Five‐year efficacy of finasteride in 801 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia

Finasteride is standard medical treatment for androgenetic alopecia; however, no large studies with 5 years or more of follow up have been performed in Japan. The authors followed Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia treated with finasteride for 5 years to evaluate long‐term treatment efficacy. Of 903 men treated with finasteride (1 mg/day), 801 patients were evaluated over 5 years by modified global photographic assessment. Although the proportion of improvement was high (99.4%), modified global photographic assessment scores after 5 years of treatment were lower in patients with more advanced disease as measured by the modified Norwood–Hamilton scale. After separating patients into “sufficient” and “insufficient” efficacy groups according to the modified global photographic assessment score after 5 years (scores ≥6 and <6, respectively), multivariate analysis showed that independent risk factors of insufficient efficacy were age at start of treatment of 40 years or more (P = 0.021) and classification on the modified Norwood–Hamilton scale (P < 0.001), whereas presence of stress at start of treatment was a negative predictor (P = 0.025). In conclusion, continuous finasteride treatment for 5 years improved androgenetic alopecia with sustained effect among Japanese. Younger age and less advanced disease at start of treatment were the key predictors of higher finasteride efficacy.     

Activation of protein kinase C and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase in leukocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The involvement of oxidative stress in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in the pathogenesis of hypertension remains to be elucidated. We analyzed the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the circulating and peritoneally infiltrating PMN from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Flow cytometric analysis revealed that ROS generation by PMN from SHR was higher than that from WKY before (at 6 weeks of age) and after (at 16 weeks of age) the onset of hypertension. In vivo, ROS generation by PMN from SHR, but not that by PMN from WKY, was significantly suppressed by 10-week treatment with 50 mg/kg/day carvedilol, and this treatment did not affect blood pressure. Western blotting analysis revealed that protein kinase C alpha (PKCalpha), but not PKCbetaI or betaII, was activated more strongly in PMN from SHR than in PMN from WKY. Furthermore, expression of p47phox of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, but not of p67phox, in PMN from SHR was higher than that in PMN from WKY. These results suggest that ROS generation by PMN is principally enhanced in SHR through activation of PKCalpha and p47phox.     

Day-Night Variation of Urine Volume in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract: Studies on the circadian rhythm of urine excretion in healthy men have demonstrated that the maximal urine flow occurs in the early afternoon and the minimal around midnight. In this study, an abnormality in the variation of urine volume was found in parkinsonian patients. Urine samples were collected during daytime (9:00–21:00) and nighttime (21:00–9:00). Fifteen healthy control subjects were examined and found to excrete 60% during the daytime and 40% during the nighttime of the total urine volume. Sixteen parkinsonian patients excreted 43% during the daytime and 57% during the nighttime. In contrast to the control subjects, the parkinsonian patients excreted a smaller volume of their urine during the daytime than during the nighttime. This finding might be related to the degeneration of dopaminergic and/or nondopaminergic neurons in the brain which control urinary excretion.     

Non-hormonal adrenocortical adenoma with oncocytoma-like appearances

We report a case of non-hormonal adrenocortical adenoma. The tumor was removed en block with the adrenal gland. The specimen was 5.0 X 4.5 X 3.0 cm, weighed 30 g and was solid. Histologically, this tumor had an oncocytoma-like appearance. However, as there is no concept of oncocytoma in connection with adrenocortical adenoma, this case was diagnosed as adrenocortical adenoma. A case with such histological findings has never been reported.     

Results of low- and high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for T3 mobile tongue cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the treatment results of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) for T3 mobile tongue cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1974 and 1992, 61 patients with T3 mobile tongue cancer were treated with LDR ISBT using (192)Ir hairpins with or without single pins. In addition, between 1991 and 1999, 14 patients were treated with HDR ISBT. For nine patients treated with ISBT alone, the total dose was 59-94 Gy (median 72 Gy) within one week in LDR ISBT and 60 Gy/10 fractions/5 days in HDR ISBT. For 66 patients treated with a combination therapy of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and ISBT, the total dose was 12.5-60 Gy (median 30 Gy) of EBRT and 50-112 Gy (median 68 Gy) within 1 week in LDR ISBT or 32-60 Gy (median 48 Gy)/8-10 fractions/5-7 days in HDR ISBT. RESULTS: The 2- and 3-year local control rates of all patients were both 68%. The 2- and 3-year local control rates of patients treated with LDR ISBT were both 67%, and those with HDR ISBT were both 71%. The local control rate of patients treated with HDR ISBT was similar to those with LDR ISBT. CONCLUSIONS: ISBT for T3 mobile tongue cancer is effective and acceptable. The treatment result of HDR ISBT is almost similar to that of LDR ISBT for T3 mobile tongue cancer.     

Computerized tomography observation of a calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor with an odontoma: case report.

The calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor is a rare benign odontogenic lesion. This report documents a case of this lesion associated with odontoma arising from the anterior maxilla in a 14-year-old boy. The diagnosis was confirmed based on computerized tomography findings, which clearly depicted the internal structures obscured in conventional images.     

Satisfactory Remission Achieved by PUVA Therapy in Langerhans Cell Hisiocytosis in an Elderly Patient

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is currently regarded as a reactive proliferative process of Langerhans cells rather than a malignancy. The disease is characterized by Langerhans cell infiltration of skin, lung, bone and other organs. We report a 74-year-old man with Langerhans cell histiocytosis who had generalized hemorrhagic and crusted papules. He also had diabetes insipidus. Because he did not have any severe constitutional symptoms or failure of vital organs, we applied topical PUVA treatment to his skin lesions, which responded well to the therapy. Diabetes insipidus, however, remained, in spite of X ray radiotherapy for the pituiary lesion.     

Monoclonal antibodies (2C5 and 4C9) against lactoseries carbohydrates identify subsets of olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells and their axons in the rabbit

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against lactoseries carbohydrates were used to study immunohistochemically the olfactory and vomeronasal receptor cells and their axons in the rabbit. MAb 2C5, which recognizes Gal alpha 1----3Gal beta 1----4G1cNAc----R structure, selectively labeled a subset of olfactory receptor cells and the majority of vomeronasal receptor cells. MAb 4C9, which reacts with fucosyl poly-N-acetyllactosamine, identified a subset of vomeronasal receptor cells. The above two MAbs also labeled the axons of these chemosensory receptor cells and thus revealed their axonal projection sites in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs.     

Direct in vivo protein transduction into a specific restricted brain area in rats

Attempts at protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas have remained unsuccessful. We attempted targeted, direct in vivo protein transduction by microinjecting beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) with hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E) vector into the rat nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). The medulla oblongata including the NTS was removed 6h post-injection and cryostat sections were histochemically stained to detect beta-gal enzymatic activity. beta-gal-positive cells were present in these sections as was beta-gal activity determined by colorimetric analysis. beta-gal-positive cells were not present in the rats microinjected only beta-gal protein without HVJ-E vector. Our findings suggest that direct in vivo protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas is possible. The type of targeted delivery system we present may have wide applications in the administration of therapeutic proteins to the central nervous system.     

Raman spectroscopic study of hydrogen bonding of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) in heavy water and dimethyl sulfoxide

The Raman spectra of solutions of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP; M?_w = 1 000, 10 000, 40 000 and 360 000) in D₂O and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were measured at various concentrations. PVP is hydrated by D₂O in a manner different from N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), monomer analogues of PVP. The self-association of DMSO molecules in the solution of PVP was found to be different from that in the solution of NMP by using difference spectroscopy. These phenomena were attributed to a net-like structure of concentrated solutions of PVP.