The novel kappa-opioid receptor agonist TRK-820 suppresses the rewarding and locomotor-enhancing effects of morphine in mice

The effects of the novel kappa-opioid receptor agonist TRK-820 on the rewarding and locomotor-enhancing effects of morphine were investigated in mice. Morphine (1-5 mg/kg, s.c.) caused a dose-related preference for the drug-associated place. In contrast, TRK-820 (0.003-0.03 mg/kg, s.c.) did not produce a significant preference for either compartment of the test box. In combination studies, co-injection of TRK-820 (0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, s.c.) with morphine significantly suppressed the morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.)-induced place preference, and this effect of TRK-820 was antagonized by pretreatment with nor-BN1 (3 mg/kg, s.c.), a selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist. TRK-820 also suppressed morphine-induced hyperlocomotion, and this suppression was also blocked by nor-BNI. These results suggest that TRK-820 suppresses the rewarding and locomotor-enhancing effects of morphine through the activation of kappa-opioid receptors. Thus, we propose that TRK-820 may be useful for controlling pain while reducing undesirable side-effects.     

Evaluation of the effect of 90Sr beta-radiation on human blood cells by chromosome aberration and single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) analysis

Among various environmental genotoxins, ionizing radiation has received special attention because of its mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic potential. In this context and considering the scarcity of literature data, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 90Sr beta-radiation on human cells. Blood cells from five healthy donors were irradiated in vitro with doses of 0.2-5.0Gy from a 90Sr source (0.2Gy/min) and processed for chromosome aberration analysis and for comet assay. The cytogenetic results showed that the most frequently found aberration types were acentric fragments, double minutes and dicentrics. The alpha and beta coefficients of the linear-quadratic model, that best fitted the data obtained, showed that 90Sr beta-radiation was less efficient in inducing chromosome aberrations than other types of low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation such as 3H beta-particles, 60Co gamma-rays, 137Cs and 192Ir and X-rays. Apparently, 90Sr beta-radiation in the dose range investigated had no effect on the modal chromosome number of irradiated cells or on cell cycle kinetics. Concerning the comet assay, there was an increase in DNA migration as a function of radiation dose as evaluated by an image analysis system (tail moment) or by visual classification (DNA damage). The dose-response relation adequately fitted the non-linear regression model. In contrast to the cytogenetic data, 90Sr beta-radiation induced more DNA damage than 60Co gamma-radiation when the material was analyzed immediately after exposures. A possible influence of selective death of cells damaged by radiation was suggested.     

Halogenated metabolites with antibacterial activity from the Okinawan Laurencia species

The chemical compositions of five species of the red algal genus Laurencia from coastal waters of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, have been investigated. A halogenated C(15) acetogenin, (12E)-lembyne-A, was isolated from L. mariannensis, and a halogenated sesquiterpene, (6R,9R,10S)-10-bromo-9-hydroxy-chamigra-2,7(14)-diene, was first found from L. majuscula as a naturally occurring compound. Laurencia nidifica yielded previously known laurinterol and isolaurinterol. Samples of L. cartilaginea and L. concreta afforded no halogenated metabolites. The structures of these halogenated metabolites as well as their antibacterial activity against some marine bacteria are reported.     

Progress of lignification mediated by intercellular transportation of monolignols during tracheary element differentiation of isolated Zinnia mesophyll cells

Tracheary element (TE) differentiation is a typical example of programmed cell death (PCD) in higher plants, and maturation of TEs is completed by degradation of all cell contents. However, lignification of TEs progresses even after PCD. We investigated how and whence monolignols are supplied to TEs which have undergone PCD during differentiation of isolated Zinnia mesophyll cells into TEs. Higher densities of cell culture induced greater lignification of TEs. Whereas the continuous exchanging of culture medium suppressed lignification of TEs, further addition of coniferyl alcohol into the exchanging medium reduced the suppression of lignification. Analysis of the culture medium by HPLC and GC-MS showed that coniferyl alcohol, coniferaldehyde, and sinapyl alcohol accumulated in TE inductive culture. The concentration of coniferyl alcohol peaked at the beginning of secondary wall thickening, decreased rapidly during secondary wall thickening, then increased again. These results indicated that lignification on TEs progresses by supply of monolignols from not only TEs themselves but also surrounding xylem parenchyma-like cells through medium in vitro.     

Comparison of ES cell fate in sandwiched aggregates and co-cultured aggregates during blastocyst formation by monitored GFP expression

Markers and the means to detect them are required to monitor the fate of living cells. However, few suitable markers for living cells were known until a green fluorescent protein (GFP) was discovered. We have established mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell lines that express mutant GFP under the chicken beta-actin (CAG) promoter. Using these cell lines, we were able to follow the migration of ES cells during blastocyst formation both in sandwiching and coculture methods, even if only a single ES cell was used. Furthermore, the contribution of ES cells to the inner cell mass (ICM) was easily estimated at the blastocyst stage. We compared sandwiching with coculture aggregation relative to the contribution of the ES cell in the ICM, and the results indicated that there was no difference in the ratios of chimeric embryos having ICM contributed from cultured ES cells. Furthermore, an aggregated single ES cell was able to contribute three or four cells to the ICM at the blastocyst stage. Thus we conclude that one, instead of two, embryos is enough to make aggregation with ES cells, and a single ES cell attached to an embryo is enough to produce germline chimeras. Moreover, we could clearly observe single cell fate during blastocyst formation. This suggests that our established cell line can be used for monitoring single cell fate in vivo. In addition, we have shown that up to five doses of 30 sec of UV irradiation using GFP filters have no effect on the embryonic development.     

In vivo distribution and behavior of paramagnetic dinitrosyl dithiolato iron complex in the abdomen of mouse

It has been shown that a dinitrosyl dithiolato iron complex is formed under physiological conditions and that it functions as an NO transporter. In the present study, a diglutathionyl dinitrosyl iron complex [DNIC-(GS)₂] was injected into mice and its abdominal distribution and behavior were examined by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The X-band EPR signal intensity of the blood, liver, kidney, and spleen decreased with time but signals from the liver and kidney were readily detectable even 24h after the injection. The time courses of signal intensity were quite similar when the agent was administered via intravenous and subcutaneous injection routes, suggesting that DNIC-(GS)₂ can penetrate readily and rapidly through the membranes. Real-time detection of DNIC-(GS)₂ in the upper abdomen of the living mice was performed by employing an in vivo EPR spectroscopy. These results suggest that DNIC-(GS)₂, an endogenous NO carrier, has an excellent membrane permeability and has a relatively high affinity for the liver and kidney.     

Engineering receptor-mediated cytotoxicity into human ribonucleases by steric blockade of inhibitor interaction

Several nonmammalian members of the RNase A superfamily exhibit anticancer activity that appears to correlate with resistance to the cytosolic ribonuclease inhibitor (RI). We mutated two human ribonucleases-pancreatic RNase (hRNAse) and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN)-to incorporate cysteine residues at putative sites of close contact to RI, but distant from the catalytic sites. Coupling of Cys89 of RNase and Cys87 of EDN to proteins at these sites via a thioether bond produced enzymatically active conjugates that were resistant to RI. To elicit cellular targeting as well as to block RI binding, transferrin was conjugated to a mutant human RNase, rhRNase(Gly89)-->Cys) and a mutant EDN (Thr87-->Cys). The transferrin-rhRNase(Gly89-->Cys) thioether conjugate was 5000-fold more toxic to U251 cells than recombinant wild-type hRNase. In addition, transferrin-targeted EDN exhibited tumor cell toxicities similar to those of hRNase. Thus, we endowed two human RI-sensitive RNases with greater cytotoxicity by increasing their resistance to RI. This strategy has the potential to generate a novel set of recombinant human proteins useful for targeted therapy of cancer.     

Urinary thromboxane A2/prostacyclin balance reflects the pathological state of a diabetic

Levels of the stable urinary metabolites of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin, 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (11-dehydro-TXB2) and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1alpha) were measured in diabetics to elucidate the relation between the thromboxane A2/prostacyclin (TX/PGI) balance and pathological states of diabetes mellitus. 11-Dehydro-TXB2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1alpha were derivatized to methyl ester-propylamide-dimethylisopropylsilyl ether and methyl ester-methoxime-dimethylisopropylsilyl ether derivatives, respectively, and applied to a gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring. The TX/PGI ratios of diabetics were higher than those of healthy volunteers, suggesting the hypercoagulative states of this disease. The ratios showed positive correlations with the levels of blood glucose. The levels of hemoglobin A1c and triglyceride were correlated weakly with the ratio. Some of the patients who had relatively low levels of blood glucose also showed high TX/PGI ratios. Furthermore, the ratio increased in the order of the groups 1, 2, and 3; group 1 contained patients who did not take medicine for diabetes, group 2 contained those who took oral hypoglycemic agents, and group 3 contained those who received insulin therapy. These observations indicate that the TX/PGI ratio reflects the pathological conditions of diabetes and is a useful marker, having few different features from other markers that are presently used.     

Three domains comprised in thermostable molecular weight 54,000 pullulanase of type I from Bacillus flavocaldarius KP1228

The gene that coded for a cellular pullulanase of type I (alpha-dextrin 6-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.41) in Bacillus flavocaldarius KP1228 (FERM-P9542) cells growing at 51 to 82 degrees C was expressed in Escherichia coli MV1184. The enzyme had a half-life of 10 min at 107 degrees C. Purification of the enzyme and its characterization showed that the enzyme was identical with the native one. Its primary structure of 475 residues with a molecular weight of 53,856 deduced from the gene was 15-21% and 43% identical to the corresponding C-terminal regions in the sequences of 2 plant and 6 bacterial pullulanases of type I, and of Bacillus stearothermophilus TRS40 neoplullulanase, respectively. Sequence analysis showed that B. flavocaldarius pullulanase comprised 3 domains, i.e., one catalytic (beta/alpha)8-barrel domain, one domain made of the region protruding from the barrel between the third beta-strand and the third alpha-helix, and one beta-stranded domain attached to the C-end of the barrel domain, but that the pullulanase lacked the beta-stranded domain commonly found in addition to the 3 domains in the neopullulanase and all other pullulanases, and attached to the N-end of the barrel domain.