Effects of a new analog of thyrotropin-releasing hormone, N alpha-[(S)-4-oxo-2-azetidinyl) carbonyl]-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide dehydrate (YM-14673) on spinal reflex potentials and flexor reflexes in spinalized rats

Experiments were performed on spinalized rats, transected at the Cl level. The intravenous administration of TRH and its analog YM-14673 (N alpha-[(S)-4-oxo-2-azetidinyl) carbonyl]-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide dehydrate) produced marked increases in the amplitude of mono- and polysynaptic reflex potentials and those of the withdrawal flexor reflexes. The effects of YM-14673 were stronger and longer-lasting than those of TRH. The stimulant action of TRH and YM-14673 on the flexor reflexes was not antagonized by prazosin, chlorpromazine, haloperidol or cyproheptadine, suggesting no involvement of the release of catecholamines or serotonin in the stimulant effects of TRH and its analog. Therefore, YM-14673 may be beneficial for the treatment of several spinal motor neuron diseases.     

Dopamine agonists and valvular heart disease in Japanese patients with Parkinson's disease

Journal of Neurology - A high incidence of valvular heart disease in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with ergot-derived dopamine agonists, such as cabergoline and pergolide, has been...     

Characteristics and course of bone mineral densities among fast bone losers in a rural Japanese community: the Miyama Study

The aim of this study was to clarify and compare the temporal course of bone mineral density (BMD) between fast bone losers and normal residents in Miyama Village, a rural Japanese community. BMD was measured over a 10-year period in a cohort study in Miyama Village, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, to provide information on rate of bone loss in the mature and elderly population. Subjects (n=400) were selected by sex and age stratum from the full list of residents born in 1910–1949, with 50 men and 50 women in each age decade. Baseline BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 1990, 1993, 1997 and 2000. In the cohort, 171 men and 189 women completed the follow-up survey performed in 1993. After calculating the rate of bone loss between 1990 and 1993, the greatest tertile from the distribution of bone loss was categorized as fast bone losers, with the remainder considered as normal subjects. Changes in BMD were compared between normal subjects and fast bone losers over the 10-year period. Mean rate of change for BMD at both lumbar spine and femoral neck in fast bone losers recovered to levels similar to those in normal subjects over 7 years of observation. By contrast, BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck decreased steeply over the 10-year period in both groups, and mean BMD for fast bone losers was significantly lower than that of normal subjects (P<0.05). These differences were apparent only at the lumbar spine in both men and women, even after adjusting for age. These results indicate that fast bone loss is a transient phenomenon rather than a fixed status, although individuals who have been categorized as fast bone losers at some stage continue to display low BMD in the lumbar spine.     

Permanent prostate brachytherapy for Japanese men: Results from initial 100 patients with prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initial results of brachytherapy for prostate cancer with permanent iodine-125 implant in Japan. METHODS: The results obtained with brachytherapy in the initial 100 Japanese patients treated at Nagano Municipal Hospital were reviewed. Patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 10 ng/mL and a Gleason's scores of 5, 6, 3 + 4 were classified as having a low risk of recurrence. Patients with a PSA level of 10-20 ng/mL and/or a Gleason's score of 4 + 3 were classified as having an intermediate risk for recurrence. Seventy-eight of the low-risk patients and 19 of the intermediate-risk patients were treated by seed implants alone, or seed implants combined with preceding external radiation, respectively. A total of 53 patients received neoadjuvant hormone therapy. The efficacy and morbidity of brachytherapy were investigated using the serum PSA, International Prostate Symptom Score, quality of life score and uroflowmetry data. RESULTS: The average V100 and D90 obtained by post-implant dosimetry was 94.3 and 113.7%, respectively. Serum PSA decreased gradually after treatment, although it had still not reached a nadir after 1 year. There was little difference of the PSA level between the patients with and without neoadjuvant hormone therapy even at 1 year after seed implantation. There were no PSA biochemical failure or clinical recurrence during the follow-up period. Voiding symptoms worsened until 3 months after treatment, and then gradually improved. Acute urinary retention occurred transiently in one patient (1%). Rectal bleeding and severe diarrhea did not occur. CONCLUSION: Brachytherapy is a feasible and effective option for the treatment of prostate cancer in Japanese men. Brachytherapy may have a different effect in Japanese patients with respect to voiding symptoms. Urinary retention was rare, but voiding symptoms were persistent in Japanese patients. Neoadjuvant hormone therapy deserves investigation to determine whether it can achieve better results, especially in patients with an intermediate risk.     

Evaluation of preoperative chemoembolization using ethiodized oil, cisplatin and gelatin sponge (sandwich therapy) for hepatocellular carcinoma

The significance of preoperative chemoembolization using ethiodized oil, cisplatin and gelatin sponge (Sandwich therapy) for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was evaluated. One hundred and thirteen patients with solitary and less than 10 cm sized HCC who underwent radical hepatic resection were chosen for this study. Fifty-three patients received Sandwich therapy before surgery (Group A), and the remaining 60 patients under-went surgery without any preoperative treatments (Group B). Any background factors between two groups were not significantly different. The anticancer effects of this therapy were evaluated by histologic examination in 31 patients who had preoperative Sandwich therapy. In 22 of 31 patients (71%), the main nodules were completely necrotic. The ratios of patients with complete necrosis in daughter nodules were 7/12 (58%), in portal vein tumor emboli, 7/10 (70%), in intracapsular invasions, 11/21 (52%), in extracapsular invasions, 4/11 (36%). The 4-year disease-free survival rates in Group A and Group B were 56% and 27% respectively, and the rate of the former was significantly higher than that of the latter (p less than 0.05). The 4-year survival rates in Group A and Group B were 83% and 53% respectively. The rate of Group A was also significantly higher than that of Group B (p less than 0.01). We concluded that preoperative Sandwich therapy was very significant to obtain successful long-term disease-free survival and survival in regard to relatively early stage HCC.     

Effects of proton pump inhibitor on gastric mucosa hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation in anesthetized rats.

Proton pump inhibitors have been reported to have a cytoprotective action in addition to the anti-secretory action of acid. The precise mechanism, however, remains obscure. In this study, the effects of proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole and NC-1300) on gastric mucosa hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation were investigated using organ reflectance spectrophotometry in a hemorrhagic shock-reperfusion model involving anesthetized rats. Neither drug affected gastric mucosa hemodynamics nor tissue oxygenation in the basal state before hemorrhage. During the hemorrhagic shock state, however, these drugs maintained tissue oxygenation and reduced ulcer formation, although they did not show a significant effect on gastric mucosa blood volume. The results suggest that both proton pump inhibitors have an anti-ulcer action by maintaining mucosal oxygenation in addition to the anti-secretory activity of acid.