Antiparkinsonian drugs as potent contributors to nocturnal sleep in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objective: To clarify whether antiparkinsonian drugs contribute to nocturnal sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Background: Although the major antiparkinsonian drugs L-dopa and dopamine agonists (DAs) have been found to affect sleep, little is known about the effects of specific drugs on sleep in PD patients.

Methods: The study participants consisted of 112 PD patients (median age 72.

Inhibition of lipid peroxidation during the reproductive period extends the lifespan of .

Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) is a unique antioxidant enzyme that directly reduces the phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) generated in biomembranes using glutathione as the reductant. We have previously reported that the -quad mutant, which lacks all homologous genes of GPx4 has a reduced lifespan compared with the wild-type. However, the mechanisms underlying the lifespan reduction remain unclear.

Ultrasound-mediated gene delivery systems by AG73-modified Bubble liposomes.

Targeted gene delivery to neovascular vessels in tumors is considered a promising strategy for cancer therapy. We previously reported that "Bubble liposomes" (BLs), which are ultrasound (US) imaging gas-encapsulating liposomes, were suitable for US imaging and gene delivery. When BLs are exposed to US, the bubble is destroyed, creating a jet stream by cavitation, and resulting in the instantaneous ejection of extracellular plasmid DNA (pDNA) or other nucleic acids into the cytosol.

AG73-modified Bubble liposomes for targeted ultrasound imaging of tumor neovasculature.

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used imaging technique. The use of contrast agents has become an indispensible part of clinical ultrasound imaging, and molecular imaging via ultrasound has recently attracted significant attention. We recently reported that "Bubble liposomes" (BLs) encapsulating US imaging gas liposomes were suitable for ultrasound imaging and gene delivery.

[Living situation of the in-home patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Aichi prefecture, Japan].

It is essential that we know the real situation of at-home patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in order to improve their medical support system. We indirectly investigated the daily living status of ALS patients and their families at home by conducting on individual questionnaires survey for nurses working at public health centers in Aichi prefecture, Japan. Detailed information about 136 cases was obtained, and we could clarify the need for variety of communication methods, plasticity of medical interrelations and care between neurologists and home doctors, incomplete utilization of social resources including various official support, overwork among single caregivers, and underdeveloped immature individual medical care support programs for them.

Local gene delivery system by bubble liposomes and ultrasound exposure into joint synovium.

Recently, we have developed novel polyethylene glycol modified liposomes (bubble liposomes; BL) entrapping an ultrasound (US) imaging gas, which can work as a gene delivery tool with US exposure. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of US-mediated gene transfer systems with BL into synoviocytes in vitro and joint synovium in vivo. Highly efficient gene transfer could be achieved in the cultured primary synoviocytes transfected with the combination of BL and US exposure, compared to treatment with plasmid DNA (pDNA) alone, pDNA plus BL, or pDNA plus US.

Liposomal polyamine-dialkyl phosphate conjugates as effective gene carriers: chemical structure, morphology, and gene transfer activity.

Synthetic cationic lipids are promising transfection agents for gene therapy. We report here that polyamine conjugates of dialkyl phosphates, combined with natural lipids and assembled in the form of liposomes (polycationic liposome: PCL), possess high transfection activity in the COS-1 cell line. Furthermore, we describe the functional morphology of the PCL/DNA complexes as revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM).