Development of osteoclasts from embryonic stem cells through a pathway that is c-fms but not c-kit dependent

Osteoclasts are hematopoietic cells essential for bone resorption. To study the derivation of these interesting cells, we developed a stepwise culture system where stromal cells promote embryonic stem (ES) cells to differentiate into mature osteoclasts. Three phases to this differentiation process include (1) induction of hematopoiesis, along with the generation of osteoclast precursors, (2) expansion of these precursors, and (3) terminal differentiation into mature osteoclasts in the presence of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamine D3 . Although the transition of ES cells to the hematopoietic lineage was not blocked by an antibody to c-fms, later phases were dependent on a signaling through this transmembrane receptor as indicated by the finding that anti-c-fms treatment of cells in the second and third phases reduced the number of osteoclasts produced by 75% and more than 99%, respectively. Blockade of signaling through another tyrosine kinase-type receptor, c-kit, did not affect any stages of osteoclastogenesis, although generation of other hemopoietic lineages was reduced to less than 10% of untreated. When small numbers of ES cells were directly cultured under conditions that promote osteoclast differentiation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive multinucleated cells were observed at the edge but not inside of colonies. This suggests that some types of cell-cell interactions may inhibit development of mature osteoclasts. The culture system developed here provides an important tool for osteoclast biology.

Antioxidant activity of ferulic acid beta-glucuronide in the LDL oxidation system

Antioxidant activity of ferulic acid beta-glucuronide, which is prepared from the plasma of feruloyl arabinose fed rats, in the CuSO4- induced LDL autoxidation system was studied. It has been found that absorbed ferulic acid occurred as the beta-glucuronide and that the antioxidant activity of ferulic acid beta-glucuronide, which has not only the hydrophobic ferulic acid moiety but also a hydrophilic sugar moiety, is stronger than ferulic acid in the LDL oxidation system.

Induction of manganese superoxide dismutase by thyroid stimulating hormone in rat thyroid cells

Alterations in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) content of thyroid tissues occurring in association with thyroid dysfunction have been reported. In this study, the Mn-SOD content was found to increase in thyroid tissues of rats administered thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and in thyrocytes cultured in medium supplemented with TSH. Furthermore, in the thyroid glands of rats whose serum TSH level was elevated by inhibiting the synthesis of T3 and T4 by 6-methyl-2-thiouracil, the Mn-SOD increased as the TSH concentration increased. In the cultured thyrocytes, the increase in Mn-SOD induced by TSH was inhibited by the C-kinase inhibitor H7. These findings suggest the induction of Mn-SOD by TSH in thyroid cells and point to a role of C-kinase in this process, thereby indicating that a close relationship exists between the serum TSH level and the change in Mn-SOD content in thyrocytes with thyroid dysfunction.

Relationships of subunits of type-1 serine/threonine protein phosphatase to morphology and aggregation of B cells

To elucidate the roles of serine/threonine protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A in the morphological changes of B-lymphocytes during development and in immune responses, we investigated alterations of protein levels of catalytic subunits of PP1 and PP2A and regulatory subunits of PP1 including M130/M133, inhibitor-1 (I-1) and inhibitor-2 (I-2) in B-cell lines at different maturational stages and during their aggregation induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The protein levels of PP1delta and/or M130/M133 were significantly lower in B-cell lines without pseudopods, WEHI-231, BAL-17, Daudi, and CESS, than in those with pseudopods, Bcl.1, A20, M12, and SKW6.4, whereas the amounts of PP1alpha and PP2A were similar among them. During aggregation of A20 and CESS cells induced by PMA, an activator of PKC, the amount of PP1delta was progressively decreased, and this decrease was blocked by H7, an inhibitor of PKC. The amount of PP1alpha was constant under these conditions. Okadaic acid, an inhibitor of PP1 and PP2A, also induced aggregation of A20 cells at concentrations sufficient to inhibit PP1, but not at lower concentrations that inhibit PP2A alone. These results suggest that myosin light chain phosphatase composed of PP1delta and M130/M133 is involved in the maintenance and regulation of cytoskeletal structures in B-lymphocytes.

Interferon-alpha therapy in patients dually infected with hepatitis C virus and GB virus C/hepatitis G virus--virological response of HGV and pretreatment HGV viremia level

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The response to interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy of recently isolated GB virus C and hepatitis G virus (HGV) is still unclear. To investigate the biochemical and virological response to IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection concomitantly infected with HGV, 196 patients with HCV who had received IFN therapy were retrospectively studied.

METHODS

HGV and HCV RNA were detected by reverse transcription nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum HGV RNA levels were quantified by competitive RT-PCR. The HGV genotype was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using the PCR products.

RESULTS

Of 196 patients, 16 (8.2%) were positive for both HCV and HGV RNA before IFN therapy. There were no significant clinical and virological differences between the patients with dual infection and those with only HCV infection. During the therapy, a decrease or loss of serum HGV RNA level was observed in these patients. Six months after cessation of the therapy, five of 16 patients became negative for HGV RNA by RT-PCR. The pretreatment HGV RNA level of the patients who lost HGV RNA after cessation of IFN was low (median=10(3) copies/ml), compared to the level (median=10(7) copies/ml, p<0.01) in the patients with positive HGV RNA after the therapy. The HGV genotype of these 16 patients was the same type.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that: 1) there is no significant difference in response to IFN therapy between patients with dual and single infection; 2) HGV shows sensitivity to IFN therapy; and 3) in the patients who show a low pretreatment HGV RNA level, serum HGV RNA becomes undetectable by RT-PCR after cessation of IFN therapy.

[Relationship between iodine-123-beta-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid washout ratio and oxygen consumption in normal and ischemic myocardium]

The relationship between oxygen consumption and iodine-123-beta-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) washout at rest and after exercise was investigated in normal and ischemic myocardium. Sixteen healthy volunteers and 14 patients with ischemic heart disease were examined. After injection of 111MBq of 123I-BMIPP, serial single photon emission computed tomography imaging was performed to evaluate washout ratio after 30 min and 1 hour of rest and after exercise. In the volunteers, the mean washout ratio was 3.3 +/- 3.5% after 1 hour of rest and increased during exercise. The exercise washout ratio showed a better correlation with net pressure rate product (net PRP: cumulative values of PRP during exercise) than with the peak PRP. The exercise washout ratio showed a strong correlation with the net PRP in the range from 180 to 300 x 10(3) mmHg. beat/min and a plateau of 10-15%. In the nine ischemic patients with net PRP > or = 300 x 10(3) mmHg.beat/min, the exercise washout ratio values were significantly elevated in normal segments relative to ischemic segments (10.1 +/- 1.9% vs 4.7 +/- 2.9%, p < 0.001). In the five ischemic patients with net PRP < 300 x 10(3) mmHg.beat/min, washout ratio at rest and after exercise did not differ significantly between normal and ischemic segments. 123I-BMIPP washout ratio increased with increased oxygen consumption during exercise in normal myocardium but not in ischemic myocardium. The patient must exercise before fatty acid metabolism can be compared between normal and ischemic myocardium.

Expression of depressed mood: a comparative study among Japanese and Canadian aged people

OBJECTIVE

To investigate differences of expression regarding depressed mood between Japanese and Canadian aged people.

METHOD

The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was applied to people aged 65 and over in Ohira, Japan, and Steveston, British Columbia, Canada.

RESULTS

The number of subjects who filled out the SDS completely was 2180 for the Japanese sample and 183 for the Canadian sample. The mean SDS indexes of the Japanese and the Canadian samples were 44.03 and 44.34, respectively. The Canadian sample showed a higher average score in 11 items out of 20, whereas the Japanese sample showed a higher score on only 4 items. The factor analysis of those samples showed only small differences.

CONCLUSIONS

The Canadian sample showed a higher average score in more items compared with the Japanese sample. This indicates that Canadian aged people express their depressed moods more clearly and spontaneously than Japanese aged people.

MCI-154, a Ca2+ sensitizer, decreases the oxygen cost of contractility in isolated canine hearts

An increase in the responsiveness of the contractile machinery to Ca2+ could theoretically enhance the mechanoenergetics of the heart. To clarify this unresolved issue, we studied the effects of MCI-154, a Ca2+ sensitizer, on the mechanoenergetics in terms of the left ventricular contractility index [slope of end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (Emax)] and the relationship between myocardial oxygen consumption (VO2) and left ventricular pressure-volume area in excised cross-circulated canine hearts. MCI-154 increased Emax by 42 +/- 31% (SD), although the slope of the VO2-PVA relationship (an indicator of contractile efficiency) was unchanged by MCI-154. Despite equal increases in Emax, the relative increase in unloaded VO2 (delta VO2/delta Emax) during infusion of MCI-154 was, however, significantly less than that during CaCl2 infusion (0.0016 +/- 0.0018 vs. 0.0059 +/- 0.0054; P < 0.05). By contrast, delta VO2/delta Emax for milrinone was the same as that for CaCl2 (0.0043 +/- 0.0041 vs. 0.0039 +/- 0.0045; P > 0.05). Basal metabolism in KCl-arrested hearts was unchanged by MCI-154, indicating that MCI-154 consumes less energy than CaCl2 for excitation-contraction coupling. These findings suggest that MCI-154 acts energetically as a Ca2+ sensitizer in beating canine whole hearts.

A novel protein with DNA binding activity from tobacco chloroplast nucleoids

A 41-kD DNA binding protein with a basic pl was purified from chloroplast nucleoids in photomixotrophically cultured tobacco cells, and its amino acid sequence was determined. Using this sequence information, its cDNA (CND41) was isolated, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The predicted amino acid sequence of CND41 has a transit peptide of 120 amino acids and a mature protein of 382 amino acids. A distinctive helix-turn-helix motif in the lysine-rich N-terminal region of the mature protein and an aspartyl protease active site motif were predicted. Expression of a series of truncated CND41 proteins in Escherichia coli indicated that the lysine-rich region is essential for DNA binding and that CND41 nonspecifically binds chloroplast DNA. Protein gel blot analyses showed CND41 mainly in cells and/or tissues containing nonphotosynthesizing, actively growing plastids. In addition, the accumulation of chloroplast transcripts in these cells and/or tissues (e.g., transcripts for QB binding protein of photosystem II [psbA] and large subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase [rbcL]) was negatively correlated with the accumulation of CND41. Analyses of cultured cells of transgenic tobacco with reduced CND41 levels showed a higher level of expression of chloroplast genes compared with that of the wild type. We discuss the possible function of CND41 as a negative regulator of chloroplast gene expression.

Transposon tagging in rice

To develop an efficient gene isolation method for rice we introduced the maize Ac/Ds system into rice. Extensive analysis of their behavior in rice for several generations indicated that Ac and Ds in the presence of Ac transposase gene actively transpose in rice. A wide spectrum of mutations affecting growth, morphogenesis, flowering time and disease resistance have been obtained in the population carrying Ac/Ds and some of them were genetically analyzed. Main efforts are currently being made to isolate genes responsible these mutations. In addition, a number of Ac/Ds were mapped on chromosomes and mapped elements will be used in the future for directed tagging of genes with known chromosomal positions.

[Typical normal cases and normal cases with abnormal image pattern in every myocardial SPECT radiopharmaceutical]

Working group of cardiac nuclear medicine was made as a Japanese part of society of international cardiac nuclear medicine under the cooperation between Japanese society of nuclear medicine and Japanese society of cardiology. We investigated typical normal cases and normal cases with abnormal image pattern in every myocardial SPECT radiopharmaceutical as one of the research activity of working group. From 11 faculties, 16 T1 cases, 14 BMIPP cases, 8 MIBG cases, 8 MIBI cases and 14 tetrofosmin cases were submitted as typical normal cases, and 12 T1 cases, 5 BMIPP cases, 12 MIBG cases, 10 MIBI cases and 5 tetrofosmin cases were submitted as normal cases with abnormal image pattern. We summarized the condition of SPECT data acquisition of each faculties. And we added the discussion from literature about how to discriminate normal cases with abnormal image pattern from abnormal cases. In MIBG, patterns of typical normal cases and normal cases with abnormal image pattern were slightly different from other 4 pharmaceuticals. In other 4 pharmaceuticals, diaphragmatic attenuation, breast attenuation, apical thinning and others were presented as normal cases with abnormal image pattern.

[Neovascularization after encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis in elderly quasi-moyamoya disease: a case report]

A 65-year-old man who had a history of diabetes mellitus visited a hospital for recent memory disturbance. MR angiography showed stenoses of the main trunks of the intracranial arteries. He was admitted to our hospital, and angiography revealed occlusion of the left cervical internal carotid and right middle cerebral arteries, and stenoses of the right internal carotid, right anterior cerebral, left vertebral, and right posterior cerebral arteries. There was collateral circulation formed from the left external carotid and left posterior cerebral arteries. Basal moyamoya vessels were also observed. 123I-IMP SPECT showed low perfusion of the right cerebral hemisphere, and response to acetazolamide was poor. Based on the angiographical findings and the presence of diabetes mellitus, the patient was diagnosed as having quasi-moyamoya disease. Vascular reconstructive surgery was indicated. Since there was no recipient artery adequate for STA-MCA anastomosis, encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis was performed on the right side. Postoperatively, the patient's recent memory improved gradually, and angiography performed 7 months after the operation revealed neovascularization from the superficial and deep temporal arteries. Although indirect bypass surgery has been applied mainly to child moyamoya disease, its effectiveness for cerebral ischemia in adult patients has also been reported, particularly in cases with misery perfusion. Neovascularization with indirect bypass surgery can be expected if the patient is under misery perfusion, even in elderly patients.

Isolation and characterization of small proteoglycans from different zones of the porcine knee meniscus

Pig knee menisci were dissected into three zones of equal width representing inner, i.e. medial (zone 1), middle (zone 2) and outer, i.e. lateral (zone 3) tissue. Proteoglycans (PGs) were extracted with guanidinium chloride, isolated by ion-exchange chromatography and separated into two groups ('small' and 'large') by gel filtration. The small PGs were further fractionated by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography on Octyl-Sepharose. The PG eluting earliest from Octyl-Sepharose was identified as decorin on the basis of the size of the protein core produced by digestion with chondroitinase ABC, its recognition by monoclonal antibodies raised against bovine decorin and its N-terminal sequence, 23 of 24 amino acids of which were identified. Decorin represented about 23%, 28% and 32% of the total small PG recovered from Octyl-Sepharose from zones 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The major small PG in the meniscus, eluting from Octyl-Sepharose after decorin, was identified as biglycan by the size of core, recognition by a polyclonal antiserum raised against bovine biglycan and sequence of the N-terminal 26 amino acids. Biglycan accounted for approximately 53%, 52% and 38% of PG recovered from zones 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The glycosaminoglycan chains on both decorin and biglycan were identified as dermatan sulphate by their susceptibility to chondroitinase-B. Stains-All staining of SDS gels of Octyl-Sepharose eluates revealed the presence of a third small PG eluting slightly later than biglycan. This PG was purified by a further cycle of chromatography on Octyl-Sepharose and identified as fibromodulin on the basis of its amino acid composition and the N-terminal sequence obtained after digestion with pyroglutamate aminopeptidase. It was obtained in highest amounts from the inner (zone 1) tissue, which also yielded more biglycan and less decorin. Fibromodulin from the meniscus was shown to inhibit the formation of fibrils from a solution of type I collagen, independently of the effects of decorin. These results support the concept that the distributions and characteristics of the small PGs in knee meniscus reflect regional adaptation to functional demands.

Characterization of hydrogen peroxide removal activities in mouse hemolysates: catalase activity and hydrogen peroxide removal activity by hemoglobin

Hydrogen peroxide removal activities in normal and acatalasemic mouse hemolysates were examined to determine the optimal temperature of catalase. From thermal stability of the removal activities in hemolysates, the removal activities were divided into two activities. The removal activity deactivated at lower temperature was catalase, and the 50% inactivation was observed after 10 min incubation at 47.2 +/- 0.5 degrees C for normal hemolysates and 34.0 +/- 0.8 degrees C for acatalasemic ones. The removal activity deactivated at a higher temperature remained after the addition of sodium azide, and the 50% inactivation was observed at 63.5 +/- 1.4 degrees C. After separation of the removal activities by carboxymethyl-cellulose column chromatography, the removal activity deactivated at higher temperature was attributed to the activity by hemoglobin. From Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis of the removal rates by hemoglobin at 37 degrees C, the Michaelis constant for hydrogen peroxide and the maximum velocity were 201 +/- 53 microM and 5.37 +/- 1.39 micromol/s per g of Hb, respectively. Removal rates by hemoglobin in mouse hemolysates at 37 degrees C in 70 microM hydrogen peroxide were 1.32 +/- 0.12 micromol/s per g of Hb. Catalase activity (k/g Hb: rate constant related to the hemoglobin content) in normal mouse hemolysates was 104 +/- 12 at 25 degrees C and 117 +/- 10 at 37 degrees C, and that in acatalasemic hemolysates was 10.5 +/- 1.7 at 25 degrees C. These results indicate that activity of hydrogen peroxide removal by hemoglobin is substantial and the activity in acatalasemic hemolysates is predominant at low concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

Localization of the gene coding for myosin phosphatase, target subunit 1 (MYPT1) to human chromosome 12q15-q21

Myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), which is also called the myosin-binding subunit of myosin phosphatase, is one of the subunits of myosin phosphatase. Myosin phosphatase regulates the interaction of actin and myosin downstream of the guanosine triphosphatase Rho, as previously shown (K. Kimura, et al., 1996, Science 273:245-248). To understand the role of MYPT1 in the regulation of the cytoskeleton in human diseases, we have cloned a 4855-bp cDNA for human MYPT1 using the rat MYPT1 cDNA as probe. Sequencing analysis has revealed that human MYPT1 contains 1030 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of approximately 115 kDa. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis placed the human MYPT1 gene on chromosome 12q15-q21.2. Radiation hybrid mapping has shown that the human MYPT1 gene is located very near the highly polymorphic marker CHLC.GATA65A12, which lies between D12S350 and D12S106.

Increased tissue factor pathway inhibitor in patients with acute myocardial infarction

We examined hemostatic abnormalities in 23 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 10 with pulmonary embolism (PE), and 10 with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). At the onset of AMI, plasma levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), PA inhibitor-I (PAI-I), fibrin-D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), and plasmin-plasmin inhibitor complex (PPIC) were significantly increased. Both the plasma total TFPI and free-TFPI levels in the AMI patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy volunteers, PE patients, and DVT patients. There was no significant difference in total TFPI or free-TFPI among patients with PE, those with DVT, and healthy volunteers. One hour after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in the AMI group, the total TFPI level was further increased, and it was significantly reduced 24 hr after PTCA, to a level similar to that in healthy volunteers. Free-TFPI showed a pattern similar to that of total TFPI. The ratio of free-TFPI/total TFPI was highest 1 hr after PTCA. Increased TFPI in AMI patients might be released from ischemic tissues.

Treatment of brain abscess associated with ventricular rupture--three case reports

Three patients presented with brain abscess associated with ventricular rupture. The origins of infection were sepsis, congenital heart disease, and unknown, and the organisms were Gram-negative cocci in one and Streptococcus species in two. Ventricular rupture occurred before administration of antibiotics and caused consciousness disturbance in all three patients. Continuous ventricle drainage was begun and antibiotics were directly administered into the ventricles. Aspiration and drainage from the abscess was also performed in two patients. Ventricular irrigation resulted in an excellent effect in one patient. The outcomes were excellent in two patients and fair in one. Aggressive ventricular drainage in the very early stage and direct intraventricular administration of antibiotics are very important to obtain a favorable outcome in patients with brain abscess and ventricular rupture.

Scintigraphic evaluation along with CT and MR images in a case of huge gravitation abscess

The authors presented a rare case of huge gravitation abscess. 67Ga scintigraphy was useful in the evaluation of the extent and activity of the disease. CT showed clearly the location and shape of the abscess. Enhanced MRI showed vertebral lesions as characteristic geographic and ring-like enhancement.

Electronmicroscopic study of human herpesvirus 6-infected human T cell lines superinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been proposed as one of the co-factors responsible for the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) carriers. We analyzed the interaction between HHV-6 and HIV-1 in superinfected cells. Cell-free HIV-1 could superinfect human T cell lines, MT-4 and Molt-4, which had been previously infected with HHV-6. Both HHV-1 and HHV-6 replicated in the same cells. We observed two types of morphologically distinguished cells as early as 4 days after superinfection. One type (D) was degenerate cells with intracellular and extracellular HHV-6 and with less HIV-1 virions. The other type (I) was relatively intact cells with both HIV-1 and HHV-6 virions. Replication of HIV-1 was more active in the type I as compared with type D cells. The level of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in the culture supernatants of cells superinfected on day 0 declined after day 7, while that in the supernatants of cell cultures infected with HIV-1 alone remained high between days 12 and 40. These results suggest that the superinfection of the HHV-6-infected cells with HIV-1 may induce a degenerative process in these cells.

Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus infection in Mongolia

We studied the prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) infection among 112 patients with liver disease and 121 blood donors in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction were employed to detect GBV-C/HGV RNA using the specific primers derived from the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the GBV-C/HGV genome. Nucleotide sequences of all positive samples for GBV-C/HGV RNA were determined. The sequences were analyzed by a molecular evolutionary method. Twenty-five (10.7%) of 233 people were positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA. Eight (6.6%), 11 (9.1%), and 30 (24.8%) blood donors were positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA, HBsAg, and anti-HCV, respectively, although 17 (15.2%), 65 (58.0%), and 64 (54.5%) patients with liver disease were positive for each viral marker. The prevalences of GBV-C/HGV RNA, HBV, and HCV in the patients were significantly higher than those in blood donors (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HCV among people with and without GBV-C/HGV RNA, while the prevalence of HBsAg among people with GBV-C/HGV RNA was significantly higher than among those without GBV-C/HGV RNA (P < 0.05). The molecular evolutionary tree showed that GBV-C/HGV was a heterogeneous virus and all strains could be divided into 2 types. One is the same phylogenetic type as HGV, and the other is a new type that is different from GBV-C and HGV.