Inhibitory effect of acupuncture on the vibration-induced finger flexion reflex in man

The effect of acupuncture on the tonic finger flexion reflex caused by mechanical vibration of the index finger was studied in healthy man. The volar side of the index finger was tapped by a vibrator (100 Hz), while flexion forces were recorded. A silver needle inserted into the acupuncture point (Wai-Kuan) inhibited the vibration-induced finger flexion reflex. In this study, the inhibitory effect of acupuncture on the reflex contraction, rather than pain sensation and analgesia, was demonstrated.     

Deafness and Peripheral Neuropathy following Carbon Monoxide Intoxication–Report of a case–

Deafness and peripheral neuropathy are relatively rare complications of carbon monoxide intoxication. A case of carbon monoxide intoxication is presented with bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, weakness and sensory impairment in the left hand, and weakness and atrophy of the left quadriceps femoris and hamstring muscles. Audiograms showed hearing loss of the perceptive type followed by partial improvement. Electromyograms revealed a neurogenic pattern and motor nerve conduction velocity was decreased in both legs. The etiology of the deafness and peripheral neuropathy in this case is not clear but is suspected to be due to combination of toxicity, hypoxia and compression.     

Toxic polyneuropathy due to glue sniffing

Four cases of toxic polyneuropathy due to glue-sniffing were reported. Neurological examination revealed motor predominant mixed type polyneuropathy. The cause of polyneuropathies in these cases was considered to be due to the inhalation of the vaporized elements of the adhesive agent, which contain mainly n-hexane and toluene. N-hexane is considered to be chiefly responsible for the polyneuropathy, though toluene also could have some influence on the illness.     

Status of home blood pressure measured in morning and evening: evaluation in normotensives and hypertensives in Japanese urban population.

To assess home blood pressure status in a Japanese urban population, we analyzed home blood pressure values in normotensive subjects determined by casual blood pressure (< 140/90 mmHg), hypertensive subjects without medication (> or = 140/90 mmHg) and treated hypertensive patients. The subjects (468 male, 232 female; mean age 41 years old) were recruited from a company located in Tokyo. Home blood pressure was measured with a semi-automatic device (Omron HEM-759P). Subjects were instructed to perform triplicate morning and evening measurements on 7 consecutive days. In the treated hypertensive group (n = 70), there was a significant difference between morning (139 +/- 12/88 +/- 9 mmHg) and evening (130 +/- 12/79 +/- 8 mmHg) home blood pressure. In the normotensive group (n = 558), however, only the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) component of the home blood pressure was significantly different between morning (115 +/- 13/72 +/- 9 mmHg) and evening (114 +/- 12/68 +/- 8 mmHg). In the nontreated hypertensive group (n = 72), casual blood pressure (145 +/- 14/92 +/- 9 mmHg) was higher than morning (138 +/- 16/89 +/- 11 mmHg) and evening (134 +/- 16/83 +/- 11 mmHg) home blood pressure, but no difference was seen between morning and evening systolic blood pressure (SBP). According to the reference value of the Japanese Society of Hypertension 2004 (SBP > or = 135 mmHg and/or DBP > or = 85 mmHg), 7.2% (systolic) and 8.7% (diastolic) of subjects in the normotensive group were classified as hypertensive by home blood pressure. Casual blood pressure in the treated hypertensive group was normal in 64.3% for SBP and 70.0% for DBP. However, their morning SBP (32.9%), morning DBP (40.0%), evening SBP (10.0%), and evening DBP (17.1%) were classified as hypertensive by home blood pressure. Furthermore, patients who were taking antihypertensive drug(s) only in the morning (n = 52) showed higher morning SBP (6 mmHg, p = 0.086) and morning DBP (6 mmHg, p = 0.005) than patients taking drug(s) by other administration schedules (n = 18), but no difference in evening home blood pressure was observed. In conclusion, a proportion of the subjects defined as normotensive by casual blood pressure were classified as hypertensive by home blood pressure in the present urban population. Furthermore, morning home blood pressure control in the treated hypertensive group classified as under control by casual blood pressure was insufficient, especially in patients who were taking medication only in the morning.     

日本城市有害生物防治的过去现在及未来

1　靶标生物的特性大约在 1970年以前 ,许多鼠类和节肢动物 ,如褐家鼠、家蝇、淡色库蚊、三带喙库蚊、客蚤、红纤恙螨、人体虱传播着各种疾病。随着工业的快速发展和城市化 ,媒传疾病显著减少 ,人们考虑的靶标有害生物也发生了变化。 1970年后日本房屋结构由木质结构变为密封性能好的房屋 ,由于在新房屋中使用混凝土和踏踏米 ,导致腐蚀酪螨的暴发。在大城市的办公楼内德国小蠊、凶小库蚊、屋顶鼠成为有害生物问题 ,可能是由于房屋的保暖结构和屋内的散热设备引起的。由于全球气候变暖 ,在日本北部地区发现了白纹伊蚊孳生。人们对昆虫的态度…     

Creatine phosphokinase isozymes in pathological human serum

Creatine phosphokinase isozymes in sera of patients with progressive muscular dystrophy were studied by agar gel electrophoresis. A method of demonstrating these isozymes is described in detail. Sera of patients with progressive muscular dystrophy were found to have either the MM fraction or both the MM and MB fractions.     

Magnesium sulphate can prolong pregnancy in patients with severe early-onset preeclampsia

Objective: To assess whether long-term use of magnesium sulphate prolongs pregnancy in patients with severe early-onset preeclampsia.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study included all singleton pregnancies with severe early-onset preeclampsia, expectantly managed in our institution between 2005 and 2013. Obstetric and perinatal outcomes were compared between patients managed using a current protocol that tolerates long-term (over 48 h) use of magnesium sulphate (long-term group, n?=?26) and a historical control group (control group, n?=?15) that underwent conventional treatment (up to 48 h use of magnesium sulphate).

Results: Long-term group showed significant prolongation of pregnancy compared with the control group (9.2?±?7.9 versus 16.6?±?9.3 d, log-rank test, p?=?0.021), which was also observed in patients with severe preeclampsia occurring before 28 weeks’ gestation (n?=?11, 4.5?±?5.2 versus 13.2?±?6.8 d, log-rank test, p?=?0.035). In contrast to a progressive decrease of platelet count in patients managed without magnesium sulphate, administration of magnesium sulphate for 7 d prevented the decrease of platelet count (p?=?0.001). Thirty two percent of patients (13/41) experienced a major complication irrespective of duration of magnesium sulphate use.

Conclusions: Long-term use of magnesium sulphate prolonged pregnancy in patients with severe early-onset preeclampsia and can help alleviate progression of preeclampsia.     

IL‐17A‐producing CD30+ Vδ1 T cells drive inflammation‐induced cancer progression

Although it has been suspected that inflammation is associated with increased tumor metastasis, the exact type of immune response required to initiate cancer progression and metastasis remains unknown. In this study, by using an in vivo tumor progression model in which low tumorigenic cancer cells acquire malignant metastatic phenotype after exposure to inflammation, we found that IL‐17A is a critical cue for escalating cancer cell malignancy. We further demonstrated that the length of exposure to an inflammatory microenvironment could be associated with acquiring greater tumorigenicity and that IL‐17A was critical for amplifying such local inflammation, as observed in the production of IL‐1β and neutrophil infiltration following the cross‐talk between cancer and host stromal cells. We further determined that γδT cells expressing Vδ1 semi‐invariant TCR initiate cancer‐promoting inflammation by producing IL‐17A in an MyD88/IL‐23‐dependent manner. Finally, we identified CD30 as a key molecule in the inflammatory function of Vδ1T cells and the blockade of this pathway targeted this cancer immune‐escalation process. Collectively, these results reveal the importance of IL‐17A‐producing CD30⁺ Vδ1T cells in triggering inflammation and orchestrating a microenvironment leading to cancer progression.