Glucose-induced endocytic degradation of the maltose transporter MalP is mediated through ubiquitination by the HECT-ubiquitin ligase HulA and its adaptor CreD in Aspergillus oryzae.

In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae, large amounts of amylolytic enzymes are inducibly produced by isomaltose, which is converted from maltose incorporated via the maltose transporter MalP. In contrast, the preferred sugar glucose strongly represses the expression of both amylolytic and malP genes through carbon catabolite repression. Simultaneously, the addition of glucose triggers the endocytic degradation of MalP on the plasma membrane. In budding yeast, the signal-dependent ubiquitin modification of plasma membrane transporters leads to selective endocytosis into the vacuole for degradation. In addition, during glucose-induced MalP degradation, the homologous of E6AP C-terminus-type E3 ubiquitin ligase (HulA) is responsible for the ubiquitin modification of MalP, and the arrestin-like protein CreD is required for HulA targeting. Although CreD-mediated MalP internalization occurs in response to glucose, the mechanism by which CreD regulates HulA-dependent MalP ubiquitination remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that three (P/L)PxY motifs present in the CreD protein are essential for functioning as HulA adaptors so that HulA can recognize MalP in response to glucose stimulation, enabling MalP internalization. Furthermore, four lysine residues (three highly conserved among Aspergillus species and yeast and one conserved among Aspergillus species) of CreD were found to be necessary for its ubiquitination, resulting in efficient glucose-induced MalP endocytosis. The results of this study pave the way for elucidating the regulatory mechanism of MalP endocytic degradation through ubiquitination by the HulA-CreD complex at the molecular level.

Epicardial FSTL1 reconstitution regenerates the adult mammalian heart.

The elucidation of factors that activate the regeneration of the adult mammalian heart is of major scientific and therapeutic importance. Here we found that epicardial cells contain a potent cardiogenic activity identified as follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1). Epicardial Fstl1 declines following myocardial infarction and is replaced by myocardial expression. Myocardial Fstl1 does not promote regeneration, either basally or upon transgenic overexpression. Application of the human Fstl1 protein (FSTL1) via an epicardial patch stimulates cell cycle entry and division of pre-existing cardiomyocytes, improving cardiac function and survival in mouse and swine models of myocardial infarction. The data suggest that the loss of epicardial FSTL1 is a maladaptive response to injury, and that its restoration would be an effective way to reverse myocardial death and remodelling following myocardial infarction in humans.

Origins of Thermal Spin Depolarization in Half-Metallic Ferromagnet CrO_{2}.

Using high-resolution spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we observe a thermal spin depolarization to which all spin-polarized electrons contribute. Furthermore, we observe a distinct minority spin state near the Fermi level and a corresponding depolarization that seldom contributes to demagnetization. The origin of this depolarization has been identified as the many-body effect characteristic of half-metallic ferromagnets. Our investigation opens an experimental field of itinerant ferromagnetic physics focusing on phenomena with sub-meV energy scale.

Direct evaluation of myocardial viability and stem cell engraftment demonstrates salvage of the injured myocardium.

RATIONALE: The mechanism of functional restoration by stem cell therapy remains poorly understood. Novel manganese-enhanced MRI and bioluminescence reporter gene imaging were applied to follow myocardial viability and cell engraftment, respectively. Human-placenta-derived amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (AMCs) demonstrate unique immunoregulatory and precardiac properties. In this study, the restorative effects of 3 AMC-derived subpopulations were examined in a murine myocardial injury model: (1) unselected AMCs, (2) ckit(+)AMCs, and (3) AMC-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (MiPSCs). OBJECTIVE: To determine the differential restorative effects of the AMC-derived subpopulations in the murine myocardial injury model using multimodality imaging. METHODS AND RESULTS: SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice underwent left anterior descending artery ligation and were divided into 4 treatment arms: (1) normal saline control (n=14), (2) unselected AMCs (n=10), (3) ckit(+)AMCs (n=13), and (4) MiPSCs (n=11). Cardiac MRI assessed myocardial viability and left ventricular function, whereas bioluminescence imaging assessed stem cell engraftment during a 4-week period. Immunohistological labeling and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of the explanted myocardium were performed. The unselected AMC and ckit(+)AMC-treated mice demonstrated transient left ventricular functional improvement. However, the MiPSCs exhibited a significantly greater increase in left ventricular function compared with all the other groups during the entire 4-week period. Left ventricular functional improvement correlated with increased myocardial viability and sustained stem cell engraftment. The MiPSC-treated animals lacked any evidence of de novo cardiac differentiation. CONCLUSION: The functional restoration seen in MiPSCs was characterized by increased myocardial viability and sustained engraftment without de novo cardiac differentiation, indicating salvage of the injured myocardium.

Endocytosis of a maltose permease is induced when amylolytic enzyme production is repressed in Aspergillus oryzae.

In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae, amylolytic enzyme production is induced by the presence of maltose. Previously, we identified a putative maltose permease (MalP) gene in the maltose-utilizing cluster of A. oryzae. malP disruption causes a significant decrease in α-amylase activity and maltose consumption, indicating that MalP is a maltose transporter required for amylolytic enzyme production in A. oryzae. Although the expression of amylase genes and malP is repressed by the presence of glucose, the effect of glucose on the abundance of functional MalP is unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of glucose and other carbon sources on the subcellular localization of green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged MalP. After glucose addition, GFP-MalP at the plasma membrane was internalized and delivered to the vacuole. This glucose-induced internalization of GFP-MalP was inhibited by treatment with latrunculin B, an inhibitor of actin polymerization. Furthermore, GFP-MalP internalization was inhibited by repressing the HECT ubiquitin ligase HulA (ortholog of yeast Rsp5). These results suggest that MalP is transported to the vacuole by endocytosis in the presence of glucose. Besides glucose, mannose and 2-deoxyglucose also induced the endocytosis of GFP-MalP and amylolytic enzyme production was inhibited by the addition of these sugars. However, neither the subcellular localization of GFP-MalP nor amylolytic enzyme production was influenced by the addition of xylose or 3-O-methylglucose. These results imply that MalP endocytosis is induced when amylolytic enzyme production is repressed.

Impact of pneumonia on hyperactive delirium in end-stage lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Patients with incurable lung cancer often receive palliative care. Hyperactive delirium is a burden not only for the patient's family but also for caregivers. There are no reports describing the risk factors for delirium among lung cancer patients. The present study investigated the frequency of incidence and risk factors for hyperactive delirium among end-stage lung cancer patients. METHODS: Patients who died of lung cancer in our institute from January 2010 to December 2010 were retrospectively investigated. Information was obtained from medical records, and patients who developed hyperactive delirium (delirium group, group D) were compared with patients who did not (control group, group C) based on clinical and laboratory data. RESULTS: A total of 146 patients (median age, 70 years; 80 % male) died of lung cancer. Thirty-one (21.2 %) patients developed hyperactive delirium. Sex (P = 0.0093) and pneumonia (P = 0.023) were statistically significant variables in univariate analysis. Pneumonia occurred in 27.4 % of all patients. The incidence of pneumonia was 45.2 % in group D and 22 % in group C. Only pneumonia (odds ratio, 2.89; 95 % confidence interval, 1.22-6.85; P = 0.016) was identified as a significant factor for predicting hyperactive delirium in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumonia was identified as a significant risk factor for the development of hyperactive delirium among end-stage lung cancer patients.

Effect of Adding Lecithin and Nonionic Surfactant on α-Gels Based on a Cationic Surfactant-Fatty Alcohol Mixture.

α-Gels are often used as base materials for cosmetics and hair conditioners. α-Gel-based commercial products typically contain many types of additives, such as polymers, electrolytes, oily components, and other surfactants, in addition to the three basic components. However, few systematic studies have been conducted on the effect of such additives on α-gels. In this study, we chose surfactant as an example to initiate the effect of such additives on the structure and rheological properties of α-gel samples formulated using cetyl alcohol (C16OH) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). Optical microscopy analysis demonstrated that the size of the vesicles in the α-gel samples in this study was decreased via the addition of hydrogenated soybean lecithin (HSL) and penta(oxyethylene) cetyl ether (C16EO5), a nonionic surfactant, to them. Rheological measurements revealed that at high C16OH/CTAC ratios, the viscosity and yield stress of the α-gel samples decreased owing to the addition of surfactants to them. Conversely, at low C16OH/CTAC ratios, the opposite tendency was observed. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis indicated that for the α-gel samples with high C16OH/CTAC ratios, the addition of HSL or C16EO5 to them decreased the interlayer spacing of their lamellar bilayer stack, which led to the changes in the rheological properties of the α-gel samples.

Novel, lean and environment-friendly granulation method: Green fluidized bed granulation (GFBG).

The Green fluidized bed granulation (GFBG) technology is based on the moisture activated dry granulation (MADG) technique and consists only of a mixing and a spraying process using a fluidized bed granulator, requiring no heating process. This provides a less energy-consuming and environment-friendly granulation method compared to current fluidized bed granulation (FBG) and high-shear granulation (HSG) methods. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate the manufacturability, and granule and tablet properties among GFBG, MADG, FBG and HSG. The GFBG process time took less than 20 min for producing final blends at a 700 g scale, which was comparable to MADG. This process time was significantly shorter than that of FBG and HSG. GFBG not only had the shortest process time but also reduced the number of manufacturing machines compared to FBG and HSG. The Hausner ratio (HR) of granules from GFBG (1.30) indicated a good flowability, and no problems were observed in the tablet mass variability during compression. Tablets produced using GFBG achieved sufficient tensile strength (>1.5 MPa) even at a low compression force and demonstrated the fastest disintegration time compared to the other manufacturing methods. Tablet disintegration is related to wettability and porosity, therefore the tablet wettability (initial and capillary wetting) and tablet porosity were investigated. As a result, the capillary wetting of the tablets produced using GFBG was 3.6 times higher than the tablets produced using FBG, which might have affected the fast disintegration of the tablets produced using GFBG.

Importance of free water in controlling granule and tablet properties in a novel granulation method, green fluidized bed granulation (GFBG).

In the pharmaceutical field, green fluidized bed granulation (GFBG) is a novel and eco-friendly manufacturing technology used to produce desired granules via simple blending and spraying steps at ambient temperature using a standard fluidized bed granulator. However, the relations between water content and granule and tablet qualities have not yet been elucidated for GFBG. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the influence of different water quantities used in the GFBG process on granule and tablet qualities. In addition, results from the GFBG process were compared with those from the moisture-activated dry granulation (MADG) process. In terms of tablet tensile strength and disintegration time, GFBG had a wider acceptable range for added water quantity (2.0-5.0%) than did MADG. For all added water quantities, the GFBG granules were within the upper limit of water activity (a surrogate of free water amount), which was 0.61 for tensile strength and 0.55 for disintegration time. The air flow in the GFBG process may have reduced the excess free water on the granules during the absorption process. It was concluded that as compared with MADG, GFBG may be a more robust process for manufacturing granules and tablets with superior properties.

Decreased Wave V Amplitude in Auditory Brainstem Responses of Children with Cerebellar Lesions.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to elucidate the effect of isolated cerebellar lesions sparing the brainstem on the auditory brainstem responses in children. METHODS: We enrolled 10 children (aged 1-16 years) with cerebellar lesions on neuroimaging but lacking clinical brainstem involvement signs and with normal brainstem volumes on magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The interpeak latency of waves I and V was normal in 9 patients and was marginally prolonged in 1 patient. While amplitudes of waves I and III were normal, we noted a decreased amplitude of wave V and/or an increased I/V amplitude ratio in 6 patients; these included 5 of 8 patients with cerebellar hypoplasia/atrophy and 1 patient with acute cerebellar ataxia. CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis of an inhibitory input from the cerebellar fastigial nucleus on the inferior colliculus, which might be disinhibited because of Purkinje cells dysfunction due to cerebellar cortex lesions, especially within the cerebellar vermis.

Dose-Dependent Cardioprotection of Moderate (32°C) Versus Mild (35°C) Therapeutic Hypothermia in Porcine Acute Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: The study investigated whether a dose response exists between myocardial salvage and the depth of therapeutic hypothermia. BACKGROUND: Cardiac protection from mild hypothermia during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has yielded equivocal clinical trial results. Rapid, deeper hypothermia may improve myocardial salvage. METHODS: Swine (n = 24) undergoing AMI were assigned to 3 reperfusion groups: normothermia (38°C) and mild (35°C) and moderate (32°C) hypothermia. One-hour anterior myocardial ischemia was followed by rapid endovascular cooling to target reperfusion temperature. Cooling began 30 min before reperfusion. Target temperature was reached before reperfusion and was maintained for 60 min. Infarct size (IS) was assessed on day 6 using cardiac magnetic resonance, triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, and histopathology. RESULTS: Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride area at risk (AAR) was equivalent in all groups (p = 0.2), but 32°C exhibited 77% and 91% reductions in IS size per AAR compared with 35°C and 38°C, respectively (AAR: 38°C, 45 ± 12%; 35°C, 17 ± 10%; 32°C, 4 ± 4%; p < 0.001) and comparable reductions per LV mass (LV mass: 38°C, 14 ± 5%; 35°C, 5 ± 3%; 32°C 1 ± 1%; p < 0.001). Importantly, 32°C showed a lower IS AAR (p = 0.013) and increased immunohistochemical granulation tissue versus 35°C, indicating higher tissue salvage. Delayed-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance IS LV also showed marked reduction at 32°C (38°C: 10 ± 4%, p < 0.001; 35°C: 8 ± 3%; 32°C: 3 ± 2%, p < 0.001). Cardiac output on day 6 was only preserved at 32°C (reduction in cardiac output: 38°C, -29 ± 19%, p = 0.041; 35°C: -17 ± 33%; 32°C: -1 ± 28%, p = 0.041). Using linear regression, the predicted IS reduction was 6.7% (AAR) and 2.1% (LV) per every 1°C reperfusion temperature decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate (32°C) therapeutic hypothermia demonstrated superior and near-complete cardioprotection compared with 35°C and control, warranting further investigation into clinical applications.

Infection-resistant MRI-visible scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Tissue engineering utilizes porous scaffolds as template to guide the new tissue growth. Clinical application of scaffolding biomaterials is hindered by implant-associated infection and impaired in vivo visibility of construct in biomedical imaging modalities. We recently demonstrated the use of a bioengineered type I collagen patch to repair damaged myocardium. By incorporating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles into this patch, here, we developed an MRI-visible scaffold. Moreover, the embedded nanoparticles impeded the growth of Salmonella bacteria in the patch. Conferring anti-infection and MRI-visible activities to the engineered scaffolds can improve their clinical outcomes and reduce the morbidity/mortality of biomaterial-based regenerative therapies.

Aligned nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds - Guiding lymphangiogenesis for treatment of acquired lymphedema.

Secondary lymphedema is a common disorder associated with acquired functional impairment of the lymphatic system. The goal of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of aligned nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds (BioBridge) positioned across the area of lymphatic obstruction in guiding lymphatic regeneration. In a porcine model of acquired lymphedema, animals were treated with BioBridge scaffolds, alone or in conjunction with autologous lymph node transfer as a source of endogenous lymphatic growth factor. They were compared with a surgical control group and a second control group in which the implanted BioBridge was supplemented with exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C). Three months after implantation, immunofluorescence staining of lymphatic vessels demonstrated a significant increase in lymphatic collectors within close proximity to the scaffolds. To quantify the functional impact of scaffold implantation, bioimpedance was used as an early indicator of extracellular fluid accumulation. In comparison to the levels prior to implantation, the bioimpedance ratio was significantly improved only in the experimental BioBridge recipients with or without lymph node transfer, suggesting restoration of functional lymphatic drainage. These results further correlated with quantifiable lymphatic collectors, as visualized by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. They demonstrate the therapeutic potential of BioBridge scaffolds in secondary lymphedema.

Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Enables In Vivo Confirmation of Peri-Infarct Restoration Following Stem Cell Therapy in a Porcine Ischemia-Reperfusion Model.

BACKGROUND: The exact mechanism of stem cell therapy in augmenting the function of ischemic cardiomyopathy is unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that increased viability of the peri-infarct region (PIR) produces restorative benefits after stem cell engraftment. A novel multimodality imaging approach simultaneously assessed myocardial viability (manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging [MEMRI]), myocardial scar (delayed gadolinium enhancement MRI), and transplanted stem cell engraftment (positron emission tomography reporter gene) in the injured porcine hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twelve adult swine underwent ischemia-reperfusion injury. Digital subtraction of MEMRI-negative myocardium (intrainfarct region) from delayed gadolinium enhancement MRI-positive myocardium (PIR and intrainfarct region) clearly delineated the PIR in which the MEMRI-positive signal reflected PIR viability. Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) represent a unique population of immunomodulatory mesodermal stem cells that restored the murine PIR. Immediately following hAMSC delivery, MEMRI demonstrated an increased PIR viability signal compared with control. Direct PIR viability remained higher in hAMSC-treated hearts for >6 weeks. Increased PIR viability correlated with improved regional contractility, left ventricular ejection fraction, infarct size, and hAMSC engraftment, as confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Increased MEMRI and positron emission tomography reporter gene signal in the intrainfarct region and the PIR correlated with sustained functional augmentation (global and regional) within the hAMSC group (mean change, left ventricular ejection fraction: hAMSC 85±60%, control 8±10%; P<0.05) and reduced chamber dilatation (left ventricular end-diastole volume increase: hAMSC 24±8%, control 110±30%; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positron emission tomography reporter gene signal of hAMSC engraftment correlates with the improved MEMRI signal in the PIR. The increased MEMRI signal represents PIR viability and the restorative potential of the injured heart. This in vivo multimodality imaging platform represents a novel, real-time method of tracking PIR viability and stem cell engraftment while providing a mechanistic explanation of the therapeutic efficacy of cardiovascular stem cells.

Multi-cellular interactions sustain long-term contractility of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Therapeutic delivery of cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC-CMs) represents a novel clinical approach to regenerate the injured myocardium. However, poor survival and contractility of these cells are a significant bottleneck to their clinical use. To better understand the role of cell-cell communication in enhancing the phenotype and contractile properties of hPSC-CMs, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel composed of hPSC-CMs, human pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (hPSC-ECs), and/or human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs). The objective of this study was to examine the role of multi-cellular interactions among hPSC-ECs and hAMSCs on the survival and long-term contractile phenotype of hPSC-CMs in a 3D hydrogel. Quantification of spontaneous contractility of hPSC-CMs in tri-culture demonstrated a 6-fold increase in the area of contractile motion after 6 weeks with characteristic rhythmic contraction frequency, when compared to hPSC-CMs alone (P < 0.05). This finding was supported by a statistically significant increase in cardiac troponin T protein expression in the tri-culture hydrogel construct at 6 weeks, when compared to hPSC-CMs alone (P < 0.001). The sustained hPSC-CM survival and contractility in tri-culture was associated with a significant upregulation in the gene expression of L-type Ca(2+) ion channel, Cav1.2, and the inward-rectifier potassium channel, Kir2.1 (P < 0.05), suggesting a role of ion channels in mediating these processes. These findings demonstrate that multi-cellular interactions modulate hPSC-CM phenotype, function, and survival, and they will have important implications in engineering cardiac tissues for treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Prospective study of urinary and serum cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) for diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Many cancers metastasize to bone, which may cause an increase in bone resorption because of the direct effects of the tumor itself or osteoclastic activation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Levels of urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (uNTx) and serum cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (sNTx) were measured in 100 patients with lung cancer and 50 patients with benign respiratory disease using the Osteomark NTx urine and serum assays (Osteomark, Princeton, NJ). Bone metastasis was diagnosed by bone scintigraphy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the detection of bone metastasis. Sensitivity and specificity to detect bone metastasis were calculated when cutoff points were set to 64 nmol bone collagen equivalents (BCE)/mmol Cr for uNTx and 22 nmol BCE/L for sNTx. RESULTS: Patients with lung cancer and bone metastasis had significantly higher levels of both uNTx and sNTx (uNTx median [range], 61.3 [22.7-593.1] nmol BCE/mmol creatinine [Cr]; sNTx median [range], 19.7 [10.7-97.1] nmol BCE/L) than did patients with lung cancer without bone metastasis (uNTx median [range], 45.2 [19.8-153.0] nmol BCE/mmol Cr; sNTx median [range], 16.7 [11.0-28.4] nmol BCE/L), or patients with benign respiratory diseases (uNTx median [range], 40.6 [15.2-155.9] nmol BCE/mmol Cr; sNTx median [range], 14.8 [9.5-55.5] nmol BCE/L.). There was good correlation between uNTx and sNTx (R = 0.807). Area under the curve (AUC) for ROC was 0.743 for uNTx and 0.712 for sNTx. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of bone metastasis were 48.0% and 86.0%, respectively, using uNTx, and 40.0% and 87.0%, respectively, using sNTx. CONCLUSION: This prospective study indicates equivalency between sNTx and uNTx in sensitivity and specificity to detect bone metastasis, and both uNTx and sNTx may have value as aids in the diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer.