Effects of vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) on calcium balance in ovariectomized rats

Vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) has been used for the treatment of osteoporosis in Japan. We investigated the effects of ovariectomy (OVX) and vitamin K2 on the calcium (Ca) balance in 20-week-old female Fischer rats. Vitamin K2 (31 mg/kg per day) was given to animals as a dietary supplement. At weeks 4 and 8 after OVX, a Ca balance study was performed for 5 days. The intestinal Ca transport was determined using the everted gut-sac technique at week 9. The Ca balance was poorer in the OVX-control group than in the sham-control group at weeks 4 and 8 after OVX. The Ca balance improved significantly in the vitamin K2 groups as compared with the sham- and OVX-control groups. The intestinal Ca transport decreased due to OVX and was higher in the vitamin K2 administration groups than in the sham- and OVX-control groups, but not to a significant extent. The bone mineral density in the femoral metaphysis as well as the cortical area and cortical thickness in the femoral diaphysis in the OVX-control group were lower than in the sham-control group. The administration of vitamin K2 significantly inhibited an OVX-induced decrease in cortical area and cortical thickness in the femur. These findings suggest that the poor Ca balance observed in ovariectomized rats may be improved by vitamin K2; vitamin K2 may be involved in preventing bone loss in vivo.     

A case of acute encephalitis with refractory,repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS) showing transient disappearance of the seizure with occurrence of choreo-ballistic movement

We present here a 5-year-old girl with acute encephalities with refractory, repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS), a new clinical entity defined by the following five criteria: 1. acute encephalitis with a prolonged acute phase of more than 2 weeks, 2. persistent partial seizures with identical phenotype both in the acute and recovery phase, 3. seizures frequently evolving into convulsive status especially during the acute phase, 4. extremely intractable, and 5. no causative lesion or agent is identified. Interestingly, her seizures had completely diminished from the fifty-sixth day of her illness with concomitant appearance of choreo-ballistic involuntary movements. After the 120th day of the illness, seizures evolved again, though the involuntary movements persisted. This transient disappearance of intractable seizures might provide a clue to the pathophysiology of seizures in AERRPS.     

Chemiluminescent detection of induced reactive oxygen metabolite production of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes by anthophyllite asbestos

Incidences of lung cancer and pleural plaque have been reported in relation to exposure to anthophyllite asbestos. To investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of anthophyllite, chemiluminescence (CL) detection of reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) generation of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) stimulated by anthophyllite asbestos was determined and compared with that of other asbestos and mineral fiber samples. When anthophyllite fiber sample was mixed with the luminol-primed PMN, high levels of CL which exhibited a specific time course characterized by two separate peaks were induced. The CL induced by anthophyllite sample was greater than that induced by chrysotile, crocidolite, and amosite asbestos. We further investigated the two peaks of CL using specific inhibitors of signal transduction mechanisms. The two peaks of CL by anthophyllite sample were different in sensitivity to cytochalasin B and genistein; the former relates to the cytoskeleton-dependent mechanism and the latter has been shown to inhibit tyrosine kinase, which resides in the pathway to cause PMN activation. The strong ROM reaction of PMN by anthophyllite suggests that the surface characteristics of the fiber may participate in the pathogenic mechanisms of anthophyllite asbestos.     

Effects of group musical therapy on inpatients with chronic psychoses: a controlled study

The objective of the present study was to examine the efficacy of group musical therapy for inpatients with DSM-IV schizophrenia or schizoaffective psychosis. Thirty-four therapy group subjects in a ward for long-stay female patients received 15 group musical therapy sessions over 4 months, while 32 waiting group subjects from another ward with the same function were to wait for the sessions until the studied course was completed. The assessment included measures of psychotic symptoms, objective quality of life and subjective musical experiences. Comparison of the groups indicated that significant advantages in the therapy group subjects were detected in some measures concerning personal relations and a subjective sense of participation in a chorus activity. However, the follow-up evaluation suggested that the improvement might not be durable. These findings suggested that the musical therapy had some, but possibly only short-lived, effects on personal relations and musical experiences of chronic psychotic patients.     

Primary Sjögren's syndrome initially manifested by optic neuritis: MRI findings

We herein describe the MRI findings in a patient clinically diagnosed with primary Sj?gren's syndrome (SjS) initially manifested by retrobulbar optic neuritis. A 63-year-old woman suddenly had left ocular pain and progressive visual disturbance. MR T2-weighted images revealed hyperintensity in the left optic nerve, with swelling. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed no abnormal enhancement. Follow-up MRI 6 months after admission revealed no significant changes in the affected optic nerve. To our knowledge, optic neuritis as a complication of SjS has been reported in ten patients [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] and MRI findings in only one of them [6]. We thought MR images were useful for visualizing optic nerve involvement in SjS and observing its course.     

Use of the laryngeal mask airway in combination with regional anesthesia facilitates induction and emergence from general anesthesia in patients undergoing colorectal surgery

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is selected as an alternative to the endotracheal tube (ETT) when rapid recovery from general anesthesia is considered. However, the clinical significance of this airway for abdominal surgery is unclear. Thus, we evaluated whether the LMA, in combination with regional anesthesia, facilitates the induction of and emergence from general anesthesia in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Anesthesia-controlled time in a ETT/Epidural Anesthesia (EA) group [n = 11; general anesthesia, combined with epidural anesthesia, was maintained by sevoflurane (< 3%) supplemented with a fixed rate of propofol (3 mg/kg/h) under controlled ventilation using the ETT] was compared with that in a LMA/Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia (CSEA) group [n = 10; in combination with spinal-epidural anesthesia, general anesthesia was maintained as the same protocol as the ETT/EA under spontaneous ventilation using the LMA]. Time for airway placement in the LMA/CSEA group was significantly shorter than that in the ETT/EA group. Intervals from the end of surgery until the removal of the airway or the decision to exit the operating room in the LMA/CSEA group were shorter than those in the ETT/EA group. No practical sign of aspiration pneumonia and/or atelectasis was found in patients in either group. Under the circumstance of regional anesthesia being requested for post-surgical pain management, we concluded that the LMA facilitated the emergence from as well as the induction of anesthesia without any practical complication when used for patients in colorectal surgery.