👤 Nobutomo Miwa

Prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains poor because of unknown pathophysiology and unestablished therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to identify a potential therapeutic intervention for HFpEF through metabolomics-based analysis. Metabolomics with capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed using plasma of Dahl salt-sensitive rats fed high-salt diet, a model of hypertensive HFpEF, and showed decreased free-carnitine levels. Reassessment with enzymatic cycling method revealed the decreased plasma and left-ventricular free-carnitine levels in the HFpEF model. Urinary free-carnitine excretion was increased, and the expression of organic cation/carnitine transporter 2, which transports free-carnitine into cells, was down-regulated in the left ventricle (LV) and kidney in the HFpEF model. L-Carnitine was administered to the hypertensive HFpEF model. L-Carnitine treatment restored left-ventricular free-carnitine levels, attenuated left-ventricular fibrosis and stiffening, prevented pulmonary congestion, and improved survival in the HFpEF model independent of the antihypertensive effects, accompanied with increased expression of fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 1/2, rate-limiting enzymes in forming arachidonic acid, and enhanced production of arachidonic acid, a precursor of prostacyclin, and prostacyclin in the LV. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts, L-carnitine attenuated the angiotensin II-induced collagen production with increased FADS1/2 expression and enhanced production of arachidonic acid and prostacyclin. L-Carnitine-induced increase of arachidonic acid was canceled by knock-down of FADS1 or FADS2 in cultured cardiac fibroblasts. Serum free-carnitine levels were decreased in HFpEF patients. L-carnitine supplementation attenuates cardiac fibrosis by increasing prostacyclin production through arachidonic acid pathway, and may be a promising therapeutic option for HFpEF. Show less

To clarify the molecular mechanisms of human carcinogenesis associated with abnormal beta-catenin/T-cell factor (Tcf) signaling, we have been using cDNA microarrays to search for genes whose expression is significantly altered after introduction of wild-type APC into SW480 colon cancer cells. These experiments identified a novel human gene, termed APCDD1, that was down-regulated in the cancer cells by exogenous wild-type APC; its expression was also reduced in response to transduction of AXIN1. Moreover, we documented elevated expression of APCDD1 in 18 of 27 primary colon cancer tissues compared with corresponding noncancerous mucosae. A reporter gene assay using the 5'-flanking region of APCDD1 indicated that transfection of beta-catenin together with wild-type Tcf4 into HeLa cells increased the reporter activity through two putative Tcf/lymphoid enhancer factor-binding motifs upstream of the transcription start site, indicating that APCDD1 is one of the direct targets of this transcription complex. Exogenous APCDD1 promoted growth of colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, whereas transfection with antisense S-oligodeoxynucleotides decreased cell/tumor growth. These data suggest that APCDD1 is directly regulated by the beta-catenin/Tcf complex and that its elevated expression is likely to contribute to colorectal tumorigenesis. Show less

The Wnt signaling pathway is essential for development and organogenesis. Wnt signaling stabilizes beta-catenin, which accumulates in the cytoplasm, binds to 1-cell factor (TCF; also known as lymphocyte enhancer-binding factor, LEF) and then upregulates downstream genes. Mutations in CTNNB1 (encoding beta-catenin) or APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) have been reported in human neoplasms including colon cancers and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Because HCC5 tend to show accumulation of beta-catenin more often than mutations in CTNNB1, we looked for mutations in AXIN1, encoding a key factor for Wnt signaling, in 6 HCC cell lines and 100 primary HCC5. Among the 4 cell lines and 87 HCC5 in which we did not detect CTNNB1 mutations, we identified AXIN1 mutations in 3 cell lines and 6 mutations in 5 of the primary HCCs. In cell lines containing mutations in either gene, we observed increased DNA binding of TCF associated with beta-catenin in nuclei. Adenovirus mediated gene transfer of wild-type AXINI induced apoptosis in hepatocellular and colorectal cancer cells that had accumulated beta-catenin as a consequence of either APC, CTNNB1 or AXIN1 mutation, suggesting that axin may be an effective therapeutic molecule for suppressing growth of hepatocellular and colorectal cancers. Show less