Histamine increases the expression of LOX-1 via H2 receptor in human monocytic THP-1 cells.

Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a member of the scavenger receptor family, and is known to be expressed in monocytes/macrophages. We investigated the effect of histamine on the expression of LOX-1 in cells of the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1. Histamine as well as forskolin and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bt2-cAMP) stimulated the THP-1 monocytes to express the LOX-1 gene at the transcription level. This histamine effect on LOX-1 gene expression, via the histamine H2 receptor-mediated cAMP signal transduction pathway, was reduced after differentiation of the cells into macrophages, even though forskolin and Bt2-cAMP still enhanced the gene expression. The alteration of the responsiveness of LOX-1 expression to histamine was related to suppressed expression of the H2 receptor in THP-1 macrophages. The switch of the predominant class of histamine receptors between H1 and H2 would modulate the effects of histamine on LOX-1 gene expression in monocytes and macrophages, and therefore, would play a certain role in the inflammatory aspects of atherogenesis.

Thyroid hormone and reserpine abolished periods of periodic catatonia: a case report.

We report the case of a patient whose periods of periodic catatonia were abolished by thyroid hormone and reserpine. A ratio of fractions in the urinary 17-ketosteroids was a good indicator for the treatments.

A study of the quality of life in elderly people using psychological testing.

To study factors which influence the quality of life (QOL) in the elderly, we investigated the relationship between scores on the modified Philadelphia Geriatric Center (JPGC) Morale Scale and various other psychological tests in 51 elderly people residing in a long-term care facility. The JPGC Morale Scale score correlated with the scores for all sections of the Japanese version of the Cornell Medical Index (JCMI), but not with those for the Mini Mental State Examination, the Kohs block design test, the Bender Gestalt test and the activities of daily living (ADL). Both somatic and psychotic symptoms on the JCMI were correlated with the dementia behaviour disturbance scale score and walking ability according to the ADL. Subjects were further divided into four groups according to Fukamachi's neurotic discriminative diagram based on the JCMI. Scores for most sections of somatic and psychotic symptoms on the JCMI were elevated in proportion to the degree of neurotic tendencies in the elderly. These results indicate that the QOL of the elderly is influenced by subjective symptoms, but not by the degree of cognitive impairment or the ADL.

Age differences of psychiatric inpatients presenting with physical complications.

We reviewed the records of 292 inpatients in the psychiatric ward of Kagoshima University Hospital who were referred from other medical facilities over a 5-year period in order to clarify age differences in the reason for referral. Patients were classified into groups of physically and mentally ill individuals based on indications for admission. Both groups were further divided into four subgroups based on age. The incidence of inpatients with physical illnesses increased with age. Conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium occurred at high frequency in female patients in the 20- to 39-year-old subgroup. Individuals in the 40- to 59-year-old and in the > or = 60 years subgroups suffered more frequently from neoplasms. The proportion of patients manifesting a defective state in all age subgroups with the exception of the under 19-year-old subgroup was significantly higher in the physical illness group than in the mental illness group. The proportion of patients in a depressive state in the > or = 60 years subgroup was significantly higher in the mental illness group than in the physical illness group. Hence, it is necessary to find a method to be able to cope with psychiatric patients with physical complications to solve this problem.

Relationships between convulsive seizures and serum and brain concentrations of phenobarbital and zonisamide in mutant inbred strain EL mouse.

We evaluated the anticonvulsive effects of phenobarbital (PB) and zonisamide (ZNS) in the EL mouse, a strain that is highly susceptible to seizures. The concentration of each agent was analyzed in the serum and brain. PB suppressed the seizures dose-dependently, whereas even the higher dose of ZNS was ineffective in achieving a complete suppression. Serum and brain concentrations of these two drugs increased in proportion to the higher dose injected intraperitoneally. Brain concentration of PB was lower than the serum concentration, while the brain concentration of ZNS exceeded that in serum. Although serum concentration of ZNS was essential unchanged after the combined administration of PB and ZNS, the concentration of ZNS in brain tended to rise in proportion to the highly dose of PB. Combined administration was more effective than other treatment alone. Results indicated that brain concentration of ZNS especially after concomitant PB administration, were higher than that would be expected from the concentration of ZNS in serum.

Sex difference in depression and quality of life in elderly people.

Two hundred and two elderly people who have been visiting a Day Service Center were examined by a Japanese version of the self-rating depression scale by Zung (SDS) and the quality of life rating scale to suit Japanese conditions (QOL scale). The QOL scale measures four aspects: physical functioning, emotional adjustment, interpersonal relationship and attitudes toward life. Significant correlations were seen between the scores of three aspects and the total score except for the score of interpersonal relationship. Although no significant difference was found between the sexes in scores of the SDS, all the scores of aspects and the total score of the QOL scale of the male subjects were significantly higher than those of the female subjects.

Developing of EEG print and its preliminary technical application.

In this report, we discuss a method called "EEG print" to represent EEG contrast mapping in time and frequency domains simultaneously. A bank of bandpass FIR (Finite Impulse Response) digital filters is used to obtain EEG prints. EEG prints were taken from four areas (F3, F4, O1 and O2) of EEG when healthy subjects were at rest with their eyes closed. The pattern of the prints was classified into four types: alpha type, beta type, alpha + beta type and complex type. It was found that EEG prints may vary from person-to-person but they usually do not vary much between the four areas for a given person. The method is further modified to obtain "differential EEG prints" to investigate whether meaningful higher frequency EEG components exist. Differentiation of EEG resulted in marked intensification of the fast waves, using 0.14 Hz as the critical point. In differential EEG print with higher order differentiation, amplification in the high frequency components increase their frequency. As a result, it is possible to observe variations in the high frequency components, which are otherwise not detectable in the usual EEG print. EEG print can be used for representing the function of the brain. Using the method for classification of EEG print patterns, described in this paper, we can clarify not only the characteristics of the normal brain but also the pathophysiology of mentally-ill patients.

Water intoxication in a schizophrenic patient with rhabdomyolysis.

We report a case of water intoxication in a 54-year-old female schizophrenic patient with rhabdomyolysis. She had been admitted to a mental hospital, and treated with spiperone 6 mg daily. On August 3, 1992, the coma following a convulsion occurred. Laboratory data initially showed marked hyponatremia and hypochloremia with decreased serum potassium, and a gradual increase in serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK). The elevation in serum CPK with marked hyponatremia observed in the present patient was probably caused by excessive drinking of water. In this patient, the CPK elevation revealed the rhabdomyolysis.

Depression and quality of life in the elderly in a special nursing home.

Using a Japanese version of the Self-Rating Depression Scale by Zung (SDS) and the Quality of Life (QOL) rating scale designed by Iida et al. (QOL scale), we compared the QOL and depressive state of special nursing home residents and the elderly in the general community. The QOL scale has four categories: physical functioning, emotional adjustment, interpersonal relationships and attitudes toward life. High scores in either examination indicate a greater impairment. The SDS scores of the residents in the special nursing home were significantly lower than those of the elderly in the community, but the scores in 3 categories and the total score, except for those of physical functioning of the QOL, were significantly higher in the nursing home residents. In the nondepressed elderly rated by the SDS, the physical functioning score of the elderly in the community significantly exceeded that of the special nursing home residents. In the depressed elderly, all the scores including the total score were significantly higher than those in the special nursing home residents. Our results suggest that while the QOL of the depressed elderly in a special nursing home was poorer than that of the elderly in the community, their depression could be treated. However, the QOL cannot be improved by treatment alone.

Five-year follow-up study of nursing home residents using the behavioral rating scale.

We followed up 109 elderly nursing home residents for 5 years using the modified Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale (SGRS). They were divided into 3 groups according to their walking ability, prolonged bedrest, walking with aids and walking by themselves. The scores of physical disability and apathy and the total score were in direct proportion to the degree of walking ability, and the score of communication failure of prolonged bedrest was significantly higher than those of other 2 states in the initial examination. The percentage of mortality of prolonged bedrest was significantly higher than those of other 2 groups. Physical disabilities of all the groups had deteriorated during the follow-up period, but only communication failure of walking with aids and the total score of walking by themselves had aggravated. It is considered that using of the behavioral rating scale such as the modified SGRS is conformative in caring of the elderly.

Influences of prolonged bed rest and cognitive impairment on nursing home residents.

Seventy nursing home residents with and 87 without cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) were examined by the modified Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale (modified SGRS) which measures four aspects of impairments; physical disability, socially irritating behavior, communication failure and apathy. They were divided into 3 subgroups according to walking ability; prolonged bed rest, walking with aids and walking by themselves in both groups. Physical disability of mental decline was significantly aggravated more than that of normal intelligence in all the subgroups. Although communication failure and apathy of mental decline had deteriorated more than those of normal intelligence in prolonged bed rest in residents without CVD, apathy of the former had deteriorated more than that of the latter in walking by themselves in residents with CVD.

Accelerated plethysmogram in nursing home residents.

To investigate the peripheral blood circulation, 24 young volunteers, 28 nursing home residents with cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) and 42 residents without them were studied for accelerated plethysmogram (APG). Both residents were rated by the modified Stockton geriatric rating scale (modified SGRS) which have four aspects of impairments; physical disability, socially irritating behavior, communication failure and apathy. As to the waveform patterns of APG, the majority of the young volunteers and both the residents showed patterns B and G, respectively. Coefficient of APG (Co-APG) of the former was significantly larger than that of the latter. In the residents without CVD, Co-APG was significantly negatively correlated with physical disability and apathy of the modified SGRS. But, Co-APG did not correlate with the modified SGRS in the residents with CVD.

Three-year follow-up studies on heart rate variability in nursing home residents.

The coefficient of variation of the R-R interval (CV value) of nursing home residents was investigated twice during a three-year period. The initial CV value of the deceased during the period was significantly lower than that of the survivors. Among the survivors, residents without chronic cerebrovascular disease mainly showed a decrease in their CV values during the period.

A study of common carotid arterial blood flow volume of nursing home residents.

Ninety-seven nursing home residents were divided into 2 groups according to whether they had had an episode of stroke or not. Each group was classified into 3 subgroups: prolonged bed rest, walking with aids or walking by themselves. They were investigated for both the carotid blood flow volume and the modified Stockton geriatric rating scale (SGRS). In chronic stroke residents, the total blood flow volume of prolonged bed rest residents was lower than that who can walk by themselves. In residents without stroke, the total blood flow volume of prolonged bed rest residents was lower than the other 2 subgroups. The total blood flow volume was significantly correlated with the scores of 3 factors of the modified SGRS.

Blood flow velocity waveform in the common carotid artery and its analysis in elderly subjects.

We investigated common carotid artery blood flow in 99 elderly nursing home residents using an ultrasonic quantitative blood flow measurement system. Systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity were obtained from the waveform and classified, using the end-diastolic/systolic volume as Type A which is normal flow (greater than 20% bilaterally), Type B which is unilateral decreased flow (less than 20% unilaterally), Type C which is bilateral decreased flow (less than 20% bilaterally), Type D which is Type C plus a saw tooth pattern and Type E which is no diastolic pattern, i.e. a value of 0 unilaterally or bilaterally. Five per cent of subjects showed Type A of blood flow velocity waveform (normal flow pattern) and about 40% showed Type E (no diastolic pattern). The subjects were divided into three groups according to blood flow velocity waveform. Groups 1, 2 and 3 showed Types A or B, C or D, and E, respectively. The total blood flow volume and mean blood flow velocity of Group 1 were significantly higher than those of Groups 2 and 3 in both the supine and sitting positions. Although both total blood flow volume and mean blood flow velocity of Group 1 decreased significantly in postural change, those of Groups 2 and 3 did not change. These results suggest that total blood flow volume and mean blood flow velocity decrease in proportion to changes in the blood flow velocity waveform.

Relationship between common carotid arterial flow and age in nursing home residents.

Heart rate and carotid blood flow were measured in 82 elderly nursing home residents in both supine and sitting positions. The subjects had been divided into two groups according to whether or not they had had an episode of chronic cerebrovascular disease. In subjects with chronic cerebrovascular disease, the heart rate in the sitting position was significantly (P less than 0.01) faster than that in the supine position but there were no significant differences in total carotid blood flow volume or in mean carotid blood flow velocity between the positions. In subjects with chronic cerebrovascular disease, there were also no significant correlations between heart rate, total blood flow volume, or mean blood flow velocity, in either position, and age. In subjects without chronic cerebrovascular disease, the results for postural change were the same as those in subjects with chronic cerebrovascular disease but in both positions there was a significant negative correlation between age and both total carotid blood flow volume and mean carotid blood flow velocity.

Ultrasonography detected a higher incidence of gallstones in psychiatric inpatients.

A total of 105 psychiatric inpatients (55 men, 50 women) were investigated for gallstones and associated factors by means of ultrasonography. Gallstones were detected in 27 (26%) of the 105 patients. The overall incidence tended to be higher in female patients than in males. The duration of mental illness and neuroleptic medication in patients with gallstones was significantly longer than in those without gallstones. A stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that the duration of neuroleptic medication was the most informative for discrimination between the 2 groups. These results, in combination with previous studies on the effects of neuroleptics on the bile and biliary system, suggests that neuroleptics may accelerate the formation of gallstones.

Alterations of accumbens neuronal activity in freely moving rats following methamphetamine.

Multiple unit activity in the nucleus accumbens, locomotor activity, and stereotyped behavior were simultaneously recorded in freely moving rats. An intraperitoneal injection of 1.5 mg/kg methamphetamine produced an increase in the firing rate while a decrease in the discharge rate occurred following an administration of 4.5 mg/kg methamphetamine. In addition, the unit activity was positively correlated with the locomotor activity and negatively correlated with the stereotypy score. These results suggest that accumbens neuronal activation during locomotor hyperactivity may partly depend on the feedback from locomotion.