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Background: Autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD) patients are at high risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the medium-term effects of immunosuppressants on vaccine efficacy are unknown. We investigated the duration of humoral responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) wild-type and Omicron variant in AIRD patients administered with two doses of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine., Methods: Serum-neutralizing antibody (NAb) and anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD)/spike antibody levels were measured. Short- and medium-term effects of immunosuppressants were analyzed pre-vaccination (Term 1) and 14-42 days (Term 2) and 100-200 days (Term 3) after the second vaccination., Findings: From Feb 1, 2021, to Feb 28, 2022, 439 AIRD patients and 146 healthy controls were investigated. The seropositivity rate and log 10 -NAb titers were significantly lower in AIRD patients than in controls at Terms 2 and 3. In rheumatoid arthritis patients, tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (TNFis) at Term 3, and older age, glucocorticoids, and abatacept at Terms 2 and 3 were risk factors for reduced responses. Anti-Omicron RBD/spike IgG levels strongly correlated with NAb titers., Interpretation: Glucocorticoids, TNFis, and abatacept treatments negatively affect the longevity of humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron, after two vaccine doses. These findings may inform the timing of additional vaccination for AIRD patients., Funding: Cloud Funding of Peace Winds Japan; Center of Innovation Program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development; Kansai Economic Federation; Mitsubishi Zaidan; and Research Grant from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2022 The Authors.)

An absolute gas concentration can be measured from the variation in the speed of sound between two gases in principle. Owing to the small difference in the speed of sound between the atmospheric air and oxygen (O 2 ) gas, measuring O 2 concentration with high accuracy in the humid atmospheric air using ultrasound needs careful investigation. The authors show successfully a method to measure the absolute concentration of O 2 gas in humid atmospheric air using ultrasound. It was possible to measure O 2 concentration in the atmospheric air with accuracy by compensating for the influence of temperature and humidity by calculation. The O 2 concentration was calculated from the conventional speed of sound equation by utilizing small mass variation for the change in moisture as well as temperature. This method using ultrasound enabled us to measure the O 2 concentration in the atmospheric air as 21.0%, which is in agreement with the standard atmospheric dry air. The measurement error values after the humidity compensation are about 0.4% or less. Furthermore, this method takes only about a few ms for measuring O 2 concentration and, thus, can be used as a high-speed portable O 2 sensor for industrial, environmental, and biomedical instruments.

Purpose: Japan, with an increasing number of elderly people needing long-term care in a super-aged society, urgent needs to develop the clinical guidelines on implant maintenance for elderly people with declining independence. The purpose is to categorize the troubles encountered in the care of patients with dental implants and to indicate actual practices and points of note., Methods: From the members of the Japanese Society of Oral Implantology, 12 expert panelists who were experienced with many problems of implant maintenance during dental visits and were familiar with their solutions were selected. Through repeated discussions in the many panel meetings, the problems of implant maintenance during dental visits were distilled., Results: During a dental visit, the oral cavity, general conditions, and background of elderly patients who cannot orally care for themselves must be grasped, and medical staff, care managers, and patients should understand the changes in these factors as time goes by. The solutions and responses that can be made differ greatly depending on the medical care facilities, the environment, differences in the experience of medical staff, and the patient's background. Thus, it is necessary to select safe treatments appropriate to each situation., Conclusions: This paper features many opinions based on clinical experiences. However, clinical guidelines on implant management during dental visits should be formulated in the future based on the accumulation of evidence through the implementation of clinical research., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Consecutive mRNA vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 reinforced both innate and adaptive immune responses. However, it remains unclear whether the enhanced innate immune responses are mediated by epigenetic regulation and, if so, whether these effects persist. Using mass cytometry, RNA-Seq, and ATAC-Seq, we show that BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination upregulated antiviral and IFN-stimulated gene expression in monocytes with greater effects after the second vaccination than those after the first vaccination. Transcription factor-binding motif analysis also revealed enriched IFN regulatory factors and PU.1 motifs in accessible chromatin regions. Importantly, although consecutive BNT162b2 mRNA vaccinations boosted innate immune responses and caused epigenetic changes in isolated monocytes, we show that these effects occurred only transiently and disappeared 4 weeks after the second vaccination. Furthermore, single-cell RNA-Seq analysis revealed that a similar gene signature was impaired in the monocytes of unvaccinated patients with COVID-19 with acute respiratory distress syndrome. These results reinforce the importance of the innate immune response in the determination of COVID-19 severity but indicate that, unlike adaptive immunity, innate immunity is not unexpectedly sustained even after consecutive vaccination. This study, which focuses on innate immune memory, may provide novel insights into the vaccine development against infectious diseases.

A Si nanoparticle paste has been studied to form a Si film on a substrate. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was conducted in order to recrystallize the Si paste which were prepared by a planetary ball milling grinding n-doped or p-doped Si chips. It was possible to minimize the oxidation during the melting process of Si nanoparticles with this RTA even at 1200 °C in 1 s. Lowering of the melting temperature appears to be due to the size effect and release of surface energy from the Si nanoparticles. RTA was conducted in an infrared furnace with temperatures varying from 1150 to 1300 °C. Si pn homo-junction structure was also fabricated by coating p-type followed by n-type Si pastes on a carbon substrate. Typical rectifying characteristics and slight photo-induced current was observed.

A 66-year-old woman presented with severe anaemia, thrombocytopenia and lymphopenia. The bone marrow biopsy demonstrated hypocellular marrow with myelofibrosis (MF); there was no evidence of malignancy, but infiltration of peripheral T and B cells were noticed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed that bone marrow of the spine exhibited low signal intensity (SI) with spotty high SI in T1- and T2-weighted images. Because there was evidence of autoimmune abnormality, she had fulfilled the classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She was diagnosed with autoimmune myelofibrosis (AIMF) associated with SLE and was treated with corticosteroid. Cytopenia improved after 1 month of corticosteroid therapy. A repeated bone marrow biopsy demonstrated that cellularity had increased and that the amount of reticulin fibre had reduced after treatment. Compared with primary MF, AIMF has generally a favourable prognosis and is often associated with autoimmune diseases, especially SLE. Bone marrow biopsy, but not aspiration, was useful for diagnosing bone marrow fibrosis. Although the association between SLE and MF has been rarely reported, we should pay attention to MF as a possible cause of pancytopenia.

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between supersaturation and precipitation and the effect of a supersaturated state on drug membrane permeation. Stock solutions of albendazole (ALB) and ketoconazole (KTZ) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (0.1-50 mg/mL) were diluted 100-fold with buffer solution (pH 6.8, 37°C). In the case of ALB, a supersaturated state and immediate precipitation were observed at 10 μg/mL or less and 20 μg/mL or higher, respectively. When KTZ was used, at an initial concentration of 200 μg/mL or higher, precipitation was observed, although the dissolved concentration remained at approximately 120 μg/mL for at least 30 min. These dissolved concentrations of ALB and KTZ related to approximately 10-fold and 14-fold over the saturated solubility from respective bulk powder. An in vitro permeation study implied that the rate of drug permeation across a biological membrane increased with increasing supersaturation. These results suggested favorable strategies for development of a supersaturable formulation could depend on the precipitation properties of the drug. Immediate- and controlled-release forms might be suitable for supersaturable formulations for KTZ and ALB, respectively., (Copyright © 2019 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The associations between microalbuminuria and various parameters of flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) are not completely understood. We retrospectively analyzed 265 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography and in whom we could measure FMD and the urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR). Using 15 continuous measurement approaches, we measured FMD as the magnitude of the percentage change in the brachial artery diameter from baseline to peak (bFMD), the maximum FMD rate calculated as the maximal slope of dilation (FMD-MDR), and the integrated FMD response calculated as the area under the dilation curve during the 60- and 120-s dilation periods (FMD-AUC60 and FMD-AUC120). We divided the patients into two groups according to UACR: normoalbuminuria (NOR, n = 211) and microalbuminuria (MIC, n = 54). The MIC group showed a significantly higher percentage of coronary artery disease than the NOR group. FMD-AUC60 and FMD-AUC120, but not FMD-MDR, in the MIC group were significantly lower than those in the NOR group. On the other hand, bFMD in the MIC group tended to be lower than that in the NOR group, but this difference was not significant. A multiple regression analysis indicated that FMD-AUC120 and diabetes mellitus were predictors of MIC. Finally, we defined the cut-off value of FMD-AUC 120 for the presence of MIC in all patients as 8.4 mm x second (sensitivity 0.640, specificity 0.588) by a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. In conclusion, this study provides more definitive evidence for the association of microalbuminuria with endothelial dysfunction. FMD-AUC120 may be a superior marker for MIC.

Background: Many patients continue to have high blood pressure (BP) even after treatment with high-dose (H)-angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB)/calcium channel blocker (CCB) or middle-dose (M)-ARB/CCB/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)., Methods: Thirty-two hypertensive patients who had the use of H-ARB/CCB or M-ARB/CCB/HCTZ were enrolled in this study. We applied a changeover with a switch to H-ARB (telmisartan 80 mg/day)/CCB (amlodipine 5 mg/day or nifedipine CR 40 mg/day)/HCTZ (12.5 mg/day)., Results: Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly decreased in all patients and in the H-ARB/CCB and M-ARB/CCB/HCTZ groups after 3 months. Percentage (%) of patients who reached the target BP after 3 months (72%) in all patients was significantly higher than that at 0 months (19%). There were no serious adverse effects in any of the patients., Conclusions: Combination therapy with H-ARB/CCB/HCTZ was associated with a significant reduction of BP.

In order to increase the success rate in the development of oral drugs, an in vitro method, which can accurately estimate human oral absorption of a large variety of compounds from solid formulations, is required in the drug discovery stage. A dissolution/permeation (D/P) system is an in vitro system that simultaneously evaluates dissolution and permeation processes of drugs administered orally. In this study, we have investigated the advantages of a D/P system for use in the provisional estimation of human oral absorption of a drug (absorbed fraction, Fa) by applying it in its solid state. The D/P system mounted with a Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II cell monolayer was used to simultaneously evaluate the dissolved and the permeated amounts (% of dose) of 48 marketed drugs. Slightly modified, fasted-state simulated intestinal fluid (FaSSIFmod, 8 mL) was used as the apical medium of the D/P system. Each test drug was applied to the apical side of the D/P system as a suspension at one-hundredth of the clinical dose. The apparent permeability coefficient across the MDCK II cell monolayer was estimated in a buffer solution (pH 6.5). The octanol/water distribution coefficient (Log D) was measured at pH 6.5 by a flask shaking method. Transport medium (TM, pH 6.5), a buffer solution removing lecithin and taurocholate from FaSSIFmod, was used to determine the solubility at 24 h after applying drugs. The solubility in TM was used as a free drug concentration in FaSSIFmod. A good correlation was obtained between observed human Fa and the permeated amount in the D/P system. When the sigmoidal curve was obtained by the curve fitting to the data, the determination coefficient was R(2) = 0.79 and the 95% interval of the predicted Fa values was about ±24% for all drugs tested in the present study. For comparison, the permeated amount was calculated by multiplying the permeability of each drug (in vitro Papp) by the solubility in FaSSIFmod. However, the calculated permeated amount showed a lower correlation with the observed human Fa compared to the observed permeated amount in the D/P system. The ratio of the observed permeated amount to the calculated permeated amount was in inverse proportion to the ratio of solubility in FaSSIFmod to solubility in TM. This finding suggests the necessity of determining the free fraction of the dissolved drug in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract when calculating the human Fa. In the case of the D/P system, since applied drugs dissolved in FaSSIFmod first, and then only the free fraction permeated the membrane, an accurate estimation of the human Fa was possible from only the observed permeated amount. This in vitro system is expected to contribute to the selection of better compounds for oral use during the lead- and formulation-optimization processes in the drug discovery stage.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to identify factors involved in NASH progression by analysis of pathophysiological features and gene-expression profiles in livers of STAM mice, a model of NASH-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. C57BL/6N (B6N) mice were injected with streptozotocin to generate STAM mice. Four-week-old male STAM and B6N mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) (STAM-F, B6N-F) or a conventional diet (STAM-C, B6N-C) until they were 10, 14, or 18 weeks old. Blood glucose and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity scores of STAM-F were higher than those of STAM-C during all observation periods. STAM-F mice had more severe hepatic fibrosis at 14 weeks, and exhibited higher levels of α-fetoprotein-positive hepatic tumor formation with multiplication than STAM-C mice at 18 weeks. At 14 weeks, cDNA microarray analysis revealed that the hepatic expression of eight mRNAs was ≥30-fold higher in STAM-F than B6N-F mice. The expression of another four genes was increased ≥5-fold in STAM-F than B6N-F mice, and ≥5-fold in B6N-F relative to B6N-C mice. Of the 12 genes, the difference in Sptlc3 mRNA expression was most pronounced, and gradually increased over time, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR in STAM-F mice. In addition, Sptlc3 mRNA expression in STAM-F mice was higher than that in db/db mice that received HFD and in B6N mice fed a choline‑deficient L-amino acid (CDAA)-defined diet. In conclusion, a high-fat diet aggravated pathophysiological findings in the liver in NASH mouse models, and the hepatic expression of Sptlc3 mRNA was potentially associated with NASH progression.

Recent evidence suggests that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathological changes in patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and lysosomal storage diseases. In order to examine the possible increase in the permeability of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and resultant infiltration of PBMCs due to cathepsin D (CatD) deficiency, a process underlying the onset of congenital NCL, we examined structural changes in brain vessels in CatD-/- mice. Consequently, the mean diameter of the brain vessels in the cerebral cortex on postnatal day 24 (P24) was significantly larger in CatD-/- mice than in wild-type mice. Furthermore, the mean number of brain pericytes in CatD-/- mice began to decline significantly on P16 and almost disappeared on P24, and oxidative DNA damage was first detected in brain pericytes on P12. Examinations with electron microscopy revealed that brain pericytes were laden with dense granular bodies, cytoplasmic vacuoles and lipid droplets. The infiltration of PBMCs characterized by segmented nucleus laden with dense granular bodies was also noted in the cerebral cortex of CatD-/- mice. When primary cultured microglia prepared from enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing transgenic rats were injected into the common carotid artery, GFP-positive microglia were detected in the brain parenchyma of CatD-/-, but not wild-type, mice. Moreover, pepstatin A, a specific aspartic protease inhibitor, induced mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the isolated brain pericytes, which decreased the cell viability. These observations suggest that increased lysosomal storage due to CatD deficiency causes oxidative damage in brain pericytes, subsequently resulting in an increased vessel diameter, enhanced permeability of the BBB and the infiltration of PBMCs. Therefore, protecting brain pericytes against lysosomal storage-induced oxidative stress may represent an alternative treatment strategy for congenital NCL., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) and adipocytokines are involved in the metabolic syndrome, which has been putatively associated with the progression of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). However, the association between these cytokines and CHC is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study is to test whether serum levels of AIM and adipocytokines are associated with histological features, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), or whole body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI) in CHC patients., Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 77 patients with biopsy-proven CHC. In 39 patients without overt diabetes mellitus, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed and HOMA-IR and WBISI were calculated., Results: A serum AIM level of ≥ 1.2 μg/ml was independently associated with advanced hepatic fibrosis (F2 or F3) (odds ratio [OR], 5.612; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.103-28.563; P = 0.038) based on a multivariate analysis, but there was no significant association between AIM and hepatic steatosis or inflammation. Furthermore, a serum leptin level of ≥ 8.6 ng/ml was independently associated with the presence of hepatic steatosis (≥ 5%) (OR, 6.195; 95% CI, 1.409-27.240; P = 0.016), but not hepatic fibrosis or inflammation. No relationship was observed between levels of adiponectin or resistin and hepatic histological parameters based on a multivariate analysis. Although serum levels of leptin, resistin, and adiponectin were significantly correlated with HOMA-IR and WBISI, there was no significant relationship between serum AIM levels and HOMA-IR or WBISI, respectively., Conclusion: High serum levels of AIM in CHC patients are potentially related to advanced hepatic fibrosis. AIM and adipocytokines are possibly associated with pathological changes via a different mechanism.

Objectives: Poor oral absorption of a factor Xa inhibitor, DX-9065, is partly due to the interaction with bile acids in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to improve the oral bioavailability of DX-9065 by cyclodextrins (CyDs) capable of interfering with such interaction., Methods: The abilities of the CyDs to interfere with the interaction between DX-9065 and sodium chenodeoxycholate were evaluated using equilibrium dialysis. The interaction between DX-9065 and the CyDs was studied spectroscopically. Effects of the CyDs on the oral absorption of DX-9065 were examined in rats., Key Findings: Hydroxypropyl-β-CyD and γ-CyD were effective in interfering with the interaction between DX-9065 and sodium chenodeoxycholate as a representative bile acid. Spectroscopic studies revealed that DX-9065 was included into the CyD cavity to form inclusion complexes in an acidic medium. With dissociation of the carboxyl group of DX-9065 in a neutral medium, the stability of the complexes was decreased to such an extent that DX-9065 in the cavity is replaced with co-existing bile acids. The average area under the plasma concentration-time curve value after oral administration of DX-9065 with hydroxypropyl-β-CyD was 2.5 times higher than that of DX-9065 alone with a statistical difference in rats., Conclusions: We suggest that the CyDs are useful in designing oral formulations of DX-9065 with an improved bioavailability., (© 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

A clinical trial of (2S)-2-[4-[[(3S)-1-acetimidoyl-3-pyrrolidinyl]oxy]phenyl]-3-(7-amidino-2-naphtyl) propanoic acid (DX-9065) revealed that its oral bioavailability was only 3% when it was administered as a conventional capsule formulation. The low bioavailability of DX-9065 was likely caused by both its poor membrane permeability and its electrostatic interaction with anionic bile acids. We hypothesized that DX-9065 absorption would be enhanced when the cationic drug was free from the complex through its replacement with other cationic substances. Polystyrene nanospheres coated with cationic poly(vinylamine) and cholestyramine, which is clinically used as a cholesterol-lowering agent, dramatically prevented DX-9065 from interacting with chenodeoxycholic acid in vitro. Successive animal experiments showed that bioavailability of DX-9065 administered with these cationic substances was 2-3 times that of DX-9065 administered solely. A dry syrup formulation with one-half of a minimal cholesterol-lowering equivalent dose of cholestyramine was designed, and the clinical trial was resumed. A 1.3-fold increase in bioavailability of DX-9065 was observed when the dry syrup was administered. We successfully demonstrated that DX-9065 absorption was enhanced when the drug was administered with cationic additives; however, it appeared that the absorption-enhancing function of cholestyramine largely depended on its dose. The dose escalation is probably prerequisite for the significant improvement of DX-9065 absorption in humans., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Laser-activated irrigation (LAI) has recently been introduced as an innovative method for root canal irrigation. However, there is limited information about the cleaning mechanism of an Er:YAG laser. In this study, we visualized the action of laser-induced bubbles and fluid flow in vitro to better understand the physical mechanisms underlying LAI., Methods: An Er:YAG laser was equipped with a novel cone-shaped tip with a lateral emission rate of approximately 80%. Laser light was emitted at a pulse energy of 30, 50, or 70 mJ (output energy: 11, 18, or 26 mJ) and a repetition rate of 1 or 20 pulses per second, without air or water spray. Fluid flow dynamics in a root canal model were observed by using glass-bead tracers under a high-speed camera. Moreover, laser-induced bubble patterns were visualized in both free water and the root canal model., Results: Tracers revealed high-speed motion of the fluid. A full cycle of expansion and implosion of vapor and secondary cavitation bubbles were clearly observed. In free water, the vapor bubble expanded for 220 microseconds, and its shape resembled that of an apple. In the root canal model, the vapor bubble expanded in a vertical direction along the canal wall, and bubble expansion continued for ≥700 microseconds. Furthermore, cavitation bubbles were created much more frequently in the canal model than in free water., Conclusions: These results suggest that the cleaning mechanism of an Er:YAG laser within the root canal might depend on rapid fluid motion caused by expansion and implosion of laser-induced bubbles., (Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An epidemiologic examination was carried out to reveal the prevalence of the periodontal diseases and oral pigmentation in patients with Yusho in 2010. The results obtained were as follows. 1) Yusho patients complained of tooth pain and periodontal diseases such as gingival swelling, but not of oral pigmentation. 2) 104 patients out of 117 patients with Yusho, who were measured periodontal pocket depth according to Ramfjord' methods, had at least one tooth with periodontal pocket deeper than 3 mm. Similarly, 314 teeth out of a total 551 examined teeth showed a periodontal pocket with more than 3 mm in depth. However, it was determined that 57 teeth had a periodontal pocket deeper than 4 mm. 3) Oral pigmentation was observed in 63 patients out of 122 patients with Yusho. In this study, gingival pigmentation was most predominant among oral pigmentation. The prevalence of oral pigmentation in male patients seemed to be somewhat higher than that in female patients. In addition, the prevalence of oral pigmentation tended to be higher in patients under seventy years old than patients beyond the age of seventy. These results indicated that PCB-related compounds may be responsible for the higher prevalence of both periodontal diseases and oral pigmentation.

Oral bioavailability of DX-9065, a factor Xa inhibitor, was only 3% when it was administered as a conventional capsule formulation in fasted humans, and was further reduced to about one-tenth when it was administered to fed humans. The poor absorption of DX-9065 probably resulted from its low membrane permeability and its electrostatic interaction with bile acid. We designed enteric-coated tablets with the expectation that this pharmaceutical technology will prevent DX-9065 from interacting with bile acid. More than 85% of DX-9065 was released from the tablet coated with hypromellose acetate succinate within 10min in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). Monkey experiments demonstrated that AUC of DX-9065 after oral administration of its enteric-coated tablet was about 5 times that of its aqueous solution in the fasted state. The food effect on drug absorption was also reduced when DX-9065 was administered as an enteric-coated tablet. The average ratio of AUC in a fed state to that in a fasted state was approximately 0.5, even though the ratio was 0.1 when the enteric-coated tablet was substituted with the drug solution. Enteric coating could be a useful method for improving oral absorption of DX-9065 with reduced food effects on drug absorption., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Correlation analysis between food effects on oral drug absorption (food effect) and physicochemical properties is important for efficient drug discovery and contributes to drug design. This study focused on micelle binding and solubilization considering bile micelles in the intestinal fluid. Profiling using about 40 launched drugs demonstrated that those in a high solubilization area (area 1) tended to have a positive food effect, and that drugs exhibiting negative/no food effect tended to coexist in a no/low solubilization area (area 2). In area 1, the solubilization effect by bile micelles was demonstrated quantitatively as an important factor that indicates a positive food effect. In area 2, the relative and quantitative relationships among the membrane permeation rate, dissolution rate, micelle binding and food effect could be clarified by simulation. The improvement of membrane permeability and the suppression of micelle binding are considered to be required to avoid a negative food effect. In conclusion, important factors contributing to the food effect were clarified relatively and quantitatively. Data generated from this profiling may be beneficial to find a solution for negative food effects. Furthermore, this risk assessment of food effects is considered to be a useful tool in rational drug design for drug discovery.

The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (IgAN) are not well understood. In this study, we examined gene expression profiles in kidneys obtained from mice with high serum IgA levels (HIGA mice), which exhibit features of human IgAN. Female inbred HIGA, established from the ddY line, were used in these experiments. Serum IgA levels, renal IgA deposition, mesangial proliferation, and glomerulosclerosis were increased in 32-week-old HIGA mice in comparison to ddY animals. By microarray analysis, five genes were observed to be increased by more than 2.5-fold in 32-week-old HIGA in comparison to 16-week-old HIGA; these same five genes were decreased more than 2.5-fold in 32-week-old ddY in comparison to 16-week-old ddY mice. Of these five genes, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (IGFBP)-1 exhibited differential expression between these mouse lines, as confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, serum IGFBP-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with IgAN than in healthy controls. In patients with IgAN, these levels correlated with measures of renal function, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), but not with sex, age, serum IgA, C3 levels, or IGF-1 levels. Pathologically, serum IGFBP-1 levels were significantly associated with the severity of renal injury, as assessed by mesangial cell proliferation and interstitial fibrosis. These results suggest that increased IGFBP-1 levels are associated with the severity of renal pathology in patients with IgAN., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The establishment of a new index for the profile of serum protein binding was analyzed theoretically. The in vitro pharmacological activity ratio of the inhibition constant in the absence of serum protein to that in its presence (activity ratio), which represents the extent of specific binding to serum protein, was suggested as the new index. To clarify the usefulness of the activity ratio, theoretical analysis by the activity ratio for 3% human serum albumin was examined in comparison with conventional methods of equilibrium dialysis. In-house very late antigen-4 antagonists were used as model compounds, whose pharmacokinetics were strongly influenced by serum protein binding. Although the theoretical and actual unbound fractions were similar, the latter tended to be slightly lower than the former. This small difference was considered to correspond to nonspecific binding. These results suggested that the specific and nonspecific binding could be discriminated by comparing the activity ratio data with those of conventional methods. Moreover, the activity ratio was suggested to be useful in profiling the influence of protein binding on pharmacokinetics. In conclusion, it was considered that the activity ratio could avoid the risk of misleading interpretation by nonspecific binding in pharmacokinetics/pharmacological activity. Moreover, the activity ratio was considered to be valuable as one of the useful parameters in pharmacokinetics profiling and as a tool of rational drug design for drug discovery.

Influence of metal catalyst (Fe) surface condition was investigated for the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Surface condition of 5 nm thick Fe coated on Si substrate was changed by varying substrate temperature during the CNTs synthesis in a thermal CVD method. Acetylene and argon were used as precursor and carrier gas, respectively, for the synthesis of CNTs. After the growth, the CNTs were removed from the substrate and the post-growth condition of the substrate surface was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unlike the case of untreated Fe-coated Si substrate, XPS analysis shows Si peaks from the thermal treated substrate/samples, which indicates the formation of Fe nanoparticles. AFM results indicate that 750 degrees C is optimum temperature for the nanoparticle formation. Moreover, SEM results show that 700 degrees C is optimum temperature for the CNTs synthesis. The results of this study clarify that the optimum temperature for nanoparticle formation and CNT synthesis are different.

We report the case of a pregnant woman who suffered from hypotension after first exposure to intravenous administration of a combination drug containing vitamins B1, B6 and B12 (Vitamedin; Daiichi-Sankyo, Tokyo, Japan). A 27-year-old Japanese woman received an intravenous infusion of fluid containing a vitamin B complex due to hyperemesis gravidarum. Thirty minutes after the start of infusion she was found to be in hypotension. The patient had stupor, general sweating, blood pressure of 82/50 mmHg, and low percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) of 88%. We immediately stopped the infusion, lifted her legs and administered oxygen. Three minutes after these treatments, she quickly recovered to a good general condition. A skin prick test for vitamin B12 was positive, but tests for B1, B6, mannitol and saline were negative, indicating this adverse reaction was one of drug hypersensitivity due to the vitamin B12 in Vitamedin. Patients should be observed carefully immediately after the administration of Vitamedin.

An epidemiologic examination was carried out to reveal the prevalence of the periodontal diseases and oral pigmentation in patients with Yusho in 2008. The results obtained were as follows. 1) Yusho patients complained of tooth pain and periodontal diseases such as gingival swelling, gingival bleeding, but not of oral pigmentation. 2) 116 patients out of 148 patients with Yusho, who were measured periodontal pocket depth according to Ramfjord' methods, had at least one tooth with periodontal pocket deeper than 3 mm. Similarly, 399 teeth out of a total 710 examined teeth showed a periodontal pocket with more than 3 mm in depth. However, it was determined that 74 teeth had a periodontal pocket deeper than 4 mm. 3) Oral pigmentation was observed in 91 patients out of 155 patients with Yusho. In this study, gingival pigmentation was most predominant among oral pigmentation. The prevalence of oral pigmentation in male patients seemed to be somewhat higher than that in female patients. In addition, the prevalence of oral pigmentation tended to be higher in younger patients than in elder patients. Pigmentation of the buccal mucosa, lip or palate, however, was observed only in patients beyond the age of fifty. These results indicated that PCB-related compounds may be responsible for the higher prevalence of both periodontal diseases and oral pigmentation.

Cesarean hysterectomy for placenta previa percreta with bladder invasion often induces not only massive hemorrhage but also severe bladder/ureter injuries. A 37-year-old woman with previous cesarean delivery suffered placenta previa percreta with bladder invasion. At the 34th week, we performed cesarean hysterectomy. Without separating the bladder from the uterus/cervix, we incised the bladder lateral wall using an automatic stapling/cutting device, leaving the bladder posterior wall adhering to the uterus and resecting it with the uterus. The bladder was easily repaired without urological sequelae. We suggest a new, simple and safe technique for cesarean hysterectomy for this disease.