Differences in heart rate variability between young and elderly normal men during graded head up tilt

An autoregressive spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was used to analyze the differences in autonomic functions during graded head up tilt (HUT) between young and elderly men. After recording at the 0 degree position, the table was rotated to an upright position. The incline of the table was increased progressively to 15 degrees, 30 degrees and 60 degrees. The data obtained from seven young subjects (mean age of 20.0 years) and nine elderly subjects (mean age of 63.3 years) were analyzed. The high frequency components expressed by normalized units (HFnu) were used as the parasympathetic indicators, and HFnu decreased with tilt angle in both age groups. These results suggested that parasympathetic withdrawal have an important role in adaptation to an upright posture in both age groups. However, mean HF amplitude at the 0 degree position in elderly men was not significantly different from that of young men at 60 degrees tilt. A significant interaction effect (age group x tilt angle) was found for mean HF amplitude. The increase of the low frequency components expressed by normalized units (LFnu) and the LF-to-HF ratio in elderly subjects from 0 degree to 15 degrees seemed to be larger than that in young subjects. Sympathetic activities may be sensitive to lower levels of orthostatic stress in the elderly, and the elderly workers are easily affected by a change in workload. Therefore, keeping the workload lower and constant may be recommended to avoid excessive sympathetic activation among the elderly.     

A novel type of non-coding RNA expressed in the rat brain

We have characterized a novel type of non-coding RNA which consists of tandem repeats of similar sequences, approximately 0.9 kb in size. This RNA, termed Bsr (brain specific repetitive) RNA, is encoded at a single locus (6 q31-->q32) in the rat genome, where 100 to 150 copies of the 0.9 kb sequences are repeated in tandem. Bsr RNA is preferentially expressed in the rat central nervous system (CNS), especially in phylogenetically old structures, such as the pareo- and archicortex, amygdala, thalamus and hypothalamus. In the developing brains, Bsr RNA is expressed in the subsets of differentiating cells but not in proliferating cells. Despite the finding that Bsr RNA appears to be conserved only among the Rattus species, the specific expression pattern of Bsr RNA suggests that it might have some role in the rat CNS.     

Hemiparkinsonism associated with the unilateral striatal necrosis: a case report

We report a patient with hemiparkinsonism associated with unilateral striatal necrosis of the contralateral side. The patient was an 18-year-old woman who had a two-month-history of difficulty in executing skilled movements with her right upper extremity. Neurological examination revealed that she had cogwheel rigidity and bradykinesia in her right upper and lower extremities. MRI revealed a well-delineated low signal intensity in T1-weighted and high signal intensity in T2-weighted images in the region of the putamen on the left side. Her laboratory data were unremarkable and mitochondrial gene mutation studies revealed no abnormality. It is extremely rare to encounter a case of parkinsonism associated with unilateral striatal necrosis.     

Pharmacodynamic analysis of apremilast in Japanese patients with moderate to severe psoriasis: Results from a phase 2b randomized trial

We evaluated the pharmacodynamic effects of apremilast in 69 patients who were included in biomarker subanalyses of a phase 2b study that demonstrated the long‐term safety and efficacy of apremilast in Japanese adults with moderate to severe psoriasis. The association between cytokine levels and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) improvement was evaluated using linear regression and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis. At baseline, median plasma levels of interleukin (IL)‐17A, IL‐17F and IL‐22 were elevated versus reference values for healthy individuals, whereas tumor necrosis factor‐α levels were close to normal. With apremilast 30 mg b.i.d., there were significant associations between percentage change in PASI score and percentage change in IL‐17A, IL‐17F and IL‐22 levels at week 16. Findings demonstrate that the efficacy of apremilast in psoriasis is associated with inhibition of key cytokines involved in the pathology of psoriasis.