A selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ agonist PYPEP suppresses atherosclerosis in association with improvement of the serum lipoprotein profiles in human apolipoprotein B100 and cholesteryl ester transfer protein double transgenic mice.

Objective: Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ agonists have been shown to improve the serum lipoprotein profiles in humans, the impact of the changes in these lipoprotein profiles on atherosclerosis remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the selective PPARδ agonist-induced alterations of serum lipoprotein profiles and the development of atherosclerosis in human apolipoprotein B100 and cholesterol ester transfer protein double transgenic (hApoB100/hCETP-dTg) mice with human-like hypercholesterolemic dyslipidemia.

Methods: hApoB100/hCETP-dTg mice fed an atherogenic diet received a novel PPARδ agonist (PYPEP) or vehicle for 18 weeks, followed by evaluation of atherosclerosis.

A double epitope tag for quantification of recombinant protein using fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

The expression of recombinant proteins is a well-accepted technology, but their detection and purification often require time-consuming and complicated processes. This paper describes the development of a novel double epitope tag (GEPGDDGPSGAEGPPGPQG) for rapid and accurate quantification of recombinant protein by a homogeneous immunoassay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer. In our double epitope tagging system, recombinant proteins can be simply measured on a microtiter plate by addition of a pair of fluorophore-labeled monoclonal antibodies (their epitopes; GEPGDDGPS and GPPGPQG).

HU0622: a small molecule promoting GAP-43 activation and neurotrophic effects.

During the course of neuronal development or regeneration, the axonal growth cone protein growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) is expressed in a great majority of differentiating neurons, suggesting that the regulation of this gene is tied to important differentiation signals common to many neurons. In order to discover non-peptide molecules capable of mimicking the effects of NGF, we developed a reporter gene assay system based on measurement of light production in PC12 cells stably transfected with the luciferase reporter gene, the expression of which depends on the transcriptional activation of GAP-43. High throughput screening of the proprietary compound collection using this system revealed (E,E)-1-[5-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1-oxo-2,4-pentadienyl]piperidine (HU0622), a piperine derivative, to be an activator of GAP-43 transcription.

Monokine induced by interferon-gamma acts as a neurotrophic factor on PC12 cells and rat primary sympathetic neurons.

We found that a monokine induced by interferon-gamma (Mig, CXCL9), which belongs to the CXC chemokine subfamily, acts as a neurotrophic factor on PC12 cells and rat primary sympathetic neurons. PC12 cells were shown to express a single class of high affinity binding sites for Mig (670 receptors/cell, Kd = 2.9 nm).