Evidence that implicates the parathyroid hormone-related peptide in vascular stenosis. Increased gene expression in the intima of injured carotid arteries and human restenotic coronary lesions

Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is considered to be one key event underlying the pathophysiology of restenosis after angioplasty. The parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and its receptor, a local autocrine and paracrine regulator of cellular growth in a variety of normal cell types, have been reported in the vicinity of VSMCs. To investigate how PTHrP might be involved in the process of neointimal formation after balloon angioplasty, we examined PTHrP expression in balloon-denuded rat carotid arteries and human coronary arteries that had been retrieved by directional atherectomy. In rat carotid arteries, the RNase protection assay and in situ hybridization demonstrated that PTHrP mRNA expression increased fourfold to sixfold 1 to 7 days after denudation and continued for 28 days, coincident with downregulation of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that PTHrP expression in balloon-denuded carotid arteries was mainly localized to the neointima. To confirm the involvement of the PTHrP in human coronary artery restenotic lesions, immunohistochemical analysis of human coronary atherectomy specimens (23 primary and 10 restenotic lesions) was then performed. The number of intimal cells that expressed PTHrP protein was significantly higher in restenotic (407 +/- 53 cells/mm2; range, 143 to 739) than in stable angina (50 +/- 12 cells/mm2; range, 18 to 132; P<.05) or unstable angina (129 +/- 16 cells/mm2; range, 21 to 232; P<.05) specimens. These data demonstrate that PTHrP gene expression in VSMCs markedly increases during neointimal formation, supporting the hypothesis that PTHrP may play an important role in vascular stenosis as a regulator of VSMC proliferation.

[Long-term efficacy of subcutaneous administration of deferoxamine in patients with secondary hemochromatosis]

A number of studies have shown that regular chelation therapy with deferoxamine is effective in patients with secondary hemochromatosis. However, compliance with these regimen is difficult to obtain in most cases because long-term administration is burdensome. In 3 patients, one each with myelodysplastic syndrome, aplastic anemia and thalassemia intermedia, self-administered subcutaneous one-shot administration of deferoxamine at a dose of 500 mg once or twice daily was carried out over a long period. In all three patients serum ferritin level decreased significantly and the progression of hemochromatosis was prevented. Liver density on computed tomography scan also decreased in one patient. This regimen, in which the patient self-administered deferoxamine subcutaneously one or twice a day is seems to be the most practical method to protect against the progression of hemochromatosis.

Microbial flora in the acute phase of periodontitis and the effect of local administration of minocycline

Periodontitis, similar to other infectious diseases, is known to progress as chronic inflammation with recurrent acute phases. The purpose of this study was to clarify the microbiological composition of the acute phase and to compare the bacterial flora with that of comparable chronic periodontal pockets. We also evaluated the effect of application of minocycline gel locally on the change in the microflora in the acute pockets. Microbial flora from the subgingival pockets of 28 patients in the acute phase of periodontitis and of 12 patients in a comparable chronic phase as the control were investigated by various bacterial culture methods including TS blood agar and TSBV plates. Minocycline gel was applied to the acute periodontal pockets. Changes in the microbiological proportion and clinical parameters at one week after baseline examination were followed by dark-field analysis, culture method, and indirect immunofluorescence technique. Characteristic features of bacterial proportions in the acute site were observed as an increase in Bacteroides forsythus. The number of Porphyromonas gingivalis and black pigmented anaerobic rods also increased. Application of minocycline gel in the acute pocket without any debridement produced improvement in clinical symptoms at one week. Black-pigmented anaerobic rods, P. gingivalis, and B. forsythus decreased significantly at one week after the application. Results indicate that periodontopathic bacteria including B. forsythus and P. gingivalis were predominant in the acute phase of periodontitis and a locally delivered antibiotic may be effective as an alternative modality of treating the acute inflammation.

Detection of alpha 1-adrenoceptor subtypes in human hypertrophied prostate by in situ hybridization

Adrenergic stimulation induces contraction of hypertrophied prostatic tissue via the alpha 1 adrenoceptor, and the results of pharmacological studies suggested the existence of adrenoceptor subtypes. Recently three subtypes (alpha 1a, alpha 1b, and alpha 1d) were cloned. Using probes for these subtypes, we demonstrated their expression in the tissues of ten cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy, using in situ hybridization. To determine the ratio between these subtypes, an RNase protection assay was also performed in three cases. Expression of the alpha 1a and alpha 1d adrenoceptors was diffuse in the smooth muscles of the interstitium, but was absent in glandular epithelial cells. On the contrary, the alpha 1b adrenoceptor was hardly detectable. The RNase protection assay confirmed the absence of the alpha 1b adrenoceptor, the ratio of alpha 1a and alpha 1d being 4:1. These results supported the idea that the differences in prostatic contractile response to several adrenergic drugs are based on the affinities of these drugs for the different subtypes.

A case of male-limited precocious puberty caused by a point mutation in the second transmembrane domain of the luteinizing hormone choriogonadotropin receptor gene

We describe a Japanese patient with male-limited precocious puberty who has a heterozygous thymine to cytosine (T to C) transition at nucleotide 1193; the mutation encodes a methionine to threonine substitution in residue 398 (M398T) of transmembrane helix 2 of the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor. Transfected into COS-7 cells, M398T exhibited constitutively high basal cAMP levels but retained an agonist-induced cAMP response. The constitutively higher cAMP levels caused by M398T are consistent with Leydig cell activation and precocious puberty in the patient. By comparison to wild type receptor, M398T transfectants have significantly lower agonist-induced inositol phosphate (IP) levels at > 10(-10) M hCG concentrations and a higher apparent affinity for binding hCG. These data suggest that the M398T substitution alters Gq coupling and phospholipase-C activation, as well as Gs, coupling and adenylyl cyclase activity, and changes the conformation of the extracellular domain of the receptor.

Potential advantages in therapeutic index of OK-432 ointment to abdominal skin over systemic applied in a mouse model

A mixture of OK-432 powder and an ointment base, lanolin, was applied to mouse abdominal skin. After application of the mixture of 5 KE OK-432 and 0.2g lanolin, the leucocyte count and IL-b content in the abdominal cavity increases to up to 3.6 x 10(6) cells and 1.4 ng, respectively. INF-gamma content in the cavity after application of a mixture of 10 KE OK-432 and 0.2 g lanolin also increases, although not after application of the 5 KE OH-432 mixture of dorsum subcutaneous injection of a saline solution of 5 KE OK-432. These results indicate that an application of OK-432 mixed in lanolin to the mouse abdomen is able to exert an influence on the immunomodulatory effect in the abdominal cavity. The concentrations of IL-6 in serum after applying the ointment mixture, and subcutaneous of intraperitoneal injection of the saline solution of 5 KE OK-432, were <20, 370, and 430 pg/ml, respectively. After application of the ointment mixture of 5 KE OK-432, serum IL-6 did not increase. IL-6 levels in the abdominal cavity after 5 KE OK-432 ointment of subcutaneous injection increases to up to 1.4 and 2.1 ng/cavity. From these results, the immunomodulatory systemic response of OK-432 brought about by applying OK-432 ointment to the abdominal skin is lower than that brought about by injecting OK-432 subcutaneously. Therefore, it is thought that application of OK-432 ointment might be most suitable for potentiating local immune response.

A novel dipeptidyl aminopeptidase from Pseudomonas sp. strain WO24

An activity similar to that of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I (DAP I) which releases dipeptide from Gly-Arg-p-nitroanilide (Gly-Arg-pNA) was detected in a Pseudomonas sp. An enzyme was isolated and purified about 400-fold by a series of column chromatographies. The enzyme, named DAP BI (DAP from bacteria, type I), was revealed to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and isoelectric focusing. The molecular mass was estimated to be 82 kDa by SDS-PAGE and 65 kDa by gel filtration, suggesting that the enzyme may be a monomer. The enzyme had an isoelectric point of 4.7. It is optimally active at pH 9.0. The Km and Vmax of the enzyme for Gly-Arg-pNA were 0.25 mM and 195 micromol/min/mg, respectively. The purified enzyme did not hydrolyze Gly-Phe-pNA, which was also a substrate for DAP I, whereas it hydrolyzed Arg-Arg-4-methoxy-beta-naphthylamide (Arg-Arg-MNA), a model substrate for DAP III. The Km and Vmax for Arg-Arg-MNA were 0.019 mM and 145 micromol/min/mg, respectively. This purified enzyme can also catalyze the removal of Asp-Arg from the N termini of angiotensins I and II. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by Zn(II) (0.5 mM), tosyl-L-Lys-chloromethyl ketone (0.1 mM), and leupeptin (0.1 mM) and partially inhibited by Co(II) (0.5 mM) and chymostatin (0.1 mM), whereas the enzyme was not affected by general serine protease inhibitors (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropylfluorophosphate) and thiol protease inhibitors. The substrate specificity, classification of catalytic site, and other enzymatic properties demonstrate that this enzyme is distinct from the previously described mammalian DAPs I and III and Saccharomyces cerevisiae DAP III. These results indicate that DAP BI may be a new type of the DAP family.

Three-dimensional structures of free form and two substrate complexes of an extradiol ring-cleavage type dioxygenase, the BphC enzyme from Pseudomonas sp. strain KKS102

The crystal structure of an enzyme having polychlorinated-biphenyl degrading activity, the BphC enzyme from Pseudomonas sp. strain KKS102, has been solved as a free form at 1.8 A resolution. This is the first three-dimensional structure among the extradiol-type dioxygenases. Based on 34,387 reflections (10.0 to 1.8 A, completeness 87.8%), a current R-factor of 20.4% (with a free R-factor of 24.3%) was obtained with a model obeying standard geometry within 0.011 A in bond lengths and 1.91 degrees in bond angles. The BphC enzyme is a homo-octamer and each subunit is composed of two domains: Domain 1 (N-terminal part) and Domain 2 (C-terminal part). Each domain contains two repetitions of a novel folding motif (the "beta alpha beta beta beta" motif) each consisting of ca 55 amino acid residues. A single Fe ion in the active site coordinates the side-chains of three amino acid residues (His145, His209 and Glu260) and two solvent molecules. The coordination geometry is that of a square pyramid. In addition to the free form of the BphC enzyme, we have solved two three-dimensional structures of the BphC enzyme complexed with its substrates, 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl (2,3-DHBP) or 3-methylcatechol (3-MCT). These substrates were found intact in the active site probably because of the oxidation of the Fe ion into ferric form (as judged by EPR spectra) in the present crystals. In both of the two substrate complexes, the two hydroxyl groups of the substrate, together with the three enzymatic side-chain ligands, were found to form a penta-coordinated system around the Fe ion roughly arranged in a trigonal bipyramidal configuration. The active site structures appear to be essentially consistent with the reaction mechanism proposed so far.

Plasma fibrinogen and coronary heart disease in elderly Japanese-American men

Clinical and epidemiological studies consistently indicate that elevations in plasma fibrinogen concentration are associated with the presence and development of coronary heart disease (CHD). These elevations are strongly correlated with smoking behavior and may play a significant role in mediating a relation of smoking to CHD. This cross-sectional survey of 3571 elderly Japanese-American men, aged 71 through 93 years, represents survivors of the Honolulu Heart Program cohort. Active smokers are almost twice as likely to be represented in the highest quintile of the fibrinogen distribution compared with the lowest quintile (9.8% versus 5.3%, respectively). The highest prevalence of CHD (34%) was noted in past and current smokers who were in the highest quintile of fibrinogen. The age-adjusted relative odds of prevalent CHD comparing the average fibrinogen levels in the first and fifth quintiles were 1.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.64). After adjustment for smoking status, blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol, diabetes status, hematocrit, and white cell count, the association between fibrinogen and CHD was changed slightly and remained statistically significant (P < .05). These findings in an elderly cohort of Japanese-American men are consistent with previous studies among middle-aged adults demonstrating fibrinogen to be associated with indicators of clinical CHD and CHD risk factors. Because of the cross-sectional nature of this study, it is not possible to distinguish whether the observed relation of fibrinogen to prevalent CHD is causal or whether it represents a marker of active and progressive disease.

Behcet's disease complicated with myelodysplastic syndrome: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Two cases of Behcet's disease associated with myelodysplastic syndrome are described. Both patients showed a chromosomal abnormality, trisomy 8. Based on the laboratory findings in our patients and a careful review of the literature of similar cases, the association of the chromosomal abnormality with the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease is suggested.

MS-271, a novel inhibitor of calmodulin-activated myosin light chain kinase from Streptomyces sp.--I. Isolation, structural determination and biological properties of MS-271

A novel cyclic peptide, MS-271, was isolated from the culture broth of an actinomycete, Streptomyces sp. M-271 as an inhibitor of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (MLCK). MS-271 inhibited the MLCK from chicken gizzard with an IC50 value of 8 microM. MS-271 did not inhibit cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C or calcium/calmodulin-dependent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase at concentrations up to 400 microM. The primary structure of MS-271 was identical to that of siamycin I, an anti-HIV peptide isolated from a microbial source.

Extractive cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli using aqueous two-phase systems for production and separation of intracellular heat shock proteins

The extractive cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli cells to produce, release, and separate heat shock proteins (HSPs; GroEL and GroES) using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/dextran (Dex) aqueous two-phase systems was developed. The growth rate of E. coli OW10/pND5 cells in the PEG/Dex two-phase media was almost the same value as that in the control media. The addition of 0.1 M potassium phosphate salts (KPi) increased the productivity of HSPs with keeping the growth rate of E. coli cells relatively high. The partition coefficients of HSPs were improved to greater values when phosphate salts were added at a concentration of more than 0.1 M. As a result, PEG/Dex systems supplemented with 0.1 M KPi were found to be the optimized two-phase systems for the extractive cultivation of E. coli cells. In the systems, the HSPs were selectively partitioned to the top phase while cells occupied the bottom phase and the interface between the two phases. This integrated process was extended to a semicontinuous operating mode, where the top phase containing the HSPs was recovered following intermittent heating and ultrasonic irradiation. The bottom phase containing cells and cell debris was recycled together with new top phase solution to repeat production and recovery of HSPs.