A Peptide Derived from Phosphoinositide 3-kinase Inhibits Endocytosis and Influenza Virus Infection

Endocytosis mediates the internalization and ingestion of a variety of endogenous or exogenous substances, including virus particles, under the control of intracellular signaling pathways. We have previously reported that the complex formed between the small GTPase Ras and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) translocates from the plasma membrane to endosomes, signaling from which thereby regulates clathrin-independent endocytosis, endosome maturation, influenza virus internalization, and infection. However, the molecular mechanism by which the Ras-PI3K complex is recruited to endosomes remains unclear. Here, we have identified the amino acid sequence responsible for endosomal localization of the Ras-PI3K complex. PI3K lacking this sequence failed to translocate to endosomes, and expression of the peptide comprising this PI3K-derived sequence inhibited clathrin-independent endocytosis, influenza virus internalization, and infection. Moreover, treatment of cells with this peptide in an arginine-rich, cell-penetrating form successfully suppressed influenza virus infection in vitro and ex vivo, making this peptide a potential therapeutic agent against influenza virus infection

Medical and Health Investigation on Residents in Yonaguni Island : (2) On Serum Levels of Lipid

The survey was conducted to determine total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels in 990 adults (473 men and 517 women) in Yonaguni Island. The data obtained were compared with those in normal subjects in Japan cited from the reference reported on Japanese Circulation Journal 47 ; 1351-1358, 1983. Total cholesterol (TC) levels significantly increased with age in female, but not significantly in male. The mean value in any age was significantly lower than that of Japan, cited from the reference, by 19.5-29.8 mg-dl. HDL cholesterol (HDL) levels were highest at 20-29 years group and gradually decreased with age in female, however those in male showed no significant decrease with age. TC was well correlated to body weight, %Fat, and blood pressures. HDL showed reverse correlation with body weight and %Fat, but no correlation with blood pressures

Medical and health investigation on the residents of Yonaguni Island

This field survey was performed in the resident of Yonaguni Island, which was lacated in the far west or Japan, to study the difference of health and medical paramenters between urban and country. This paper describes mainly on blood pressure and left ventricular voltage of ECG. The subjects included 483 male and 524 female adults, with age from 20 to 84 years. SV1＋RV5 of ECG was used as a parameter of left ventricular voltage. The blood pressure in both the men and the women increased with age, although that of the women showed the higher rate of rise with age than that of the men. The women revealed lower blood pressure in each decade than the men, particularly in the younger ages. Compared with the reported mean value of bood pressre in Japanese, that of Jonaguni showed a tendency to be lower in both the men and the women, and in each decade. The voltage of SV1＋RV5 was markedly higher in the men than in the women, particularly in the second decade. The voltage of the men sharply decreased with age, while that of the women showed no change with age. This correlation between voltage and age was also seen in the subjects with none of abnormalities in the medical examination. The incidence of high voltage in SV1+RV5 in the normal young adults was higher in Jonaguni than in Urban (Fukuoka city). On the other hand, there was a significant correlation between the voltage of SV1＋RV5 and blood pressure in both the men and the women. Moreover, systolic pressure in both the men and women correlated with total cholesterol, % fat and heart rate. These significant differences in blood pressure and left ventricular voltage between urban and country were discussed from the view points of social and environmental factors

Medical and Health Investigation on Residents in Yonaguni Island : (3) On Physical Characteristics and Body Fat

The purpose of the present report was to reveal the physical characteristics and to discuss the relation between body fat and medical parameters. Measurements of height, weight and skinfold thickness were carried out on 1004 adults (481 males and 523 females), living in Yonaguni island. Body fat (%Fat) was estimated from skinfold thickness according to the Nagamine\u27s method. Mean height of Yonaguni islanders was similar to the other Japanese. groups, but that or younger islanders were lower than both that of\u27 urbanites in Fukuoka and that of Japanese. These results imply that the socil-economical levels of Yonaguni island has not reached the average level of Japan. Mean body weight was heavier than that of the other Japanese groups. However, mean skinfold thickness and %Fat were smaller than those or the other Japanese groups. 25.8 % of the male and 27.5 % of the female belonged to obesity by the modified Broca\u27s method but to normal %Fat by the skinfold method, although only 1.1 % of the male and 3.9 % of the female belonged to obesity by the skinfold method but normal weight by the modified Broca\u27s method. These results suggest that the heavier body weight of Yonaguni islanders depends on the increase of lean body mass but not of fatty mass. The correlation between %Fat and medical parameters was as follows ; %Fat showed the significant correlation both total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, and a reversed correlation with HDL cholesterol in both sexes. %Fat of the group with ischemic findings in electrocardiogram was significantly higher than that of the group without those abnormaliies in the male, but such relation was not recognized in the female. Otherwise, in the male with hypertension, diabetes and other Internal diseases, %Fat was significantly higher than in the male without such diseases, and was significantly lower in the male with anemia. In the female, only the group with hypertension showed significantly higher %Fat compared with the group without any diseases. These results support the reported data in the city, in which the increase of body weight gave rise to the abnormal medical parameters