Intra-Arterial Injection of Adriamycin/Mitomycin C Lipiodol Suspension in Liver Metastases

Intra-arterial injection of a suspension of adriamycin and/or mitomycin C in Lipiodol was performed in 17 patients with hepatic metastases, which at angiography were poorly vascularized. Accumulation of Lipiodol in the tumors was demonstrated at computed tomography (CT) in 15 of 17 patients examined within one week. Follow-up with CT showed that Lipiodol remained in the tumor during the first month in 94 per cent, after 2 months in 31 per cent, and after 3 months in 17 per cent. In the non-tumor part of the liver Lipiodol disappeared earlier, and one month after injection it could no longer be traced on CT. In 8/17 cases (47%) CT, after intra-arterial injection of Lipiodol, gave superior information compared with CT after intravenous contrast enhancement. Tumor response was achieved in 9 of 16 cases. Particularly in metastases originating from cancer of the colon and stomach response was observed with a decrease in tumor size in 8 of 10 patients.

Minimally Invasive Plate Osteosynthesis for Comminuted Fractures of the Metaphysis of the Radius

Five comminuted and displaced fractures of the distal metaphysis of the radius were treated by a technique of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) with the aim of minimizing soft tissue damage and devascularization of the fracture fragments. This technique used the small AO T-shaped locking compression plate (AO LCP T-plate) and left the pronator quadratus intact. Radial inclination, palmar tilt, and ulnar variance were restored without loss of reduction in all five cases and the fractures healed at an average of 10 weeks, with good to excellent clinical outcomes.

Mouse D1Pas1, a DEAD-box RNA helicase, is required for the completion of first meiotic prophase in male germ cells

D1Pas1 is a mouse autosomal DEAD-box RNA helicase expressed predominantly in the testis. To assess its possible function, we generated D1Pas1-deficient mice using embryonic stem cells with a targeted D1Pas1 allele. Deletion of D1Pas1 did not cause noticeable embryonic defects or death, indicating that D1Pas1 is not essential for embryogenesis. Whereas homozygous knockout female mice showed normal reproductive performance, homozygous knockout male mice were completely sterile. The seminiferous epithelium of D1Pas1-deficient males contained no spermatids or spermatozoa because of spermatogenic arrest at the late pachytene stage. Upregulation of retrotransposons such as LINE-1 was not found in D1Pas1-deficient males, unlike males lacking Mvh, another testicular DEAD-box RNA helicase. Meiotic chromosome behavior in developing spermatocytes of D1Pas1-deficient males was indistinguishable from that in wild-type males, at least until synaptonemal complex formation. Thus, mouse D1Pas1 is the first-identified DEAD-box RNA helicase that plays critical roles in the final step of the first meiotic prophase in male germ cells.

Eicosapentaenoic acid ameliorates hyperglycemia in high-fat diet-sensitive diabetes mice in conjunction with restoration of hypoadiponectinemia

Background/Objective:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) exerts pleiotropic effects on metabolic disorders such as atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia, but its effectiveness in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus remains controversial.

Methods:

We examined the antidiabetic effect of EPA in insulin receptor mutant (Insr^P1195L/+) mice that exhibit high-fat diet (HFD)-dependent hyperglycemia.

Results:

EPA supplementation was found to alleviate hyperglycemia of Insr^P1195L/+ mice fed HFD (Insr^P1195L/+/HFD mice), which was accompanied by amelioration of increased gluconeogenesis and impaired insulin signaling, as assessed by glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pc) expression on refeeding and insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt in the liver, respectively. We found that serum levels of adiponectin, the antidiabetic adipokine, were decreased by HFD along with the body weight gain in Insr^P1195L/+ mice but not in wild-type mice, suggesting that Insr^P1195L/+ mice are prone to hypoadiponectinemia in response to obesity. Interestingly, the blood glucose levels of Insr^P1195L/+ mice were in reverse proportion to their serum adiponectin levels and EPA supplementation ameliorated their hyperglycemia in conjunction with the restoration of hypoadiponectinemia.

Conclusions:

EPA exerts an antidiabetic effect in Insr^P1195L/+/HFD mice, an HFD-sensitive, insulin-resistant animal model, possibly through its action against hypoadiponectinemia.

Acarbose, an α-Glucosidase Inhibitor, Decreases Aortic Gene Expression and Serum Levels of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 in Fructose-fed Rats

Insulin resistance is one of the determinants of post-prandial hyperglycaemia. Recently, acarbose, an α-glucosidase inhibitor that delays the absorption of carbohydrates from the small intestine, has been found to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. However, the molecular mechanism by which acarbose inhibits cardiovascular events remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether oral administration of acarbose could suppress expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in fructose-fed rats, a widely used animal model of insulin resistance. Serum MCP-1 levels were elevated in fructose-fed rats after 4 weeks. Acarbose treatment for 4 weeks reduced the fructose-induced elevation of serum MCP-1 levels. Acarbose treatment for 8 weeks decreased MCP-1 mRNA levels in the aortae of fructose-fed rats. These results suggest that the cardioprotective effects of acarbose could be due, at least in part, to the suppression of MCP-1 expression.

Nifedipine, a Calcium-channel Blocker, Inhibits Advanced Glycation End-product-induced Expression of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 in Human Cultured Mesangial Cells

The interaction between advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and their receptors mediates the progressive alteration in renal architecture and loss of renal function in diabetic nephropathy. This study investigated whether nifedipine, a widely used anti-hypertensive drug, suppresses expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a chemokine that mediates the recruitment of monocytes to inflammatory sites, in AGE-exposed human cultured mesangial cells. Cells were treated with 100 μg/ml AGE-bovine serum albumin (BSA) or non-glycated BSA in the presence or absence of 1 μM nifedipine or 50 nM diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, for 4 or 24 h. Expression of MCP-1 mRNA was measured using a semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; MCP-1 protein production was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. AGEs significantly increased both MCP-1 mRNA expression and protein production in mesangial cells; this increase was blocked by both nifedipine and diphenylene iodonium. These results suggest that nifedipine could play a protective role against early diabetic nephropathy by suppressing MCP-1 overexpression via blockade of AGE signalling in mesangial cells.

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Construction of Spiroindane Derivatives by Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-Type 1,4-Addition

The highly enantioselective organocatalytic construction of spiroindanes containing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter by intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-type 1,4-addition is described. The reaction was catalyzed by a cinchonidine-based primary amine and accelerated by water and p-bromophenol. A variety of spiro compounds containing quaternary stereocenters were obtained with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 95 % ee). The reaction was applied to the asymmetric formal synthesis of the spirocyclic natural products (-)-cannabispirenones A and B.

Comparison of pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs

This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs. Tramadol (4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously (IV) to young and middle-aged dogs (2 and 8–10 years, respectively). Plasma concentrations of tramadol were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and its pharmacokinetics best fit a two-compartment model. The volume of distribution (V_d), elimination half-life (t_1/2,β) and total body clearance (CL_tot) of the young group were 4.77 ± 1.07 l/kg, 1.91 ± 0.26 hr and 29.9 ± 7.3 ml/min/kg, respectively, while those of the middle-aged group were 4.73 ± 1.43 l/kg, 2.39 ± 0.97 hr and 23.7 ± 5.4 ml/min/kg, respectively. Intergroup differences in the t_1/2,β and CL_tot were significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, tramadol excretion was significantly prolonged in middle-aged dogs.

Bisphenol A glucuronide/sulfate diconjugate in perfused liver of rats

In isolated hepatocytes, the environmental estrogen bisphenol A (BPA) is metabolized into a mono-glucuronide and a glucuronide/sulfate diconjugate. Little is known about the fate of the diconjugate in the liver. The present study focused on the metabolism and dispostion of BPA diconjugate in the liver using a perfusion method. In Sprague-Dawley rats, BPA (15,150 or 1,500 nmol) was applied into the liver. In male rats, the infused BPA was conjugated to both glucuronide and a diconjugate during passage through the liver. The diconjugate was observed at high-dose application of the substrate. In female rats, the chemical was conjugated almost exclusively to the glucuronide in all doses utilized in this study. In both the male and female rats, the resultant metabolites were preferentially excreted into the bile. These results suggest that BPA is conjugated primarily to mono-glucuronide in rat liver; and that in males, diconjugate production occurs under conditions of high-dose exposure to BPA.

Higher refractive index and lower wavelength dispersion of SiO2 glass by structural ordering evolution via densification at a higher temperature

Silica glasses permanently densified at high temperatures show unexpected increase of both the refractive index and the Abbe number. Glasses densified at a higher temperature underwent homogeneous evolution of their intermediate structural ordering.

High-Yield Superovulation in Adult Mice by Anti-Inhibin Serum Treatment Combined with Estrous Cycle Synchronization

Producing many mature oocytes is of great importance for assisted reproductive technologies. In mice, superovulation by consecutive injections of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has been the gold standard for oocyte collection. However, the yield of mature oocytes by this regimen can fluctuate according to the stage of the estrous cycle, strain, and age. Therefore, our objective was to develop a high-yield superovulation protocol to collect higher numbers of oocytes from adult female mice of different strains and ages. First, we aimed to synchronize the estrous cycle using C57BL/6 (B6) female mice. Most (93%) were synchronized to metestrus after two daily injections of progesterone. Second, we found that with the injection of anti-inhibin serum (AIS) instead of eCG, the mean number of ovulated oocytes almost doubled (21 vs. 41 per mouse). Third, by combining estrous cycle synchronization with two AIS injections, we obtained 62 oocytes per mouse, about three times that with the eCG-hCG protocol. Importantly, this approach increased the proportion of mice that ovulated >25 oocytes from about 40% (eCG-hCG) to 90%. The same protocol was also effective in other inbred (BALB/cA), outbred (ICR), and hybrid (B6D2F1) strains. In addition, B6 female mice aged over 1 yr ovulated 1.8-fold more oocytes by this protocol. Thus, estrous cycle synchronization followed by AIS-hCG yielded a broadly applicable, highly efficient superovulation. This protocol should promote the effective use of invaluable female mouse strains and decrease the numbers of animals euthanized.

CARTS biogenesis requires VAP-lipid transfer protein complexes functioning at the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi interface

Biogenesis of the TGN-derived transport carriers CARTS requires the ER protein VAP and Golgi lipid transfer proteins, ceramide transfer protein and OSBP. Sac1 lipid phosphatase is recruited to a VAP–OSBP complex formed at an ER subdomain closely apposed to the trans-Golgi/TGN. Association–dissociation dynamics of ER–Golgi contacts are important for CARTS formation.

Vesicle-associated membrane protein–associated protein (VAP) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident integral membrane protein that controls a nonvesicular mode of ceramide and cholesterol transfer from the ER to the Golgi complex by interacting with ceramide transfer protein and oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP), respectively. We report that VAP and its interacting proteins are required for the processing and secretion of pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor, whose transport from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the cell surface is mediated by transport carriers called “carriers of the trans-Golgi network to the cell surface” (CARTS). In VAP-depleted cells, diacylglycerol level at the TGN was decreased and CARTS formation was impaired. We found that VAP forms a complex with not only OSBP but also Sac1 phosphoinositide phosphatase at specialized ER subdomains that are closely apposed to the trans-Golgi/TGN, most likely reflecting membrane contact sites. Immobilization of ER–Golgi contacts dramatically reduced CARTS production, indicating that association–dissociation dynamics of the two membranes are important. On the basis of these findings, we propose that the ER–Golgi contacts play a pivotal role in lipid metabolism to control the biogenesis of transport carriers from the TGN.

The NESH/Abi-3-based WAVE2 complex is functionally distinct from the Abi-1-based WAVE2 complex

BACKGROUND

Abl interactor (Abi) family proteins play significant roles in actin cytoskeleton organization through participation in the WAVE complex. Mammals possess three Abi proteins: Abi-1, Abi-2, and NESH/Abi-3. Abi-1 and Abi-2 were originally identified as Abl tyrosine kinase-binding proteins. It has been disclosed that Abi-1 acts as a bridge between c-Abl and WAVE2, and c-Abl-mediated WAVE2 phosphorylation promotes actin remodeling. We showed previously that NESH/Abi-3 is present in the WAVE2 complex, but neither binds to c-Abl nor promotes c-Abl-mediated phosphorylation of WAVE2.

RESULTS

In this study, we characterized NESH/Abi-3 in more detail, and compared its properties with those of Abi-1 and Abi-2. NESH/Abi-3 was ectopically expressed in NIH3T3 cells, in which Abi-1, but not NESH/Abi-3, is expressed. The expression of NESH/Abi-3 caused degradation of endogenous Abi-1, which led to the formation of a NESH/Abi-3-based WAVE2 complex. When these cells were plated on fibronectin-coated dishes, the translocation of WAVE2 to the plasma membrane was significantly reduced and the formation of peripheral lamellipodial structures was disturbed, suggesting that the NESH/Abi-3-based WAVE2 complex was unable to help produce lamellipodial protrusions. Next, Abi-1, Abi-2, or NESH/Abi-3 was expressed in v-src-transformed NIH3T3 cells. Only in NESH/Abi-3-expressed cells did treatment with an Abl kinase inhibitor, imatinib mesylate, or siRNA-mediated knockdown of c-Abl promote the formation of invadopodia, which are ventral membrane protrusions with extracellular matrix degradation activity. Structural studies showed that a linker region between the proline-rich regions and the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of Abi-1 is crucial for its interaction with c-Abl and c-Abl-mediated phosphorylation of WAVE2.

CONCLUSIONS

The NESH/Abi-3-based WAVE2 complex is functionally distinct from the Abi-1-based one, and NESH/Abi-3 may be involved in the formation of ventral protrusions under certain conditions.

Structure and development of male pheromone gland of longicorn beetles and its phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Clytini

The male sex pheromone of the longicorn beetle, Xylotrechus pyrrhoderus pyrrhoderus Bates (Cerambycidae: Tribe Clytini) plays an important role in attracting females. This pheromone is produced by the pheromone gland located in the prothorax. However, the detailed structure and underlying developmental process of this gland are still unknown. We investigated the gland structure by using histological analysis and confirmed that the gland consists of the following parts: gland cell mass, a unique spherical space in the cuticle layer, and ductules connecting the gland cells with the spherical space and conducting canals to the outer opening. The gland structure first appeared male-specific in the late pupal stage, during which the epidermal cells began depositing the exocuticle; the development of the gland was completed after adult emergence. Furthermore, we verified the structural equivalents of the X. p. pyrrhoderus male pheromone gland in 11 species of 2 tribes, Clytini and Anaglyptini. The glands of these insects could be classified into four types on the basis of the absence or presence of the spherical space and the division of the gland cell mass layer. Most noteworthy, all the species with the spherical space and division-type gland were restricted to the Xylotrechus clade, as inferred from the molecular phylogenetic analysis. These results suggest that Clytini and Anaglyptini species share a fundamental process of male pheromone gland development, and that the Japanese Xylotrechus species might have established their current status by developing distinct structural features in the male pheromone gland.

γ-SNAP stimulates disassembly of endosomal SNARE complexes and regulates endocytic trafficking pathways

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) that reside in the target membranes and transport vesicles assemble into specific SNARE complexes to drive membrane fusion. N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) and its attachment protein, α-SNAP (encoded by NAPA), catalyze disassembly of the SNARE complexes in the secretory and endocytic pathways to recycle them for the next round of fusion events. γ-SNAP (encoded by NAPG) is a SNAP isoform, but its function in SNARE-mediated membrane trafficking remains unknown. Here, we show that γ-SNAP regulates the endosomal trafficking of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) and transferrin. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that γ-SNAP interacts with a limited range of SNAREs, including endosomal ones. γ-SNAP, as well as α-SNAP, mediated the disassembly of endosomal syntaxin-7-containing SNARE complexes. Overexpression and small interfering (si)RNA-mediated depletion of γ-SNAP changed the morphologies and intracellular distributions of endosomes. Moreover, the depletion partially suppressed the exit of EGFR and transferrin from EEA1-positive early endosomes to delay their degradation and uptake. Taken together, our findings suggest that γ-SNAP is a unique SNAP that functions in a limited range of organelles - including endosomes - and their trafficking pathways.

Weak activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase toward Bisphenol analogs in mouse perinatal development

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used industrial chemical that disrupts endocrine function. BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that has been demonstrated to affect reproductive organ development, brain development, metabolic disease and post-natal behavior. Accordingly, Bisphenol analogs, Bisphenol F (BPF, bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) methane) and Bisphenol AF (BPAF, 4,4-hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphenol) are used as replacements for BPA. BPA is mainly metabolized by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), UGT2B1, but this effective metabolizing system is weak in the fetus. In the present study, we demonstrated that hepatic UGT activity toward BPAF was very weak, in comparison with BPA and BPF, in the fetus, pups and dams. Conversely, hepatic UGT activity toward BPF was very weak in the fetus and newborn pups, and was increased to the same level as BPA post-partum. In conclusion, BPAF possibly tends to accumulate in the fetus, because of weak metabolism during the perinatal period, suggesting that the metabolism of individual Bisphenol analogs requires assessment to properly gauge their risks.