The relationship between magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative electromyography findings in patients with compressive cervical myelopathy.

Study Design: A retrospective comparison of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative electromyography (EMG) findings in patients with compressive cervical myelopathy (CCM).

Objectives: To investigate which parameters of the EMG motor unit potentials (MUPs) as determined by automatic analysis of 4 muscles in the upper limb are correlated with spinal cord compression observed on MRI in CCM patients and to determine whether electrical and radiologic levels are correlated.

Summary Of Background Data: Increased mean duration of MUPs has been reported to be a sensitive indicator of disorders of the spinal motor neurons that are accompanied by axonal degeneration and regeneration.

Mammalian D-aspartyl endopeptidase: a scavenger for noxious racemized proteins in aging.

The accumulation of D-isomers of aspartic acid (D-Asp) in proteins during aging has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and arteriosclerosis. Here, we identified a specific lactacystin-sensitive endopeptidase that cleaves the D-Asp-containing protein and named it D-aspartyl endopeptidase (DAEP). DAEP has a multi-complex structure (MW: 600kDa) and is localized in the inner mitochondrial membrane of mouse and rabbit, but DAEP activity was not detected in Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Caenorhabditis elegans.