Parkinson Disease: Arai H

McKeith IG, Dickson DW, Lowe J, Emre M, O'Brien JT, Feldman H, Cummings J, Duda JE, Lippa C, Perry EK, Aarsland D, Arai H, Ballard CG, Boeve B, Burn DJ, Costa D, Del Ser T, Dubois B, Galasko D, Gauthier S, Goetz CG, Gomez-Tortosa E, Halliday G, Hansen LA, Hardy J, Iwatsubo T, Kalaria RN, Kaufer D, Kenny RA, Korczyn A, Kosaka K, Lee VM, Lees A, Litvan I, Londos E, Lopez OL, Minoshima S, Mizuno Y, Molina JA, Mukaetova-Ladinska EB, Pasquier F, Perry RH, Schulz JB, Trojanowski JQ, Yamada M, Anonymous00346. · Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. · Neurology. · Pubmed #16237129 No free full text.

Abstract: The dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) Consortium has revised criteria for the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of DLB incorporating new information about the core clinical features and suggesting improved methods to assess them. REM sleep behavior disorder, severe neuroleptic sensitivity, and reduced striatal dopamine transporter activity on functional neuroimaging are given greater diagnostic weighting as features suggestive of a DLB diagnosis. The 1-year rule distinguishing between DLB and Parkinson disease with dementia may be difficult to apply in clinical settings and in such cases the term most appropriate to each individual patient should be used. Generic terms such as Lewy body (LB) disease are often helpful. The authors propose a new scheme for the pathologic assessment of LBs and Lewy neurites (LN) using alpha-synuclein immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative grading of lesion density, with the pattern of regional involvement being more important than total LB count. The new criteria take into account both Lewy-related and Alzheimer disease (AD)-type pathology to allocate a probability that these are associated with the clinical DLB syndrome. Finally, the authors suggest patient management guidelines including the need for accurate diagnosis, a target symptom approach, and use of appropriate outcome measures. There is limited evidence about specific interventions but available data suggest only a partial response of motor symptoms to levodopa: severe sensitivity to typical and atypical antipsychotics in approximately 50%, and improvements in attention, visual hallucinations, and sleep disorders with cholinesterase inhibitors.

Arai H, Minami J. · · Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi. · Pubmed #17938518 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Arai H, Furuya T, Mizuno Y, Mochizuki H. · Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. · Histol Histopathol. · Pubmed #16528677 No free full text.

Abstract: The hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is a specific degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). The cause of nigral dopaminergic neuronal cell death in PD and its underlying mechanisms remain elusive, however, involvement of inflammatory events has been postulated because inflammatory features have been described in the brain of PD patients. Some evidence also suggest that a possible deleterious effects of neuroinflammatory processes by infection in experimental models of neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we summarize and discuss the latest findings regarding inflammation in PD. Especially, we focused on the relationship between infection and PD.

Higuchi S, Matsushita S, Nakane J, Arai H, Matsui T, Urakami K, Yuzuriha T, Takeda A. · Division of Clinical Research, National Institute on Alcoholism, Kurihama National Hospital, Yokosuka Kanagawa, Japan. · Neuroreport. · Pubmed #10817585 No free full text.

Abstract: Two genetic markers of the plasma protein alpha2-macroglobulin, a 5 bp deletion/insertion at the 5' splice site of exon 18 (A2MI) and the GTC/ATC (VaIIO00IIe) in exon 24 (A2M2), may have roles in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Genotyping and linkage analysis of these markers in 426 Japanese sporadic AD patients, 85 autopsy-confirmed Caucasian AD cases, and, as controls, 382 Japanese and 65 Caucasians who were cognitively normal and 140 Japanese Parkinson's disease patients showed racial diversity in the frequencies and relationship of the two markers. Comparison of genotype and allele frequencies, stratification of the samples by the presence of the apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele, and logistic regression analysis revealed no association of these markers with AD in either racial group.

Cao XQ, Arai H, Ren YR, Oizumi H, Zhang N, Seike S, Furuya T, Yasuda T, Mizuno Y, Mochizuki H. · Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. · J Neurochem. · Pubmed #17076657 No free full text.

Abstract: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been used for the treatment of neutropenia in hematologic disorders. The neuroprotective effects of G-CSF were reported in neurological disease models. In the present study, we examined whether G-CSF can protect dopaminergic neurons against MPTP-induced cell death in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Mice of one group were injected intraperitoneally with MPTP for five consecutive days, those of another group with MPTP and intraperitoneal G-CSF at 2 days and 1 day before the first MPTP injection, and 30 min before each MPTP injection, while control mice received saline injections. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting analysis, and HPLC were performed to evaluate damage of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax protein. MPTP induced dopaminergic cell death in the substantia nigra. G-CSF significantly prevented MPTP-induced loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons (p < 0.05), increased Bcl-2 protein and decreased Bax protein expression. Our findings indicate that G-CSF provides neuroprotection against MPTP-induced cell death and this effect is mediated by increasing Bcl-2 expression levels and decreasing Bax expression levels in C57BL/6 mice.

Wada K, Arai H, Takanashi M, Fukae J, Oizumi H, Yasuda T, Mizuno Y, Mochizuki H. · Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. · Neuroreport. · Pubmed #16641673 No free full text.

Abstract: Recently, we confirmed the presence of enhanced neural reconstruction in Parkinson's disease and in an animal model of Parkinson's disease based on increased polysialic acid-like immunoreactivity. Changes in neurogenesis often appear parallel to changes in angiogenesis. Moreover, both these processes share similar modulating factors, like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (Flk-1). Using immunohistochemistry, we identified in this study upregulation of VEGF in the substantia nigra but not in the striatum of patients with Parkinson's disease by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Such overexpression may participate in vascular remodeling and neurogenesis in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease.

Oshima K, Tsuchiya K, Iritani S, Niizato K, Akiyama H, Ikeda K, Arai H. · Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, 2-1-1 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0057, Japan. · No To Shinkei. · Pubmed #15379289 No free full text.

Abstract: We report an autopsy case of Parkinson's disease mimicking senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. A Japanese man developed memory disturbance and visual hallucination at age 70. Although he died from pneumonia at age of 74, he had no neurological signs throughout the clinical course. The weight of his brain was 1,420 g. Macroscopic examination of the brain revealed prominent depigmentation of the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus. Histological examination disclosed neuronal loss with astrocytosis and the appearance of the Lewy bodies in the nucleus basalis of Meynert, substantia nigra, locus ceruleus, and dorsal vagal nucleus. There were widespread senile plaques in the brain, including the precentral gyrus, which was compatible with Braak stage C. A small number of neurofibrillary changes were present in the limbic areas, consistent with Braak stage III. This case is consistent with brain stem dominance with the pathological diagnosis of the Consortium on Dementia with Lewy Bodies International Workshop. That is, it is compatible with Parkinson's disease. We postulate that the clinical features of Parkinson's disease are more widespread than previously considered.

Ebihara S, Saito H, Kanda A, Nakajoh M, Takahashi H, Arai H, Sasaki H. · Department of Geriatric and Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Seiryo-machi 1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. · Chest. · Pubmed #12970031 links to  free full text

Abstract: STUDY OBJECTIVES: Aspiration pneumonia, a leading cause of death in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), usually occurs at the advanced stages of the disease. We investigated both motor and sensory components of cough and induced-sputum substance P (SP) concentrations in patients with early and advanced stages of PD to assess whether cough efficacy is impaired in PD. SUBJECTS: Fifteen female patients with early stages of PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage II-III), 10 patients with advanced stages of PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage IV), and 15 age-matched female control subjects were investigated. MEASUREMENTS: The motor component of cough efficacy was assessed by monitoring voluntary maximal cough peak flow. The sensory component of cough efficacy was assessed by measuring cough reflex sensitivity to citric acid inhalation. Sputum SP concentrations were measured in sputum induced by hypertonic saline solution inhalation. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) cough peak flow rates in patients with both early PD (230 +/- 74 L/min; p < 0.005) and advanced PD (186 +/- 60 L/min; p < 0.0001) were significantly weaker than that in control subjects (316 +/- 70 L/min). Cough reflex sensitivity in patients with advanced PD (46.7 +/- 49.3 g/L) was significantly lower compared to control subjects (14.5 +/- 16.6 g/L; p < 0.01) and patients with early PD (11.2 +/- 14.8 g/L; p < 0.005). The sputum SP concentration was significantly lower in patients with advanced PD (11.2 +/- 8.4 pg/mL) compared to that in control subjects (35.6 +/- 15.4 pg/mL) and patients with early PD (28.5 +/- 16.4 pg/mL). CONCLUSION: In the early stages of the disease, mainly the motor component of cough was impaired. In advanced stages of the disease, both the motor and sensory components of cough were impaired. Sputum SP concentration significantly declined in patients with advanced PD. The results suggest that the combination of impaired motor and sensory components of cough may play an important role in the development of aspiration pneumonia in PD.

Iwasaki K, Wang Q, Seki H, Satoh K, Takeda A, Arai H, Sasaki H. · Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. · Phytomedicine. · Pubmed #10969718 No free full text.

Abstract: Swallowing disorder is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied the swallowing disorder in PD, and tested the efficacy of Banxia Houpo Tang (BHT, a Chinese traditional medicine) in improving the swallowing reflex of PD patients. The Swallowing reflex test is a simple method used to detect swallowing disorders in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Because we observed previously that BHT significantly improved the swallowing reflex in cerebrovascular patients, we studied whether BHT was also effective in improving the swallowing disorder in patients with PD. 23 PD patients (13 males, 10 females, mean age 66.0+/-9.3, Hoehn & Yahr (H-Y) mean score = 2.8) were evaluated for swallowing reflex and the concentration of substance-P in their saliva before and after 4 weeks of BHT treatment. The swallowing reflex before treatment was significantly delayed, according to the H-Y score (Spearman's p = 0.014, R2 = 0.463). The swallowing reflex before BHT treatment was 3.66+/-0.98 sec, and after BHT treatment, it improved significantly, to 2.27+/-0.54 sec (p < 0.0001). Substance-P concentration in PD patients saliva before treatment was significantly lower than in healthy controls (p = 0.007), but showed no significant change after BHT treatment. Our research shows that the swallowing reflex is an effective method to evaluate the swallowing disorder in PD. BHT can significantly improved the swallowing reflex in PD patients, and therefore can be a hopeful candidate for preventing aspiration pneumonia in PD.

Kamigaichi R, Kubo S, Ishikawa K, Yokoyama K, Ogaki K, Usui C, Hatta K, Arai H, Mochizuki H, Hattori N. · No affiliation provided · Eur J Neurol. · Pubmed #19146631 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Masaki T, Matsushita S, Arai H, Takeda A, Itoyama Y, Mochizuki H, Kamakura K, Ohara S, Higuchi S. · No affiliation provided · Ann Neurol. · Pubmed #12891687 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Kimura M, Matsushita S, Arai H, Takeda A, Higuchi S. · No affiliation provided · Ann Neurol. · Pubmed #11220753 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Kanda A, Ebihara S, Arai H, Takeda A, Sasaki H. · No affiliation provided · Lancet. · Pubmed #11145519 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.