LC–MS analysis of saponins of Achyranthes root in the Japanese market

Journal of Natural Medicines - LC–MS analyses of saponin fractions of Achyranthes roots in the Japanese market revealed that there were three patterns for the saponin fraction of their water...     

Determination of (E)-ferulic acid content in the root of Angelica acutiloba: a simple chemical evaluation method for crude drug quality control

Journal of Natural Medicines - The root of Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa is an important crude drug in Kampo medicines (traditional Japanese medicine). Chemical evaluation of crude drugs is crucial...     

Surgical results and visual outcomes of vitreous surgery for advanced stages of retinopathy of prematurity

PURPOSE: We evaluated the effectiveness of vitreous surgery for advanced stages of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with traction retinal detachment. METHODS: Vitreous surgery was performed in 34 children (51 eyes) with total traction retinal detachment associated with stage 5 ROP between January 1989 and December 1991 at the Fukuoka University Hospital. The first phase of the procedure was composed of pars plicata lensectomy, followed by vitrectomy, membrane delamination, and hyaluronic acid injection. For unsuccessful cases, the second phase of the procedure, comprising scleral encircling, vitrectomy, membrane delamination, retinotomy fluid-air exchange, and SF6 or temporary silicone injection with endophotocoagulation, was performed. In cases with surgical success, visual acuity was measured using the Landolt ring test. RESULTS: Of the 33 eyes with unsuccessful phase 1 surgery, 15 underwent the second phase procedure. Retinal reattachment was achieved in 7 of these 15 eyes (46.7%). Our composite rate of successful retinal reattachment for advanced stages of ROP was 47% (24 of 51 eyes). In 15 of the 24 eyes with surgical success, visual acuity was more than 20/600 in 3 eyes and no light perception in 1 eye. CONCLUSION: In vitreous surgery for advanced stages of ROP, retinal breaks and vitreous hemorrhage are important factors leading to surgical failure. In this series, we could achieve visual acuity of more than light perception for several cases.     

Health-related lifestyle and mental health among inhabitants of a city in Japan

AIM: Few studies have linked mental health to lifestyle factors in the Japanese general population. The present investigation was conducted to examine whether mental health is associated with a health-related lifestyle and how the strength of the association, if any, differs across sex and age groups, using health survey data for inhabitants of Japan. METHODS: The data used were obtained from a questionnaire survey on lifestyle and health. In 1998, the questionnaires were mailed to 2,288 subjects selected from among the inhabitants of a city in Japan, of whom 1,642 subjects (71.8%) responded. The present study included 1,343 subjects who completed all the items that were used in the analysis. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) -12 was used as an indicator of mental health, with 4 points or higher (high score) indicating poor mental health. Information on eight different lifestyle parameters was also obtained. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of having poor mental health for each lifestyle. RESULTS: Subjects in poor mental health had a lower mean score for a healthy lifestyle than those in good mental health. The difference in the mean score increased with age among men, while it decreased with age among women. The OR for having poor mental health among non-exercisers was higher in the older age group among men, while it was higher in the younger age group among women. A strong association between sleep hours and mental health was observed in the older age group among men, while it was seen in the younger age groups among women. Dietary factors in general showed a clearer association with mental health among women than among men, except for the consumption of salty foods, the association of which with mental health was more evident among men. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health was found to be significantly associated with health-related lifestyles in the Japanese population. The strength of the association for each lifestyle varied considerably across sex and age groups.     

Simultaneous UHPLC/MS quantitative analysis and comparison of Saposhnikoviae radix constituents in cultivated,wild and commercial products

Journal of Natural Medicines - Differences in the components of the crude drug Saposhnikoviae radix, both wild and cultivated, and the cultivation duration were examined by UHPLC/MS. As a result,...     

Effect of fMRI acoustic noise on sensorimotor activation examined using optical topography

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an important tool for noninvasively imaging the hemodynamic responses accompanying brain activity, but fMRI measurements are accompanied by loud acoustic noises resulting from Lorentz forces that cannot be completely excluded when the present technology is used. We used recorded fMRI acoustic noise and examined its effect on sensorimotor activation in optical topography measurement when subjects were instructed to tap the fingers of the right hand under a 23-dB non-noise condition and 46-, 56-, and 65-dB noise conditions. The results showed that the amplitude of the activation signal (relative change in concentration) for oxygenated hemoglobin in the sensorimotor cortex decreased with increasing noise. The activation signal for deoxygenated hemoglobin did not depend significantly on the noise level but did tend to decrease with increasing noise. These results suggest that fMRI acoustic noise affects the hemodynamics of cortical areas associated with the processing of information other than auditory information.     

In vitro leishmanicidal activity of some scarce natural products

Leishmanicidal activity of 46 natural products including several fern and Betula constituents was examined. Several pterosin and atisene compounds from ferns had high activity. Among the triterpenoids the carboxyl group was found to be important for activity. In the diarylheptanoids, the linear-type and the diphenylether-type showed significant activity, and it was found that the carbonyl group at C-11 is necessary for the activity of biphenyl-types.     

Antileishmanial compounds from Cordia fragrantissima collected in Burma (Myanmar)

A methanol extract of the wood of Cordia fragrantissima, collected in Burma (Myanmar), was found to exhibit significant activity against Leishmania major. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract using several chromatographic techniques afforded three new compounds (1-3) and five known compounds (4-8). The structures of the new compounds were revealed on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Interestingly, the new compounds, despite the presence of asymmetric carbons, were found to be racemates. The activities of the isolates from C. fragrantissima and several derivatives were evaluated against the promastigote forms of Leishmania major, L. panamensis, and L. guyanensis.     

The benzodiazepine receptor and receptor tolerance produced by chronic treatment of diazepam

A characterization of the benzodiazepine receptor in vivo was carried out utilizing the up-and-down method for a quantitative determination of the maximal seizure threshold to diazepam. Wistar-Imamichi male rats of 21 days of age were used. The drug concentration in the brain at the steady-state was measured with radiolabeled diazepam. A kinetic analysis for the dose-response relation obtained gave 2.2 microM and 1.6 for the Kd and n, respectively, in the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The results suggested the existence of a hitherto undiscovered endogenous ligand(s) suppressing the binding of benzodiazepine to the receptor, as compared with those in the in vitro binding-assay reported by other investigators. A chronic pretreatment with diazepam once a day for 13 days (0.2 and 2 mg/kg, s.c.) produced receptor tolerance, but did not affect the amount of the seizure threshold unless the drug was acutely administered 10 min before the electric shock. These results supported the argument that two distinct entities exist for both GABA and benzodiazepine recognition sites which are closely related to each other in their functioning.