Effects of eating together online on autonomic nervous system functions: a randomized, open-label, controlled preliminary study among healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Eating alone has been significantly associated with psychological distress. However, there is no research that evaluates the effects or relation of eating together online to autonomic nervous system functions. METHODS: This is a randomized, open-label, controlled, pilot study conducted among healthy volunteers. Participants were randomized into either an eating together online group or an eating-alone group. The effect of eating together on autonomic nervous functions was evaluated and compared with that of the control (eating alone). The primary endpoint was the change in the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) scores among heart rate variabilities (HRV) before and after eating. Physiological synchrony was investigated based on changes in the SDNN scores. RESULTS: A total of 31 women and 25 men (mean age, 36.6 [SD = 9.9] years) were included in the study. In the comparison between the aforementioned groups, two-way analysis of variance revealed interactions between time and group on SDNN scores. SDNN scores in the eating together online group increased in the first and second halves of eating time (F[1,216], P < 0.001 and F[1,216], P = 0.022). Moreover, high correlations were observed in the changes in each pair before and during the first half of eating time as well as before and during the second half of eating time (r = 0.642, P = 0.013 and r = 0.579, P = 0.030). These were statistically significantly higher than those in the eating-alone group (P = 0.005 and P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: The experience of eating together online increased HRV during eating. Variations in pairs were correlated and may have induced physiological synchrony. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000045161. Registered September 1, 2021. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000051592 .

LsSpt23p is a regulator of triacylglycerol synthesis in the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi.

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi has considerable potential in industrial application, since it can accumulate a large amount of triacylglycerol (TAG), which is produced from sugars under nitrogen limitation condition. However, the regulation of lipogenesis in L. starkeyi has not been investigated in depth. In this study, we compared the genome sequences of wild-type and mutants with increased TAG productivity, and identified a regulatory protein, LsSpt23p, which contributes to the regulation of TAG synthesis in L. starkeyi. L. starkeyi mutants overexpressing LsSPT23 had increased TAG productivity compared with the wild-type strain. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that LsSpt23p upregulated the expression of GPD1, which encodes glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; the Kennedy pathway genes SCT1, SLC1, PAH1, DGA1, and DGA2; the citrate-mediated acyl-CoA synthesis pathway-related genes ACL1, ACL2, ACC1, FAS1, and FAS2; and OLE1, which encodes ∆9 fatty acid desaturase. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR assays indicated that LsSpt23p acts as a direct regulator of SLC1 and PAH1, all the citrate-mediated acyl-CoA synthesis pathway-related genes, and OLE1. These results indicate that LsSpt23p regulates TAG synthesis. Phosphatidic acid is a common substrate of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase, which is used for TAG synthesis, and phosphatidate cytidylyltransferase 1 for phospholipid synthesis in the Kennedy pathway. LsSpt23p directly regulated PAH1 but did not affect the expression of CDS1, suggesting that the preferred route of carbon is the Pah1p-mediated TAG synthesis pathway under nitrogen limitation condition. The present study contributes to understanding the regulation of TAG synthesis, and will be valuable in future improvement of TAG productivity in oleaginous yeasts. KEY POINTS: LsSpt23p was identified as a positive regulator of TAG biosynthesis LsSPT23 overexpression enhanced TAG biosynthesis gene expression and TAG production LsSPT23M1108T overexpression mutant showed fivefold higher TAG production than control.

Central fibrous area in the glomerular vascular pole consists of fibrous collagens and is associated with advanced age: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: For the optimal management of patients with both allograft kidneys and native kidney diseases, the recognition of the histological features associated with older age is important. This is because most pathological findings are non-specific. Central fibrous areas (CFAs) have recently been proposed to be age-related. However, the components of CFAs and whether CFAs are observed in various kidney diseases remain undetermined. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to clarify the histological features, epidemiology, and clinicopathological features of CFAs. METHODS: One hundred and one consecutive kidney needle biopsy specimens were retrospectively collected from seven facilities in the Hokuriku region and diagnosed at the Kanazawa University Hospital in 2015. First, the components of CFAs were analyzed using normal histostaining, immunostaining, and electron microscopy. Second, the patients were divided into two groups (CFA [+] or CFA [-]) according to the presence of CFA in the obtained samples. Clinical and histological features were compared between the two groups, and factors associated with CFA formation were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. The number of CFAs per specimen was counted in the CFA (+) group. Third, the presence of myofibroblasts in CFA was examined by immunostaining. RESULTS: CFAs were observed in 56 of 101 patients (55.4%) with various kidney diseases. CFAs consist of fibrillar collagens (collagen I and III) in addition to non-fibrillar collagens (collagen IV and VI), as confirmed by electron microscopy. Clinically, the CFA (+) group was older and had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia than the CFA (-) group. Histologically, elastofibrosis of the interlobular artery, arteriolar hyalinosis, and membranous nephropathy were significantly more evident in the CFA (+) group than in the CFA (-) group. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age was the sole factor associated with CFA formation. Finally, 27 of 58 (46.6%) CFA-containing glomeruli in 26 cases included alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells in or adjacent to the CFA. CONCLUSIONS: CFAs consist of fibrous collagens in addition to matrix collagens. CFA formation is associated with older age and was observed in various kidney diseases.

Isolation and characterization of Lipomyces starkeyi mutants with greatly increased lipid productivity following UV irradiation.

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is an intriguing lipid producer that can produce triacylglycerol (TAG), a feedstock for biodiesel production. We previously reported that the L. starkeyi mutant E15 with high levels of TAG production compared with the wild-type was efficiently obtained using Percoll density gradient centrifugation. However, considering its use for biodiesel production, it is necessary to further improve the lipid productivity of the mutant. In this study, we aimed to obtain mutants with better lipid productivity than E15, evaluate its lipid productivity, and analyze lipid synthesis-related gene expression in the wild-type and mutant strains. The mutants E15-11, E15-15, and E15-25 exhibiting higher lipid productivity than E15 were efficiently isolated from cells exposed to ultraviolet light using Percoll density gradient centrifugation. They exhibited approximately 4.5-fold higher lipid productivity than the wild-type on day 3. The obtained mutants did not exhibit significantly different fatty acid profiles than the wild-type and E15 mutant strains. E15-11, E15-15, and E15-25 exhibited higher expression of acyl-CoA synthesis- and Kennedy pathway-related genes than the wild-type and E15 mutant strains. Activation of the pentose phosphate pathway, which supplies NADPH, was also observed. These results suggested that the increased expression of acyl-CoA synthesis- and Kennedy pathway-related genes plays a vital role in lipid productivity in the oleaginous yeast L. starkeyi.

A novel electroporation procedure for highly efficient transformation of Lipomyces starkeyi.

Microbial lipids produced by oleaginous microorganisms as raw materials for the production of oleochemicals and biodiesel are sustainable while avoiding competition with food products. The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is an excellent lipid producer with a great industrial potential that is suitable as a valuable host to improve lipid production through genetic engineering modifications. However, genetic tools, including effective transformation methods, for L. starkeyi are insufficient for improvement of lipid production and analysis of lipid production mechanisms. We previously developed a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated spheroplast transformation method that significantly improved the homologous recombination efficiency of L. starkeyi strain ∆lslig4. Although other transformation methods, including lithium acetate (LiAc)-mediated transformation and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, have been reported, a more efficient and convenient transformation method for L. starkeyi is desired. In this study, we developed a novel electroporation transformation method that was first applied for integration of drug-resistance gene markers into the genome of L. starkeyi strain ∆lslig4 at the 18S ribosomal DNA locus of a multiple-copy gene, which yielded approximately 60 transformants/µg of DNA. Optimization of five parameters (i.e., cell growth phase, cell density, osmotic stabilizers, pretreatment agents, and electric conditions) enhanced the efficiency of transformation to approximately 1.5 × 104 transformants/µg of DNA. As compared with those of LiAc-mediated transformation and PEG-mediated spheroplast transformation, the efficiency of the proposed transformation method was increased by about 111- and 7-fold, respectively. Additionally, the transformation efficiency of our proposed electroporation method targeting a single-copy gene locus yielded 273 transformants/µg of DNA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a successful electroporation method to accelerate analysis of lipid production by L. starkeyi.

Highly selective isolation and characterization of Lipomyces starkeyi mutants with increased production of triacylglycerol.

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is an attractive organism for the industrial production of lipids; however, the amount of lipid produced by wild-type L. starkeyi is insufficient. The study aims to obtain L. starkeyi mutants that rapidly accumulate large amounts of triacylglycerol (TAG). Mutagenized yeast cells at the early stages of cultivation were subjected to Percoll density gradient centrifugation; cells with increased production of TAG were expected to be enriched in the resultant upper fraction because of their lower density. Among 120 candidates from the upper fractions, five mutants were isolated that accumulated higher amounts of TAG. Moreover, when omitting cells with mucoid colony morphology, 11 objective mutants from 11 candidates from the upper fraction were effectively (100%) isolated. Of total 16 mutants obtained, detailed characterization of five mutants was performed to reveal that five mutants achieved about 1.5-2.0 times TAG concentration (4.7-6.0 g/L) as compared with the wild-type strain (3.6 g/L) at day 5. Among these five mutants, strain E15 was the best for industrial use because only strain E15 showed significantly higher TAG concentration as well as significantly higher degree of lipid to glucose and biomass to glucose yields than the wild-type strain. Thus, Percoll density gradient centrifugation is an effective method to isolate mutant cells that rapidly accumulate large amounts of TAG. It is expected that by repeating this procedure as part of a yeast-breeding program, L. starkeyi mutants suitable for industrial lipid production can be easily and effectively obtained.

Low tumor glutathione level as a sensitivity marker for glutamate-cysteine ligase inhibitors.

Previous metabolomic analyses of cancer have revealed elevated glutathione levels in tumors. An inhibitor of cystine uptake was identified to suppress glutathione biosynthesis, leading to ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of cell death that differs from apoptosis and necrosis. Glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the glutathione biosynthesis pathway. Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a GCL inhibitor, has previously demonstrated limited clinical benefits. Therefore, selecting patients who respond well to the inhibitor is a key approach for successful future drug development. Ferroptosis induction by BSO has not been fully examined in prior studies. Therefore, the present study investigated the pharmacological effects of BSO and the association between basal intracellular glutathione levels and sensitivity to BSO in cultured cell lines derived from various types of cancer, including those of the kidney [769P, 786-O, A-498, A704, ACHN, Caki-1, Caki-2, G401, G402, RCC4 VHL(-/-), RCC4 VHL(+/+), SK-NEP-1 and SW156] and ovaries (A2780 and A2780/CDDP). BSO was demonstrated to suppress glutathione levels and induce lipid peroxidation, thereby inhibiting cell viability. The viability-reducing effects of BSO were attenuated by ferroptosis inhibition and enhanced by iron, indicating that BSO induced ferroptosis in cancer cells. The cell lines sensitive to BSO, including G402, tended to exhibit non-significantly lower levels of glutathione compared with the BSO-insensitive cell lines, including Caki-2 (P=0.08). Patient sample data indicated the existence of a population of colorectal tumors with lower glutathione levels compared with those of matched normal tissues that might be suitable for the clinical testing of sensitivity to GCLC inhibitors. Collectively, these data suggest that GCL inhibition leads to ferroptosis in cancer cells, and that low glutathione tumor levels may be a patient selection marker for the use of GCL inhibitors in the treatment of tumors.

In vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of T-3764518, a novel and orally available small molecule stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 inhibitor.

Most cancer cells are characterized by elevated lipid biosynthesis. The rapid proliferation of cancer cells requires de novo synthesis of fatty acids. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), a key enzyme for lipogenesis, is overexpressed in various types of cancer and plays an important role in cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, it has been studied as a candidate target for cancer therapy. In this study, we demonstrate the pharmacological properties of T-3764518, a novel and orally available small molecule inhibitor of SCD1. T-3764518 inhibited stearoyl-CoA desaturase-catalyzed conversion of stearoyl-CoA to oleoyl-CoA in colorectal cancer HCT-116 cells and their growth. Further, it slowed tumor growth in an HCT-116 and a mesothelioma MSTO-211H mouse xenograft model. Comprehensive lipidomic analyses revealed that T-3764518 increases the membrane ratio of saturated: unsaturated fatty acids in various lipid species such as phosphatidylcholines and diacylglycerols in both cultured cells and HCT-116 xenografts. Treatment-associated lipidomic changes were followed by activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses such as increased immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein expression in HCT-116 cells. These T-3764518-induced changes led to an increase in cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), a marker of apoptosis. Additionally, bovine serum albumin conjugated with oleic acid, an SCD1 product, prevented cell growth inhibition and ER stress responses by T-3764518, indicating that these outcomes were not attributable to off-target effects. These results indicate that T-3764518 is a promising new anticancer drug candidate.

Intratumor Heterogeneity in Primary Kidney Cancer Revealed by Metabolic Profiling of Multiple Spatially Separated Samples within Tumors.

Metabolic alteration constitutes a hallmark of cancer. Glycolysis and antioxidant pathways in kidney cancer are elevated, with frequent mutation of the VHL gene. Intratumor genetic heterogeneity has been recently demonstrated in kidney cancer. However, intratumor metabolic heterogeneity has not been investigated. Here, we used global metabolomics analysis and tissue slice tracer studies to demonstrate that different portions of a human primary kidney tumor possess different metabolic characteristics and drug sensitivity. Pyruvate levels were elevated and pyruvate metabolism was altered in some tumor sections. These observations indicated that pyruvate metabolism may constitute a possible vulnerability of kidney cancer; indeed, pyruvate stimulated the growth of primary kidney cancer cells and pharmacological inhibition of pyruvate transporters slowed the growth of patient-derived kidney tumors in mice. These findings deepen our understanding of the intratumor metabolic heterogeneity of kidney cancer and may inform novel therapeutic approaches in human kidney cancer.

[The Construction of Reference Laboratory in Japan].

Medical technologists who can carry out reference measurement procedures that support the basis of clini- cal examination and facilities have been remarkably decreasing in recent years. It is important to nurture competent personnel who acquire knowledge and master technology about the modal standards in common use for the examination of enzyme items and can establish the target values of samples, such as reference materials. It is necessary to maintain an environment for the targeted value setting of the enzyme reference material from the Japanese Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standardization (JCCLS) to improve the quality of the examination by a reference laboratory so that it can be recognized globally. There are only two university hospitals carrying out such measurements as on-site medical institutions for certification of the enzyme-certified reference material (CRM-001c). Because reagent manufacturers play a key role and set certification levels, it is necessary for medical tech- nologists to take a central role as a professional association and skill group, and we planned, a workshop. The Japanese Association of Medical Technologists (JAMT) decided to hold the workshop cosponsored by the Japan Association of Clinical Reagents Industries (JACRI). I report the contents of the workshop for tech- nical acquisition of the reference measurement procedure that was held in 2014 and 2015 (the first and se- cond, respectively). [Review].

Effect of an investigational CYP17A1 inhibitor, orteronel (TAK-700), on estrogen- and corticoid-synthesis pathways in hypophysectomized female rats and on the serum estradiol levels in female cynomolgus monkeys.

Orteronel (TAK-700) is an investigational, non-steroidal inhibitor of CYP17A1 with preferential inhibition of 17,20-lyase in NCI-H295 cells. Estrogen is synthesized from androgen by aromatase activity, and the effect of orteronel on estrogen synthesis was therefore evaluated. First, it was confirmed that orteronel does not directly inhibit aromatase activity. Second, the specific decline of serum estradiol and androgen levels in hypophysectomized female rats by orteronel in comparison with aromatase inhibitor anastrozole was evaluated; orteronel at doses ≥3mg/kg significantly suppressed serum estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels, and increased progesterone levels in the estrogen-synthesis pathway. Orteronel, at a dose of 300mg/kg, suppressed serum estradiol concentrations to a similar degree as 0.1mg/kg anastrozole. In contrast, in the corticoid-synthesis pathway, serum aldosterone, corticosterone, and progesterone levels did not change significantly following administration of 300mg/kg of orteronel. Third, the effect of multiple oral administration of orteronel on serum estradiol levels in regularly cycling female cynomolgus monkeys was evaluated. Orteronel at 15mg/kg/day (7.5mg/kg/treatment, twice daily [bid]) continued to suppress the estradiol surge prior to the start of luteal phase for 1.5-times the average duration of three consecutive, pre-treatment menstrual cycles, while serum progesterone was maintained at levels almost equal to those in the luteal phase although a certain portion of this increased level of progesterone could be of adrenal-origin. This suppressive effect on estradiol surge was thought to be reversible since serum estradiol levels started to rise immediately after the discontinuation of orteronel. Estradiol surge was not abrogated by treatment with anastrozole 0.2mg/kg/day (0.1mg/kg/treatment, bid). In summary, orteronel can suppress serum estradiol concentrations in hypophysectomized female rats and monkeys through selective inhibition of CYP17A1 activity, suggesting that orteronel might be effective for hormone-dependent breast cancers and estrogen-dependent diseases.

Nationwide multicenter study aimed at the establishment of common reference intervals for standardized clinical laboratory tests in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese Association of Medical Technologists (JAMT) sought to establish common reference intervals (RIs) applicable nationwide in Japan for 27 serum constituent analytes for which certified reference materials are available and nine analytes frequently measured in routine tests. More than 100 laboratories certified for metrological traceability collaborated in the recruitment, sampling, and measurement of analytes for the establishment of RIs. No previous attempt has been made to establish RIs by such a large number of laboratories. The allowable limits of trueness and intermediate precision based on the JAMT criteria were applied to the reference values measured by these laboratories, and measured values within the allowance limits were used to establish RIs. METHODS: Reference individuals included 5748 healthy volunteers aged 18-65 years who were engaged in medical care-related work based on the CLSI guidelines. After secondary exclusion of individuals in whom abnormal values were detected in basic routine test items and adjustment for the distribution of age and gender, 3371 reference individuals were chosen in the parametric determination of RIs. Employing the three-level nested ANOVA, between-laboratory, -region, -sex, and -age variations were evaluated. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted in between-region variations in any item. Results of ANOVA revealed between-sex and -age variations in 14 and 15 analytes, respectively. Based on these results of variation, RIs were established with and without partition by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Since no between-region variation was detected in reference values among accuracy-certified core laboratories, RIs applicable nationwide were established.

Incidence and prognosis of persistent pain induced by venipuncture for blood sampling: an observational study over a 5-year period.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and prognosis of persistent and neuropathic pain induced by venipuncture for blood sampling in clinical practice. DESIGN & SETTING: We investigated the incidence of persistent and neuropathic pain after venipuncture for blood sampling and evaluated the prognosis of patients with neuropathic pain at Nihon University Itabashi Hospital, Japan, based on an observational study. SUBJECTS: Outpatients who required venipuncture for blood sampling at the laboratory room of Nihon University Itabashi Hospital between 2004 and 2008 were included as study subjects. RESULTS: In the present study, of the 587,551 venipunctures performed at our hospital between 2004 and 2008, the incidences of persistent and neuropathic pain after venipuncture were 1 in every 4,418 venipunctures (133/587,551) and 1 in every 30,923 venipunctures (19/587,551), respectively. All the 19 patients who were identified as having neuropathic pain recovered completely. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the incidence of persistent pain after venipuncture for blood sampling is low and that its prognosis is good.

A mutation in beta-tubulin and a sustained dependence on androgen receptor signalling in a newly established docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell line.

The mechanisms of docetaxel resistance in PC (prostate cancer) are unclear because of the lack of suitable experimental models, and no effective treatment exists for docetaxel-resistant PC. We established a docetaxel-resistant cell line, LNDCr, from an androgen-refractory PC cell line, LNCaP-hr, by intermittent exposure to docetaxel in vitro. The LNDCr cells harboured an F270I mutation in class I beta-tubulin, and demonstrated impaired tubulin polymerization by docetaxel. AR signalling was sustained in LNDCr cells, and AR knockdown suppressed the growth of LNDCr cells. These results suggest that an acquired mutation in beta-tubulin is associated with docetaxel resistance in PC and that a novel AR-targeted therapy is effective for docetaxel-resistant PC.

Characteristics of event-related potentials in recognition processes of Japanese kanji and sentences for Chinese bilinguals.

This paper investigates the recognition process of Japanese kanji and sentences for Chinese bilinguals and Native Japanese speakers (NJS), by analyzing the event-related potential (ERP) differences between the two groups while they visually recognized Japanese kanji and sentences. The results showed that no significant differences were found between the two groups while they recognized Japanese kanji, but significant differences were found in the Japanese sentences condition. The results demonstrated that the neural mechanisms of recognition processes of Japanese sentences including kana between the two groups were not identical. When recognizing ambiguous sentences, Chinese bilinguals' P600 only appeared over the right frontal lobe, reflecting that syntactic integration and revision of ambiguous sentences for Chinese bilinguals was related with the right hemisphere. The results showed, for Chinese bilinguals, the difficulty of Japanese language learning was the recognition and understanding of Japanese sentences with kana, not Japanese kanji. We would like to provide a scientific learning method for Chinese bilinguals to enhance their Japanese language learning efficiency from the aspect of brain science.

Biotransformation of isoflavones by the larvae of the common cutworm (Spodoptera litura).

Biotransformation of the 5,7,4'-trimethoxyisoflavone (1), 6,7,4'-trimethoxyisoflavone (2), and 7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (3) by insects, Spodoptera litura was investigated. Compound 1 was transformed to 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (4), 7-hydroxy-5,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (5) and 4'-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxyisoflavone (6) by S. litura. Compounds 2 and 3 were hardly metabolized by S. litura. This suggested that compound 1 was converted to compounds 4, 5 and 6 by demethylation at the C-5, C-7 and C-4' position, respectively.

Biotransformation of daidzein ditiglate by microorganisms.

Biotransformation of the daidzein ditiglate (2) by fungi, Aspergillus niger and Glomerella cingulata was investigated. Compound 2 was transformed to daidzein (1) by A. niger and G. cingulata. This suggested that compound 2 was converted to compound 1 by hydrolysis at both of the C-7 and C-4' positions.

Effect of mood state on anticipatory postural adjustments.

Static postural control has been demonstrated to link with psychological state. However, the effect of psychological state on dynamic postural control remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of mood state on anticipatory postural adjustment (APA), one of the most important functions for dynamic postural control. Fourteen healthy male subjects performed unilateral arm elevation tasks after completing a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. Mood state measured by POMS and the latency or amplitude of the APA in the ventral muscles (rectus femoris, tibialis anterior) of the lower limb showed significant negative correlations. The correlation between the mood state and APA amplitude in the soleus was found to be significantly positive. There were significant negative correlations between the mood state and reaction-time. These findings suggest that it is possible that dynamic postural control is affected by mood state.

Enhanced androgen receptor signaling correlates with the androgen-refractory growth in a newly established MDA PCa 2b-hr human prostate cancer cell subline.

Bone metastasis is commonly found in prostate cancer (PC) patients. Although the mechanisms for the recurrence of bone metastasis-derived PC during medical or surgical castration therapy are still unclear because of the lack of suitable experimental models, one hypothesis is that enhanced androgen receptor (AR) signaling causes androgen-refractory PC growth. To test this hypothesis, we first established a novel androgen-refractory MDA PCa 2b cell subline, MDA PCa 2b-hr, which was generated in vitro from bone metastasis-derived, androgen-dependent MDA PCa 2b human PC cells after approximately 35 weeks of growth suppression by androgen-depletion treatment to mimic the clinical PC recurrence during androgen-ablation therapy. The changes of the androgen responsiveness of growth and the AR expression levels during the transition from an androgen-dependent to androgen-refractory proliferative phase through a temporal growth-suppressed phase precisely paralleled that of the basal growth rate. Furthermore, the androgen-refractory growth of MDA PCa 2b-hr cells in androgen-depleted medium was suppressed by an antiandrogen, bicalutamide. Next, we established nude mouse xenograft models to clarify whether AR signaling in MDA PCa 2b-hr cells is also enhanced in vivo. Both the MDA PCa 2b and MDA PCa 2b-hr tumors grew in gonadally intact mice, but only the MDA PCa 2b-hr tumors grew in castrated mice. The growth rate of MDA PCa 2b-hr tumors was significantly higher in gonadally intact mice than in castrated mice. Treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone pellets, which produced clinical castration levels of serum testosterone, accelerated the MDA PCa 2b-hr but not MDA PCa 2b tumor growth in castrated mice and increased blood prostate-specific antigen levels in castrated mice bearing MDA PCa 2b-hr tumors but not in mice bearing MDA PCa 2b tumors. Our data suggest that the enhanced AR signaling should be closely correlated with the androgen-refractory growth of human bone metastasis-derived PC, which might come to use adrenal androgens remaining in the blood even after castration therapy and warrant the continuation of hormone therapy for the recurrent PC.

Suppression of a pituitary-ovarian axis by chronic oral administration of a novel nonpeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, TAK-013, in cynomolgus monkeys.

TAK-013 is a novel nonpeptide and orally active GnRH antagonist. We first examined the effect of TAK-013 on GnRH-stimulated LH release using primary-cultured pituitary cells of cynomolgus monkeys. TAK-013 suppressed LH release to below basal levels at concentrations higher than 100 nM with the IC(50) value of 36 nM. Next, we examined the effect of chronic oral administration of TAK-013 on serum hormone levels in regularly cycling female cynomolgus monkeys. TAK-013 administered at 90 mg/kg x d (30 mg/kg 3 times daily) for approximately 80 d continued to suppress LH, estradiol, and progesterone, but not FSH. The suppressive effect was reversible, in that normal profiles of sex steroids were observed immediately after discontinuation of the TAK-013 treatment. Interestingly, the suppressive effect of TAK-013 was not observed in marmoset monkeys. In summary, TAK-013 by oral administration suppresses a pituitary-ovarian axis continuously and reversibly in cynomolgus monkeys. Considering that TAK-013 has more potent antagonistic properties for human GnRH receptor than for monkey receptor, our data suggest that TAK-013 would be effective for reproductive disorders such as endometriosis and uterine leiomyoma and useful for assisted reproductive technology procedures.