The involvement of glucocorticoids in psychological stress-induced exacerbations of experimental allergic asthma.

BACKGROUND: Psychological stress is associated with the aggravation of asthma symptoms. Glucocorticoids (GC), which are stress hormones released upon exposure to stress, have the potential to shift immune responses towards a predominant Th2 response by priming antigen-presenting cells to produce lower levels of IL-12 as well as reducing the development of regulatory T cells. However, the involvement of GC in psychological stress-induced exacerbations of allergic asthma has not yet been clarified. METHODS: Sensitized mice were exposed to restraint stress followed by forced swimming stress, during which a GC receptor antagonist or a GC synthesis inhibitor was administered, and then antigen was inhaled. Corticosterone levels in the blood were measured in stressed and nonstressed mice. After antigen inhalation, the airway responses to aerosolized methacholine, epithelial mucus secretion and airway inflammation were evaluated, and the IL-13 contents in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. RESULTS: The exposure to stress significantly increased corticosterone levels. Allergic airway responses and the increase of IL-13 contents evoked by antigen inhalation were significantly higher in stressed mice than in nonstressed mice. The administration of a GC receptor antagonist and a GC synthesis inhibitor during stress exposure significantly reduced the exacerbation of the airway responses and the increase of IL-13 contents in stressed mice challenged with antigen. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the increased release of GC upon exposure to stress has a priming effect on the aggravation of allergic airway responses following the exposure, suggesting a pathophysiological role for the neuroendocrine axis in linking psychological stress to asthma exacerbations.

Enantioselective synthesis of primary 1-(aryl)alkylamines by nucleophilic 1,2-addition of organolithium reagents to hydroxyoxime ethers and application to asymmetric synthesis of G-protein-coupled receptor ligands.

(E)-Arylaldehyde oxime ethers bearing a (1S)-2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl or (2R)-1-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl group as a chiral auxiliary, both derived from a single precursor, methyl (R)-mandelate, underwent nucleophilic addition with organolithium reagents via six-membered chelates to give the diastereomerically enriched (R)- and (S)-adducts, respectively, which, after chiral auxiliary removal by reductive N-O bond cleavage, led to the corresponding (R)- and (S)-1-(aryl)ethylamines. This organolithium addition protocol using methyllithium was applied in an enantiodivergent fashion to the preparation of both enantiomers of 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylamine, which has been previously used as an efficient chiral auxiliary for the synthesis of natural products in this laboratory. The synthetic utility of this methodology involving diastereoselective methyl addition was demonstrated by further application to the asymmetric synthesis of a new type of calcium receptor agonist (calcimimetics), (R)-(+)-NPS R-568 and its thio analogue. Furthermore, diastereoselective vinylation was accomplished by application of the hydroxy oxime ether-based protocol using vinyllithium, which allowed the development of the enantioselective synthesis of the NK-1 receptor antagonists, (+)-CP-99,994 and (+)-CP-122,721.

Tissue distribution and intracellular localization of catechins in tea leaves.

We investigated the leaf tissue and cellular morphology of tea (Camellia sinensis). Osmiophilic material, presumably catechins, was present in mesophyll cells, but not in epidermal cells. Electron microscopy showed that catechins were localized to restricted regions within the central vacuoles. In addition, two kinds of small vacuoles of 0.5-3 microm were present in mesophyll cells. One vacuole had catechins within its whole lumen, while the other had an electron-lucent lumen. We found fusion profiles between a large central vacuole and these small vacuoles. We propose that after catechins are synthesized, they are incorporated into small vacuoles and transported to the large central vacuoles.

Asymmetric synthesis of (-)-adaline.

[reaction: see text] An enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-adaline has been achieved starting from a chiral 6,6-disubstituted piperidone derivative previously prepared by diastereoselective allylation of a chiral tricyclic N-acyl-N,O-acetal. The key steps include lithium ion-activated SN2-type alkynylation of the tricyclic N,O-acetal leading to exclusive formation of the (6S)-ethynylpiperidine and ring-closing olefin metathesis of the (2R,6S)-cis-2,6-dialkenylpiperidine for constructing the bridged azabicyclononane.