Expression profile of hepatic genes in cynomolgus macaques bred in Cambodia, China, and Indonesia: implications for cytochrome P450 genes

Cynomolgus macaques, frequently used in drug metabolism studies, are bred mainly in the countries of Asia; however, comparative studies of drug metabolism between cynomolgus macaques bred in these countries have not been conducted. In this study, hepatic gene expression profiles of cynomolgus macaques bred in Cambodia (mfCAM), China (mfCHN), and Indonesia (mfIDN) were analyzed. Microarray analysis revealed that expression of most hepatic genes, including drug-metabolizing enzyme genes, was not substantially different between mfCAM, mfCHN, and mfIDN; only 1.1% and 3.0% of all the gene probes detected differential expression (>2.5-fold) in mfCAM compared with mfCHN and mfIDN, respectively. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression levels of 14 cytochromes P450 (P450s) important for drug metabolism did not differ (>2.5-fold) in mfCAM, mfCHN, and mfIDN, validating the microarray data. In contrast, expression of CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 differed (>2.5-fold, p < 0.05) between cynomolgus (mfCAM, mfCHN, or mfIDN) and rhesus macaques, indicating greater differences in expression of P450 genes between the two lineages. Moreover, metabolic activities measured using 14 P450 substrates did not differ substantially (<1.5-fold) between mfCAM and mfCHN. These results suggest that gene expression profiles, including drug-metabolizing enzyme genes such as P450 genes, are similar in mfCAM, mfCHN, and mfIDN.

Expression of cytochromes p450 in fetal, infant, and juvenile liver of cynomolgus macaques

Preclinical data of fetal, infant, and juvenile animals are important for the prediction of drug toxicity in fetuses and children. However, expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes, including cytochromes P450 (CYPs), have not been fully investigated in fetal, infant, or juvenile liver of the cynomolgus macaque, an animal species important for preclinical studies. In this study, hepatic expression of 20 cynomolgus macaque CYPs (mfCYPs) in the CYP1-4 subfamilies that are relevant to drug metabolism was measured in fetuses, infants, and juveniles using DNA microarrays. Expression of most mfCYPs, including those moderately or abundantly expressed in postnatal livers such as mfCYP2A23, mfCYP2A24, mfCYP2B6, mfCYP2C9, mfCYP2C19, mfCYP2C76, mfCYP2D17, mfCYP2E1 mfCYP3A4, and mfCYP3A5, was much less abundant in fetal livers, but increased substantially after birth. In contrast, expression of mfCYP2C8 in fetal livers was not substantially different from postnatal livers. Since human CYP3A7 is expressed more abundantly in fetal livers than in adult livers, mfCYP3A7, an ortholog of human CYP3A7, was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Expression of mfCYP3A7 in fetal livers was much lower than that in postnatal livers, and greatly increased after birth, unlike the expression of human CYP3A7. These results indicate that expression of most mfCYPs examined was low in fetal livers, but increased greatly in postnatal livers, with a few exceptions such as mfCYP2C8.

Yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine, ameliorates memory disturbance and abnormal social interaction with anti-aggregation effect of cerebral amyloid β proteins in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice

The deposition of amyloid β protein (Aβ) is a consistent pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. Therefore, inhibition of Aβ aggregation in the brain is an attractive therapeutic and preventive strategy in the development of disease-modifying drugs for AD. An in vitro study demonstrated that yokukansan (YKS), a traditional Japanese medicine, inhibited Aβ aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. An in vivo study demonstrated that YKS and Uncaria hook (UH), a constituent of YKS, prevented the accumulation of cerebral Aβ. YKS also improved the memory disturbance and abnormal social interaction such as increased aggressive behavior and decreased social behavior in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. These results suggest that YKS is likely to be a potent and novel therapeutic agent to prevent and/or treat AD, and that this may be attributed to UH.

Newly identified CYP2C93 is a functional enzyme in rhesus monkey, but not in cynomolgus monkey

Cynomolgus monkey and rhesus monkey are used in drug metabolism studies due to their evolutionary closeness and physiological resemblance to human. In cynomolgus monkey, we previously identified cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) 2C76 that does not have a human ortholog and is partly responsible for species differences in drug metabolism between cynomolgus monkey and human. In this study, we report characterization of CYP2C93 cDNA newly identified in cynomolgus monkey and rhesus monkey. The CYP2C93 cDNA contained an open reading frame of 490 amino acids approximately 84–86% identical to human CYP2Cs. CYP2C93 was located in the genomic region, which corresponded to the intergenic region in the human genome, indicating that CYP2C93 does not correspond to any human genes. CYP2C93 mRNA was expressed predominantly in the liver among 10 tissues analyzed. The CYP2C93 proteins heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli metabolized human CYP2C substrates, diclofenac, flurbiprofen, paclitaxel, S-mephenytoin, and tolbutamide. In addition to a normal transcript (SV1), an aberrantly spliced transcript (SV2) lacking exon 2 was identified, which did not give rise to a functional protein due to frameshift and a premature termination codon. Mini gene assay revealed that the genetic variant IVS2-1G>T at the splice site of intron 1, at least partly, accounted for the exon-2 skipping; therefore, this genotype would influence CYP2C93-mediated drug metabolism. SV1 was expressed in 6 of 11 rhesus monkeys and 1 of 8 cynomolgus monkeys, but the SV1 in the cynomolgus monkey was nonfunctional due to a rare null genotype (c.102T>del). These results suggest that CYP2C93 can play roles as a drug-metabolizing enzyme in rhesus monkeys (not in cynomolgus monkeys), although its relative contribution to drug metabolism has yet to be validated.

Regional distribution of drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in the liver and small intestine of cynomolgus monkeys

The cynomolgus monkey is an animal species widely used to study drug metabolism because of its evolutionary closeness to humans. However, drug-metabolizing enzyme activities have not been compared in various parts of the liver and small intestine in cynomolgus monkeys. In this study, therefore, drug-metabolizing enzyme activities were analyzed in the liver (the five lobes) and small intestine (six sections from the duodenum to the distal ileum). 7-Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation, coumarin 7-hydroxylation, paclitaxel 6α-hydroxylation, diclofenac 4'-hydroxylation, tolbutamide methylhydroxylation, S-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation, bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation, chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation, midazolam 1'-hydroxylation, and testosterone 6β-, 16α-, 16β-, and 2α-hydroxylation were used as the probe reactions for this investigation. In liver, all probe reactions were detected and enzyme activity levels were similar in all lobes, whereas, in the small intestine, all enzyme activities were detected (except for coumarin 7-hydroxylase and testosterone 16α-hydroxylase activity), but from jejunum to ileum there was a decrease in the level of enzyme activity. This includes midazolam 1'-hydroxylation and testosterone 6β-hydroxylation, which are catalyzed by cynomolgus monkey cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/5, orthologs of human CYP3A4/5, which are important drug-metabolizing enzymes. The data presented in this study are expected to facilitate the use of cynomolgus monkeys in drug metabolism studies.

Prognostic factors associated with a subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femoral head

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with the prognosis of a subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femoral head (SIF).

METHODS

Between June 2002 and July 2009, 25 patients diagnosed with SIF were included in this study. Sequential radiographs were evaluated for the progression of collapse. Clinical profiles, including age, body mass index, follow-up period and Singh's index, were documented. The morphological characteristics of the low-intensity band on T(1) weighted MRI were also examined with regards to four factors: band length, band thickness, the length of the weight-bearing portion and the band length ratio (defined as the proportion of the band length to the weight-bearing portion of the femoral head in the slice through the femoral head centre).

RESULTS

Radiographically, a progression of collapse was observed in 15 of 25 (60.0%) patients. The band length in patients with progression of collapse [22.5 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI) 17.7, 27.3] was significantly larger than in patients without a progression of collapse (13.4 mm; 95% CI 7.6, 19.3; p<0.05). The band length ratio in patients with progression of collapse (59.8%; 95% CI 50.8, 68.9) was also significantly higher than in patients without a progression of collapse (40.9%; 95% CI 29.8, 52.0; p<0.05). No significant differences were present in the other values.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the band length and the band length ratio might be predictive for the progression of collapse in SIF.

Pocket epithelium in the pathological setting for HMGB1 release

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein acts as a transcription factor in the nucleus and also as a pro-inflammatory cytokine when released into extracellular fluids. The presence of higher levels of HMGB1 is reported in the gingival crevicular fluid from periodontal patients. Since the proliferation of bacteria within the periodontal pocket is closely involved in the exacerbation of periodontal disease, it is hypothesized that the periodontal pocket causes the release of HMGB1. Immunohistochemical staining of inflamed gingiva revealed that HMGB1 is exclusively dislocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in the pocket epithelium, whereas it is mainly present in the nucleus in the gingival epithelium. Butyric acid, an extracellular metabolite from periodontopathic bacteria populating the periodontal pocket, induced the passive release of HMGB1 as a result of eliciting necrosis in the human gingival epithelial cell line. Thus, the periodontal epithelium may provide a unique pathological setting for HMGB1 release by bacterial insult.

[Impact of preoperative 64-row multislice computed tomography for congenital aortic stenosis; report of a case]

A 63-year-old woman was diagnosed as having severe aortic stenosis (AS) with 98 mmHg peak pressure gradient detected by echocardiography. Since, preoperative enhanced 64-row multislice computed tomography (MSCT) showed bicuspid aortic valve with only 2 sinuses of Valsalva, congenital aortic stenosis was suspected. The left and right coronary arteries originated from respective sinus of Valsalva, and severely thickened cusps of aortic valve were detected clearly by preoperative 64-row MSCT. Aortic valve replacement with a 21 mm ATS mechanical bileaflet prosthesis was performed without aortic annulus enlargement. The postoperative course was uneventful and postoperative 64-row MSCT indicated good performance of the ATS valve. Preoperative 64-row MSCT could be useful to detect complex aortic valve disease in detail. Moreover. 64-row MSCT might be a reliable tool to evaluate valvular heart disease.

Regional distribution of cytochrome p450 mRNA expression in the liver and small intestine of cynomolgus monkeys

The cynomolgus monkey is used to study drug metabolism because of its evolutionary closeness to humans. Despite their importance, regional distribution of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes including CYP3As in the liver and small intestine, the major sites of drug metabolism, has not been fully investigated in cynomolgus monkeys. In this study, we measured mRNA expression levels of 14 CYPs in the CYP1, 2, and 3 subfamilies, including orthologs of human CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, in the liver and small intestine of cynomolgus monkeys. Expression levels of each CYP mRNA in various regions of the liver were quantified and comparisons were made between the right lobe, quadrate lobe, left medial lobe, left lateral lobe, and caudate lobe and with four different sections of the right lobe. In the small intestine, the same mRNAs were measured in the duodenum and six different sections from the proximal jejunum to the distal ileum. Expression levels of the CYP mRNAs were not substantially different between liver samples, but varied between the different sections of the small intestine, including CYP3A4. These results suggest that analysis of distinct sections is required for a better understanding of cynomolgus monkey CYPs in the small intestine.

Calibration system for pulse spectrophotometry using a double-layer pulsation flow-cell

We have studied noninvasive devices for measuring total hemoglobin and hemoglobin derivatives such as carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb). A calibration procedure needs to be developed to evaluate or calibrate these devices and pulse oximeters for clinical practice. However, people and animals are sometimes exposed to risk when they are used for calibration. In this paper, we propose a new in vitro calibration system for a pulse photometer. This system has a novel double-layer pulsation flow-cell that incorporates both venous and arterial blood flow. Using the calibration system, we are able to measure the in vitro pulsatile optical density ratio (Phivt). The measured Phivt agrees well with the in vivo pulsatile optical density ratio (Phivi). This system simulates an in vivo environment with high accuracy and enables safe calibration. Consequently, the calibration system is able to standardize the performance and accuracy of pulse photometry.