Histochemical analysis of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in psoriasis vulgaris

Psoriasis is a persistent cutaneous disease characterized by skin inflammation and infiltration of immunocytes such as lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, concomitant with abnormal epidermal hyperproliferation. We previously showed that the serum level of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with psoriasis were closely correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms; however, the precise role of MIF in psoriatic epidermis remains to be clarified. The current study was carried out to elucidate the possible involvement of MIF in psoriasis, using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. In contrast to elevated serum MIF in psoriasis, MIF-positive staining in the lesional psoriatic epidermis was significantly decreased, as demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis using an anti-MIF antibody. Consistent with this finding, we found, by in situ hybridization, that MIF mRNA concomitantly decreased in the psoriatic lesions. Although the reason for the different MIF levels in the psoriatic epidermis and in the circulation remains unknown, it is hypothesized that MIF, a potential growth factor, might be decreased in psoriatic lesions to counterregulate the abnormal epidermal proliferation caused by dysregulation of cytokines and growth factors.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">HrNodal</Emphasis>, the ascidian <Emphasis Type="Italic">nodal</Emphasis>-related gene,is expressed in the left side of the epidermis,and lies upstream of <Emphasis Type="Italic">HrPitx</Emphasis>

The nodal-related genes are well known for their fundamental roles during vertebrate development, including mesoderm induction, neural induction, and left-right axis formation, as several nodal-related genes show left-sided expression in mesodermal lineages. We have isolated the first non-vertebrate nodal-related gene, HrNodal, from the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. During the late cleavage and gastrula stages, HrNodal is transiently and bilaterally expressed in several different cell lineages. Expression at the tailbud stage is observed asymmetrically in the left side, but unexpectedly only in the epidermis of the embryo. We also demonstrate the relationship of HrNodal with HrPitx, a Halocynthia homologue of the Pitx2 gene. HrNodal overexpression results in the disturbance of left-sided HrPitx expression. Our results demonstrate that left-right specification during ascidian embryogenesis involves the HrNodal gene, and that the left-sidedness of the expression is evolutionarily conserved throughout the chordate clade.     

Membrane-rigidifying effects of anti-cancer dietary factors

Since several anti-cancer drugs interact with cell membrane lipids, the effects of anti-cancer dietary factors on liposomal membranes with different lipid composition were comparatively studied by measuring fluorescence polarization. Fluidity was imparted on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions of lipid bilayers by decreasing cholesterol and increasing unsaturated phosphatidylcholine in membranes. At 0.625-10 microM, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, apigenin, resveratrol and a reference anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin, rigidified the tumor cell model membranes consisting of 20 mol% cholesterol and 80 mol% phosphatidylcholine with the acyl chain 18:1/16:0 ratio of 1.0, but not daidzein. They were more effective on the membrane core than the membrane surface. Quercetin showed a biphasic effect on the hydrophobic regions of membrane lipid bilayers to rigidify above 5 microM and fluidize below 2.5 microM. In contrast, anti-cancer dietary factors and doxorubicin were not or much less effective in rigidifying the normal cell model membranes consisting of 40 mol% cholesterol and 60 mol% phosphatidylcholine with the acyl chain 18:1/16:0 ratio of 0.5. The membrane-rigidifying effects were greater depending on a decrease of the cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine ratio and an increase of the phosphatidylcholine unsaturation degree. Membrane-active dietary factors and doxorubicin inhibited the growth of mouse myeloma cells at 10-100 microM, while the growth inhibition by membrane-inactive daidzein was relatively weak. Anti-cancer dietary factors appear to act on more fluid membranes like tumor cells as well as doxorubicin to induce rigidification, especially in the hydrocarbon core of membrane lipids, which is determined by the composition of cholesterol and unsaturated phospholipids.     

A hydrogen biosensor made of clay,poly(butylviologen), and hydrogenase sandwiched on a glass carbon electrode

A hydrogen gas (H(2)) biosensor was developed in which hydrogenase (H(2)ase) was immobilized and sandwiched between two layers of a montmorillonite clay and poly(butylviologen) (PBV) mixture on a glass carbon electrode. The immobilized PBV efficiently enhanced the electron transfer among the electrode, H(2)ase, and methyl viologen in solution. Both PBV and methyl viologen acted as the electron carrier in the clay-PBV-H(2)ase modified electrode. The clay-PBV-H(2)ase electrode catalyzed the oxidation of H(2) to protons (H(+)) with the electrons being transferred by viologen groups to the electrode. The activation energy of this process was 38+/-2 kJ/mol at pH 7. The catalytic current of the clay-PBV-H(2)ase electrode increased linearly when exposed to increasing concentrations of H(2) gas. In contrast, this electrode showed no activity when exposed to three combustible compounds, namely, carbon monoxide, methane and methanol. The optimum pH range for the oxidation of H(2) by the clay-PBV-H(2)ase electrode was from 7 to 10. Electron transfer process in the clay-PBV-H(2)ase electrode is discussed.     

L-Cysteine based N-type calcium channel blockers: structure-activity relationships of the C-terminal lipophilic moiety,and oral analgesic efficacy in rat pain models

This study was performed to determine the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of L-cysteine based N-type calcium channel blockers. Basic nitrogen was introduced into the C-terminal lipophilic moiety of L-cysteine with a view toward improvement of its physicochemical properties. L-Cysteine derivative 9 was found to be a potent and selective N-type calcium channel blocker with IC(50) of 0.33 microM in calcium influx assay using IMR-32 cells and was 15-fold selective for N-type calcium channels over L-type channels. Compound 9 showed improved oral analgesic efficacy in the rat formalin induced pain model and the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model, which is one of the most reliable models of chronic neuropathic pain, without any significant effect on blood pressure or neurological behavior.     

Regulation of Lck and Fyn tyrosine kinase activities by transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase leukocyte common antigen-related molecule

Leukocyte common antigen-related molecule (LAR) is a receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) with two PTPase domains. In the present study, we detected the expression of LAR in the brain, kidney, and thymus of mice using anti-LAR PTPase domain subunit monoclonal antibody (mAb) YU1. In the thymus, LAR was expressed on CD4(-)CD8(-) and CD4(-)CD8(low) thymocytes. The development of thymocytes in CD45 knockout mice is blocked partially in the maturation of CD4(-)CD8(-) to CD4(+)CD8(+). We postulated that LAR regulates Lck and Fyn in the immature thymocytes. Transfection of wild-type LAR activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase signal transduction pathway in CD45-deficient Jurkat cells stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb. LAR mutants, with Cys to Ser mutation in the catalytic center of PTPase D1, bound to tyrosine-phosphorylated Lck and Fyn, and LAR PTPase domain 2 was tyrosine phosphorylated by Fyn tyrosine kinase. The phosphorylated LAR was associated with Fyn Src homology 2 domain. Moreover, LAR dephosphorylated phosphorylated tyrosine residues in both the COOH terminus and kinase domain of Fyn in vitro. Our results indicate that Lck and Fyn would be substrates of LAR in immature thymocytes and that each LAR PTPase domain plays distinct functional roles in phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.     

Structural properties of mammalian mitochondrial ADP/ATP carriers: identification of possible amino acids that determine functional differences in its isoforms

The structural properties of isoforms of the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier expressed in mammals were characterized in order to understand their possible functional differences. To accomplish this, the cDNA clone of the bovine type 2 isoform was isolated and characterized. We also extensively explored the rat type 3 isoform, but it was not detected. We next compared the amino acid sequences of the ten ADP/ATP carriers, which are expressed in mammals. As a result, amino acids at positions 45, 147 and 164 were found to show strict isoform dependency regardless of species differences. Thus, they are expected to determine functional differences in the isoforms of the ADP/ATP carrier.