Quantitative evaluation of oral function in acute and recovery phase of idiopathic facial palsy; a preliminary controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with peripheral facial palsy frequently complain of fluid leakage and food retention during meals. We investigated oral function during eating in adults with peripheral facial palsy. DESIGN: A prospective two-phase controlled observational study. SETTING: Data were collected at the ENT clinic in Nihon University Itabashi Hospital (patients) and Nihon University Dental Hospital (controls) between September 2009 and August 2011 and analysed at the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences in Nihon University School of Dentistry. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen patients with acute idiopathic facial palsy and 14 controls completed Study 1. Sixteen patients with acute idiopathic facial palsy and 16 controls completed Study 2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In Study 1, oral vestibular cleansing capability was assessed by measuring the amount of rice remaining in the oral vestibule after mastication. In Study 2, masticatory efficiency was evaluated by measuring glucose eluted from gummy jelly during chewing. These oral functions were observed at the first visit and final visit (after patients with facial palsy had recovered). RESULTS: Oral vestibular cleansing capability at the first visit was significantly decreased by facial palsy (P < 0.001 versus healthy volunteers and P < 0.001 versus contralateral side) but recovered as facial muscular function improved (P = 0.034). There was a significant correlation between improvement in paralysis and decreased food retention (r = -0.528, P = 0.010). At the first visit, masticatory efficiency on the affected side was significantly lower than that of controls (P = 0.002) but had mostly recovered after resolution of facial palsy (P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Oral functions were decreased by peripheral facial palsy. Oral vestibular cleansing capability was more significantly associated than masticatory efficiency with facial muscle function. Our data suggest that peripheral facial palsy impairs eating and worsens oral hygiene, which may result in oral disease.

Differential localization of lectin binding sites and neuropeptides in human dorsal root ganglia.

The subpopulations were compared of neurons in human dorsal root ganglia (DRG), as substance P, identified by somatostatin, Glycine max lectin (SBA) specific to terminal N-acetylgalactosamine, and Ulex europaeus I agglutinin (UEA-I) specific to L-fucose. The lectins and neuropeptides all bound to neurons of small diameter. Furthermore, the majority of the SBA binding neurons or somatostatin positive neurons were also UEA-I binding neurons. However, SBA binding neurons were not colocalized with somatostatin or substance P. Less than 20% of substance P positive neurons showed colocalization with L-fucosyl residues, and approximately 10% of L-fucosyl residues showed colocalization with substance P. Our results suggest that both L-fucose and terminal N-acetylgalactosamine containing neurons in the human DRG are subjected to different subpopulations from substance P or somatostatin positive neurons.

Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C virus antibody, body mass index, and alcohol drinking among workers with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase.

METHODS: We conducted a case-control study on liver diseases among Japanese workers to examine associations between elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (alanine aminotransferase value > or = 50 IU/liter) and selected factors such as hepatitis B surface antigen positive, hepatitis C virus antibody positive, body mass index, and alcohol drinking. Out of 3,738 workers (1,477 males and 2,261 females) in a supermarket chain, 91 workers with an elevated serum alanine aminotransferase value (> or = 50 IU/liter) were classified as cases and 182 workers with normal serum alanine aminotransferase value and without an episode of blood transfusion were randomly selected as controls. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of hepatitis B surface antigen positive and hepatitis C virus antibody positive were 4.4 and 23.1% among the overall cases, 2.9 and 11.8% among the cases with 100 > alanine aminotransferase value > or = 50, and 8.7 and 56.5% among the cases with alanine aminotransferase value > or = 100. A logistic regression analysis was conducted. Odds ratios were 4.94 for hepatitis B surface antigen positive (P < 0.05) and 77.19 for hepatitis C virus antibody positive (P < 0.001). Odds ratios for body mass index increased with increasing body mass index values; 3.32 for 26 > body mass index > or = 24 (P < 0.01) and 5.03 for body mass index > or = 26 (P < 0.001). No increased risk was observed among regular drinkers of less than 27 g/day of ethanol (odds ratio is 0.23) or of 27-53 g/day of ethanol (odds ratio is 0.47). A slightly increased odds ratio of 1.35 was observed among regular drinkers of 54-81 g/day of ethanol, but this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that hepatitis C virus and high body mass index are predominant factors in elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels among Japanese workers, while alcohol drinking is a minor factor.

Ulex europaeus I and glycine max bind to the human olfactory bulb.

The distribution of binding sites for the fucose-selective lectin Ulex europaeus I and the terminal N-acetylgalactosamine-selective lectin glycine max in the human olfactory bulb were studied. These lectins bound to primary olfactory axons in the olfactory nerve layer and the glomerular layer. They also bound to fibers located in the deeper layers such as the external plexiform layer and the granular layer. Furthermore they projected to the olfactory stalk but not in the cerebrum. The deeper projections of the lectin binding fibers may affect the function of the olfactory bulb in humans.

Cycloheximide downsynthesizes inhibitory molecules for neurite outgrowth in neural transplantation.

Rat fetal substantia nigra treated with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, were implanted to adult rat striatum. After 4 weeks, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-like immunoreactive (-LI) fibers of host striatum penetrated grafts, and TH-LI neurites in the grafts elongated and mingled with the host striatal neurites. Astrocytes proliferated in the grafts without glial scar between the graft-host border. A few chondroitin sulfate- or tenascin-LI glial cells were found in the grafts, while in transplants without cycloheximide, glial scar expressed strong immunoreactivity for these molecules. Downsynthesis of these inhibitory molecules may alter the glial character and permit neurites traversing the border.

Induction of c-Fos-like protein in the lateral habenular nucleus by persistent noxious peripheral stimulation.

Persistent noxious peripheral stimulation by formalin injection into the unilateral hindpad of anaesthetized rats induced c-Fos-like protein immunoreactivity (c-Fos-LI) in neurons within the lateral habenular nucleus (LHb) bilaterally. Formalin injection after the transection of spinal cords also induced c-Fos-LI in many neurons within the LHb, though the number of labeled cells changed depending on the post-transection period. These results suggest that the LHb modulates nociceptive information, but that it receives nociceptive information via extraspinal pathways as well as intraspinal ascending noxious pathways.

Soybean agglutinin binds commonly to a subpopulation of small-diameter neurons in dorsal root ganglion, vascular endothelium and microglia in human spinal cord.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) was used to identify the location of N-acetylgalactosaminyl glycoconjugates in human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord. SBA bound to a subpopulation of small-diameter neurons in DRG and their central projections. It also bound to microglia and vascular endothelium. Vascular endothelium, DRG neurons and microglia do not originate from the neural tube, but penetrate into the neural tube in the embryonic stage and thereafter are located in the spinal cord. SBA binding glycoconjugates may be responsible for cell-cell interaction between these three cell types and tissues in human spinal cord.

[A case of retrosplenial amnesia].

A case of retrosplenial amnesia was reported. The patient was an 81-year-old right-handed male. He developed amnesic syndrome following cerebral infarction situated left retrosplenial region. His immediate memory was preserved. Recent memory for both verbal and nonverbal modalities was disturbed. He also showed retrograde amnesia for 2 years. The is the first report of retrosplenial amnesia in Japan. We should take into account of the retrosplenial region as a causative site of amnesic syndrome.

Correlations of regional postmortem enzyme activities with premortem local glucose metabolic rates in Alzheimer's disease.

Correlations were sought between local cerebral metabolic rates (LCMRs) for glucose in various regions of the cortex, determined in premortem PET scans, with the regional activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), beta-glucuronidase (Gluc, a probable index of reactive gliosis), and phosphate-activated glutaminase (PAG, a possible indice of the large pyramidal neurons) measured on postmortem tissue. Significant negative correlations between LCMRs and Gluc activities were found in 6 PET-scanned cases of Alzheimer disease (AD), and positive correlations of LCMRs with PAG were found in 5. By contrast, a positive correlation with ChAT and AChE was found in only 1. The results are consistent with the metabolic deficits in AD being primarily a reflection of local neuronal loss and gliosis. Similar data on two cases of Huntington's disease showed no significant correlations, while 1 patient with Parkinson dementia showed a significant (negative) correlation only with Gluc.

Cerebral angiography and ultrasonic quantitative flow measurement of common carotid artery in patients with cerebral infarction.

Blood flow rate and velocity in the common carotid artery were measured with an ultrasonic quantitative flow measurement (QFM) system and cerebral angiography was performed in 98 patients about four weeks after the onset of cerebral infarction. Angiography revealed complete occlusion in 13 patients (CO group), visible stenosis in 45 patients (S group), and no apparent stenosis in 40 patients (N group). In the CO group, damaged-side blood flow (DF; 4.80 ml/sec) and velocity (DV; 10.5 cm/sec) were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than intact-side blood flow (7.19 ml/sec) and velocity (14.86 cm/sec). Both DF and DV were significantly lower in group CO than group S (7.55 ml/sec and 15.04 cm/sec) and in group S than group N (9.32 ml/sec and 18.07 cm/sec). Degree of stenosis in the internal carotid and middle cerebral arteries was significantly associated with reduced DF (P less than 0.05). Of the 24 patients with a mean DF of under 6.5 ml/sec, 15 had stenosis of 75% or more; of the 74 patients with a mean DF of 6.5 ml/sec or more, 66 had stenosis of less than 25%. The results indicate that blood flow determined by QFM reflects the degree of occlusion or stenosis in the intracranial trunk arteries and may thus provide a practical, noninvasive method of assessing the severity of cerebrovascular lesions.

Neovascularization in kainic acid-induced lesions of rat striatum. An immunohistochemical study with laminin.

Vascular changes occurring after stereotaxic injection of the excitatory neurotoxin kainic acid (KA) into the rat striatum were studied at various time intervals after the lesion using laminin immunohistochemistry. Laminin immunohistochemistry revealed marked vascular changes, including presumed neovascularization, in the lesioned striatum. Vessels with increased laminin immunoreactivity were demonstrated from 2 days up to at least 5 months following the injection. The majority was capillary vasculature, which was distributed throughout the lesioned striatum, sometimes being arranged densely along the needle tract. Fine spike-like sprouts called streamers were also loaded with laminin immunoreactivity. In contrast, laminin immunoreactivity in vessels in the control striatum was negligible. Vascular changes detected by laminin immunohistochemistry preceded but then almost paralleled gliosis demonstrated by glial fibrillary acidic protein immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that striatal injection of KA causes marked vascular changes including neovascularizations which are demonstrable by laminin immunohistochemistry.

Intracerebral transplantation of dissociated central nervous system tissue suspensions: use of phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin as a cell marker.

Successfully transplanted neurons and their sprouting processes were demonstrated by Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA) marking. PHA is transported anterogradely and readily reveals the post-transplantation growth of the neuronal processes. Suspensions of fetal central nervous tissue, prepared by dissociation of embryonic rat brain, were marked with PHA and then transplanted into the striatum of nonimmunosuppressed young adult rats. At various intervals thereafter (1 day, 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months), the animals were sacrificed for histological examination with PHA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry. Up to 2 weeks after transplantation, PHA immunohistochemistry was capable of demonstrating grafted neurons and their presumably regenerated neuronal processes. However, at periods 1 month or longer after transplantation, PHA immunohistochemistry was unreliable. Thus, the PHA marking method has limitations in terms of its retention period, when applied to the intracerebral transplantation of dissociated cell suspensions. Nevertheless, the method presented here can be utilized to study neuronal regeneration as well as the relationship between transplanted neurons and the host tissue.

Monoamine oxidase-containing nerve fibers in the major cerebral arteries of rats.

The localization of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in nerve fibers associated with the major cerebral arteries in rats was studied using a new coupled peroxidation method modified by adding nickel ammonium sulfate at the electron microscopic level. MAO was, localized in some unmyelinated axons, both in the adventitia and in the periadventitial nerve bundles. Schwann cell cytoplasm encircling myelinated axons in the periadventitial nerve bundles also contained a MAO-reactive substance. The incidences of MAO-containing axons in the adventitial layer of the anterior cerebral, middle cerebral, internal carotid and basilar arteries were 32.3%, 29.5%, 29.6% and 21.1%, respectively. In the periadventitial nerve bundles, MAO activity was also demonstrated in 10.8% among unmyelinated axons. Preincubation with clorgyline, a specific inhibitor of MAOA, suppressed staining in the axons, both in adventitia and in periadventitial nerve bundles, but not in the Schwann cell cytoplasm. Conversely, preincubation with deprenyl, a specific inhibitor of MAOB, suppressed staining in the Schwann cell cytoplasm, but not in the axons. Therefore, MAO in the axons is regarded as MAOA and MAO in the Schwann cell cytoplasm as MAOB. In immunosympathectomized rats (anti-NGF-treated rats), MAO reactivity was suppressed in axons associated with cerebral arteries, but was retained in some Schwann cell cytoplasm. The results indicate that the MAO-containing unmyelinated axons coincide with the postganglionic noradrenergic ones. Thus, histochemical MAO staining may be utilized to study postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers presumably innervating the major cerebral arteries at the electron microscopic level.

Neovascularization of transplanted central nervous tissue suspensions: an immunohistochemical study with laminin.

Neovascularization of the dissociated central nervous tissue transplanted into the lateral ventricle of the rat was studied using laminin immunohistochemistry. A very high immunoreactive response to laminin was demonstrated in the presumably newly formed vessels within the transplants and the graft-host borders. The growing tips and fine spike-like sprouts called 'streamers' were also highly stained with laminin immunoreactivity. In contrast, laminin immunoreactivity was negligible in the vessels in the host brain. Therefore, these results indicate that laminin may be utilized as a marker for the newly formed vessels in neural transplantations.

The molecular phylogenic tree of the genus Trichinella constructed from isozyme patterns.

Six zymograms were compared for extracts of muscle-stage larvae of the seven Trichinella isolates, using isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. The isozyme patterns of acid phosphatase among them fell into four types. T. pseudospiralis from a raccoon and the Polar strain from a polar bear formed type 1 and type 2, respectively. The Iwasaki strain from a Japanese black bear and the Yamagata strain from a raccoon dog, both from Japan, were type 3. Type 4 consisted of three remaining strains, viz. the Polish strain from a wild pig, the USA strain from a pig, and the Thai strain from a human case, all of which have similar infectivity to pigs. The isozyme patterns of esterase 1, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and peptidase were similar in types 2 and 3. Those of esterase D were common to types 2-4 but not to type 1. In the zymogram of mannosephosphate isomerase, types 2-4 but not type 1 had one common band, whereas in the other bands type 2 was markedly distinguished from types 3 and 4. In the present study, the molecular phylogenic tree was constructed for the first time on the basis of our present and previous electrophoretic data by the use of cluster analysis, and the evolutionary process was considered as follows: T. pseudospiralis (type 1) and T. spiralis (the common ancestor of types 2-4) were initially separated. Next, the common ancestor of the strains from wild carnivores (types 2 and 3) and type 4 were separated. Finally, the Polar strain (type 2) and the Japanese strain (type 3) were separated.

Toxicity of p-methoxyphenol to dopamine neurons in the rat substantia nigra.

Local injections of p-methoxyphenol into the substantia nigra of rats led to a mildly dose-related destruction of dopamine neurons as indicated by reductions of dopamine and its metabolites in the ipsilateral striatum and by loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the injected substantia nigra. Both Nissl staining of the injected nucleus and measurement of noradrenaline and serotonin in the ipsilateral striatum indicated some selectivity of the toxic action.

An economic anterograde axonal tracing method using Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin (PHA) P-form.

Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) has been demonstrated to be an excellent neuroanatomical anterograde tracer. So far there are relatively few applications of this technique, mainly due to the cost of the lectin. Instead of PHA-L, we have successfully used PHA-P, which is a crude and inexpensive form of PHA-L. The sensitivity of the present method, examined in the rat striatonigral pathway, is as high as that of the conventional method. Furthermore, a large amount of PHA-P, injected into the cat eye, demonstrated the retinofugal projection in detail.

Descending projections of the basal forebrain in the rat demonstrated by the anterograde neural tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L).

Descending pathways from the mediobasal forebrain were studied in the rat by injecting anterograde axonal tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin into the substantia innominata and diagonal band of Broca. From both areas, positive fibers which varied in density were observed in the mediodorsal and ventral parts of the ventroposterior and ventromedial thalamic nuclei, the lateral habenula, the stria medullaris, the lateral hypothalamus and the ventral tegmental area. This descending complex appeared predominantly course through the medial forebrain bundle from which positive fibers ramified into the fasciculus thalamicus to distribute in the thalamic nuclei. A minor descending pathway through the stria medullaris was also noted which terminated in the lateral habenula and the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus. An obvious difference in terminal distribution in the medial habenula, mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and pons could be observed following substantia innominata or diagonal band injection.

Transplantation of cultured human spinal cord cells into the rat motor cortex: use of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin as a cell marker.

Successful transplantations have been made of cultured explants of human fetal spinal cord into surgically created cavities in the motor cortical area of non-immunosuppressed young adult rats. The cultured cells were marked by brief incubation with Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA) just prior to transplantation. Following sacrifice of the rats 1.5 months later, PHA immunohistochemistry clearly outlined the demarcation zone of the explants. The transplanted neurons possessed long, somewhat tortuous fibers with occasional varicosities, as well as some thick processes. These findings extend our previous studies in which it was shown that cultured human fetal adrenal medulla and sympathetic ganglia cells could be successfully transplanted to non-immunosuppressed rat brain. They also suggest that PHA may be a valuable marker for transplanted cells at least for 1.5 months post-transplantation.