Effects of the continuous subcutaneous infusion of foslevodopa-foscarbidopa on swallowing in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: Dysphagia is a potentially fatal symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and is characterized by frequent silent aspiration, a known risk factor for aspiration pneumonia. A previous study has reported that the dopamine agonist rotigotine (levodopa equivalent dose of 60 mg/day) delivered via transdermal patch improves swallowing function more effectively than oral levodopa (200 mg/day), highlighting the importance of continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS) in managing dysphagia. To achieve CDS, patients with advanced PD may require device-assisted therapies (DATs), including levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), which have significantly improved swallowing function on some measures.

Cuprizone-induced demyelination provokes abnormal intrinsic properties and excitatory synaptic transmission in the male mouse anterior cingulate cortex.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Demyelination in the CNS provokes hyperalgesia, negative emotions, and/or cognitive impairment. Cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelination is a major demyelinating disease model for rodents.

Expanding the Genetic and Clinical Spectrum of -Related Hemiplegic Migraine: Analysis of Mutations in Japanese.

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is characterized by repeated episodes of reversible localized neurological deficits, in addition to headache. The aura of HM includes visual, sensory, motor, and verbal symptoms. Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is classified into non-familial sporadic HM (SHM) and familial HM (FHM).

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Background And Purpose: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a serious autonomic complication of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). However, the association between TCM and GBS has not been investigated in detail. We investigated the characteristics of GBS patients with TCM (GBS-TCM).

Memantine administration prevented chorea movement in Huntington's disease: a case report.

Background: Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder characterized by personality changes (such as irritability and restlessness) and psychotic symptoms (such as hallucinations and delusions). When the personality changes become noticeable, involuntary movements (chorea) also develop. The disease is caused by the CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the HTT gene, and the diagnosis is based on the presence of this expansion.

Long term administration of loquat leaves and their major component, ursolic acid, attenuated endogenous amyloid-β burden and memory impairment.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) leaves contain many bioactive components such as ursolic acid (UA) and amygdalin. We investigated the effects of loquat leaf powder and methanol extract in human neuroglioma H4 cells stably expressing the Swedish-type APP695 (APP-H4 cells) and C57BL/6 J mice. Surprisingly, the extract greatly enhanced cellular amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) 42 productions in APP-H4 cells.

Microglial depletion exacerbates axonal damage and motor dysfunction in mice with cuprizone-induced demyelination.

The cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelination model, an animal model of Multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized by demyelination and motor dysfunction due to microglial-mediated neuroinflammation. To determine the contribution of microglia to motor function during CPZ-induced demyelination, the microglia of mice in the CPZ-model were depleted using PLX3397 (PLX), an orally bioavailable selective colony stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor. PLX treatment aggravated motor dysfunction as shown by the pole, beam walk, ladder walk, and rotarod tests.

A case of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis accompanied with myositis showing the clusters of histiocyte along the fascicles in perimysium.

Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) often have other autoimmune disorders. However, the coexistence of MG and myositis is rare. Here, we report a case of a 77-year-old woman who developed mild fatigable muscle weakness and diplopia in 3 months.

Dietary oleic acid contributes to the regulation of food intake through the synthesis of intestinal oleoylethanolamide.

Introduction: Among the fatty acid ethanolamides (FAEs), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), linoleoylethanolamide (LEA), and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) are reported to be involved in feeding regulation. In particular, OEA is well characterized as a satiety signal. Following food consumption, OEA is synthesized from oleic acid (OA) an -acyl phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase D-dependent pathway in the gastroenterocytes, and OEA induces satiety by recruiting sensory fibers.

Characteristics of Guillain-Barré syndrome in super-elderly individuals.

Background: Japan has the world's largest super-aging population, and the number of elderly patients with various diseases is increasing. Herein, we reported the characteristics of super-elderly patients, aged over 80 years, with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a typical neuroimmune disease.

Methods: During the period 2019-2021, 74 patients over the age of 80 years diagnosed with GBS at Kindai university were analyzed as the super-elderly group patients.

GPR137 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Promotes Neuronal Differentiation in the Neuro2a Cells.

The orphan receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 137 (GPR137), is an integral membrane protein involved in several types of cancer. GPR137 is expressed ubiquitously, including in the central nervous system (CNS). We established a GPR137 knockout (KO) neuro2A cell line to analyze GPR137 function in neuronal cells.

Electronic properties of lithium-ion conductive amorphous lithium phosphorus oxynitride.

The valence band maxima of Li conductive amorphous lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) electrolyte depend on the chemical bonding states, and isolated nonbonding oxygen raises them. In contrast, the conduction band minima of the LiPON are independent of the composition and the values are less than the work function of Li.

Suppressive Effect of Fruiting Bodies of Medicinal Mushrooms on Demyelination and Motor Dysfunction in a Cuprizone-Induced Multiple Sclerosis Mouse Model.

Epidemiologic studies have shown a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Europe and North America, and a low prevalence in East Asia. Mushrooms contain various biological response modifiers (BRMs) and are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine in East Asian countries. To investigate whether mushrooms have potential beneficial effects on MS, we administered mushrooms to cuprizone (bis-cyclohexanone-oxalyldihydrazone, CPZ)-induced MS model mice.

The Contribution of Chest X-Ray to Predict Extubation Failure in Mechanically Ventilated Patients Using Machine Learning-Based Algorithms.

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of a preextubation chest X-ray (CXR) to identify the risk of extubation failure in mechanically ventilated patients.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Settings: ICUs in a tertiary center (the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database).

Acute eye movement-retained internal ophthalmoplegia in atypical Miller Fisher syndrome variants are associated with IgG anti-GQ1b antibodies.

Ophthalmoplegia is a common neurological finding in Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), but acute eye movement-retained internal ophthalmoplegia is a rare variant of MFS. In this report, we present three cases of acute eye movement-retained internal ophthalmoplegia; IgG anti-GQ1b antibodies were detected in all patients. We reviewed a total of 13 cases, including 10 previously reported cases, and revealed that IgG anti-GQ1b antibodies were identified in all but one patient.

A peripheral lipid sensor GPR120 remotely contributes to suppression of PGD-microglia-provoked neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the mouse hippocampus.

Background: Neuroinflammation is a key pathological component of neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by microglial activation and the secretion of proinflammatory mediators. We previously reported that a surge in prostaglandin D (PGD) production and PGD-induced microglial activation could provoke neuroinflammation. We also reported that a lipid sensor GPR120 (free fatty acid receptor 4), which is expressed in intestine, could be activated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), thereby mediating secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Case Report: Regulatory T Cell-Independent Induction of Remission in a Patient With Collagenous Colitis.

Collagenous colitis (CC), a prototypical microscopic colitis, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon. The diagnosis of CC depends on the pathological examination. The colonic mucosa of patients with CC is characterized by the presence of a substantially thickened collagen band (>10μm) under the surface epithelium.

Immunohistochemical characterization of granulomatosis with polyangiitis exhibiting spontaneous regression.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is characterized by granulomatous inflammation, vasculitis, and elevated levels of serum proteinase 3 (PR3)-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA).

Objective: We tried to characterize immune cells accumulated into the lung lesions of a GPA patient exhibiting spontaneous regression.

Methods: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) samples were subjected to immunohistochemical analyses.

Case Report: A Case of Intestinal Behçet's Disease Exhibiting Enhanced Expression of IL-6 and Forkhead Box P3 mRNA After Treatment With Infliximab.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a rare inflammatory condition characterized by oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, as well as ophthalmological, neurological, and gastrointestinal manifestations. BD involving the gastrointestinal tract is known as intestinal BD. The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract of patients with intestinal BD exhibits enhanced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.

Testosterone interrupts binding of Neurexin and Neuroligin that are expressed in a highly socialized rodent, Octodon degus.

Octodon degus is said to be one of the most human-like rodents because of its improved cognitive function. Focusing on its high sociality, we cloned and characterized some sociality-related genes of degus, in order to establish degus as a highly socialized animal model in molecular biology. We cloned degus Neurexin and Neuroligin as sociality-related genes, which are genetically related to autism spectrum disorder in human.

A case with eosinophilic gastroenteritis exhibiting enhanced TNF-α and IL-6 responses.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a chronic allergic disorder characterized by infiltration of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and hypereosinophilia. Although T helper type 2 (Th2) responses play pathogenic roles in EGE, roles of innate immunity cytokines including IL-6 and TNF-α have been poorly defined. Here, we describe a case of EGE exhibiting accumulation of eosinophils in the upper GI mucosa and hypereosinophilia.

Feeding regulation by oleoylethanolamide synthesized from dietary oleic acid.

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA), a well-known satiety factor, is produced during feeding in the proximal intestine. Enterocytes sense oleic acid in dietary fat via CD36 and convert it to OEA through NAPE-PLD dependent or independent pathways. The satiety function of OEA is known to involve peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor type-α (PPAR-α).