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Biomedical subjects

Kenji Nakajima

Publications and source records attributed to Kenji Nakajima.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Bacillus krulwichiae sp. nov., a halotolerant obligate alkaliphile that utilizes benzoate and m-hydroxybenzoate.

Obligate alkaliphilic strains, AM31D(T) and AM11D, that utilize benzoate and m-hydroxybenzoate were isolated from soil obtained from Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. The isolates grew at pH 8-10, but not at neutral pH. They were Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, straight rods with peritrichous flagella and produced ellipsoidal spores. The isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite and grew in 0-14 % NaCl, but not in higher concentrations. The major isoprenoid quinones were menaquinone-5, -6 and -7, and the cellular fatty acid profile consisted of significant amounts of 15-C branched-chain acids, isoC(15 : 0) and anteisoC(15 : 0). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that strain AM31D(T) was a member of group 6 (alkaliphiles) in the genus Bacillus. DNA-DNA hybridization revealed a low relatedness of the isolates with several phylogenetically close neighbours, including Bacillus alcalophilus and Bacillus pseudalcaliphilus (less than 19.3 %). Based on phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic data and DNA-DNA relatedness data, it was concluded that these isolates merited classification as a new species, for which the name Bacillus krulwichiae is proposed. The type strain of this species is AM31D(T) (=NCIMB 13904(T)=JCM 11691(T)=IAM 15000(T)).

Bacillus↗
PubMed2003

Age-related alteration of haloperidol-serum protein binding.

Serum haloperidol levels were determined in 59 patients, 50-88-years-old, with psychosis, receiving long-term treatment with haloperidol. Although the total (bound and free form) haloperidol level in serum showed a linear correlation with daily dose, there was a larger variation in the relationship between free form and the daily dose compared with total because of inter-individual variation in the serum protein binding of haloperidol. The free fraction of haloperidol in serum increased with age. There was no difference in the ratio of total haloperidol level per daily dose between the adult and elderly groups, whereas the ratio of free haloperidol level per daily dose was significantly higher in the elderly than in the adult group. In the elderly, therefore, the therapeutic window of haloperidol should be assessed using free form level rather than total level, which is influenced by serum protein binding of the drug.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2003

Peripheral neuropathy in Japanese patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report a series of Japanese patients with neuropathic symptoms following HCV infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with neuropathic symptoms and HCV infection were studied retrospectively (neuropathy group). We evaluated clinical and electrophysiologic findings. As a control group, we investigated prospectively 11 patients with chronic HCV hepatitis without neuropathic symptoms. RESULTS: In the neuropathy group, the peripheral neuropathy was a multiple mononeuropathy (MM) in 8 patients, a polyneuropathy in 4 patients, a single cranial neuropathy in 2 patients, and a cervical radiculopathy in one patient. Five patients with MM had relapsing symptoms. Two patients showed a progression of neurologic symptoms following varicella zoster virus infection. Mixed cryoglobulinemia was noted in 4 of 13 tested patients. Circulating immunocomplexes were detected in 3 of 10 tested patients, and low complement (C3, C4, or CH50) levels were noted in 10 of 13 tested patients. Nerve conduction study (NCS) showed abnormal findings in 10 of 13 investigated patients. In the control group, only the frequency of low CH50 was significantly lower than that in the neuropathy group. Abnormal findings of NCS were found in 3 of 11 patients. CONCLUSION: We showed the presence of various types of neuropathies in patients with HCV infection. Our results suggest that relapsing MM is common in HCV positive neuropathy with or without cryoglobulinemia, and that the virus may modulate neurologic manifestations of other viral infections. Subclinical neuropathy may be present in some patients with HCV infection without neurologic symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Effect of rebamipide on cell death induced by combined treatment of mild heat shock and quercetin in RGM-1 cells: a role for HSP70 induction.

The mechanism by which rebamipide inhibits cell death induced by combined treatment of mild heat shock and quercetin in RGM-1 cells was examined. Cells were incubated at 42 degrees C for 1 h with or without quercetin. Expression of HSP70 was detected by immunoblot analysis and cell viability was determined by the MTT method. Upon treatment of cells with heat shock in the presence of quercetin, cell viability was significantly decreased 24 h after heat shock, with strong inhibition of HSP70 expression. Rebamipide suppressed both cell death and a reduction in HSP70 induced by the combined treatment of heat shock and quercetin. The combination of heat shock and quercetin resulted in DNA fragmentation, but rebamipide managed to inhibit such fragmentation. The protective effect of rebamipide was eliminated by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. Based upon these findings, it was concluded that rebamipide inhibited cell death resulting from combined treatment of mild heat shock and quercetin. The protective action of rebamipide appears to be at least partially due to maintenance of the HSP70 level.

Alanine↗
PubMed2002

[Development of a tree model that allows simple estimation of the required care level using the items of the basic investigation of long-term care insurance].

In long-term care insurance, the required care level of the disabled elderly is calculated from the results of the basic investigation. However, this calculation involves complex mathematical processes, and the estimation of the required care level at small facilities is difficult. We, therefore, developed a tree model that allows simple estimation of the required care level from the state of noticeable disabilities in daily activities. The model was prepared separately for dementia and physical disabilities. From the patients being cared for at Higashiyama Geriatric Hospital for the Elderly who had undergone primary rating, a total of 240 individuals consisting of 20 each in each of the 6 required care levels for both dementia and physical disabilities were selected, and the results of their primary rating were reviewed. "Putting on and taking off a jacket" and "care after urination", in which the required care levels increase relatively consistently as the investigation items progressed from those for "independent" to those for "totally assisted", were selected as the first selection items in dementia and physical disability models respectively. In a dementia model, the state of "putting on and taking off a jacket" and "care after urination" were matched for various required care levels as follows: "Independent"-->assistance needed, "observation needed" and "independent" in "standing up"-->required care level 1, "observation needed" and "not independent" in "standing up"-->required care level 2, "partly assisted"-->required care level 3, "totally assisted" and "not totally assisted" in "eating"-->required care level 4, and "totally assisted" and "totally assisted" in "eating"-->required care level 5. In a physical disability model, the state of "care after urination" was matched for various required care levels as follows: "Independent" and "independent" in "walking"-->assistance needed, "independent" and "not independent" in "walking"-->required care level 1, "direct or indirect assistance"-->required care level 2, "totally assisted" and "independent" or "observation needed" in "eating"-->required care level 3, "totally assisted" and "partly assisted" in "eating"-->required care level 4, "totally assisted" and "totally assisted" in "eating"-->required care level 5. The accuracy rate, i.e. the frequency of complete matching between the estimation of the required care level using this tree and that of the primary rating, was 71.1% in those with dementia and 66.7% in those with physical disabilities. The near accuracy rate, i.e. the frequency of matching between the two estimations within one rank higher or lower was 98.3% in those with dementia and 99.2% in those with physical disabilities. From these results, this tree model is considered to be useful for clinical rating.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do white matter changes have clinical significance in Alzheimer's disease?

BACKGROUND: Although white matter changes visible with MRI are generally considered to result from ischemia, it has become clear that these changes also appear in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their significance in AD is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical significance of white matter changes in AD. METHODS: Ninety-six AD patients (79.4 +/- 5.92 years old) and 48 age-matched control subjects (80.0 +/- 7.03 years old) participated in the study. Three neuroradiologists assessed the degree of periventricular hyperintensities (PVH) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH) using a modified Fazekas' rating scale. We examined whether there was a difference in the severity and the histogram pattern of the white matter changes, or in vascular factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease) between the two groups. We also analyzed the association between the severity of the white matter changes and the degree of dementia (MMSE score and disease duration). RESULTS: There were no differences in the vascular factors between AD and control subjects. The degree of PVH in AD was severe compared with that in the control subjects. In histograms of the number of subjects with each degree of PVH severity, the distribution of AD patients had peaks at both the low and intermediate degrees of PVH, while most of the controls had a low degree of PVH. There was no difference in the degree or the histogram pattern of DWMH between the two groups. The severity of white matter changes was not associated with severity of dementia in AD. CONCLUSIONS: Although PVH might have several causative factors, and may have some clinical significance, the change itself does not contribute to the progression of AD.

Aged↗