To investigate the effects of a new non-NMDA antagonist on the trisynaptic pathways in the hippocampus, the author examined the kainate (KA)-induced generalized seizures in rats. A novel non-NMDA antagonist, YM90K, showed the blockade of the Schaffer collaterals in a 2-deoxyglucose study (2-DG) and that the CA1-2 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus were preserved seven days after the KA injections. On the other hand, the control and MK-801 (NMDA-antagonist) treated rats did not depress the Schaffer collaterals and showed persistent hypermetabolism of glucose in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer, where neurons were not preserved seven days later. 2-DG was useful to reveal the effects of a non-NMDA antagonist on the KA-induced generalized seizures. This suggests that YM90K is a potent non-NMDA antagonist and that it has a neuroprotective effect in rats.

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The aim of this study is to clarify the nutritional value of elimination diets (four types of Japanese style diets) which atopic dermatitis children had been on for seven days before the examination. The intake of energy was less than the recommended dietary allowances. This result suggests that the intake of energy is associated with the removing of vegetable oils. As 54.8% of the children had not had any vegetable oils, the intake of fat was half the recommended dietary allowance. Half of the children had not had eggs and milk at all, but the intake of protein of the boys was 31% more than the recommended dietary allowance and that of the girls was 42% more than the recommended dietary allowance. The intake of calcium by the boys was 365±199 mg and that by the girls was 452±67 mg. The intake of iron and vitamins was more than the recommended dietary allowance. In the case of the boys on elimination diets, the ratio of PFC was P＝17.1%, F＝11.6%, C＝70.8%, and in the case of the girls it was P＝17.1%, F＝13.9%, C＝69.0%. It has been clarified that the F ratio of the intake of the boys and the girls was smaller than the ratio of the recommended dietary allowances, and that P ratio and C ratio were larger.

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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is considered to play an important role in survival, maintenance, development and repair of the peripheral neuron. In this study, the effect of human recombinant BDNF on sprouting and elongation of axons, the early phase of regeneration of nerve fibers, was morphometrically evaluated 7 days following the sciatic nerve transection and juxtaposition of proximal and distal stumps with suture in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the experimental group (test), 20 mg/kg of BDNF was injected subcutaneously every day for seven days in eight rats, starting 30 minutes after the transection. In the control group (control), phosphate buffered-saline alone was injected in nine rats as in the experimental group. The various morphometric parameters were evaluated in the sciatic nerve of each rat of the control and test, 3 mm distal to the site of the transection on light and electron microscopy of Epon-embedded sections. On both light and electron microscopy only a few myelinated fibers with a very thin myelin sheath were found only in one nerve in each of the control and test. However, significant numbers of unmyelinated axons were found in each nerve of the control and test. There were no statistically significant differences in the total fascicular area per nerve, the numbers of myelinated and unmyelinated axons per mm² of fascicular area and per nerve, their maximum and median diameters and their size distribution histograms between control and test. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in the numbers of myelin ovoids per mm² of the fascicular area and per nerve, their maximum and median diameters and their size distribution histograms between control and test. Therefore, we concluded that there was no definite evidence that BDNF promoted the sprouting and elongation of axons, the early phase of the regeneration of nerve fibers, at least under this experimental condition.

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A depressed 36-year-old woman manifesting a delusion of persecution was started on neuroleptics. In parallel with the increase of neuroleptics, she suffered from akathisia, such as wandering, and thereafter developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Thus, neuroleptics were discontinued. As a result, she manifested severer wandering, impairment of conversation, and unacceptable behavior (e.g. touching her stool) though neuroleptic malignant syndrome subsided. These symptoms improved following the administration of levomepromazine and amitriptyline. It seems difficult to regard these symptoms as just a prolongation of akathisia, since the level and frequency of akathisia increased. It also seems unlikely to regard these symptoms as those of agitated depression, since there were no complaints of irritability. On the other hand, it seems probable that "withdrawal akathisia" occurred following the discontinuation of neuroleptics and the reinstituted levomepromazine improved the withdrawal phenomena consisting of severer wandering, impairment of conversation, and unacceptable behavior.

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An analysis of the recent use of electronic mail (e-mail for short) at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan was examined. The following points were confirmed. The number of e-mail users increased every month. The number of times that e-mail was received or sent also increased every month. The number of times that e-mail was received or sent was most numerous from outside to local. The majority of destination domains from local to outside were academic and organization domains. The source domains from outside to local were mostly overseas domains. Regarding e-mail size, the majority was less than one kilo bytes. Extremely large-sized e-mail has been occasionally received or sent between local and outside, but there is always a chance that it may cause trouble for the outside network.

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An analysis of the number of Post Office Protocol (POP) requests for the mail server of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan was examined. The following points were confirmed. The weekday number of POP requests was six times as many as the offday number. The number of POP users has been increasing monthly. The weekday use concentrated time was from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There were several problems in the form of POP use by users who have left e-mail in a POP server, who have checked for e-mail every a few minutes and who have checked for e-mail continuously all day long.

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Metallothionein (MT) has been considered to play important roles in metal homeostasis and also in protecting against metal toxicities. There are four MT isoforms in mammalian cells. Recent studies using MT-Ⅰ and -Ⅱ genes knockout mice demonstrated that MT-Ⅰ and -Ⅱ are mainly involved in the protection against metal toxicities, oxidative stresses, and apoptosis. The expression of MT-Ⅱ gene by zinc is regulated through activation of the zinc regulatory factor (ZRF). MT-Ⅲ, a brain-specific isoform, plays a role in preventing neuronal sprouting and in the repair after brain damage.

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