Clinical Utility of Computed Tomography-Derived Myocardial Extracellular Volume Fraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT)-derived extracellular volume fraction (ECV) is a noninvasive method to quantify myocardial fibrosis. Although studies suggest CT is a suitable measure of ECV, clinical use remains limited.

OBJECTIVES

A meta-analysis was performed to determine the clinical value of CT-derived ECV in cardiovascular diseases.

METHODS

Electronic database searches of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane advanced search, and EMBASE were performed. The most pivotal analysis entailed the comparison of ECV ascertained through CT-ECV among the control, aortic stenosis, and cardiac amyloidosis cohorts. The diagnostic test accuracy for detecting cardiac amyloidosis was assessed using summary receiver-operating characteristics curve.

RESULTS

Pooled CT-derived ECV values were 28.5% (95% CI: 27.3%-29.7%) in the control, 31.9 (95% CI: 30.2%-33.8%) in the aortic stenosis, and 48.9% (95% CI: 44.5%-53.3%) in the cardiac amyloidosis group. ECV was significantly elevated in aortic stenosis (P = 0.002; vs controls) but further elevated in cardiac amyloidosis (P < 0.001; vs aortic stenosis). CT-derived ECV had a high diagnostic accuracy for cardiac amyloidosis, with sensitivity of 92.8% (95% CI: 86.7%-96.2%), specificity of 84.8% (95% CI: 68.6%-93.4%), and area under the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of CT-derived ECV evaluation in cardiac disease. The high diagnostic accuracy of CT-ECV suggests the usefulness of CT-ECV in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis in preoperative CT planning for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

CMAP decrement as a potential diagnostic marker for ALS

OBJECTIVE

We previously reported that decrement of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) by repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) was greater in the median nerves than in the ulnar nerves of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CMAP decrement by RNS is a feasible marker for the differentiation of ALS from other diseases.

MATERIALS & METHODS

We performed RNS in the median and ulnar nerves of 51 patients with ALS and 40 patients with other diseases.

RESULTS

The CMAP decrement was significantly greater in the median nerves of patients with ALS, compared to the disease control patients. In the median nerves of patients with ALS, CMAP decrement was significantly greater in the cervical region-onset group than in the other region-onset group.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding of CMAP decrement in the median nerves can be useful for differentiating ALS patients with cervical region onset from other controls with active neuropathic diseases.

Effect of liver transplantation on transthyretin Tyr114Cys-related cerebral amyloid angiopathy

OBJECTIVE

Patients with amyloidogenic transthyretin (ATTR) Tyr114Cys develop amyloid deposits in cerebral blood vessels, cerebral hemorrhage, and rapidly progressive dementia that presents with hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). However, no treatment has been identified for CAA. Although liver transplantation has become an acceptable treatment of TTR-related amyloidosis, liver transplantation may not successfully treat CNS manifestations of the disorder. In this study, we examined the effect of liver transplantation on these manifestations of TTR-related CAA.

METHODS

We compared clinical courses of three patients with CAA associated with ATTR Tyr114Cys who underwent liver transplantation with those of five patients with the disorder who did not undergo liver transplantation.

RESULTS

The mortality and occurrence of cerebral hemorrhage and dementia in patients having transplantations were reduced compared with those in patients not having transplantations. The two groups did not differ with regard to the frequency of episodes of fluctuating consciousness and TIAs. The group undergoing transplantations had significantly smaller volumes of intracranial hemorrhage than did the no-transplantation group.

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation was effective for CNS manifestations of cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with amyloidogenic transthyretin Tyr114Cys.

Diabetes mellitus decreases hippocampal release of neurotransmitters: an in vivo microdialysis study of awake, freely moving rats

Possible diabetes mellitus-induced changes in hippocampal monoaminergic activities were studied to understand the relationships between neurotransmitter levels and various abnormalities in freely moving diabetic rats. We used both experimentally (STZ rats) and spontaneously diabetic rats (WBN/Kob rats) as the diabetic animal model, and compared the findings with those obtained from non-diabetic rats (C rats). Measurement of neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) was carried out using an in vivo microdialysis method. We found that: 1) the basal level of serotonin in the hippocampus was lowest in WBN rats, followed by STZ rats, then by C rats. The level of serotonin in WBN rats was about a half of that in C rats; 2) the basal level of dopamine was also significantly lower in the diabetic WBN and STZ rats than in C rats. The data show that diabetes mellitus decreases in the monoamine release from the hippocampus in both experimentally and spontaneously diabetic rats.

An active-site mutation (Gly633 .fwdarw. Arg) of dipeptidyl peptidase IV causes its retention and rapid degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), a serine protease expressed on the cell surface, is deficient in a Fischer rat substrain. Northern blot analysis showed no difference in the size and amount of DPPIV mRNA between normal (344/NC) and deficient (344/CRJ) rats. Cloning and sequencing of DPPIV cDNAs revealed a G to A transition at nucleotide 1897 in the cDNA sequence of 344/CRJ, which leads to substitution of Gly633-->Arg in the active-site sequence Gly629-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly633 determined for the wild-type DPPIV [Ogata, S., Misumi, Y., Takami, N., Oda, K., & Ikehara, Y. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 2582-2587]. Pulse-chase experiments with hepatocytes showed that the wild-type DPPIV was initially synthesized as a 103-kDa form with high-mannose-type oligosaccharides, which was processed to a mature form of 109 kDa with the complex type during intracellular transport. In contrast, the mutant DPPIV, although being synthesized as the 103-kDa form, was rapidly degraded without being processed to the mature form. Site-directed mutagenesis of the wild-type and mutant cDNAs and their transfection/expression in COS-1 cells confirmed that the single substitution of Gly633-->Arg is sufficient to cause the rapid intracellular degradation of DPPIV. Immunoelectron-microscopic observations showed that the mutant DPPIV was detectable only in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in contrast to the distribution of the wild-type DPPIV in the Golgi complex and on the cell surface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of the active site residues in dipeptidyl peptidase IV by affinity labeling and site-directed mutagenesis

The active site of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) was examined by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis. Purified DPPIV was covalently modified with [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP). The radiolabeled DPPIV was digested with lysyl endopeptidase, and the peptides were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. A single 3H-containing peptide was obtained and analyzed for amino acid sequence and radioactivity distribution. A comparison of the determined sequence with the predicted primary structure of DPPIV [Ogata, S., Misumi, Y., & Ikehara, Y. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 3596-3601] revealed that [3H]DFP was bound to Ser631 within the sequence Gly629-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly633, which corresponds to the consensus sequence Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly proposed for serine proteases. To further identify the essential residues in the active-site sequence, we modified the DPPIV cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis to encode its variants. Expression of the mutagenized cDNAs in COS-1 cells demonstrated that any single substitution of Gly629, Ser631, or Gly633 with other residues resulted in the complete loss of the enzyme activity and DFP binding. Although substitution of Trp630----Glu or Tyr632----Phe caused no effect on the enzyme activity, that of Tyr632----Leu or Gly abolished the activity. These results indicate that the sequence Gly-X-Ser-(Tyr)-Gly is essential for the expression of the DPPIV activity.

Identification and characterization of a novel Golgi protein, GCP60, that interacts with the integral membrane protein giantin

We demonstrated previously that the integral membrane protein giantin has the Golgi localization signal at the COOH-terminal cytoplasmic domain (Misumi, Y., Sohda, M., Tashiro, A., Sato, H., and Ikehara, Y. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 6867-6873). In the present study, using this domain as bait in the yeast two-hybrid screening system, we identified a novel protein interacting with giantin. The 3.6-kilobase mRNA encoding a 528-amino acid protein of 60 kDa designated GCP60 was ubiquitously expressed and was especially abundant in the testis and ovary. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that GCP60 was co-localized with giantin in the Golgi complex. GCP60 was found to be a peripheral protein associated with the Golgi membrane, where a COOH-terminal domain of GCP60 interacts with the COOH-terminal cytoplasmic domain of giantin. Overexpression of the COOH-terminal domain of GCP60 caused disassembly of the Golgi structure and blocked protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi. Taken together, these results suggest that GCP60 is involved in the maintenance of the Golgi structure by interacting with giantin, affecting protein transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi.

Direct targeting of cis-Golgi matrix proteins to the Golgi apparatus

The targeting route of newly synthesized GM130 and GRASP65 to the Golgi apparatus was investigated by three different approaches. First, localization of pulse labeled GM130 and GRASP65 in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells was traced by subcellular fractionation followed by immunoprecipitation. Immediately after the pulse labeling, GM130 and GRASP65 were found in the Golgi but not in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane fractions, whereas a control Golgi membrane protein was still found in the ER membrane fractions. Second, epitope tagged GM130 and GRASP65 were expressed in NRK cells by plasmid microinjection into the nuclei and their localization was analyzed by immunofluorescence. When ER to Golgi transport was inhibited by prior microinjection of a GTP-restricted mutant of Sar1 protein into the cytosol, the expressed GM130 and GRASP65 showed clear Golgi localization. Last, binding of GM130 and GRASP65 to the membranes was analyzed in vitro. In vitro synthesized GM130 and GRASP65 specifically bound to purified Golgi membranes but not to microsomal membranes. The bound GM130 and GRASP65 were found to form a complex with pre-existing counterparts on the Golgi membrane. These results strongly suggested that GM130 and GRASP65 are directly targeted to the Golgi membrane without initial assembly on the ER and subsequent vesicular transport to the Golgi apparatus.

[A case of inflammatory endotracheal polyps in an asthmatic subject]

A 60-year-old asthmatic woman was admitted to our department because of bloody sputum and pneumonia. She had been treated with inhaled becromethasone dipropionate (800 micrograms/day) on an outpatient basis for 3 years. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed polypoid lesions in the trachea, most of which were removed with forceps during the procedure. Numerous lymphocytes were observed in the biopsy specimen. Because immunohistochemical staining denied a monoclonal origin for the accumulated lymphocytes, the lesion was diagnosed as an inflammatory polyp. The patient was treated successfully with antibiotics for her pneumonia, and on a follow-up bronchoscopy 6 months later, only a small remnant of the lesion was noted. This is the fourth report about inflammatory polyps in asthmatics. In the previous 3 cases, however, marked eosinophil infiltration was consistently reported. The lymphocyte predominance in the present case therefore suggests a distinct etiology rather than asthmatic airway inflammation.

Role of furin in delivery of a CTL epitope of an anthrax toxin-fusion protein

Anthrax toxin lethal factor (LF) in combination with anthrax toxin protective antigen (PA) was endocytosed and translocated to the cytosol of mammalian cells. Residues 1-255 of anthrax toxin lethal factor (LFn) was fused to a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope of an influenza virus. For processing the toxins, PA must be cleaved into a 63-kDa fragment (PA63) by furin, which is a subtilisin-like processing endo-protease expressed by many eukaryotic cells. To test the ability of cells treated with the LFn fusion protein plus PA to deliver the epitope, CTL assay was performed. Two types of cell lines were identified, one was able to deliver CTL epitope while the other failed to efficiently deliver the epitope. To further elucidate the differences between these cells, the role of furin in these cells was examined. Disruption of the furin gene reduced its ability to deliver the CTL epitope. Furin expression in cells capable of efficiently delivering CTL epitope was quantitatively higher than in cells unable to deliver the epitope. The results suggest that furin plays a critical role in delivery of the CTL epitope of LFn fusion protein.

An essential cytoplasmic domain for the Golgi localization of coiled-coil proteins with a COOH-terminal membrane anchor

Giantin is a resident Golgi protein that has an extremely long cytoplasmic domain (about 370 kDa) and is anchored to the Golgi membrane by the COOH-terminal membrane-anchoring domain (CMD) with no luminal extension. We examined the essential domain of giantin required for Golgi localization by mutational analysis. The Golgi localization of giantin was not affected by the deletion of its CMD or by substitution with the CMD of syntaxin-2, a plasma membrane protein. The giantin CMD fused to the cytoplasmic domain of syntaxin-2 could not retain the chimera in the Golgi apparatus. Sequential deletion analysis showed that the COOH-terminal sequence (positions 3059--3161) adjacent to the CMD was the essential domain required for the Golgi localization of giantin. We also examined two other Golgi-resident proteins, golgin-84 and syntaxin-5, with a similar membrane topology as giantin. It was confirmed that the cytoplasmic domain of about 100 residues adjacent to the CMD was required for their Golgi localization. Taken together, these results suggest that the COOH-terminally anchored Golgi proteins with long cytoplasmic extensions have the Golgi localization signal(s) in the cytoplasmic sequence adjacent to the CMD. This is in contrast to previous observations that a transmembrane domain is required for Golgi localization by other Golgi proteins transported from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Biosynthesis and characterization of the brain-specific membrane protein DPPX, a dipeptidyl peptidase IV-related protein

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV-related protein (DPPX) was found to be preferentially expressed in the brain tissue. We isolated two rat cDNA clones encoding DPPX-S and DPPX-L from a brain cDNA library, of which DPPX-L had a longer sequence at the NH2 terminus. The biosynthesis of DPPXs was examined in both in vitro and in vivo systems. In the cell-free translation system, DPPX-S and DPPX-L were synthesized as 93-kDa and 97-kDa forms, respectively, which are in good agreement with the molecular masses estimated from their primary structure. In COS-1 cells transfected with the cDNAs, DPPX-S and DPPX-L were initially synthesized as 113-kDa and 117-kDa forms, respectively, with high-mannose type oligosaccharides, which were then converted to 115-kDa and 120-kDa forms, mostly with the complex-type sugar chains. Immunofluorescence-microscopic observations confirmed that both DPPXs were expressed on the cell surface. DPPXs were found to have no enzyme activity of DPPIV, even when they were mutated to have the consensus active-site sequence Gly-X-Ser-X-Gly for serine proteases. Immunoblot analysis of samples prepared from various rat tissues demonstrated that DPPX-S, but not DPPX-L, was detectable only in the brain tissue. These results indicate that, of the two isoforms, DPPX-S is preferentially expressed in the brain tissue as the surface glycoprotein without protease activity, although its function remains unknown at present.

Postrest contraction in the ventricular papillary muscle of spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rat

In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of the postrest contraction (PRC) in chronic diabetic ventricular muscle. We used WBN/Kob rats of 7-8 weeks as the spontaneously diabetic animal and Wistar rats of 7-8 weeks as the control. We found: (1) No significant differences were seen in the amplitude, the contracting speed, and the relaxing speed of electrically stimulated twitch tension between control and WBN/Kob rats. In addition, the relationship between amplitude of twitch tension and stimulus cycle lengths (0.2-5 sec) was very similar in both animals. (2) The ratios of the first twitch tension (T1) of PRC with various rest intervals (5-600 sec) to the steady-state tension (Tss) were significantly smaller in the diabetic rats than in the controls. (3) When the preparation was stimulated at shorter cycle lengths, the recovery process of PRC was separated into at least two components (fast and slow components). In the diabetic rats, the time constant (tau) of both components was significantly longer than in controls. (4) After caffeine (10(-3) M) treatment, tau of the fast component in the control rats became longer, whereas it remained unchanged in diabetic rats. These findings suggest a dysfunction of the intracellular calcium handling system in spontaneously diabetic heart that is likely to include impaired calcium sequestration and/or extrusion.

Correlation of diversity of leg morphology in Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket) with divergence in dpp expression pattern during leg development

Insects can be grouped into mainly two categories, holometabolous and hemimetabolous, according to the extent of their morphological change during metamorphosis. The three thoracic legs, for example, are known to develop through two overtly different pathways: holometabolous insects make legs through their imaginal discs, while hemimetabolous legs develop from their leg buds. Thus, how the molecular mechanisms of leg development differ from each other is an intriguing question. In the holometabolous long-germ insect, these mechanisms have been extensively studied using Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known about the mechanism in the hemimetabolous insect. Thus, we studied leg development of the hemimetabolous short-germ insect, Gryllus bimaculatus (cricket), focusing on expression patterns of the three key signaling molecules, hedgehog (hh), wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp), which are essential during leg development in Drosophila. In Gryllus embryos, expression of hh is restricted in the posterior half of each leg bud, while dpp and wg are expressed in the dorsal and ventral sides of its anteroposterior (A/P) boundary, respectively. Their expression patterns are essentially comparable with those of the three genes in Drosophila leg imaginal discs, suggesting the existence of the common mechanism for leg pattern formation. However, we found that expression pattern of dpp was significantly divergent among Gryllus, Schistocerca (grasshopper) and Drosophila embryos, while expression patterns of hh and wg are conserved. Furthermore, the divergence was found between the pro/mesothoracic and metathoracic Gryllus leg buds. These observations imply that the divergence in the dpp expression pattern may correlate with diversity of leg morphology.

[The vanishing testis: diagnosis and histological findings]

PURPOSE

Controversy exists on how to diagnose the vanishing testis and the degree of investigation required. In this series, we reviewed anatomical and histological findings in vanishing testes and investigated the effectiveness of diagnostic laparoscopy and imaging studies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1974 and March 1999, 107 boys with nonpalpable testis underwent surgery. Of the total, 52 had spermatic vessels, vas deferens, and/or nubbin, and as a result the diagnosis of vanishing testis was made.

RESULTS

The affected side of vanishing testis was left 41, right 9 and bilateral 2.35 nubbins were found and the lengths of 24 nubbins were 5 mm or less. Histological examinations were performed in 43 cases including 27 nubbins. From that total, 31 had vas deferens and 11 had epididymis. Only two nubbins had seminiferous tubules but they included no germ cells. The two nubbins were greater than 5 mm long. Laparoscopic surgery was undertaken in 12 separate cases of the vanishing testis and as a result hypoplastic spermatic vessels were present in 7 of the 12 cases.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of viable testicular tissue in vanishing testes was 4.7% in our series and it ranges from 0-16% in other series. We submit that one can diagnose the inguinal vanishing testis with preoperative imaging and laparoscopy, and that the nubbin seldom contains testicular tissue. Our results do not support the necessity to remove nubbins.

Molecular cloning and expression of rat antisecretory factor and its intracellular localization

Antisecretory factor (AF) was identified as a pituitary protein that inhibits the intestinal fluid secretion induced by cholera toxin. One aim of this study was to elucidate whether AF is also synthesized in the intestine or if AF produced in the pituitary is transported to the intestinal tract for its function there. cDNA clones encoding a protein proposed to be AF were isolated from rat pituitary gland and intestinal mucosa cDNA libraries. The nucleotide sequences of clones isolated from the rat pituitary gland and intestinal mucosa were identical. The deduced amino acid sequence was highly homologous to the sequence for subunit 5a of the human 26S protease that exists abundantly in the cytosol and nucleus. The production of AF in the intestine was confirmed by Northern blot and immunoblot analyses. Immunocytochemical observations of cells transfected with the rat AF cDNA showed that the AF protein was localized in the cytoplasm. These findings suggest that the protein proposed to be AF may be a cytoplasmic protein, it exists in the intestine rather than being transported from the pituitary gland, and it may function in intestinal cells.

Intracellular cleavage of glycosylphosphatidylinositol by phospholipase D induces activation of protein kinase Calpha

Many proteins are anchored to the cell membrane by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). One of the functions proposed for the GPI anchor is as a possible mediator in signal transduction through its hydrolysis. GPI-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) is a secretory protein that is suggested to be involved in the release of GPI-anchored protein from the membrane. In the present study we examined how GPI-PLD is involved in signal transduction. When introduced exogenously and overexpressed in cells, GPI-PLD cleaved the GPI anchors in the early secretory pathway, possibly in the endoplasmic reticulum, resulting in an increased production of diacylglycerol. Experiments in vitro and in vivo showed that the association of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) with membranes was increased markedly by expression of GPI-PLD in cells. Furthermore, sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that PKCalpha was translocated to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane in cells expressing GPI-PLD, in contrast with its association with the plasma membrane in cells treated with PMA. We also confirmed that the phosphorylation of c-Fos as well as PKCalpha itself was greatly enhanced by the expression of GPI-PLD. Taken together, these results suggest that GPI-PLD is involved in intracellular cleavage of the GPI anchor, which is a new potential source of diacylglycerol production to activate PKCalpha.

Membrane association of a new inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding protein, p130 is not dependent on the pleckstrin homology domain

The 130-kDa protein was isolated as a novel inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) binding protein from rat brain and was molecularly cloned to be found similar to phospholipase C-delta 1 (Kanematsu, T., Takeya, H., Watanabe, Y., Ozaki, S., Yoshida, M., Koga, T., Iwanaga, S. and Hirata, M., 1992. Putative inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding proteins in rat brain cytosol, J. Biol. Chem. 267, 6518-6525; Kanematsu, T., Misumi, Y., Watanabe, Y., Ozaki, S., Koga, T., Iwanaga, S., Ikehara, Y. and Hirata, M., 1996. A new inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding protein similar to phospholipase C-delta 1, Biochem. J. 313, 319-325). The 130-kDa protein and its deleted protein expressed in COS-1 cells were seen in both the membrane and the cytosol fractions. Truncation of 232 residues from the N-terminus, the protein molecule lacking the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain was also localized in the membrane fraction as much as seen with a full-length protein and other deleted proteins, thereby indicating that the PH domain is not primarily involved in the membrane localization. The addition of Mg2+ to homogenates of COS-1 cells caused the translocation of expressed proteins from the cytosol to the membrane fraction, yet further addition of AlF4- which induced the activation of GTP binding proteins did not cause a further translocation. The protein translocated to the membrane by the addition of Mg2+ was hardly extracted with Triton X-100. The inclusion of Ins(1,4,5)P3 or phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in cell homogenates caused the very small reduction in the amounts of membrane-associated proteins expressed by some constructs. These results indicate that (i) the PH domain is not primarily involved in the membrane localization of the 130-kDa protein, (ii) the activation of GTP binding protein does not appear to cause the translocation of the 130-kDa protein, and (iii) intrinsic phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate present in the membrane appears to be involved in the membrane association of the 130-kDa protein to a very small extent, probably through the binding site in the PH domain.

Pharmacologic properties of candesartan cilexetil--possible mechanisms of long-acting antihypertensive action

Candesartan cilexetil has shown potent and long-lasting antihypertensive effects in clinical trials and in several animal models of hypertension. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, the duration of the antihypertensive effect of candesartan cilexetil was compared to those of losartan, valsartan, eprosartan, and irbesartan at the same degree of maximal blood pressure reduction. A single oral dose of candesartan cilexetil at 0.3 mg/kg reduced maximal blood pressure by about 25 mm Hg, and the antihypertensive effect of candesartan cilexetil lasted the longest, continuing for more than 1 week, without an effect on circadian rhythm. In a rabbit aortic preparation, candesartan, active form of candesartan cilexetil, decreased the maximal contractile response of angiotensin II. This inhibitory mode was different from that of other angiotensin II-receptor antagonists, and showed a shift to the right in the angiotensin II-induced contraction curve and/or a small depression of the maximal response. In kinetic studies using bovine adrenal cortical membrane and tritiated candesartan, both receptor association and dissociation were found to be slow. The dissociation rate of tritiated candesartan binding (t1/2 = 66 min) was five times slower than that of radiolabelled angiotensin II binding (t1/2 = 12 min). The insurmountable inhibition of candesartan in vascular contraction is the result of its tight binding and slow dissociation from angiotensin II AT1 receptors. These characteristics are related to the potency and long duration of action in candesartan cilexetil.

Dynamic recycling of ERGIC53 between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex is disrupted by nordihydroguaiaretic acid

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), an inhibitor of lipoxygenase, has recently been demonstrated to block protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex. The ER to Golgi transport is primarily operated by the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC). We examined the effect of NDGA on the ERGIC, focusing on the distribution of its marker ERGIC53. In control cells ERGIC53 was distributed to vesicular tubular structures corresponding to the ERGIC as well as to the ER and the cis-Golgi, reflecting its cycling between these compartments. Upon treatment of cells with NDGA, ERGIC53 was rapidly accumulated in the Golgi and undetectable in the ER and the ERGIC. Prolonged incubation of cells with the drug, however, caused redistribution of ERGIC53 and resident Golgi proteins to the ER. Thus, it is likely that NDGA has dual effects on ERGIC53 cycling; the initial accumulation in the Golgi may be caused by blocking its retrieval from the cis-Golgi to the ER/ERGIC, while the delayed redistribution to the ER may occur through a pathway induced by the drug that is different from the COPI-dependent pathway.

Posttranslational modification of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-specific phospholipase D and its activity in cleavage of GPI anchors

Human glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) was exogenously expressed in mammalian CHO cells and in insect H5 cells. GPI-PLD was initially synthesized as a 105-kDa form and then secreted as a mature 115-kDa form from the CHO cells, whereas it was secreted as an immature 98-kDa form from the H5 cells. The difference of the molecular forms was caused by its oligosaccharide processing in the two cell lines. These forms showed a different reactivity to anti-C-terminal peptide of GPI-PLD; the 105-kDa and 98-kDa forms were directly recognized by the antibodies, whereas the 115-kDa form was immunoreactive only after being denatured. In an in vitro assay, the 98-kDa form but not the 115-kDa form was able to release a significant amount of GPI-anchored proteins from intact membranes, although the two forms had the same GPI-anchor cleavage activity in the presence of detergents. In addition, a GPI-anchored protein, when coexpressed in CHO cells, was intracellularly cleaved by GPI-PLD in the secretory pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that GPI-PLD undergoes a conformational change by posttranslational modification, which affects its immunoreactive and enzymatic properties.

Intracellular retention and degradation of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase with a Gly317-->Asp substitution associated with lethal hypophosphatasia

One point mutation which converts glycine-317 to aspartate of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) was reported to be associated with lethal hypophosphatasia (Greenberg, C. R., et al. Genomics 17, 215-217, 1993). In order to define the molecular defect of TNSALP underlying the pathogenesis of hypophosphatasia, we have examined the biosynthesis of TNSALP with a Gly317-->Asp substitution. When expressed in COS-1 cells, the mutant did not exhibit alkaline phosphatase activity at all, indicating that the replacement of glycine-317 with aspartate abolishes the catalytic activity of TNSALP. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the newly synthesized mutant failed to acquire Endo H-resistance and to reach the cell surface. Interestingly, this TNSALP mutant was found to form a disulfide-bonded high-molecular-mass aggregate and was rapidly degraded within the cell, though the mutant protein was modified by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). Lactacystin, an inhibitor of the proteasome, obstructed the degradation of the mutant protein, suggesting the involvement of proteasome as a part of quality control of TNSALP.

Defective intracellular transport of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase with an Ala162-->Thr mutation associated with lethal hypophosphatasia

We have studied the biosynthesis and intracellular transport of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) transiently expressed in COS-1 cells. Mutations were introduced into TNSALP to examine the effects of a single amino acid substitution on the activity and biosynthesis of TNSALP. The cells expressing wild-type TNSALP exhibited more than 200-fold higher alkaline phosphatase activity than untransfected ones. Pulse-chase experiments showed that TNSALP was synthesized as a 66-kDa endoglucosaminidase H (Endo H)-sensitive form and converted to EndoH-resistant forms with heterogenous molecular masses ( approximately 80 kDa), which finally appeared on the cell surface as judged by digestion with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). In contrast, a TNSALP with a Glu218-->Gly mutation exhibited no phosphatase activity at all and the 66-kDa Endo H-sensitive form was the only molecular species throughout the chase in the transfected cells. In accordance with this finding, digestion with PI-PLC and immunofluorescence observation confirmed that this mutant was never expressed on the cell surface. Another mutant with a Ala162-->Thr substitution, which naturally occurs in association with a lethal hypophosphatasia, exhibited a low activity and only a small fraction of the 66-kDa form acquired Endo-H resistance and reached the cell surface. Since the wild-type and the mutant TNSALPs were labeled with [3H]ethanolamine, a component of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), it is unlikely that the impaired intracellular transport of the two mutants is due to a failure in their modification by GPI. Interestingly, the 66-kDa Endo H-sensitive form of the TNSALP mutants but not that of the wild-type, was found to form an interchain disulfide-bonded high-molecular-mass aggregate within the cells. These results suggest that impaired intracellular transport of the TNSALP (Ala162-->Thr) molecule caused by its aggregation is the molecular basis for the lethal hypophosphatasia carrying this mutation.

Jun and MAP kinases are activated by cholecystokinin in the pancreatic carcinoma cell line KP-1N

Growth of the human pancreatic carcinoma cell line KP-1N was stimulated with cholecystokinin (CCK)-8. A 40% increase in cell numbers was observed in the presence of 10(-10) MCCK-8 and this increase was inhibited by the addition of 25 microM CCK-A receptor antagonist (CR1505). The binding affinity of CCK-8 to KP-1N cells was 21-fold higher than that of gastrin 17-I. No significant increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration was found upon stimulation with CCK-8. Components of signal transduction pathways that were activated in KP-1N cells after stimulation with CCK-8 were studied. CCK-8 stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) of approximately 42 kDa (p42map). c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs) of 46 kDa (p46jnk) and 55 kDa (p55jnk) were also activated by CCK-8 and increased the phosphorylation of c-Jun. CCK-8 at 10(-7) M induced 1.5-fold increases in the phosphorylation of MAPK and of c-Jun by JNKs, respectively. These results suggest that cell proliferation stimulated with CCK-8 in KP-1N cells may be mediated by signal transduction cascades leading to activation of JNKs and MAPKs.

The expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA and protein gene product 9.5 in developing rat brain

To clarify the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in brain development, especially with regard to neuron differentiation, EGFR mRNA expression was studied by in situ hybridization in embryonic day (E)12, E16, postnatal day (P)1, P4, P15, P29 and adult rat, using protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 as a neuron marker. The primary germinal zone (neuroepithelium) expressed neither PGP 9.5 immunoreactivity (IR) nor EGFR mRNA. In the developing brain, cells expressing EGFR mRNA but not PGP 9.5 IR were found in the secondary germinal zone such as the subventricular zone and cerebellar external germinal layer, the cortical plate and, in later stage animals, the fiber tracts. Cells expressing both EGFR mRNA and PGP 9.5 IR appeared in a differentiating field. In the adult brain, strong EGFR mRNA expression was observed in Purkinje cells, Golgi cells, some hippocampal cells and neurons of the diencephalon, pontine and medullary nuclei, and weak expression was seen in neurons of the cerebral cortex. These results suggest that EGFR is related to the process of differentiation and maturation of neurons and the maintenance of some types of adult neurons.

Loss of myocardial capillary endothelial-cell alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in primary endothelial cell culture

Primary cultures of rat myocardial capillary endothelial cells were established and characterized. A range of typical endothelial cell-specific markers were retained in vitro. Cell kinetic studies in confluent endothelial-cell cultures in vitro revealed a roughly 50-fold increase in the proportion of cells in s-phase, indicating a very considerable shortening of cell turnover time, compared to in vivo conditions. Alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity and encoding mRNA are strongly expressed in myocardial capillary endothelial cells in vivo, but were not detectable in vitro. This was true in cell cultures from two strains of rat, which revealed significantly different enzyme expression levels in vivo. In co-cultures of pericytes and endothelial cells, positive ALP enzyme reaction was detected in pericytes, which in vivo show only very weak enzyme reactivity. Treatment of cell cultures with </=10 M retinoic acid had no effect in pure endothelial cell cultures, but did increase ALP expression of pericytes in co-cultures. The observation of a loss of endothelial ALP expression in vitro supports other in vitro as well as our own in vivo observations, indicating a negative correlation of ALP expression and proliferative activity of endothelial cells.

Phosphorylation of the vesicle docking protein p115 regulates its association with the Golgi membrane

The vesicle docking protein p115 was found to be phosphorylated in a cell cycle-specific manner; it was found phosphorylated in interphase but not in mitotic cells. During interphase, however, two forms of p115 were detected in the cells; the phosphorylated form was found exclusively in cytosol, whereas the unphosphorylated form was associated with membranes, mostly of the Golgi complex. The latter form was released from the membranes upon phosphorylation. Mutational analysis revealed that the phosphorylation site of p115 was the Ser942 residue in the C-terminal acidic domain. A mutant with a single substitution of Ser942 --> Ala markedly increased its association with the Golgi membrane. Another mutant with Ser942 --> Asp was able to associate with the membrane, although at a decreased level, indicating that the dissociation of p115 from the membrane is not simply due to the negative charge of phosphorylated Ser942. Taken together, these results suggest that the phosphorylation of Ser942 at the C-terminal acidic domain regulates the interaction of p115 with the Golgi membrane, possibly taking part in the regulatory mechanism of vesicular transport.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid blocks protein transport in the secretory pathway causing redistribution of Golgi proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum

We have investigated the effect of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), an inhibitor of lipoxygenase, on the intracellular protein transport and the structure of the Golgi complex. Pulse-chase experiments and immunoelectron microscopy showed that NDGA strongly inhibits the transport of newly synthesized secretory proteins to the Golgi complex resulting in their accumulation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Despite their retention in the ER, oligosaccharides of secretory and ER-resident proteins were processed to endoglycosidase H-resistant forms, raising the possibility that oligosaccharide-processing enzymes are redistributed from the Golgi to the ER. Morphological observations further revealed that alpha-mannosidase II (a cis/medial-Golgi marker), but not TGN38 (a trans-Golgi network marker), rapidly redistributes to the ER in the presence of NDGA, resulting in the disappearance of the characteristic Golgi structure. Upon removal of the drug, the Golgi complex was reassembled into the normal structure as judged by perinuclear staining of alpha-mannosidase II and by restoration of the secretion. These effects of NDGA are quite similar to those of brefeldin A. However, unlike brefeldin A, NDGA did not cause a dissociation of beta-coatomer protein, a subunit of coatomer, from the Golgi membrane. On the contrary, NDGA exerted the stabilizing effect on beta-coatomer protein/membrane interaction against the dissociation caused by brefeldin A and ATP depletion. Taken together, these results indicate that NDGA is a potent agent disrupting the structure and function of the Golgi complex with a mechanism different from those known for other drugs reported so far.