Kaori Kitagawa

Mouse senile amyloidosis : ASSAM amyloidosis in mice presents universally as a systemic age-associated amyloidosis

SummaryAmyloid deposition in 11 inbred strains of mice (A/J, SJL/J, DDD, C57BL/6J, B10.BR, C57BL/10, Bl0A/SgSn, C3H/HeMs, B10A(5R), DBA/2 and C57BL/6Cr5/c) was studied using the peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) method and antisera against ASSAM and murine protein AA. Among the 170 mice examined, in 77 (45.3%) from the nine strains other than C3H/ HeMs and DBA/2, there was evidence of spontaneous amyloid deposits in routine histological sections. Immunohistochemical studies using 54 mice with amyloid deposition, demonstrated ASSAM deposition in 45 mice (83.3%) in all nine strains, although the incidence and intensity of the deposition differed somewhat between strains. SJL/J and A/J had ASsam deposits from the age of 8 months and the incidence increased with advancing age. In the other seven strains, ASSAM was first deposited at an older age than in the SJL/J and A/J strains. In A/J, C57BL/6J, C57BL/10, B10.BR, B10A(5R) and C57BL/6Cr5/c, protein AA often coexisted with ASSAM The distribution pattern of the ASSAM deposits was similar to that observed among the SAM strains. Thus, ASSAM is an ubiquitously distributed senile amyloid protein in the mouse. Determination of the molecular type of apoA-II, a serum precursor of ASSAM, among all 11 strains using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed the SAM-P/1 type apoA-II variant in SJL/J and A/J strains with a high susceptibility to ASSAM deposition. We concluded from this study that amino acid substitution in precursor apoA-II may be responsible for the early onset and severe amyloid deposition in the mouse.

Development of congenic strains of mice carrying amyloidogenic apolipoprotein A-II (Apoa2c): Apoa2c reduces the plasma level and the size of high density lipoprotein

A congenic strain of mice with amyloidogenic apolipoprotein A‐II (Apoa2c) on the genetic background of the amyloidosis‐resistant SAM‐R/1 strain was produced by 12 generations of backcrossing. Genome mapping using endogenous murine leukemia proviral markers was done in the congenic strain, termed R1·P1‐Apoa2c. We confirmed that only a small region surrounding the apoA‐II gene on chromosome 1 was transferred from the genome of the donor SAM‐P/1 strain. The level and particle size of plasma high density lipoprotein were decreased in RI · Pl‐Apoa2c mice compared to those in the progenitor SAM‐R/1 mice. The function of apoA‐II can be studied using this strain of mice.

Increased Radiosensitivity of p16 Gene-deleted Human Glioma Cells after Transfection with Wild-type p16 Gene

The A1235 and T98 cell lines derived from human gliomas have homozygous deletions in their p16 genes and are radiosensitive and radioresistant, respectively, with respect to other established glioma cell lines. These differences in radiosensitivity may be due to variations to some extent among cell lines, rather than genetically defined resistance or sensitivity. We examined the effect on radiation sensitivity of introducing a wild‐type p16 gene into both p16‐deficient glioma cell lines. The plasmid pOPMTS containing human wild‐type plfi cDNA and a neomycin resistance gene, or the control plasmid pOPRSV1, were transfected into these cells. Clones from both cell lines, which expressed wild‐type p16 mRNA constitutively after transfection with pOPMTS, were more radiosensitive than the parental cells and clones obtained after transfection with the negative control plasmid.

Modification of strain-specific femoral bone density by bone marrow-derived factors administered neonatally: a study on the spontaneously osteoporotic mouse, SAMP6.

SAMP6 is a recently developed strain of osteoporotic mice, and SAMP2 is a control for SAMP6 and has a higher peak bone mass. The bone mass of SAMP6 was increased until 2 months of age when a lysate of cells derived from the bone marrow of SAMP2 was injected at 1 or 4 days of age, but it was not increased when the lysate was injected at 21 days of age. No effect on bone mass was observed when lysates of other cells, bovine serum albumin or heat-inactivated lysate of bone marrow-derived cells of SAMP2, were injected. The ability to increase bone mass was not in the supernatant but in the pellet obtained by ultracentrifugation (105,000 g) of the lysate of bone marrow-derived cells of SAMP2. The lysate did not change the osteoclast surface but changed the appositional bone formation. In conclusion, the lysate of cells derived from the bone marrow of SAMP2 contains factors which can increase the bone mass of SAMP6, and these factors are present in the pellet obtained by ultracentrifugation.

Effective intervention of low peak bone mass and bone modeling in the spontaneous murine model of senile osteoporosis, SAM-P/6, by Ca supplement and hormone treatment

SAM-P/6 is a recently developed strain of osteoporotic mice. In this study we tried to determine whether calcium, vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and estrogen modified the peak bone mass of young SAM-P/6 mice, and whether the effect of these medications persisted after treatment had been discontinued. Calcium supplement, PTH, and estrogen treatment increased the peak bone mass of SAM-P/6 mice. To clarify the process by which bone mass was increased in these treated mice, we evaluated their bone formation and resorption by histomorphometry and measured the levels of ions and serum enzymes relevant to bone metabolism. We found that bone formation was increased by calcium supplementation, and bone resorption was decreased by estrogen treatment. Furthermore, the effectiveness of calcium supplement on peak bone mass was retained after treatment had been discontinued, but the effect of estrogen treatment on peak bone mass was reduced after estrogen treatment had been discontinued. The results of this study indicate that calcium supplementation and estrogen and PTH treatment each increased peak bone mass at the midpoint of the femur of SAM-P/6, and that the effect of calcium supplementation, but not that of estrogen treatment, persisted after treatment was discontinued.

Regulation of the metabolism of plasma lipoproteins by apolipoprotein A-II

Mouse apolipoprotein (apo) A-II has three variants (type A, B, and C) among inbred strains. To clarify the role of ApoA-II in the metabolism of high density lipoproteins (HDL), we constructed a new congenic mouse strain (P1.R1-Apoa2b) with type B ApoA-II of the SAMR1 strain on the genetic background of the SAMP1 strain, and examined it together with another ApoA-II congenic strain (R1.P1-Apoa2c) containing type C ApoA-II of the SAMPI strain on the SAMR1 strain and the parental SAMP1 and SAMR1 strains. Genetic characterization of the congenic strains indicated that only small regions surrounding the ApoA-II gene of the parental strains had been transferred. The strains with Apoa2c had lower plasma concentrations of HDL and ApoA-II, and a smaller HDL particle size than strains with Apoa2b. We detected no significant differences in the mRNA levels of ApoA-II or in the in vitro translational efficiency of the ApoA-II mRNA among the four strains. These findings suggested that the differences in the post-translational modification or efficiency of secretion between the Apoa2b and Apoa2c protein regulates the ApoA-II concentration which in turn determines the concentration and size of HDL in mice.

Molecular Genetic Study of Mouse Senile Amyloidosis

The apoA-II gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from chromosomal DNA of nine inbred strains of mice. Sequence analysis of the PCR products indicated the presence of three types of apoA-II genes. Three types of apoA-II proteins (A, B and C) were predicted from the nucleotide sequence of apoA-II cDNA. Substitution of amino acid residues was noted at 4 positions. Each type was identifiable by digestion of PCR amplified apoA-II DNA, using restriction enzyme Cfrl3l and Mspl. The mouse strains, SAM-P/1, SAM-P/2, SJL/J, A/J had type A apoA-II. These strains generally exhibit amyloid deposition from relatively younger age. Examination of types of apoA-II and amyloid deposition in the F2 hybrid mice showed that apoA-II amyloid deposition was present only in the homozygous mice for type A apoA-II. We postulate that the molecular structure of apoA-II may be an important factor involved in the development of senile amyloidosis in mice.