Biological roles of anti-GM1 antibodies in patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome for nerve growth factor signaling

AbstractTo reveal the biological and pathological roles of anti-GM1 antibody in Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), we examined its effects on nerve growth factor (NGF) induced TrkA autophosphorylation (NGF-TrkA signaling) in PC12 cells, a sympathetic nerve cell line. The NGF-TrkA signaling is enhanced by exogenous GM1 ganglioside and this phenomenon is regarded as one of the functional aspects of GM1. The IgGs purified from patients' sera inhibited the NGF-TrkA signaling in GM1 pre-incubated PC12 cells. The degrees of inhibition by IgGs from patients paralleled their immunological reactivity to GM1. In addition, the IgGs also inhibited the neurite outgrowth of NGF-treated PC12 cells. Immunoglobulins in the rabbit sera, which were immunized by GM1, also caused a similar suppressive phenomenon. These results suggested that the anti-GM1 antibody could play roles in pathophysiology in anti-GM1 antibody positive GBS through interfering with the neurotrophic action of NGF and GM1 mediated signal modulation including NGF-TrkA signaling. It is suggested that the modulation of GM1 function is one important action of antibodies and could be one of the important mechanisms in GBS

The effects of adrenal androgens on glucose metabolism of genetically diabetic mice (db/db) -differences between dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S)-

We investigated the effects of DHEA and DHEA-S on glucose metabolism using diabetic mice db/db in vivo. The DHEA-S-treated mice showed more prominent hepatomegaly and a greater decrease of the serum glucose level than DHEA-treated mice. These preliminary data suggest that DHEA-S has a stronger hypoglycemic effect than DHEA, or even that the hypoglycemic effect may be due to DHEA-S, rather than DHEA. The modes of action of DHEA and DHEA-S in diabetic mice should be evaluated from the perspective that these steroids have distinct effects, that can contribute to clarifying the basic pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus

トウザイ ユウゴウ シンシン イリョウ ノ テイゲン シンシン イガク カラ コンシン イガク エノ パラダイム シフト

心身医学は, Descartesの心身二元論以来, 西洋近代医学が身体を客体としてのみ扱かってきたことへの反省にたって生まれてきた. 一方, 東洋の伝統的技法では, 自らの内側から主体としての身体を体験することにより健康を得る. 日本独特の身体概念である「身(み)」は, 客観的身体のみならず, 主観的身体および間主観的でスピリチュアルな深層意識的身体までを包含する成層的な統合体であり, そのアプローチでは西洋で重視される分析的な視点(自我)と東洋で重視される包括的な視点(気づき)の両立が重要となる.我々は, 心身医学に, ユング心理学を基に東洋の叡智をとりいれて開発されたソマティクス(=ボディワーク)であるプロセス指向心理学を導入した. この東西融合心身医療は, 「精神(マインド)」と「身体(ボディ)」の相関を扱う"心身医学"から, 「魂(スピリット)」と「身」の相関を扱う"魂身医学"へのパラダイムシフトを促すものと考えられた.Mind-body medicine was born of reflection that modern Western medicine had regarded body as a mere object since Descartes\u27s mind-body dualism. On the other hand, in Eastern arts it is believed that one becomes healthy through experiencing one\u27s body as the subject in one\u27s self. "Mi", a concept of body peculiar to Japan, refers to a stratum of objective body, subjective body and depth-psychological body that is intersubjective and spiritual. And "Mi" should be approached both from the analytical viewpoint (ego) and from the inclusive viewpoint (awareness) at the same time. Authors have introduced one of Somatics (i.e. bodywork) called process oriented psychology, developed through the fusion of Jung\u27s psychology and Eastern wisdom. The new mind-body medicine integrating the East and the West seems to encourage a paradigm shift from "mind-body medicine" that literally deals with the relationship between mind and body to "spiritual-somatics medicine" one that focuses on the relationship between spirituality and "Mi"

The effectiveness of treating patients with recurrent cough variant asthma with leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast sodium : Clinical parameters concerned with therapeutic responsiveness

There have been only a few reports regarding the effectiveness of leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) in the treatment of patients with cough variant asthma (CVA). Methods: The present research in patients (9 males, 17 females; age 59±23 yr) with recurrent CVA was performed to investigate the effectiveness of a 2-week course of the LTRA montelukast sodium (MT) based on clinical use of a cough score (CS). Secondly we performed a sub-analysis of clinical parameters for CS, age, and gender in the condition-matched cases drawn from the total cases. Results: Of the 26 cases studied, the course of MT was effective in 19 cases (rate of responsiveness, 73%; 11 cases, good response; 8 cases, moderate response) and induced no response in 7 cases. MT improved the rate of CS by 37±33%, from 4.7 ±2.2 to 3.2±2.5 points (P<0.001). The improvement rate of CS was significantly related to the CS before treatment (r=-0.47, P=0.02). The therapeutic responsiveness was significantly higher in low score cases than high score cases (P=0.03). Cough severity was assumed to be a parameter of therapeutic responsiveness. Significant differences for therapeutic responsiveness were not observed between non elderly and elderly patients, nor between males and females. Conclusions: MT is sufficiently effective in patients with recurrent CVA. In terms of drug compliance, the understanding of inhaled therapy, and complications in the elderly, elderly cases are considered to be active indications for MT therapy. The present study suggests the recommended concomitance of β_2-agonist or inhaled (or oral) corticosteroids with MT in severe cases at the early stage of treatment