ABSTRACT
A tetrapeptide, l-histidyl-glycyl-glycyl-l-histidine (HGGH), was synthesized and the pUC19 plasmid DNA cleaving activity by copper(II) complex of HGGH (Cu(II)-HGGH) was investigated. Cu(II)-HGGH showed bleomycin-like DNA cleaving activity and, at 50nM, converted a supercoiled DNA efficiently to a linear DNA in the presence of 500µM H2O2/sodium ascorbate through an oxidative pathway.
Subject(s)
Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Copper/chemistry , DNA Cleavage , Oligopeptides/chemical synthesis , Ascorbic Acid , Coordination Complexes/chemical synthesis , DNA, Superhelical , Hydrogen Peroxide , Nucleic Acid Conformation , Oxidation-Reduction , PlasmidsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To identify risk factors for falls in community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). PATIENTS: 78 consecutive patients (51 AD, 27 DLB) were recruited from the Niigata Rehabilitation Hospital memory clinic. METHODS: We assessed the number of falls each patient had had in the previous 4 months. The data for DLB patients without motor parkinsonism were analyzed both as part of the whole DLB group and separately to determine the effect of parkinsonism alone on falls. RESULTS: Of 78 patients, 17 (21.8%) reported at least 1 fall during the period. A diagnosis of DLB, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism and cognitive fluctuation were significant predictors, but none of them was significant in the stepwise multivariate analysis. After excluding patients with parkinsonism, the use of hypnotics-anxiolytics and a worse score on the constructional task were significant and independent predictors of falling. CONCLUSION: Parkinsonism was a major risk factor for falls. When AD or DLB patients walk with incongruent visual information, they may increase their postural sway or instability, because of their executive dysfunction. If elementary and/or higher-order visuocognitive impairment in AD or DLB patients alters visual information sufficiently, they may fall when walking.
Subject(s)
Accidental Falls/statistics & numerical data , Alzheimer Disease/epidemiology , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Cognition Disorders/epidemiology , Cognition Disorders/psychology , Lewy Body Disease/epidemiology , Lewy Body Disease/psychology , Vision Disorders/epidemiology , Vision Disorders/psychology , Visual Perception/physiology , Walking/physiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Female , Hallucinations/etiology , Hallucinations/psychology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Parkinson Disease/epidemiology , Parkinson Disease/psychology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) includes anxiety, depression, hallucination, delusion, aggression, irritability, agitation and wandering. BPSD often causes a deterioration of activity of daily living (ADL) and worsens caregiver burden. Trazodone, an atypical antidepressant, is used for the treatment of BPSD, but the effectiveness is controversial. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of the 13 AD patients who were rated as having the aggression and negativism in caregiving situation and were treated by trazodone. The BPSD of the per-treatment stage of the patients was assessed with Neoropsychiatric Inventory(NPI). Improvement of BPSD after trazodone was observed in 9 patients, and the aggression and negativism in caregiving situations were improved in 6 patient. Trazodone may be effect for the treatment of a certain type of BPSD such as aggression and negativism in caregiving situations. Prospective studies of this issue are recommended in AD patient.
