Homeotic factor ATBF1 induces the cell cycle arrest associated with neuronal differentiation

The present study aimed to elucidate the function of AT motif-binding factor 1 (ATBF1) during neurogenesis in the developing brain and in primary cultures of neuroepithelial cells and cell lines (Neuro 2A and P19 cells). Here, we show that ATBF1 is expressed in the differentiating field in association with the neuronal differentiation markers beta-tubulin and MAP2 in the day E14.5 embryo rat brain, suggesting that it promotes neuronal differentiation. In support of this, we show that ATBF1 suppresses nestin expression, a neural stem cell marker, and activates the promoter of Neurod1 gene, a marker for neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, we show that in Neuro 2A cells, overexpressed ATBF1 localizes predominantly in the nucleus and causes cell cycle arrest. In P19 cells, which formed embryonic bodies in the floating condition, ATBF1 is mainly cytoplasmic and has no effect on the cell cycle. However, the cell cycle was arrested when ATBF1 became nuclear after transfer of P19 cells onto adhesive surfaces or in isolated single cells. The nuclear localization of ATBF1 was suppressed by treatment with caffeine, an inhibitor of PI(3)K-related kinase activity of ataxa-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene product. The cytoplasmic localization of ATBF1 in floating/nonadherent cells is due to CRM1-dependent nuclear export of ATBF1. Moreover, in the embryonic brain ATBF1 was expressed in the cytoplasm of proliferating stem cells on the ventricular zone, where cells are present at high density and interact through cell-to-cell contact. Conversely, in the differentiating field, where cell density is low and extracellular matrix is dense, the cell-to-matrix interaction triggered nuclear localization of ATBF1, resulting in the cell cycle arrest. We propose that ATBF1 plays an important role in the nucleus by organizing the neuronal differentiation associated with the cell cycle arrest.     

Diclofenac Enhances Proinflammatory Cytokine-Induced Aquaporin-4 Expression in Cultured Astrocyte

Acute encephalopathy is a generic term for acute brain dysfunction occurring after infection. Acute encephalopathy induced by influenza virus results in high mortality, and most cases of influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) result in brain edema. Administration of diclofenac sodium (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is associated with a significant increased mortality rate of IAE. These previous clinical findings proposed further investigation of DCF administration and brain edema to clarify how DCF aggravates IAE. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is the predominant water channel protein in the mammalian brain, and is mainly expressed in astrocytes. AQP4 plays an important role in brain water homeostasis. Therefore, we investigated a possible association between DCF and AQP4 production in astrocytes. We stimulated cultured rat astrocytes with three cytokines, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor α, and interferon γ, and then treated with DCF. DCF enhanced proinflammatory cytokine-induced AQP4 gene and protein expression in astrocytes, whereas DCF alone did not change the AQP4 gene expression. The addition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor abrogated AQP4 gene and protein expression completely in astrocytes treated with cytokines alone and in those also treated with DCF. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that AQP4 is upregulated in astrocyte by proinflammatory cytokines, and that the addition of DCF further augments AQP4 production. This effect is mediated via NF-κB signaling. The enhancement of AQP4 production by DCF may explain the significantly increased mortality rates in IAE patients treated with DCF.     

A Community-Based,Case-Control Study Evaluating Mortality Reduction from Gastric Cancer by Endoscopic Screening in Japan

Aims

Although the incidence of gastric cancer has decreased in the last 3 decades, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In Asian countries, the burden of gastric cancer has remained, and cancer screening is normally expected to reduce gastric cancer death. We conducted a community-based, case-control study to evaluate the reduction of mortality from gastric cancer by endoscopic screening.

Methods

Case subjects were defined as individuals who had died of gastric cancer between 2003 and 2006 in 4 cities in Tottori Prefecture, and between 2006 and 2010 in Niigata City, Japan. Up to 6 control subjects were matched by sex, birth year (±3 years), and the residence of each corresponding case subject from the population lists in the study areas. Control subjects were required to be disease-free at the time when the corresponding case subjects were diagnosed as having gastric cancer. The odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for those who had participated in endoscopic or radiographic screening before the reference date when the case subjects were diagnosed as having gastric cancer, compared with subjects who had never participated in any screening. Conditional logistic-regression models for matched sets were used to estimate the ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The case subjects consisted of 288 men and 122 women for case subjects, with 2,292 matched control subjects. Compared with those who had never been screened before the date of diagnosis of gastric cancer in the case subjects, the ORs within 36 months from the date of diagnosis were 0.695 (95% CI: 0.489–0.986) for endoscopic screening and 0.865 (95% CI : 0.631–1.185) for radiographic screening.

Conclusions

The results suggest a 30% reduction in gastric cancer mortality by endoscopic screening compared with no screening within 36 months before the date of diagnosis of gastric cancer.     

Utilization of Soybean Products in Fish Paste Products

Large amounts of food-grade soybean products are consumed in fish product industries in Japan. To clarify the properties of soybean products desirable for fish processing, the kamaboko added with soybean products were evaluated by both sensory testing and instrumental measurements. The correlation between the suitability of soybean products for kamaboko and the basic chemical and functional properties of the soybean products was discussed. It was found that the “hardness” of the kamaboko added with soybean products correlated highly with the degree of denaturation of soy protein and with the amount of nitrogen of soybean products not dispersible in 3% sodium chloride aqueous solution.

It was also estimated that the textural properties of kamaboko added with soybean products could not be deduced from the textural properties of heat-coagulated gels of the corresponding soybean products.     

Isolation, structure identification and SAR studies on thiosugar sulfonium salts, neosalaprinol and neoponkoranol, as potent α-glucosidase inhibitors

Two hitherto missing members of sulfonium salts family in Salacia genus plants as a new class of α-glucosidase inhibitors, neoponkoranol (7) and neosalaprinol (8), were isolated from the water extracts, and their structures were unambiguously identified. For further SAR studies on this series of sulfonium salts, several epimers of 7 and 8 were synthesized, and their inhibitory activities against rat small intestinal α-glucosidases were evaluated. Among them, 3'-epimer of 7 was found most potent in this class of molecules, and revealed as potent as currently used antidiabetics, voglibose and acarbose.     

Ovariectomy increases neuronal amyloid-beta binding alcohol dehydrogenase level in the mouse hippocampus

Ovarian hormone decline after menopause may influence cognitive performance and increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in women. Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) has been proposed to be the primary cause of AD. In this study, we examined whether ovariectomy (OVX) could affect the levels of cofactors Aβ-binding alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), which have been reported to potentiate Aβ-mediated neuronal perturbation, in mouse hippocampus, correlating with estrogen and Aβ levels. Female ICR mice were randomly divided into ovariectomized or sham-operated groups, and biochemical analyses were carried out at 5 weeks after the operation. OVX for 5 weeks significantly decreased hippocampal 17β-estradiol level, while it tended to reduce the hormone level in serum, compared with the sham-operated control. In contrast, OVX did not affect hippocampal Aβ_1-40 level, although it significantly increased serum Aβ_1-40 level. Furthermore, we demonstrated that OVX increased hippocampal ABAD level in neurons, but not astrocytes, while it did not affect RAGE level. These findings suggest that the expression of neuronal ABAD depends on estrogen level in the hippocampus and the increase in serum Aβ and hippocampal ABAD induced by ovarian hormone decline may be associated with pre-stage of memory deficit in postmenopausal women and Aβ-mediated AD pathology.     

Dopamine release via the vacuolar ATPase V0 sector c-subunit,confirmed in N18 neuroblastoma cells,results in behavioral recovery in hemiparkinsonian mice

A 16-kDa proteolipid, mediatophore, in Torpedo electric organs mediates Ca²⁺-dependent acetylcholine release. Mediatophore is identical to the pore-forming stalk c-subunit of the V0 sector of vacuolar proton ATPase (ATP6V0C). The function of ATP6V0C in the mammalian central nervous system is not clear. Here, we report transfection of adeno-associated viral vectors harboring rat ATP6V0C into the mouse substantia nigra, in which high potassium stimulation increased overflow of endogenous dopamine (DA) measured in the striatum by in vivo microdialysis. Next, in the striatum of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned mice, a model of Parkinson’s disease (PD), human tyrosine hydroxylase, aromatic l-amino-acid decarboxylase and guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase 1, together with or without ATP6V0C, were expressed in the caudoputamen for rescue. Motor performance on the accelerating rotarod test and amphetamine-induced ipsilateral rotation were improved in the rescued mice coexpressing ATP6V0C. [³H]DA, taken up into cultured N18 neuronal tumor cells transformed to express ATP6V0C, was released by potassium stimulation. These results indicated that ATP6V0C mediates DA release from nerve terminals in the striatum of DA neurons of normal mice and from gene-transferred striatal cells of parkinsonian mice. The results suggested that ATP6V0C may be useful as a rescue molecule in addition to DA-synthetic enzymes in the gene therapy of PD.     

Biodegradation of bisphenol A and related compounds by Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7 isolated from seawater

A bacterium capable of assimilating 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A), strain BP-7, was isolated from offshore seawater samples on a medium containing bisphenol A as sole source of carbon and energy, and identified as Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7. Other strains, Pseudomonas sp. strain BP-14, Pseudomonas sp. strain BP-15, and strain no. 24A, were also isolated from bisphenol A-enrichment culture of the seawater. These strains did not degrade bisphenol A, but accelerated the degradation of bisphenol A by Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7. A mixed culture of Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7 and Pseudomonas sp. strain BP-14 showed complete degradation of 100 ppm bisphenol A within 7 d in SSB-YE medium, while Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7 alone took about 40 d for complete consumption of bisphenol A accompanied by accumulation of 4-hydroxyacetophenone. On a nutritional supplementary medium, Sphingomonas sp. strain BP-7 completely degraded bisphenol A and 4-hydroxyacetophenone within 20 h. The strain degraded a variety of bisphenols, such as 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)propane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, and 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane, and hydroxy aromatic compounds such as 4-hydroxyacetophenone, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, catechol, protocatechuic acid, and hydroquinone. The strain did not degrade bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone, or bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfide.     

A convenient synthetic method of a 5,7-diarylcyclopenteno-[1,2-b]pyridine-6-carboxylate: a key intermediate for potent endothelin receptor antagonists

A convenient method for the synthesis of the title intermediate 4 was described. The key steps of this synthesis involved: (1) regioselective addition reaction of arylzinc reagent to quinolic anhydride in 42% isolated yield, (2) conversion of a ketoacid to an enone, which was achieved in 65% yield by intramolecular Knoevenagel reaction of beta-ketoester generated by condensation of an acid imidazolide with an ester enolate, followed by dehydration assisted with silica gel, and (3) stereoselective reduction of an allyl alcohol in 75% yield with zinc under acidic conditions. This synthesis enabled us to provide hundreds of grams of without chromatographic purification.