Effect of KB-2796, a new diphenylpiperazine Ca2+ antagonist, on voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents and oxidative metabolism in dissociated mammalian CNS neurons

The effects of KB-2796, 1-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-4-(2,3,4- trimethoxybenzyl)piperazine-2HCl, on the low- and high-voltage activated Ca2+ currents (LVA and HVA ICa, respectively) and on oxidative metabolism were studied in neurons freshly dissociated from rat brain. KB-2796 reduced the peak amplitude of LVA ICa in a concentration-dependent manner with a threshold concentration of 10(-7) M when the LVA ICa was elicited every 30 s in the external solution with 10 mM Ca2+. The concentration for half-maximum inhibition (IC50) was 1.9 x 10(-6) M. At 10(-5) M or more of KB-2796, a complete suppression of the LVA ICa was observed in the majority of neurons tested. There was no apparent effect on the current-voltage (I-V) relationship and the current kinetics. KB-2796 delayed the reactivation and enhanced the inactivation of the Ca2+ channel for LVA ICa voltage- and time-dependently, suggesting that KB-2796 preferentially binds to the inactivated Ca2+ channel. KB-2796 at a concentration of 3.0 x 10(-6) M also decreased the peak amplitude of the HVA ICa without shifting the I-V relationship. In addition, KB-2796 reduced the oxidative metabolism (the formation of reactive oxygen species) of the neuron in a concentration-dependent manner with a threshold concentration of 3 x 10(-6) M. It is suggested that the inhibitory action of KB-2796 on the neuronal Ca2+ influx and the oxidative metabolism, in combination with a cerebral vasodilatory action, may reduce ischemic brain damage.     

Targeted disruption of mammalian hairy and Enhancer of split homolog-1 (HES-1) leads to up-regulation of neural helix-loop-helix factors, premature neurogenesis, and severe neural tube defects

Mammalian hairy and Enhancer of split homolog-1 (HES-1) encodes a helix-loop-helix (HLH) factor that is thought to act as a negative regulator of neurogenesis. To directly investigate the functions of HES-1 in mammalian embryogenesis, we performed a targeted disruption of the HES-1 locus. Mice homozygous for the mutation exhibited severe neurulation defects and died during gestation or just after birth. In the developing brain of HES-1-null embryos, expression of the neural differentiation factor Mash-1 and other neural HLH factors was up-regulated and postmitotic neurons appeared prematurely. These results suggest that HES-1 normally controls the proper timing of neurogenesis and regulates neural tube morphogenesis.     

Protective effect of oral administration of a traditional medicine, Juzen-Taiho-To, and its components on lethal Candida albicans infection in immunosuppressed mice

Protective effects of a kampo medicine, Juzen-taiho-to (TJ-48) and its herbal components against experimental candidiasis in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressive mice were investigated. ICR mice were immunosuppressed by intraperitoneal treatment with cyclophosphamide (day-4) and were orally given TJ-48 or one of its 10 herbal components for 4 consecutive days (day-4--1). They were then challenged intravenously with a lethal dose of Candida albicans (day 0). An oral dose of 1 g/kg/day of TJ-48 prolonged their life span. A similar protective effect was obtained by treatment with its component drugs Ginseng radix, Glycyrrhizae radix, Atractylodis lancea rhizoma or Cnidii rhizoma. These herbal components were suggested to have a main role in the protective effect of Juzen-taiho-to against Candida infection.     

Synthesis and 5 alpha-reductase inhibitory activities of benzofuran derivatives with a carbamoyl group

Pentoxifylline, which has immunomodulatory effects in addition to its better known rheologic effects, might potentiate the effectiveness of traditional immunosuppressive drugs. We therefore studied the suppressive effect of pentoxifylline in combination with clinically relevant concentrations of prednisolone, methylprednisolone, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, rapamycin, and mycophenolic acid on mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes from 29 patients with glomerular diseases. Inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation obtained with 10(-7) and 10(-8) mol/L concentrations of the glucocorticoids and with 300 ng/mL cyclosporine was significantly increased when each was combined with 5, 25, or 50 microg/mL of pentoxifylline. The additive inhibitory effect of pentoxifylline in combination with 10(-7) mol/L glucocorticoids was inversely proportional to the inhibitory effect of the 10(-7) mol/L concentration of glucocorticoid alone, suggesting that the less sensitive the patient's cells, the greater the potentiation by pentoxifylline. The greatest degree of potentiation by pentoxifylline occurred when combined with the lower (10(-8) mol/L) concentration of glucocorticoids. Pentoxifylline also significantly increased lymphocyte suppression in combination with 150 and 300 ng/mL concentrations of cyclosporine, 5 ng/mL of tacrolimus, 2.5 x 10(-7) mol/L mycophenolic acid, and 10 ng/mL of rapamycin. These in vitro results suggest that pentoxifylline might have steroid-sparing effects and contribute to improved clinical outcomes from immunosuppressive treatment of renal diseases.     

Analysis of the thromboxane/prostacyclin balance in human urine by gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring: abnormalities in diabetics

Mouse fibroblasts (B-6) were cultured on agar-coated dishes. After cells grew for 2-3 generations relatively rapidly in suspension, they began to grow very slowly (stationary phase). Electron microscopic studies showed that cells in a stationary phase developed intracellular organella: membranous structures (endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus) became manifest and the number of mitochondria increased. The specific activities of succiniccytochrome c reductase and 5'-nucleotidase were three and five times higher, respectively, than those of cells on the dish.     

Structure of a simulated muscle system

This paper describes a network system designed to realize the motion of a muscle. First, the motion of the network system is analyzed by a model system which consists of many electromagnets. Second, the control strategy of the network motion system, implemented with microactuators, is described. In the proposed network motion system, the total system consists of many force transmission lines and the superposition of the force signals propagated by the lines acts on the final actuator. The proposed motion control method is therefore called the Delay Superposition Method (DSM). Several experimental and numerical results confirm the validity of the proposed method.     

Prediction of optical efficacy of vital tooth bleaching using regression analysis

Establishing a colorimetric guideline to predict the effectiveness of tooth bleaching could produce a more reliable dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tooth bleaching and to test the predictability of tooth color changes. A 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching system was used in studies at Harvard University and at Iwate Medical University in Japan. L*, a*, and b* values (CIELAB) for pre‐ and postbleaching were obtained and color differences (ΔE) were calculated. The b* and L* values of the original tooth color indicated a relatively strong to moderate correlation with ΔE values, whereas a* showed a weak correlation. The multiple‐regression equation obtained from the color data of Harvard subjects performed better than the predictive model. The predicted ΔE correlated strongly with the observed ΔE (r = 0.78). The validation of this equation on data collected from Iwate confirmed the strong correlation (r = 0.74). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 29, 390–394, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20048     

Retinal functional change caused by adenoviral vector-mediated transfection of LacZ gene

We examined the effect of insertion of an exogenous gene on retinal function to assess the rationale of adenoviral vector-mediated gene transfer for future gene therapy. An adenoviral vector expressing bacterial LacZ (AdCALacZ) was injected into the eyes of adult rats either intravitreally (group A) or subretinally (group B), and the gene expression and retinal function were thus examined at different time points after gene transfer for 3 weeks. X-Gal histostaining showed that neural retinal cells were transfected in group A and that retinal pigment epithelial cells were transfected in group B. The gene transfer was more efficient in group B (54.4% of the fixed retinal area was stained) than in group A (10.4%). The electroretinogram (ERG) revealed retinal dysfunction in the AdCALacZ-transfected rats even at the stage in which the histological damage was not apparent by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical studies for cytokeratin, S-100 protein, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. The ERG change was correlated with the intensity of inflammation, and retinal function recovered to the original level by 3 weeks, along with a diminution of inflammation. Functional changes were more evident in eyes treated with AdCALacZ than in those infected with adenoviral vector with no exogenous gene; however, no histological difference was observed between these groups, indicating that the insertion of exogenous gene itself affects retinal function. The results showed that different kinds of retinal cells could be gene-transferred by an adenoviral vector, depending on the application method. The retinal dysfunction caused by each adenoviral transfection method was caused by inflammation and the insertion of exogenous gene, and this retinal dysfunction was recoverable. In future gene therapy, special attention should be given to the method of exogenous gene insertion in the retina.