Akio Monji

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Modulates Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Chronic Heart Failure via Angiogenesis-Dependent and -Independent Actions

Background— The inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) protects the heart from acute myocardial ischemia. However, the role of DPP4 in chronic heart failure independent of coronary artery disease remains unclear. Methods and Results— We first localized the membrane-bound form of DPP4 to the capillary endothelia of rat and human heart tissue. Diabetes mellitus promoted the activation of the membrane-bound form of DPP4, leading to reduced myocardial stromal cell-derived factor-1&agr; concentrations and resultant angiogenic impairment in rats. The diabetic rats exhibited diastolic left ventricular dysfunction (DHF) with enhanced interstitial fibrosis caused partly by the increased ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-2 to tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 in a DPP4-dependent fashion. Both genetic and pharmacological DPP4 suppression reversed the stromal cell-derived factor-1&agr;–dependent microvasculopathy and DHF associated with diabetes mellitus. Pressure overload induced DHF, which was reversed by DPP4 inhibition via a glucagon-like peptide-1/cAMP-dependent mechanism distinct from that for diabetic heart. In patients with DHF, the circulating DPP4 activity in peripheral veins was associated with that in coronary sinus and with E/e′, an echocardiographic parameter representing DHF. Comorbid diabetes mellitus increased the circulating DPP4 activities in both peripheral veins and coronary sinus. Conclusions— DPP4 inhibition reverses DHF via membrane-bound DPP4/stromal cell-derived factor-1&agr;–dependent local actions on angiogenesis and circulating DPP4/glucagon-like peptide-1–mediated inotropic actions. Myocardium-derived DPP4 activity in coronary sinus can be monitored by peripheral vein sampling, which partly correlates with DHF index; thus, circulating DPP4 may potentially serve as a biomarker for monitoring DHF.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor activation reverses cardiac remodeling via normalizing cardiac steatosis and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist exendin-4 (Ex-4) is a remedy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ex-4 ameliorates cardiac dysfunction induced by myocardial infarction in preclinical and clinical settings. However, it remains unclear whether Ex-4 may modulate diabetic cardiomyopathy. We tested the impact of Ex-4 on two types of diabetic cardiomyopathy models, genetic (KK) and acquired T2DM induced by high-fat diet [diet-induced obesity (DIO)], to clarify whether Ex-4 may combat independently of etiology. Each type of mice was divided into Ex-4 (24 nmol·kg(-1)·day(-1) for 40 days; KK-ex4 and DIO-ex4) and vehicle (KK-v and DIO-v) groups. Ex-4 ameliorated systemic and cardiac insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in both T2DM models. T2DM mice exhibited systolic (DIO-v) and diastolic (DIO-v and KK-v) left ventricular dysfunctions, which were restored by Ex-4 with reduction in left ventricular hypertrophy. DIO-v and KK-v exhibited increased myocardial fibrosis and steatosis (lipid accumulation), in which were observed cardiac mitochondrial remodeling and enhanced mitochondrial oxidative damage. Ex-4 treatment reversed these cardiac remodeling and oxidative stress. Cytokine array revealed that Ex-4-sensitive inflammatory cytokines were ICAM-1 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Ex-4 ameliorated myocardial oxidative stress via suppression of NADPH oxidase 4 with concomitant elevation of antioxidants (SOD-1 and glutathione peroxidase). In conclusion, GLP-1R agonism reverses cardiac remodeling and dysfunction observed in T2DM via normalizing imbalance of lipid metabolism and related inflammation/oxidative stress.

Detection of mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions in levofloxacin- and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: effects of the mutations on fluoroquinolone MICs

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 18 antibiotics were determined for 66 clinical isolates of staphylococci. Genotypes, mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs), and effect of efflux were determined in the 18 levofloxacin-resistant isolates, for which the MICs of levofloxacin were high (> or =8 microg/ml). The increased levofloxacin resistance mainly resulted from some combinations of mutations in the QRDRs, although NorA-mediated efflux may play a minor role in resistance. A combination of mutations in GrlA (Ser80Phe), GrlB (Pro451Ser), and GyrA (Ser84Leu) was found in 4 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates that were unrelated genotypically. The mutations in grlA QRDR varied in the isolates classified as being in an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) group, although the grlB, gyrA, and gyrB QRDRs were the same. These results suggest that the patterns of amino acid mutations in the QRDRs can provide distinct epidemiologic information from PFGE genotypes in fluoroquinolone-resistant MRSA. A combination of at least three mutations in GrlA, GrlB, and/or GyrA is required to increase the MICs of fluoroquinolones, although all of the levofloxacin-resistant MRSA retained the MICs of sitafloxacin in the range of 1 to 2 microg/ml.

Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibition Alleviates Shortage of Circulating Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 in Heart Failure and Mitigates Myocardial Remodeling and Apoptosis via the Exchange Protein Directly Activated by Cyclic AMP 1/Ras-Related Protein 1 Axis

Background—Ample evidence demonstrates cardiovascular protection by incretin-based therapy using dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor (DPP4i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) under either diabetic or nondiabetic condition. Their action on myocardium is mediated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal; however, the pathway remains uncertain. This study was conducted to address the effect of DPP4i/GLP-1/cAMP axis on cardiac dysfunction and remodeling induced by pressure overload (thoracic aortic constriction [TAC]) independently of diabetes mellitus. Methods and Results—DPP4i (alogliptin, 10 mg/kg per day for 4 weeks) prevented TAC-induced contractile dysfunction, remodeling, and apoptosis of myocardium in a GLP-1 receptor antagonist (exendin [9-39])–sensitive fashion. In TAC, circulating level of GLP-1 (in pmol/L; 0.86±0.10 for TAC versus 2.13±0.54 for sham control) unexpectedly declined and so did the myocardial cAMP concentration (in pmol/mg protein; 33.0±1.4 for TAC versus 42.2±1.5 for sham). Alogliptin restored the decline in the GLP-1/cAMP levels observed in TAC, thereby augmented cAMP signaling effectors (protein kinase A [PKA] and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 1 [EPAC1]). In vitro assay revealed distinct roles of PKA and EPAC1 in cardiac apoptosis. EPAC1 promoted cardiomyocyte survival via concomitant increase in B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression and activation of small G protein Ras-related protein 1 (Rap1) in a cAMP dose–dependent and PKA–independent fashion. Conclusions—DPP4i restores cardiac remodeling and apoptosis caused by the pathological decline in circulating GLP-1 in response to pressure overload. EPAC1 is essential for cardiomyocyte survival via the cAMP/Rap1 activation independently of PKA.

Use of a Three-Dimensional Microarray System for Detection of Levofloxacin Resistance and the mecA Gene in Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT We evaluated a novel three-dimensional microarray (PamChip microarray) system to detect the presence of levofloxacin-related resistance mutations and the mecA gene. The results were compared to those obtained for 27 Staphylococcus aureus isolates by conventional DNA sequencing or PCR methods. Hybridization and fluorescence detection were performed using an FD10 system designed for PamChip microarray under conditions optimized for each target/probe on the array. In dilution series analysis using multiplex PCR samples, the sensitivity of the microarray was about 10 times greater than that of conventional PCR methods. A high level of data reproducibility was also confirmed in those analyses. Various point mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions detected by our system corresponded perfectly to the results obtained by conventional DNA sequencing. The results of the mecA gene detection using our system also corresponded to the PCR method; that is, signal/band was detected in all isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and no signal/band was detected in any isolate of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus. In conclusion, our novel three-dimensional microarray system provided rapid, specific, easy, and reproducible results for the simultaneous detection of levofloxacin resistance and the mecA gene in S. aureus.

Release of exotoxin A, peptidoglycan and endotoxin after exposure of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to carbapenems in vitro.

Background: Production of several cell-associated components and extracellular enzymes can play important roles in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Methods: We characterized the time course of morphological changes, production of exotoxin A (ETA) and release of peptidoglycan (PG) and endotoxin (ET) in clinical P. aeruginosa isolates after exposure to carbapenems including imipenem, panipenem, meropenem and biapenem at 0.5, 2, 8 and 32 µg/ml. Results: The amount of ETA in the supernatant of bacterial cultures exposed to carbapenems correlated with the number of viable cells, independently of morphological changes. Formation of ovoid cells and rapid cell lysis induced by carbapenems above the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) decreased ETA production and ET release, while filamentation and prolonged cell lysis increased ETA production and/or ET release. Neither the number of viable cells nor bacterial morphology was related to the amount of PG released throughout the 6-hour observation period. Conclusion: Exposure to concentrations of carbapenems above the MIC resulted in rapid cell lysis of P. aeruginosa and decreased ETA levels and ET release, while filamentation and prolonged cell lysis induced by exposure to sub-MICs of carbapenems were associated with increased ETA production and/or greater ET release.

A dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor ameliorates hypertensive cardiac remodeling via angiotensin-II/sodium-proton pump exchanger-1 axis

BACKGROUND To address the impact of antidiabetic drugs on cardiovascular safety is a matter of clinical concern. Preclinical studies revealed that various protective effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) on cardiovascular disease; however, its impact of on hypertension remains controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS Teneligliptin (TEN; 10mg/kg/day/p.o.) ameliorates hypertension and cardiac remodeling by normalizing a rise of angiotensin-II (AngII) that specifically observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). TEN had no effects on vasculature and concentrations of the DPP4-related vasoactive peptides (bradykinin, neuropeptide Y, and atrial natriuretic peptide). The primary action of TEN on BP lowering was due to restoring the AngII-induced manifestation of congestive heart failure observed in SHR. Sodium-proton pump exchanger type 1 (NHE-1) is a regulator of intracellular acidity (pHi) and implicated pathophysiological role in cardiac remodeling occurred in diseased myocardium. Cardiac NHE-1 expression level was increased in SHR and this was restored in TEN-treated SHR. AngII directly augmented cardiac NHE-1 expression and its activity that contributed to hypertrophic response. TEN attenuated the AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy with decline in pHi via suppression of NHE-1. Loss of NHE-1 activity by specific inhibitor or RNA silencing promoted intracellular acidification and consistently attenuated the AngII-mediated cardiac hypertrophy. CONCLUSION The present study revealed the protective actions of TEN on hypertension and comorbid cardiac remodeling via AngII/NHE-1 axis and the novel pathophysiological roles of intracellular acidification via NHE-1 in cardiac hypertrophy.