Ameliorative effect of phosphodiesterase 4 and 5 inhibitors in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive uni-nephrectomized KKAy mice.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Hypertension increases kidney stress, which deteriorates function, and leads to peripheral renal vascular resistance. Long-term hypoperfusion promotes interstitial fibrosis and glomerular sclerosis, resulting in nephrosclerosis. Although hypertension and DN are frequent ESRD complications, relevant animal models remain unavailable. We generated a deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive uni-nephrectomized (UNx) KKAy mouse model demonstrating hypertension, hyperglycemia, cardiac hypertrophy, kidney failure, increased urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR), and increased renal PDE4D and cardiac PDE5A mRNA levels. We hypothesized that the novel PDE4 selective inhibitor, compound A, and PDE5 inhibitor, sildenafil, exhibit nephroprotective, and cardioprotective effects in this new model. Compound A, sildenafil, and the angiotensin II receptor blocker, irbesartan, significantly reduced ventricular hypertrophy and pleural effusion volume. Meanwhile, compound A and sildenafil significantly suppressed the UACR, urinary kidney injury molecule-1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels, as well as that of renal pro-fibrotic marker mRNAs, including collagen 1A1, fibronectin, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß). Moreover, compound A significantly suppressed TGF-ß-induced pro-fibrotic mRNA expression in vitro in all major kidney lesions, including within the glomerular mesangial region, podocytes, and epithelial region. Hence, PDE4 and PDE5 inhibitors may be promising treatments, in combination with irbesartan, for DN with hypertension as they demonstrate complementary mechanisms.

Immunohistochemical characterization of urethane-induced lung tumors in CB6F1-Tg rasH2 mice.

The purpose of this study was to define the histopathological characteristics of pulmonary neoplastic lesions, especially focusing on the origin of tumor cells, in urethane-treated Tg rasH2 mice. Bronchiolar-alveolar adenomas/adenocarcinomas were observed in the lungs from all of the urethane-treated animals. Immunohistochemically, these tumors showed an alveolar epithelial type II (AE2) cell phenotype demonstrating positive staining of surfactant protein C (SP-C). Cells expressing Clara cell 10 (CC10), a Clara cell marker, were also observed in a scattered manner in some tumors. Several SP-C and CC10 double-positive cells were observed in these tumors. Most of the urethane-induced pulmonary tumors were considered to have an AE2 cell phenotype, but the presence of SP-C and CC10 double positive cells in the tumors of Tg rasH2 mice suggests that some tumors arose from bronchioalveolar stem cells, which are known to express both SP-C and CC10.

Accumulation of Mott cells in the spleen in a CB6F1-Tg rasH2 mouse.

Mott cells are a variant form of plasma cells in humans and laboratory animals. This report describes the morphological characteristics of Mott cells observed in a 33-week-old female CB6F1-Tg rasH2 mouse. Microscopically, a large number of round cells with abundant eosinophilic globules, which were variable in size, were observed in the spleen and were densely distributed in the red pulp adjacent to the marginal zone. A few similar cells were present in the submandibular lymph node and bone marrow. Neither systemic nor local chronic inflammatory changes were seen in this animal. These cells were positive for mouse immunoglobulins. Ultrastructurally, the dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum had a homogenous substances with an intermediate electron density. On the basis of the above findings, these cells were identified as Mott cells. The present lesion is thought to be a spontaneous lesion, an unusual appearance of Mott cells without any associated pathological conditions.

Adipose progenitor cells reside among the mature adipocytes: morphological research using an organotypic culture system.

The precise localization and biological characteristics of the adipose progenitor cells are still a focus of debate. In this study, the localization of the adipose progenitor cells was determined using an organotypic culture system of adipose tissue slices. The tissue slices of subcutaneous white adipose tissue from rats were placed on a porous membrane and cultured at the interface between air and the culture medium for up to 5 days with or without adipogenic stimulation. The structure of adipose tissue components was sufficiently preserved during the culture and, following adipogenic stimulation with insulin, dexamethasone, and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, numerous multilocular adipocytes appeared in the interstitium among the mature adipocytes. Histomorphological 3-D observation using confocal laser microscopy revealed the presence of small mesenchymal cells containing little or no fat residing in the perivascular region and on the mature adipocytes and differentiation from the pre-existing mesenchymal cells to multilocular adipocytes. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that these cells were initially present within the fibronectin-positive extracellular matrix (ECM). The adipose differentiation of the mesenchymal cells was confirmed by the enhanced expression of C/EBP-ß suggesting adipose differentiation and the concurrent advent of CD105-expressing mesenchymal cells within the interstitium of the mature adipocytes. Based on the above, the mesenchymal cells embedded in the ECM around the mature adipocytes were confirmed to be responsible for adipogenesis because the transition of the mesenchymal cells to the stem state contributed to the increase in the number of adipocytes in rat adipose tissue.

Apelin-transgenic mice exhibit a resistance against diet-induced obesity by increasing vascular mass and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle.

BACKGROUND: Apelin is an endogenous ligand for the G-protein-coupled 7-transmembrane receptor, APJ. The administration of apelin-13, a truncated 13-amino acid apelin peptide, in diet-induced obese mice is reported to result in a decrease in adiposity due to the increase of energy expenditure with an increase in the expression of uncoupling proteins. METHODS: We systematically compared the phenotype of human apelin-transgenic (apelin-Tg) mice fed standard or high-fat diets (HFD) with that of non-Tg control mice to clarify the effect of apelin on obesity. The beneficial effects of apelin were evaluated by multiple assay methods including indirect calorimetrical measurements, gene expression analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Apelin-Tg mice inhibited HFD-induced obesity without altering food intake and exhibited increased oxygen consumption and body temperature compared to non-Tg controls. Interestingly, the mRNA expressions of angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), a key molecule for vascular maturation, and its receptor, endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (Tie2), were significantly upregulated in the skeletal muscle of HFD-fed apelin-Tg mice, and the areas of anti-CD31 antibody-positive endothelial cells also increased. Furthermore, both the aerobic type-I muscle fibre ratio and the DNA copy number of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 increased 2.0- and 1.4-fold in skeletal muscle, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that apelin stimulates energy expenditure via increase vascular mass and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Apelin is a prerequisite factor for anti-obesity by stimulating energy expenditure via regulating homeostatic energy balance.

Quantitative protein profiling of phenobarbital-induced drug metabolizing enzymes in rat liver by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

Administration of a compound can induce drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) in the liver. DME induction can affect various parameters in toxicology studies. Therefore, evaluation of DME induction is important for interpreting test compound-induced biological responses. Several methods such as measurement of hepatic microsomal DME activity using substrates, electron microscopy, or immunohistochemistry have been used; however, these methods are limited in throughput and specificity or are not quantitative. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based protein analysis can detect and quantify multiple proteins simultaneously per assay. Studies have shown that formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, which are routinely collected in toxicology studies, can be used for LC/MS-based protein analysis. To validate the utility of LC/MS using FFPE samples for quantitative evaluation of DME induction, we treated rats with a DME inducer, phenobarbital, and compared the protein expression levels of 13 phase-I and 11 phase-II DMEs between FFPE and fresh frozen hepatic samples using LC/MS. A good correlation between data from FFPE and frozen samples was obtained after analysis. In FFPE and frozen samples, the expression of 6 phase-I and 8 phase-II DMEs showed a similar significant increase and a prominent rise in Cyp2b2 and Cyp3a1 levels. In addition, LC/MS data were consistent with the measurement of microsomal DME activities. These results suggest that LC/MS-based protein expression analysis using FFPE samples is as effective as that using frozen samples for detecting DME induction.

Polygenic architecture informs potential vulnerability to drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a leading cause of termination in drug development programs and removal of drugs from the market; this is partially due to the inability to identify patients who are at risk1. In this study, we developed a polygenic risk score (PRS) for DILI by aggregating effects of numerous genome-wide loci identified from previous large-scale genome-wide association studies2. The PRS predicted the susceptibility to DILI in patients treated with fasiglifam, amoxicillin-clavulanate or flucloxacillin and in primary hepatocytes and stem cell-derived organoids from multiple donors treated with over ten different drugs. Pathway analysis highlighted processes previously implicated in DILI, including unfolded protein responses and oxidative stress. In silico screening identified compounds that elicit transcriptomic signatures present in hepatocytes from individuals with elevated PRS, supporting mechanistic links and suggesting a novel screen for safety of new drug candidates. This genetic-, cellular-, organoid- and human-scale evidence underscored the polygenic architecture underlying DILI vulnerability at the level of hepatocytes, thus facilitating future mechanistic studies. Moreover, the proposed 'polygenicity-in-a-dish' strategy might potentially inform designs of safer, more efficient and robust clinical trials.

Salivary mucocele in a laboratory beagle.

The histologic characteristics of a salivary mucocele in a beagle used in a toxicity study are described in this report. A pale yellowish cyst under the mandibular skin containing frothy mucus was observed at necropsy. Microscopically, numerous villous projections arose from the internal surface of the cyst and were lined by stratified epithelial-like macrophages, which were immunopositive for macrophage scavenger receptor A. A ruptured sublingual interlobar duct connected to the lumen was observed near the cyst. Luminal amorphous material showed a positive reaction with Alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining as did mucin in the sublingual gland. Ultrastructurally, the epithelial-like macrophages had numerous vacuoles containing electron-lucent material, which was presumed to be lysosomal in origin, and had pseudopods on their cell surfaces interdigitating with those on the adjacent cells. This case report helps to understand the diversity of the background findings in beagles used in toxicity studies.

Protective effects of a squalene synthase inhibitor, lapaquistat acetate (TAK-475), on statin-induced myotoxicity in guinea pigs.

High-dose statin treatment has been recommended as a primary strategy for aggressive reduction of LDL cholesterol levels and protection against coronary artery disease. The effectiveness of high-dose statins may be limited by their potential for myotoxic side effects. There is currently little known about the molecular mechanisms of statin-induced myotoxicity. Previously we showed that T-91485, an active metabolite of the squalene synthase inhibitor lapaquistat acetate (lapaquistat: a previous name is TAK-475), attenuated statin-induced cytotoxicity in human skeletal muscle cells [Nishimoto, T., Tozawa, R., Amano, Y., Wada, T., Imura, Y., Sugiyama, Y., 2003a. Comparing myotoxic effects of squalene synthase inhibitor, T-91485, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A. Biochem. Pharmacol. 66, 2133-2139]. In the current study, we investigated the effects of lapaquistat administration on statin-induced myotoxicity in vivo. Guinea pigs were treated with either high-dose cerivastatin (1 mg/kg) or cerivastatin together with lapaquistat (30 mg/kg) for 14 days. Treatment with cerivastatin alone decreased plasma cholesterol levels by 45% and increased creatine kinase (CK) levels by more than 10-fold (a marker of myotoxicity). The plasma CK levels positively correlated with the severity of skeletal muscle lesions as assessed by histopathology. Co-administration of lapaquistat almost completely prevented the cerivastatin-induced myotoxicity. Administration of mevalonolactone (100 mg/kg b.i.d.) prevented the cerivastatin-induced myotoxicity, confirming that this effect is directly related to HMG-CoA reductase inhibition. These results strongly suggest that cerivastatin-induced myotoxicity is due to depletion of mevalonate derived isoprenoids. In addition, squalene synthase inhibition could potentially be used clinically to prevent statin-induced myopathy.