Sakan Maeda

MCP-1 contributes to macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis in obesity

Adipocytes secrete a variety of bioactive molecules that affect the insulin sensitivity of other tissues. We now show that the abundance of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA in adipose tissue and the plasma concentration of MCP-1 were increased both in genetically obese diabetic (db/db) mice and in WT mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Mice engineered to express an MCP-1 transgene in adipose tissue under the control of the aP2 gene promoter exhibited insulin resistance, macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, and increased hepatic triglyceride content. Furthermore, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue induced by a high-fat diet were reduced extensively in MCP-1 homozygous KO mice compared with WT animals. Finally, acute expression of a dominant-negative mutant of MCP-1 ameliorated insulin resistance in db/db mice and in WT mice fed a high-fat diet. These findings suggest that an increase in MCP-1 expression in adipose tissue contributes to the macrophage infiltration into this tissue, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis associated with obesity in mice.

Factors involved in differential Giemsa-staining of sister chromatids.

Microspectrophotometric evaluation of differentially stained sister chromatids made it possible to analyse precisely the factors involved in the Giemsa methods. The concentration of Hoechst 33258, pH of the mounting medium, temperature during UV-exposure and the quality (wavelength) of UV-light influenced the differential staining. Exposure of blacklight of 10−5 M Hoechst 33528-stained BrdU-labeled chromosome specimens mounted in McIlvaine buffer (pH 8.0) at 50° C reproducibly allowed differential staining of sister chromatids within 15 min. On the other hand, Korenberg-Freedlenders method using no Hoechst 33258 was also UV-light-dependent. Thus, photolysis of BrdU-substituted DNA was considered the basic mechanism of the Giemsa methods where the photosensitive Hoechst 33258 played a role as a sensitizer.

Crucial Role of Phospholipase Cε in Chemical Carcinogen-Induced Skin Tumor Development

Mutational activation of the ras proto-oncogenes is frequently found in skin cancers. However, the nature of downstream signaling pathways from Ras involved in skin carcinogenesis remains poorly understood. Recently, we and others identified phospholipase C (PLC) ε as an effector of Ras. Here we have examined the role of PLCε in de novo skin chemical carcinogenesis by using mice whose PLCε is genetically inactivated. PLCε−/− mice exhibit delayed onset and markedly reduced incidence of skin squamous tumors induced by initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene followed by promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Furthermore, the papillomas formed in PLCε−/− mice fail to undergo malignant progression into carcinomas, in contrast to a malignant conversion rate of approximately 20% observed with papillomas in PLCε+/+ mice. In all of the tumors analyzed, the Ha-ras gene is mutationally activated irrespective of the PLCε background. The skin of PLCε−/− mice fails to exhibit basal layer cell proliferation and epidermal hyperplasia in response to TPA treatment. These results indicate a crucial role of PLCε in ras oncogene-induced de novo carcinogenesis and downstream signaling from TPA, introducing PLCε as a candidate molecular target for the development of anticancer drugs.

A role for heterologous gap junctions between melanoma and endothelial cells in metastasis

F10 and BL6 sublines of B16 mouse melanoma cells are metastatic after intravenous injection, but only BL6 cells are metastatic after subcutaneous injection. We found that connexin (Cx) 26 is upregulated in BL6 cells. To examine gap junction formation, we devised a coculture system, in which an opened vein segment was placed at the bottom of a culture dish and then dye-labeled melanoma cells were seeded onto it. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the vein segment preserved the integrity of the endothelial monolayer. In this system, BL6 cells could transfer dye into endothelial cells but F10 cells could not. Transfection with wild-type Cx26 rendered F10 cells competent for coupling with endothelial cells and as spontaneously metastatic as BL6 cells. Conversely, transfection with a dominant-negative form of Cx26 rendered BL6 cells deficient in coupling and less metastatic. In human melanoma lesions, the level of Cx26 expression was low in melanoma cells residing in the basal layer, but significantly upregulated in melanoma cells invading the dermis. The results suggested that Cx26 plays a role in intravasation and extravasation of tumor cells through heterologous gap junction formation with endothelial cells.

Minute flat depressed neoplastic lesions of the colon detected by contrast chromoscopy using an indigo carmine capsule

Thirty-seven diminutive flat depressed neoplastic lesions of the colon, smaller than 5 mm, were detected by contrast chromoscopy using an indigo carmine capsule and subsequently removed by endoscopic mucosal resection. We investigated the endoscopic, macroscopic, and histologic characteristics of these lesions and also evaluated the usefulness of chromoscopy and the magnifying endoscope for detecting this type of lesion. The lesions were classified into two types according to the measured height of the histologic sections: 28 lesions were truly flat depressed and the remaining 9 lesions were flat elevated. Of the 37 lesions, 18 were adenomas with mild atypia, 14 with moderate atypia, and 5 with severe atypia. The flat depressed lesions included 12 with mild atypia, 11 with moderate atypia, and 5 with severe atypia. No invasive carcinoma was present in either type, and no adenoma with severe atypia was identified in any of the flat elevated lesions. The overall rate of severe atypia was 13.5%; the rate of severe atypia for the flat depressed type was 17.9%, which is approximately 14-fold greater than that of ordinary diminutive polypoid adenomas (1.3%). The detection of these lesions was facilitated by the use of indigo carmine dye, which clearly demonstrated the mucosal irregularities. The frequency of detection of these lesions was increased four to five times with a magnifying endoscope, as occurred in nearly 10% of all of the patients examined. These data suggest that the finding of endoscopically minute flat depressed neoplastic lesions is not at all uncommon when examination is meticulously performed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Expression of platelet-derived growth factor proteins and their receptor α and β mRNAs during fracture healing in the normal mouse

Abstract Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), abundant in bone tissue, has been reported to stimulate mesenchymal cell proliferation and migration. To elucidate the functional roles of PDGF during fracture healing, we investigated the expression of PDGF-A and -B chain proteins and receptor α and β mRNAs in fractured mouse tibiae. Twelve-week-old male BALB/c mice were operated on to make a closed fracture on the proximal tibia. On days 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 after the operation, the fractured tibiae were excised, fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, decalcified with 20% EDTA, and embedded in paraffin to prepare 7-µm sections. Immunohistochemistry using polyclonal antibodies against human PDGF-A and -B chains was carried out by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. For in situ hybridization, we used digoxigenin-labeled single-stranded DNA probes specific for mouse PDGF receptors α and β generated by unidirectional polymerase chain reaction. In the inflammatory phase on days 2–4 after the fracture, mesenchymal cells gathering at the fracture site expressed the PDGF-B chain and β receptor mRNA. At the stage of cartilaginous callus formation on day 7, the immunoreactivity for PDGF-A and -B chains on proliferating and hypertrophic chondrocytes and the signals of α and β receptor mRNAs on proliferating chondrocytes became manifest. At the stage of bony callus and bone remodeling on days 14–21, the predominant expression of the PDGF-B chain and β receptor was observed on both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. On day 28, signals for PDGF ligand proteins and receptor mRNAs diminished. The coincidental localization of PDGF ligands and their receptors implies a paracrine and autocrine mechanism. Our data suggested that PDGF contributed in part to the promotion of the chondrogenic and osteogenic changes of mesenchymal cells from the early to the midphase of fracture healing; the functions mediated by the β receptor, including cell migration, might be prerequisites to the recruitment of mesenchymal cells in the initial step and to the interaction between osteoclasts and osteoblasts in the bone remodeling phase.

The role ofras mutation in pancreatic cancer, precancerous lesions, and chronic pancreatitis

SummaryPoint mutations in K-ras codon 12 were detected in 7 of 10 specimens (70%) of frozen tissues. To determine when point mutations appear in the oncogenic stage, paraffin-embedded tissues of pancreatic cancer, hyperplastic ductal lesions in pancreatic cancer and in chronic pancreatitis were used. DNA extracted from the paraffin-embedded tissues classified as cancer, atypical and nonatypical hyperplasia of the pancreatic duct epithelium, and normal tissue from pancreatic cancer patients and those classified as atypical hyperplasia of the pancreatic duct epithelium and normal tissue from chronic pancreatitis patients were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Point mutations were detected in 8 of 17 cancer cases (47.0%). In 5 of 8 point mutation positive cases, atypical hyperplasias were found in the surrounding tissues. In all 5 of these atypical hyperplasia, point mutations, that is, GGT-GTT (Gly-Val) and GGT-GAT (Gly-Asp), were detected. The same transitions were observed in the cancer of these 5 cases. These results suggest a strong relationship between cancer and atypical hyperplasia surrounding cancer. Although atypical hyperplasia around cancer was histologically very similar to that found in chronic pancreatitis, all 5 atypical and 5 nonatypical hyperplasias in chronic pancreatitis were negative forras point mutation. Thus, the result argues against an association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Transcriptional Regulation of Rat Cyclin D1 Gene by CpG Methylation Status in Promoter Region

Cyclin D1, a G1/S cell cycle-regulating oncogene, is known to be transcriptionally regulated by numerous growth factors. We cloned and characterized the rat cyclin D1 gene 5′-flanking region and, by species- and subspecies-matched transient transfection studies, found that a basic promoter structure with a cAMP response element and two continuous Sp1-binding sites was crucial for the steady-state expression of the cyclin D1 gene. Furthermore, the methylation status especially around two continuous Sp1-binding sites was found to be an important epigenetical mechanism determining the steady-state expression level in rat leukemic cell lines K4D, K4DT, and K4D16. Whether or not epigenetic control of the cyclin D1 gene existed among normal rat tissues was further examined by high sensitivity mapping of the methylated cytosine. In normal rat tissues, the methylated cytosines at non-CpG loci within two continuous Sp1-binding sites were observed in uterine stromal cells of the basal layer and found to be demethylated in the functioning layer, possibly by a passive demethylation mechanism through cell division. Since in the passive demethylation process Sp1-binding sites remain methylated in a part of the cell population, methylated cytosines at Sp1-binding sites may be essential for keeping a number of the stromal cells in the basal layer live against estrogen-induced proliferation that leads to either apoptosis or compaction.

K-ras gene mutation in gall bladder carcinomas and dysplasia.

Epithelial dysplasia of gall bladder is an important precancerous lesion of gall bladder carcinogenesis. To investigate the frequency of K-ras gene mutation in gall bladder carcinoma and dysplasia, K-ras codon 12 mutations were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction enzyme based method following direct sequencing. Mutation was detected in 59% (30 of 51) of gall bladder carcinomas, in 73% (8 of 11) of gall bladder dysplasia in gall stone cases, and in 0% of the normal gall bladder epithelium. There was, however, no correlation between K-ras mutation and clinicopathological factors of gall bladder carcinoma. K-ras gene mutation occurs even in gall bladder dysplasia at an incidence similar to that in carcinomas, suggesting that testing for K-ras gene mutation may prove useful as an adjunct to bile cytological or biopsy analysis.

Comparative clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of ras and p53 in flat and polypoid type colorectal tumours.

Mutations in oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes may have an important oncogenic role. Although flat type tumours have been frequently detected in recent years, ras and p53 expressions have not been studied in these tumours. Using a monoclonal and polyclonal antibody to the ras p21 and p53 product, paraffin wax embedded sections of 98 colorectal tumours (43 cases of the flat type colorectal tumour and 55 cases of polypoid type tumour) were stained using the immunoperoxidase technique. Staining was evaluated by light microscopic examination. Positive staining rate of ras p21 for the flat type was 0%; for the polypoid type, it was 60% in cancer with submucosal invasion, 82% in adenoma with high grade dysplasia, and 0% in adenoma with low grade dysplasia. The positive staining rate of p53 for the flat type was 50% in submucosal cancer, 9% in adenoma with high grade dysplasia, and 0% in adenoma with low grade dysplasia. For the polypoid type, it was 40% in submucosal cancer, 12% in adenoma with high grade dysplasia, and 0% in adenoma with low grade dysplasia. The intermediate staining rate of p53 in the polypoid type was 20% in submucosal cancer and 41% in adenoma with high grade dysplasia. It was seen that p53 was commonly expressed in both flat and polypoid lesions, p21 was not expressed in flat lesions, whereas it was commonly expressed in polypoid neoplasms. In the flat type cancer, a genetic change different from that of the polypoid type cancer is suggested.