Endothelial ganglioside GM3 regulates angiogenesis in solid tumors.

Cancer cells require oxygen and nutrients for growth, making angiogenesis one of the essential components of tumor growth. Gangliosides, constituting membrane lipid rafts, regulate intracellular signal transduction and are involved in the malignancy of cancer cells. While endothelial cells, as well as cancer cells, express vast amounts of gangliosides, the precise function of endothelial gangliosides in angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we focused on gangliosides of vascular endothelial cells and analyzed their functions on tumor angiogenesis. In human breast cancer, GM3 synthase was highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells as well as immune cells. Angiogenesis increased in GM3S-KO mice. In BAEC, RNA interference of GM3S showed increased cellular invasion and oxidative stress tolerance through activation of ERK. In the breast cancer model, GM3-KO mice showed an increase in tumor growth and angiogenesis. These results suggest that the endothelial ganglioside GM3 regulates tumor angiogenesis by suppressing cellular invasion and oxidative stress tolerance in endothelial cells.

Brain translocator protein occupancy by ONO-2952 in healthy adults: A Phase 1 PET study using [11 C]PBR28.

ONO-2952, a novel antagonist of translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), binds with high affinity to TSPO in rat brain and human tumor cell line membrane preparations. This study used the TSPO-specific PET radioligand [11 C]PBR28 to confirm binding of ONO-2952 to brain TSPO in human subjects, and evaluate brain TSPO occupancy and its relationship with ONO-2952 plasma concentration. Sixteen healthy subjects received a single oral dose of 200, 60, 20, or 6 mg ONO-2952 (n = 4 per dose). Two PET scans with [11 C]PBR28 were conducted ≤7 days apart: at baseline and 24 h after ONO-2952 administration. [11 C]PBR28 regional distribution volume (VT ) was derived with kinetic modeling using the arterial input function and a two tissue compartment model. Nonspecific binding (VND ) was obtained on an individual basis for each subject using linear regression as the x-intercept of the Lassen plot. The binding potential relative to VND (BPND ) was derived as the difference between VT in the ROI (VT ROI) and VND , normalized to VND ; BPND = (VT ROI - VND )/VND . TSPO occupancy was calculated as the change in BPND (ΔBPND ) from individual's baseline scan to the on-medication scan to the baseline BPND value. TSPO occupancy by ONO-2952 was dose dependent between 20-200 mg, approaching saturation at 200 mg both in the whole brain and in 15 anatomic regions of interest (ROI). Estimated Ki values ranged from 24.1 to 72.2 nM. This open-label, single-center, single-dose study demonstrated engagement of ONO-2952 to brain TSPO. The relationship between pharmacokinetics and TSPO occupancy observed in this study support the hypothesis that ONO-2952 could potentially modulate neurosteroid production by binding to brain TSPO.

[A study on the HA amount of HA influenza vaccination on efficacy and safety in infants].

We examined the efficacy and safety of inactivated influenza vaccine when the amount of HA influenza vaccination in children was increased to the dose recommended by the WHO. The purpose of this study was to obtain basic evidence to review the vaccination dose in Japanese children. HA influenza vaccine produced by the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University (Biken) licenced in Japan was administered through vaccination at the international dose, and split HA influenza vaccine produced by Sanofi Pasteur corp. (Sanofi) was used as control. Children from 6 months to less than 13 years of age were registered, and vaccinated with doses of 0.25 mL or 0.5 mL. Clinical symptoms during the influenza season were monitored to investigate vaccine efficacy, and information on adverse reactions was collected to evaluate safety profile. Paired serum HI and NT antibody titers were measured at pre first dose and post second dose of vaccination. Both HI and NT antibody titers for H1N1 subtype were satisfactory elevated after administration of both vaccines. Elevation of the NT antibody titer for the H3N2 subtype was observed for both vaccines, but the H3N2 HI antibody titer for the Biken vaccine was not so high. For the subtype B virus, the NT titer had a better response than the HI titer for both vaccines. As only the H1N1 virus was prevalent in the area during the study period, we performed factor analysis concerning influenza contraction only for the H1N1 antibody titer. An HI titer of 1 : 40 or more at post-vaccination was a significant factor to lower the risk of influenza contraction. The relative risk for fever among children with an HI titer of 1 : 20 or less was significantly higher than those with an HI titer of 1 : 40 or more. Children with a higher HI titer had better prevention against fever, so that both vaccines were considered to be effective. As for the appearance of adverse reactions, both vaccines were considered to be safe. From the above-mentioned results, vaccination with the Japanese Biken vaccine at an international dose was thought to be an effective and safe procedure.

Negative Influence of Aging on Differentiation and Proliferation of CD8+ T-Cells in Dogs.

Immunosenescence is an age-related change in the immune system characterized by a reduction in naïve T-cells and an impaired proliferative capacity of CD8+ T-cells in older individuals. Recent research revealed the crucial impact of immunosenescence on the development and control of cancer, and aging is one of the causes that diminish the therapeutic efficacy of cancer immunotherapies targeting CD8+ T-cell activation. Despite dog cancer being defined as an age-related disease, there are few fundamental understandings regarding the relationship between aging and the canine immune system. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the characteristics of immunosenescence in dogs and analyzed the effects of aging on the differentiation status and proliferation of canine CD8+ T cells using T-cell specific stimulation with anti-canine CD3/CD28 antibody-coated beads and interleukin-2. As a result, we found that older dogs have a lower proliferative capacity of CD8+ T-cells and a reduction in the naïve subset in their peripheral blood. Further analysis showed that older dogs had attenuated proliferation of the effector and central memory subsets. These results indicate the importance of maintaining less differentiated subsets to expand CD8+ T-cells in dogs and provide helpful insight into the development of dog immune therapies that require T-cell expansion ex vivo.

Evaluation of the influence of the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 / C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 axis on canine mammary gland tumor cell migration.

C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) is one of the chemokines that binds to C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) on tumor cell membranes and induces chemotaxis and/or migration. Mammary gland tumors (MGT) are the most common neoplasms in intact female dogs, with local invasion and distant metastasis regarded as problems. However, the influence of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis on canine MGT cell migration has not been elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in canine MGT cells and tissues and investigate the influence of CXCL12 protein on the migratory ability of MGT cells. CXCL12 expression was evaluated in 10 canine malignant MGT tissues. CXCL12 expression in tumor cells was identified in all examined tissues; however, the staining pattern and intensity differed between the tumors. Immunocytochemistry revealed three canine MGT cell lines as CXCR4-positive. Migratory ability was evaluated using a wound healing assay, and the migration of CXCR4-positive MGT cells was significantly activated by the addition of CXCL12 protein. This influence was canceled by pre-treatment with a CXCR4 antagonist. The results of our study suggest that the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis may be associated with the migration of canine MGT.

Thoracic Wall Reconstruction with Dorsal Diaphragmatic Traction and Preservation of Diaphragmatic Attachments in a Dog with Resection of the 11-13th Ribs.

A 9-year-old, 4.7 kg, spayed female Chihuahua presented with a 3.5 cm soft tissue sarcoma on the dorsal right thoracic wall. The tumor was resected, including the 11−13th ribs, resulting in a caudal dorsal thoracic wall defect. The defect was reconstructed with direct traction of part of the diaphragm dorsally, preserving the diaphragmatic attachments to the body wall, and the diaphragm was sutured to the surrounding ribs and muscles. Possible respiratory complications, including paradoxical respiration and exercise intolerance, were not observed during the perioperative or postoperative observation periods. This novel procedure is expected to be an option for caudal thoracic wall reconstruction when the diaphragmatic attachments remain intact even after the resection of the last rib. In addition, this procedure can be performed in dogs weighing <5 kg, with small pleural cavities and without respiratory disorders.

Tumor hypoxia regulates ganglioside GM3 synthase, which contributes to oxidative stress resistance in malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor hypoxia drastically changes cancer phenotypes, including angiogenesis, invasion, and cell death. Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids that are ubiquitously distributed on plasma membranes and are involved in many biological processes, such as the endoplasmic reticulum stress response and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the regulation and function of glycosphingolipids, which associate with lipid raft on mammalian plasma membranes under hypoxic condition. METHODS: B16F10 melanoma cells were subjected to chemical hypoxia and low pO2 condition, and the effect of hypoxia on expression of GM3 synthase were analyzed. Cellular resistance to oxidative stress was analyzed in GM3S-KO B16F10 cells. RESULTS: Hypoxia treatment decreased the expression of ganglioside GM3 synthase (GM3S; ST3GAL5), which synthesizes the common substrate of ganglioside biosynthesis. RNA interference of hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF-1α) inhibited hypoxia-induced GM3S suppression. Additionally, GM3S deficiency increased cellular resistance to oxidative stress and radiation therapy via upregulation of ERK. CONCLUSIONS: Altered synthesis of glycosphingolipids downstream of HIF-1α signaling increased the resistance of melanoma cells to oxidative stress. Furthermore, GM3 has important role on cellular adaptive response to hypoxia. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study indicates that tumor hypoxia regulates therapy-resistance via modulation of ganglioside synthesis.

A Single- and Multiple-Dose, Multicenter Study of Etelcalcetide in Japanese Hemodialysis Patients With Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.

INTRODUCTION: The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety and tolerability profile of etelcalcetide (ONO-5163/AMG 416), a novel, i.v., long-acting calcium-sensing receptor agonist, were studied in Japanese hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study consisted of a single dose part and a multiple dose (3 times weekly for 4 weeks) part. Major inclusion criteria were hemodialysis for at least 90 days, serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) ≥ 300 pg/ml, and serum albumin-corrected Ca (cCa) ≥ 9.0 mg/dl. There were 3 single-dose cohorts (n = 6 each) randomized 2:1 to 5, 10, or 20 mg etelcalcetide or placebo, and 2 multiple-dose cohorts (n = 11 each) randomized 8:3 to 2.5 or 5 mg etelcalcetide or placebo. RESULTS: Etelcalcetide plasma concentration decreased rapidly after i.v. administration, generally remained stable from 24 hours postdose to the next dialysis, and then decreased by dialysis. Etelcalcetide exposure increased dose proportionally. Etelcalcetide plasma predialysis concentration reached almost steady state at week 4. A single dose of etelcalcetide dose-dependently reduced serum iPTH in 30 minutes, and the reduction reached a plateau at 1 hour that lasted until 8 hours. The percent change from baseline serum iPTH thereafter showed a trend to gradually decrease; it was still -30% or greater on day 3. Similar results were obtained at the last injection (days 27-29) of the multiple dose. The effect of the multiple dose was sustained during the interdialytic period. Etelcalcetide decreased serum cCa in a more gradual but dose-dependent and sustained manner. DISCUSSION: Etelcalcetide dose-dependently reduced serum iPTH and serum cCa. Moreover, the effect was sustained in the interdialytic period.

Studies on neurosteroids XVIII LC-MS analysis of changes in rat brain and serum testosterone levels induced by immobilization stress and ethanol administration.

The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods were developed and validated for the determination of testosterone (T) in the brain and serum of rats and of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (ADIOL), a metabolite of T, in the brain of rats. After derivatization of T with 2-hydrazino-1-methylpyridine and of ADIOL with p-nitrobenzoyl chloride, the detection sensitivities of T and ADIOL using LC-MS were increased 70- and 400-times superior to those of intact T and intact ADIOL, respectively. Those LC-MS methods are specific and reliable for the analysis of trace amounts of T and ADIOL in small amounts of samples. The animal studies using the developed methods showed that the brain and serum levels of T and the brain levels of ADIOL were not changed by stress or ethanol administration but the concentration ratio of the brain T to serum T in the stressed rats was higher than that in untreated rats. The low levels of endogenous AIDOL in brain of stressed and unrestrained rats found in this study demonstrated that the contribution to anesthetic and anxiolytic effects of ADIOL via gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors may be negligible.

2-hydrazino-1-methylpyridine: a highly sensitive derivatization reagent for oxosteroids in liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry.

A derivatization reagent, 2-hydrazino-1-methylpyridine, was developed for the liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) of oxosteroids. The reagent quantitatively reacted with oxosteroids at 60 degrees C within 1h and the resulting derivatives of the mono-oxosteroids provided a 70-1600-fold higher sensitivity compared to intact steroids. However, HMP was unsuitable for di-oxosteroids, such as androstenedione and progesterone. The developed derivatization procedure was applied to the LC-ESI-MS analysis of 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone in human prostate, and allowed the reproducible quantification of nanogram/gram level of the androgen with a 10-mg sample.

Application of 4-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione to analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in human plasma by liquid chromatography/electron capture atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry.

The utility of 4-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (NPTAD) as a derivatization reagent in the analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] using liquid chromatography/electron capture atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (LC/ECAPCI-MS) was examined. The derivatives of 25(OH)D3 with NPTAD underwent electron capture in the APCI source in the negative-ion mode and provided 30-fold higher sensitivity compared to an intact compound. This derivatization-LC/ECAPCI-MS method was applied to a plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 assay, and gave satisfactory results in sensitivity, specificity, measurable range and throughput of the analysis.

Electron-capturing derivatization of neutral steroids for increasing sensitivity in liquid chromatography/negative atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry.

Derivatization of neutral steroids for increasing sensitivity in liquid chromatography/negative atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) has been examined. Under APCI conditions, gas-phase electrons are provided by the corona discharge and captured by electron-affinitive compounds. In negative APCI-MS, therefore, ultrahigh sensitivity can be obtained by tagging neutral steroids, whose ionization efficiencies are low in the conventional APCI-MS, with electron-capturing moieties, such as a nitro group. We synthesized various boronic acid and hydrazine derivatives having electron-capturing moieties as derivatization reagents for 1,2-diol compounds and oxosteroids, respectively. Among reagents examined, those having the 2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl moiety were most effective in increasing sensitivity. That is, the detection responses of the derivatives with these reagents were increased by several to more than 200-fold over intact steroids, where limits of detection were some picograms. The developed derivatization procedures were applied to analyses of small amounts of steroids in human plasma and gave satisfactory results.

[Contamination of oyster sea farm with the Norwalk virus: mechanisms and control].

The Norwalk virus(NV) is widely known as a cause of nonbacterial food poisoning, infant diarrhea, and acute gastroenteritis in the winter months between November and March. While it is strongly suspected that NV that is excreted by humans flows into coastal seawaters via rivers and wastewater treatment facilities to contaminate oysters that are grown in farms in the area, light has yet to be shed on the behavior of this virus in the natural environment. We therefore conducted a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey of NV levels in the aquatic environment of the oyster bed area of the Shima region in Mie Prefecture, whereupon the NV was detected in marine sediment, oysters, and mule clams even during the summer months, when food poisoning is infrequent. In order to assess their similarity to human-derived strains, the detected viruses and their human-derived counterparts were subjected to genetic analysis, whereupon some of the detected viruses were found to be remarkably similar to those that were previously detected in humans infected with NV. In the interests of examining methods for decontaminating NV-contaminated oysters, we also conducted an assessment on a system of virus decontamination that focuses on seawater temperature and oyster metabolism, using Poliovirus Sabin strain. The decontamination system mentioned above was a closed loop, water circulating system, built on the same principles as those actually in use at oyster farms. Our experiment indicated that at seawater temperatures of both 10 degrees C and 20 degrees C, virus placed into the water tank was rapidly incorporated into the midgut glands of the oysters. Thereafter, when seawater irradiated with UV was circulated, the virus count in the oysters fell from 1/1,000 to 1/10,000 within 6 hours. These results indicated the utility of this system for virus decontamination, suggesting the possibility of significantly alleviating the risk of NV infection in humans by using this system to maintain the seawater temperature within the decontamination tank above a certain temperature, and to perform decontamination with an adequate water flow.

Phylogenetic analysis and seroprevalence of influenza C virus in Mie Prefecture, Japan in 2012.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR were used to detect 14 (6.6%) influenza C virus (InfC) among 213 clinical samples collected from children with respiratory symptoms in Mie Prefecture, Japan, between January 2012 and December 2012. Virus isolation using Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and/or embryonated chicken eggs was also successful for 3 of the 14 PCR-positive samples. Eleven patients (78.6%) were aged <3 years. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin-esterase gene showed that the InfC detected in Mie Prefecture belonged to the C/Sao Paulo/82-related lineage. To determine the seroprevalence of InfC, a total of 575 serum samples from patients aged 1 month to 69 years in Mie Prefecture were screened by hemagglutination inhibition test using the C/Mie/199/2012 (C/Sao Paulo/82-related lineage) strain as the antigen. The samples with an antibody titer of ≥1:16 were designated as antibody-positive. The results showed that 53.7% of the 296 serum samples collected in 2011 and 85.3% of the 279 samples collected in 2012 were positive for antibodies against InfC, suggesting that an outbreak of InfC infection occurred in Mie Prefecture in 2012. Therefore, continuous and proactive monitoring is important to determine the number of InfC-infections and to better understand the epidemiology.

Effect of clarithromycin on the pharmacokinetics of pranlukast in healthy volunteers.

Pranlukast is a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist that has been used to treat bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. In vitro data suggest that pranlukast is a substrate of CYP3A4. Thus, the effect of clarithromycin, a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics of pranlukast was examined in an open-label, randomized, two-way crossover study in 16 healthy male volunteers. In treatment A, volunteers received a single, 225 mg dose of pranlukast. In treatment B, 200 mg of clarithromycin was administered twice daily for 7 days and a single, 225 mg dose of pranlukast was coadministered on day 7. Blood samples were collected up to 24 hours after treatment, and pranlukast concentrations in the plasma were measured. The geometric mean ratios [GMR] (90% confidence intervals [CIs]) for pranlukast AUC(0-infinity) and C(max) (with/without clarithromycin) were 1.06 (0.91, 1.24) and 1.17 (0.95, 1.45), respectively. In conclusion, clarithromycin and pranlukast could be coadministered without dose adjustment because clarithromycin minimally affected the pharmacokinetics of pranlukast.

Population pharmacokinetics of landiolol hydrochloride in healthy subjects.

Landiolol hydrochloride is a newly developed cardioselective, ultra short-acting beta(1)-adrenergic receptor blocking agent used for perioperative arrhythmia control. The objective of this study was to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of landiolol hydrochloride in healthy male subjects. A total of 420 blood concentration data points collected from 47 healthy male subjects were used for the population pharmacokinetic analysis. NONMEM was used for population pharmacokinetic analysis. In addition, the final pharmacokinetic model was evaluated using a bootstrap method and a leave-one-out cross validation method. The concentration time course of landiolol hydrochloride was best described by a two-compartment model with lag time. The final parameters were total body clearance (CL: 36.6 mL/min/kg), distribution volume of the central compartment (V1: 101 mL/kg), inter-compartmental clearance (16.1 mL/min/kg), distribution volume of the peripheral compartment (55.6 mL/kg), and lag time (0.82 min). The inter-individual variability in the CL and V1 were 21.8% and 46.3%, respectively. The residual variability was 22.1%. Model evaluation by the two different methods indicated that the final model was robust and parameter estimates were reasonable. The population pharmacokinetic model for landiolol hydrochloride in healthy subjects was developed and was shown to be appropriate by both bootstrap and leave-one-out cross validation methods.