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F Moriwaka

Publications and source records attributed to F Moriwaka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Detection of an Amadori product, 1-hexitol-lysine, in the anterior horn of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinobulbar muscular atrophy spinal cord: evidence for early involvement of glycation in motoneuron diseases.

Glycation is a series of non-enzymatic reactions initiated by addition of reducing sugars to epsilon-amino group of lysine residues and alpha-amino group of the N terminus of proteins, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE). It is thought to be involved in aging and various neurodegenerative conditions. In the present study using anti-1-hexitol-lysine (1-HL) antibody, Amadori product, an early glycation product, was detected in axonal spheroids in the anterior horn of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and in atrophic neurons of spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA, Kennedy disease with abnormally expanded triplet repeats in androgen receptor gene) but not in other regions of the central nervous system. Furthermore, Amadori product was undetectable in the tissues from age-matched controls. Thus, 1-HL formation could not reflect physiological aging.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMed1999

Neurotoxicity of methylglyoxal and 3-deoxyglucosone on cultured cortical neurons: synergism between glycation and oxidative stress, possibly involved in neurodegenerative diseases.

In this study, we investigate the neurotoxicity of glycation, particularly early-stage glycation, and its mechanisms, which are possibly synergized with oxidative stress. Methylglyoxal (MG) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3DG), intermediate products of glycation, are known to further accelerate glycation and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) formation. Both compounds showed neurotoxicity on cultured cortical neurons and these effects were associated with reactive oxygen species production followed by neuronal apoptosis. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine induced neuroprotection against MG and 3DG. Cotreatment, but not pretreatment, with aminoguanidine protected neurons against the neurotoxicities of both compounds. The present study provides the first evidence that MG and 3DG are neurotoxic to cortical neurons in culture. Interference with the process by which glycation and AGEs formation occur may provide new therapeutic opportunities to reduce the pathophysiological changes associated with neurodegeneration, if, as indicated here, the participation of glycoxidation in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases is essential.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed1999

Protective effects of the TNF-ceramide pathway against glutamate neurotoxicity on cultured mesencephalic neurons.

Pretreatments with TNF-alpha and lower concentrations of C2-ceramide protected cultured mesencephalic neurons from excitotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. These protective effects are reduced by cotreatment with N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase. Since the pretreatment with sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP) showed a neuroprotective effect, our data suggest that protective effects of TNF and C2-ceramide could be attributable to their further metabolism to SPP.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Focal (segmental) dyshidrosis in syringomyelia.

The features or mechanisms of dyshidrosis have not been sufficiently clarified. Neither has the difference between hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis. To clarify the features and mechanisms of dyshidrosis (hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis) in syringomyelia, the clinical features focusing on hidrosis of 30 patients with syringomyelia and Chiari malformation located from a syringomyelia database were prospectively analysed. The patients were classified into three groups: eight patients (26.7%) had segmental hypohidrosis, 10 (33. 3%) had segmental hyperhidrosis, and 12 (40.0%) had normohidrosis. We found that the Karnofsky functional status for the hyperhydrosis and normohidrosis groups were significantly higher than for the hypohidrosis group (p=0.0012), with no significant differences between the hyperhidrosis and normohidrosis groups. The duration from the onset of syringomyelia to the current dyshidrosis was significantly longer in the hypohidrosis group than in the hyperhidrosis group (p=0.0027). A significant correlation was identified between the duration from the onset of syringomyelia to the time at study and the performance score (r=-0.599, p=0.0003). The results substantiate previous hypotheses that in its early stage syringomyelia causes segmental hyperactivity of the sympathetic preganglionic neurons, and hyperactivity of these gradually subsides as tissue damage progresses. Focal hyperhidrosis may be regarded as a hallmark of a relatively intact spinal cord, as well as normohidrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[The spinal somatosensory evoked potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in relation to the spinal cord conduction velocities].

The lumbar-to-cervical conduction velocity (spinal cord conduction velocity, SCCV) was electrophysiologically studied in 14 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The age of these patients ranged from 37 to 63, averaging 51.0 years old. We recorded the spinal somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) from the surface electrodes at the level of the C2 spine and the T12 spine by the simultaneous stimulation of bilateral posterior tibial nerves. SCCV from the lumbar to cervical was measured from the latency difference between both SSEPs elicited at the each position. As the results, SCCVs were in the range of 50.6-66.6 (58.6 +/- 4.7: mean +/- SD) m/sec in normal age matched controls (18 adult volunteers, 46-63 years old, averaging, 52.7). On the other hand, in ALS patients, SCCVs were in the range of 42.1-67.1 (53.5 +/- 7.8: mean +/- SD) m/sec, values of which were lowered compared to those in normal subjects. These examination documented 4 out of 14 patients with ALS (28.6%) showing abnormalities beyond standard deviation. The vibration sense was checked by using 128 Hz tuning fork at the ankles, and for the quantitative measurement, a newly designed vibriometer being attached the piezoelectric accelerometer to the end of 128 Hz tuning fork was applied in 14 ALS patients. The vibration sense at the ankles was diminished in 6 patients, and 3 patients showed the abnormalities beyond 2 standard deviations. The degree of lowering in SCCVs among ALS patients were correlated with the degree of diminution of impaired vibration sense and the duration of illness, but were not correlated with the H/M ratio and the latency difference between T wave and H wave. Since SSEP impulses are transmitted in dorsal columns and dorsolateral fasciculus predominantly by large diameter and fast-conduction fibers, our results may suggest that, in ALS patients, spinal cord conduction velocities of ascending fibers mediating the dorsal columns and dorsolateral fasciculus are disturbed compared to those in normal subjects, and that the functional disturbance of ascending fibers mediating the dorsal columns and dorsolateral fasciculus plays the important role in the high rates of impaired vibration sense among ALS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia linked to chromosome 2p: clinical and genetic studies of a large Japanese pedigree.

Autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia (ADSP) is a genetically heterogenous disorder. To date, 3 loci of ADSP have been identified on chromosome 2p, 14q, and 15q, but specific gene mutations remain unknown. To determine the genetic background of ADSP in the Japanese, we studied a large 3-generation pedigree, clinically and genetically. Of the 36 individuals clinically examined, 15 were affected. The main feature in the affected individuals was a slowly progressive spastic paraplegia, associated with upper limb hyperreflexia (58%), reduction of vibration sense (27%) and bladder disturbance (13%). Age at onset ranged from 13 to 50 years with a mean of 30.3 +/- 14.2 (SD). There were 6 parent-child pairs with anticipation and at least 3 others with 'anti-anticipation'. Linkage with 14q and 15q ADSP loci was excluded, and a highly significant lod score was obtained only in the case of the 2p locus (Zmax = 3.53 for D2S400/D2S352, at theta = 0.00). Our study is the first to confirm the existence of 2p-linked ADSP in the Japanese. There is a significant variety in age at onset and disease severity in these 2p-linked families, but the implication for underlying ADSP mutation is not clear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Facial palsy in multiple sclerosis.

Facial palsy occurred in 21 (19.6%) of 107 Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) during a mean follow-up period of 4.3 years. We observed residual signs of facial palsy in five other patients in whom acute onset was confirmed from medical records. Facial palsy began on average 7.6 years after the onset of MS but in five patients (4.7%) was the first symptom of MS, preceding the next MS symptom by 0.5-3 years. Facial palsy was usually associated with other brainstem signs, while two patients showed only facial palsy 1 and 3 years after the onset of MS. Twenty-one (84.0%) of the 25 patients who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed brainstem lesions in the pontine tegmentum ipsilateral to the facial palsy. However, the two patients without other symptoms or signs had no apparent causal lesion on MRI, which suggests difficulty in differentiating idiopathic Bell's palsy from MS- associated facial palsy by MRI, although it has an excellent capacity to detect causal lesions of facial palsy associated with MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Neurological manifestations of primary Sjögren's syndrome in Japanese patients.

The neurological manifestations of twenty-one Japanese patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) were evaluated. All patients were women, and sixteen of the twenty-one cases (76%) demonstrated objective abnormal neurological symptoms, the most frequently observed of which was trigeminal neuropathy (50%). Multiple mononeuropathy was seen in almost one-third of the examined cases (31%). Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was observed in three cases (14%). All of these values differed greatly from those previously reported. Therefore, this study revealed characteristic features of Japanese SjS and also implied the existence of different immunopathological mechanisms associated with SjS in Japanese patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Infiltrating cell profiles of sarcoid lesions in the muscles and peripheral nerves: an immunohistological study.

In order to study the pathological mechanisms of neuromuscular sarcoidosis, we carried out an immunohistochemical investigation in five cases (five muscle specimens and two sural nerve specimens). We evaluated the distribution of inflammatory mononuclear cells and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expressions. Our data showed a dominant infiltration of helper/inducer T cells (CD4-T cells), suggesting the importance of cell-mediated immune responses in neuromuscular sarcoidosis. However, we could not identify the distinct distributional patterns of T cells as reported in sarcoid lymphadenitis. This result may be attributed to the difference of the affected organs. Moreover, failure to detect class II antigens in the muscle fibers may imply the difference in pathogenic mechanism between neuromuscular sarcoidosis and other inflammatory myopathies.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal illness characterized by upper and lower motor neuron degeneration of adults. Recently, many advances are being made in our understanding of the pathogenesis of ALS, which are the role of autoimmunity, the glutamate excitotoxicity, the neurotrophic factor and the defined mutation of superoxide dismutase in familial ALS cases. The therapeutic trials have been carried out more commonly based on the putative pathogenesis described. Among them, riluzole, antiglutamate agent, is proved to have the survival advantage in a controlled double-blind randomized study. These current putative pathogenesis and therapeutic trials of ALS are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A case of bilateral optic neuropathy and recurrent transverse myelopathy associated with perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA).

A case involving a 52-year-old man having bilateral optic neuropathy and recurrent transverse myelopathy is reported. His clinical features resembled multiple sclerosis, but neuroimaging failed to show evidence of demyelination or inflammation in the brain or the optic nerves. The patient experienced sudden visual loss despite massive steroid therapy. Positive perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) is suggestive that optic neuropathy and recurrent transverse myelopathy may have been caused by some common inflammatory processes associated with p-ANCA, however, having a different etiology from multiple sclerosis.

Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic↗
PubMed1996

Prevalence of Parkinson's disease in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan.

The prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) was investigated in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. A pilot case-finding study was carried out to estimate the prevalence in the entire island of Hokkaido (population = 5,643,647) initially, then we surveyed the prevalence at one of the smaller cities, Iwamizawa City (population = 80,417). We ascertained 5,342 cases with PD in Hokkaido and 77 cases in Iwamizawa City, estimating the crude prevalence of 94.7/100,000 in Hokkaido (June 30, 1993) and 95.8/100,000 in Iwamizawa City (April 1, 1994), respectively. We calculated that the crude prevalence rate of PD in Japan in currently close to 100/100,000, but the age-adjusted prevalence is still low, compared with those in Europe and North America.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[A case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) associated with demyelinating peripheral neuropathy].

A 41-year-old man had common cold on April 10, 1991. Five days after this illness he developed fever, dysarthria, visual field impairment, gait disturbance and consciousness disturbance followed. On admission in another hospital, cerebrospinal fluid showed 341/mm3 cells (303 mononuclear cells, 33 polynuclear cells, 5 red cells), protein of 238 mg/dl, and sugar of 59 mg/dl. One month later, the neurological examinations revealed flaccid paraparesis, decreased deep tendon reflexes in the lower extremities, bilateral positive Babinski and Chaddock reflexes, positive Beevor sign, stocking type superficial sensory disturbance, diminished vibration sense in the lower extremities and neurogenic bladder. Eight months later, he improved to be able to walk by himself, but decreased Achilles tendon reflexes, bilateral positive Babinski and Chaddock reflexes and paresthesia over both feet were noted neurologically. Nerve conduction study revealed reduced conduction velocities at tibialis anterior nerves, sural nerves and no response on both deep peroneal nerves. A 1 micron thick epon section of a biopsied sural nerve with toluidine blue stain showed a decreased number of myelinated fibers (6394/mm2) with many thinly myelinated fibers and Renaut bodies. There was no edema nor cell infiltration. Electronmicroscopical findings of their ultrathin sections showed many collagen pockets, denervated Schwann cell clustering and a few onion bulb formations. Teased fiber preparations suggested segmental demyelination and remyelination in many fibers. This case could be regarded as a case of ADEM associated with demyelinating peripheral neuropathy, and the possibility of the simultaneous demyelinating process in the central and peripheral nervous system was discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Visual function in patients with optic neuritis associated with acute transverse myelopathy in multiple sclerosis.

The authors reviewed the records of 20 patients with optic neuritis, all of whom were diagnosed as having clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). They were classified into two subgroups: Group A, consisting of 9 patients who had shown acute transverse myelopathy (ATM); and Group B, 11 patients without ATM. Four patients (44%) in Group A had complete visual loss, but none in Group B. Six patients (67%) in Group A had less than 0.1 visual acuity in the affected eye, but only 2 patients (18%) in Group B. Four patients in Group A showed evidence of anticardiolipin antibodies. While both groups were diagnosed as having clinically definite MS, there were differences between them in the clinical features. We assume that the patients with ATM may constitute a different subgroup among MS patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

[Epidemiology of syringomyelia in Japan--the nationwide survey].

The nationwide epidemiological survey of syringomyelia was carried out in Japan by sending inquiries to neurologists, child neurologists, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons for the period of 1991 and 1992. A total of 1,243 cases of syringomyelia were ascertained. Among them, 622 were men and 619 women, and the average age of onset was 28 years old. The classification by Barnett et al was used, presenting syringomyelia with Chiari malformation in 684 cases (51.2%), dysraphism in 47 (3.7%), post traumatic syringomyelia in 139 (11%), post-spinal arachnoiditis in 76 (6%), spinal cord tumor in 132 (10.5%) and others in 204. Its predominant clinical course was slowly progressive, but 202 cases (17.9%) showed rather stable course including spontaneous resolution in 29 cases. The main initial symptoms were numbness in 522 cases (42%), motor disturbance in 504 (40.5%), and pain in 296 (23.8%). Neurologic signs noted in the abnormality of deep tendon reflexes in 836 cases (67.3%), motor disturbance in 763 (60.4%) and positive pathological reflexes in 383 (30.1%). Sensory disturbance was found in 942 cases (75.8%) and the dissociated type were 559 out of them (59.3%). It is noteworthy that 982 out of 1,243 were documented by MRI and surgical operations such as foramen magnum decompression, syringo-subarachnoid shunt and others were performed in 829 cases. Syringobulbia was confirmed on MRI in 101 cases of syringomyelia in which spinal cord tumors were most frequently associated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

MR appearance of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) of the spinal cord is well known to produce degenerative lesions in the spinal cord histopathologically, but a few reports on the neuroradiological findings have so far been reported. We presented the MRI findings of the spinal cord in a case of SCD. The localization of the radiologically proven lesions was similar to that of the previous pathological reports.

Aged↗