Relationship between Histological Grade and Histopathological Appearance in Canine Mammary Carcinomas.

Canine mammary carcinomas are common tumours in female dogs and histopathological examination has an important role in identifying whether they are benign or malignant. The latest and most commonly used histological grading system was established by Peña et al. (2013) and is based on the extent of tubule formation, nuclear pleomorphism and number of mitoses. Before the establishment of this grading system, tumour size and classical histological indicators of malignancy such as lymphovascular invasion, infiltration into surrounding tissue, necrosis and presence of a micropapillary pattern were important predictors of biological behaviour. However, the system of Peña et al. does not consider tumour size or these histological features. Clarifying the association of these features and histological grade, especially in grade II and III carcinomas, is important. In this study, we confirmed that the system of Peña et al. is effective for predicting biological behaviour and that evaluation of histological features of malignancy reinforced histological grade, as determined by the system of Peña et al., especially in grade II carcinomas.

A parathyroid hormone inhibitor in vivo: design and biological evaluation of a hormone analog.

A synthetic analog of bovine parathyroid hormone (bPTH), [tyrosine-34] bPTH-(7-34)NH2, was found to inhibit parathyroid hormone action in vivo. When the analog and parathyroid hormone were infused simultaneously to rats at a molar ratio of 200 to 1, the analog inhibited the excretion of urinary phosphate and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. When infused alone at the same dose rate, the analog was devoid of agonist activity. The compound was prepared by following design principles developed for inhibitors of parathyroid hormone, and is believed to be the first antagonist of parathyroid hormone that is effective in vivo.

Similarity of synthetic peptide from human tumor to parathyroid hormone in vivo and in vitro.

One mechanism considered responsible for the hypercalcemia that frequently accompanies malignancy is secretion by the tumor of a circulating factor that alters calcium metabolism. The structure of a tumor-secreted peptide was recently determined and found to be partially homologous to parathyroid hormone (PTH). The amino-terminal 1-34 region of the factor was synthesized and evaluated biologically. In vivo it produced hypercalcemia, acted on bone and kidney, and stimulated 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 formation. In vitro it interacted with PTH receptors and, in some systems, was more potent than PTH. These studies support a long-standing hypothesis regarding pathogenesis of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

Cytomegalic Inclusion Disease caused by Cytomegalovirus Infection in the Salivary Glands of an African Hedgehog (Atelerix arbiventris).

Cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID) in the salivary gland of African hedgehogs (Atelerix arbiventris) has been reported before, and is suspected to reflect a cytomegalovirus infection. However, a recent ultrastructural study reported that African hedgehog CID reflected oncocytic metaplasia, mimicking a cytomegalovirus infection. We examined the submandibular and sublingual salivary glands of a 1-year-old male African hedgehog. Histologically, there were multiple foci composed of cytomegalic cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies. Ultrastructurally, viral particles (109-118 nm in diameter) were observed in the nuclei of the cytomegalic cells. There were numerous vesicles containing various numbers of enveloped viruses in the cytoplasm. We also attempted to detect viral DNA fragments by degenerate polymerase chain reaction and obtained amplicons of a predicted size. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the virus is a betaherpesvirus, comparatively related to human and rodent cytomegaloviruses. The present study suggested that African hedgehog CIDs also include those caused by the cytomegalovirus.

Exotic radiation from a photonic crystal excited by an ultrarelativistic electron beam.

We report the observation of an exotic radiation (unconventional Smith-Purcell radiation) from a one-dimensional photonic crystal. The physical origin of the exotic radiation is direct excitation of the photonic bands by an ultrarelativistic electron beam. The spectrum of the exotic radiation follows photonic bands of a certain parity, in striking contrast to the conventional Smith-Purcell radiation, which shows solely a linear dispersion. Key ingredients for the observation are the facts that the electron beam is in an ultrarelativistic region and that the photonic crystal is finite. The origin of the radiation was identified by comparison of experimental and theoretical results.

Dielectric properties of fluorine substituted hydroxyapatite: the effect of the substitution on configuration of hydroxide ion chains.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) [Ca5(PO4)3OH] is an extremely popular biomaterial. Moreover, HAp durability is well-known to be enhanced by fluoridation. We prepared fluoridated HAp (F-HAp; Ca5(PO4)3(OH)1-xFx) ceramics by substituting F- ions for OH- ions of HAp. F-substitution dependence of dielectric properties in F-HAp was measured to detect the configuration change of OH- ion chains. Dielectric relaxation of two kinds was observed. Each kind had a different relaxation time. Faster relaxation, which is associated with the reorientation motion of OH- ions, was only observed at the low F-substitution range (0 ≤x < 0.35). The relaxation strength decreased as the F-substitution increased. It became zero at x = 0.35, suggesting that F-substitution induces hydrogen bonds. One F- ion substituted for an OH- ion forms two hydrogen bonds with the two neighboring OH- ions and inhibits the motion of OH- ions, which results in some kind of ordered configuration in F-HAp. The configuration might be an origin that enhances the durability of the F-HAp.

Effects of oxidation of human parathyroid hormone on its biological activity in continuously infused, thyroparathyroidectomized rats.

The effect of oxidation of human parathyroid hormone 1-34 (hPTH 1-34) on the hormone's biological activity was assessed in vivo using a multiparameter, thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rat model. The peptide was oxidized by treatment with hydrogen peroxide, and the oxidized form (8,18-methionine sulfoxide) was isolated by reverse-phase HPLC. Vitamin D-deficient rats were infused with either intact or oxidized hormone along with a 5 mM calcium chloride solution for 4 or 18 hr. Infusion of nonoxidized hormone (0.1-0.8 nmoles/hr) resulted in dose-dependent increases in serum calcium, decreases in serum phosphate, decreases in urine calcium, increases in urine phosphate and cAMP, and increased renal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25 (OH)2D3) production. Oxidized PTH infused at doses up to 0.8 nmole/hr had no effect on any of these parameters. To assess the effect of oxidation on the ability of PTH to inhibit the production of the 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3), the infusion protocol was performed in vitamin D-deficient rats repleted with 1,25(OH)2D3 by injection. In these experiments, intact hormone markedly suppressed 24,25(OH)2D3 production, whereas the oxidized form was without effect. We conclude that intact methionine residues at positions 8 and 18 of hPTH 1-34 are necessary for all its major biological actions, including its effect on the renal metabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25(OH)D3).

The synthetic human parathyroid hormone-related protein is inhibited by a parathyroid hormone antagonist in rats in vivo.

The structure of a novel protein, parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), secreted by human tumors associated with hypercalcemia has recently been determined. Administration of a synthetic fragment of this protein in vivo reproduces features of the clinical paraneoplastic syndrome of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy and produces biologic responses closely similar to those obtained with parathyroid hormone (PTH). A PTH antagonist designed to reversibly occupy PTH receptors inhibited major actions of the tumor peptide in vivo, including phosphaturia, urinary cAMP excretion, and increased serum ionized calcium. These studies indicate that PTHrP and PTH mediate their bioactivities through shared receptors in vivo and establish a potential specific mechanism-based approach utilizing PTH antagonists for the therapy of tumor-associated hypercalcemia.

Detection and developmental changes of the 1,25-(OH)2-D3 receptor concentration in mouse skin and intestine.

We investigated [3H]1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-specific binding activity in fetal, neonatal, and adult mouse skin to determine (a) during which stage in development the skin develops the capacity to respond to this hormone and (b) whether the hormone binding activity changed during development and maturation. A macromolecule with properties similar to those of the chick intestinal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor was detected in the skin and intestine of mouse pups at 17 days of fetal life. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-specific binding activity from both tissues sedimented on linear sucrose gradients at 3.5-3.7S and eluted from DNA cellulose at 0.22 M KCl. At earlier stages of fetal life (12-14 days) receptor-like activity was detected in cytosols prepared from whole-mouse fetuses. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-specific binding activity was quantitated in the skin and intestine throughout development using a chromatin binding assay. Scatchard analysis of saturation binding data showed that the concentration of binding activity in skin increased rapidly after birth and reached a maximum when the mice were 10-19 days old. By contrast, the binding activity that was detected in the fetal and neonatal whole intestine remained low until the mice were weaned. The affinity (Kd) of the binding activity was similar in skin and intestine at all ages studied. It is concluded that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-specific binding activity appears in both skin and intestine of the mouse prior to birth and increases in these two tissues during different stages in development.

Insulin-like growth factor I suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related protein receptor expression via a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is important in skeletal growth and has been implicated in the maintenance of bone integrity. PTH stimulates bone resorption through the G protein-linked PTH/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptor in osteoblasts. Using a heterogeneous nuclear RNA assay and Northern blot analysis, we showed that IGF-I inhibited expression of the gene for PTH/PTHrP receptor in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, but did not alter the stability of the receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells. IGF-I treatment for 48 h also caused a decrease in the receptor number to 45% of that in controls without affecting receptor affinity and in functional receptor expression to 50-60% of that in controls as measured by PTH-stimulated cAMP production. In MC3T3-E1 murine nontransformed osteoblasts, IGF suppressed receptor mRNA expression dose dependently. In UMR-106 cells, IGF-I induced the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. The effect of IGF-I was blocked by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the MAP kinase-activating kinase, but not by wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. IGF-I inhibition of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression in UMR-106 cells was abrogated completely by pretreatment with cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. These findings indicate that IGF-I suppresses gene expression for PTH/PTHrP receptor via the MAP kinase pathway, and this inhibition is required for new protein synthesis in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells.

Mouse vitamin D-24-hydroxylase: molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and transcriptional regulation by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

Vitamin D-24-hydroxylase (24-OHase) is a cytochrome P-450 enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] to 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3, respectively. A full-length complementary DNA for mouse 24-OHase has now been characterized. The complementary DNA consists of 3309 bp and encodes a protein of 514 amino acids that shows 82% and 95% sequence identity with the human and rat enzymes, respectively. Northern blot analysis of tissues from mice injected with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (24 pmol/g) revealed that the 3.4-kb 24-OHase messenger RNA (mRNA) is most abundant in kidney and intestine, with smaller amounts present in skin, thymus, and bone. RT-PCR and Southern blot analysis detected 24-OHase mRNA in several other tissues including lung, testis, spleen, pancreas, and heart. Intraperitoneal injection of 1,25-(OH)2D3 induced dose- and time-dependent increases in both 24-OHase mRNA abundance and enzyme activity in mouse kidney. Similarly, 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced increases in both 24-OHase mRNA and activity were apparent in the duodenum. Although 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased the amount of 24-OHase mRNA in skin, enzyme activity was not detected in this tissue. Pretreatment of mice with cycloheximide (400 microg/g), an inhibitor of protein synthesis, potentiated the increase in 24-OHase mRNA abundance, but blocked the increase in 24-OHase activity, induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 in kidney and duodenum, suggesting that 24-OHase gene expression may be regulated not only by the vitamin D receptor but also by a short-lived repressor protein.

Human parathyroid hormone inhibits renal 24-hydroxylase activity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 by a mechanism involving adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in rats.

The in vivo effect of PTH on renal 24-hydroxylase activity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) was examined in vitamin D-deficient thyroparathyroidectomized rats by a recently developed sensitive in vitro assay of 25OHD3-hydroxylases using rat kidney homogenates and by an in vivo assay measuring the accumulation of tritiated metabolites in plasma 5 h after injection of 25OH[3H]D3. Infusion for 20 h of either human PTH-(1-34) (except at 800 pmol/h) or cAMP did not significantly change the plasma levels of calcium and phosphorus compared with those in thyroparathyroidectomized rats given 125 ng 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to induce renal 24-hydroxylase activity. On the other hand, human PTH-(1-34) markedly inhibited renal 24-hydroxylase activity and stimulated 1-hydroxylase activity. The effective concentration of human PTH-(1-34) was much lower for inhibiting 24-hydroxylase than for stimulating 1-hydroxylase activity. Infusion of less than 100 nmol/h cAMP similarly inhibited 24-hydroxylase activity without enhancing 1-hydroxylase activity. Either theophylline (1.0 mumol/h) or a submaximal dose (25 pmol/h) of human PTH-(1-34) alone inhibited 24-hydroxylase activity only slightly, but the concomitant infusion of both chemicals markedly inhibited 24-hydroxylase activity without stimulating 1-hydroxylase activity. These effects of human PTH-(1-34) and cAMP occurred similarly in both the in vitro and the in vivo assays. The present study clearly indicates that besides its well known action in stimulating 1-hydroxylase activity, PTH inhibits renal 25OHD3-24-hydroxylase activity by a mechanism involving cAMP.

In vivo evidence for the intermediary role of 3',5'-cyclic AMP in parathyroid hormone-induced stimulation of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 synthesis in rats.

Teh stimulatory effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on renal 1alpha-hydroxylation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) was studied in thyro-parathyroidectomized (TPTX), vitamin D-deficient rats into which bovine PTH, theophylline, cAMP or dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) was constantly infused. The accumulation in plasma of 1alpha,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 [1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3], produced from 25-OH-D3, was enhanced by infusion of either cAMP (0.9 MUMOL/H) OR DBCAMP (1 mumol/h) to a level similar to the maximum obtained by PTH (i95--7.5 U/h) infusion. A submaximal dose (1 U/h) of PTH caused a similar extent of stimulation, when infused with theophylline. When either 2 mumol/h of cAMP or 7.5 U/h of bovine PTH was infused starting 18 h after TPTX, the accumulation of 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 in plasma was similarly restored withing 6 h to the level found in the sham-operated animals. These results strongly support the concept that cAMP plays an important intermediary role in the stimulation of 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 production induced by both exogenous and endogenous PTH.

Regulated production and intracrine action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the chick myelomonocytic cell line HD-11.

To better understand the extrarenal production of active vitamin D metabolites by cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage, we investigated the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)-1-hydroxylation reaction in the v-myc-transformed chick myelomonocytic cell line HD-11; the 1-hydroxylation reaction in this cell line has a high affinity for 25-hydroxylated vitamin D substrates, is localized to mitochondria, and is associated with cytochrome P450 activity. In this study we demonstrated that the HD-11 cell 1-hydroxylation reaction in vitro is not affected by the majority of extracellular regulatory factors that modulate expression of the renal 25OHD-1-hydroxylase in vivo. A 50% increase in extracellular calcium and phosphate concentrations, physiological inhibitory events for renal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D] synthesis, did not decrease basal expression of the HD-11 cell 1-hydroxylation reaction, nor did a 50% decrease in extracellular calcium and phosphate concentrations, stimulatory signals for the 1-hydroxylase in vivo, increase 1,25-(OH)2D3 synthesis in vitro. Receptor-saturating concentrations of PTH and PTH-related peptide were similarly without effect. In contrast, the HD-11 1-hydroxylation reaction was significantly stimulated in a dose-dependent fashion by the macrophage stimulatory agents lipopolysaccharide [P < 0.001 at a maximum effective concentration (EC100) of 25 micrograms/ml] and interferon-gamma (P < 0.001 at EC100 of 1000 IU/ml) and by insulin-like growth factor-I (P < 0.01 at EC100 of 15 nM) with the rank order of stimulation being interferon-gamma > lipopolysaccharide > insulin-like growth factor-I. Dexamethasone (> or = 10 nM) and the cytochrome P450 inhibitors (EC100, 20 microM), ketoconazole, clotrimazole, and menadione, all significantly inhibited the HD-11 cell 1-hydroxylation reaction. The naphthoquinone menadione, which blocks electron transfer to the P450-associated enzyme, was the most effective inhibitor of the reaction in both intact cells (3 +/- 1% of basal expression; P < or = 0.002) and after reconstitution of HD-11 cell mitochondrial extracts with a ferredoxin, reductase, O2, and NADPH (5 +/- 1% of basal; P < or = 0.02). We have also shown that 1,25-(OH)2D3 produced from substrate 25OHD3 appears to exert an endogenous (intracrine) inhibitory effect on HD-11 cell growth; incubation of HD-11 cells with a concentration of ketoconazole (10 microM) known to reduce 1,25-(OH)2D3 production by roughly 50% restored 50% of the growth deficit induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 (EC100, 100 nM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inhibitory effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 9-cis-retinoic acid on parathyroid hormone-related protein expression by oral cancer cells (HSC-3).

We investigated the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) on parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) production and its mRNA expression by the human oral squamous carcinoma cell line (HSC-3). The major transcript of PTHrP was 1.5 kb in human HSC-3 cells. In the presence and absence of serum, 1,25(OH)2D3 produced dose-dependent inhibition of PTHrP gene expression and secretion. Significant inhibition by 1,25(OH)2D3 in the presence of serum was observed at 10(-10) M for mRNA expression and 10(-8) M for secretion, whereas under serum-free conditions, 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly suppressed PTHrP mRNA expression at 10(-10) M and secretion at 10(-9) M. Thus the remainder of the experiments were performed under serum-free conditions. After 24 h of incubation, 9cRA decreased dose-dependently PTHrP mRNA expression and PTHrP secretion. Addition of 10(-7) M 1,25(OH)2D3 or 10(-7) M 9cRA to HSC-3 cells significantly suppressed PTHrp transcription within 1 h and the PTHrP secretion within 12 h. Maximal suppression of mRNA expression was maintained for 12-48 h. 9cRA caused a continuous decrease in PTHrP secretion for up to 48 h, whereas the inhibition of secretion by 1,25(OH)2D3 was transient and abolished by 48 h. Neither 1,25(OH)2D3 nor 9cRA altered the stability of PTHrP mRNA. The inhibitory effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 and 9cRA on PTHrP mRNA expression was additive, whereas no additive effect was observed with regard to PTHrP secretion. These results indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3 and 9cRA suppressed PTHrP production and mRNA expression in oral squamous cancer cells, and suggest that transcriptional suppression may act through binding of the heterodimer (vitamin D receptor-retinoid X receptor) to negatively responsive elements of the PTHrP gene.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) down-regulates PTH/PTH-related protein receptor gene expression in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells via a 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent, protein kinase A-independent pathway.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates osteoblast function via a G protein-linked PTH/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptor. We have studied the mechanisms of PTH/PTHrP receptor gene repression by PTH in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells. Inhibition of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression by rat (r) PTH(1-34) and Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) at 10(-7)M was significant at 1 h and 3 h, and maximal at 2 h and 6 h. A maximal decrease in receptor mRNA abundance by rPTH(1-34) and IGF-I was maintained for 24 h. Inhibition of receptor gene expression by rPTH(1-34) was mimicked in UMR-106 cells by the addition of forskolin (an adenylyl cyclase activator), or 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-pCPTcAMP; a cAMP analogue). Although H89, a selective protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, completely inhibited PKA activity stimulated by rPTH(1-34), forskolin or 8-pCPTcAMP, suppression of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA synthesis induced by these substances in UMR-106 cells was not affected by H89. In primary osteoblast cultures, rPTH(1-34) inhibited synthesis of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA irrespective of H89. The down-regulation effect of rPTH(1-34) was also unaltered by PD98059 (an extracellularly regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitor). Pretreatment with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, did not alter the inhibition of PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression by rPTH(1-34), indicating that receptor mRNA suppression does not require new protein synthesis. Transcriptional activation of PTH/PTHrP receptor gene promoter (U3P or U4P)-luciferase constructs was decreased by rPTH(1-34), forskolin and 8-pCPTcAMP irrespective of H89. Thus, PTH transcriptionally down-regulates PTH/PTHrP receptor gene expression in osteoblast-like cells via a cAMP-dependent, PKA-independent pathway.

Regulation of vitamin D-1alpha-hydroxylase and -24-hydroxylase expression by dexamethasone in mouse kidney.

We investigated the effects of dexamethasone on vitamin D-1alpha-hydroxylase and -24-hydroxylase expression and on vitamin D receptor (VDR) content in the kidneys of mice fed either a normal (NCD) diet or a calcium- and vitamin D-deficient (LCD) diet for 2 weeks. For the last 5 days mice received either vehicle or dexamethasone (2 mg/kg per day s.c.). Dexamethasone significantly increased plasma calcium concentrations without changing plasma concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) in both NCD and LCD groups. Northern blot and enzyme activity analyses in NCD mice revealed that dexamethasone increased renal VDR mRNA expression modestly and greatly increased 24-hydroxylase mRNA abundance and enzyme activity, but did not affect 1alpha-hydroxylase mRNA abundance and enzyme activity. In mice fed an LCD diet, dexamethasone increased renal VDR mRNA expression 1.5-fold, decreased 1alpha-hydroxylase mRNA abundance (52%) and activity (34%), and markedly increased 24-hydroxylase mRNA abundance (16-fold) and enzyme activity (9-fold). Dexamethasone treatment did not alter functional VDR number (B(max) 125-141 fmol/mg protein) or ligand affinity (K(d) 0.13-0.10 nM) in LCD mice. Subcutaneous injections of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (0.24 nmol/kg per day for 5 days) into NCD mice strongly increased renal 24-hydroxylase mRNA abundance and enzyme activity, while there was no effect of dexamethasone on renal 24-hydroxylase expression in these mice. This may be due to overwhelming induction of 24-hydroxylase by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). These findings suggest that glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is caused by direct action of the steroids on bone, and the regulatory effect of glucocorticoids on renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) metabolism may be less implicated in the initiation and progression of the disease.

Induction of vitamin D 24-hydroxylase messenger RNA and activity by 22-oxacalcitriol in mouse kidney and duodenum. Possible role in decrease of plasma 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The synthetic analog of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], 22-oxacalcitriol (OCT), retains most of the properties of 1,25(OH)2D3 but exhibits much less hypercalcemic action than the parent compound. The effects of OCT on plasma calcium, phosphorus, and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] concentrations were examined in mice. Administration of a single dose (24 pmol/g body wt, i.p.) of OCT had no effect on plasma calcium for up to 48 hr, significantly increased plasma phosphorus at 4 and 8 hr and significantly reduced the concentration of 1,25(OH)2D in plasma between 4 and 48 hr. Both OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3 at 24 pmol/g body wt (i.p.) induced a single, 3.4-kb mRNA encoding vitamin D 24-hydroxylase (24-OHase), the cytochrome P450 enzyme responsible for 1,25(OH)2D3 degradation, in kidney and duodenum. The OCT-induced increase in 24-OHase mRNA and an increase in enzyme activity were marked at 2 and 4 hr in both tissues. In kidney, mRNA abundance had decreased by 8 hr but remained above basal values for up to 30 hr; activity remained relatively high for up to 48 hr. In duodenum, 24-OHase mRNA abundance returned virtually to control values by 8 hr after OCT treatment; activity remained at nearly maximal levels for up to 30 hr but was decreased at 48 hr. The effects of OCT and 1,25(OH)2D3 on 24-OHase mRNA abundance and enzyme activity were dose-dependent in kidney and duodenum. Whereas the dose-response relations for the effects of both compounds on 24-OHase mRNA were similar, OCT was slightly more potent than 1,25(OH)2D3 in stimulating 24-OHase activity in both tissues. These results suggest that the OCT-induced decrease in plasma 1,25(OH)2D3 is attributable, at least in part, to an increased degradation of 1,25(OH)2D3, which results from an increase in 24-OHase abundance and enzyme activity.

Starvation-induced increase in the parathyroid hormone/PTH-related protein receptor mRNA of bone and kidney in sham-operated and thyroparathyroidectomized rats.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) acts on bone and kidneys by binding to PTH/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) receptors and regulating calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) homeostasis. PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA was expressed at high levels in PTH target tissues such as the kidneys and bone including the calvaria, femur, and tibia. Because short-term starvation influences Ca and P ion homeostasis, we measured changes in PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression in the bone and kidneys. Food deprivation for 3 days decreased the serum Ca and P concentrations, and reinstitution of feeding for 2 days normalized the serum Ca level and significantly increased the serum P level. Concomitantly, rat immunoreactive PTH (riPTH) was increased during starvation and returned to the control level after 2 days of subsequent feeding. Serum 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) concentrations did not significantly change during starvation and subsequent feeding. Starvation up-regulated PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression in both bone and kidney. The effects of food deprivation on the receptor transcript abundance were greater in bone (threefold increase compared with control) than in the kidney (1.8-fold increase), whereas the mRNA level increase by food deprivation was more rapid in the kidneys than in bone. The PTH-induced adenylyl cyclase activity of renal membranes increased in starvation. Feeding after starvation normalized the mRNA levels in both tissues. Serum PTH depression, initiated by thyroparathyroidectomy, did not affect PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA levels in bone and kidney in rats that were fed or starved for 3 days. The abundance of receptor mRNA in bone and kidney was significantly lower in fed rats given either corticosterone or vehicle than in starved rats. These data indicate that starvation induces PTH/PTHrP receptor mRNA expression in bone and kidney, independently of serum PTH and corticosterone concentrations. The factors leading to up-regulated receptor mRNA induced by starvation remain unknown.

Identification of a single cytosine base insertion mutation at Arg-597 of the beta subunit of the human epithelial sodium channel in a family with Liddle's disease.

We describe a family with Liddle's disease caused by a novel mutation of the beta subunit of the human epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). A 15-year-old Japanese female was referred to our outclinic because of hypertension. The physical examination showed no abnormal findings except mild hypertension, but the laboratory data revealed low levels of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone and serum potassium. A comprehensive analysis of steroid hormones showed only high levels of urinary free cortisol and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. During loading tests, blood pressure and serum potassium responded well to triamterene and slightly to spironolactone, but did not respond to dexamethasone. In addition, the normal ratio of tetrahydrocortisol plus 5alpha-tetrahydrocortisol to tetrahydrocortisone in a 24 h urinary excretion test strongly suggested a diagnosis of Liddle's disease rather than apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome. DNA sequence analysis of members of this family revealed a single cytosine base insertion at Arg-597 of the beta human ENaC in the proband and her mother, leading to a loss of the last 34 amino acids from the normally encoded protein as the result of a frameshift. We conclude that a de novo cytosine insertion into the final exon of the C-terminus of the beta human ENaC is responsible for Liddle's disease in this Japanese family.