Restless Legs Syndrome in Parkinson's Disease Patients: Clinical Features Including Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated the frequency and clinical features of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: This study included 74 PD patients. RLS was diagnosed in face-to-face assessments of all of the subjects based on diagnostic criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group revised in 2003. We analyzed the clinical features of PD patients with and without RLS and compared the data to idiopathic RLS. RESULTS: The frequency of RLS in the cohort was 21.6% (n=16). Two (12.5%) of the patients with RLS were not treated with dopaminergic drugs, while 14 (24.1%) of the 58 patients without RLS received treatment with dopaminergic drugs. Anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) were significantly worst in patients with RLS. PD patients with RLS had significantly worse sleep quality (p=0.003) and worse scores on the cardiovascular subscale of the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease for Autonomic Symptoms (p=0.031) compared to those without RLS. In the group of PD patients with RLS, RLS preceding PD onset was related to a lower Hoehn and Yahr stage. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the frequency of RLS in the present patients with PD was higher than that in our previous study of a general population of RLS subjects. Compared to the PD patients without RLS, the present PD patients with RLS suffered from worse sleep quality and QoL, depression, anxiety, and autonomic disturbances, especially those with cardiovascular problems.

Cudraticusxanthone A isolated from the roots of Cudrania tricuspidata inhibits metastasis and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The roots of Cudrania tricuspidata is a deciduous tree found in Korea, China, and Japan. C. tricuspidata contains an abundance of various minerals, B vitamins, and flavonoids to help prevent diverse cancers. Cudratricusxanthone A (CTXA), a compound isolated from the roots of C. tricuspidata, has potent anti-proliferative, antioxidative, and monoamine oxidase inhibitory effects. AIM OF THE STUDY: In the present study, cudratricusxanthone A (CTXA) is a xanthone isolated from the bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract of C. tricuspidata with strong anti-cancer activity in breast cancer cells. The effect of CTXA on cell migration and apoptosis were evaluated in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Effects of CTXA on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Flow cytometric measurements of CTXA-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. RESULTS: The results show that CTXA gradually reduced viability of the two breast cancer cell lines and induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, CTXA effectively blocked breast cancer cell migration and invasion. CTXA decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9, extracellular regulated kinases 1 and 2 and phosphorylation of the inhibitor IκBα in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these results indicate that CTXA possesses anti-cancer activities and provide a basis for developing effective therapeutic agents to inhibit growth and metastasis of breast cancer.