Alteration of midkine expression in the ischemic brain of humans

Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor that occurs as a product of the retinoic acid-inducible gene. Alteration of MK expression in ischemic brain lesions was examined in humans immunohistochemically in nine patients and in two control subjects without neurological disorders. Some neurons were MK-immunopositive, but no evident MK-immunoreactivity was observed in astrocytes in brains of control subjects. In the ischemic lesions, significant elevation of MK-immunoreactivity in the astrocytes and depletion of the reactivity in neurons were seen, especially in the early period, where edema and eosinophilic neurons were prominent. On the other hand, MK-immunoreactivity was not observed in hypertrophic and fibrillary astrocytes in the later period. These findings suggest that the MK in astrocytes play some role in the repair process in the early period of the ischemic brain lesions in humans.     

The influence of sulfate content and molecular weight of a fucan sulfate from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome on its antithrombin activity.

The antithrombin effects of the sub-fractionated fucans with different molecular weights and sulfate contents, which were prepared from a fucan sulfate isolated from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome, were examined for their abilities to inhibit thrombin-fibrinogen reaction and amidolytic activity of thrombin, and to bind to fibrinogen. The inhibitory effects of the fucans on both fibrinogen clotting by thrombin and amidolysis of the protein in the presence of heparin cofactor II were improved with increase in their molecular weights and reduced with decrease in their sulfate contents. The binding abilities of the fucans with almost the same sulfate content to fibrinogen were unchanged independently of their molecular weights, although the ability diminished with decrease in the sulphate content. These results suggest that heparin cofactor II-mediated antithrombin activity of the fucan sulfate is dependent on both its sulfate content and molecular weight, and also that the inhibitory effect of the polysaccharide on fibrinogen clotting by thrombin may be attributable to the steric hindrance by its binding to fibrinogen.     

The influence of sulfate content and molecular weight of a fucan sulfate from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome on its antithrombin activity

The antithrombin effects of the sub-fractionated fucans with different molecular weights and sulfate contents, which were prepared from a fucan sulfate isolated from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome, were examined for their abilities to inhibit thrombin-fibrinogen reaction and amidolytic activity of thrombin, and to bind to fibrinogen. The inhibitory effects of the fucans on both fibrinogen clotting by thrombin and amidolysis of the protein in the presence of heparin cofactor II were improved with increase in their molecular weights and reduced with decrease in their sulfate contents. The binding abilities of the fucans with almost the same sulfate content to fibrinogen were unchanged independently of their molecular weights, although the ability diminished with decrease in the sulphate content. These results suggest that heparin cofactor II-mediated antithrombin activity of the fucan sulfate is dependent on both its sulfate content and molecular weight, and also that the inhibitory effect of the polysaccharide on fibrinogen clotting by thrombin may be attributable to the steric hindrance by its binding to fibrinogen.     

Anti-tumor promoting action of phthalic acid mono-n-butyl ester cupric salt, a biomimetic superoxide dismutase

Skin tumor promotion induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was inhibited by a concurrent and topical application of phthalic acid mono-n-butyl ester cupric salt (PAMBCu) in CD-1 mice initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. PAMBCu inhibited TPA-caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction and ear edema formation, i.e. skin inflammation. However, neither PAMBCu nor superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibited TPA-caused ODC induction in primary cultured mouse epidermal cells. 7-Bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene (BrMBA) is known to be a non-TPA type of tumor promoting agent. Epidermal ODC induction and inflammation caused by BrMBA were not inhibited by a concurrent application of PAMBCu. When mice were topically treated twice with PAMBCu, i.e. concurrently with and 7 h after BrMBA treatment, BrMBA-caused ODC induction was markedly suppressed. The same dose regimen of PAMBCu, however, failed to inhibit tumor promotion and inflammation caused by BrMBA. PAMBCu showed SOD-mimetic activity in superoxide generating systems, i.e. xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction and TPA-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Mono-n-butyl phthalate, which lacks SOD-mimetic activity, failed to inhibit TPA-caused ODC induction and skin inflammation. Therefore, inhibition by PAMBCu of TPA-caused tumor promotion, epidermal ODC induction and inflammation may be attributable to its SOD-mimetic activity. The results also support the contention that a superoxide anion of non-epidermal cell origin, such as PMN and macrophages, plays a role (probably some enhancing role) in in vivo ODC induction and tumor promotion caused by TPA. Failure of PAMBCu to inhibit BrMBA-caused tumor promotion suggests that superoxide anion generation is not involved in the tumor promoting action of this agent and that the anti-tumor promoting action of PAMBCu is dependent on the nature of the tumor promoting agents.     

Differential inhibition by staurosporine, a potent protein kinase C inhibitor, of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused skin tumor promotion, epidermal ornithine decarboxylase induction, hyperplasia and inflammation

The effect of staurosporine on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-promoted skin papilloma formation was examined in CD-1 mice. A topical application of staurosporine 15 min prior to each TPA treatment resulted in a dose-related inhibition of tumor formation. Staurosporine by itself had no tumor producing activity in DMBA-initiated mice. Staurosporine failed to prevent TPA-induced edema formation, whereas quercetin markedly suppressed it. Staurosporine by itself did not induce a significant edema. Histological studies revealed that staurosporine failed to inhibit TPA-induced inflammation but rather augmented TPA-induced polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration. Staurosporine by itself induced a slight PMN infiltration 1 h after the drug application, but the effect was only transient. Although staurosporine failed to inhibit the TPA-induced epidermal hyperplasia and DNA synthesis significantly, nuclear atypism of the superficial layer of the epidermis appeared to be less remarkable in staurosporine-pretreated mice. TPA-caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction was not inhibited by staurosporine but rather augmented by this agent. TPA enhanced the phosphorylation of 34 kd protein in intact epidermal cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Staurosporine and 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) suppressed the TPA-stimulated phosphorylation of 34 kd protein, but palmitoylcarnitine failed to suppress it. In addition, TPA-stimulated superoxide generation of rabbit peritoneal PMN was potently inhibited by staurosporine. It is possible that TPA induces inflammation, ODC activity, epidermal hyperplasia and tumor promotion through the activation of different type(s) of protein kinase C and staurosporine inhibits only certain type(s) of protein kinase C. Another possible explanation is that the protein kinase C inhibition by staurosporine depends on the nature of the substrate proteins or the intracellular localization of the enzyme.     

Differential effects of various skin tumor-promoting agents on prostaglandin E2 release from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells was markedly stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), mezerein and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol but not by 4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-di-decanoate in low Ca2+ (50 microM) medium. TPA-evoked PGE2 release was inhibited by mepacrine, indomethacin and H-7 but not by HA1004. These findings suggest that TPA stimulates PGE2 release through activation of protein kinase C, phospholipase A2 and the cyclooxygenase pathway. Of the non-TPA type of tumor promoting agents, i.e. anthralin, chrysarobin, 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene, benzoylperoxide, okadaic acid and palytoxin, only anthralin stimulated PGE2 release. Anthralin-evoked PGE2 release was not inhibited by H-7. In normal Ca2+ (1.8 mM) medium, PGE2 release increased markedly compared to the release in low Ca2+ medium. In normal Ca2+ medium, PGE2 release was stimulated by TPA, anthralin and okadaic acid but not by other tumor promoting agents. In mouse peritoneal macrophages, TPA, palytoxin and okadaic acid stimulated PGE2 release, but other tumor-promoting agents failed to stimulate it. These results suggest that skin tumor promoting agents are not necessarily effective stimulators of prostaglandin production either in macrophages or in epidermal cells, the target cells of skin tumor promotion.     

Comprehensive molecular analysis of Japanese patients with pediatric-onset MODY-type diabetes mellitus

Yorifuji T, Fujimaru R, Hosokawa Y, Tamagawa N, Shiozaki M, Aizu K, Jinno K, Maruo Y, Nagasaka H, Tajima T, Kobayashi K, Urakami T. Comprehensive molecular analysis of Japanese patients with pediatric‐onset MODY‐type diabetes mellitus. Background: In Asians, mutations in the known maturity‐onset diabetes of the young (MODY) genes have been identified in only <15% of patients. These results were obtained mostly through studies on adult patients. Objective: To investigate the molecular basis of Japanese patients with pediatric‐onset MODY‐type diabetes. Subjects: Eighty Japanese patients with pediatric‐onset MODY‐type diabetes. Methods: Mitochondrial 3243A>G mutation was first tested by the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for maternally inherited families. Then, all coding exons and exon–intron boundaries of the HNF1A, HNF1B, GCK, and HNF4A genes were amplified from genomic DNA and directly sequenced. Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification analysis was also performed to detect whole‐exon deletions. Results: After excluding one patient with a mitochondrial 3243A>G, mutations were identified in 38 (48.1%) patients; 18 had GCK mutations, 11 had HNF1A mutations, 3 had HNF4A mutations, and 6 had HNF1B mutations. In patients aged <8 yr, mutations were detected mostly in GCK at a higher frequency (63.6%). In patients >9 yr of age, mutations were identified less frequently (45.1%), with HNF1A mutations being the most frequent. A large fraction of mutation‐negative patients showed elevated homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) insulin‐resistance and normal HOMA‐β indices. Most of the HNF1B mutations were large deletions, and, interestingly, renal cysts were undetectable in two patients with whole‐gene deletion of HNF1B. Conclusion: In Japanese patients with pediatric‐onset MODY‐type diabetes, mutations in known genes were identified at a much higher frequency than previously reported for adult Asians. A fraction of mutation‐negative patients presented with insulin‐resistance and normal insulin‐secretory capacities resembling early‐onset type 2 diabetes.     

中医整体观念施护联合调理脾胃针法对糖尿病肾病患者氧化应激和生活质量的影响

目的 探讨中医整体观念施护联合调理脾胃针法对糖尿病肾病(DN)患者氧化应激和生活质量的影响.方法 选择2018年11月-2019年11月我院收治并确诊的DN患者150例为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组,每组各75例.对照组给予常规护理,观察组给予中医整体观念施护联合调理脾胃针法.比较2组护理后总有效率以及...     

Palmitoylcarnitine reverses 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced refractory state for the TPA-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction in mouse epidermis

When a single topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA) was performed 12 h before the second application, ornithinedecarboxylase (ODC) induction by the second application of TPAwas markedly suppressed (refractory state). However, at intervalsof 96 h between the first and the second application, the ODCactivity induced by the second application of TPA was higher(enhanced state) than the activity induced by the single application.When various antitumor promoting agents, i.e. p-bromophenacylbromide, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, quercetin, 1-tosylamide-2-phenylethylchloromethyl ketone, retinoic acid and palmitoylcarnitine, wereapplied concurrently with the first TPA application, the ODCinduction in the refractory state was restored only by palmitoylcarnitine,but not by other anti-tumor promoting agents. None of theseanti-tumor promoting agents affected the ODC induction in theenhanced state. Stearoylcarnitine also had the restorative effectbut was less effective than palmitoylcarnitine. Acetylcarnitineand palmitic acid were not effective. Pretreatment of mice withTPA 12 h or 96 h before the second TPA application resultedin the reduction or the increase in the V_max values of ODC bothfor ornithine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, respectively. Palmitoylcarnitinerestored these reduced V_max values to the control values. Twelvehours after TPA treatment, the epidermal protein kinase C activityof both cytosol and particulate fractions decreased moderately.At 96 h after TPA application, protein kinase C activities ofboth cytosol and particulate fractions were fully or at leastpartially restored to the control levels. Protein kinase C activitiesboth in the cytosol and the particulate fractions tended tobe restored by palmitoylcarnitine, but the effect was not alwaysreproducible. The TPA-induced refractory state and the enhancedstate for ODC induction appear to result from the changes inthe protein kinase C activities caused by TPA. However, it isnot known whether such changes in the protein kinase C activitiesare the major causes for the TPA-induced refractory and/or enhancedstate for ODC induction and whether or not the restorative effectof palmitoylcarnitine is due to its modulating action on proteinkinase C activity.