Yasuyoshi Watanabe

Regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the small intestine and the epididymis of mice

Abstract Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity was found to be ubiquitously distributed in various tissues of mice, such as brain, lung, stomach, intestine, and epididymis. The highest enzyme activity was detected in the alimentary canal and the epididymis. Developmental and daily rhythmic changes of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and the effects of various regulatory factors were studied with the supernatant fractions derived from the small intestine and the epididymis. The enzyme activity in these two tissues was absent during the first 2 weeks (the weaning period). From the third week, there was a rapid increase in activities and a maximum was reached when the mice were 8 to 10 weeks of age (adolescence). The enzyme activity in the small intestine then gradually diminished to zero level at 30 weeks of age (prime) or later, while that in the epididymis remained at the high level throughout 69 weeks of age (senescence). The enzyme activity of the small intestine from mice fed during the hours 9:00–13:00 showed daily rhythmic changes; high in the daytime and low at night. Under night feeding (21:00–1:00), the enzyme activity was high at night and low in the daytime. The epididymal enzyme activity showed no daily fluctuations by either feeding schedule. With regard to the developmental and daily rhythmic changes, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the small intestine was similar to that of hepatic tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. However, in contrast to the hepatic tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase activity, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the small intestine and the epididymis was not affected by adrenalectomy or intraperitoneal administration of adrenal steroid or tryptophan.

Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase by β-carboline and indole derivatives☆

beta-Carboline derivatives inhibited both indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase activities from various sources. Among them, norharman is most potent for both enzymes from mammalian sources. Kinetic studies revealed that norharman is uncompetitive (Ki = 0.12 mM) with L-tryptophan for rabbit intestinal indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and linearly competitive (Ki = 0.29 mM) with L-tryptophan for mouse liver tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. In addition, some beta-carbolines selectively inhibited one enzyme or the other. Pseudomonad tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase was inhibited by a different spectrum of beta-carbolines. Such a selective inhibition by the structure of substrate analogs is more evident by the use of indole derivatives. Indole-3-acetamide, indole-3-acetonitrile and indole-3-acrylic acid exhibited a potent inhibition for mammalian tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase, while they moderately inhibited the pseudomonad enzyme. However, they showed no inhibition for indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. These results suggest the difference of the structures of the active sites among these enzymes from various sources.

Specific induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in the mouse lung.

Abstract Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the supernatant fractions (30,000 g , 30 min) from various tissues of mice increased almost linearly after a single intraperitoneal administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (5 to 20 μg/mouse). The most prominent effect was observed in the lung, where both specific and total enzyme activities increased 40 to 80-fold during the first 24 h. Significant (10- to 20-fold) stimulation was also observed in the seminal vesicle, coagulating gland, colon, and caecum, and severalfold in the trachea, stomach, heart, small intestine, and spleen. Lipid A fraction, the biologically active unit in the lipopolysaccharide complex, was as active as the lipopolysaccharide preparations from either Escherichia coli or Salmonella S and R mutant strains, whereas the polysaccharide fraction was inactive under identical experimental conditions. When mice were pretreated with a series of daily injections of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, enzyme induction was no longer evident, indicating that tolerance to this agent had developed and that enzyme induction was caused by lipopolysaccharide but not by possible contaminants in the preparations. The enzyme activities from normal and lipopolysaccharide-treated mice were exclusively found in the soluble fractions of mouse lung homogenates. Other enzyme activities in the lung such as lysosomal (acid phosphatase), microsomal (prostaglandin cyclooxygenase), mitochondrial (monoamine oxidase and superoxide dismutase), and soluble enzyme activities (lipooxygenase and superoxide dismutase) were not significantly altered by this treatment. This increase in the enzyme activity with the lipopolysaccharide treatment was abolished with a simultaneous administration of cycloheximide or actinomycin D, and an immunological analysis with antibody for mouse enzyme (rabbit IgG) demonstrated that the observed increment of the enzyme activity was essentially due to an increase in the enzyme protein.

Specific bindings of prostaglandin D2, E2 and F2α in postmortem human brain

Abstract Binding activities specific for each of [3H]prostaglandin (PG) D2, E2 and F2α were detected in the P2 fraction of the human brain homogenates. The bindings were time-dependent, saturable and of high affinity;Kdvalues were 30 nM for all the PG bindings. Regional distribution of these binding activities was determined by measuring specific bindings with 10 nM [3H]PG-D2, [3H]PG-E2 and [3H]PG-F2α in the P2 fractions from 17 brain regions. The PG-D2 binding activity was high in the hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus followed by cerebellar nuclei, thalamus, nucleus accumbens and cerebral cortex. The PG-E2 binding sites were similarly concentrated in the hypothalamus and the limbic system, but, unlike the PG-D2 binding, no significant binding of [3H]PG-32 was observed in cerebellar nuclei, cerebellar cortex and putamen. Compared with these two PG bindings, PG-F2α binding activity was low in many areas, but significant binding was detected in the amygdala, cingulate cortex, cerebellar medulla, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, midbrain and hypothalamus. These results suggest the presence and specific distribution of three distinct types of PG binding activities, i.e. specific binding of PG-D2, PG-E2 and PG-F2α, in the human brain.

Specificity of prostaglandin D2 binding to synaptic membrane fraction of rat brain

The structural requirement of the prostaglandin D2 molecule for binding to the synaptic membrane fraction of rat brain was extensively studied by using various prostaglandin D derivatives. Most strict specificity was found in the structures of the cyclo-pentane ring and the double bond in 13,14-position. The addition and deprivation of the double bond in alpha- and omega-chain, except on 13,14-position, moderately affected the binding. The modification in the carboxyl terminus and omega-chain terminus did not seriously influence the binding. BW 245C and 9-beta-prostaglandin D2, potent agonists for the prostaglandin D2 receptor in the platelet membrane, were almost ineffective. [3H]prostaglandin D2 binding was not affected by the addition of various neuroactive substances to the binding assay mixture. Further, prostaglandin D2 did not affect the known neurotransmitter receptor bindings in the rat brain.

2,5-dihydro-L-phenylalanine: A competitive inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase*

Summary 2,5-Dihydro-L-phenylalanine, an inhibitor of tryptophan 5-monooxygenase, was shown to be a potent inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (K i = 0.23 m M ) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (K i = 0.70 m M ), whereas tryptophan side chain oxidase from Pseudomonas was not inhibited by this compound.