• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.494-496
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• 2002

Fluorouracil (FU) is well known to induce discoid lupus-like eruption at the sun exposure sites in Japan. It means the associations of UVB with drug induced DLE. It is still obscure which cytokines are involved in the development of DLE. To address the issue, we established a murine model of FU and UVB-induced discoid lupus and could show the Th1 dominant cytokine profiles in DLE model of TCR $\alpha$ chain KO mice treated with FU and UVB.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.247-248
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• 2016

Necroptosis is a well-known form of caspase-independent cell death. Necroptosis can be triggered by various extrinsic stimuli, including death ligands in the presence of receptorinteracting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), a key mediator of necroptosis induction. Our recent studies have revealed that C-terminus HSC-70 interacting protein (CHIP), an E3 ligase, can function as an inhibitor of necroptosis. CHIP^−/− mouse embryonic fibroblast showed higher sensitivity to necrotic stimuli than wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. Deleterious effects of CHIP knockout MEFs were retrieved by RIPK3 depletion. We found that CHIP negatively regulated RIPK3 and RIPK1 by ubiquitylation- and lysosome- dependent degradation. In addition, CHIP^−/− mice showed postnatal lethality with intestinal defects that could be rescued by crossing with RIPK3^−/− mice. These results suggest that CHIP is a negative regulator of RIPK1 and RIPK3, thus inhibiting necroptosis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.475-485
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• 2007

Methamphetamine is an illicit drug that is often abused and can cause neuropsychiatric and neurotoxic damage. Repeated administration of psychostimulants such as methamphetamine induces a behavioral sensitization. According to a previous study, Bax was involved in neurotoxicity by methamphetamine, but the function of Bax in rewarding effect has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we have studied the function of Bax in a rewarding effect model. In the present study, we treated chronic methamphetamine exposure in a Bax-deficient mouse model and examined behavioral change using a conditioned place preference (CPP) test. The CPP score in Bax knockout mice was decreased compared to that of wild-type mice. Therefore, we screened for Bax-related genes that are involved in rewarding effect using microarray technology. In order to confirm microarray data, we applied the RT-PCR method to observe relative changes of Bcl2, a pro-apoptotic family gene. As a result, using our experiment microarray, we selected genes that were associated with Bax in microarray data, and eventually selected the Tgfbr2 gene. Expression of the Tgfbr2 gene was decreased by methamphetamine in Bax knockout mice, and the gene was overexpressed in Bax wild-type mice. Additionally, we confirmed that Creb, FosB, and c-Fos were related to rewarding effect and Bax using immunohistochemistry.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.257-261
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• 2006

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) is one of the important mediators in generating inflammation and immune responses. To address the role of Stat4 in carrageenan induced acute inflammation, we performed paw edema measurement and 7.4 k mouse cDNA microarray analysis in carrageenan induced acute inflammation in Stat4 knockout (-/-) mice. Male BALB/c (n=8) and Stat4 -/- (n=5) were used and paw edema was induced with injection of $30\;{\mu}L$ of 1% carrageenan into plantar surface of right hind paw. Next, we isolated the mRNA in mouse whole brain and analyzed cDNA microarray profiles for the changes of the brain expression in Stat4 -/- mice. Interestingly, the increase in paw volume of Stat4 -/- mice was reduced by about 30% as compared to that of wild type. The cDNA microarray analysis revealed the altered expressions of several cytokines (Tnf, Il6, and Il4) and pain-associated proteins (Ptgs2, Gabra6, and Gabbr1) in Stat4 -/- mice. Our results suggest that Stat4 may be related to the inhibitory responses on carrageenan induced acute inflammation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.435-441
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• 2005

Classical transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs) are thought to be candidates for the nonselective cation channels (NSCCs) involved in pacemaker activity and its neuromodulation in murine stomach smooth muscle. We aimed to determine the role of TRPC4 in the formation of NSCCs and in the generation of slow waves. At a holding potential of -60 mV, $50{\mu}M$ carbachol (CCh) induced $I_{NSCC}$ of amplitude [$500.8{\pm}161.8pA$ (n = 8)] at -60 mV in mouse gastric smooth muscle cells. We investigated the effects of commercially available antibodies to TRPC4 on recombinant TRPC4 expressed in HEK cells and CCh-induced NSCCs in gastric smooth muscle cells. TRPC4 currents in HEK cells were reduced from $1525.6{\pm}414.4pA$ (n = 8) to $146.4{\pm}83.3pA$ (n = 10) by anti-TRPC4 antibody and $I_{NSCC}$ amplitudes were reduced from $230.9{\pm}36.3pA$ (n = 15) to $49.8{\pm}11.8pA$ (n = 9). Furthermore, $I_{NSCC}$ in the gastric smooth muscle cells of TRPC4 knockout mice was only $34.4{\pm}10.4pA$ (n = 8) at -60 mV. However, slow waves were still present in the knockout mice. Our data suggest that TRPC4 is an essential component of the NSCC activated by muscarinic stimulation in the murine stomach.

• International Neurourology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2018

Purpose: Presenilins are functionally important components of ${\gamma}$-secretase, which cleaves a number of transmembrane proteins. Manipulations of PSEN1 and PSEN2 have been separately studied in Alzheimer disease (AD) and cancer because both involve substrates of ${\gamma}$-secretase. However, numerous clinical studies have reported an inverse correlation between AD and cancer. Interestingly, AD is a neurodegenerative disorder, whereas cancer is characterized by the proliferation of malignant cells. However, this inverse correlation in the PSEN double-knockout (PSEN dKO) mouse model of AD has been not elucidated, although doing so would shed light onto the relationship between AD and cancer. Methods: To investigate the inverse relationship of AD and cancer under conditions of PSEN loss, we used the hippocampus of 7-month-old and 18-month-old PSEN dKO mice for a microRNA (miRNA) microarray analysis, and explored the tumorsuppressive or oncogenic role of differentially-expressed miRNAs. Results: The total number of miRNAs that showed changes in expression level was greater at 18 months of age than at 7 months. Most of the putative target genes of the differentially-expressed miRNAs involved Cancer pathways. Conclusions: Based on literature reviews, many of the miRNAs involved in Cancer pathways were found to be known tumorsuppressive miRNAs, and their target genes were known or putative oncogenes. In conclusion, the expression levels of known tumor-suppressive miRNAs increased at 7 and 18 months, in the PSEN dKO mouse model of AD, supporting the negative correlation between AD and cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.180-192
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• 2022

Nuclear receptor coactivator 6 (NCOA6) is a transcriptional coactivator of nuclear receptors and other transcription factors. A general Ncoa6 knockout mouse was previously shown to be embryonic lethal, but we here generated liver-specific Ncoa6 knockout (Ncoa6 LKO) mice to investigate the metabolic function of NCOA6 in the liver. These Ncoa6 LKO mice exhibited similar blood glucose and insulin levels to wild type but showed improvements in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and pyruvate tolerance. The decrease in glucose production from pyruvate in these LKO mice was consistent with the abrogation of the fasting-stimulated induction of gluconeogenic genes, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (Pck1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6pc). The forskolin-stimulated inductions of Pck1 and G6pc were also dramatically reduced in primary hepatocytes isolated from Ncoa6 LKO mice, whereas the expression levels of other gluconeogenic gene regulators, including cAMP response element binding protein (Creb), forkhead box protein O1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α, were unaltered in the LKO mouse livers. CREB phosphorylation via fasting or forskolin stimulation was normal in the livers and primary hepatocytes of the LKO mice. Notably, it was observed that CREB interacts with NCOA6. The transcriptional activity of CREB was found to be enhanced by NCOA6 in the context of Pck1 and G6pc promoters. NCOA6-dependent augmentation was abolished in cAMP response element (CRE) mutant promoters of the Pck1 and G6pc genes. Our present results suggest that NCOA6 regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis by modulating glucagon/cAMP-dependent gluconeogenic gene transcription through an interaction with CREB.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2022

Objective: This study was performed to examine whether the porcine glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1 (GOT1) gene has important functions in regulating adipocyte differentiation. Methods: Porcine GOT1 knockout and overexpression vectors were constructed and transfected into the mouse adipogenic 3T3-L1 cells. Lipid droplets levels were measured after 8 days of differentiation. The mechanisms through which GOT1 participated in lipid deposition were examined by measuring the expression of malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH1) and malic enzyme (ME1) and the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) content. Results: GOT1 knockout significantly decreased lipid deposition in the 3T3-L1 cells (p<0.01), whereas GOT1 overexpression significantly increased lipid accumulation (p<0.01). At the same time, GOT1 knockout significantly decreased the NADPH content and the expression of MDH1 and ME1 in the 3T3-L1 cells. Overexpression of GOT1 significantly increased the NADPH content and the expression of MDH1 and ME1, suggesting that GOT1 regulated adipocyte differentiation by altering the NADPH content. Conclusion: The results preliminarily revealed the effector mechanisms of GOT1 in regulating adipose differentiation. Thus, a theoretical basis is provided for improving the quality of pork and studies on diseases associated with lipid metabolism.

• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.166-175
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• 2018

Recombination activating gene-2 (RAG-2) plays a crucial role in the development of lymphocytes by mediating recombination of T cell receptors and immunoglobulins, and loss of RAG-2 causes severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in humans. Rag-2 knockout mice created using homologous recombination in ES cells have served as a valuable immunodeficient platform, but concerns have persisted on the specificity of Rag-2-related phenotypes in these animals due to the limitations associated with the genome engineering method used. To precisely investigate the function of Rag-2, we recently established a new Rag-2 knockout FVB mouse line ($Rag-2^{-/-}$) manifesting lymphopenia by employing a CRISPR/Cas9 system at Center for Mouse Models of Human Disease. In this study, we further characterized their phenotypes focusing on histopathological analysis of lymphoid organs. $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice showed no abnormality in development compared to their WT littermates for 26 weeks. At necropsy, gross examination revealed significantly smaller spleens and thymuses in $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice, while histopathological investigation revealed hypoplastic white pulps with intact red pulps in the spleen, severe atrophy of the thymic cortex and disappearance of follicles in lymph nodes. However, no perceivable change was observed in the bone marrow. Moreover, our analyses showed a specific reduction of lymphocytes with a complete loss of mature T cells and B cells in the lymphoid organs, while natural killer cells and splenic megakaryocytes were increased in $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice. These findings indicate that our $Rag-2^{-/-}$ mice show systemic lymphopenia with the relevant histopathological changes in the lymphoid organs, suggesting them as an improved Rag-2-related immunodeficient model.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.36.1-36.12
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• 2021

Background: Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) A59 is a highly infectious pathogen and starts in the respiratory tract and progresses to systemic infection in laboratory mice. The complement system is an important part of the host immune response to viral infection. It is not clear the role of the classical complement pathway in MHV infection. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of the classical pathway in coronavirus pathogenesis by comparing C1qa KO mice and wild-type mice. Methods: We generated a C1qa KO mouse using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and compared the susceptibility to MHV A59 infection between C1qa KO and wild-type mice. Histopathological and immunohistochemical changes, viral loads, and chemokine expressions in both mice were measured. Results: MHV A59-infected C1qa KO mice showed severe histopathological changes, such as hepatocellular necrosis and interstitial pneumonia, compared to MHV A59-infected wild-type mice. Virus copy numbers in the olfactory bulb, liver, and lungs of C1qa KO mice were significantly higher than those of wild-type mice. The increase in viral copy numbers in C1qa KO mice was consistent with the histopathologic changes in organs. These results indicate that C1qa deficiency enhances susceptibility to MHV A59 systemic infection in mice. In addition, this enhanced susceptibility effect is associated with dramatic elevations in spleen IFN-γ, MIP-1 α, and MCP-1 in C1qa KO mice. Conclusions: These data suggest that C1qa deficiency enhances susceptibility to MHV A59 systemic infection, and activation of the classical complement pathway may be important for protecting the host against MHV A59 infection.