Kazuyoshi Kawai

cDNA cloning of IL-1α and IL-1β from mRNA of U937 cell line

Clones of cDNAs encoding growth inhibitory factors for human melanoma cell line A375 were isolated from cDNA library prepared by using mRNA derived from human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 induced with PMA and further stimulated with LPS. Cloning was achieved using Okayama-Berg cDNA expression vector system that permits expression of the inserted cDNA segments in mammalian cells. By assaying the transfected COS-1 cells supernatants and cell extracts, we isolated two distinct cDNA clones encoding growth inhibitory factors. It was determined by the nucleotide sequences of the inserts, the cDNAs corresponded to IL-1 alpha and -1 beta. Our results indicate U937 cells can be induced to produce both interleukin-1s.

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor is produced by human T lymphoblastoid cell line, CEM-ON: Identification by amino-terminal amino acid sequence analysis

A subclone, designated CEM-ON, derived from an azaguanine-resistant human leukemic T cell line, CEM-AG(R), constitutively secretes a colony-stimulating factor (CSF) which stimulates the production of macrophages from murine bone marrow progenitor cells. This CSF has been purified from serum-free conditioned medium. Highly purified CEM-ON CSF with a specific activity of 4.7 X 10(7) units/mg protein was obtained. Amino-terminal sequence analysis showed that the first 27 amino acids were identical to the amino-terminal sequence of the M-CSF (CSF-1) based on the cDNAs for human M-CSF. On SDS-PAGE analysis, CEM-ON CSF had an apparent molecular weight of 33,000-43,000; following reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol, this migrated as a 20,000-24,000 subunit, suggesting a homodimer structure. These results show that a human T cell line, CEM-ON, secretes M-CSF into its medium.

A mutant protein of human interleukin-1ß with immunostimulatory but not pyrogenic potency

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediates a variety of immune and inflammatory responses. In order to understand the mechanisms involved in multiple biological functions, it is important to define the active sites of IL-1. Using the technique for site-specific mutagenesis, we tested whether the arginine residue at the 4th position in human IL-1 beta is essential for multiple biological activities. In our experiments, the fourth position is replaced by a non-basic amino acid--either glycine or aspartic acid. The resulting mutant protein shows both immunostimulatory activity and the ability to induce hematopoietic growth factors similar to native IL-1 beta, but has a markedly reduced pyrogenic potency. Therefore, the mutant protein of IL-1 beta may represent a good candidate for use in vivo as an adjuvant for poor immunogenic vaccines.

Apoptosis-indudng activity and growth suppression by vesnarinone on human glioma transplanted in nude mice

AbstractThe growth and morphological change of human glioma transplanted subcutaneously and intracerebrally to nude mice with orally administered vesnarinone, 3,4-dihydro-6-[4-(3,4-dimethoxy-benzoyl)-T- piperazinyl]-2(1 H)-quinolinone, were examined. The tumor volume of human glioma xenograft, GL-9, subcutaneously transplanted to nude mice, was significantly decreased by orally administered vesnarinone at a dose of 500 mg kg~1. Vesnarinone also significantly prolonged the survival of nude mice transplanted intracerebrally with GL-9. Apoptosis was observed in paraffin sections of both subcutaneous and intracerebral GL-9 by the method of direct immunoperoxidase detection of digoxigenin-dUTP-labeled nick ends introduced by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. These findings suggest that vesnarinone suppresses the growth and induces apoptosis of glioma cells in vivo. [Neurol Res 1999; 21: 409^-14]

Therapeutic effect of rebamipide in a modified acetic acid-induced buccal mucosal ulcer model

Previous studies have suggested that rebamipide, a gastroprotective drug, might be effective for the treatment of aphthous oral ulcers in Behçets disease patients. The aim of this study was to confirm the effect of rebamipide on experimentally induced stomatitis in a rat acetic acidinduced oral ulcer model. Buccal mucosal lesions were induced by local injection of 50 μl of 99.7% acetic acid into the buccal mucosa, which produced a single large ulcer in each of the treated rats. The ulcer remained up to 14 days. Repeated dose of rebamipide (3-100 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased the ulcer area. Histopathologically, increased fibrosis and regenerated epithelium were observed in the rebamipide-treated group. In contrast, indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, impaired the healing of ulcers. We have successfully established an improved method for the administration of acetic acid to induce oral ulcers, and rebamipide accelerated the ulcer healing.

Differentiation inducing effects of vesnarinone on human glioma cells

The effects of 3,4-dihydro-6-[4-(3,4-dimethoxybenzoyl)-1-piperazinyl]-2(1H)-quinolinone (vesnarinone) on the growth of glioma cells were examined in vitro. Vesnarinone at a dose of 100 mug/ml suppressed the growth of four different glioma cell lines, U-251MG, U-373MG, U-87MG and A-172, by approximately 50%, with an elongation of the cytoplasmic process on day 5 of culture. The long-term culture of U-87MG with 10 mug/ml of vesnarinone was continued up to day 34. Although growth suppression was approximately 25% on day 5, it reached over 95% on day 34. An increase in the cyclic adenosine monophosphate content of glioma cells cultured with vesnarinone was observed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The accumulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein was observed to occur with vesnarinone by ELISA. These findings suggest that vesnarinone suppressed the growth and induced differentiation of glioma cells in vitro.