Different roles of nitric oxide synthase-1 and -2 between herpetic and postherpetic allodynia in mice.

We investigated using the mice role of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the spinal dorsal horn in herpetic and postherpetic pain, especially allodynia, which was induced by transdermal inoculation of the hind paw with herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1). The virus inoculation induced NOS2 expression in the lumbar dorsal horn of mice with herpetic allodynia, but not postherpetic allodynia. There were no substantial alternations in the expression level of NOS1 at the herpetic and postherpetic stages. Herpetic allodynia was significantly inhibited by i.p. administration of the selective NOS2 inhibitor S-methylisothiourea, but not the selective NOS1 inhibitor 7-nitroindazole. NOS2 expression was observed around HSV-1 antigen-immunoreactive cells. On the other hand, postherpetic allodynia was significantly inhibited by i.p. administration of 7-nitroindazole, but not S-methylisothiourea. The activity of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase, an index of NOS1 activity, significantly increased in the laminae I and II of the lumbar dorsal horn of mice with postherpetic allodynia, but not mice without postherpetic allodynia. The expression level of NOS1 mRNA in the dorsal root ganglia was similar between mice with and without postherpetic allodynia. The results suggest that herpetic and postherpetic allodynia is mediated by nitric oxide in the dorsal horn and that NOS2 and NOS1 are responsible for herpetic and postherpetic allodynia, respectively. It may be worth testing the effects of NOS2 and NOS1 inhibitors on herpetic pain and postherpetic neuralgia in human subjects, respectively.

Role of daunorubicin in the induction therapy for adult acute myeloid leukemia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship of total-dose of daunorubicin (DNR) to the induction therapy and treatment outcome, we have administered individualized doses of DNR during induction treatment to patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-two previously untreated adult patients with AML who entered our hospital were analyzed for the dose of DNR required to achieve complete remission (CR), the CR rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Induction therapy consisted of DNR 40 mg/m2 daily intravenously from day 1 until the marrow was hypoplastic, cytarabine (Ara-C), prednisolone (PRD), and/or 6-thioguanine (6-TG). RESULTS: Eighty-three of 92 patients with adult AML were assessable for this study. Sixty-three (76%) patients achieved CR. Fifty-two of 63 CR patients achieved the CR in the first course of induction therapy, and 11 patients required the second course of induction therapy. The 5-year and 10-year DFS rates were 31.2% and 5-year and 10-year OS rates were 45.1% and 42.3%, respectively. The median total dose of DNR in the induction therapy was 280 mg/m2 (120 to 480 mg/m2). DNR dose did not influence the response to therapy and was not influenced by the initial WBC count or French-American-British (FAB) system classification. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that when the dose was linked to observed tumor response, the optimal dose of DNR in the induction therapy was approximately 280 mg/m2 (40 mg/m2 for 7 days), which is greater than the conventional dose of 40 to 60 mg/m2 for 3 days.

Involvement of leukotriene B(4) in substance P-induced itch-associated response in mice.

Intradermal injection of substance P elicits an itch sensation in human subjects and an itch-associated response in mice. The substance P-induced itch-associated response in mice is not inhibited by antihistamine. Therefore, the mechanisms of substance P-induced itch-associated response are unclear. In this study, we demonstrated one of the mechanisms. Substance P induces an arachidonate cascade to produce prostaglandins and leukotriene. In this study we considered whether arachidonate metabolites are involved in the substance P-induced itch-associated response. A phospholipase A(2) inhibitor arachidoryltrifluoromethyl ketone inhibited the substance P-induced itch-associated response in mice. Pre treatment with the glucocorticoids betamethasone and dexamethasone also produced inhibition of the substance P-induced itch-associated response in mice as well as humans. The 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor zileuton, but not the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and diclofenac, suppressed substance P-induced itch-associated response. The leukotriene B(4) receptor antagonist 5-[2-(2-carboxyethyl)-3-[6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5E-hexenyl]oxyphenoxy]valeric acid produced inhibition, whereas pranlukast (leukotriene C(4)/D(4)/E(4) receptor antagonist) and 5(Z)-7-[1S,2S, 3S,5R-3-(trans-b-styren)sulfonamido-6,6-dimethylbi cyclo(3,1,1)hept-2-yl]-5-heptenoic acid (EP(1) receptor antagonist) were without effect. Furthermore, when the production of leukotriene B(4) and prostaglandin E(2) was measured in skin injected with substance P and in mouse keratinocytes applied with substance P, the level of both products increased. As leukotriene B(4), but not prostaglandin E(2), also induces the itch-associated response in mice, these results suggest that leukotriene B(4) and keratinocytes, cutaneous cells which produced leukotriene B(4), play an important role in substance P-induced itch-scratch response in mice. Leukotriene B(4) receptor antagonist and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor may be novel antipruritic drugs.

Characterization of GFR, a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1.

Three groups of Rap1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors including C3G, CalDAG-GEFI, and Epac/cAMP-GEFI/II have been identified to date. In the present study, we report a new Rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor which we have named GFR (guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1). GFR shows close sequence similarity to EPAC/cAMP-GEFI/II although GFR lacks a cAMP binding domain and contains a nuclear localization signal. We demonstrated that GFR can activate Rap1 but not H-Ras in 293T cells and that the cdc25 domain of GFR is required for the activation of Rap1. Northern blot analysis suggested that GFR mRNA is strongly expressed in the brain. In transfected HeLa cells, GFR has been found to be localized in the nuclei.

Allodynia and hyperalgesia induced by herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in mice.

Human subjects infected with herpes or varicella-zoster viruses complain of pain, such as allodynia, in or near the region with vesicles. However, the mechanisms of the pain are unclear. We show for the first time that infection with herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) induces allodynia and hyperalgesia in mice. When HSV-1 was inoculated on the hind paw of the mouse, eruption appeared on the back on day 5 post-inoculation, and zosteriform skin lesions were developed on the inoculated side. Allodynia and hyperalgesia became apparent in the hind paw on the inoculated side on day 5 and persisted until at least day 8. HSV-1 DNA was detected in the dorsal root ganglia from days 2 to 8 post-inoculation, with a peak effect on day 5. The application of heat-inactivated HSV-1 induced no allodynia, hyperalgesia and skin lesion. When started from days 0 or 2, repeated treatment with acyclovir, anti-HSV-1 agent, inhibited the appearance of allodynia, hyperalgesia, eruption and the viral proliferation in the dorsal root ganglia. In contrast, when started from days 5 or 6, acyclovir treatment slightly inhibited the development of skin lesions and the viral proliferation, but not allodynia and hyperalgesia. These results suggest that the propagation of HSV-1 in the dorsal root ganglia produces allodynia and hyperalgesia as a result of functional abnormality of the sensory neurons in mice. This may be a useful model for studying the mechanisms of herpetic pain.

Intrathecal injections of galanin and its antiserum affect nociceptive response of rat to mechanical, but not thermal, stimuli.

To ascertain the involvement of galanin in nociceptive transmission in the spinal dorsal horn, we examined the effects of intrathecal injections of porcine galanin and its antiserum on behavioral nociceptive responses of the rat, using the paw-pressure and paw-radiant heat tests. An intrathecal injection of antiserum against porcine galanin reversed the decreased nociceptive threshold for mechanical, but not thermal, stimulation of the carrageenin-treated hind paw of rat, with no effect on the nociceptive threshold of the non-inflamed hind paw. Rat galanin as well as porcine galanin suppressed the binding of [125I]porcine galanin to the antiserum, a finding suggesting that the antiserum can bind rat galanin. An intrathecal injection of porcine galanin (0.1 and 1 nmol, but not 0.01 nmol) decreased the mechanical nociceptive threshold of the rat hind paw with no effect on thermal nociception. These results suggest that galanin present in the dorsal horn is involved in the facilitation of mechanical, but not thermal, nociceptive transmission.

Specific binding sites for bifemelane in the hippocampus of the guinea pig, relevant to its pharmacological actions.

Bifemelane has an anti-amnesic effect, produces the translocation of protein kinase C in the hippocampal CA3 region but not in CA1 and enhances long-term potentiation in the mossy fibre-CA3 system but not in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 system. The present study examined the specific binding of [3H]bifemelane in membrane preparations of guinea pig hippocampus and regional differences in such a binding. The binding of [3H]bifemelane was reversible and greater when incubated at 4 degrees C than at 25 or 37 degrees C. The binding of [3H]bifemelane appeared to be composed of at least 2 different affinity components. Imipramine significantly suppressed the binding of [3H]bifemelane at 1 microM and, in the presence of 1 microM imipramine, the low-affinity component of the binding of [3H]bifemelane was eliminated. The density of specific binding sites for 1 nM [3H]bifemelane was significantly higher in the hippocampal CA3 region than in the CA1. The specific binding of 1 nM [3H]bifemelane was not inhibited by other nootropic drugs, such as idebenone, calcium hopantenate, vinpocetine, indeloxazine and piracetam. The present results suggest that there are specific binding sites for bifemelane in hippocampus, which are different from those for other nootropic drugs tested and that the regional differences in the pharmacological susceptibilities to bifemelane are at least, in part, attributed to those in the density of binding sites for bifemelane.

Involvement of medullary opioid-peptidergic and spinal noradrenergic systems in the regulation of formalin-induced persistent pain.

To confirm that endogenous opioid-peptidergic systems and monoaminergic systems participate in the regulation of pain, the effects of a narcotic antagonist naloxone, inhibitors of enkephalin-degrading enzymes and monoaminergic blockers on persistent pain induced by formalin were investigated. Rats were given formalin into the plantar region of the left hind-paw and the duration of licking responses was measured at periods of 0-10 min (period I), 10-30 min (period II), 30-60 min (period III) and 60-120 min (period IV). Naloxone was administered systemically through mini-osmotic pumps and there was an enhanced licking response at period III and a tendency toward enhancement at period IV. The duration of the licking response at period III was increased when naloxone was given into the fourth ventricle in a dose of 30 nmol/rat, but not when it was injected into the lumbo-sacral subarachnoid space in doses of 30 and 300 nmol/rat. Thiorphan and bestatin injected simultaneously into the fourth ventricle (50 micrograms/rat) depressed the licking response at period III. Intrathecal injection of phentolamine significantly enhanced the licking response at periods I-III and produced a similar, but weaker effect at period IV. Intrathecal injection of propranolol and methysergide did not affect the response. These results suggest that opioid-peptidergic systems in the brain stem and noradrenergic systems in the spinal cord (via alpha-adrenoceptors) participate in the regulation of pain.

Capsaicin-like effect of (6)-shogaol on substance P-containing primary afferents of rats: a possible mechanism of its analgesic action.

The effects of (6)-shogaol, a pungent component of dried ginger with a capsaicin-like chemical structure, on the release of immunoreactive substance P from the spinal dorsal horn were examined by in vitro superfusion of the dorsal-half slices of the spinal cord of the rat. (6)-Shogaol (30 microM to 1 mM) increased dose-dependently the release of immunoreactive substance P. The maximum effect of (6)-shogaol was observed at a concentration of 100 microM and less than a half of the effect of 10 microM capsaicin. The effect of (6)-shogaol (100 microM) was attenuated in slices from rats with dorsal rhizotomy and abolished by elimination of calcium ions from the perfusion medium. Pretreatment with (6)-shogaol in vitro inhibited the capsaicin-evoked release of immunoreactive substance P. On the other hand, systemic administration of (6)-shogaol (160 mg/kg) produced antinociception in rats, with a peak effect between 15 and 30 min and a smaller dose of 80 mg/kg was without effect. Treatment of rats with (6)-shogaol, at a dose of 160 mg/kg but not at 80 mg/kg, for 20 min significantly decreased release of immunoreactive substance P, evoked by capsaicin (10 microM), from the slices of cord. These data suggest that (6)-shogaol shares the sites of action with capsaicin, on the terminals of substance P-containing primary afferents, to release of the neuropeptide and inhibit the release of substance P, by subsequent stimulation of the primary afferents. The latter action of (6)-shogaol might be relevant to its analgesic effect.

Opioidergic inhibition of capsaicin-evoked release of glutamate from rat spinal dorsal horn slices.

We investigated the effects of opioid agonists on the capsaicin-evoked release of glutamate from nociceptive primary afferent fibers of the rat (6-8 weeks) using a fluorometric on-line continuous monitoring system for glutamate. In the presence of 0.3 microM tetrodotoxin, the application of 3 microM capsaicin to spinal dorsal horn slices produced an evoked glutamate release (55.9 +/- 4.02 pmol.mg-1 protein, n = 15). DAMGO ([D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin; 0.3-10 microM) and morphine (1-30 microM), mu-opioid agonists, produced a concentration-dependent reduction (approximately 85 and approximately 77% reduction, respectively) in the capsaicin (3 microM)-evoked release of glutamate. These inhibitory effects were significantly antagonized by naloxone (1 microM). DPDPE ([D-Pen2,5]enkephalin; 1-10 microM), a delta-opioid agonist, also reduced the capsaicin-evoked release in a concentration-dependent manner (approximately 59% reduction). Naltrindole (1 microM), a selective delta-antagonist, significantly antagonized the inhibitory effect of DPDPE (10 microM). In contrast, neither U-50,488H (1-10 microM) nor U-69,593 (10 microM), kappa-opioid agonists, had any effects on the evoked release of glutamate. These results suggest that mu-, and delta-opioid agonists modulate pain transmission in the spinal dorsal horn, at least in part, by inhibiting the release of glutamate from capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents.

Met-enkephalin and morphine but not dynorphin inhibit noxious stimuli-induced release of substance P from rabbit dorsal horn in situ.

The effects of locally applied opioids on the release of immunoreactive Substance P (iSP), induced by mechanical stimuli, from the dorsal horn of the rabbit in situ, were investigated. Morphine and met-enkephalin (met-enk), but not dynorphin A (1-17) (DYN), in a concentration of 10 microM, significantly inhibited the evoked release. These inhibitory effects of morphine and met-enkephalin were antagonized by the local application of naloxone (10 microM) to the dorsal horn. These results suggest that the inhibition of the release of Substance P induced by noxious mechanical stimuli may be mediated by mu and delta, but not by kappa opioid receptors.

Stimulus specificity of peripherally evoked substance P release from the rabbit dorsal horn in situ.

Characteristics of in situ substance P release from the lumbar dorsal horn were investigated in decerebrated rabbits. Noxious mechanical stimuli produced by pinching the skin of a hind leg ipsilateral to the perfusion site remarkably and significantly increased the release of immunoreactive substance P, which was identified as substance P itself, using separation with high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. The noxious pinch did not affect the release of immunoreactive substance P, when applied to the contralateral hind leg. Both the basal and pinch-evoked release of immunoreactive substance P were largest in the dorsolateral part of the dorsal horn. The pinch-evoked release of immunoreactive substance P was abolished when the dorsal horn was perfused with a Ca2+-free medium containing 7 mM Mg2+ or with a medium with 10 microM tetrodotoxin added. The evoked release of immunoreactive substance P was also abolished following pretreatment of a stimulated region with the local anesthetic dibucaine, a procedure which inhibited the pinch-evoked aversive behavior in freely-moving rabbits. Among a variety of natural stimuli applied to the hind leg, noxious pinch and a subcutaneous injection of formaldehyde solution significantly evoked the release of immunoreactive substance P from the dorsal horn. The most intense heat or scalding stimulation increased the immunoreactive substance P release in two out of five experiments. However, other natural stimuli such as ice-cold, warm, noxious heat and innocuous mechanical stimuli produced no apparent changes in the release of immunoreactive substance P. These results suggest that among the noxious stimuli, only mechanical and inflammatory but not thermal stimuli lead to a release of substance P from the primary afferent terminals in the dorsal horn. The present findings suggest that, at least in rabbits, substance P-containing primary afferents have high-threshold mechanoreceptors. Substance P may participate in the transmission of information related to noxious mechanical and inflammatory stimulation from the periphery to the dorsal horn.

Expression of tachykinin NK1 receptor mRNA in dorsal root ganglia of the mouse.

We examined whether mRNA coding for tachykinin NK1 receptor is expressed in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the mouse, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Both the RT-PCR of the total RNA from the DRGs using four pairs of primers and the digestion of these products with the restriction enzymes gave bands with the predicted length. Further amplification (nested PCR) of part of one PCR product also gave a band with the predicted length. Southern blot hybridization of RT-PCR products of total RNA from the DRG and several CNS regions revealed that the expression level of NK1 receptor mRNA in the DRG was similar to the cerebellum and less than the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, medulla oblongata and spinal cord. The present results suggest that NK1 receptor mRNA is expressed in the mouse DRG, although the level is relatively low.

Characterization of itch-associated responses of NC mice with mite-induced chronic dermatitis.

To clarify the behavioral and pathological features of spontaneous scratching of NC mice with mite-induced chronic dermatitis, we investigated the spontaneous and pruritogen-evoked scratching of NC mice. Although the frequency of scratching of NC mouse did not increase under specific pathogen-free environment, it gradually and markedly increased from 3 to 6 weeks after transfer to conventional environment. The onset of increase in spontaneous scratching was similar to that of dermatitis development and the elevation of plasma concentration of immunoglobulin E. At chronic stage (16 weeks after environment change), the frequency of spontaneous scratching was roughly parallel to the degree of dermatitis, but not to the plasma concentration of immunoglobulin E. The spontaneous scratching of NC mice with dermatitis was inhibited by distraction and the opioid antagonist naltrexone, suggesting that the scratching is itch-associated response. An intradermal injection of serotonin, but not histamine and substance P, elicited scratching of the injected site. Methysergide and cyproheptadine inhibited the serotonin-induced scratching but not spontaneous scratching. The results suggest that marked elevation of plasma immunoglobulin E is not always the cause of spontaneous itch-associated response of NC mice with dermatitis. Serotonin, histamine and substance P may not play an important role in spontaneous itch-scratch response at a chronic stage.

Shortening of telomeres in recipients of both autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Telomere length of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 23 autologous HSCT patients ranging from 4 to 61 years old, and 46 allogeneic HSCT recipients from 6 to 52 years old were studied to confirm whether excessive shortening of telomeres is associated with HSCT. After autologous HSCT, telomere length of PBMCs ranged from 6.8 to 12.0 kb. The comparison between transplanted PBMCs and PBMCs after autologous HSCT showed shortening by up to 1.9 kb (mean +/- s.d.: 0.64 +/- 0.50 kb). There was a difference between autologous HSCT patients and normal volunteers in the slopes of regression lines. After allogeneic HSCT, telomere length of PBMCs ranged from 6.8 to 12.0 kb. Telomeres of recipients were up to 2.1 kb (0.60 +/- 0.468 kb) shorter than those of donors. The slope of regression lines for allogeneic HSCT patients and normal volunteers were parallel. Although all patients were transplanted with more than 2.0 x 10(8) cells/kg, telomere length did not correlate with the number of transplanted cells. There was no significant correlation between telomere length and recovery of hematological parameters. However, three patients with an average telomere length of 6.8 kb after HSCT took a longer period to reach the normal hematological state. Taken together, these data suggest that most HSCTs are performed within the biological safety range of telomeres, while the patients who have telomeres shorter than 7.0 kb after HSCT should be observed carefully for long-term hematopoiesis and the occurrence of hematopoietic disorders.

Region-specific increase in glutamate release from dorsal horn of rats with adjuvant inflammation.

Glutamate is considered an important pain transmitter and responsible for inflammatory hyperalgesia, but quantitative and topographical changes in glutamate release in the dorsal horn during peripheral inflammation have not been characterized. To address this issue, image analysis with a confocal laser scanning microscope was performed for quantitatively mapping capsaicin-evoked glutamate release from the lumbar cord slice of rats following unilateral adjuvant inoculation to the hind-paw. Capsaicin induced glutamate release from laminae I, II and X in the spinal cord of the adjuvant-treated and untreated sides, without apparent release from laminae III-V. The concentration of released glutamate in laminae I, II and X was higher on the adjuvant-treated side than on the untreated side. The results suggest that adjuvant inflammation increases glutamate release from capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents in laminae I, II and X.

Nociceptin gene expression in rat dorsal root ganglia induced by peripheral inflammation.

Nociceptin has been suggested to be involved in nociceptive processing in the spinal dorsal horn. To investigate whether the biosynthesis of nociceptin is altered in animals with nociceptive hypersensitivity, we examined effects of peripheral inflammation on the expression of prepronociceptin mRNA, especially in the dorsal root ganglion of the rat. Although little or no expression of prepronociceptin mRNA was observed in the dorsal root ganglia of naive animals, carrageenan-elicited inflammation markedly induced its expression, peaking within 30 min, a time when nociceptive hypersensitivity was not yet apparent. The results suggest that peripheral inflammation induced nociceptin expression in primary sensory neurons, which may be associated with the production of nociceptive hypersensitivity.

Existence of capsaicin-sensitive glutamatergic terminals in rat hypothalamus.

Capsaicin has been suggested to act not only on thin primary afferents but also on the hypothalamus, but the neurotransmitter(s) of central capsaicin-sensitive neurons are unknown. The present study was conducted to determine whether any central, especially hypothalamic, glutamatergic terminals were sensitive to capsaicin. Capsaicin evoked glutamate release from slices of hypothalamus and lumbar dorsal horn, but not cerebellum. Such capsaicin action was Ca2+ dependent and inhibited by the capsaicin antagonist capsazepine. Vanilloid receptor subtype 1 mRNA was widely distributed in the brain, with a marked level in the hypothalamus and cerebellum, but not in the spinal cord. The results suggest that there are glutamatergic terminals sensitive to capsaicin in the hypothalamus.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide increases in the dorsal root ganglia of adjuvant arthritic rat.

We examined the effect of adjuvant arthritis on the content of immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide (iCGRP) in the dorsal root ganglia at L4-L6 levels and the spinal cord at a lumbar level in rats. Arthritis was induced by inoculating adjuvant into both hind-paws twice at a 10 day interval. In the arthritic rats 15 days after the first inoculation (day 15), the content of iCGRP was significantly increased in the dorsal root ganglia, with no change in the dorsal and ventral horns. The content in the dorsal root ganglia was still high on day 26 and had decreased by day 40. An intrathecal injection of colchicine (0.2 mg, 18 hr before killing) enhanced the increase of iCGRP in the dorsal root ganglia and decreased it in the dorsal horn of arthritic rats, although in noninoculated rats such treatment produced no significant changes in the content of iCGRP in both regions. The arthritis-induced increase in the content of iCGRP in the dorsal root ganglia was significantly reduced after treatment with the antiinflammatory analgesic, diclofenac sodium, in a dose of 3 mg/kg/day, PO for 10 days. Swelling and hyperalgesia in the hind-paw were depressed after such treatment. These results suggest that adjuvant arthritis with long-lasting inflammation with pain facilitates the turnover, especially biosynthesis, of CGRP in primary afferent neurons.

Visualization of glutamate release from rat spinal cord with a confocal laser scanning microscope.

Visualization of the release of an excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate (Glu), from a slice preparation of the brain and spinal cord may be of great advantage in studying the release of Glu from a small population of neurons. When capsaicin (10 mu M) was applied to a slice of the rat spinal cord immersed in a medium containing glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), an oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), and tetrodotoxin, we observed an apparent increase of fluorescence in superficial laminae and lamina X using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Such an increase was not observed in the absence of either NAD+ or GDH, was inhibited by removal of extracellular Ca2+, and was terminated by capsazepine (100 mu M). In contrast to capsaicin, Glu release evoked by high K+ was observed in all laminae throughout the grey matter. The present results suggest that this system enables us to see the site of the release of Glu as an image and that capsaicin releases this amino acid mainly in superficial laminae and lamina X in the spinal cord.