Journal Article A New Enzyme, Nα-Benzyloxy-carbonyl Moiety Hydrolytic Enzyme, from Streptococcus faecalis R Get access Sawao Murao, Sawao Murao Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai, Osaka 591, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Eiko Matsumura, Eiko Matsumura Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai, Osaka 591, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Takashi Shin, Takashi Shin Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai, Osaka 591, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Tatsu Kawano Tatsu Kawano Laboratory of Biochemistry, Osaka College of Pharmacy, Matsubara, Osaka 580, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, Volume 48, Issue 6, 1 June 1984, Pages 1673–1675, https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1984.10866380 Published: 01 June 1984 Article history Received: 06 February 1984 Published: 01 June 1984
Journal Article A Novel Laccase Inhibitor, N-Hydroxyglycine, Produced by Penicillium citrinum YH-31 Get access Sawao Murao, Sawao Murao Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Yuji Hinode, Yuji Hinode Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Eiko Matsumura, Eiko Matsumura Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, JapanOsaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsubara, Osaka 580, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Atushi Numata, Atushi Numata Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, JapanOsaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsubara, Osaka 580, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Kenzo Kawai, Kenzo Kawai Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, JapanOsaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsubara, Osaka 580, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Hirofumi Ohishi, Hirofumi Ohishi Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, JapanOsaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Matsubara, Osaka 580, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Hisanori Jin, Hisanori Jin Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Hiroshi Oyama, Hiroshi Oyama Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Takashi Shin Takashi Shin Department of Applied Microbial Technology, The Kumamoto Institute of Technology, Ikeda 4–22–1, Kumamoto 860, Japan Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, Volume 56, Issue 6, 1 January 1992, Pages 987–988, https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.56.987 Published: 01 January 1992 Article history Received: 06 December 1991 Published: 01 January 1992
Previously, we reported that levels of chymase activity and its mRNA in cardiac tissues were significantly increased along with progression of cardiac fibrosis in cardiomyopathic hamsters, but the involvement of chymase in the progression of fibrosis has been unclear. In cultured human fibroblasts, the concentration of transforming growth factor-β in the supernatant of medium was significantly increased after injection of human chymase. Furthermore, human chymase dose dependently increased cell proliferation, and this chymase-dependent proliferation was completely suppressed by a chymase inhibitor, Suc-Val-Pro-Phep(OPh)2 (10 μM) or an anti-transforming growth factor-β antibody (100 μg/ml). In this study, we used Bio14.6 and F1B hamsters as cardiomyopathic and control hamsters, respectively. Cardiomyopathic hamsters were orally administered a novel chymase inhibitor, 4-[1-{[bis-(4-methylphenyl)-methyl]-carbamoyl}-3-(2-ethoxy-benzyl)-4-oxo-azetidine-2-yloxy]-benzoic acid (BCEAB; 100 mg/kg per day), or placebo from 5- to 45-week-old. In the placebo-treated group, the cardiac chymase activity in cardiomyopathic hamsters 45 weeks old was significantly increased compared with that in control hamsters. BCEAB significantly reduced the cardiac chymase activity. The indexes (+dP/dt and -dP/dt) of cardiac function were significantly improved by treatment with BCEAB. The mRNA levels of collagen I and collagen III in the placebo-treated hamsters were significantly reduced to 69.6 and 76.5% by treatment with BCEAB, respectively. The fibrotic area in cardiac tissues in the BCEAB-treated hamsters was significantly suppressed to 50.7% compared with that in the placebo-treated treated hamsters. Therefore, the activation of transforming growth factor-β by chymase may play an important role in the progression of cardiac fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction in cardiomyopathy.
α-Thujaplicin, a minor component of Aomori Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata SIEB. et ZUCC. var. hondai MAKINO), showed rather strong antifungal activity against seven kinds of plant-pathogenic fungi, their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) being in the range of 12.0—50.0 μg/ml. α-Thujaplicin and hinokitiol (the major component of Aomori Hiba) also showed clear antibacterial activity against Legionella pneumophila SG 1 and L. pneumophila SG 3, and their MICs are in the range of 6.25—50 μg/ml. This compound showed strong insecticidal activity against Reticulitermes speratus [50%-lethal concentration (LC50): 0.02 g/m2], and it also had clear acaricidal activity against Dermatophagoides farinae (LC50: 0.66 g/m2). At 24 h after treatment, α-thujaplicin at 0.63 μg/ml inhibited the cell growth of murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia by 78%, and its cytotoxic activity at a concentration higher than 0.63 μg/ml was as high as that of vincristine, used as a positive control. On the other hand, the cytotoxic effect of α-thujaplicin at 0.63 μg/ml was weaker than that of vinblastine. In this respect, the strong cytotoxic effect of α-thujaplicin on murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line should be emphasized, considering that it has recently been found to be low in toxicity to mice.
Studies were made on the relative contributions of amino acids for hepatic gluconeogenesis in vivo and on inter-organal relations in amino acid metabolism in fasted rats. First, the plasma levels of lactate and amino acids were determined 2 hr after evisceration-nephrectomy of fasted rats. The plasma levels of lactate, glutamine, alanine, glycine, and lysine increased remarkably, but those of aspartate, glutamate, valine, leucine, and isoleucine did not increase appreciably. Second, arterio-venous-differences in plasma amino acids across various tissues were determined. The-arterial-common iliac vein difference indicated that peripheral tissues, including the skeletal muscle, skin, and adipose tissue, released considerable amounts of glutamine, alanine, and glycine. The arterial-portal vein difference indicated that, non-hepatic splanchnic organs released much alanine plus a little glycine and glutamate, and utilized much glutamine plus a little serine. The arterial-renal vein difference indicated that the kidney produced much serine and utilized much glutamine plus a little glycine. The levels of acidic and branched-chain amino acids did not change appreciably across these organs. The portal-hepatic vein difference indicated that glutamine was released from the liver, and that other amino acids plus lactate were utilized by the liver in proportions similar to those of amino acids accumulated in. the plasma of eviscerated-nephrectomized rats. The significance of these findings is discussed. The results support the concept that alanine contributes most to hepatic gluconeogenesis in fasted rats, while the contributions of serine, glutamine, and other amino acids are far less. The results, also suggest that glutamine and alanine are “ end products” of amino acid metabolism in many tissues and act as “ nitrogen carriers” from organ to organ. From these findings, the inter-organal relations in amino acid metabolism in fasted rats were inferred and quantification of the relative contributions of individual organs in amino. acid metabolism was discussed.
Great difficulty has frequently been experienced in assigning quaternary carbons of aromatic compounds, especially, to distinguish between two or more aromatic carbons bearing the same functional groups in the 13C-NMRspectrum.A number of techniques for assigning 'C-NMR spectra of complex organic compounds have 13
Beta-dolabrin, gamma-thujaplicin, and 4-acetyltropolone, the components of Aomori Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata SIEB. et ZUCC. var. hondai MAKINO), showed antifungal activity on seven kinds of plant-pathogenic fungi, antibacterial activity against two kinds of Legionella sp., and in vitro cytotoxic effect on murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line. Firstly, beta-dolabrin, gamma-thujaplicin and 4-acetyltropolone had clear antifungal activity against seven kinds of plant-pathogenic fungi tested. In particular, beta-dolabrin and 4-acetyltropolone showed strong antifungal activity against Pythium aphanidermatum IFO 32440, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 6.0 microg/ml. Secondly, beta-dolabrin, gamma-thujaplicin and 4-acetyltropolone had obvious growth-inhibitory effect on two kinds of Legionella sp. 4-Acetyltropolone especially had strong antibacterial activity toward Legionella pneumophila SG 1, and its MIC value was 3.1 microg/ml. These three compounds showed cytotoxic effects against murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line in vitro. The cytotoxic effect of three compounds in the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line were clear when cell growth was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. At 48 h after treatment, gamma-thujaplicin and 4-acetyltropolone at 0.63 microg/ml inhibited cell growth of murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia by 85% and 65%, respectively. At the same time after treatment, the growth of the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell line was completely suppressed by the three compounds at concentrations higher than 5.0 microg/ml. Among these three compounds, gamma-thujaplicin had the strongest cytotoxic activity on the growth of this tumor cell line in vitro.
