Acoustic stiffness and change in plug cartilage over time after autologous osteochondral grafting: correlation between ultrasound signal intensity and histological score in a rabbit model

We investigated quantitative changes over time in ultrasound signal intensity (an index of stiffness), signal duration (an index of surface irregularity), and interval between signals (an index of thickness) of plug cartilage in an animal model of autologous osteochondral grafting. A full-thickness osteochondral plug was surgically removed and replaced in male Japanese white rabbits (n = 22). Specimens obtained at day 0 and weeks 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 postoperatively were assessed using an ultrasound system and by macroscopic and histological evaluation (modified Mankin's score). Histology revealed that the plug sank until 2 weeks postoperatively, and that newly formed cartilage-like tissue covered the plug, but at 24 weeks the tissue detached. The plug itself survived well throughout the period of observation. Although the signal intensity at the plug site was same as that in the sham operated contralateral knee at day 0, from 2 to 24 weeks postoperatively it was less than that in the sham knee. At 8 weeks, this difference was significant (P < 0.05). Modified Mankin's score revealed early degenerative changes at the site, but macroscopic examination did not. Signal intensity correlated significantly with score (both at day 0 and at the five postoperative time points [P < 0.05, r = -0.91] and as a whole [P < 0.05, r = -0.36]). Signal intensity also significantly correlated with the individual subscores for 'cartilage structure' (P < 0.05, r = -0.32) and 'cartilage cells' (P < 0.05, r = -0.30) from the modified Mankin's score, but not significantly with subscores for 'staining' and 'tidemark'. Signal duration correlated significantly with total score (as a whole [P < 0.05, r = 0.34]), but not significantly with the score for cartilage structure (P = 0.0557, r = 0.29). The interval between signals reflected well the actual thickness of the plug site. The significant relationships between ultrasound signal intensity and scores suggest that early degenerative changes in plug cartilage and cartilage-like tissue, especially in the superficial layer, are detectable by high-frequency ultrasound assessment.     

Protein region important for regulation of lipid metabolism in angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3): ANGPTL3 is cleaved and activated in vivo

Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) is a secreted protein that is mainly expressed in the liver and regulates lipid metabolism by inhibiting the lipolysis of triglyceriderich lipoproteins. Using deletion mutants of human ANGPTL3, we demonstrated that the N-terminal coiled-coil domain-containing fragment-(17-207) and not the C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain-containing fragment-(207-460) increased the plasma triglyceride levels in mice. We also found that the N-terminal region 17-165 was required to increase plasma triglyceride levels in mice and that a substitution of basic amino acid residues in the region 61-66 of the fragment showed no increase in the plasma triglyceride levels and no inhibition of lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase. In addition, when we analyzed ANGPTL3 in human plasma, we detected cleaved fragments of ANGPTL3. By analyzing recombinant ANGPTL3 in mouse plasma, we found that it was cleaved at two sites, Arg221 downward arrow Ala222 and Arg224 downward arrow Thr225, which are located in the linker region between the coiled-coil domain and the fibrinogen-like domain. Furthermore, a cleavage-resistant mutant of ANGPTL3 was determined to be less active than wild-type ANGPTL3 in increasing mouse plasma triglyceride levels but not in inhibiting lipoprotein lipase activity. These findings suggest that the cleavage of ANGPTL3 is important for the activation of ANGPTL3 in vivo.     

New allyl ester linker and solid-phase block synthesis of the serglycin core region

The prototype glycopeptidyl fragments of serglycin, a proteoglycan with the characteristic peptide sequence of repeating L-seryl-L-glycine, were synthesized by a convergent method involving block condensation on a solid support. In order to facilitate detachment of the protected glycopeptides from the resin, a new allyl ester type of linker, which is cleavable by Pd(O)-catalysis, was designed and used in combination with the commercial acid-labile Sieber amide resin for the solid-phase synthesis. Glycopeptide blocks consisting of [O-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-D-xylosyl)-L-seryl-L-glycine]n (n = 1 - 8) were produced in good yields. Block condensation in a solution was also successful to synthesize up to the hexadecapeptide (n = 8).     

Studies on the catalytic function of aromatase: aromatization of 6-alkoxy-substituted androgens

To gain insight into the catalytic function of aromatase, we studied aromatization of a series of 6alpha- and 6beta-ether-substituted (methoxy, ethoxy, and n-butoxy) androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) steroids (1 and 2) and their androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) derivatives (3 and 4) with human placental aromatase by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among the steroids examined, 6beta-methoxy and 6beta-ethoxyADDs (4a and 4b) are suicide substrates of aromatase. All of the steroids were found to be converted into the corresponding 6-alkoxy estrogens. Introduction of the alkoxy groups at C-6 of AD or ADD decreased the ability of these to serve as a substrate of aromatase. In 6alpha-alkoxy steroid series, compounds 1 and 3, the aromatization rate increased by elongating the 6-methoxy group up to the n-butoxy group whereas, in the 6beta-isomers series, 2 and 4, the rate decreased due to this structural modification. 6beta-Alkoxy steroids, 2 and 4, including the suicide substrates, were extremely poor substrates for the aromatization reaction. Apparent K(m) values obtained for 6alpha-alkoxy compounds 1 and 3 were similar to each other, ranging from 92 to 111nM, as shown by their previously-obtained K(i) values. The findings indicate that the stereochemistry as well as the bulkiness of the 6-ether-substituent play an important role in the ability to serve as a substrate. It is also predicted that the aromatization reaction and the mechanism-based inactivation reaction would be related and have a definite partition number which is characteristic to the compound in a series of suicide substrates.     

A rapid BOD sensing system using luminescent recombinants of Escherichia coli

A biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sensing system based on bacterial luminescence from recombinant Escherichia coli containing lux A-E genes from Vibrio fischeri has been developed. It was possible to use frozen cells of luminescent recombinants of E. coli as the bacterial reagents for measurement. Steady bioluminescence was observed during the incubation time between 90 and 150 min in the presence of a sole carbon source such as glucose, acetate, L-glutamate and BOD standard solution (GGA solution). This disposable bacterial reagent was applied to measure and detect organic pollution due to biodegradable substances in various wastewaters. The obtained values of this study showed a similar correlation with that of the conventional method for BOD determination (BOD5). Bacterial luminescence that was visualized with an imaging system using a charge coupled device (CCD) camera and a photomulti-counter demonstrated that this method could also be used for multi-sample detection of organic pollution due to biodegradable substances by using a microtiter plate. These results suggested for successful achievement of high-though-put detection of BOD in practical.     

Direct observation of processive movement by individual myosin V molecules

Myosin V is an unconventional myosin thought to move processively along actin filaments. To have hard evidence for the high processivity, we sought to observe directly the movement by individual native chick brain myosin V (BMV) molecules with fluorescent calmodulin. Single BMV molecules did exhibit highly processive movement along actin filaments fixed to a coverslip. BMV continued to move up to the barbed end of its actin track, and did not readily detach from action. The barbed end, therefore, got brighter with time, because of a constant stream of BMV traffic. The maximum speed of the processive movement was 1 microm/s, and the maximum actin-activated ATPase rate was 2.4 s(-1). These values apparently imply that BMV travels a great distance, 400 nm, per an ATPase cycle.     

Synthesis of a novel asparagine-linked heptasaccharide structure via p-methoxybenzyl-assisted beta-mannosylation

Synthesis of a core heptasaccharide asparagine N4-[alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1 --> 6)-[(alpha-D-mannopyranosyl)-(1 --> 3)]-[(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 2)]-(beta-D-mannopyranosyl)-(1 --> 4)-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 4)-[(alpha-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 6)]-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-L-asparagine (1a) found from CHO glycosylation mutant cell LEC 14 is described. The structure of 1a is highly novel in terms of the presence of an extra GlcNAc residue linked to the 2-position of beta-linked mannose. The synthesis was performed using p-methoxybenzyl-assisted intramolecular aglycon delivery as the key transformation. 4,6-O-TIDPS-protected thiomannoside methyl 2-O-p-methoxybenzyl-4,6-O-(1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyl)disiloxanylid ene-3-O-trimethylsilyl-1-thio-alpha-D-mannopyranoside was adopted for this particular purpose, which afforded beta-mannoside p-methoxyphenyl 2,3-O-(p-methoxybenzylidene)-4,6-O-(1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyl)+ ++disiloxanylidene-beta-D-mannopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-beta-D-glucopyranoside stereoselectively in 75% yield.     

Search for MHC-associated genes in human: five new genes centromeric to HLA-DP with yet unknown functions

Taking advantage of five mouse genomic or cDNA probes [KE5(probe 14), KE4 (probe11), KE3 (probe7), KE2 (probe5), and SET] mapped on the H-2K region in mouse, we have identified and localized homologues of these five genes in the human major histocompatibility complex region (HKE5, HKE4, HKE3, HKE2, and HSET, respectively). Cosmid cloning and pulsed field gel electrophoresis analyses indicated that a human homologous gene, HKE5, is located 10 kilobases (kb) centromeric of the 2(XI) collagen (COL11A2) gene followed by HKE4. HKE3, closely linked to HKE2, is located 170 kb centromeric of HKE4. Furthermore, HSET is located 50 kb centromeric of HKE2. This gene organization outside the DP subregion is completely identical to that of the mouse H-2K region centromeric of I-Pb 3, a mouse homologue of the DPB gene, except the lack of genes corresponding to the H-2K and -K2 genes in human.     

The hepatic circadian clock is preserved in a lipid-induced mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Recent studies have correlated metabolic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with the circadian clock. However, whether such metabolic changes per se affect the circadian clock remains controversial. To address this, we investigated the daily mRNA expression profiles of clock genes in the liver of a dietary mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) using a custom-made, high-precision DNA chip. C57BL/6J mice fed an atherogenic diet for 5 weeks developed hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress, and NASH. DNA chip analyses revealed that the atherogenic diet had a great influence on the mRNA expression of a wide range of genes linked to mitochondrial energy production, redox regulation, and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. However, the rhythmic mRNA expression of the clock genes in the liver remained intact. Most of the circadianly expressed genes also showed 24-h rhythmicity. These findings suggest that the biological clock is protected against such a metabolic derangement as NASH.