永井 良三

To examine the molecular mechanisms by which mechanical stimuli induce protooncogene expression and hypertrophy of cardiac myocytes directly, we cultured rat neonatal cardiac myocytes in deformable dishes and imposed mechanical load on adherent cultured cardiac myocytes by stretching the dishes. Myocyte stretching increased total cell RNA content and mRNA levels of c-fos and skeletal alpha-actin followed by the amino acid incorporation into cardiac proteins. CAT assay analysis indicated that the sequences containing serum response element were required for the efficient transcription of c-fos gene by stretching. This accumulation of c-fos mRNA by myocyte stretching was inhibited markedly by down-regulation of protein kinase C. Moreover, myocyte stretching increased inositol phosphate levels. These findings suggests that mechanical stimuli might directly induce protooncogene expression possibly via protein kinase C activation. Furthermore, we observed the activation of MAP kinase by myocytes stretching. This result suggests that MAP kinase activation induced by mechanical stimuli might increase the efficiency of protein synthesis on ribosomes induced by mechanical stimuli.

Identification of tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacteria by biochemical methods is a long-term process that takes up to 8 weeks for completion and requires expertise to interpret the results. In order to detect and differentiate the major pathogenic mycobacterial species, we developed genus-specific primers that amplify the dnaJ gene from the broad spectrum of mycobacterial species and determined the nucleotide sequences within the dnaJ genes from 19 mycobacterial species (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, M. africanum, M. microti, M. kansasii, M. marinum, M. gastri, M. simiae, M. scrofulaceum, M. szulgai, M. gordonae, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. xenopi, M. fortuitum, M. chelonei, M. haemophilum, and M. paratuberculosis). On the basis of the dnaj gene sequences, we developed dot blot hybridization analysis with species-specific oligonucleotide probes for the M. tuberculosis complex, M. avium, M. intracellulare, and M. kansasii, allowing a rapid identification of these species following polymerase chain reaction for the dnaJ gene. We conclude that polymerase chain reaction with the genus-specific primer that amplifies the dnaJ genes and subsequent dot blot analysis with species-specific oligonucleotide probes are most useful for differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.

The effect of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) on the expression of the endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene and the production of ET-1 peptide was investigated. Human PMNs were separated from venous blood with Mono-Poly Resolving Medium and activated by incubation with formyl-methionyl-lencylphenylalanine (FMLP) (1 microM). Then PMN suspension was added to cultured porcine endothelial cell monolayers and coincubated for various periods. Following the coincubation, ET-1 mRNA in endothelial cells was examined by Northern blotting and immunoreactive ET-1 (irET-1) peptide levels in the conditioned media were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Similar experiments were also carried out with cell-free PMN supernatant. Untreated and activated PMNs led to a 1.4-fold and 6.3-fold increase in ET-1 mRNA levels in endothelial cells, respectively, at 6h, while irET-1 peptide levels did not significantly increase as compared with control. In contrast, when PMNs were coincubated in the presence of an Intercell chamber without direct contact to endothelial cells, PMNs did not induce ET-1 mRNA expression in endothelial cells, and significantly decreased irET-1 peptide levels in the conditioned media. Cell-free PMN supernatant did not have all these effects on ET-1. These findings suggest that direct PMN-endothelial cell contact was essential for PMN-induced expression of the ET-1 gene and that PMNs may decrease irET-1 through some modification of the ET-1 molecule.

Rabbit smooth muscles contain at least three types of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms; SM1, SM2 and SMemb (NMHC-B), the expression of which is developmentally regulated. We have recently reported that smooth muscles with the embryonic phenotype accumulate in the neointimas produced by endothelial denudation or high-cholesterol feeding. In this study, we examined MHC isoform expression in the neointimas and the media of poststenotic dilatation of the rabbit carotid artery, and determined the phenotype of the smooth muscle cell in the dilated segment. We report here that neointimal cells in the dilated segment are smooth muscle cells with the embryonic phenotype as previously reported in our ballooning-injury study. The medial smooth muscles, however, are composed of heterogeneous population of smooth muscles which differ in stage of differentiation as determined by the MHC isoform expression. These results indicate that MHC isoforms are useful molecular markers to identify abnormally proliferating smooth muscles in diseased arteries and to understand the process of atherogenesis occurring following vascular injury.

PDGF-like peptides secreted from smooth muscles have been suggested to be responsible for the smooth muscle growth. In order to elucidate the nature of PDGF-like molecules expressed in vascular smooth muscles, we have isolated and characterized cDNA clones for PDGF-A chain from a rabbit embryonic aorta cDNA library. One of the cDNA clones was found to encode a novel PDGF-A chain, named PDGF-A3 in this report. PDGF-A3 arises from a single PDGF-A chain gene by alternative RNA splicing and differs from the sequences of previously reported endothelial- or the glioma-type transcripts by a 110 bp insertion. Expression of PDGF-A3 mRNA was selectively induced by Angiotensin II in the smooth muscle cell in vitro. Total PDGF-A mRNA is most enriched in embryonic aortas, but its expression is down-regulated with vascular development. PDGF-A mRNA is markedly increased in primary-cultured smooth muscle cells during the log-phase growth. Our results suggest that autocrine production of PDGF-A chains from the smooth muscle cell may play a role in early vascular development and in Angiotensin II-induced smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Adult rabbit smooth muscles contain two types of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, SM1 and SM2 which are generated through alternative RNA splicing from a single gene (Nagai, R., Kuro-o, M., Babij, P. & Periasamy, M. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 9734-9737). We previously reported that the expression of SM1 and SM2 during vascular development is differentially regulated at the level of RNA splicing, whereby SM1 is constitutively expressed from early development but SM2 appear after birth (Kuro-o, M., Nagai, R., Tsuchimochi, H., Katoh, H., Yazaki, Y., Ohkubo, A. & Takaku, F. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 18272-18275). We also demonstrated that embryonic vascular smooth muscles contain a third type of MHC isoform, referred to as SMemb in this report, which comigrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with SM2. In the present study we have isolated and characterized a cDNA clone (FSMHC34) for SMemb. FSMHC34 encodes the light meromyosin region including the carboxyl terminus and showed 70% amino acid sequence identity with SM1 or SM2. SMemb is a nonmuscle-type MHC and identical with brain MHC, but clearly distinct from 196-kDa nonmuscle MHC in cultured smooth muscle cells. The expression of SMemb was predominant in embryonic and perinatal aortas, but down-regulated with vascular development. Interestingly SMemb was reexpressed in proliferating smooth muscle cells of arteriosclerotic neointimas. These results suggest that smooth muscle proliferation is coupled to the expression of SMemb and that dedifferentiation of smooth muscles toward the embryonic phenotype is involved in the mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis.

Adult rabbit smooth muscles contain two types of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, SM1 and SM2, which are generated through alternative RNA splicing from a single gene (Nagai, R., Kuro-o, M., Babij, P. & Periasamy, M. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 9734-9737). We previously reported that the expression of SM1 and SM2 during vascular development is differentially regulated at the level of RNA splicing, whereby SM1 is constitutively expressed from early development but SM2 appear after birth (Kuro-o, M., Nagai, R., Tsuchimochi, H., Katoh, H., Yazaki, Y., Ohkubo, A. & Takaku, F. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 18272-18275). We also demonstrated that embryonic vascular smooth muscles contain a third type of MHC isoform, referred to as SMemb in this report, which comigrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with SM2. In the present study we have isolated and characterized a cDNA clone (FSMHC34) for SMemb. FSMHC34 encodes the light meromyosin region including the carboxyl terminus and showed 70% amino acid sequence identity with SM1 or SM2. SMemb is a nonmuscle-type MHC and identical with brain MHC, but clearly distinct from 196-kDa nonmuscle MHC in cultured smooth muscle cells. The expression of SMemb was predominant in embryonic and perinatal aortas, but down-regulated with vascular development. Interestingly SMemb was reexpressed in proliferating smooth muscle cells of arteriosclerotic neointimas. These results suggest that smooth muscle proliferation is coupled to the expression of SMemb and that dedifferentiation of smooth muscles toward the embryonic phenotype is involved in the mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis.

Two types of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, SM1 and SM2, were recently identified to have different carboxyl termini (Nagai, R., Kuro-o, M., Babij, P., and Periasamy, M. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 9734-9737). SM1 and SM2 are considered to be generated from a single gene through alternative RNA splicing. In this study we investigated expression of vascular MHC isoforms during development in rabbits at the mRNA, protein, and histological levels. In adults, all smooth muscle cells reacted with both anti-SM1 and anti-SM2 antibodies on immunofluorescence, suggesting the coexpression of SM1 and SM2 in a single cell. In fetal and perinatal rabbits, however, only anti-SM1 antibody consistently reacted with smooth muscles. Reactivity with anti-SM2 antibody was negative in the fetal and neonatal blood vessels and gradually increased during 30 days after birth. These developmental changes in SM1 and SM2 expression at the histological level coincided with mRNA expression of each MHC isoform as determined by S1 nuclease mapping, indicating that expression of SM1 and SM2 is controlled at the level of RNA splicing. However, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of myosin from fetal and perinatal aortas revealed the presence of large amount of SM2. Interestingly, fetal SM2 did not cross-react with our anti-SM2 antibody on immunoblotting. We conclude that expression of SM1 and SM2 are differentially regulated during development and that a third type of MHC isoform may exist in embryonic and perinatal vascular smooth muscles.

The time course of recovery of left ventricular wall motion after coronary reperfusion and how that relates to anatomical infarct size, wall motion abnormality, and the amount of cardiac myosin light chain II release were evaluated in conscious dogs. One week after the implantation of hydraulic occluders on the left circumflex arteries, myocardial infarction was induced. Coronary reperfusion was performed 3 h after the occlusion in 9 dogs (R) and occlusion was sustained in 9 dogs (C). All dogs underwent serial 2-dimensional echocardiograms and determination of serum cardiac myosin light chain II. The infarct size was identified at 14 days. Systolic wall thickening at the center of the ischemic area (SWT) at 3 h was -7.7 +/- 2.8% (C), -9.9 +/- 3.0% (R). Systolic thinning was observed even at 14 days in C. Significant recovery of contraction was observed in R, but the improvement continued for as long as 2 days. SWT at 14 days was -1.5 +/- 2.8% (C) and 7.0 +/- 4.6% (R) (p less than 0.05). All of SWT or the extent of systolic thinning (EST) 3-hour and 14-day were correlated well with infarct size in C. In group R, 14-day SWT and 14-day EST correlated with infarct size but 3-hour SWT and 3-hour EST did not. Total release of serum cardiac myosin light chain II levels correlated well with infarct size (r = 0.88), 14-day SWT (r = -0.90) and 14-day EST (r = 0.89) in all dogs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of early coronary artery reperfusion on the relation between the extent of myocardial infarction and serum levels of cardiac myosin light chain II or plasma creatine kinase levels were evaluated in the conscious dog. Hydraulic occluders were placed on the left anterior descending arteries of 38 dogs. Seven to 10 days later, myocardial infarction was produced. Coronary reperfusion was performed 3 hours (group A1, n = 13) and 6 hours (group A2, n = 12) after the occlusion. In the other 13 dogs, coronary occlusion was sustained throughout the course of the experiment (group B). Seven days after the occlusion, the heart was cut from the apex to the base into 4-mm slices, and infarct size was determined macroscopically. Rapid appearance and early peaking of creatine kinase were observed in group A. Cumulative release of creatine kinase significantly correlated with infarct size in group A (infarct size ranged from 0.1 to 20.1 g, r = 0.90) and group B (from 0.6 to 26.8 g, r = 0.91). However, since creatine kinase release in group A was greater in comparison with that from infarcts of the same size in group B, the slope of the regression line for group A was significantly steeper (p less than 0.05). Cardiac myosin light chain II appeared as early as creatine kinase did and continued to be elevated for 7 days. A very close relation was observed between infarct size and total cardiac myosin light chain II release (r = 0.87 for group A, and r = 0.88 for group B) or peak level of light chain II (r = 0.85 for group A, and r = 0.81 for group B). In addition, the slopes of the regression lines for infarct size and both peak and total release of light chain II did not differ between group A and group B. On histological examination, viable myocardium was frequently observed in the epicardium of the ischemic area in group A1; therefore, infarct size was greater in group B than in group A1 (p less than 0.05). Also, myocardial creatine kinase content in the epicardium of the center of the ischemic area in group A1 was greater than that in group B. Cardiac myosin light chain II release in group A1 was less than that in group B, whereas no difference was found in plasma creatine kinase release among groups A1, A2, and B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We previously reported the characterization of a rabbit uterus cDNA clone (SMHC29) which encoded part of the light meromyosin of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Nagai, R., Larson, D.M., and Periasamy, M. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 85, 1047-1051). We have now characterized a second cDNA clone (SMHC40) which also encodes part of the light meromyosin but differs from SMHC29 in the following respects. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrates that the two myosin heavy chain mRNAs are identical over 1424 nucleotides but differ in part of the 3'-carboxyl coding region and a portion of the 3'-nontranslated sequence. Specifically, SMHC40 cDNA encodes a unique stretch of 43 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus, whereas SMHC29 cDNA contains a shorter carboxyl terminus of 9 unique amino acids which is the result of a 39-nucleotide insertion. Recent peptide mapping of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain identified two isotypes with differences in the light meromyosin fragment that were designated as SM1 (204 kDa) and SM2 (200 kDa) type myosin (Eddinger, T. J., and Murphy, R.A. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 3807-3811). In this study we present direct evidence that SMHC40 and SMHC29 mRNA encode the two smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms, SM1 and SM2, respectively, by immunoblot analysis using antibodies against specific carboxyl terminus sequences deduced from SMHC40 and SMHC29 cDNA clones.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and the contractile protein myosin play an important role in myocardial performance. Both of these systems exhibit plasticity--i.e., quantitative and/or qualitative reorganization during development and in response to stress. Recent studies indicate that SR Ca2+ uptake function is altered in adaptive cardiac hypertrophy and failure. The molecular basis (genetic and phenotypic) for these changes is not understood. In an effort to determine the underlying causes of these changes, we characterized the rabbit cardiac Ca2+-ATPase phenotype by molecular cloning and ribonuclease A mapping analysis. Our results show that the heart muscle expresses only the slow-twitch SR Ca2+-ATPase isoform. Second, we quantitated the steady-state mRNA levels of two major SR Ca2+ regulatory proteins, the Ca2+-ATPase and phospholamban, to see whether changes in mRNA content might provide insight into the basis for functional modification in the SR of hypertrophied hearts. In response to pressure overload hypertrophy, the relative level of the slow-twitch/cardiac SR Ca2+-ATPase mRNA was decreased to 34% of control at 1 week. The relative Ca2+-ATPase mRNA level increased to 167% of control after 3 days of treatment with thyroid hormone. In contrast, in hypothyroid animals, the relative Ca2+-ATPase mRNA level decreased to 51% of control at 2 weeks. The relative level of phospholamban mRNA was decreased to 36% in 1-week pressure overload. Hyperthyroidism induced a decrease to 61% in the phospholamban mRNA level after 3 days of treatment, while hypothyroidism had virtually no effect on phospholamban mRNA levels. These data indicate that the expression of SR Ca2+-ATPase and phospholamban mRNA may not be coordinately regulated during myocardial adaptation to different physiological conditions.

Some aspects of the genetic and non-genetic control of the amount and rate of calcium cycled during steady-state activation of papillary muscles from right ventricular rabbit myocardium are presented. Genetic reorganization of the intracellular structure of the myocardium is achieved by producing right ventricular pressure overload and thyrotoxic hypertrophy. The mechanical performance of the pressure overload heart is slowed while time to peak tension is increased. These changes are associated with an increase in myothermal economy. In thyrotoxic hypertrophy the rate of mechanical performance is increased while time to peak tension is decreased. These alterations are associated with a decrease in myothermal economy. Tension-independent heat is used as an index of calcium cycling. In pressure overload hearts the amount and rate of calcium cycling is decreased. In contrast in thyrotoxic hypertrophy the amount of calcium cycled is unchanged while the rate is increased. In the pressure overload hearts there is a decrease in sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca++ ATPase, whereas in the thyrotoxic preparations the message is increased. The change in the rate of calcium uptake in pressure overload and thyrotoxic hearts is correlated with a change in the amount of SR Ca++ ATPase mRNA. Calcium cycling was also altered by non-genetic inotropic intervention. Isoproterenol (1 microM) increases the amount of calcium cycled during each contraction relaxation cycle and the rate at which it is removed. These alterations are associated with an increase in force and a foreshortened twitch. Incubating the papillary muscle in high calcium (11 mM) also increases the force and the amount of calcium released into the cytosol. Under these circumstances the rate of uptake is not significantly increased and, accordingly, the isometric twitch is not foreshortened. In the presence of verapamil (14 microM) the peak twitch force is decreased and the isometric myogram is foreshortened. These changes are associated with a decrease in the amount of calcium released during activation and the rate at which it is removed.

We investigated the in vivo vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on canine coronary arteries and the regulation of ET-1 gene expression with special reference to the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm. ET-1, administered into the coronary arteries of anesthetized dogs, produced a profound and long-lasting reduction in coronary blood flow with myocardial ischemia. Coronary angiography revealed delayed filling of the distal branches and, in some cases, total occlusion in the epicardial portions of coronary arteries. The coronary vasoconstriction induced by ET-1 subsided after intracoronary administration of nitroglycerin. Pretreatment with the Ca2+-channel antagonist, nitrendipine, suppressed ET-1-induced vasoconstriction. In cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells, ET-1 gene expression was induced by agents related to thrombus formation, such as thrombin and transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta). These findings suggest that ET-1, produced by vascular endothelial cells, may contribute to the regulation of coronary circulation and the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm with respect to intimal injury and subsequent thrombus formation.

Endothelin, administered into the coronary arteries of anesthetized dogs, produced a profound and long-lasting reduction in coronary blood flow with electrocardiographical evidence of myocardial ischemia. Coronary angiography revealed delayed filling of the distal branches and, in some cases, cessation of the blood flow distal to the epicardial portions of coronary arteries. The coronary vasoconstriction induced by endothelin subsided after intracoronary administration of nitroglycerin. Pretreatment with the Ca2+-channel antagonist, nitrendipine, suppressed endothelin-induced vasoconstriction. These findings suggest that endothelin, produced by vascular endothelial cells, may contribute to the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm.