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Nestin is a type of intermediate filament abundantly expressed in neuroepithelial stem cells or mesenchymal stem cells. We assessed directional coronary atherectomy specimens from primary and restenotic lesions for expression of nestin. Immunohistochemistry showed predominant expression of nestin in stellate smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Given that nestin has been proposed to be a marker for putative stem cells, our results suggest that human coronary plaques contain cells that have the potential for multiple lineages. Although the role of nestin remains unclear, nestin-positive stellate SMCs are more frequently seen in patients with unstable angina.

Previously, we clarified the species differences in P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug transport activity using human MDR1, monkey MDR1, canine MDR1, rat MDR1a, rat MDR1b, mouse mdr1a, and mouse mdr1b transfected LLC-PK(1) cell lines. However, the species differences in the inhibitory effects on P-gp-mediated drug transport have not been clarified yet. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the species differences in the inhibitory effects of typical P-gp inhibitors, quinidine and verapamil, on P-gp-mediated drug transport using MDR1 transfected cell lines. The transcellular transport of [(3)H]daunorubicin, [(3)H]digoxin, and [mebmt-beta-(3)H]cyclosporin A across monolayers of the MDR1 transfected cells were measured in the presence or absence of P-gp inhibitors. On daunorubicin transport, the relative IC(50) value (quinidine IC(50)/verapamil IC(50)) of human P-gp was 5.25 and those from other species ranged from 0.89 to 10.70. The transport of digoxin and cyclosporin A also showed different relative IC(50) values among human, monkey, canine, rat, and mouse P-gps. The present study revealed that species differences in the inhibitory effects on P-gp-mediated drug transport should not be disregarded among human, monkey, canine, rat, and mouse. This study will provide useful information for predicting drug interactions mediated by P-gp.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) plays an important role in the pharmacokinetics of drugs. There is little information on the species differences in P-gp-mediated drug transport activity. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the differences in the kinetic parameters and the existence of species differences in the P-gp-mediated drug transport activity using seven multidrug resistence1 (MDR1) transfected cell lines, in which the cDNA was from human, monkey, canine, rat (MDR1a and MDR1b), and mouse (mdr1a and mdr1b). The transcellular transport of diltiazem, cyclosporin A, and dexamethasone across monolayers of MDR1 transfected cells. The apparent K(m) values of diltiazem exhibited approximately 16.5-fold differences among the seven cell lines. Concerning the diltiazem transport, the V(max)/K(m) value of human P-gp corrected by the P-gp expression level was similar to that of monkey P-gp, but was 5.6-fold higher than that of canine P-gp. On the other hand, the corrected V(max)/K(m) value of human P-gp for cyclosporin A transport was 3.8-fold higher than that of monkey P-gp. The present study would be valuable to evaluate the P-gp function of various animals in the same experimental condition. It was clarified that the species differences in P-gp-mediated drug transport activity evaluated by the corrected V(max)/K(m) value differed according to the substrate., ((c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association)

Nestin, an intermediate filament protein, is mainly expressed in neural progenitor/stem cells in the central nervous system. Recently, we reported that nestin is expressed in Purkinje cells in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). In this study, we examined a total of 19 CJD cerebella to analyze the intensity and pattern of nestin immunoreactivity of Purkinje cells in different pathological stages of degeneration in the cerebellar cortex. The results showed that the Purkinje cells were immunoreactive with nestin regardless of the severity of degenerative cerebellar cortex. Furthermore, we noted several different types of nestin immunoreactivity, indicated by diffuse and fine, coarse, and inclusion-like immunostainings within Purkinje cell bodies as well as dot-like staining outside of the cell bodies. In contrast, on examination of cerebella from non-CJD patients, 6 of 30 cases showed nestin immunoreactivity to a lesser extent. Thus, nestin-positive Purkinje cells are more common in CJD cerebella than in non-CJD cerebella. Although the mechanism of nestin expression in Purkinje cells is not yet understood, we suggest that such nestin-positive Purkinje cells are being reactivated to survive the cell death.

Injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intraperitoneally into model animals induces acute liver injury mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) as normal metabolites in hepatocytes. In this study, the molecular process in this type of liver injury was analyzed from the aspect of liver function and regulatory factors. Down-regulation of liver-specific genes was accomplished through suppression of liver-enriched transcription factors and box A factors found in the catalase gene, and induction of NF-kappaB, AP-1 and a novel factor denoted as 'cx' in the catalase gene. Expression profiles of these genes were restored to normal levels in the late stage of injury (48 h). On the other hand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were induced in the early stage (6 h) and 36 h, respectively. Interestingly, ERK2 was transiently activated at 3 h CCl4-treatment. These observations suggested that hepatotoxin by CCl4-injection concomitantly induces both processes in acute injury and liver regeneration.

During pancreatic development, endocrine and exocrine cell types arise from common precursors in foregut endoderm. However, little information is available regarding regulation of pancreatic epithelial differentiation in specific precursor populations. We show that undifferentiated epithelial precursors in E10.5 mouse pancreas express nestin, an intermediate filament also expressed in neural stem cells. Within developing pancreatic epithelium, nestin is co-expressed with pdx1 and p48, but not ngn3. Epithelial nestin expression is extinguished upon differentiation of endocrine and exocrine cell types, and no nestin-positive epithelial cells are observed by E15.5. In E10.5 dorsal bud explants, activation of EGF signaling results in maintenance of undifferentiated nestin-positive precursors at the expense of differentiated acinar cells, suggesting a precursor/progeny relationship between these cell types. This relationship was confirmed by rigorous lineage tracing studies using nestin regulatory elements to drive Cre-mediated labeling of nestin-positive precursor cells and their progeny. These experiments demonstrate that a nestin promoter/enhancer element containing the second intron of the mouse nestin locus is active in undifferentiated E10.5 pancreatic epithelial cells, and that these nestin-positive precursors contribute to the generation of differentiated acinar cells. As in neural tissue, nestin-positive cells act as epithelial progenitors during pancreatic development, and may be regulated by EGF receptor activity.

We assessed therapeutic potential of intravascular insulin gene delivery in a diabetic murine model. The rat proinsulin-1 gene cDNA engineered to harbor furin consensus cleavage sequences was inserted into EBV-based plasmid vectors that contained CAG promoter or multimerized rat insulin promoter (RIP). Normal or streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were given an injection of the plasmids via the tail vein under high pressure. Transfection of the CAG-proinsulin construct markedly improved hyperglycemia of diabetic mice, accompanied by a considerable increase in serum insulin concentrations. Although the RIP-plasmid failed to reduce fasting blood glucose, the glucose tolerance test and RT-PCR analysis revealed that insulin production was regulated in the liver in a blood glucose level-dependent manner. The present results suggest a potential therapeutic means of controlling DM.