Prenatal folate deficiency impairs sociability and memory/recognition in mice offspring.

Folate is essential for the normal growth and development of the fetus. Folic acid supplementation during the fetal period affects postnatal brain development and reduces the incidence of mental disorders in animal and human studies. However, the association between folate deficiency (FD) during pregnancy and developmental disorders in children remains poorly understood.

5-Fluorouracil exacerbates cefepime-induced convulsions in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice.

Objective: The antibiotics cefepime and meropenem are recommended for the treatment of neutropenia. However, cefepime has been found to be associated with both peripheral and central adverse events such as renal impairment and seizures, respectively. Previous studies showed that cefepime exacerbated convulsions in corneal kindled mouse models of epilepsy.

Change in mutation frequency at a TP53 hotspot during culture of ENU-mutagenised human lymphoblastoid cells.

Mutations in oncogenes or tumour suppressor genes cause increases in cell growth capacity. In some cases, fully malignant cancer cells develop after additional mutations occur in initially mutated cells. In such instances, the risk of cancer would increase in response to growth of these initially mutated cells.

Environmental enrichment alleviates cognitive and behavioral impairments in EL mice.

Epilepsy in children is occasionally associated with comorbidities, such as cognitive impairment, behavioral disturbances, and social deficits. These neurobehavioral comorbidities are closely related to environmental factors and the severity of the seizures. Previous studies show that environmental enrichment has a beneficial effect in animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy following systemic chemoconvulsant administration.

TRPV1 mediates the anticonvulsant effects of acetaminophen in mice.

Objective: Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drugs. It has been reported that acetaminophen has anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of seizure. An active metabolite of acetaminophen, AM404, inhibits the uptake of the endocannabinoid anandamide.

Anticonvulsant effects of acetaminophen in mice: Comparison with the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Objective: The appropriate use of analgesic drugs based on their degree of analgesia and adverse effects is important for pain management. Although it has been reported that AM404, a metabolite of acetaminophen, has anticonvulsant effects in several animal seizure models, little is known about the relation between acetaminophen and seizures. We therefore investigated the effects of acetaminophen on seizure susceptibility in several mouse seizure and epilepsy models and compared the effects with those of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulates autism-like behavioral and motor abnormalities in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice.

Epilepsy is associated with several psychiatric disorders, including cognitive impairment, autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the psychopathology of epilepsy is frequently unrecognized and untreated in patients. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ABT-418, a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-kindled mice with behavioral and motor abnormalities.

Evaluation of edaravone against radiation-induced oral mucositis in mice.

Oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy for cancers of the head and neck reduce the quality of life of patients. However, effective therapeutic agents are lacking. Symptomatic treatment involves local anesthesia and analgesia.

Involvement of stimulation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the suppressive effect of tropisetron on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves chronic inflammation of the large intestine. Several agents are used to treat UC, but adverse side effects are remaining problems. We examined the effect of tropisetron as a new type of drug for UC using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced model of colitis in mice.

Convulsive liability of cefepime and meropenem in normal and corneal kindled mice.

We have reported significantly higher convulsion prevalence in patients treated with cefepime than in those treated with meropenem. Additionally, cefepime-associated convulsions were found only in patients with brain disorders, not renal failure. Here, we compared the convulsive liability of cefepime and meropenem administered intravenously in normal and corneal kindled mice with low seizure thresholds.

Assessment of the hamster cheek pouch as a model for radiation-induced oral mucositis, and evaluation of the protective effects of keratinocyte growth factor using this model.

Purpose: Oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy impacts quality of life. Previous studies have reported on the use of the hamster as a model for radiation-induced oral mucositis; however, details regarding factors such as radiation dose response, effects on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and related histopathological changes remain unclear. In the present study using the hamster, we evaluated the dose dependency of radiation-induced oral mucositis and the effects of keratinocyte growth factor (palifermin).

Imipramine-induced c-Fos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex is decreased in the ACTH-treated rats.

Previous studies have shown that the antidepressive-like effect of tricyclic antidepressants is blocked by repeated treatments with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). However, little is known about the neuroanatomy underlying the mechanism of the imipramine treatment-resistant depression model. In the present study, first experimental evidence showed no significant difference of the serum imipramine concentrations between the saline and ACTH-treated rats.

Comparison of the prevalence of convulsions associated with the use of cefepime and meropenem.

Background: The US Food and Drug Administration reported seizures associated with the use of cefepime (primarily in patients with renal impairment who did not receive appropriate dose adjustments of cefepime).

Objective: The maximum dose of cefepime in the USA (6 g per day) is higher than that in Japan (4 g per day). We investigated the prevalence of convulsions associated with the use of cefepime by comparing it with that of meropenem.

Treatment with linezolid in a neonate with meningitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Unlabelled: Recent findings have focused on the possible role of linezolid (LZD) as a suitable candidate for the treatment of central nervous system infections. LZD treatment for meningitis has been sporadically reported in adults, but there are no reports in neonates or infants. We report a case of meningitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) in a neonatal girl.

Oral mucosal adhesive films containing royal jelly accelerate recovery from 5-fluorouracil-induced oral mucositis.

Oral mucositis induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy has an impact upon quality-of-life, is dose-limiting for chemotherapy, and causes considerable morbidity. We evaluated the effect of royal jelly (RJ) on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced oral mucositis in hamsters. Oral mucositis was induced in hamsters through a combination of 5-FU treatment and mild abrasion of the cheek pouch.

Involvement of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in working memory impairment induced by repeated electroconvulsive seizures in rats.

A role of cholinergic nervous system in the behavioral impairments induced by repeated ECS is not understood. The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist ABT-418, but not the α7 nAChR agonist, significantly ameliorated the impairment of spontaneous alternation behavior in the Y-maze test. And, repeated ECS caused a reduction of α4 nAChR-positive cells in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

The assessment of risk for gastrointestinal injury with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs: the possible beneficial effect of eicosapentaenoic Acid for the risk of gastrointestinal injury.

Antithrombotic drugs have been increasingly used for treating ischemic cardiovascular diseases among the elderly in Japan. However, antithrombotic drugs are known to be risk factors for gastrointestinal injury. Therefore, we conducted a pharmacoepidemiologic study on patients receiving antithrombotic drugs to identify the risk factors for gastrointestinal injury.

Concurrent administration of rituximab and CHOP chemotherapeutic agents for outpatients with CD20-positive lymphoma.

R (rituximab)-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristin, and prednisone) is given to outpatients with CD20-positive lymphoma as a standard treatment. However, this regimen requires long-term infusion because of the necessity for monitoring the infusion reaction (IR) during R administration. In this study, pharmacological changes in anti-tumor agents were examined after the joint use of R and CHOP, and the possibility of concurrent administration of R and CHOP for outpatients was discussed.

[Impaired memory following repeated pentylenetetrazol treatments in kindled mice].

Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are caused by excessive discharges from cerebral neurons. Currently, antiepileptic drugs that possess sodium channel blocking activities and also mediate GABA-ergic systems are primarily used to prevent epileptic seizure. However, approximately 40% of patients with epilepsy suffer from interictal psychiatric comorbidities in clinical practice.

A multi-institutional study analyzing effect of prophylactic medication for prevention of opioid-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic treatment with laxatives and antiemetics on the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as constipation, nausea and vomiting in cancer patients who received oral opioid analgesics for the first time.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study was carried out, in which 619 eligible hospitalized patients receiving oral opioid analgesics for cancer pain were enrolled from 35 medical institutions. The primary endpoint was the incidence of opioid-induced side effects in patients receiving prophylactic medication.

Regulatory role of the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters in pentylenetetrazol-kindled mice: association with effect of antidepressants.

In clinical practice, patients with epilepsy are frequently associated with psychiatric disorders, including cognitive impairment, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In fact, patients with epilepsy often take centrally acting drugs, such as antidepressants and anxiolytics; however, it remains unclear whether epilepsy is associated with psychiatric function. The present study examined the effect of kindled epileptic seizures on depression-like behavior in mice.

Inhibitory effects of valproate on impairment of Y-maze alternation behavior induced by repeated electroconvulsive seizures and c-Fos protein levels in rat brains.

We previously showed that inhibition of repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS)-induced seizures through 7-day administration of anti-epileptic drugs suppressed the impairment of spontaneous alternation behavior in the Y-maze test in rats. To clarify the precise mechanism(s), we investigated the effect of valproate on such impairment and examined the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and c-Fos protein in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus 24h after the last administration of ECS. Seven-day intraperitoneal (i.

Involvement of dopaminergic receptor signaling in the effects of glutamatergic receptor antagonists on conditioned place aversion induced by naloxone in single-dose morphine-treated rats.

A better understanding of the neurochemical mechanisms mediating the aversive consequences of drug withdrawal is important for understanding drug addiction. We previously demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of glutamate receptor antagonists on the conditioned place aversion (CPA) induced by naloxone-precipitated withdrawal after a single morphine exposure could be blocked by dopamine receptor antagonists. Thus, a glutamatergic-dopaminergic interaction may participate in this phenomenon.

Differences in automated analyzers for assessing the use of imprecise serum chloride concentrations as indirect predictors of serum bromide concentrations.

Although bromide (Br) is used to treat intractable epilepsy, serum Br concentrations are not routinely analyzed. The present study measured serum Br(-) and Cl(-) concentrations in Br-treated epileptic patients, showing a significant correlation between Br(-) and imprecise Cl(-) concentrations, which suggested the use of a unique correlating equation for each diagnostic tool. Results indicated that imprecise Cl(-) concentrations are useful markers for measuring appropriate serum Br(-) levels in epileptic patients.