Possible involvement of thiamine insufficiency in heart failure in the institutionalized elderly.

Heart failure is a major manifestation of thiamine deficiency; beriberi. Even thiamine insufficiency, milder than deficiency, may be associated with increased heart failure risk. In this cross-sectional study, the relationship between thiamine insufficiency and heart failure was investigated in the Japanese institutionalized elderly from April to November 2017.

Relationship between Homocysteine, Folate, Vitamin B and Physical Performance in the Institutionalized Elderly.

Hyperhomocysteinemia causes various diseases including cardiovascular disease, osteoporotic fracture and dementia. Although there have been reports that hyperhomocysteinemia decreases physical performance, findings are inconsistent on the association of homocysteine, folate, vitamin B and physical performance. Considering that lower physical performance increases the risk of fall and fracture in the elderly, the effect of nutritional status on physical function must be clarified.

Effect of a glutamate blocker, ipenoxazone hydrochloride on the hypoxia-induced firing in the medial vestibular nucleus.

To elucidate the effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI), we performed an electrophysiological study to examine the effects of ipenoxazone hydrochloride, a glutamate blocker, on hypoxia-induced firing in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neuron, using alpha-chloralose-anesthetized cats. The single neuronal activity of the MVN was recorded extracellularly with a glass-insulated silver wire microelectrode attached along a seven-barrel micropipette. The firing rate of MVN neurons showed a transient increase [hypoxic depolarization (HD)] during 5% O(2) inhalation, followed by a gradual decrease and disappearance.

Glutamate release in the rat medial vestibular nucleus following unilateral labyrinthectomy using in vivo microdialysis.

We investigated the changes in glutamate release from the ipsi- and contra-lesional medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) by in vivo microdialysis study. The concentration of glutamate in the ipsi-lesional MVN was decreased until 4 h. Twelve hours after UL, the concentration of glutamate was restored back to the basal level, after which the release did not show any change between 24 and 48 h post-UL.

Measurement of 5-hydroxytryptamine release in the rat medial vestibular nucleus using in vivo microdialysis.

The function of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) system in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) was evaluated using KCl-evoked 5-HT release assessed by in vivo microdialysis. The release of 5-HT in the MVN was increased by the local application of KCl (100 mM) in a calcium-dependent manner. Likewise, perfusion of a 5-HT reuptake blocking agent, clomipramine (1 microM), increased extracellular levels of 5-HT in the MVN.