Research Theme

Research area: Pharmacology and toxicology of chemicals in food

Research topics:

1. Neurobehavioral effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals such as tetrabromobisphenol A

2. Neuroprotective effects of phytochemicals such as nobiletin

Education & Appointments

Education: 

1993-1997: Faculty of Engineering, Nagoya University, 

Awarded the degree of B.Sc. in chemical engineering

1997-1999: Nagoya University Graduate School of Engineering, 

Awarded the degree of M.Sc. in organic chemistry

1999-2003: Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine,

Awarded the degree of Ph.D. in Medicine

Research and Professional Experience:

06/2003-06/2005: Research associate, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Chicago

06/2005-03/2007: Assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Molecular Biology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

04/2007-10/2009: Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacotherapy, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

11/2009- 03/2017: Assistant professor, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

04/2017- : Professor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University

Publications

Original papers (the past 5 years)

Sobue A, Ito N, Nagai T, Shan W, Hada K, Nakajima A, Murakami Y, Mouri A, Yamamoto Y, Nabeshima T, Saito K, Yamada K (2018) Astroglial major histocompatibility complex class I following immune activation leads to behavioral and neuropathological changes. Glia. 66:1034-1052.

Nakajima A, Sato H, Oda S, Yokoi T (2018) Fluoroquinolones and propionic acid derivatives induce inflammatory responses in vitro. Cell Biol Toxicol. 34:65-77.

Oda S, Shirai Y, Akai S, Nakajima A, Tsuneyama K, Yokoi T (2016) Toxicological role of an acyl glucuronide metabolite in diclofenac-induced acute liver injury in mice. J Appl Toxicol. 37:545-553.

Nakajima A, Oda S, Yokoi T (2016) Allopurinol induces innate immune responses through mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in HL-60 cells. J Appl Toxicol. 36:1120-1128. 

Oda S, Matsuo K, Nakajima A, Yokoi T (2016) A novel cell-based assay for the evaluation of immune- and inflammatory-related gene expression as biomarkers for the risk assessment of drug-induced liver injury. Toxicol Lett. 241:60-70.

Nakajima A, Aoyama Y, Shin EJ, Nam Y, Kim HC, Nagai T, Yokosuka A, Mimaki Y, Yokoi T, Ohizumi Y, Yamada K (2015) Nobiletin, a citrus flavonoid, improves cognitive impairment and reduces soluble Aβ levels in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (3XTg-AD). Behav. Brain. Res. 289:69-77.

Nakajima A, Ibi D, Nagai T, Yamada S, Nabeshima T, Yamada K (2014) Induction of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 gene expression by lipopolysaccharide in astrocytes. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 745:166-175.

Yamada S, Nagai T, Nakai T, Ibi D, Nakajima A, Yamada K (2014) Matrix metalloproteinase-3 is a possible mediator of neurodevelopmental impairment due to polyI:C-induced innate immune activation of astrocytes. Brain. Behav. Immun. 38:272-282.

Cheng L, Hattori E, Nakajima A, Woehrle NS, Opal MD, Zhang C, Grennan K, Dulawa SC, Tang YP, Gershon ES, Liu C (2014) Expression of the G72/G30 gene in transgenic mice induces behavioral changes. Mol. Psychiatry. 19:175-183.

Book

Nakajima A. Ohizumi Y. Yamada K. (2017) Effects of Nobiletin in Animal Models of Cognitive Impairment, in Neuroprotective Effects of Phytochemicals in Neurological Disorders (eds T. Farooqui and A. A. Farooqui), chapter 21, p421-433, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA.