Constituents of the Rhizomes of Alpinia rafflesiana

The chemical constituents of the rhizomes of Alpinia rafflesiana were studied and four components were isolated by chromatographic techniques and their structures identified by spectroscopic methods. The major constituent has been identified as chalcone flavokawin B, while the minor constituents have been assigned as methyl cinnamate, diarylheptanoid 1,7-diphenyl-5hydroxy- 6-hepten-3-one and 5,6-dehydrokawain

The adenosine A2A receptor is associated with methamphetamine dependence/psychosis in the Japanese population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several lines of evidence suggest that the dopaminergic nervous system contributes to methamphetamine (METH) dependence, and there is increasing evidence of antagonistic interactions between dopamine and adenosine receptors. We therefore hypothesized that variations in the A2A adenosine receptor (<it>ADORA2A</it>) gene modify genetic susceptibility to METH dependence/psychosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We first analyzed variations in the exons and exon-intron boundaries of the <it>ADORA2A </it>gene in METH dependent/psychotic patients. Then an association analysis between these single nucleotide polymorphisms and METH dependence/psychosis was performed using a total of 171 METH dependent/psychotic patients and 229 controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found 6 variations, of which one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was novel. Significant associations were observed between the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the Exon2+751 (rs5751876) SNP and METH dependence/psychosis. These associations were observed especially in females. In the clinical feature analyses, significant associations were observed between the SNP and the patient subgroup using METH alone (i.e., without concomitant use of other substances of abuse).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that the <it>ADORA2A </it>gene could be a vulnerability factor for METH dependence/psychosis, especially in females and/or in patients using only METH.</p

Very Low-pressure Hydrocephalus: A New Clinical Entity and Issues of Treatment

Secondary normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) frequently occurs after severe head injury and cerebrovascular disease. This condition is usually treated by surgically implanting a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt with a pressure-setting valve or programmable valve. However, some patients do not respond to the shunt operation. Among these non-responders, we found 7 patients whose pressure-setting shunts were mechanically patent, but were not functioning due to very low intracranial pressure (ICP). In these 7 cases, continuous ICP monitoring indicated low pressure with occasional negative pressure, and the patients\u27 consciousness improved during negative-pressure CSF drainage. We performed shunt revisions with zero setting on-off valves, which raised the mean functional independence measure (FIM) scores from 26 to 62. Four patients in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) regained their ability to communicate and recovered to the level of severely disabled (SD). We propose very low-pressure hydrocephalus (VLPH) as a new clinical entity, and describe the process of diagnosis and treatment

Association Analysis of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 Gene Polymorphisms in Patients with Methamphetamine Dependence/Psychosis

There is a growing evidence that serotoninergic systems modulate dopaminergic neurotransmission. We analyzed the association between the variations in the brain tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene, a rate limiting enzyme for serotonin biosynthesis, and methamphetamine (METH) dependence/psychosis in a Japanese population. We found ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two polynucleotide polymorphisms in TPH2 gene exons and exon-intron boundaries. A total of 162 patients and 243 controls were used for the association analysis between these polymorphisms and METH dependence/psychosis. No significant differences were observed in either genotypic or allelic frequencies between METH dependent/psychotic patients and controls. A global test of differentiation among samples based on haplotype frequencies showed no significant association. With respect to latency of psychosis, prognosis of psychosis, and spontaneous relapse, we found no significant association with these SNPs. These results suggest that the TPH2 gene variants may not be a factor in vulnerability to METH dependence/psychosis

Associations between the orexin (hypocretin) receptor 2 gene polymorphism Val308Ile and nicotine dependence in genome-wide and subsequent association studies

Impact of the HCRTR2 gene risk variant on schizotypal personality traits (mean ± SD). (DOC 54 kb