Augmentation of activities of peripheral granulocytes and of resistance against bacterial infection after administration of G-CSF into mice]

We evaluated the metabolic capability of murine peripheral granulocytes after administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) by quantitative flow cytometric assay for H2O2-dependent oxidative product formation. Intraperitoneal administration of a daily dose of 10 micrograms of rhG-CSF for 5 days induced doubling of the leukocyte population. Differential counting of peripheral leukocytes and scattergram by flow cytometry showed an increased mature granulocyte population. After stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate, the granulocytes of the rhG-CSF-administered mice demonstrated some hyperresponsive population and an increased H2O2 production. The hyperresponsive population showed H2O2 production 4-6 times higher than did normal cells. Granulocytes from the G-CSF-treated mice revealed an augmented phagocytic activity and an increased expression of Mac-1 molecules. Moreover, mice treated with G-CSF showed an enhanced resistance against intravenous infection with a lethal dose of E. coli. Granulocytes showing such markedly increased oxidative metabolism may be a significant component of the host defence to various infective organisms.     

Expression of β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptors during Drosophila development

An invertebrate biogenic amine, octopamine, plays diverse roles in multiple physiological processes (e.g. neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and circulating neurohormone). Octopamine is thought to function by binding to G-protein-coupled receptors. In Drosophila, three β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptors (Octβ1R, Octβ2R, and Octβ3R) have been identified. We investigated the expression of three OctβR genes in embryos, larvae, and adults. These OctβRs showed distinct expression patterns in the central nervous system (CNS) throughout development, and Octβ3R expression was evident in an endocrine organ, the ring gland, in larvae. In larvae, Octβ1R, Octβ2R, and Octβ3R were expressed in salivary glands and imaginal discs, Octβ2R and Octβ3R in midgut, and Octβ3R in gonads. In adult, besides in the CNS, each OctβR was strongly expressed in ovary and testis. Our findings provide a basis for understanding the mechanisms by which OctβRs mediate multiple diverse octopaminergic functions during development.     

Antiangiogenic effect of carnosic acid and carnosol, neuroprotective compounds in rosemary leaves

Carnosic acid, a diterpene in rosemary, is considered to be beneficial in the prevention of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, it has been found that drugs with antiangiogenic activity lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus it is of interest whether carnosic acid has antiangiogenic activity. In this study, carnosic acid suppressed microvessel outgrowth on ex vivo angiogenesis assay using a rat aortic ring at higher than 10 μM. The antiangiogenic effect of carnosic acid was found in angiogenesis models using human umbilical vein endothelial cells with regard to tube formation on reconstituted basement membrane, chemotaxis and proliferation. Although the carnosol in rosemary also suppressed angiogenesis, its effect was not more potent than that of carnosic acid in the ex vivo model. These results suggest that carnosic acid and rosemary extract can be useful in the prevention of disorders due to angiogenesis, and that their antiangiogenic effect can contribute to a neuroprotective effect.     

Leucocytosis as a marker of organ damage induced by chronic strenuous physical exercise

The effects of strenuous physical exercise on the serial changes in the haematological, biochemical and hormonal markers were investigated. A group of 14 soldiers, aged 24–36 years, took part in a military training course for about 13 weeks. After severe exercise stress, an increase (90%) in the number of peripheral blood leucocytes was observed. The degree of leucocytosis showed a close correlation with the values of some serum parameters, such as concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST;r = 0.747), lactate dehydrogenase (LD;r = 0.748), blood urea nitrogen (r = 0.756), creatine kinase (CK;r = 0.637), manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD;r = 0.508), alanine aminotransferase (ALT;r = 0.542) and uric acid (r = 0.538), and concentrations of urinary parameters, such as vanilmandelic acid (r = 0.429) and free cortisol (r = 0.437). The subjects showing prominent leucocytosis over 9500 cells · l^–1 exhibited a lower concentration of serum cholinesterase than those who showed milder leucocytosis. The serum Mn-SOD concentration was closely correlated with the serial changes in serum concentrations of AST, ALT, LD and CK, indicating exercise-induced muscle and liver damage. The change in peripheral leucocyte number was assumed to be diagnostically informative and may be a prognostic marker, reflecting organ damage and restoration after strenuous physical exercise.     

Gene duplication of endothelin 3 is closely correlated with the hyperpigmentation of the internal organs (Fibromelanosis) in silky chickens

During early development in vertebrates, pluripotent cells are generated from the neural crest and migrate according to their presumptive fate. In birds and mammals, one of the progeny cells, melanoblasts, generally migrate through a dorsolateral route of the trunk region and differentiate to melanocytes. However, Silky is an exceptional chicken in which numerous melanoblasts travel via a ventral pathway and disperse into internal organs. Finally, these ectopic melanocytes induce heavy dermal and visceral melanization known as Fibromelanosis (Fm). To identify the genetic basis of this phenotype, we confirmed the mode of inheritance of Fm as autosomal dominant and then performed linkage analysis with microsatellite markers and sequence-tagged site markers. Using 85 backcross progeny from crossing Black Minorca chickens (BM-C) with F(1) individuals between White Silky (WS) and BM-C Fm was located on 10.2-11.7 Mb of chicken chromosome 20. In addition, we noticed a DNA marker that all Silky chickens and the F(1) individuals showed heterozygous genotyping patterns, suggesting gene duplication in the Fm region. By quantitative real-time PCR assay, Silky line-specific gene duplication was detected as an ~130-kb interval. It contained five genes including endothelin 3 (EDN3), which encoded a potent mitogen for melanoblasts/melanocytes. EDN3 with another three of these duplicated genes in Silky chickens expressed almost twofold of those in BM-C. Present results strongly suggest that the increase of the expression levels resulting from the gene duplication in the Fm region is the trigger of hypermelanization in internal organs of Silky chickens.     

Ectopic expression of the Stabilin2 gene triggered by an intracisternal A particle (IAP) element in DBA/2J strain of mice

Mammalian Genome - Stabilin2 (Stab2) encodes a large transmembrane protein which is predominantly expressed in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and functions as a scavenger receptor...     

Synthesis of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) by rat arterial endothelial cells

We investigated the protein and mRNA expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in endothelial cells of the rat thoracic aorta and femoral artery. Light microscopic immunocytochemistry revealed that immunoreactivity for CGRP was preferentially located in the endothelium of both vessels. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that CGRP-immunoreactive gold particles were preferentially localized on cisterns of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and on the Weibel-Palade (WP) bodies in the endothelial cells. Prepro CGRP mRNA signals were also detected on the endothelium. Our results are the first to demonstrate that endothelial cells of both elastic and large muscular arteries synthesize CGRP and store it, in part, in WP bodies, implying that CGRP may act as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor in these vessels.     

Oxalic acid is available as a natural antioxidant in some systems

Oxalic acid is found in a wide variety of plants. This study showed that oxalic acid suppressed in vitro lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, oxalic acid reduced the rate of ascorbic acid oxidation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and Cu(2+). These results suggest that oxalic acid is available as a natural antioxidant.