Biomedical subjects

Hideyuki Nushida

Publications and source records attributed to Hideyuki Nushida.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Differences in characteristics between suicide victims who left notes or not.

BACKGROUND: Suicide notes (SN) are one of markers of the severity of a suicide attempt and are said to provide a valuable insight into the thinking of suicide victims before the fatal act [Shah, A., De, T., 1998. Suicide and the elderly. Int. J. Psychiat. Clin Pract. 2, 3-18]. To examine whether suicide victims who wrote notes (note writers: NW) differ from those who did not, we investigated the characteristics of a sample of more than 5000 Japanese suicides using multiple logistic regression analysis. METHODS: For all suicide victims (5161 cases), we examined the following information: gender, age, suicide method, reason for suicide, marital status, residential status, history of psychiatric disorders, previous suicidal behavior, physical disease, and content of suicide notes. RESULTS: Mean incidence of NW was 30.1% (male: 29.7%, female: 30.8%). NW in Japan had the following characteristics; higher proportion in female and living alone, suicide by more lethal methods such as carbon monoxide, hanging or sharp instruments. On the other hand, non-NW had tendencies to commit suicide for reasons of physical illness and psychiatric disorder, and/or history of previous psychiatric disorders. LIMITATIONS: This study is observational and discusses only completed, not attempted, suicide. Medical and psychiatric comorbidity are judged only by the history of diagnosis and the information about the problems in relationships is based not on valid criteria for inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Although these findings show ethnic differences, it is possible that SN may be considered an indicator of a serious suicide attempt. Further studies of SN are needed to confirm this.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Analysis of phosphatidylcholine oxidation products in human plasma using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

We report here an application of the previous method for the analysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) oxidation products in human plasma using quadrupole time of flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. We separated these products using an HPLC C8 column with a gradient of methanol and 10 mM aqueous ammonium acetate. Monohydroperoxides, epoxyhydroxy derivatives, oxo derivatives, and trihydroxides of palmitoyl-linoleoyl (C16:0/C18:2) PC and stearoyl-linoleoyl (C18:0/C18:2) PC were detected mainly as MH+ and [M+Na]+ ions in the plasma of alcoholic patients. Using standard synthetic PC-OH (C16:0/C18:2-OH), the lipid extract component was identified as (C16:0/C18:2-OH) PC based on the product ions of ESI-MS-MS. Using standard synthetic PCOOH (C16:0/C18:2-OOH) as a reference, the PCOOH concentration in plasma was quantified. Two oxidatively modified lysoPCs were also detected. This is the first report showing the presence of epoxyhydroxy derivatives, monohydroperoxides, oxo derivatives, and trihydroxides of (C16:0/C18:2) PC and (C18:0/C18:2) PC, and PC-OH (C16:0/C18:0-OH) in human plasma.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Association of 14-3-3 epsilon gene haplotype with completed suicide in Japanese.

Genetic factors have been suggested to be involved in suicide. Although some genetic factors, such as serotonergic transduction, have been associated with suicide, the results are inconsistent. There is a possibility that various signaling anomalies are involved in the biological vulnerability to suicide. We carried out a genome-wide gene-expression study in the brains of suicide victims using DNA microarrays;14-3-3 epsilon, which is related to neurogenesis, was one of the genes upregulated in the brains of suicide victims in the microarray analysis. This was confirmed by Western blot analysis. To examine the possibility of the involvement of 14-3-3 epsilon in the pathogenesis of suicide, we investigated the association of the 14-3-3 epsilon gene and completed suicide. We used three high-frequency SNPs (rs1532976, rs3752826, and rs9393) and found a significant association of two alleles (rs1532976 and rs3752826) with completed suicide (p < 0.05). Moreover, the distribution of haplotype revealed a more significant difference between completed suicide and controls (p=0.0005). This finding suggests that 14-3-3 epsilon is a potential suicide susceptibility gene and implies that dysregulation of neurogenesis may be involved in suicide.

14-3-3 Proteins↗

PubMed2005

Incidence of note-leaving remains constant despite increasing suicide rates.

Suicide notes (SN) are potentially valuable sources of information about the psychological states of the suicidal person. It was hypothesized that there was a significant relation between suicide rate and note-leaving rate and that the incidence of note-leaving was increased during prolonged economic recession. During 21 years (1981-2001) in Kobe, of a total of 18 558 violent deaths, 5161 were due to suicide (27.8%), with 3417 male cases (66.2%) and 1754 female cases (33.8%). For each year the annual suicide rates and note-leaving rates were calculated, and this represents the percentage of committed suicides in which SN were left, among all suicide victims. In spite of the prolonged economic slump, the note-leaving rate remained almost constant (23.4-36.2%). Pearson's correlation coefficient showed no significant correlation between suicide rate and note-leaving rates (r = 0.27, P = 0.23). The finding that the incidence of note-leaving remains constant despite increasing suicide rates may suggest that the reasons for suicide do not affect note-leaving. There are cross-cultural, ethnic, and racial variations in suicidal behaviors. Although this finding may be specific in Japan, further studies of SN are needed to help clarify the suicidal states of mind.

Communication↗

PubMed2005

Lack of an association between 5-HT receptor gene polymorphisms and suicide victims.

An association between serotonergic dysfunction in the brain and suicidal behavior has previously been suggested. The high affinity of some antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs to serotonin 6 (5-HT6) receptors, and the predominant localization of 5-HT6 receptors in some limbic regions, suggest that 5-HT6 receptors play a role in the pathogenesis of suicide. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between suicide victims and two polymorphisms of the 5-HT6 receptor gene: a biallelic polymorphism (267C/T) in exon 1 and a trinucleotide repeat polymorphism ([GCC](2/3)) in the 5'-upstream region of the gene. The two polymorphisms were genotyped in 163 suicide victims and 166 controls, and the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies between the two groups were compared. Haplotype frequencies of these two polymorphisms were estimated from genotypic data by the maximum-likelihood method. In both polymorphisms, there were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies between the suicide victims and the controls. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the haplotype distributions of these polymorphisms between the two groups. These findings suggest that it is unlikely that the 5-HT6 receptor gene is involved in the susceptibility to suicide.

Alleles↗

PubMed2004

Determination of phosphatidylcholine monohydroperoxides using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

An improved technique for the analysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) monohydroperoxides was developed using quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. Separation was obtained using an HPLC C8 column with a gradient of methanol and 10 mM aqueous ammonium acetate. Monohydroperoxides of palmitoyl-linoleoyl (C16:0/C18:2) PC, stearoyl-linoleoyl (C18:0/C18:2) PC, and oleoyl-linoleoyl (C18:1/C18:2) PC were detected mainly as MH(+) and [M+Na](+) ions in the heart of the intact rat. Using standard synthetic PCOOH (C16:0/C18:2-OOH), the lipid extract component was identified as (C16:0/C18:2-OOH) PC based on the product ions of ESI-MS-MS and, the PCOOH concentration was quantitated using HPLC with chemiluminescence detection. Two epoxyhydroxy derivatives of the three PCs mentioned above were also detected. This is the first report to show the presence of monohydroperoxides and epoxyhydroxy-derivatives of (C16:0/C18:2)PC, (C18:0/C18:2)PC, and (C18:1/C18:2) PC in the rat heart.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

PubMed2004

Association between catechol-O-methyltransferase functional polymorphism and male suicide completers.

Suicide has been suggested to involve catecholaminergic dysfunction and to be related to genetics. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) 158Val/Met polymorphism (GenBank Accession No. Z26491) is a polymorphism of the gene encoding COMT, a major enzyme in catecholamine inactivation. The COMT 158Val/Met polymorphism affects COMT activity, that is, the alleles encoding Val and Met are associated with relatively high and relatively low COMT activity, respectively. In this study, we hypothesized that the COMT 158Val/Met polymorphism is associated with suicide. The study population consisted of 163 suicide completers (112 males and 51 females). We found that the genotype distribution of the COMT 158Val/Met polymorphism was significantly different between male suicide completers and male controls (p=0.036), while the frequency of the Val/Val genotype, a high-activity COMT genotype, was significantly less in male suicide completers than in male controls (OR: 0.52; 95% CL: 0.31-0.89; p=0.016). However, this was not the case in females. Our results suggest that the Val/Val genotype is a protective factor against suicide in males.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Economic slump and suicide method: preliminary study in Kobe.

During the recent half decade, Japan's suicide rate at approximately 25 deaths per 100 000 people has been one of the highest rates in the world. From the perspective of suicide prevention by restricting access to suicidal means, the aim of the present study was to examine what kind of suicidal method increased during prolonged economic slump. During 21 years (1981-2001), for all suicide victims (5161 cases) the gender, age, and suicide methods were investigated. The yearly full unemployment rate was also used as a representative socioeconomic factor during the same periods in Japan using government statistics, and the relationship between methods of suicide and full unemployment rate was investigated. Pearson's correlation suggested that there was a significant correlation only for hanging rate (r = 0.736, P < 0.001), but not for the percentages of other methods of suicide. This finding that unemployed persons may have a susceptibility towards certain suicide methods could help in the prevention of suicides. Mental health in Japan should be given more attention, especially for the working population, and social programs offering help should be considered widely.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Sexual asphyxia by hanging--a case report and a review of the literature.

A case of sexual asphyxial death by hanging is presented. A 35-year-old male, found dead lying on his face in a bed of a truck cab, had hanged himself from a window frame using a leather belt. He was completely naked. There were pornographic and sadomasochistic magazines beneath his face, opened to pages depicted nude photographs of a woman. Autopsy findings revealed a ligature mark on the neck and petechial hemorrhages in the conjunctivae, but there were no hemorrhages in the neck muscles or fractures of the hyoid bone or the thyroid cartilage. The alcohol levels in the blood and urine were 0.78 and 0.45 mg/ml, respectively. The circumstances suggested that his death was accidental, and due to asphyxia by hanging performed to enhance sexual gratification during masturbation. Sexual asphyxia is reviewed and discussed.

Accidents↗

PubMed2003

Fatty acid profile in skeletal muscle of the rat in response to acute (2.5 hours) and prolonged (6 weeks) ethanol-dosage.

We tested the hypothesis that phospholipids are altered in skeletal muscles of rats exposed to ethanol for either acute (2.5 hours) or prolonged (6 weeks) periods. In acute studies, rats were dosed with saline (0.15 mmol/l; controls) or ethanol (75 mmol/kg body weight; treated). There were four groups: (A) saline (control); (B) cyanamide (an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor); (C) ethanol; and (D) cyanamide + ethanol. In prolonged studies, two groups of rats were fed liquid diets containing 35% of total dietary energy as either glucose [group (E)] or ethanol [group (F)]. At the end of the treatments, membrane phospholipids were measured in soleus (Type I fibre-predominant) and plantaris (Type II fibre-predominant) muscle. In acute studies, ethanol alone [(A) vs. (C)] and cyanamide + ethanol [(A) vs. (D)] significantly increased 18 : 2 in plantaris (p < 0.05), whereas in soleus none of the treatments had any effect on the phospholipids. In prolonged studies [(E) vs. (F)], there were decreases in 16 : 0 (p < 0.05) and 18 : 1 (p < 0.01) and increases in 18 : 2 (p < 0.001) in plantaris. In soleus, decreases in 18 : 1 (p < 0.05) and increases in 18 : 2 (p < 0.01) occurred. In conclusion, alterations in the proportions of 16 : 0, 18 : 1 and 18 : 2 provide evidence of an altered membrane domain which may contribute to the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced muscle disease. Changes due to prolonged exposure are more profound than those in acute exposure and the preferential effects in Type II plantaris may reflect the greater susceptibility of this muscle to alcohol.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed2002

Lack of an association between 5-HT1A receptor gene structural polymorphisms and suicide victims.

A serotonergic dysfunction in the brain has been reported to be involved in suicidal behavior independently of the presence of a specific psychiatric disorder. Serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptors are known to be located on serotonergic nerve terminals and to be involved in the presynaptic regulation of serotonin release. Genetic factors partly explain the risks for suicide, and a suicide completion group is thought to be more uniform than a suicide attempt group. To explore the hypothesis that the 5-HT1A receptor-induced serotonergic dysfunction is implicated genetically in suicide, we focused on the structural polymorphisms, Pro16Leu and Gly272Asp, of the 5-HT1A receptor gene, and examined the association between suicide victims who completed suicide and these two polymorphisms. In both polymorphisms, we found no significant difference in genotype distribution or allele frequencies between suicide victims and controls. These findings suggest that neither of these two polymorphisms is associated with suicide victims and it is unlikely that the 5-HT1A receptor gene is implicated in the susceptibility to suicide.

Female↗

PubMed2002

No evidence of an association between a functional monoamine oxidase a gene polymorphism and completed suicides.

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has been implicated in the control of aggression and/or impulsivity in humans and been involved in suicide. This gene has a functional polymorphism in which there is a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the upstream region (MAOA-uVNTR). We hypothesized that MAOA dysfunction due to this polymorphism was associated with suicide genetically through the disinhibition of aggression and/or impulsivity. We performed an association study between completed suicides and the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism. No significant difference in genotype distribution or allele frequencies was found between completed suicides and comparison groups either in males or females. These results show no evidence of an association between the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism and completed suicides and suggest that MAOA is not involved in the susceptibility to suicide.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Accidental hanging by a sweater: an unusual case.

An accidental atypical hanging with the collar of a sweater is reported. A 67-year-old man was found dead in the sitting position with the collar of his sweater hanging off the brake handle of a motorcycle. Autopsy findings revealed a ligature mark on the surface of the neck; hemorrhages in the sternohyoid muscles; submucosal hemorrhages in the left greater horn of the hyoid bone; a large degree of submucosal petechial hemorrhages in the larynx, oral mucosa, and palpebral conjunctivae; and dark-red liquid blood with little clotting in the heart cavities. The alcohol levels in the blood and urine were 2.84 mg/ml and 3.52 mg/ml, respectively. It was concluded that the man had died from hanging by the sweater, and it was speculated that when he became inebriated, he might have lost consciousness and then fell with the collar of his sweater hanging from the brake handle of the motorcycle.

Accidents↗