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Masaaki Nakamura Ph.D
Director, Department of Clinical Medicine. Areas of research are neurology and toxic (heavy metal) study. Now, I proceed the research to establish the objective assessment of brain function and useful index for medical practice in methylmercury poisoning by using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and MRI. Epidemiological surveys of populationsexposed to methylmercury in areas with a high consumption of whale meat have also conducted. I also performed a treatment study of Minamata disease. I have been also actively working on health enhancement in methylmercury-polluted area by care prevention.
Subjects of study and affair
Study：
  • Research on the evaluation of human health effects and therapy against MeHg exposure
  • Health risk assessment of high MeHg exposure derived from whale
Affair：
  • Community development project for home care support, including health care practice
Study groups
  • Clinical group
  • Exposure and Health Effects Assessment group
Work of study
  • Nakamura M, Etoh S, Sakamoto T, Nakamura T, Jie LX, Miura Y, Itatani M, Hanakawa T. Potential therapeutic effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for tremor in Minamata disease: A case report. J Neurol Sci. 388, 47-9 (2018).
  • Ser PH, Omi S, Shimizu-Furusawa H, Yasutake A, Sakamoto M, Hachiya N, Konishi S, Nakamura M, Watanabe C. Differences in the responses of three plasm selenium-containing proteins in relation to methylmercury-exposure throughconsumption of fish/whales. Toxicol Lett. 267, 53-8 (2017).
  • Iwata T, Takaoka S, Sakamoto M, Maeda E, Nakamura M, Liu XJ, Murata K. Characteristics of hand tremor and postural sway in patients with fetal-type Minamat disease. J Toxicol Sci. 41,757-63 (2016).
  • Sakamoto M, Murata K, Domingo JL, Yamamoto M, Oliveira RB, Kawakami S, Nakamura M. Implications of mercury concentrations in umbilical cord tissue in relation to maternal hair segments as biomarkers for prenatal exposure to methylmercury. Environ Res. 149, 282-7 (2016).
  • Sakamoto M, Itai T, Yasutake A, Iwasaki T, Yasunaga G, Fujise Y, Nakamura M, Murata K, Man Chan H, Domingo JL, Marumoto M. Mercury speciation and selenium in toothed-whale muscles. Env Res. 143, 55-61 (2015).
  • Nakamura M, Hachiya N, Murata KY, Nakanishi I, Kondo T, Yasutake A, Miyamoto KI, Ser PH, Omi S, Furusawa H, Watanabe C, Usuki F, Sakamoto M. Methylmercury exposure and neurological outcomes in Taiji residents accustomed to consuming whale meat. Environ Int. 68, 25-32 (2014).
  • Yamamoto M, Yanagisawa R, Motomura E, Nakamura M, Sakamoto M, Takeya M, Eto K. Increased methylmercury toxicity related to obesity in diabetic KK-Ay mice. J Appl Toxicol. 34, 914-23 (2014).
  • Nakamura M, Yasutake A, Fujimura M, Hachiya N, Marumoto M. Effect of methylmercury administration on choroid plexus function in rats. Arch Toxicol., 85, 911-918 (2011).
  • Yasutake A, Nakamura M. Induction by mercury compounds of metallothioneins in mouse tissues: inorganic mercury accumulation is not a dominant factor for metallothionein induction in the liver. J Toxicol Sci., 36, 365-372 (2011).
  • Yamashita T, Ando Y, Ueda M, Nakamura M, Okamoto S, Zeledon ME, Hirahara T, Hirai T, Ueda A, Misumi Y, Obayashi K, Inomata H, Uchino M: Effect of liver transplantation on transthyretin Tyr114Cys-related cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Neurology., 70, 123-128 (2008).
  • Ueda M, Ando Y, Hakamata Y, Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Obayashi K, Himeno S, Inoue S, Sato Y, Kaneko T, Takamune N, Misumi S, Shoji S, Uchino M, Kobayashi E: A transgenic rat with the human ATTR V30M: a novel tool for analyses of ATTR metabolisms. Biochem Biophys Res Commun., 352, 299-304 (2007).
  • Ueda M, Ando Y, Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Himeno S, Kim J, Sun X, Saito S, Tateishi T, Bergstrom J, Uchino M: FK506 inhibits murine AA amyloidosis: possible involvement of T cells in amyloidogenesis. J Rheumatol., 33, 2260-2270 (2006).
  • Kawaji T, Ando Y, Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Wakita M, Ando E, Hirata A, Tanihara T: Ocular amyloid angiopathy associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy ATTR Y114C. Ophthalmology., 112, 2212 (2005).
  • Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Ueda M, Obayashi K, Sato T, Ikeda T, Washimi Y, Hirai T, Kuwahara Y, Yamamoto T, Uchino M, Ando Y: Neuroradiologic and clinicopathologic features of oculoleptomeningeal type amyloidosis. Neurology., 65, 1051-1056 (2005).
  • Saito S, Ando Y, Nakamura M, Ueda M, Kim J, Ishima Y, Akaike T, Otagiri M: Effect of Nitric Oxide in Amyloid Fibril Formation on Transthyretin-Related Amyloidosis. Biochemistry., 44, 11122-11129 (2005).
  • Nakamura M, Ando Y, Sasada K, Haraoka K, Ueda M, Okabe H, Motomiya Y: Role of extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) in patients under maintenance hemodialysis. Nephron Clin Pract., 101, c109-c115 (2005).
  • Yamashita T, Ando Y, Nakamura M, Obayashi K, Terazaki H, Haraoka K, Sun X, Ueda M, Uchino M: Inhibitory effect of α-tocopherol on methylmercury-induced oxidative stress.Environ Health Prev., Med 9, 111-117 (2004).
  • Ando Y, Terazaki H, Nakamura M, Ando E, Haraoka K, Yamashita T, Ueda M, Okabe H, Sasaki Y, Tanihara H, Uchino M, Inomata Y: A different amyloid formation mechanism: De novo oculoleptomeningeal amyloid deposits after liver transplantation. Transplantation., 77, 345-349 (2004).
  • Obayashi K, Ando Y,Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Ueda M, Haraoka K, Terazaki H, Uchino M: Macroscopic assessment of skin venules in fingers using near-infrared spectrophotoscopy- as a useful marker of autonomic dysfunction-. Neurology., 63, 164-166 (2004).
  • Nakamura M, Ando Y, Nagahara S, Sano A, Ochiya T, Maeda S, Kawaji T, Ogawa M, Hirata A, Terazaki H, Haraoka K, Tanihara H, Ueda M, Uchino M, Yamamura K: Targeted conversion of the transthyretin gene in vitro and in vivo. Gene Ther., 11, 838-846 (2004).
  • Nakamura M, Ando Y: Applications of gene therapy for FAP. Expert Opin Biol Ther., 4, 1621-1628 (2004).
  • Ando Y, Nakamura M, Kai H, Katsuragi S, Terazaki H, Nozawa T, Okuda T, Misumi S, Matsunaga N, Hata K, Tajiri T, Shoji S, Yamashita T, Haraoka K, Obayashi K, Matsumoto K, Ando M, Uchino M: A novel localized amyloidosis associated with lactoferrin in the cornea. Lab Invest., 82, 757-765 (2002).
  • Uchino M, Mita S, Satoh H, Uchino M, Mita S, Satoh H, Hirano T, Arimura K, Nakagawa M, Nakamura M, Uyama E, Ando Y, Wakamiya J, Futatsuka M: Clinical investigation of the lesions responsible for sensory disturbance in Minamata disease. Tohoku J Exp Med., 195, 181-189 (2001).
  • Nakamura M, Hamidi Asl K, Benson MD: A novel variant of transthyretin (Glu89Lys) associated with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. Amyloid., 7, 46- 50 (2000).
  • Nakamura M, Yamashita T, Ando Y, Hamidi Asl K, Tashima K, Ohlsson PI, Kususe Y, Benson MD: Identification of a new transthyretin variant (Ile49) in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nonisotopic RNase cleavage assay. Hum Hered., 49, 186-189 (1999).
  • Hamidi Asl K, Liepnieks JJ, >Nakamura M, Benson MD: Organ-specific (localized) synthesis of Ig Light Chain Amyloid. J Immunol., 162, 5556-5560 (1999).
  • Klein CJ, Nakamura M, Jacobson DR, Lacy MQ, Benson MD, Peterson RC: Transthyretin amyloidosis (serine 44) with headache, hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy. Neurology., 51, 1462-1464 (1998).
  • Fukushima M, Nakamura M, Ohta K, Okamura R, Negi A, Tanaka H: Regional specification of motor neurons along theanterior-posterior axis is independent of the notochord. Development., 122, 905-914 (1996).
  • Nakamura M, Ohta K, Hirokawa K, Fukushima M, Uchino M, Ando M, Tanaka H: Developmental and denervation changesin c-ret proto-oncogene expression in the chick motoneuron. Molecular Brain Research., 39, 1-11 (1996).