Membrane perturbing factor in reticulocyte lysate, which is transiently activated by proteases

Proteases have been used to examine the topology of proteins on various membranes. We reexamined the conditions of protease treatment for rough microsomal membranes and found that proteinase K degraded the lumenal proteins in the presence of reticulocyte lysate. The lysate treated with either heat or N-ethylmaleimide no longer promoted the degradation. The reticulocyte dependent degradation was also observed with papain, trypsin, and elastase. This activity was transiently generated by treating reticulocyte lysate short-term with trypsin. We thus concluded that a membrane perturbing factor(s) must exist in reticulocyte which is transiently activated by protease treatment.

A new concept in polytopic membrane proteins following from the study of band 3 protein

In the present communication, we introduce a novel concept in multispanning polytopic membrane proteins revealed by the study of the band 3 protein. The transmembrane domain of such proteins can be divided into three categories, that is, hydrophilic loops connecting transmembrane peptides (category 1), portions embedded by peptide-peptide interactions (category 2), and portions embedded by peptide-lipid interactions (category 3). Category 2 peptides of polytopic membrane proteins were found to stably reside in the lipid bilayer without peptide-lipid interactions that had been thought to be essential for transmembrane segments. Category 3 peptides are equivalent to single-spanning segments of bitopic membrane proteins. Three different experiments, namely proteolytic digestion, chemical modification of the band 3 protein, and cell free transcription and translation, were used to categorize the transmembrane peptides.

Induction of apoptosis in CD34+ cells by sera from patients with aplastic anemia

To investigate the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia (AA), the apoptosis of CD34+ cells was assayed with annexin V-fluorescein 24 hr and 48 hr after incubation with the serum of normal controls (n = 10), patients with non severe AA (NSAA, n = 13) and severe AA (SAA, n = 10). The CD34+ progenitors from the bone marrow of normal donors contained a significantly greater proportion of apoptotic cells after incubation with serum from SAA patients than that incubated with serum from normal controls and NSAA. Moreover, the percent apoptosis of CD34+ cells after 24 hr incubation with serum from NSAA was slightly higher than that of normal controls. This appears to be related to clinical severity. No significant difference was found in the percent apoptosis of CD34+ cells between incubation for 24 hr and 48 hr with the same serum. To further explore the mechanism of increased apoptosis induced by the serum of AA patients, the expression of the Fas receptor was measured after incubation with serum from the normal controls and AA patients using flow cytometry. After incubation with serum from the AA patients, the Fas receptor was overexpressed, correlating with the increased apoptosis induced by the same serum from AA patients. In addition, the induction of apoptosis and Fas expression on CD34+ cells by serum from the SAA patients was blocked partly by preincubation of the serum with anti-gamma-IFN neutralizing MoAb. These findings suggested that some aberrant components of the serum in the AA patients, which was confirmed partly to be gamma-IFN, can induce CD34+ progenitors apoptosis through the Fas signaling pathway. This may contribute to understanding the decreased number of stem cells characteristic of aplastic anemia.

No pharmacokinetic but pharmacodynamic interactions between cisapride and bromperidol or haloperidol

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between the gastrokinetic drug cisapride and the antipsychotic drugs bromperidol and haloperidol were studied in 29 schizophrenic inpatients. Fourteen patients were taking bromperidol (12-24 mg/d), and 15 were taking haloperidol (12-36 mg/d). Cisapride 10 mg/d was coadministered for 1 week, and blood sampling was performed before cisapride treatment, 1 week after starting cisapride treatment, and I week after stopping cisapride treatment. On the same days as the blood sampling, psychotic symptoms and side effects were evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU) side effect rating scale (UKU), respectively. Plasma concentrations of bromperidol, haloperidol, and their reduced metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean BPRS scores after adding cisapride were significantly higher than those before cisapride (p<0.01) and after stopping cisapride (p<0.001) in the haloperidol group in this uncontrolled study. A similar tendency was observed in the bromperidol group, although it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.08). Cisapride coadministration caused no significant changes in the mean plasma concentrations of bromperidol, haloperidol, and their reduced metabolites or in the mean UKU score. The present study suggests that there is no significant pharmacokinetic interaction between cisapride and bromperidol or haloperidol, but cisapride appears to deteriorate psychotic symptoms by a pharmacodynamic interaction in schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol.

Effects of itraconazole on the steady-state plasma concentrations of haloperidol and its reduced metabolite in schizophrenic patients: in vivo evidence of the involvement of CYP3A4 for haloperidol metabolism

The effects of itraconazole, a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, on the steady-state plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol were examined in schizophrenic patients. Thirteen schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol 12 or 24 mg/day received 200 mg/day of itraconazole for 7 days. Plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography together with clinical assessment by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser side effect rating scale just before and during itraconazole treatment and 1 week after its discontinuation. Plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol during the itraconazole treatment (16.9 +/- 11.2 and 6.1 +/- 6.6 ng/mL, respectively) were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those observed before itraconazole treatment (13.0 +/- 7.9 and 4.9 +/- 5.1 ng/mL) or 1 week after its discontinuation (13.5 +/- 8.2 and 4.9 +/- 5.0 ng/mL). No change was found in clinical symptoms assessed by BPRS, whereas neurologic side effects were significantly (p < 0.05) increased during itraconazole coadministration. The elevated plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol during itraconazole coadministration were likely due to the inhibitory effects of itraconazole on the metabolism of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol. Thus, this study may provide in vivo evidence of involvement of CYP3A4 in the metabolism of haloperidol and possibly in that of reduced haloperidol. Deterioration of neurologic side effects during itraconazole treatment may result from the increased plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol during itraconazole treatment.

Lack of significant pharmacokinetic interaction between haloperidol and grapefruit juice

The effects of repeated ingestion of grapefruit juice, an inhibitor of cytochrome P4503A4 (CYP3A4), on the steady-state plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol were examined. Twelve schizophrenic inpatients receiving haloperidol 12 mg/day, ingested grapefruit juice 600 ml/day for 7 days. Blood samples were collected before and during grapefruit juice coadministration and 1 week after its discontinuation together with an assessment of clinical status. Plasma drug concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Clinical status for each patient was assessed by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the UKU side-effect rating scale (UKU). Plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol during grapefruit juice coadministration (9.0 +/- 3.0 and 2.6 +/- 1.4 ng/ml, respectively) were not significantly different from those before grapefruit juice coadministration (9.1 +/- 2.8 and 2.6 +/- 1.5 ng/ml) or those 1 week after its discontinuation (8.8 +/- 2.7 and 2.6 +/- 1.3 ng/ml). There was no change in the scores of BPRS or UKU during the study period. The present results shows that grapefruit juice does not affect the plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol or clinical status in patients receiving haloperidol.

Effects of the CYP2D6*10 allele on the steady-state plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol in Japanese patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The CYP2D6*10 (*10) allele that causes decreased CYP2D6 activity is present in Asians with a high frequency of about 50%. In this study we studied the effects of the *10 allele on the steady-state plasma concentrations (Css) of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol.

METHODS

The subjects were 67 Japanese inpatients with schizophrenia who had only the wild-type or *10 alleles. Thirty-four patients were homozygous for the wild-type allele, and 26 were heterozygous and 7 were homozygous for the *10 allele. All patients had been receiving 12 mg/day haloperidol for at least 2 weeks. Plasma concentrations of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol were measured by HPLC.

RESULTS

The mean +/- SD values of haloperidol Css in the patients with 0, 1, and 2 *10 alleles were 22.8+/-11.0, 30.1+/-10.6, and 31.2+/-21.2 nmol/L, respectively, and those values for reduced haloperidol were 6.1+/-2.9, 9.5+/-3.7, and 9.9+/-6.2 nmol/L, respectively. The mean haloperidol Css was significantly (P < .05) higher in the patients with 1 *10 allele than in those with no *10 alleles. The mean Css of reduced haloperidol was significantly (P < .05) higher in the patients with 1 and 2 *10 alleles than in those with no *10 alleles.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the *10 allele plays an important role in controlling the Css of both haloperidol and reduced haloperidol, especially in Asian subjects.

Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibits apoptotic death in hematopoietic cells after exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs by inducing MCL1 acting as an antiapoptotic factor

We reported previously that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibits the apoptotic death of hematopoietic cells that is induced by exposure to ionizing radiation (O. Katoh et al., Cancer Res., 55: 5687-5692, 1995). In this study, we show that VEGF also inhibits apoptotic cell death that is induced by exposure to the chemotherapeutic drugs etoposide and doxorubicin. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this inhibitory effect of VEGF, we examined expression levels of BCL2 family proteins in CMK86, a human leukemia cell line, after treatment with VEGF. Northern blotting and immunoblotting analyses revealed that the expression level of MCL1, a member of the BCL2 family, was increased by VEGF. Moreover, to examine the effects of MCL1 on apoptotic cell death induced by exposure to etoposide, we generated a clonal U937 myeloid leukemia cell line transfected with vectors that promoted the constitutive expression of MCL1. MCL1 decreased the caspase 3 activity induced by exposure to etoposide and increased the viability of the transfected cells after etoposide exposure. Therefore, MCL1 may be involved in the inhibitory effect of VEGF on apoptotic cell death.

Identification of potential regulatory elements for the transport of Emp24p

To examine the possibility of active recycling of Emp24p between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi, we sought to identify transport signal(s) in the carboxyl-terminal region of Emp24p. Reporter molecules were constructed by replacing parts of a control invertase-Wbp1p chimera with those of Emp24p, and their transport rates were assessed. The transport of the reporter was found to be accelerated by the presence of the cytoplasmic domain of Emp24p. Mutational analyses revealed that the two carboxyl-terminal residues, leucine and valine (LV), were necessary and sufficient to accelerate the transport. The acceleration was sequence specific, and the terminal valine appeared to be more important. The LV residues accelerated not only the overall transport to the vacuole but also the ER to cis-Golgi transport, suggesting its function in the ER export. Hence the LV residues are a novel anterograde transport signal. The double-phenylalanine residues did not affect the transport by itself but attenuated the effect of the anterograde transport signal. On the other hand, the transmembrane domain significantly slowed down the ER to cis-Golgi transport and effectively counteracted the anterograde transport signal at this step. It may also take part in the retrieval of the protein, because the overall transport to the vacuole was more evidently slowed down. Consistently, the mutation of a conserved glutamine residue in the transmembrane domain further slowed down the transport in a step after arriving at the cis-Golgi. Taken together, the existence of the anterograde transport signal and the elements that regulate its function support the active recycling of Emp24p.

Assessment of topogenic functions of anticipated transmembrane segments of human band 3

Band 3 protein is a typical multispanning membrane protein whose membrane topology has been extensively studied from various protein chemical approaches. To clarify the membrane topogenesis of this multispanning protein on the endoplasmic reticulum, the topogenic functions of the anticipated transmembrane segments were individually assessed in an in vitro system using two series of model proteins in which each segment was placed in either a "stop-transfer" context or a "translocation initiation" context. They were expressed in a cell-free system containing rough microsomal membranes, and their topologies were evaluated by taking advantage of either sensitivity to protease or accessibility to N-glycosylation. We found that some segments seem to possess insufficient topogenic functions for membrane integration: the second transmembrane segment (TM2) is insufficient for the stop-transfer sequence, and TM3, TM5, and TM7 are not sufficient for the translocation initiation. In contrast to these phenomena, we herein demonstrate that TM2 shows an efficient stop-transfer function when it is near the preceding TM1 and suggest that TM3, TM5, and TM7 are followed by TM segments with a strong topogenic function to form Nexo/Ccyt topology, via which the preceding segments are integrated into the membrane. From these results, we propose that the interactions between the TMs should be operative during membrane integration, and that the segments with a weak topogenic function are given a transmembrane orientation by their following TMs.

The effect of HLA alleles on response to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C

OBJECTIVE

To compare HLA alleles in the patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) between patients with response to IFN treatment and nonresponse.

METHOD

Sixty-seven Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with daily intramuscular administration of IFN-alpha (6 million units) for 2 weeks followed by three times per week for 22 weeks. Viral loads of hepatitis virus C (HCV), HCV genotypes and HLA antigens were determined just before IFN-alpha treatment. Responders to IFN-alpha were defined as normalization of alanine aminotransferase at the end of treatment and during a follow-up period at least longer than 6 months. The patients who could not reach the above response criteria were defined as nonresponders.

RESULTS

There were 20 responders and 47 nonresponders to IFN treatment. The low viral load with less than 1 x 10(6) copy/ml (P< 0.05), and type 2a genotype (P< 0.05) were significantly increased in responders. Other clinical and biochemical parameters were not significant. There was no difference in HLA-A and C antigens between responders and nonresponders. In contrast, HLA-B54,DR4 and A24-B54-DR4 haplotype of nonresponders increased compared with responders or controls (Pc < 0.0001, Pc < 0.001, Pc < 0.0001, respectively). At multivariate analysis, viral loads, HLA-B54 and HLA-A24-B54-DR4 haplotype were significant (P=0.0002, P=0.0258, P=0.0378, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The low viral load is a good predictor. HLA-B54 and HLA-A24-B54-DR4 haplotype should be predictors for poor response to IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Forced transmembrane orientation of hydrophilic polypeptide segments in multispanning membrane proteins

In a current model of integration of multispanning membrane proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum, it is proposed that the transmembrane segments show alternating translocation initiation and stop-transfer functions. Here, we present evidence for a mode of cotranslational insertion in which an internal signal-anchor sequence with Nexo/Ccyt topology confers a transmembrane disposition onto a preceding hydrophilic segment, resulting in a topology where the hydrophilic segment apparently can slip back and forth across the membrane. Our results demonstrate that hydrophobicity is not, as hitherto thought, an absolute requirement for the formation of a transmembrane segment, and suggest that integral membrane proteins may contain hydrophilic transmembrane segments with a considerable freedom to move in relation to the membrane.

Characterization of the initial steps of precursor import into rat liver mitoplasts

Mitochondria have two independent protein-import machineries, one in the outer membrane (the Tom system) and the other in the inner membrane (the Tim system). Here, we have characterized the initial steps of precursor import into rat liver mitoplasts. The import reaction was separated into two stages, consisting of precursor binding to the mitoplasts at 0-10 degreesC, and a subsequent chase reaction at 30 degreesC. This assay revealed four distinct precursor-import steps: DeltaPsi-dependent initial binding of the precursor, precursor transfer to the Tim23-Tim17 stage, DeltaPsi-dependent translocation of the presequence across the inner membrane, and the complete translocation of the mature portion of the precursor. Antibodies against the intermembrane space domain of Tim23 inhibited neither the precursor binding nor the subsequent translocation of the presequence across the inner membrane. In contrast, the antibodies inhibited the complete translocation of the mature domain of the precursor across the inner membrane. Immunoprecipitation with anti-Tim23 IgGs revealed that the precursor-Tim23 complex increased with time and temperature after the initial targeting of the precursor to the mitoplasts. These results suggest that the precursor is first targeted to the inner membrane component DeltaPsi-dependently, then transferred to the Tim system consisting of Tim23-Tim17, and finally imported into the matrix.

A new human chondrosarcoma cell line (OUMS-27) that maintains chondrocytic differentiation

A new human chondrosarcoma cell line, OUMS-27, was established. Monolayer cultures consisted of elongated polygonal cells with a doubling time of 41 hr and a plating efficiency of 2.1%. After reaching confluence, the cells continued to slowly proliferate and formed nodule-like structures, which showed metachromasia when stained with toluidine blue, indicating the presence of proteoglycan. The cells in the nodules were round to polygonal in shape, multilayered and surrounded by abundant extracellular matrix. Types I, II and III collagens were identified by Northern blotting and immunostaining. The cells formed colonies (0.1%) in 0.3% soft-agar medium 3 weeks after inoculation. Inoculation of cells into athymic mice resulted in the formation of tumors at the injection site, resembling the original chondrosarcoma. These results demonstrated that OUMS-27 cells expressed a differentiated chondrocytic phenotype. Moreover, OUMS-27 cells had p53-gene mutation. Thus, the OUMS-27 cell line can provide a useful model not only for studies on human chondrocyte but also for basic studies on the diagnosis, treatment and etiology of human chondrosarcoma.

Standing is a causative factor in osteonecrosis of the femoral head in growing rats

We studied femoral head lesions resulting from applying excessive mechanical stress to the hip joints of ordinary growing Wistar Kyoto rats by forcing them to stand. Twenty rats were fed in high and low cages 5-15 weeks after birth. High rat cages were prepared with the feeding apparatus placed up high so that the rats had to stand on their hindlimbs to feed. In contrast, the rats in low cages could not stand up. Histological examination of the rats at 15 weeks showed that osteonecrosis of the femoral head and ossification disturbance occurred frequently in the high cage group. The incidence of osteonecrosis was 40% (eight of 20 femoral heads) and that of ossification disturbance was 10% (two of 20 femoral heads). In the femoral heads with these lesions, localized cartilaginous abnormalities were found frequently in the lateral portion of the femoral head, where the feeding vessels of the femoral head penetrate the epiphyseal nucleus. These findings were rarely seen in the low cage group. These results indicate that standing was a causative factor in osteonecrosis of the femoral head in growing rats.

Inhibitory effects of antioxidants on neonatal rat cardiac myocyte hypertrophy induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and angiotensin II

BACKGROUND

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and angiotensin II (Ang II) modulate heart failure in part by provoking the hypertrophic response. Signal transduction pathways of those factors are implicated in reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs). Therefore, we hypothesized that TNF-alpha and Ang II might cause myocyte hypertrophy via the generation of ROIs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To test the hypothesis, we tested whether TNF-alpha and Ang II could induce the generation of ROIs and whether antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), vitamin E, and catalase might inhibit the hypertrophy in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. ROIs were measured by the ROI-specific probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate in cultured cardiac myocytes. We demonstrated that TNF-alpha and Ang II induced the generation of ROIs in a dose-dependent manner. TNF-alpha (10 ng/mL) and Ang II (100 nmol/L) enlarged cardiac myocytes and increased [3H]leucine uptake, and BHA (10 micromol/L) significantly inhibited both effects. Other antioxidants, such as vitamin E (1 microg/mL) and catalase (100 U/mL), also inhibited the enlargement of cardiac myocytes induced by TNF-alpha.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that TNF-alpha and Ang II cause hypertrophy in part via the generation of ROIs in cardiac myocytes.

Enantioselective tissue distribution of the basic drugs disopyramide, flecainide and verapamil in rats: role of plasma protein and tissue phosphatidylserine binding

PURPOSE

The stereoselective distribution of three basic drugs, disopyramide (DP), flecainide (FLC) and verapamil (VP), was studied to clarify the relationship between the tissue-to-unbound plasma concentration ratio (Kpf) and drug lipophilicity and binding to phosphatidylserine phs), which are possible factors determining the tissue distribution of these drug enantiomers.

METHODS

The drug enantiomer or racemate was administered to rats by intravenous constant infusion. Their concentrations in plasma and tissues were determined using enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography. Plasma protein binding, and buffer-octanol and buffer-hexane containing PhS partition coefficients were also determined.

RESULTS

The stereoselectivity of the tissue-to-plasma concentration ratio (Kp) was partly associated with that of serum protein binding. However, the Kpf value of R(+)-VP in the lung was significantly higher than that of S(-)-VP. A linear correlation was observed between the Kpf values of these drug enantiomers in brain, heart, lung and muscle, and their buffer-hexane containing PhS partition coefficients. The in vitro data for the binding of these drugs to PhS suggest that stereoselective binding of VP to PhS may correspond to its stereoselective tissue binding.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide some evidence for a role of tissue PhS in the tissue distribution of basic drugs with respect to stereoselectivity of drug enantiomers distribution.

Interaction of mitochondrial targeting signals with acidic receptor domains along the protein import pathway: evidence for the 'acid chain' hypothesis

Mitochondrial precursor proteins with basic targeting signals may be transported across the outer membrane by sequential binding to acidic receptor sites of increasing affinity. To test this 'acid chain' hypothesis, we assayed the interaction of mitochondrial precursors with three acidic receptor domains: the cytosolic domain of Tom20 and the intermembrane space domain of Tom22 and Tim23. The apparent affinity and salt resistance of precursor binding increased in the order Tom20<Tom22 (internal)<Tim23. Precursor binding to the three acidic receptor domains and to the pure cytosolic domain of Tom70 was inhibited by excess targeting peptide, but not by an equally basic control peptide. In this membrane-free and defined system, a precursor pre-bound to the Tom70 or Tom20 domain was transferred efficiently to the Tim23 domain. Transfer was stimulated by the internal Tom22 domain and was much less efficient in the reverse direction. Precursors destined for the outer membrane bound only to Tom20, but not to the internal Tom22 or the Tim23 domain, and a precursor destined for the inner membrane bound only to the Tom20 and the internal Tom22 domain, but not to the Tim23 domain. These results suggest that specific and sequential binding of a targeting signal to strategically situated acidic receptors delivers a precursor across the outer membrane and contributes to intramitochondrial sorting of imported proteins.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 stimulates or inhibits cell growth via down- or up-regulation of p21/Waf1

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) regulates cell proliferation positively or negatively. The mitoinhibition by TGF-beta has been attributed to induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, such as p15/ Ink4B, p27/Kip1, and p21/Waf1 also known as Cip1 and Sdi1. However, the biological process by which TGF-beta exerts the stimulatory effects on cell growth remains poorly understood. Here we report that TGF-beta 1 stimulates DNA synthesis of IMR-90 human embryonic lung fibroblasts but inhibits that of HuCCT1 human cholangiocarcinoma cells, via down- or up-regulation of p21/Waf1, respectively. TGF-beta 1 markedly suppresses IMR-90 cells to express two different kinds of the p21/Waf1 gene transcription factors, the p53 tumor suppressor and the interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1). This is followed by a marked decrease in expression of p21/Waf1 in a manner consistent with the timing of activation of cyclin E-associated kinase, which normally accompanies the G1-S transition in the cell cycle. Contrarily, TGF-beta 1-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis in HuCCT1 cells is preceded by IRF-1-dependent but p53-independent up-regulation of p21/Waf1 expression followed by inactivation of cyclin E-associated kinase. Thus the cell growth stimulation or inhibition by TGF-beta 1 are mediated by the down- or up-regulation of p21/ Waf1, respectively.

Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of teniposide in human plasma

A simple and practical high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis has been developed for measuring teniposide (VM26) in human plasma. The present analytical method has improved extraction efficiency from human plasma, therefore allowing determination of VM26 in a clinical setting using ultraviolet detection alone. Furthermore, sample preparation was simplified and shortened through use of a one-step extraction procedure. VM26 and internal standard (ibuprofen) were extracted from human plasma (0.5 ml) with ethyl acetate. A phenyl muBondapak column eluted with a mobile phase, consisting of acetonitrile-distilled water-acetic acid (30:68:2, v/v/v) was used for separation, and quantitation was achieved with a UV monitor set at 240 nm. Average extraction efficiency was 96.8+/-6.6% for VM26 between 1 and 25 microg/ml, and 91.4+/-4.3% for internal standard, with both intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation being less than 10%. The detection limit with a 100-microl injection was estimated at 0.2 microg/ml with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for VM26 in human plasma. The stability data of VM26 in plasma, standard and stock solutions were also obtained. The present method was found to be an alternative to the previously reported method with an electrochemical detection, and can be easily applied to routine clinical pharmacokinetic studies of VM26.

Inhibition of S-warfarin metabolism by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in human liver microsomes in vitro

We studied the inhibition of S-warfarin metabolism by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in human liver microsomes in vitro. After screening for potential inhibitors among ten NSAIDs using human recombinant cytochrome P450, inhibition kinetic parameters were estimated using human liver microsomes. Phenylbutazone and bucolome were suggested to increase the unbound steady-state level of S-warfarin about four- and five-fold, respectively, as estimated from these metabolic parameters.

Ubiquitous presence of cellular proteins that specifically bind to the 3' terminal region of hepatitis C virus

The 3' terminal region (3'-X tail) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genomic RNA forms a stable stem-loop structure. The 3'-X tail consists of 98 nucleotides (nt) that are highly conserved among the HCV strains and supposed to function as a cis-acting region for replication of negative strand RNA and/or viral encapsidation. In the present study, by UV cross-linking assay we found two kinds of cellular proteins of approximately 87 and 130 kDa, which specifically bind to the full-length 3'-X tail (nt 1 to 98), but not the 3'- or 5'-truncated 3'-X tail, consisting of nt 1 to 50 or nt 51 to 98, respectively. These proteins were detected in human cell lines such as hepatic tumor cell lines and a T-lymphocyte cell line and also in a human embryonic lung fibroblast cell strain. In addition, human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues expressed these proteins regardless of infection or uninfection of HCV. Furthermore, these proteins were also detected in normal human tissues derived from the lung, heart, kidney, stomach, intestine, and colon. Thus, these cellular proteins, which are ubiquitously present in human tissues, might be involved in viral replication and/or encapsidation.

Identification of the protein import components of the rat mitochondrial inner membrane, rTIM17, rTIM23, and rTIM44

We cloned rat liver mitochondrial 18.1, 21.9, and 51.0 kDa proteins with a significant structural homology to the components of the translocase of the yeast mitochondrial inner membrane, Tim17, Tim23, and Tim44. The 18.1 and 21.9 kDa proteins were synthesized as mature forms having four potential transmembrane segments and localized to the mitochondrial inner membrane. The 51.0 kDa protein is a precursor having a presequence of approximately 6 kDa which is cleaved during import into the mitochondria. The mature 45 kDa protein is located in the matrix, both in a soluble form and in a membrane-bound, alkali-extractable form. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed the location of all three proteins in the mitochondria. Antibodies against the 21.9 kDa protein, but not those against the 18.1 and 51.0 kDa proteins, inhibited the precursor import into the mitoplasts in vitro. Immunoprecipitation indicated that all three proteins interacted with the protein in transit to the matrix. Immunoprecipitation also revealed that the 18.1 kDa protein formed a complex with the 21.9 kDa protein and the 45 kDa protein with mHsp70; the latter complex was dissociated in an ATP- or ADP-dependent manner and the reaction was impeded by AMP-PNP or inorganic phosphate. These assays thus demonstrated the 18.1, 21.9, and 45 kDa proteins to be the translocator components of the rat mitochondrial inner membrane and, therefore, the functional homologues of Tim17, Tim23, and Tim44, respectively.

Membrane topology of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase on the endoplasmic reticulum

Topology of the membrane-anchoring segment of mouse NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane was elucidated. An N-glycosylation site was generated in the amino-terminal hydrophilic sequence of the reductase, and the mutated protein was expressed in a cell-free system in the presence of microsomal vesicles. The in vitro synthesized reductase protein was integrated into the microsomal membrane and N-glycosylated depending on the presence of signal recognition particles. We conclude that the amino-terminal membrane-anchoring segment of the reductase is a type I signal-anchor sequence which shows amino-terminus-lumen and carboxy-terminus-cytoplasm topology.

Prolactin response to bromperidol treatment in schizophrenic patients

The prolactin response to an antipsychotic drug, bromperidol was studied in 24 schizophrenic in-patients (13 males. 11 females). Eight patients were given 6 mg/day, 8 were given 18 mg/day. Duration of treatment was 3 weeks. Plasma concentrations of bromperidol and reduced bromperidol were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and that of prolactin was measured by radioimmunoassay. Bromperidol treatment significantly (P < 0.01) increased plasma concentration of prolactin each week. The mean +/- S.D. of the delta-prolactin (the mean concentration during treatment minus the pretreatment concentration) was 13.3 +/- 12.4 ng/ml. Multiple regression analysis showed that the delta-prolactin concentration was significantly greater in females than in males (P < 0.05) and correlated to plasma concentrations of bromperidol (P < 0.001) and reduced bromperidol (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that the prolactin response to bromperidol treatment depend on plasma concentrations of both bromperidol and reduced bromperidol and gender, and that reduced bromperidol is involved in the pharmacological effects during bromperidol treatment.