Masako Watanabe

Stimulation of prostaglandin E2 production by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-type and non-TPA-type tumor promoters in macrophages and its inhibition by cycloheximide

The effects of TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate)-type and non-TPA-type tumor promoters on prostaglandin E2 production by peritoneal macrophages of rats were examined. Among the TPA-type tumor promoters, aplysiatoxin was most potent in stimulating prostaglandin E2 production followed by dihydroteleocidin B, teleocidin, TPA and debromoaplysiatoxin. Prostaglandin E2 production by aplysiatoxin treatment was stimulated at doses up to 0.1 ng/ml. Palytoxin, a non-TPA-type tumor promoter, also stimulated both prostaglandin E2 production and the release of radioactivity from [3H]arachidonic acid-labeled macrophages. However, the dose required for the expression of these effects by palytoxin was up to 3 pg/ml. It was suggested that the tumor promoters are associated with the activity to stimulate arachidonic acid metabolism, irrespective of their type. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, inhibited both prostaglandin E2 production and the release of radioactivity from prelabeled macrophages stimulated either by the TPA-type tumor promoters or by the non-TPA-type tumor promoter. It is possible that the tumor promoters may induce the synthesis of some proteins responsible for the stimulation of arachidonate metabolism.

Stimulation of neutrophil adherence to vascular endothelial cells by histamine and thrombin and its inhibition by PAF antagonists and dexamethasone.

1 In order to clarify the roles of platelet‐activating factor (PAF) in histamine‐ and thrombin‐induced neutrophil adhesion to vascular endothelial cells, the effects of several PAF antagonists were examined. The effects of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone were also examined in order to gain further insight into the anti‐inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids. 2 In culture, histamine and thrombin stimulated the adherence of rat peritoneal neutrophils to human endothelial cells from the umbilical vein. They did not stimulate neutrophil adherence in the absence of endothelial cells, suggesting that the target cells for the histamine‐ and thrombin‐induced adherence of neutrophils were endothelial cells, not neutrophils. 3 Several PAF antagonists, such as CV‐3988, L‐652,731 and Y‐24,180 inhibited the histamine‐ and thrombin‐induced neutrophil adherence in a concentration‐dependent manner. Indomethacin failed to inhibit it. 4 Dexamethasone, a steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug, did not inhibit the histamine‐ and thrombin‐induced adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells when the drug was present only during the 20 min incubation period for the adherence assay. When the endothelial cells were preincubated for 3 h with dexamethasone, the adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells induced by histamine or thrombin was not inhibited. 5 When the neutrophils were preincubated for 3 h with dexamethasone, the histamine‐ and thrombin‐induced adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells was inhibited. 6 Our studies indicate that: (a) adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells induced by histamine and thrombin is mediated by PAF production since PAF antagonists inhibited the adherence of neutrophils; and (b) neutrophils, not endothelial cells, are the target cells through which dexamethasone acts to inhibit adherence.

Analysis of the stimulative effect of thapsigargin, a non‐TPA‐type tumour promoter, on arachidonic acid metabolism in rat peritoneal macrophages

1 At concentrations above 10 ng ml−1, the tumour promoter thapsigargin stimulates the release of radioactivity from [3H]‐arachidonic acid‐labelled macrophages harvested from rat peritoneal cavity. 2 The release of radioactivity from prelabelled macrophages was augmented more than additively when the cells were incubated in the medium containing both thapsigargin (10 ng ml−1) and other tumour promoters (10 ng ml−1), such as 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA), teleocidin and aplysiatoxin. 3 Thapsigargin required extracellular Ca2+ for the stimulation of arachidonic acid release, while TPA did not. 4 Cytoplasmic free calcium level was increased by thapsigargin treatment but not by TPA treatment. 5 An inhibitor of protein kinases, H‐7 inhibited the effect of TPA dose‐dependently, whereas H‐7 did not inhibit that of thapsigargin. 6 These results suggest that thapsigargin stimulates arachidonic acid release by a mechanism different from that of TPA, viz by acting as a selective Ca2+ mobilizer, but not by activating protein kinase C as TPA does.

Clinicoelectrographic Concordance Between Monozygotic Twins with Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy in Infancy

Summary: Clinical features of a pair of monozygotic male twins, both with severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SME), are described. They were almost completely concordant with respect to seizure onset, clinical seizure symptomatology, interictal, and ictal EEG expressions and seizure prognosis. The existence of such twins suggests the possibility that a genetic factor is determinant in the etiology of this particular epileptic syndrome.

Pharmacological analysis of the vascular permeability response in the anaphylactic phase of allergic inflammation in rats.

Allergic inflammation was induced by injecting an antigen (azobenzenearsonate-conjugated acetyl bovine serum albumin) solution into a preformed air pouch in the dorsum of sensitized rats. There was a marked increase of vascular permeability during the first 30 min, i.e. the anaphylactic phase, after the antigenic challenge injection. In an attempt to define the mediators responsible for the vascular permeability increase, series of experiments were performed with the aid of various pharmacologic agents. The combined treatment with pyrilamine and methysergide almost completely suppressed the anaphylactic vascular permeability response. However, FPL 55712, a specific antagonist to leukotrienes C4 and D4, components of slow-reacting substance, exerted no effect at doses sufficient to suppress the leukotriene C4-or leukotriene D4-induced vascular permeability increase. Indomethacin treatment was also ineffective. These results suggest that the anaphylactic increase in vascular permeability was mediated primarily by histamine and serotonin, while slow-reacting substance or prostaglandins did not play any significant role. A potent anti-inflammatory steroid, dexamethasone, exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the anaphylactic increase in vascular permeability without interfering with the liberation of histamine from mast cells. The mechanism of the steroid action is discussed.

Downward regulation of neutrophil infiltration by endogenous histamine without affecting vascular permeability responses in air-pouch-type carrageenin inflammation in rats.

The role of histamine in neutrophil infiltration and vascular permeability response in carrageenin air pouch inflammation in rats was examined. Injection of carrageenin solution into an air pouch induced a gradual increase in histamine content in the pouch fluid and histidine decarboxylase activity of pouch wall tissues, with a maximum attained at 24 h. Local administration of the H2 antagonists cimetidine and famotidine, but not the H1 antagonist pyrilamine, induced an increase in neutrophil infiltration at 24 h. Both types of histamine antagonists failed to suppress the vascular permeability response. In addition, H2 antagonists attenuated the inhibitory effect of indomethacin on neutrophil infiltration without affecting the indomethacin-induced suppression of vascular permeability response. These results suggest that histamine produced in the inflammatory locus exerts a downward regulation of neutrophil infiltration through H2 receptors but does not play any significant role in the vascular permeability response. Furthermore, the inhibition by indomethacin of neutrophil infiltration might be ascribed to the increase in histamine level in the pouch fluid.

Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1, non-TPA-type tumor promoters, stimulate prostaglandin E2 production in rat peritoneal macrophages

Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1 isolated from a black sponge, Halichondria okadai are non-12-O-tetrade-canoylphorbol 13-acetate (non-TPA)-type tumor promoters of mouse skin. Okadaic acid at concentrations of 10-100 ng/ml stimulated prostaglandin E2 production in rat peritoneal macrophages. Dinophysistoxin-1 (35-methylokadaic acid) stimulated prostaglandin E2 production as strong as okadaic acid, but okadaic acid tetramethyl ether, an inactive compound as a tumor promoter, did not. Okadaic acid at 10 ng/ml (12.4 nM) stimulated prostaglandin E2 production as strongly as TPA at 10 ng/ml (16.2 nM) 20 h after incubation. Unlike TPA-type tumor promoters, okadaic acid required a lag phase before stimulation. The duration of this lag phase was dependent on the concentration of okadaic acid. Indomethacin inhibited okadaic acid-induced preostaglandin E2 production in a dose-dependent manner, and its inhibition was more strongly observed in okadaic acid-induced prostaglandin E2 production. Cycloheximide inhibited okadaic acid-induced release of radioactivity from [3H]arachidonic acid-labeled macrophages and prostaglandin E2 production dose dependently, suggesting that protein synthesis is a prerequisite for the stimulation of arachidonic acid metabolism. These results support our idea that tumor promoters, at very low concentrations, are able to stimulate arachidonic acid metabolism in rat peritoneal macrophages.

Stimulation of arachidonic acid metabolism in rat peritoneal macrophages by thapsigargin, a non-(12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) (TPA)-type tumor promoter

SummaryThe effects of thapsigargin, which is a histamine secretagogue and has recently been found to be a non-(12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) (TPA)-type tumor promoter in two-stage carcinogenesis using mouse skin, on arachidonic acid metabolism in rat peritoneal macrophages were examined. The release of radioactivity from 3H arachidonic acid-labeled macrophages was increased at doses more than 10 ng/ml. Prostaglandin E2 production was also increased dose-dependently without inducing prominent changes in cell morphology. The potency to stimulate prostaglandin E2 production by thapsigargin was stronger than that by TPA at a dose of 10 ng/ml when measured 6 h after the incubation. HPLC analysis revealed that thapsigargin stimulated the production of lipoxygenase products such as leukotriene B4 and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid as well as cyclooxygenase products such as prostaglandin E2 and 6-ketoprostaglandin F1α. Thapsigargicin, an analogue of thapsigargin, also stimulated prostaglandin E2 production. The mechanism of the action of thapsigargin was discussed. It was confirmed that the tumor promoters are associated with the activity to stimulate arachidonic acid metabolism irrespective of their type, TPA-type or non-TPA-type.

Long‐Term Course of Childhood Epilepsy with Intractable Grand Mal Seizures

Abstract: Twenty‐nine children with childhood epilepsy characterized by frequent grand mal (generalized tonic‐clonic) seizures in spite of maximal doses of antiepileptic drugs and by an early onset of seizures (before 1:year of age) were followed up for more than 5:years. The children were divided into 3:groups: severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SME), no SME, and intractable childhood epilepsy with generalized tonic‐clonic seizures (GTC). In all the 3:groups, the grand mal seizures persisted, whereas the other types of seizures tended to disappear as the patients aged, and the prognosis for mental development was poor. In the majority of cases in all the 3:groups, the waking grand mal seizures altered to sleep grand mal seizures with aging. Two pairs of monozygotic twins with SME suggested that genetic factors play a role in this epileptic syndrome. Intractable childhood epilepsy with GTC is distinguished by the absence of other types of generalized seizures. It cannot be regarded as an epileptic syndrome, but its pathogenesis and treatment require further studies.

Induction of neutrophil infiltration by rat chemotactic cytokine (CINC) and its inhibition by dexamethasone in rats

In vivo effects of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemotactic factor (CINC) derived from rats on neutrophil infiltration were investigated using an air-pouch-type inflammation model in rats, and effects of dexamethasone on neutrophil infiltration induced by CINC was also examined in order to gain further insight into the mechanism of antiinflammutory activity of glucocorticoids. Injection of CINC into the air pouch made on the dorsum of rats induced a marked infiltration of neutrophils into the pouch fluid but not mononuclear cells and eosinophils during a 30-min interval after the injection. Maximum effect was induced at a dose of 1.4μg/pouch. Treatment with dexamethasone 3 h before the injection of CINC suppressed the neutrophil infiltration in a dose-dependent manner, but no complete inhibition was observed. CINC injection into the air pouch of rats that had been sacrificed by bleeding in order to minimize neutroph il infiltration from blood stream also stimulated neutrophil infiltration into the pouch fluid when the carcass was incubated at 37δC for 30 min, but the number of infiltrated neutrophils was about 35% of CINC-induced neutrophil infiltration in intact ruts. CINC-induced neutrophil infiltration in the carcass, which is supposed to be a reflection of neutrophil migration from extravascular space in subcutaneous tissues to pouch fluid, was not inhibited by dexamethasone treatment. Therefore, the inhibition of neutrophil infiltration by dexamethasone might be due to inhibition of the extravasation of peripheral neutrophils but not due to inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis from subcutaneous extravascular space to pouch fluid. These findings suggest that clinical effects of steroidal antiinflammatory drugs on neutrophil infiltration in inflammatory disease is partly due to inhibition of neutrophil extravasation induced by preformed neutrophil chemotactic factors in the inflammatory site.