Preparedness for Protecting the Health of Community-Dwelling Vulnerable Elderly People in Eastern and Western Japan in the Event of Natural Disasters

We clarified the preparedness necessary to protect the health of community-dwelling vulnerable elderly people following natural disasters. We collected data from 304 community general support centres throughout Japan. We found the following in particular to be challenging: availability of disaster-preparedness manuals; disaster countermeasures and management systems; creation of lists of people requiring assistance following a disaster; evacuation support systems; development of plans for health management following disasters; provision of disaster-preparedness guidance and training; disaster-preparedness systems in the community; disaster information management; the preparedness of older people themselves in requiring support; and support from other community residents.     

Prejunctional regulatory actions of androgens on a hormone sensitive muscle

The influence of androgens and time course of effects induced by hormone deprivation were examined on the spontaneous transmitter re- lease in the levator ani (LA) muscle of 30–180-day-old male rats. The resting membrane potential (RMP) and miniature endplate potentials (mepps) were recorded intracellularly from LA muscle fibers of intact animals or gonadectomized at different ages. In intact animals, the frequency of mepps increased proportionately to the muscle fiber growth up to 60 days, stabilizing thereafter. Gonadectomy at any age did not affect the RMP, but increased the frequency of mepps by 65% to 140%. The effect was detected after 15 days and was unrelated to the degree of muscle atrophy. Independently of the age of gonadectomy control values of mepp frequency were restored after 90 days, while the accompanying postjunctional changes persisted. These results indicate that androgens exert a prejunctional inhibitory influence on the spontaneous transmitter release in the rat LA muscle. The transient nature of the prejunctional effect induced by hormone deprivation indicates an adjustment of nerve terminals to persistent postjunctional alterations. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of 5-125I-iodo-4'-thio-2'-deoxyuridine in rodents.

Pharmacokinetics and metabolite analysis of radioiodinated 5-iodo-4'-thio-2'-deoxyuridine (ITdU), a potential tumor cell proliferation-imaging agent, were investigated in rodents. METHODS: Blood and urine metabolites of radiolabeled ITdU were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography in rats. Tissue fractionation studies in mice were also performed to investigate the incorporation of (125)I-ITdU into DNA. RESULTS: The blood distribution study suggested the influx of (125)I-ITdU into rat peripheral blood cells. The blood metabolism of (125)I-ITdU in vitro was negligible. Plasma analysis at 60 min after injection showed that 50% of the radioactivity was intact (125)I-ITdU. The plasma clearance of (125)I-ITdU showed a biexponential function with half-lives of 0.2 and 29.5 min, representing 94.2% and 5.8% of plasma (125)I-ITdU concentration, respectively. (125)I-ITdU was excreted in urine 86% intact at 3.5 h after injection. Extraction of the tissues demonstrated that >70% of the activity in the duodenum, spleen, and thymus was incorporated into DNA at 8 h after injection. On the other hand, <8% of the activity in the liver was in the DNA fraction at that time. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that (125)I-ITdU is less susceptible against catabolism and readily incorporated into DNA in proliferating tissues. Therefore, (125)I-ITdU may be useful in measuring DNA synthesis with SPECT.     

Halothane sensitizes the guinea-pig heart to pharmacological IKr blockade: comparison with urethane anesthesia

Potential utility of halothane-anesthetized guinea pigs for detecting drug-induced repolarization delay was analyzed in comparison with urethane-anesthesia (n = 4 for both groups). Basal QT interval was significantly greater under halothane-anesthesia than urethane-anesthesia (192 +/- 7 vs 132 +/- 5 ms, respectively), whereas the reverse was true for the heart rate (190 +/- 7 vs 248 +/- 11 beats/min, respectively). The typical I(Kr)-blocker dl-sotalol (0.1 to 3 mg/kg, i.v.) induced dose-related bradycardia and QT interval prolongation under each anesthesia. The extent of maximum prolongation in the QT interval was greater under halothane-anesthesia than urethane-anesthesia (+101 +/- 15 vs +49 +/- 3 ms, respectively), whereas that of peak change in the heart rate was smaller under the former than the latter (-49 +/- 8 vs -63 +/- 5 beats/min, respectively). Pretreatment of the animals under urethane-anesthesia with the selective I(Ks) blocker chromanol 293B (n = 6) increased the extent of the dl-sotalol-induced QT interval prolongation to +57 +/- 8 ms, which was only 0.56 times of that under the halothane-anesthesia, whereas the pretreatment increased the peak change in the heart rate to -76 +/- 12 ms. These results indicate that the halothane-anesthesia may effectively sensitize the guinea-pig heart to pharmacological I(Kr) blockade.     

A Brazilian model of distance education in physical medicine and rehabilitation based on videoconferencing and Internet learning

We have developed an integrated educational model in rehabilitation mediated by technology. Three teams of professionals worked to implement the interactive model based on videoconferencing, use of the Internet and three-dimensional (3-D) animated models. Two courses were created: amputee rehabilitation and back pain. Each course was divided into four phases: (1) a first videoconference; (2) Internet-based learning; (3) a second videoconference (workshop); (4) an Internet discussion list. The Internet-based learning modules were divided into topics by multiple-choice questions. Multisite videoconferences were used to connect the remote sites. Eleven animated 3-D models were created to help the teaching process. Each course had 11 modules, and each module required up to 2 h to be completed. There were 136 participants on the two courses. None of the participants, including the teachers, had had any previous experience with Internet-based learning and videoconferencing. The integrated educational model has great potential in a country the size of Brazil, where there may be difficulties in travel for patients with disabilities and for health-care professionals.     

Association of swaddling, rickets onset and bone properties in children in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

OBJECTIVES: To examine the influence of duration of completely or partially wrapped swaddling on rickets onset and bone properties in children of school age. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study. METHODS: Subjects were 73 children aged 7-10 years with a history of rickets (cases) and 70 children with no history of rickets (controls) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The periods of completely and partially wrapped swaddling, rickets onset and age-standardized mid-tibial cortical speed of sound (TCSOS) were examined. The associations between swaddling duration and rickets onset and that between swaddling duration and TCSOS were analysed. RESULTS: All except one control child were completely wrapped from the first month after birth. The durations of completely wrapped and partially wrapped swaddling were similar among cases (3.6 and 4.7 months) and controls (3.1 and 4.4 months) (P=0.42 and P=0.65, respectively). Standardized TCSOS values of cases and controls were -0.572 and -0.038, respectively (P=0.06). The duration of swaddling did not show associations with rickets onset and standardized TCSOS among both cases and controls. Standardized TCSOS of cases with skeletal deformities at examination (-1.467, n=18) was lower than that of cases without skeletal deformities (-0.280, n=55) (P<0.01) and controls (-0.038, n=69) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The practice of swaddling itself neither influences rickets onset nor bone properties in school-aged children in Ulaanbaatar. Bone properties of school-aged children who had suffered from rickets and with skeletal deformities were poorer than those in children without skeletal deformities and children without a history of rickets. Prevention of persistent skeletal deformities among the children who have suffered from rickets is critical to promote healthy bone development in Mongolia.     

An mGluR2/3 antagonist, MGS0039, exerts antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in behavioral models in rats

Rationale Abnormalities of glutamatergic neurotransmission have been reportedly observed in psychiatric disorders. Previously, we demonstrated that (1R, 2R, 3R, 5R, 6R)-2-Amino-3-(3,4-dichlorobenzyloxy)-6-fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (MGS0039) is a selective antagonist for group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR2/3), and that it exerted antidepressant effects in some animal behavioral tests.Objectives In the present study, we provide additional evidence that MGS0039 exhibits antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in experimental rodent models, which are predictive of clinical efficacy.Methods The learned helplessness (LH) paradigm, which is a common model used to examine the depressive state, was used to assess antidepressant effects of MGS0039. Moreover, anxiolytic effects of MGS0039 were investigated in the conditioned fear stress (CFS) model, which represents emotional abnormality, including anxiety.Results Intraperitoneal administration of MGS0039 (10 mg/kg) to rats for 7 days elicited a significant reduction in escape failures in the LH paradigm. In addition, rats treated with MGS0039 (2 mg/kg) showed significantly attenuated freezing behavior in a CFS model, indicating the anxiolytic-like potential of MGS0039.Conclusions These results suggest that the blockade of mGluR2/3 with MGS0039 may be effective in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders.