We have demonstrated for the first time that a second-generation antihistamine ameliorates nocturnal scratching behavior in atopic dermatitis patients using a modified wristwatch-type acoustic scratching counting system that we have recently developed. We also analyzed the sleep quality by simultaneous recording of electroencephalogram, and found that sleep quality was unaffected.
Mitochondria are one of the possible sources of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species in tissue during ischemia-reperfusion. In order to delineate the capacity of the respiratory chain to produce reactive oxygen species, the effect of respiratory inhibitors on the oxygen uptake and luminol and lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence was measured in isolated blood-free perfused rat livers. Concomitant tissue damage was monitored by measuring the release of lactate dehydrogenase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances by the livers. Cyanide inhibited oxygen uptake reversibly while rotenone and Antimycin A effects were not reversible. Enhanced chemiluminescence was increased immediately by cyanide, suggesting increased formation of reactive oxygen species. Antimycin A produced a delayed, large increase in chemiluminescence concurrent with severe cell damage and increased lipid peroxidation; Cyanide and rotenone induced only limited cell damage. The cell damaging effect of Antimycin A was delayed by the simultaneous administration of cyanide. These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of reactive oxygen species produced during Antimycin A inhibition of the respiratory chain in cell damage.
The effects of lidocaine on cerebral metabolic changes during and after forebrain Ischemia (10min) in a rat model were studied by in vivo 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Rat brains were made ischemic for 10min by bleeding to 40mmHg with subsequent application of bilateral carotid artery occlusion. Forebrain Ischemia caused a decrease in intracellular high-energy phosphates and in intracellular pH (pHi) in both control and lidocaine-treated groups, but its extent was smaller in the lidocaine-treated group than in the control group. Moreover, lidocainetreated group showed a faster return to the preischemia level in cerebral energy metabolism than the control group after forebrain ischemia. Thus, lidocaine was shown by 31P-NMR spectroscopy to have a protective effect, particularly in relation to cerebral high-energy phosphates.
Abstract Cisplatin is used widely for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. Cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity is caused by renal accumulation of cisplatin via human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2). As lansoprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, is known to inhibit hOCT2 activity, lansoprazole might ameliorate cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity. A previous study showed that concomitant lansoprazole administration ameliorated nephrotoxicity in patients receiving cisplatin. However, the detailed mechanism remains to be clarified. In the present study, the drug–drug interaction between lansoprazole and cisplatin was examined using hOCT2‐expressing cultured cells and rat renal slices. Moreover, the effect of lansoprazole on cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity and the pharmacokinetics of cisplatin in rats was investigated. In the uptake study, lansoprazole potently inhibited the uptake of cisplatin in hOCT2‐expressing cultured cells and rat renal slices. The in vivo rat study showed that concomitant lansoprazole significantly ameliorated cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity and reduced the renal accumulation of platinum up to approximately 60% of cisplatin alone at 72 h after cisplatin intraperitoneal administration. Furthermore, the renal uptake of platinum at 3 min after intravenous cisplatin administration in rats with cisplatin and lansoprazole decreased to 78% of rats with cisplatin alone. In addition, there was no significant difference in the plasma platinum concentration between rats treated with and without lansoprazole at 3 min after cisplatin intravenous administration. These findings suggested that concomitant lansoprazole ameliorated cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity by inhibiting rOCT2‐mediated cisplatin uptake in rats, thus decreasing cisplatin accumulation in the kidney. The present findings provided important information for the establishment of novel protective approaches to minimize cisplatin‐induced nephrotoxicity.
We report on the continuous wave (cw) operation of AlGaAs single-quantum-well (SQW) lasers grown at a low temperature (375 °C) by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The threshold current and the differential quantum efficiency of the ridge-waveguide laser were 10 mA and 82%, respectively. During the life test, no obvious degradation was observed beyond 2300 h under 8 mW cw operation at 50 °C. The cw operation of SQW lasers grown at low temperatures was achieved by the long baking of the MBE system and the reduction of the V/III flux ratio.
A dry powder inhaled formulation is used for the anti-influenza drug laninamivir octanoate hydrate (laninamivir). Although two successive inhalations (puffs) are recommended to minimize residual amounts of active ingredients, previous reports suggest that pediatric patients with low peak inspiratory flow are unable to inhale the active ingredient adequately. In the present study, we prospectively investigated the appropriate number of repeated inhalations of laninamivir dry powder and factors influencing the residual amount of ingredients in pediatric patients with influenza.
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