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Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of sexual problems and associated factors, focusing particularly on comorbid psychiatric disorders, among older Korean women. Methods: A nationally representative sample of women aged 50-74 years ( n=3828) responded to in-person interviews using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to assess psychiatric disorders and four symptoms of sexual dysfunction: (1) lack of sexual interest/sexual aversion, (2) dyspareunia, (3) loss of pleasure, and (4) other organic dysfunction (e.g., inability of sexual arousal). We examined the likelihood of sexual dysfunction by sociodemographic and clinical variables, including specific psychiatric disorders, and compared the characteristics of sexual dysfunction among women with and without a comorbid psychiatric disorder. Results: A total of 334 (8.7%) women reported one or more symptoms of sexual dysfunction during the year preceding the interview: lack of sexual interest/sexual aversion was most prevalent (7.7%), followed by loss of pleasure (4.2%), dyspareunia (2.4%), and other organic dysfunction (0.4%). Having a psychiatric disorder was associated with a 2.7-fold increase in the probability of sexual dysfunction. Among women with sexual dysfunction, having comorbid mental disorder was associated with being unmarried status, a symptom of loss of pleasure, and a history of sexual dysfunction before 50 years of age. Conclusions: The present study suggests a relatively lower prevalence of sexual dysfunction than previously reported, but supports its strong association with psychiatric disorders among postmenopausal women. We should evaluate comorbid mental disorder with sexual dysfunction, especially among those having some characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Beta amyloid peptide is generated from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by proteolytic cleavage of β- and γ-secretases, and plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Since γ-secretase cleaves several proteins including APP and Notch in a number of cell types, it is important to understand the conditions determining γ-secretase substrate specificity. In the present study, inhibition of Rac1 attenuated γ-secretase activity for APP, resulting in decreased production of the APP intracellular domain but accumulated C-terminal fragments (APP-CTF). In contrast, Rac1 inhibitor, NSC23766 increased production of the Notch1 intracellular domain but slightly decreased the ectodomain-shed form of Notch1 (NotchΔE). To elucidate the mechanism underlying these observations, we performed co-immunoprecipitation experiments to analyze the interaction between Rac1 and presenilin1 (PS1), a component of the γ-secretase complex. Inhibition of Rac1 enhanced its interaction with PS1. Under the same condition, PS1 interacted more strongly with NotchΔE than with APP-CTF. Our results suggested that PS1 determines the preferred substrate for γ-secretase between APP and Notch1, depending on the activation status of Rac1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Both active and passive immunization to eliminate amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have confirmed that amyloid beta (Aβ) vaccination does not only result in clearance of Aβ plaques but improves behavioral-cognitive deficits in animal models of AD. In the present study, the levels of naturally occurring serum antibodies against Aβ were measured in Tg2576 mice at various ages using ELISA to determine the relationship between aging and the level of anti-Aβ autoantibody. The level of anti-Aβ antibody fell significantly at the age of 9 months, at the age when amyloid plaques started to appear in the brain of Tg2576 mice, and was persistently low thereafter. However, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) level was elevated in older transgenic mice compared with younger transgenic mice suggesting that the reduced level of anti-Aβ autoantibody was not merely due to deterioration of the immune response in aged Tg2576 mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The (Ba[sub 0.5]Sr[sub 0.5])TiO[sub 3] (BST) thin films were deposited on the LaNiO[sub 3]/Pt(111)/Ti/SiO[sub 2]/Si [LNO/ Pt(lll)] and LaNiO[sub 3]/Pt(200)/SiO[sub 2]/Si [LNO/Pt(200)] substrates by metalorganic deposition process. The BST films directly grown on the Pt(200) and Pt(lll) substrates exhibited random orientation. In case of the LNO/Pt(111) substrates, the BST film was also randomly oriented, but the insertion of LNO interlayer on the Pt(200) substrates caused the growth of (100) textured BST films. The dielectric constant of the 350-nm-thick BST films on LNO/Pt(200) was around 400, which was higher than that of the films on LNO/Pt(111) (around 340). This result was attributed to the fact that the polar axis of the (100) oriented film was more tilted away from the normal to the film surface than that of randomly oriented film. Also, the tunabilities of BST films deposited on the LNO/ Pt(200) and LNO/Pt(111) substrates were nearly 60% and 51% at the applied electric field of 400 kV/cm, respectively. Improved tunability has been attributed to the (100) texture of the film leading to an enhancement of the in-plane oriented polar axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR Ab) are one of the pathogenic autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis (MG), and they are specifically mentioned in the Japanese clinical guidelines for MG. In the serological diagnosis and measurement of autoantibodies as an adjunct marker for MG, the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method has been conventionally used as the gold standard. However, there have been several worldwide concerns regarding the use of radioisotopes. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the EUROIMMUN AChR Ab enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in comparison with RIA. Methods: ELISA reproducibility and dilution linearity were analyzed using AChR Ab‐positive samples. Sera from 50 patients with suspected MG and 50 healthy donors were used to assess the correlation and qualitative agreement between the two methods. Results: The ELISA showed good interassay precision and dilution linearity. The correlation coefficient, sensitivity, specificity and overall agreement of the ELISA in comparison with the conventional RIA amounted to 0.87, 98%, 92% and 95% (kappa = 0.895), respectively. Analysis of the discordant results suggested that the ELISA might be more capable of detecting low AChR Ab reactivity in patients with suspected MG. Conclusions: The AchR Ab ELISA provides a reliable tool for the quantification of AchR Ab, supporting the diagnosis of MG. As a non‐isotopic assay with good precision, shorter handling time and high correlation with the conventional RIA, the AChR ELISA could be a useful alternative in the laboratory routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New bis-styrylpyridine and bis-styrylbenzene derivatives were designed and synthesized. These 34 compounds were evaluated by Aβ fibril formation inhibitory assay using thioflavin T as a dye (named ThT assay). Most of them showed excellent inhibitory activities for Aβ fibril formation at IC50 of 0.1–2.7μM which is comparable to curcumin (IC50 of 0.8μM). Among them, nine compounds were screened for their cytotoxicities on HT-22 cell by MTT assay at 1, 10, and 50μM. In particular, I-7 and II-2 exhibited the best combination of inhibitory activity and compound cytotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Constitutive and PKC-regulated α-secretase pathways have been reported to produce the secreted form of α-secretase-derived APP (sAPPα). Here, we examined putative role of furin in the regulation of α-secretase activity in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of the prodomain of furin and infection with a furin-specific inhibitor significantly reduced the levels of sAPPα regardless of PKC activity, whereas total APP levels remained unchanged. Furin mRNA levels in the brains of AD patients and Tg2576 mice were significantly lower than those in controls, whereas ADAM10 and TACE mRNA levels were much alike between Tg2576 and littermate mice. Moreover, the injection of furin-adenovirus into Tg2576 mouse brains markedly increased α-secretase activity and reduced β-amyloid protein (Aβ) production in infected brain regions. Our results suggest that furin enhances α-secretase activity via the cleavage of ADAM10 and TACE, and that attenuated furin activity is connected to the production of Aβ. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Near-elderly adults go through many changes in socioeconomic status, such as retirement, which may affect their mental health differently according to when they live. We aimed to compare the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and its changes according to sociodemographic factors using nationally representative surveys of Korean near-elderly adults conducted 10 years apart.Methods: Nationwide community samples of individuals aged 55-64 years living in 2001 (n = 1256) and 2011 (n = 1066) were compared. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to diagnose MDD. Sociodemographic data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including questions on employment and economic status. We examined differences in MDD prevalence and its association with sociodemographic factors over time by calculating 2011-to-2001 odds ratios (ORs) using multivariable logistic regression models.Results: Among near-elderly people, MDD tended to be more prevalent in 2011 than in 2001. However, only near-elderly men in 2011 showed a higher risk of MDD compared with those in 2001 (2011-to-2001 OR 4.19), while women did not. The prevalence ratio by gender decreased from 7.04 in 2001 to 2.34 in 2011. Among vulnerable sociodemographic groups, a significant increase in MDD was observed in unemployed men (adjusted OR 8.35), but not in unemployed women or other vulnerable groups.Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a substantial increase in MDD in Korean near-elderly men and suggests that unemployment should be considered as an important correlate of MDD in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: We compared the influence of major mental disorders on suicidality according to age, adjusting for suicide-related correlates. Methods: This study was based on the Korean national epidemiological survey of mental disorders including community-dwelling adults between 18 and 74 years of age (n=6022). Subjects were classified into three age groups; young (18–39), middle-aged (40–59), and late adulthood (60–74). Face-to-face interviews were conducted using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. According to age groups, the influence of major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder on risk for suicidality were investigated by multiple logistic regression models adjusting for sex, years of education, marital status, income, employment, presence of chronic medical illness, and lifetime history of suicide attempt. Results: After including MDD as a covariate, anxiety disorder remained a risk factor only in the middle-aged group (adjusted OR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.54–5.22), and alcohol use disorder was a risk factor for suicidality only in the young group (adjusted OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.06–7.43). Conversely, MDD was the only mental disorder that significantly increased suicidality in all age groups. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional study and did not include subjects over 75 years of age. Conclusion: This study showed that the contribution of psychiatric disorders to risk for suicidality varied according to age group. Therefore, strategies for suicide prevention should be specifically designed for different age groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]