Publications by authors named "O Nakagawasai"

Article Synopsis
  • The brain's Renin-Angiotensin System, particularly through the action of angiotensin (Ang) converting enzyme (ACE) 2 and Ang (1-7), is linked to mood regulation and potential antidepressant effects.
  • In a study with olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) mice, the ACE inhibitor Captopril (Cap) was found to reduce depressive-like behaviors in these mice, as it increased levels of Ang (1-7) and other neuroprotective factors in the hippocampus.
  • The antidepressant effects of Cap and Ang (1-7) were inhibited when specific receptors were blocked, indicating that these pathways are crucial for the observed mood improvements.
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The commonly used lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression models often evaluate depression-like behaviors in the acute phase after a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS, and are not suitable for examining long-term depression-like behaviors. To overcome this limitation, we developed a mice LPS model for elucidating the long-term pathophysiology of depression. Using the tail-suspension test, we show that a single intraperitoneal injection of a high dose (1.

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Ganglioside GM3 synthase is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of gangliosides. GM3 synthase deficiency (GM3SD) causes an absence of GM3 and all downstream biosynthetic derivatives, including all the a-, b-, c-series gangliosides, commonly found in neural tissues. The affected individuals manifest with severe irritability, intractable seizures, hearing loss, blindness, and profound intellectual disability.

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Unlabelled: Methylmercury is an environmental pollutant that can induce serious central nervous system damage. Its ubiquitous presence in the environment in trace amounts has raised concerns about potential adverse effects on human health. Although many studies have evaluated the effects of methylmercury on neural development in fetal and neonatal mice, there has been less focus on studies using adolescent mice.

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Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory inflammatory bowel disease, which is known to cause psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression at a high rate in addition to peripheral inflammatory symptoms. However, the pathogenesis of these psychiatric disorders remains mostly unknown. While prior research revealed that the Enterococcus faecalis 2001 (EF-2001) suppressed UC-like symptoms and accompanying depressive-like behaviors, observed in a UC model using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), whether it has an anxiolytic effect remains unclear.

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