Oral administration of a specific chymase inhibitor, NK3201, inhibits vascular proliferation in grafted vein

Chymase may play an important role in vascular proliferation, as shown by in-vitro experiments, but the role of chymase in vivo has been unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of a novel chymase inhibitor, NK3201, on this proliferation in dog grafted veins. NK3201 inhibited human and dog chymases, but not rabbit ACE. NK3201 suppressed the Ang I-induced vascular contraction in isolated dog arteries in the presence of an ACE inhibitor, and the IC50 value of chymostatin and NK3201 in dog artery was 320 nM. In dog, the concentration of NK3201 in blood was about 10 microM at 24 h after oral administration of the drug (5 mg/kg). In the group treated with NK3201, each dog was administered orally 5 mg/kg per day from 5 days before to the day before the removal of the grafted veins. Each dog underwent right common carotid artery bypass grafting with the ipsilaterial external jugular vein. By 28 days after grafting, a significant vascular proliferation was observed in the grafted veins and the chymase activity was also increased significantly. Treatment with chymase inhibitor significantly suppressed the proliferation of the grafted veins and the increased chymase activity. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that oral administration of a specific chymase inhibitor, NK3201, appears useful for preventing vascular proliferation.

N-linked oligosaccharide processing enzyme glucosidase II produces 1,5-anhydrofructose as a side product

alpha-1,4-Glucan lyase cleaves alpha-1,4-linkages of nonreducing termini of alpha-1,4-glucans to produce 1,5-anhydrofructose (1,5-AnFru). The enzymes isolated from fungi and algae show high homology with glycoside hydrolase family 31. Purification of alpha-1,4-glucan lyase from rat liver using DEAE Cellulose chromatography resulted in separation of two enzymatic active fractions, one was bound to the column and the other was in the flow-through. Partial amino acid sequence determined from the lyase, retained on the anion exchange column, were identical with that of the N:-linked oligosaccharide processing enzyme glucosidase II. The lyase showed similar enzymatic properties as the microsomal glucosidase such as inhibition by 1-deoxynojirimycin and castanospermine. On the other hand, glucosidase II purified from rat liver microsomes produced not only glucose but also a small amount of 1,5-AnFru using maltose as substrate. Furthermore, CHO cells overexpressing pig liver glucosidase II showed a 1.5- to 2-fold higher lyase activity compared to the nontransfected CHO cells. Conversely, no lyase activity was detectable either in PHAR2.7, the glucosidase II-deficient mutant from a mouse lymphoma cell line, or in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YG427 having the glucosidase II gene disrupted. These data demonstrate that glucosidase II possesses an additional enzymatic activity of releasing 1,5-AnFru from maltose.

Increase of intestinal calcium absorption and bone mineral density by heated algal ingredient (HAI) in rats

Active absorbable calcium (AAACa) produced by adding HAI (heated algal ingredient) to oyster shell calcium (AACa) is quite efficiently absorbed from the intestine and can increase bone mineral density in elderly osteoporotic patients. HAI was produced by heating the seaweed Cystophyllum fusiforme under reduced pressure, extracting with 6N HCL, and partially neutralizing it. Butanol-ethanol extraction then yielded active HAI fraction A, corresponding to about 1% in weight. The active HAI fraction increased intestinal Ca absorption as shown by a dose-dependent increase of plasma Ca in young male parathyroidectomized rats maintained on a low-Ca diet by administration through a stomach tube with a constant dose of AACa. The action of the active fraction A to maintain bone mass was then tested in young male rats kept on a low-Ca diet for 2 weeks. Bone weight, trabecular bone density, and strength-strain index as indices of bone strength measured by peripheral computed tomography (pQCT) tended to increase when the active HAI fraction was given along with Ca. HAI increased intestinal Ca absorption and prevented the decrease of bone density in rats kept on a low-Ca diet.

[An analysis of telephone health counseling for Japanese employees and their families abroad, "Japan health Care Line (overseas)"]

In the past 6 years, the "Japan Health Care Line" has accumulated over 2,000 cases of telephone counseling calls, mainly on health problems, by Japanese living abroad on business, and their families, in 55 countries. The characteristics of these Japanese from medical aspects (physical and psychological), life style, and education were determined; and factors that influence their life abroad as well as some of their problems were analyzed. The role that telephone counseling can play in alleviating their anxiety, in helping them adapt, and in maintaining their health was also examined. The clients were Japanese employees and their families whose health insurance associations had joined this service. Data were recorded on a card for 14 items-the caller, the person needing the advice, age, sex, area of residence, length of stay, hour of call, number of calls etc. The data and main complaints were categorized in three ways: 1) by medical fields for business reports; 2) by coding the complaints; and 3) by the ICD-10 classification. Of the callers, 80% were in their 20's and 30's, meanwhile, as to the persons who need the advice, 30% of them were under 10, and 30% were in their 30's. There were many cases in obstetrics-gynecology, pediatrics, and general medical information. In the contents of the counseling, conditions or symptoms of the client were foremost, and together with advice on treatment, comprised half the calls. A study was made on the correlation between the clients' length of stay/location and the main complaints. Clients living abroad less than 1 year tended to call more, especially for vaccination, translation, mental problems, and medical systems, but did not call much in fields of obstetrics-gynecology, dentistry-oral surgery, examination data and treatments. Location did not make much difference in the fields of consultations, except for obstetrics-gynecology and dermatology. Middle and Near East countries had special characteristics to their consultations. There were differences in fields of counseling in calls from developing countries and developed countries. In the former countries, calls on orthopedics, urology, tropical diseases, and infectious diseases were numerous, while in the latter, pediatrics and mental problems were.

Calcium requirement and inhibitor spectrum for intracellular HIV type 1 gp160 processing in cultured HeLa cells and CD4+ lymphocytes: similarity to those of viral envelope glycoprotein maturase

We recently purified the calcium-independent processing protease named viral envelope glycoprotein maturase (VEM), that converts human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein precursor gp160 to gp120 and gp41, from the human CD4+ T cell line, Molt-4 clone 8 [Kido, H., Kamoshita, K., Fukutomi, A., and Katunuma, N. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 13406-13413]. In this report, we deal with the inhibitor specificity and calcium requirement for intracellular gp160 processing in cultured HeLa cells and human CD4+ lymphocytes. Processing of gp160 in these cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus encoding the gp160 gene was not affected by intracellular calcium depletion induced by the calcium ionophore A23187 and EGTA or by intracellular calcium administration. Processing of gp160 by the purified VEM in vitro was not inhibited by EDTA, EGTA, or the metallo-protease inhibitor phosphoramidon, but was specifically inhibited by a substrate analog, decanoyl-RVKR-chloromethylketone, and the trypsin-type protease inhibitors aprotinin, HI-30, and diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP). It was also inhibited by E-64 and thiol reagents. But intracellular gp160 processing was inhibited only by permeable, low molecular mass inhibitors of VEM, such as DFP, E-64, and thiol reagents. Syncytium formation induced by cell surface gp120 was also inhibited by permeable inhibitors of VEM. Taken together, our results indicate that calcium ions may not be essential for intracellular gp160 processing and so HIV-1 gp160 induced by recombinant vaccinia virus may be processed mainly by a protease(s) that does not require calcium ions, such as VEM in these cells.

Inhibitors of chymotrypsin-like proteases inhibit eosinophil peroxidase release from activated human eosinophils

Eosinophils contain many cytotoxic mediators including eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) in their granules; on degranulation, these mediators are released by various pathophysiological stimuli, resulting in severe tissue damage. However, little is known about inhibitors of degranulation. Here, we report that eosinophils isolated from patients with bronchial asthma have significant chymotrypsin-like serine protease activity in the high salt extract fraction. The protease partially purified and labeled with [3H]diisopropylfluorophosphate has an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The chymotrypsin-like protease was not immunoreactive with antibodies against chymase and atypical chymase from rat mast cells or with an antibody against cathepsin G from human neutrophils. Studies on the subcellular distribution of the chymotrypsin-like protease indicated that the enzyme is mainly localized with EPO in eosinophil granules. Chymostatin, an inhibitor of the chymotrypsin-like protease(s), but not an inhibitor of other types of proteases, markedly inhibited the EPO release from eosinophils that was induced by immunoglobulin G plus rIL-5 or platelet-activating factor, although it had no effect on the release of EPO induced by the calcium ionophore A23187. These results suggest that proteolytic activation by chymotrypsin-like serine protease(s) in eosinophils plays some role in the process of receptor-mediated EPO release from the granules.

Processing protease for gp160 human immunodeficiency virus type I envelope glycoprotein precursor in human T4+ lymphocytes. Purification and characterization

A processing protease for the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) envelope glycoprotein gp160 precursor has been purified to homogeneity from the post-nuclear membrane fraction of a human T4+ lymphocyte clone. Most of the processing activity was found to be present in the fractions of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus of the cells. The purified enzyme has a monomeric structure with a molecular mass of 26 +/- 3 kDa, as judged by gel-permeation liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing and nonreducing conditions. The purified enzyme converted gp160 to gp120 and gp41, showing a pH optimum of 6.5-7.0. Direct amino acid sequencing of the amino terminus of the product gp41 revealed that the cleavage site of gp160 was between Arg511 and Ala512. The enzyme activity was inhibited by trypsin-type protease inhibitors, but was not affected by CaCl2, MgCl2 or chelating agents. The properties of the purified enzyme are clearly distinct from those of processing proteases reported previously. Although the significance of the enzyme in vivo is not currently certain, judging from its cleavage specificity and subcellular localization, this endopeptidase appears to be a processing enzyme for the human immunodeficiency virus type I gp160 precursor protein in human T cells.

The 5' untranslated region of the human cellular glutathione peroxidase gene is indispensable for its expression in COS-7 cells

We studied the expression of the human cellular glutathione peroxidase (GPx) gene, from which a key enzyme containing selenocysteine (Scy) at the active site is produced. Expression of some human GPx gene mutants in COS-7 cells revealed that the 5' untranslated region (utr) was necessary for expression of the GPx gene, since mutant genes having 10 base pairs (bps) at the 5'utr (the complete had 311 bps) expressed GPx at very low levels. The genes with 311 or 408 bps at the 5'utr were better expressed than those having 257 bps. The GPx gene having 133 bps at the 3'utr (80 bps shorter than the entire length) was highly expressed. This deletion did not influence expression. We constructed some mutants in which 3 bases were altered at the upstream region of the Scy UGA codon in the frame of the GPx gene, by site-directed mutagenesis. GPx expression decreased but the expression was restored. Therefore, the upstream region of the in-frame Scy codon was not essential in the Scy decoding mechanisms. Finally, the 5'utr was essential for the expression of GPx gene. However, the deletion of a part of the 3'utr and the site-directed mutation upstream of the Scy codon did not show drastic effects on the expression.

B-lymphocyte mitogenicity and adjuvanticity of an ornithine-containing lipid or a serine-containing lipid

An ornithine-containing lipid (Orn-L) or a serine-containing lipid (Ser-L) from Flavobacterium meningosepticum exhibited strong mitogenicity for the splenocytes from both LPS-responder C3H/HeSlc and LPS-low-responder C3H/HeJ mice. The potency of the lipoamino acids was the same as that of LPS for responder mice. The lipoamino acids were B-lymphocyte mitogens. Furthermore, Orn-L or Ser-L exhibited strong adjuvanticity. Compared with the adjuvanticity of LPS, the activity of Orn-L was rather high. Based on these data, together with the previously reported data of macrophage activation, we propose that the lipoamino acids are non-toxic, potent immunoactivators.

Effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and colony-stimulating factor-1 on the proliferation and differentiation of murine alveolar macrophages

Murine alveolar macrophages (AM) were shown to have proliferative ability and to form colonies in vitro. The factors in lung-conditioned medium (CM) and L929-CM which stimulate the proliferation of AM were considered to be granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and CSF-1, respectively, because recombinant murine (rm)GM-CSF and recombinant human (rh)CSF-1 could replace the activities of lung-CM and L929-CM, respectively. The phenotype of the cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rmGM-CSF or lung-CM was AM-like; more than 90% of the cells were stained by anti-asialo GM1 but not by FITC-LPS, and had AM-like morphology. Expression of Mac-1 Ag determined by M1/70HL in these cells as well as original AM was low. However, the phenotype of the cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rhCSF-1 or L929-CM was peritoneal macrophage (PM)-like; more than 90% of the cells were stained by FITC-LPS and M1/70HL, but not by anti-asialo GM1, and showed PM-like morphology. The cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rmGMCSF changed their phenotype after treatment with rhCSF-1; the percentage of cells stained by anti-asialo GM1 decreased, and that of cells stained by FITC-LPS increased. The cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rhCSF-1 never changed their phenotype after incubation with rmGM-CSF. In contrast to AM, more than 90% of the cells in all colonies formed by PM incubated with either rmGM-CSF, rhCSF-1, lung-CM, or L929-CM were stained by FITC-LPS but not by anti-asialo GM1. These results show that although AM and PM can proliferate, AM, in contrast to PM, are bipotential cells that can differentiate into two types of macrophages responding to distinct types of CSF, and that one of the molecular mechanisms controlling macrophage heterogeneity may be based on the type of CSF produced at distinct tissues.

Effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and colony-stimulating factor-1 on the proliferation and differentiation of murine alveolar macrophages

Murine alveolar macrophages (AM) were shown to have proliferative ability and to form colonies in vitro. The factors in lung-conditioned medium (CM) and L929-CM which stimulate the proliferation of AM were considered to be granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and CSF-1, respectively, because recombinant murine (rm)GM-CSF and recombinant human (rh)CSF-1 could replace the activities of lung-CM and L929-CM, respectively. The phenotype of the cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rmGM-CSF or lung-CM was AM-like; more than 90% of the cells were stained by anti-asialo GM1 but not by FITC-LPS, and had AM-like morphology. Expression of Mac-1 Ag determined by M1/70HL in these cells as well as original AM was low. However, the phenotype of the cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rhCSF-1 or L929-CM was peritoneal macrophage (PM)-like; more than 90% of the cells were stained by FITC-LPS and M1/70HL, but not by anti-asialo GM1, and showed PM-like morphology. The cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rmGMCSF changed their phenotype after treatment with rhCSF-1; the percentage of cells stained by anti-asialo GM1 decreased, and that of cells stained by FITC-LPS increased. The cells in the colonies formed by AM incubated with rhCSF-1 never changed their phenotype after incubation with rmGM-CSF. In contrast to AM, more than 90% of the cells in all colonies formed by PM incubated with either rmGM-CSF, rhCSF-1, lung-CM, or L929-CM were stained by FITC-LPS but not by anti-asialo GM1. These results show that although AM and PM can proliferate, AM, in contrast to PM, are bipotential cells that can differentiate into two types of macrophages responding to distinct types of CSF, and that one of the molecular mechanisms controlling macrophage heterogeneity may be based on the type of CSF produced at distinct tissues.

Wavelength Effect on the Action of a N-Phenylimide S-23142 and a Diphenylether Acifluorfen-Ethyl in Cotyledons of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Seedlings

Specific wavelengths of light required for expression of phytotoxic activity of S-23142 (N-[4-chloro-2-fluoro-5-propargyloxy]phenyl-3,4,5,6-tetra- hydrophthalimide) and acifluorfen-ethyl (ethyl-5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitro benzoic acid) were determined in cotyledons of cucumber seedlings using the Okazaki Large Spectrograph. Leakage of amino acids from the cotyledons was measured as an indication of the phytotoxic activity. The wavelength effects showed common major peaks of activity at 550 and 650 nanometers and a minor peak at 450 nanometers for both herbicides, indicating a common primary photoreaction. Concomitant application of DCMU (3-[3,4-dichlorophenyl]-1,1-dimethylurea) with S-23142 had little influence on the effective wavelengths for S-23142 activity. Light of 450 and 650 nanometers was relatively less effective in achlorophyllous tissue grown in far red light than in green tissue. These results strongly suggest that the phytotoxic action of S-23142 and diphenylethers involves multiple photoreactions and that one of the photoreceptor pigments may be chlorophyll or its related pigment, although photosynthesis is not involved.

Restoration of lipopolysaccharide-mediated cytotoxic macrophage induction in C3H/HeJ mice by interferon-gamma or a calcium ionophore

Proteose peptone-induced peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM) from C3H/HeJ mice do not respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro in terms of activation for tumor cytotoxicity. This unresponsiveness of PEM was overcome by addition of culture supernatant of normal mouse spleen cells stimulated with insoluble concanavalin A. The supernatant component responsible for the restoration of PEM sensitivity to LPS was indicated to be interferon (IFN)-gamma, because pretreatment of the supernatant with anti-mouse IFN-gamma antiserum, but not with anti-IFN-(alpha + beta) antiserum, abolished the supernatant activity and because recombinant murine IFN-gamma (rIFN-gamma) could replace the supernatant effect. Not only the LPS activation of tumor cytotoxicity of PEM but also the sensitivity of PEM to the lethal toxicity of LPS was restored by rIFN-gamma. IFN-gamma action in restoring the LPS responsiveness of PEM was mimicked by a calcium ionophore, A23187, but not by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. These results suggest that IFN-gamma can restore LPS responsiveness of PEM from C3H/HeJ mice and that elevation of the intracellular calcium level is involved in the action of IFN-gamma.

Beneficial effects of sodium salt of 17(R)-methyl-20-isopropylidenecarbacyclin on experimentally-induced ischemic hind limb lesions and blood viscosity

The occlusion of the femoral artery of rats induced reproducible hind limb lesions resembling thromboangiitis and obliterative arteriosclerosis. 17(R)-Methyl-20-isopropylidenecarbacyclin (CS-570), as well as alprostadil (PGE1), ticlopidine and pentoxifylline, inhibited the lesions. The occlusion of the femoral artery of rabbits caused elevation of the viscosity of the returning venous blood and echinocytic shape changes of erythrocytes. CS-570, as well as PGE1, also inhibited these changes. The decreased deformability of erythrocytes of rats under acidic conditions was improved by CS-570 and PGE1. The usefulness of CS-570 for the treatment of periferal arterial diseases was suggested.