Interplay between ChREBP and SREBP-1c coordinates postprandial glycolysis and lipogenesis in livers of mice.

Lipogenesis in liver is highest in the postprandial state; insulin activates SREBP-1c, which transcriptionally activates genes involved in FA synthesis, whereas glucose activates carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP), which activates both glycolysis and FA synthesis. Whether SREBP-1c and ChREBP act independently of one another is unknown. Here, we characterized mice with liver-specific deletion of ChREBP ( mice).

A microchip flow-chamber system for quantitative assessment of the platelet thrombus formation process.

As the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis often includes platelet thrombus formation (PTF), antiplatelet agents are commonly used for the prevention of thromboembolic events. Here, using a novel microchip flow-chamber system we developed to quantitatively analyze the PTF process, we evaluated the pharmacological efficacies of antiplatelet agents under different arterial shear rates. Hirudin-anticoagulated whole blood was perfused over a collagen-coated microchip at shear rates of 1000, 1500, and 2000s(-1), and PTF in the absence and presence of various antiplatelet agents was observed microscopically and quantified by measuring flow-pressure changes.

Preparation and immunological characterization of β-lactoglobulin-amylose conjugate.

β-Lactoglobulin (BLG), a major allergen of cow's milk, was conjugated with the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of the amylose-glycylglycine adduct (AG-ONSu) to reduce its immunogenicity, and the biochemical and immunological properties of the resulting conjugate (AG-BLG) were studied. The conjugate was prepared by modifying BLG with AG-ONSu, and was purified in a Sephadex G-100 column. The analytical data for AG-BLG indicated that 10.

Reduction of the immunogenicity of beta-lactoglobulin from cow's milk by conjugation with a dextran derivative.

Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) was conjugated with the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of the dextran-glycylglycine adduct (DG-ONSu) to reduce the immunogenicity of BLG, a major allergen of cow's milk, and some immunological properties of the conjugate (DG-BLG) were studied. The conjugate was prepared by modifying BLG with DG-ONSu and purified in a Sephadex G-100 column. The analytical data for DG-BLG indicated that 5.

Coordinate regulation/localization of the carbohydrate responsive binding protein (ChREBP) by two nuclear export signal sites: discovery of a new leucine-rich nuclear export signal site.

Carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) is responsible for conversion of dietary carbohydrate to storage fat in liver by coordinating expression of the enzymes that channel glycolytic pyruvate into lipogenesis. The activation of ChREBP in response to high glucose is nuclear localization and transcription, and the inactivation of ChREBP under low glucose involves export from the nucleus to the cytosol. Here we report a new nuclear export signal site ("NES1") of ChREBP.

Regulation of nuclear import/export of carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP): interaction of an alpha-helix of ChREBP with the 14-3-3 proteins and regulation by phosphorylation.

Carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) is a glucose-responsive transcription factor that plays a critical role in the glucose-mediated induction of gene products involved in hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis. Glucose affects the activity of ChREBP largely through post-translational mechanisms involving phosphorylation-dependent cellular localization. In this work we show that the N-terminal region of ChREBP (residues 1-251) regulates its subcellular localization via an interaction with 14-3-3.

IL-18 time-dependently modulates Th1/Th2 cytokine production by ligand-activated NKT cells.

While IL-18 synergizes with IL-12 to induce a Th1 immune response, it also promotes a Th2 response. Here we investigate the modulatory role of IL-18 on the Th1/Th2 cytokine response. The injection of alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), a ligand for NKT cells, elevated mouse serum levels of both IFN-gamma and IL-4.

Neutralization of tumor necrosis factor abrogates hepatic failure induced by alpha-galactosylceramide without attenuating its antitumor effect in aged mice.

Background/aims: The functions of mouse liver NK1.1+ T (NKT) cells stimulated with alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) are enhanced age dependently, and the antitumor and anti-metastatic effect in the liver is dependent on IFN-gamma. However, hepatic injury is independent of IFN-gamma and Fas/Fas-ligand dependent.

Identification and characterization of the hypoxia-responsive element of the human placental 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase gene.

The placenta-type isozyme of human 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (HP2K, identical to PFKFB3) is expressed in a variety of cells and tissues such as placenta, brain, testis, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, primary blood mononuclear cells and cancer cells. We observed previously that the enhancer region of the HP2K gene, which has been identified in the 5'-flanking region between -1265 and -1329, could respond to serum stimulation following the transfection of human choriocarcinoma BeWo cells with HP2K promoter-luciferase constructs. The HP2K enhancer region also contains two copies of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) binding motif (5'-ACGTG-3').

Involvement of caspase-9 in execution of the maternal program of apoptosis in Xenopus late blastulae overexpressed with S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase.

We previously demonstrated that overexpression of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) in Xenopus early embryos induces execution of maternal program of apoptosis shortly after midblastula transition, which likely serves as a fail-safe mechanism of early development to eliminate physiologically damaged cells before they entering the gastrula stage. To determine how caspases are involved in this process, we microinjected peptide inhibitors and "dominant-negative forms" of caspase-9 and -1 into Xenopus fertilized eggs, and found that inhibitors of caspase-9, but not caspase-1, completely suppress SAMDC-induced apoptosis. The lysate of SAMDC-overexpressing late blastulae contained activity to cleave in vitro-synthesized [(35)S]procaspase-9, but not [(35)S]procaspase-1, and mRNA for caspase-9, but not caspase-1, occurred abundantly in the unfertilized egg as maternal mRNA.

Enhancement of the synthetic ligand-mediated function of liver NK1.1Ag+ T cells in mice by interleukin-12 pretreatment.

We previously reported that mouse NK1.1 Ag+ T (NKT) cells activated by interleukin-12 (IL-12) act as anti-tumour/anti-metastatic effectors. However, IL-12 reportedly induces a rapid disappearance of liver NKT cells by activation-induced apoptosis.

Functional and Vbeta repertoire characterization of human CD8+ T-cell subsets with natural killer cell markers, CD56+ CD57- T cells, CD56+ CD57+ T cells and CD56- CD57+ T cells.

We investigated the individual CD8+ populations with natural killer (NK) cell markers (NK-type T cell); CD56 single positive (CD56)-T cells, CD56/CD57 double positive (DP)-T cells and CD57 single positive (CD57)-T cells in the peripheral blood. All NK-type T-cell populations expressed CD122 and intermediate levels of T-cell receptor (TCR; regular CD8+ T cells are CD122- and express high levels of TCR). The number of both DP-T cells and CD57-T cells, but not CD56-T cells, gradually increased with age.

Age-associated augmentation of the synthetic ligand- mediated function of mouse NK1.1 ag(+) T cells: their cytokine production and hepatotoxicity in vivo and in vitro.

We recently reported that the direct antitumor effectors in the liver induced by alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) are NK cells that are activated by the IFN-gamma produced from NK1.1 Ag(+) T cells (NKT cells) specifically stimulated with alpha-GalCer, whereas NKT cells cause hepatocyte injury through the Fas-Fas ligand pathway. In the present study, we investigated how mouse age affects the alpha-GalCer-induced effect using young (6-wk-old), middle-aged (30-wk-old), and old (75-wk-old) mice.

Growth-related signaling regulates activation of telomerase in regenerating hepatocytes.

Although there have been many reports on the relationship between activation of telomerase and carcinogenesis, the role of telomerase in normal cellular growth is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between upregulation of telomerase activity and cell cycle progression during the liver regeneration process by using an in vivo mouse two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) model as well as by using in vitro hepatocyte culture systems. Furthermore, we also investigated the effects of growth factors on telomerase activity during liver regeneration and the influence of MAPK pathway inhibitors (MEK inhibitors PD98059 and U0126; p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580) on the telomerase activity of regenerating hepatocytes in vitro.