Clinical effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on immune function and intestinal microbiota in elderly patients receiving enteral tube feeding.

Background: Immune system function declines with age. We evaluated the effects of supplementation with the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on immune function and intestinal microbiota in the elderly.

Materials And Methods: In a double-blind study, 45 elderly patients fed by enteral tube feeding (mean [SD] age 81.

Brain region-specific gene expression activation required for reconsolidation and extinction of contextual fear memory.

During fear conditioning, animals learn an association between a previously neutral or conditioned stimulus (CS) and an aversive or unconditioned stimulus (US). Subsequent reexposure to the CS alone triggers two competing processes. Brief reexposure to the CS initiates reconsolidation processes that serve to stabilize or maintain the original CS-US memory.

Selective cauda equina hypertrophy with idiopathic inflammation.

A 20-year-old woman with selective cauda equina hypertrophy presented with muscle weakness and severe pain in the lower extremities. Serial immunotherapy was not effective. We performed biopsy of the cauda equina, and laminectomy and duraplasty of the thoracolumbar region.

Association between metallothionein genes polymorphisms and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Japanese population.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, lethal neurodegenerative disease that selectively affects motor neurons. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are assumed to be involved in the pathogenesis of ALS. Metallothioneins (MTs) are self-protective, multifunctional proteins that scavenge ROS.