MITOL/MARCH5 determines the susceptibility of cardiomyocytes to doxorubicin-induced ferroptosis by regulating GSH homeostasis.

MITOL/MARCH5 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays a crucial role in the control of mitochondrial quality and function. However, the significance of MITOL in cardiomyocytes under physiological and pathological conditions remains unclear. First, to determine the significance of MITOL in unstressed hearts, we assessed the cellular changes with the reduction of MITOL expression by siRNA in neonatal rat primary ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs). MITOL knockdown in NRVMs induced cell death via ferroptosis, a newly defined non-apoptotic programmed cell death, even under no stress conditions. This phenomenon was observed only in NRVMs, not in other cell types. MITOL knockdown markedly reduced mitochondria-localized GPX4, a key enzyme associated with ferroptosis, promoting accumulation of lipid peroxides in mitochondria. In contrast, the activation of GPX4 in MITOL knockdown cells suppressed lipid peroxidation and cell death. MITOL knockdown reduced the glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio that regulated GPX4 expression. Indeed, the administration of GSH or N-acetylcysteine improved the expression of GPX4 and viability in MITOL-knockdown NRVMs. MITOL-knockdown increased the expression of the glutathione-degrading enzyme, ChaC glutathione-specific γ-glutamylcyclotransferase 1 (Chac1). The knockdown of Chac1 restored the GSH/GSSG ratio, GPX4 expression, and viability in MITOL-knockdown NRVMs. Further, in cultured cardiomyocytes stressed with DOX, both MITOL and GPX4 were reduced, whereas forced-expression of MITOL suppressed DOX-induced ferroptosis by maintaining GPX4 content. Additionally, MITOL knockdown worsened vulnerability to DOX, which was almost completely rescued by treatment with ferrostatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor. In vivo, cardiac-specific depletion of MITOL did not produce obvious abnormality, but enhanced susceptibility to DOX toxicity. Finally, administration of ferrostatin-1 suppressed exacerbation of DOX-induced myocardial damage in MITOL-knockout hearts. The present study demonstrates that MITOL determines the cell fate of cardiomyocytes via the ferroptosis process and plays a key role in regulating vulnerability to DOX treatment. (288/300).

Pyrrolinone derivatives as a new class of P2X3 receptor antagonists. Part 3: Structure-activity relationships of pyrropyrazolone derivatives.

The P2X3 receptor is an attractive target for the treatment of pain and chronic coughing, and thus P2X3 antagonists have been developed as new therapeutic drugs. We previously reported selective P2X3 receptor antagonists by derivatization of hit compound 1. As a result, we identified hit compound 3, the structure of which was similar to hit compound 1. On the basis of SAR studies of hit compound 1, we modified hit compound 3 and compound 42 was identified as having analgesic efficacy by oral administration.

Discovery of NR2B-selective antagonists via scaffold hopping and pharmacokinetic profile optimization.

Selective N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B) antagonists show potential as analgesic drugs, and do not cause side effects associated with non-selective N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists. Using a scaffold-hopping approach, we previously identified isoxazole derivative 4 as a potent selective NR2B antagonist. In this study, further scaffold hopping of isoxazole derivative 4 and optimization of its pharmacokinetic profile led to the discovery of the orally bioavailable compound 6v. In a rat study of analgesia, 6v demonstrated analgesic effects against neuropathic pain.

Pyrrolinone derivatives as a new class of P2X3 receptor antagonists Part 2: Discovery of orally bioavailable compounds.

Some P2X3 receptor antagonists have been developed as new therapeutic drugs for pain. We discovered a novel chemotype of P2X3 receptor antagonists with a pyrrolinone skeleton. Because of SAR studies to improve bioavailability of lead compound 2, compound (R)-24 was identified, which showed an analgesic effect against neuropathic pain by oral administration. We constructed a human P2X3 homology model as a template for the zebrafish P2X4 receptor, which agreed with SAR studies of pyrrolinone derivatives.

Atrial Septal Defect of the Ostium Secundum Type in A 101-Year-Old Patient.

The patient was a 101-year-old woman whose chief complaints were difficulty of breathing and high fever. The history of the present illness included paroxysmal atrial flutter which was untreated, but she had not developed heart failure.At admission, auscultation of the chest revealed moist rales and systolic murmur but did not clearly show the presence of fixed splitting of S2. X-ray examination of the chest showed a cardiothoracic ratio of 61%, moderate bilateral pulmonary congestion, pleural fluid, and enlarged pulmonary arteries. Electrocardiogram showed atrial flutter with a heart rate of approximately 150 beats/minute. Echocardiographic examination revealed an atrial septal defect (ASD) of the ostium secundum type (left to right shunt) and right ventricular pressure 71 mmHg. The diameter of the ASD was approximately 10 mm.She began receiving an antibiotic and a diuretic immediately after admission, but died on the second day of hospitalization.This case could be the oldest individual with ASD among those reported to date.

Discovery of orally bioavailable cyclohexanol-based NR2B-selective NMDA receptor antagonists with analgesic activity utilizing a scaffold hopping approach.

NR2B subunit containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is an attractive target for chronic pain due to its involvement in disease states and its limited distribution in the central nervous system. Cyclohexanol-based leads 6a and 6c were identified as potent NR2B-selective NMDA antagonists utilizing a scaffold hopping approach. Further optimization of this series through replacement of the amide in the leads with an isoxazole and efforts to optimize the pharmacokinetic profiles led to the discovery of orally available brain penetrants 7k and 7l, which demonstrated analgesic activity in the mouse formalin test at early and late phases.

Development of Dose Volume Histogram Analysis Program and Its Clinical Implementation.

Dose volume histogram (DVH) is one of the methods for evaluating the feasibility of radiotherapy plans. It is difficult to thoroughly comprehend an evaluation of each plan at a glance and to give a concise presentation of the case at conference. In this study, we provide a useful program that will fulfill such a purpose on a clinical setting. We have revised our protocols of radiotherapy planning, developed the program using Visual Basic 2010, which could facilitate an evaluation of DVH, and used it for checking plans and presentation at case conference. Since our DVH analysis program shows a result of DVH in a simple way, such as "OK (Okay)" or "NG (No good)", we can promptly comprehend the results of each radiotherapy plan at ease. This program easily tells us accordance between plans and protocols. We found this program useful and worth spreading.

Influence of the PsbA1/PsbA3, Ca(2+)/Sr(2+) and Cl(-)/Br(-) exchanges on the redox potential of the primary quinone Q(A) in Photosystem II from Thermosynechococcus elongatus as revealed by spectroelectrochemistry.

Ca(2+) and Cl(-) ions are essential elements for the oxygen evolution activity of photosystem II (PSII). It has been demonstrated that these ions can be exchanged with Sr(2+) and Br(-), respectively, and that these ion exchanges modify the kinetics of some electron transfer reactions at the Mn4Ca cluster level (Ishida et al., J. Biol. Chem. 283 (2008) 13330-13340). It has been proposed from thermoluminescence experiments that the kinetic effects arise, at least in part, from a decrease in the free energy level of the Mn(4)Ca cluster in the S3 state though some changes on the acceptor side were also observed. Therefore, in the present work, by using thin-layer cell spectroelectrochemistry, the effects of the Ca(2+)/Sr(2+) and Cl(-)/Br(-) exchanges on the redox potential of the primary quinone electron acceptor Q(A), E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)), were investigated. Since the previous studies on the Ca(2+)/Sr(2+) and Cl(-)/Br(-) exchanges were performed in PsbA3-containing PSII purified from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus, we first investigated the influences of the PsbA1/PsbA3 exchange on E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)). Here we show that i) the E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) was up-shifted by ca. +38mV in PsbA3-PSII when compared to PsbA1-PSII and ii) the Ca(2+)/Sr(2+) exchange up-shifted the E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) by ca. +27mV, whereas the Cl(-)/Br(-) exchange hardly influenced E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)). On the basis of the results of E(m)(Q(A)/Q(A)(-)) together with previous thermoluminescence measurements, the ion-exchange effects on the energetics in PSII are discussed.

Mice deficient in protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z are resistant to gastric ulcer induction by VacA of Helicobacter pylori.

The vacuolating cytotoxin VacA produced by Helicobacter pylori causes massive cellular vacuolation in vitro and gastric tissue damage in vivo, leading to gastric ulcers, when administered intragastrically. Here we report that mice deficient in protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type Z (Ptprz, also called PTP-zeta or RPTP-beta, encoded by Ptprz) do not show mucosal damage by VacA, although VacA is incorporated into the gastric epithelial cells to the same extent as in wild-type mice. Primary cultures of gastric epithelial cells from Ptprz+/+ and Ptprz-/- mice also showed similar incorporation of VacA, cellular vacuolation and reduction in cellular proliferation, but only Ptprz+/+ cells showed marked detachment from a reconstituted basement membrane 24 h after treatment with VacA. VacA bound to Ptprz, and the levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interactor 1 (Git1), a Ptprz substrate, were higher after treatment with VacA, indicating that VacA behaves as a ligand for Ptprz. Furthermore, pleiotrophin (PTN), an endogenous ligand of Ptprz, also induced gastritis specifically in Ptprz+/+ mice when administered orally. Taken together, these data indicate that erroneous Ptprz signaling induces gastric ulcers.