Distinct roles of ephrin-B2 forward and EphB4 reverse signaling in endothelial cells.

Objective: The transmembrane ligand ephrin-B2 and its receptor tyrosine kinase EphB4 are specifically expressed on arterial and venous endothelial cells, respectively, and bidirectional signals mediated by both proteins play an important role in vascular development. However, how such bidirectional signals are required for cell-cell adhesion or repulsion remains unclear.

Methods And Results: Using a cell line and sorted primary endothelial cells, we show that ephrin-B2 forward signaling through the EphB4 receptor inhibits cell adhesion, whereas EphB4 reverse signaling by the transmembrane ephrin-B2 ligand does not.

A case of triple synchronous cancers occurring in the gallbladder, common bile duct, and pancreas.

We report a 74-year-old man with triple synchronous cancers occurring in the gallbladder, common bile duct, and pancreas. The patient had consulted a nearby physician because of epigastralgia and icterus. On September 30, 1997, the patient was admitted to our department for further evaluation and treatment.

Antiproliferative property of sphingosine 1-phosphate in rat hepatocytes involves activation of Rho via Edg-5.

Background & Aims: Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a ligand for G protein-coupled endothelial differentiation gene-1 (Edg-1), Edg-3, Edg-5, Edg-6, and Edg-8, elicits a variety of responses by cells. Prominent among these is cell proliferation. S1P is abundantly stored in platelets and released upon their activation, suggesting that S1P plays a pathophysiologic role in vivo.

Yeast Cdk1 translocates to the plus end of cytoplasmic microtubules to regulate bud cortex interactions.

The budding yeast spindle aligns along the mother- bud axis through interactions between cytoplasmic microtubules (CMs) and the cell cortex. Kar9, in complex with the EB1-related protein Bim1, mediates contacts of CMs with the cortex of the daughter cell, the bud. Here we established a novel series of events that target Kar9 to the bud cortex.

Transfer of cholesterol and diacylglycerol from lipophorin to Bombyx mori ovarioles in vitro: role of the lipid transfer particle.

The objective of this study was to characterize the transfer of diacylglycerol (DAG) and cholesterol from larval Bombyx mori lipophorin to ovarioles. Transfer studies were carried out by incubating pupal ovarioles (5-day) with [(3)H]-cholesterol and [(3)H]-DAG-labeled lipophorin under different conditions. Transfer of both cholesterol and DAG exhibited hyperbolic dependency on lipophorin concentration with apparent Km values of 0.

Enantioselective electrochemical oxidation of enol acetates using a chiral supporting electrolyte.

Anodic oxidation of 1-acetoxy-3,4-dihydronaphthalene (1) and alpha-acetoxy-beta-alkylstyrenes (3) at -78 degrees C in a mixed solvent of acetonitrile (CH(3)CN), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and acetic acid (AcOH) containing (S)-tetraethylammonium camphorsulfonate as a chiral supporting electrolyte brought about enantioselective formation of the corresponding 2-acetoxy-1-tetralones (2) and (R)-2-acetoxy-1-phenyl-1-alkanone (4) with maximum enantiomeric excess (ee) of 44% and 21%, respectively. Introduction of a 7-methoxy group into 1 and increase in bulkiness of a beta-alkyl group in 3 resulted in improvement of enantioselectivity of the reactions.

Extensive hemorrhagic erosive gastritis associated with acute pancreatitis successfully treated with a somatostatin analog.

In massive hemorrhage from acute gastric mucosal lesions, it is occasionally difficult to control the bleeding with nonsurgical therapy. We used the somatostatin analog, octreotide, which suppresses gastric and pancreatic function, to treat severe hemorrhagic erosive gastritis in a patient with acute pancreatitis. A 22-year-old man presented with epigastralgia and melena.

Resistance to neointimal hyperplasia and fatty streak formation in mice with adrenomedullin overexpression.

Objective: Several in vitro studies have implicated that adrenomedullin (AM) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular injury and fatty streak formation. To test this possibility in vivo, we evaluated 2 experimental models using transgenic mice overexpressing AM in a vessel-selective manner (AMTg mice).

Methods And Results: Placement of a periarterial cuff on femoral arteries resulted in neointimal formation at 2 to 4 weeks to a lesser extent in AMTg mice than in their wild-type littermates (at 28 days, intima/media area ratio 0.

Isolation, characterization, and cDNA sequence of a carotenoid binding protein from the silk gland of Bombyx mori larvae.

A carotenoid binding protein (CBP) has been isolated from the silk glands of Bombyx mori larvae. The protein has an apparent molecular mass of 33 kDa and binds carotenoids in a 1:1 molar ratio. Lutein accounts for 90% of the bound carotenoids, whereas alpha-carotene and beta-carotene are minor components.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate 5-kinase is required for the cellular response to nutritional starvation and mating pheromone signals in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Background: Phosphatidylinositol (3,5) bisphosphate, which is converted from phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate by phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate 5-kinase, is implicated in vacuolar functions and the sorting of cell surface proteins within endosomes in the endocytic pathway of budding yeast. A homologous protein, SpFab1p, has been found in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, but its role is not known.

Results: Here we report that SpFab1p is encoded by ste12+ known as a fertility gene in S.

Extensive mesenteric vein and portal vein thrombosis successfully treated by thrombolysis and anticoagulation.

Mesenteric vein thrombosis is generally difficult to diagnose and can be fatal. A case of extensive thrombosis of the mesenteric and portal veins was diagnosed early and successfully treated in a 26-year-old man with Down syndrome who was admitted to hospital because of abdominal pain, severe nausea and high fever. Ultrasonography revealed moderate ascites, and there was minimal flow in the portal vein (PV) on the Doppler examination.

Esophageal smooth muscle tumor in a 25-year-old woman with congenital malformations.

We recently treated a 25-year-old woman with an esophageal smooth muscle tumor with congenital malformations. Although the large size of the tumor and the presence of hemonecrotic lesion suggested the tumor to be leiomyosarcoma, histological studies revealed it to be leiomyoma. According to previous reports in the English-language literature, the coincidence of esophageal smooth muscle tumor with congenital malformations is relatively rare, and the coincidence of such a tumor with malformations of the type seen in this patient has never been reported.

IgG1 anti-P2 as a marker of response to interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

To study the relations of antibody production to long-term outcomes after interferon (IFN) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C), we used ELISA to measure the levels of antibodies against HCV core protein and peptides. Samples from 21 complete responders and 36 non-responders were collected before IFN therapy, soon after the end of IFN therapy and 6 months later. Using a set of 19 synthesized HCV core peptide antigens, we found that anti-P2 (11-25a.

Mg-promoted regio- and stereoselective C-acylation of aromatic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

[reaction: see text]. Treatment of aromatic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with Mg turnings in the presence of acid anhydrides/TMSCl or acyl chlorides in DMF brought about a facile and efficient cross-coupling to give C-acylation products, which are useful 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds, in good to excellent yields in a regio- and stereoselective manner. The reaction may be initiated by electron transfer from magnesium to the substrates.

Role of central nervous system nitric oxide in the development of neurogenic pulmonary edema in rats.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate roles of nitric oxide in the central nervous system in the development of neurogenic pulmonary edema. Nitric oxide donor compounds have been reported to be effective for controlling some kinds of pulmonary edema.

Design: Randomized trial.

Pseudolymphoma of the liver associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is known to be associated with pseudolymphoma in several organs. We describe a patient with SS complicated by a hepatic pseudolymphoma. Although the development of a hepatic pseudolymphoma is extremely rare, this disorder should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of space occupying lesions related to autoimmune diseases such as SS.

The MEK1-ERK map kinase pathway and the PI 3-kinase-Akt pathway independently mediate anti-apoptotic signals in HepG2 liver cancer cells.

Primary liver cancers, which are generally hypervascular in nature, depend highly on blood supply. So far there are few reports on apoptosis of liver cancer cells upon deprivation of serum-derived survival factors. The aim of our study is to clarify molecular mechanisms by which liver cancer cells survive with the aid of serum.

Thrombin inhibition by HCII in the presence of elastase-cleaved HCII and thrombin-HCII complex.

The rate of thrombin inhibition by heparin cofactor II (HCII) is facilitated by heparin or dermatan sulfate in vitro. The distributions of these glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in vivo are not the same; heparin-like substance is rich on the surface of endothelial cells and dermatan sulfate is relatively dominant in the extravascular region. When inflammation takes place, at least two other possible existent forms of HCII, the complexed form with thrombin and the cleaved form by leukocyte elastase, are assumed to be present at relatively high concentrations in a local circumstance.

Activated peritoneal macrophages inhibit the proliferation of rat ascites hepatoma AH-130 cells via the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide.

Objective: To study the effect of peritoneal macrophages on tumor cell proliferation, we cultured ascites hepatoma AH-130 cells with unstimulated, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or interleukin (IL)-2-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages, and examined the proliferation of AH-130 cells.

Materials And Methods: Rat peritoneal macrophages isolated from male Wistar rats were co-cultured with AH-130 cells in the absence or presence of LPS or IL-2. After incubation, proliferation of AH-130 cells was analyzed using flow cytometry.

Emergence of the precore mutant late in chronic hepatitis B infection correlates with the severity of liver injury and mutations in the core region.

Objective: The reason that precore negative mutants (e-minus DNA) gradually become predominant in some patients during chronic hepatitis B virus infection is not clear. Theoretically, as long as both e-plus and e-minus DNA share the same epitopes in the core region, HBcAg-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) cannot distinguish between the target peptides expressed by e-plus and e-minus DNA. Therefore, e-minus DNA may be accompanied by additional mutations in the core region, which may affect cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition.

A case of fibrous histiocytoma of the liver.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is a rare disease. We describe a 68-year-old man admitted to the hospital because of malaise. On admission, hematologic and serum chemical examinations showed no abnormalities.

Lysophosphatidic acid enhances collagen gel contraction by hepatic stellate cells: association with rho-kinase.

We studied the effect of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) on collagen gel contraction by cultured rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in association with the function of Rho-kinase, one of the target molecules of small GTPase Rho. Binding studies showed a single class-binding site of LPA on HSCs. LPA enhanced the contraction of a collagen lattice seeded with HSCs.

Biological activities of novel lipid mediator sphingosine 1-phosphate in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S-1-P), a lipid mediator shown to be a ligand for aortic G protein-coupled receptor [corrected] (AGRs), endothelial differentiation gene (EDG)1, EDG3, and AGR16/EDG5, is stored in platelets and released on their activation. Platelet consumption occurs in acute liver injury. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play an important role in wound healing.

Presence and quantification of neuropeptide Y in pulmonary edema fluids in rats.

The present study was undertaken to determine the contribution of neuropeptide Y to edema occurrence in neurogenic and hydrostatic pulmonary edema. To induce neurogenic pulmonary edema, fibrinogen and thrombin were injected into the cisterna magna; and to evoke hydrostatic pulmonary edema, saline was infused intravenously. Concentrations of neuropeptide Y in serum and edema fluid were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which showed a mean value of 158 nM (95% confidence limit 124-202 nM) in the neurogenic edema fluid, significantly higher than that in the hydrostatic one.

Spectroscopic characterization of the conformational adaptability of Bombyx mori apolipophorin III.

Apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) from the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, has been over-expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized. Far-UV CD spectroscopic analysis revealed 65% alpha-helix secondary structure. Near-UV CD spectra obtained in buffer or complexed with dimyristoylglycerophosphocholine (DMPC), provided evidence that apoLp-III alpha-helices reorient upon interaction with lipid, indicative of a protein conformational change.