified platelet G proteins with antibodies against various standard gamma subunits revealed that the major component of the gamma subunit of Gi2 and Gq was gamma5, and that gamma7 was a minor component. Studies using various subtypes of betagamma subunits, betagamma2, betagamma3, and betagamma7 purified from bovine brain, betagamma5 from bovine lung, or betagamma12 from bovine spleen, failed to show differences in their ability to stimulate the isolated platelet PLCbeta isoforms. These results suggest that the betagamma subunits of Gi2 and Gq have similar efficacy in regulation of effectors in human platelets.

Type I phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P) 5-kinases (PIP5K) catalyze the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate, an essential lipid molecule in various cellular processes. Here, we report the cloning of the third member (PIP5Kgamma) and the characterization of members of the type I PIP5K family. Type I PIP5Kgamma has two alternative splicing forms, migrating at 87 and 90 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid sequence of the central portion of this isoform shows approximately 80% identity with those of the alpha and beta isoforms. Northern blot analysis revealed that the gamma isoform is highly expressed in the brain, lung, and kidneys. Among three isoforms, the beta isoform has the greatest Vmax value for the PtdIns(4)P kinase activity and the gamma isoform is most markedly stimulated by phosphatidic acid. By analyzing deletion mutants of the three isoforms, the minimal kinase core sequence of these isoforms were determined as an approximately 380-amino acid region. In addition, carboxyl-terminal regions of the beta and gamma isoforms were found to confer the greatest Vmax value and the highest phosphatidic acid sensitivity, respectively. It was also discovered that lysine 138 in the putative ATP binding motif of the alpha isoform is essential for the PtdIns(4)P kinase activity. As was the case with the alpha isoform reported previously (Shibasaki, Y., Ishihara, H., Kizuki, N., Asano, T., Oka, Y., Yazaki, Y. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 7578-7581), overexpression of either the beta or the gamma isoform induced an increase in short actin fibers and a decrease in actin stress fibers in COS7 cells. Surprisingly, a kinase-deficient substitution mutant also induced an abnormal actin polymerization, suggesting a role of PIP5Ks via structural interactions with other molecules.

We previously hypothesized that light stimulus at eye opening of rats on postnatal days (P) 13 or 14 has an effect on the expression of GTP-binding proteins (G(0) in the retina) because the concentration of G(0) alpha increased rapidly between P10 and P15. This hypothesis was also supported by the findings that the distribution of G(0) alpha in the retina was almost the same as that of adult rats between P10 and P15. In this study, pregnant rats were kept in a dark room after vaginal plugs were identified; they gave birth to their pups in the dark, and their pups were reared by their mothers in the dark. The postnatal rats were sacrificed at P10, P15, P18, P22, P24, P27, and P30. Their retinas were investigated immunochemically and immunohistochemically, using G(0) alpha antibody, and these results were compared with those of the rat pups reared normally. Only G(0) alpha immunoreactivity in the inner nuclear layer of rats reared in the dark room was weaker than in the controls; the distribution of G(0) alpha in the retina did not change, as compared with pups reared in normal conditions. In addition, in pups reared in the dark, G(0) alpha increased rapidly from P10 to P15. However, the concentration of G(0) alpha in the retina of rat pups reared in the dark was significantly low at P22 (p0.01) and P30 (p0.05), as compared with pups reared in normal conditions. Although the function of G(0) in the retina may have something to do with the light stimulus after eye opening, it appeared that the expression of G(0) was not influenced by light stimulus at eye opening.

We examined the correlation between the amount of exogenous protein secreted and that of its viral transcript from PA317 packaging cells transduced with a cytokine gene. Amphotropic packaging cells for the retrovirus expressing murine interleukin-15 (IL-15) gene were cloned, and we examined 22 clones for both the amount of IL-15 secreted with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the IL-15 transcript released as infectious virions by slot blot-hybridization analysis. The study revealed that there was no statistical correlation between them, and suggests that the integrated transcript is used discordantly. Thus, the examination of secreted protein from packaging cells cannot be substituted for laborious assays to determine the amount of virion transcripts when isolating high titer packaging cells.

Background Although coronary artery spasm plays an important role in a wide variety of ischemic heart diseases, the intracellular mechanism for the spasm remains to be clarified. We examined the role of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylations, a key mechanism for contraction of vascular smooth muscle, in our swine model with interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Methods and Results IL-1β was applied chronically to the porcine coronary arteries from the adventitia to induce an inflammatory/proliferative lesion. Two weeks after the operation, intracoronary serotonin repeatedly induced coronary hyperconstrictions at the IL-1β-treated site both in vivo and in vitro, which were markedly inhibited by fasudil, an inhibitor of protein kinases, including protein kinase C and MLC kinase. Western blot analysis showed that during serotonin-induced contractions, MLC monophosphorylation was significantly increased and sustained in the spastic segment compared with the control segment, whereas MLC diphosphorylation was noted only in the spastic segment. A significant correlation was noted between the serotonin-induced contractions and MLC phosphorylations. Both types of MLC phosphorylation were markedly inhibited by fasudil. In addition, MLC diphosphorylation was never induced by a simple endothelium removal in the normal coronary artery, whereas enhanced MLC phosphorylations in the spastic segment were noted regardless of the presence or absence of the endothelium. Conclusions These results indicate that enhanced MLC phosphorylations in the vascular smooth muscle play a central role in the pathogenesis of coronary spasm in our swine model.