Usefulness of combining I-FP-CIT-SPECT striatal asymmetry index and cardiac I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy examinations for diagnosis of parkinsonisms.

Background: Although single-photon emission computerized tomography of the dopamine transporter (DAT-SPECT) is useful for diagnosing parkinsonian syndrome, its applicability toward the early phase of Parkinson's disease remains unknown.

Methods: We enrolled 32 patients showing parkinsonism with normal cardiac I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake and abnormal DAT-SPECT findings among 84 consecutive patients with parkinsonism. We divided these patients into two groups (group 1: Parkinson's disease, group 2: corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy), and compared their clinical characteristics, specific binding ratios, and striatal asymmetry indexes on DAT-SPECT examinations.

Differentiation of cancer from atrial fibrillation in patients with acute multifocal stroke.

Objective: Acute multifocal embolic infarction (AMEI) is conventionally caused by etiologies such as cardioembolism due to atrial fibrillation (Af), but can also be caused by serious underlying diseases such as cancer. We characterized cancer-related AMEI and identified useful indicators for cancer-associated strokes.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 35 patients with Af-related AMEI and 35 patients with cancer-related AMEI selected from 1235 consecutive patients with acute infarcts.

MR neurography for the evaluation of CIDP.

Introduction: To visualize peripheral nerves in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), we used MR imaging. We also quantified the volumes of the brachial and lumbar plexus and their nerve roots.

Methods: Thirteen patients with CIDP and 12 healthy volunteers were enrolled.

Retrospective analysis of parkinsonian patients exhibiting normal (123)I-MIBG cardiac uptake.

Background: Although most patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show decreased cardiac (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake, some exhibit normal uptake. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of such patients.

Methods: We enrolled 154 non-demented patients showing parkinsonism with normal cardiac MIBG uptake and had been clinically followed up during 29.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor attenuates neurotoxicity of clioquinol in PC12 cells.

Clioquinol is considered to be a causative agent of subacute myelo-optico neuropathy (SMON), although the pathogenesis of SMON is yet to be elucidated. We have previously shown that clioquinol inhibits nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced Trk autophosphorylation in PC12 cells transformed with human Trk cDNA. To explore the further mechanism of neuronal damage by clioquinol, we evaluated the acetylation status of histones in PC12 cells.

Neurotropin promotes NGF signaling through interaction of GM1 ganglioside with Trk neurotrophin receptor in PC12 cells.

Activation of the high-affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor Trk occurs through multiple processes consisted of translocation and clustering within the plasma membrane lipid rafts, dimerization and autophosphorylation. Here we found that a nonprotein extract of inflamed rabbit skin inoculated with vaccinia virus (Neurotropin(®)) enhanced efficiency of NGF signaling. In rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells overexpressing Trk (PCtrk cells), Neurotropin augmented insufficient neurite outgrowth observed at suboptimal concentration of NGF (2ng/mL) in a manner depending on Trk kinase activity.

Targeting of aquaporin 4 into lipid rafts and its biological significance.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and is considered to be caused by the binding of NMO-IgG to aquaporin 4 (AQP4) on astrocytes, which initiates complement-dependent cytotoxicity. AQP4 has two isoforms, i.e.