11C-JHU75528: a radiotracer for PET imaging of CB1 cannabinoid receptors.

Unlabelled: The development of the radioligands for PET imaging of the cerebral cannabinoid receptor (CB1) is of great importance for studying its role in neuropsychiatric disorders, obesity, and drug dependence. None of the currently available radioligands for CB1 are suitable for quantitative PET, primarily because of their insufficient binding potential (BP) in brain or low penetration through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The goal of this study was to evaluate 11C-JHU75528, an analog of the selective CB1 antagonist rimonabant, in vivo as a potential CB1 radioligand for PET.

Increased occupancy of dopamine receptors in human striatum during cue-elicited cocaine craving.

In all, 19 research subjects, with current histories of frequent cocaine use, were exposed to cocaine-related cues to elicit drug craving. We measured the change of occupancy of dopamine at D2-like receptors with positron emission tomography (PET) and inferred a change of intrasynaptic dopamine (endogenous dopamine release), based on the displacement of radiotracer [(11)C]raclopride. Receptor occupancy by dopamine increased significantly in putamen of participants who reported cue-elicited craving compared to those who did not.

Impaired psychological recovery in the elderly after the Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake in Japan:a population-based study.

Background: An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the Niigata-Chuetsu region of Japan at 5.56 P.

Clinical features and treatment outcome in Japanese patients with social anxiety disorder: chart review study.

The lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is high at 3-13%, but there have been only limited reports investigating the clinical features of this disorder in a large number of Japanese patients. The authors have conducted a retrospective, chart review study of 52 patients with SAD and obtained the following results. (i) The proportion of SAD in first visit outpatients at the Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan, was 1.

Intracellular Th1/Th2 balance of pulmonary CD4(+) T cells in patients with active interstitial pneumonia evaluated by serum KL-6.

The balance between CD4(+) T helper (Th1) lymphocytes producing interferon-gamma or Interleukin-4 (Th2) in the lungs may vary among diseases and during the progression of interstitial pneumonia (IP). Both idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and collagen vascular diseases (CVD) are associated with IP, but the clinical course and the response to treatment are different. Since Th1 or Th2 modulating drugs have been proven to alter the lymphocyte balance in vitro, it is important to elucidate the Th1/Th2 profile in patients with active IP.

Dose effects of triazolam on brain activity during episodic memory encoding: a PET study.

Rationale: Although it is well established that acute benzodiazepine administration impairs episodic memory encoding, little is known about the neuroanatomical substrates of this effect.

Objective: The objective was to examine the acute dose effects of the benzodiazepine hypnotic triazolam on brain activity during episodic memory encoding.

Methods: After oral capsule administration (placebo, 0.

Decreased prefrontal activation during letter fluency task in adults with pervasive developmental disorders: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Functional neuroimaging studies have suggested that dysfunction of prefrontal cortex (PFC) is present in persons with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Recently, the development of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has enabled noninvasive bedside measurement of regional cerebral blood volume. Although NIRS enables the noninvasive clarification of brain functions in many psychiatric disorders, it has not yet been used to examine subjects with PDD.

Striatal dopamine release and family history of alcoholism.

Background: The offspring of alcohol-dependent individuals are at increased risk for alcoholism. The present study was designed to determine whether mesolimbic dopamine binding potential (BP), dopamine release, stress hormones, and subjective responses to intravenous amphetamine are different in nonalcoholic offspring from families with a history of alcohol dependence [family history positive (FHP)] than in nonalcoholic offspring without a family history of alcohol dependence [family history negative (FHN)].

Methods: Participants were 41 healthy men and women (11 FHP, 30 FHN; age range 18-29).

Corpus callosum volume in railroad workers with chronic exposure to solvents.

Objective: Changes to cognition and behavior have been reported after long-term exposure to solvents. Solvents are hypothesized to affect brain white matter. To test this, we examined the volume of the corpus callosum in workers with a history of exposure to solvents.

Lack of a relationship between the pupillary light reflex response and state/trait anxiety in remitted patients with panic disorder.

Objective: Recently, some studies have indicated that pupillary function only correlates with state/trait anxiety in healthy subjects. In the present study, we examined whether or not there were relationships between the PLR functions and state/trait anxiety in remitted (the absence of panic attack (PA) symptoms for at least 6 months) PD patients compared to normal control (NC) subjects.

Methods: Before and after audiovisual stimulation (AS) that induced mental stress through exposure to video images of high stress experiences, such as driving motor vehicles, the pupillary light reflex (PLR) was measured with an infrared pupillometer in 30 remitted PD patients and 30 age- and gender-matched NC subjects.

Inhaled corticosteroid use and asthma hospitalization rates in Japan.

This epidemiological study assessed whether the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular inhaled corticosteroids, affected hospitalization rates for asthma in Japan between 1990 and 2002. Asthma hospitalization rates were calculated from the number of asthma in-patients recorded in governmental surveys. Information concerning use of anti-inflammatory drugs was extracted from the IMS prescription database.

Sex differences in striatal dopamine release in healthy adults.

Background: Sex differences in addictive disorders have been described. Preclinical studies have implicated the striatal dopamine system in these differences, but human studies have yet to substantiate these findings.

Methods: Using positron emission tomography (PET) scans with high-specific-activity [11C] raclopride and a reference tissue approach, we compared baseline striatal dopamine binding potential (BP) and dopamine release in men and women following amphetamine and placebo challenges.

Differentiating hemodynamic compromise by the OEF response to acetazolamide in occlusive vascular disease.

Identification of increased stroke risk in a population of symptomatic patients with occlusive vascular disease (OVD) is presently accomplished by measurement of oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) or cerebrovascular reserve (CVR). However, many regions identified by compromised CVR are not identified by OEF. Our aim was to determine whether the response of OEF to acetazolamide, namely, oxygen extraction fraction response (OEFR) would identify those hemispheres in hemodynamic compromise with normal OEF.

Hyperthermia and hypermetabolism in focal cerebral ischemia.

The reliable and reproducible creation of an animal model of focal cerebral ischemia is not easily accomplished. Using a transortibal approach, we showed that occlusion of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and the contralateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) created a large cortical and subcortical stroke in the non-human primate (NHP). Subsequently, we created the same stroke endovascularly in the NHP.

Label-free quantitative proteomics using large peptide data sets generated by nanoflow liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

We developed an integrated platform consisting of machinery and software modules that can apply vast amounts of data generated by nanoflow LC-MS to differential protein expression analyses. Unlabeled protein samples were completely digested with modified trypsin and separated by low speed (200 nl/min) one-dimensional HPLC. Mass spectra were obtained every 1 s by using the survey mode of a hybrid Q-TOF mass spectrometer and displayed in a two-dimensional plane with m/z values along the x axis, and retention time was displayed along the y axis.

Identifying regions of compromised hemodynamics in symptomatic carotid occlusion by cerebrovascular reactivity and oxygen extraction fraction.

Objectives: Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) are both proven predictors of stroke risk in symptomatic patients with carotid occlusion. Accordingly, hemispheric comparisons of CVR and OEF are significantly correlated. However, there was also substantial disagreement: hemispheres identified as compromised by CVR were normal by OEF.

[Clinical course of 8 patients with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed while alive].

We retrospectively evaluated the diagnosis and clinical courses of 8 patients with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL) diagnosed while they were alive. The median age was 67 years old (range 54 to 82). Most complaints at diagnosis were fever or dyspnea.