TATSUHIRO AKAISHI

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and polysulfides (H₂S_n, n ≥ 2) are signaling molecules produced by 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) that play various physiological roles, including the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a synaptic model of memory formation, by enhancing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity. However, the presynaptic action of H₂S/H₂S_n on neurotransmitter release, regulation of LTP induction, and animal behavior are poorly understood. Here, we showed that H₂S/H₂S₂ applied to the rat hippocampus by in vivo microdialysis induces the release of GABA, glutamate, and d-serine, a co-agonist of NMDA receptors. Animals with genetically knocked-out 3MST and the target of H₂S₂, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels, revealed that H₂S/H₂S₂, 3MST, and TRPA1 activation play a critical role in LTP induction, and the lack of 3MST causes behavioral hypersensitivity to NMDA receptor antagonism, as in schizophrenia. H₂S/H₂S_n, 3MST, and TRPA1 channels have therapeutic potential for psychiatric diseases and cognitive deficits.

Amyloid β protein (Aβ) self-assembles into insoluble fibrils, and forms the senile plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. 3,3′,4′,5′-Tetrahydroxyflavone, a synthetic analogue of the natural flavonoid fisetin, has been found to potently inhibit Aβ fibril formation. In the present study, we investigated how inhibition of Aβ fibril formation by this flavonoid affects Aβ conformation and neurotoxicity. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of Aβ1-42 (20 µ<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">M</span>) incubated with or without 3,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone demonstrated that 3,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone (100 µ<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">M</span>) rapidly caused formation of atypical Aβ conformers, which appeared as a very broad, smear-like band in the high molecular weight region and were distinguishable from soluble Aβ oligomers or mature Aβ fibrils. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that large spherical Aβ aggregates were preferentially formed in the presence of 3,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone. The SDS-resistant, smear-like band on SDS-PAGE and the large spherical aggregates in TEM both disappeared after heat treatment (100°C, 10 min). Furthermore, a neurotoxicity assay with cultured rat hippocampal neurons demonstrated that Aβ incubated with 3,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone was significantly less toxic than Aβ incubated without the flavonoid. These results suggest that the newly synthesized fisetin analogue 3,3′,4′,5′-tetrahydroxyflavone directly produces atypical, large Aβ aggregates and reduces Aβ toxicity.

Extract from fruits of Nandina domestica THUNBERG (NDE) has been used to improve cough and breathing difficulty in Japan for many years. To explore whether NDE may alleviate respiratory inflammation, we investigated its effect on expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in human pulmonary epithelial A549 cells in culture. Treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 6 µg/mL) resulted in an increase of COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in A549 cells. Both the LPS-induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production were significantly inhibited by NDE (1–10 µg/mL) in a concentration-dependent manner. NDE did not affect COX-1 expression nor COX activity. These results suggest that NDE downregulates LPS-induced COX-2 expression and inhibits PGE2 production in pulmonary epithelial cells. Furthermore, higenamine and nantenine, two major constituents responsible for tracheal relaxing effect of NDE, did not mimic the inhibitory effect of NDE on LPS-induced COX-2 expression in A549 cells. To identify active constituent(s) of NDE responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect, NDE was introduced in a polyaromatic absorbent resin column and stepwise eluted to yield water fraction, 20% methanol fraction, 40% methanol fraction, 99.8% methanol fraction, and 99.5% acetone fraction. However, none of these five fractions alone inhibited LPS-induced COX-2 expression. On the other hand, exclusion of water fraction from NDE abolished the inhibitory effect of NDE on LPS-induced COX-2 expression. These results suggest that constituent(s) present in water fraction is required but not sufficient for the anti-inflammatory activity of NDE, which may result from interactions among multiple constituents.

We compared the effects of the extract from fruits of Nandina domestica THUNBERG (NDE) and its constituents, higenamine and nantenine, on contractile responses in isolated guinea-pig trachea. NDE (1 mg/ml) caused biphasic relaxation of the trachea precontracted with high-K⁺ stimulation: the fast component was blocked by propranolol and mimicked by higenamine; and the slow was resistant to propranolol and mimicked by nantenine. Ca²⁺-induced contraction under high-K⁺ stimulation was antagonized by nantenine or NDE + propranolol. These results suggest that NDE relaxes the trachea quickly through β-adrenoceptor stimulation by higenamine and slowly through Ca²⁺ antagonism by nantenine.

The fruit of Nandina domestica Thunberg (ND, Berberidaceae) has been used to improve cough and breathing difficulties in Japan for many years, but very little is known about the constituent of ND responsible for this effect. We have recently reported that the crude extract from ND (NDE) inhibits histamine- and serotonin-induced contraction of isolated guinea pig trachea, and the inhibitory activity was not explained by nantenine, a well-known alkaloid isolated from ND. To explore other constituent(s)(s) of NDE with tracheal smooth muscle relaxant activity, we fractionated NDE and assessed the pharmacological effects of the fractions using isolated guinea pig tracheal ring preparations. NDE was introduced into a polyaromatic absorbent resin column and stepwise eluted to yield five fractions, among which only the 40% methanol fraction was active in relaxing tracheal smooth muscle precontracted with histamine. Further separation of the 40% methanol fraction with high-performance liquid chromatography yielded multiple subfractions, one of which was remarkably active in relaxing histamine-precontracted trachea. Chemical analysis with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer identified the constituent of the most active subfraction as higenamine, a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid. The potency and efficacy of the active constituent from NDE in relaxing trachea were almost equivalent to synthetic higenamine. In addition, the effect of the active constituent from NDE was competitively inhibited by the selective beta(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist ICI 118,551. These results indicate that the major Constituent responsible for the effect of NDE is higenamine, which probably causes the tracheal relaxation through stimulation of beta(2) adrenoceptors.

We investigated the effect of beta-estradiol. (E2) on synaptogenesis in the hippocampus using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures and subregional hippocampal neuron cultures. E2 increased the expression of PSD95, a postsynaptic marker, specifically in stratum lucidum of Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3SL) in cultured hippocampal slices. E2 also increased the spine density at the proximal site of CA3 apical dendrites in CA3SL and PSD95 was clustered on these spine heads. The effects of E2 on the expression of PSD95 and the spine density disappeared when the dentate gyrus (DG) had been excised at 1 day in vitro (DIV). FMI-43 analysis of subregional hippocampal neuron cultures which were comprised of Ammon's horn neurons, DG neurons, or a mixture of these neurons, revealed that E2 increased the number of presynaptic sites in the cultures that contained DG neurons. K252a, a potent inhibitor of the high affinity receptor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and function-blocking antibody to BDNF (BDNFAB) completely inhibited the effects of E2 in hippocampal slice cultures and subregional neuron cultures, whereas ICI182,780 (ICI), a strong antagonist of nuclear estrogen receptors (nERs), did not. Expression of BDNF in DG neurons was markedly higher than that in Ammon's horn neurons and E2 did not affect these expression levels. E2 significantly increased the BDNF release from DG neurons. KT5720, a specific inhibitor of 3'-5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) -dependent protein kinase A (PKA), and Rp-adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate triethylammonium salt (Rp-cAMP), a non -hydrolyzable diastereoisomer and a potent inhibitor of PKA, completely suppressed the E2-induced increase in BDNF release, whereas ICI and U0126, a potent inhibitor of MAP kinase kinase (MEK), did not. These results suggest that E2 induces synaptogenesis between mossy fibers and CA3 neurons by enhancing BDNF release from DG granule cells in a nER-independent and PKA-dependent manner. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Although the fruit of Nandina domestica THUNBERG (ND) has been used to treat respiratory disorders such as coughing and breathing difficulty in Japan for many years, very little is known about mechanisms underlying its action. In the present study, we investigated effects of the crude extract from ND (NDE) and one of its constituents, nantenine, on contractile responses in isolated guinea pig tracheal ring preparations. In normal experimental condition, guinea pig trachea remained tonically contracted during the resting state, and addition of NDE (1 mg/ml) caused a relaxation of tracheal smooth muscles, but had little effect on the responsiveness of trachea to acetylcholine. The basal, tonic contraction was abolished by the presence of atropine and indomethacin. In this condition, NDE at 0.1—1 mg/ml inhibited histamine-induced contraction in both competitive and non-competitive manners. NDE at 0.01—1 mg/ml inhibited serotonin-induced contraction in a competitive manner. Nantenine (2—20 μM) did not affect histamine-induced contraction, and slightly inhibited serotonin-induced contraction. These results suggest that NDE has inhibitory effects on tracheal smooth muscle contraction, and nantenine cannot account solely for this effect of NDE.

Although recent studies have suggested that dentate granule cells play a key role in hippocampal functions, electrophysiological properties in these cells have not been sufficiently explored. In the present study, modification of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels by 4-hydroxynonenal (4HN), a major aldehydic product of membrane lipid peroxidation, in cultured dentate granule cells was examined using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. When whole-cell voltage clamp was applied, the cells exhibited a high-voltage-activated Ca²⁺ current, which was totally sensitive to 30 μ<small>M</small> Cd²⁺ and partially sensitive to 2 μ<small>M</small> nifedipine. 4HN enhanced the Ca²⁺ current in these cells. When L-type Ca²⁺ channels were blocked by application of nifedipine, the enhancement was completely canceled, whereas application of ω-conotoxin-GVIA or ω-agatoxin-IVA, blockers of N- and P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channels, respectively, had no effect. These results suggest that 4HN modulates L-type Ca²⁺ channels in the dentate granule cells, and thereby plays a role in the physiological and pathophysiological responses of these cells to oxidative stress.