Regression by ACE inhibition of arteriosclerotic changes induced by chronic blockade of NO synthesis in rats

We previously reported that chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induces vascular inflammation at week 1 and produces subsequent arteriosclerosis at week 4 and that cotreatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prevents such changes. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that treatment with an ACE inhibitor after development of vascular inflammation could inhibit arteriosclerosis in rats. Wistar-Kyoto rats were randomized to four groups: the control group received no drugs, the 4wL-NAME group received L-NAME (100 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) for 4 wk, the 1wL + 3wNT group received L-NAME for 1 wk and no treatment for the subsequent 3 wk, and the 1wL + 3wACEI group received L-NAME for 1 wk and the ACE inhibitor imidapril (20 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) for the subsequent 3 wk. After 4 wk, we observed significant arteriosclerosis of the coronary artery (medial thickening and fibrosis) and increased cardiac ACE activity in the 1wL + 3wNT group as well as in the 4wL-NAME group, but not in the 1wL + 3wACEI group. In a separate study, we examined apoptosis formation and found that posttreatment with imidapril (20 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) or an ANG II AT1-receptor antagonist, CS-866 (5 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)), induced apoptosis (TdT-mediated nick end-labeling) in monocytes and myofibroblasts appearing in the inflammatory lesions associated with a clear degradation in the heart (DNA electrophoresis). In conclusion, treatment with the ACE inhibitor after 1 wk of L-NAME administration inhibited arteriosclerosis by inducing apoptosis in the cells with inflammatory lesions in this study, suggesting that increased ANG II activity inhibited apoptosis of the cells with inflammatory lesions and thus contributed to the development of arteriosclerosis.     

Retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation via PI 3-kinase and mTOR pathway regulates adipocyte differentiation

In the early phase of adipocyte differentiation, transient increase of DNA synthesis, called clonal expansion, and transient hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) are observed. We investigated the role of these phenomena in insulin-induced adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Insulin-induced clonal expansion, Rb phosphorylation and adipocyte differentiation were all inhibited by the PI 3-kinase inhibitors and rapamycin, but not the MEK inhibitor, whereas the MEK inhibitor, but not PI 3-kinase inhibitors or rapamycin, decreased c-fos induction. We conclude that insulin induces hyperphosphorylation of Rb via PI 3-kinase and mTOR dependent pathway, which promotes clonal expansion and adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells.     

Activation of protein phosphatase 2A by cAMP-dependent protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of the 74-kDa B″ (δ) regulatory subunit in vitro and identification of the phosphorylation sites

Human erythrocyte protein phosphatase 2A, which comprises a 34-kDa catalytic C subunit, a 63-kDa regulatory A subunit and a 74-kDa regulatory B″ (δ) subunit, was phosphorylated at serine residues of B″ in vitro by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase). In the presence and absence of 0.5 μM okadaic acid (OA), A-kinase gave maximal incorporation of 1.7 and 1.0 mol of phosphate per mol of B″, respectively. The K_m value of A-kinase for CAB″ was 0.17±0.01 μM in the presence of OA. The major in vitro phosphorylation sites of B″ were identified as Ser-60, -75 and -573 in the presence of OA, and Ser-75 and -573 in the absence of OA. Phosphorylation of B″ did not dissociate B″ from CA, and stimulated the molecular activity of CAB″ toward phosphorylated H1 and H2B histones, 3.8- and 1.4-fold, respectively, but not toward phosphorylase a.     

Genotype-Associated Differential NKG2D Expression on CD56+CD3+ Lymphocytes Predicts Response to Pegylated-Interferon/ Ribavirin Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infections are significantly more difficult to eradicate with PEG-IFN/ribavirin therapy, compared to HCV genotype 2. The aim of this work is to investigate the difference of immunological impairments underlying this phenomenon. Pre-treatment NKG2D expression on peripheral CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes and CD56+CD3− NK cells from cases of chronic hepatitis C were analyzed and assessed by treatment effect. Two strains of HCV were used to co-incubate with immune cells in vitro. NKG2D expression on peripheral CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes, but not NK cells, was significantly impaired in genotype 1 infection, compared to genotype 2. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were co-incubated with TNS2J1, a genotype 1b/2a chimera strain, or with JFH1, a genotype 2a strain, genotype-specific decrease of NKG2D on CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes, but not NK cells, was observed.　Pre-treatment NKG2D expression on peripheral CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes significantly correlated with reduction in serum HCV RNA levels from week 0 to week 4, and predicted treatment response. Ex vivo stimulation of peripheral CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes showed NKG2D expression-correlated IFN-γ production. In conclusion, Decreased NKG2D expression on CD56+CD3+ lymphocytes in chronic HCV genotype 1 infection predicts inferior treatment response to PEG-IFN/ribavirin therapy compared to genotype 2.     

Protein Phosphatase Methyl-Esterase PME-1 Protects Protein Phosphatase 2A from Ubiquitin/Proteasome Degradation

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a conserved essential enzyme that is implicated as a tumor suppressor based on its central role in phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways. Protein phosphatase methyl esterase (PME-1) catalyzes specifically the demethylation of the C-terminal Leu309 residue of PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac). It has been shown that PME-1 affects the activity of PP2A by demethylating PP2Ac, but also by directly binding to the phosphatase active site, suggesting loss of PME-1 in cells would enhance PP2A activity. However, here we show that PME-1 knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) exhibit lower PP2A activity than wild type MEFs. Loss of PME-1 enhanced poly-ubiquitination of PP2Ac and shortened the half-life of PP2Ac protein resulting in reduced PP2Ac levels. Chemical inhibition of PME-1 and rescue experiments with wild type and mutated PME-1 revealed methyl-esterase activity was necessary to maintain PP2Ac protein levels. Our data demonstrate that PME-1 methyl-esterase activity protects PP2Ac from ubiquitin/proteasome degradation.     

IL-22/STAT3-Induced Increases in SLURP1 Expression within Psoriatic Lesions Exerts Antimicrobial Effects against Staphylococcus aureus

Background

SLURP1 is the causal gene for Mal de Meleda (MDM), an autosomal recessive skin disorder characterized by diffuse palmoplantar keratoderma and transgressive keratosis. Moreover, although SLURP1 likely serves as an important proliferation/differentiation factor in keratinocytes, the possible relation between SLURP1 and other skin diseases, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, has not been studied, and the pathophysiological control of SLURP1 expression in keratinocytes is largely unknown.

Objectives

Our aim was to examine the involvement of SLURP1 in the pathophysiology of psoriasis using an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model mice and normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs).

Results

SLURP1 expression was up-regulated in the skin of IMQ-induced psoriasis model mice. In NHEKs stimulated with the inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-22 and TNF-α, which are reportedly expressed in psoriatic lesions, SLURP1 mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated by IL-22 but not the other two cytokines. The stimulatory effect of IL-22 was completely suppressed in NHEKs treated with a STAT3 inhibitor or transfected with siRNA targeting STAT3. Because IL-22 induces production of antimicrobial proteins in epithelial cells, the antibacterial activity of SLURP1 was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which is known to be associated with disease severity in psoriasis. SLURP1 significantly suppressed the growth of S. aureus.

Conclusions

These results indicate SLURP1 participates in pathophysiology of psoriasis by regulating keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, and by suppressing the growth of S. aureus.     

Bacteriological Assessment of Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia Using a Clone Library Analysis

Background

The causative pathogens of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) remain controversial, and the use of conventional cultivation of sputum samples is occasionally inappropriate due to the potential for oral bacterial contamination. It is also sometimes difficult to determine whether methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a true causative pathogen of HCAP.

Methods

We evaluated the bacterial diversity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using molecular and cultivation methods in 82 HCAP patients. BALF specimens were obtained from the lesions of pneumonia using bronchoscopy. The bacterial flora was analyzed according to the clone library method using amplified fragments of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene with universal primers. In addition, sputum cultures and the above specimens were assessed.

Results

Eighty (97.6%) of the 82 BALF samples obtained from the patients with HCAP showed positive polymerase chain reaction results. The predominant phylotypes detected in the BALF in this study included bacteria common in cases of community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia. In addition, the phylotypes of streptococci and anaerobes were detected in 19 (23.2%) and 8 (9.8%) cases, respectively. In particular, phylotypes of streptococci were highly detected among the patients 75 of age or older. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured in 23 (28.0%) cases using conventional cultivation methods and detected in only 6 (7.3%) cases as predominant phylotypes according to the clone library method.

Conclusions

The clone library analysis of BALF in the HCAP patients detected heterogeneous bacteria and a high incidence of streptococci compared with that observed using cultivation methods. In addition, the results of our study may indicate a lower incidence of MRSA than previously expected in HCAP patients.     

Activation of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Gaucher’s Disease

Gaucher’s disease is caused by defects in acid β-glucosidase 1 (GBA1) and has been also proposed as an inflammatory disease. GBA1 cleaves glucosylceramide to form ceramide, an established bioactive lipid, and defects in GBA1 lead to aberrant accumulation in glucosylceramide and insufficient formation of ceramide. We investigated if the pro-inflammatory kinase p38 is activated in Gaucher’s disease, since ceramide has been proposed to suppress p38 activation. Three Gaucher’s disease mouse models were employed, and p38 was found to be activated in lung and liver tissues of all Gaucher’s disease mice. Most interestingly, neuronopathic Gaucher’s disease type mice, but not non-neuronopathic ones, displayed significant activation of p38 and up-regulation of p38-inducible proinflammatory cytokines in brain tissues. In addition, all type of Gaucher’s disease mice also showed increases in serum IL-6. As cellular signalling is believed to represent an in vivo inflammatory phenotype in Gaucher’s disease, activation of p38 and possibly its-associated formation of proinflammatory cytokines were assessed in fibroblasts established from neuronopathic Gaucher’s disease mice. In mouse Gaucher’s disease cells, p38 activation and IL-6 formation by TNF-α treatment were enhanced as compared to those of wild type. Furthermore, human fibroblasts from Gaucher’s disease patients also displayed increases in p38 activation and IL-6 formation as comparison to healthy counterpart. These results raise the potential that proinflammatory responses such as p38 activation and IL-6 formation are augmented in Gaucher’s disease.     

Real-time single-molecule observations of T7 Exonuclease activity in a microflow channel

T7 Exonuclease (T7 Exo) DNA digestion reactions were studied using direct single-molecule observations in microflow channels. DNA digestion reactions were directly observed by staining template DNA double-stranded regions with SYTOX Orange and staining single-stranded (digested) regions with a fluorescently labeled ssDNA-recognizing peptide (ssBP-488). Sequentially acquired photographs demonstrated that a double-stranded region monotonously shortened as a single-stranded region monotonously increased from the free end during a DNA digestion reaction. Furthermore, DNA digestion reactions were directly observed both under pulse-chase conditions and under continuous buffer flow conditions with T7 Exo. Under pulse-chase conditions, the double-stranded regions of λDNA monotonously shortened by a DNA digestion reaction with a single T7 Exo molecule, with an estimated average DNA digestion rate of 5.7 bases/s and a processivity of 6692 bases. Under continuous buffer flow conditions with T7 Exo, some pauses were observed during a DNA digestion reaction and double-stranded regions shortened linearly except during these pauses. The average DNA digestion rate was estimated to be 5.3 bases/s with a processivity of 5072 bases. Thus, the use of our direct single-molecule observations using a fluorescently labeled ssDNA-recognizing peptide (ssBP-488) was an effective analytic method for investigating DNA metabolic processes.     

Molecular design of fluorescent labeled glycosides as acceptor substrates for sialyltransferases

A series of dansyl-labeled glycosides with di-, tetra-, and hexasaccharides carrying the terminal N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) sequence were synthesized as acceptor substrates for α2,6- and α2,3-sialyltransferases. As an alternative design, dansyl-labeled LacNAc glycoside carrying a long-spacer linked glycan was engineered by replacement of the LacNAc or lactose units with an alkyl chain. In addition, we designed a dansyl-labeled bi-antennary LacNAc glycoside as an N-linked oligosaccharide mimetic, such as asialo-α(1)-acid glycoprotein. The kinetic parameters for the transfer reaction of synthesized dansyl-labeled glycosides by sialyltransferases were determined by the fluorescent HPLC method. The catalytic efficiencies (V(max)/K(m)) of acceptor substrates carrying the terminal LacNAc sequence with various length glycans in the array for α2,6- and α2,3-sialyltransferases decreased in a glycan length-dependent manner. Furthermore, of the acceptor substrates tested, dansyl-labeled bi-antennary LacNAc glycoside displayed the most favorable K(m) value for α2,6- and α2,3-sialyltransferases.