Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database (Abbreviation; JADER) was disclosed April 2012 and will be expected to have a major role in the establishment of the adequate information for the proper usage of drugs. In this paper, we were compared using the shape parameters that were estimated by fitting the Weibull distribution, whether the adverse drug reaction of suicide- or diabetes-related onset time profiles vary depending on the type of interferon formulations. The data were used JADER of August 2013. The combined number of adverse drug reaction and drug that duplicates removed was 702,925. In diabetes-related side effects, the distribution of adverse drug reaction time was different among formulations. The shape parameters of the Weibull distribution are 1.49 (1.09-1.94), 0.84 (0.66-1.05) and 1.07 (0.92-1.23)(point estimates and two-sided 95% confidence interval) in interferon-α,-β and peginterferon, respectively. Interferon-α is categorized as the wear-out failure type adverse drug reaction onset time profile from which its 95% confidence interval exceeds 1. Peginterferon is classified as the random failures type from which its point estimates is almost 1. Since the upper 95% confidence interval is near 1, the time profile of interferon-β is close to the early failures type. We conclude that the combination of the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution and the visual inspection, like histogram and box plot, is useful in the monitoring of adverse drug reaction onset time profile.

This review explores novel possibilities of skeletal muscle hypertrophy mechanism based on previous studies. Hypertrophy and/or regeneration of skeletal muscles are caused by activation of satellite cells, induced by mechanisms such as growth factors and cytokines. Many unsolved problems, however, yet remain concerning signaling pathways, activated by such substances, and regulation of transcriptional factors and cell cycles.In recent years, possible involvement of not only satellite cells but also tissue-specific stem cells in skeletal muscle hypertrophy has been reported from studies made on stem cell transplantation in muscle regeneration.It has been elucidated that differentiation plasticity of tissue-specific stem cells contributes to hypertrophy and/or regeneration of skeletal muscles. Moreover, satellite cells have come to be regarded as one kind of tissue-specific stem cells, since they have been known to exhibit diversity, by their differentiating into not only skeletal muscle cells but also other tissue cells, as well as self renewal capacity.This review also summarizes findings on signaling pathways based on ligand receptor characterization. Among the various signaling pathways, focus was especially placed on the possibilities of Wnt signaling pathway and Notch signaling pathway on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, indicating that Wnt expression in adult muscle stem cells leads to regulation of skeletal muscle hypertrophy.It has also become evident that Notch signaling pathway is associated with the activation of satellites cells, and that functional decline of such signaling pathway causes a decline in the activation of satellite cells. Such functional decline of Notch signaling pathway has also been revealed as the reason for the decline of regenerative capacity of skeletal muscles due to advancing age. Further discussion on the involvement of Notch signaling pathway in skeletal muscle hypertrophy is made based on these results. As indicated above, the roles of ligands and/or receptors of canonical growth factors, signaling pathways, and transcriptional factors contributing to skeletal muscle hypertrophy were reexamined in this review, after which the contribution of tissue-specific cells to skeletal muscle hypertrophy was discussed based on the results of muscle regeneration studies. Furthermore, focus was centered on Wnt and Notch signaling pathways, both of which are attracting renewed attention, and study was made on the possibility of the involvement of these pathways in skeletal muscle hypertrophy process.

[Objective]We researched the effect of five distal acupuncture points that is used for a treatment of eye disorders. [Method]This study was conducted on healthy non-smoking volunteers. We observed change at the time of the rest (Study 1, the control group n=65), and we observed effects of ocular circulation by acupuncture stimulation (Study 2, the stimulus group n=118). Stimulus groups were divided into five groups that are according to the acupoint stimulated as following:GB20 (Fuchi) group, LI4 (Gokoku) group, BL18 (Kanyu) group, GB37 (Komei) group and LI11 (Kyokuchi) group. Blood-flow velocity and pulsatility index (PI) in the central retinal artery (CRA) of the eye were measured using color Doppler imaging. An acupuncture needle was retained for 15min at the selected point. Dates were obtained at intervals of 7.5 min for a total of seven times during a 45-minute period while the subject was in the sitting position. [Results]In the control group showed no significant changeas for all cases of blood-flow velocity and PI. In groups with the stimulus showed that blood-flow velocity in the CRA was increased significantly and PI was decreased significantly. Blood pressure and heart rate scarcely changed in two groups.[Conclusion]These results suggest that acupuncture on the distal acupuncture points that is used for a treatment of eye disorders changes the circulation of CRA. The effect on the ocular circulation was greater in GB37 or in LI4, and was comparatively smaller in GB20.

This study was conducted on 82 nonsmoking healthy young volunteers divided into two groups. The GB37 group consisted of 39 people who were subjected to stimulation of the Guangming (GB37), and the control group consisted of 43 people who were not so stimulated. Blood-flow velocity and pulsatility index (PI) in the central retinal artery (CRA) of the right eye were measured using Color Doppler imaging. Blood pressure and heart rate were also measured at the same time. The type of stimulus was acupuncture applied on the right GB37 with the needle retained for 15min. Seven measurements were made at intervals of 7.5min during a 45-minute period while the subject was in the sitting position. The GB37 group was first measured just before stimulation and observed for 30 min after the needle was removed. There were significant differences in blood-flow velocity and PI between the two groups. In the GB37 group, blood-flow velocity in the CRA increased remarkably and PI decreased remarkably. These values scarcely changed in the control group. There were no significant differences in blood pressure or heart rate between the two groups. These results suggest that acupuncture stimulus on GB37 changes the circulation of CRA by a mechanism other than blood pressure, resulting in an increase in retinal blood-flow volume.

We previously reported the possibility that acupuncture stimulation to the Guangming (GB37) increased retinal blood-flow volume. In this study, we examined whether this reaction was peculiar to GB37 by measuring the blood-flow velocity and pulsatility index (PI) of the central retinal artery (CRA) with Color Doppler imaging. The points to be stimulated were the Waiqiu (GB36), GB37, the Yangfu (GB38) or the non-meridian point on the outside of the crus. Acupuncture stimulus was applied to one point on the right side with a needle for 15min. Seven measurements were made at intervals of 7.5min during a 45-minute period while the subject (control group n=35, stimulus group n=89) was in the sitting position. Patterns of the change in blood-flow velocity and PI with time differed significantly between the five groups. An increase in retinal blood-flow volume occurred in the GB37 group only suggesting there was a peculiarity related to the meridian point. The reaction patterns of the right and left eyes were not significantly different. Blood pressure and heart rate exhibited no significant differences either. These results suggest the relevance of choosing GB37 for improving or maintaining the retinal blood-flow volume.

[Purpose]Acupuncture stimulation is known to improve visual acuity. Since this improvement was frequently disassociated with refractive change, we determined the mechanism by examining the patients without lens accommodation.
[Methods]Patients (n = 30) receiving cataract surgery in 2005 at Meiji University of Oriental Medicine Hospital were examined (mean age: 73.0). Bilateral LI4, Taiyang and shang-jingming points were stimulated by acupuncture needles for 10 min (acupoints stimulation). On a different day, the same patients received sham points stimulation at 1 cm above or lateral from the above-mentioned acupoints. Both uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured with a logMAR scale at pre-and post-acupuncture stimulations. Furthermore, the patients with improved UCVA and BCVA typically (n = 4) received topical tropicamide eyedrops for suppression of pupil diameter change. UCVA and BCVA were measured at pre-and post-acupuncture stimulation.
[Results]Acupoints stimulation significantly improved both UCVA (0.39 to 0.30, p < 0.0006) and BCVA (0.15 to 0.08, p < 0.0001). Although sham points stimulation also significantly improved both UCVA (0.38 to 0.32, p < 0.02) and BCVA (0.14 to 0.09, p < 0.0001), there was no significant difference in comparison with acupoints stimulation controls. Under mydriasis after tropicamide eyedrops, acupuncture stimulation did not improved UCVA, and the variation of BCVA was significantly different from control (p < 0.013).
[Discussion]Acupuncture stimulation improved UCVA and BCVA even in elderly patients that lack accommodation. Our results imply that as pupil diameter changes, a subsequent pinhole effect may be a critical mechanism for UCVA and BCVA improvement by acupuncture stimulation. In addition, the phenomena are not specific effects of acupoints and imply a response via sensory nerves.

[Objectives] Acupuncture has shown to be beneficial for pseudomyopia and asthenopia patients through the improvement of hypermyotonia of the masculus ciliaris. Since acupuncture leads to visual acuity improvement and increases the retinal blood-flow volume, we wished to examine whether acupuncture results in higher retinal sensitivity.
[Methods] Eleven healthy adults were recruited for this study. They received acupuncture (leaving needle) of LI4 (Hegu), Taiyang, and shang-jingming on both sides for 10 minutes in the supine position. Ten minutes of supine position with rest was used as a control. Retinal sensitivity before and after acupuncture, was measured using the blue-on-yellow program of the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). The increase of mean deviation parameter (MD), foveal sensitivity, and examination time were analyzed.
[Results] Acupuncture did not influence the MD or foveal sensitivity in this study. However, examination time was significantly prolonged in the control (p< 0.05), but this was suppressed by acupuncture. The number of volunteers with a shorter examination time was significantly larger than the control (p< 0.05).
[Conclusions] A significant improvement in healthy volunteers was not detected by HFA. However, acupuncture may influence both the improvement of asthenopia and the concentration of the volunteers, leading to shortened examination times.

An 11-year-old boy, who underwent a Rastelli operation using a 14mm artificial graft and left pulmonary artery (PA) plasty with an autologous pericardium patch 7 years previously, had severe recurrent left pulmonary stenosis. Reoperation was performed including right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction and left PA plasty. The PA at the most stenotic site was only 2mm in diameter; it was enlarged to 10mm by good exposure and an incision on the pulmonary intima. A bovine pericardium patch with a handmade ePTFE valve was sutured onto the autologous tissue not onto the pulmonary intima to avoid restenosis and in expectation of the growth of the pulmonary orifice. On postoperative 3-D CT, the left pulmonary artery was patent and 9mm in diameter. Pulmonary scintigraphy showed an improvement in the left pulmonary perfusion. This sutureless technique was useful in this case of severe pulmonary stenosis.

Boi-ogi-to is frequently prescribed to relieve pain for osteoarthritis in the therapy of Kampo formulation. However, it has been pointed out that the evaluation of this formulation differs among the patients. It is often showed lower effectiveness and/or non-effectiveness in the patients with advanced roentgenographic deformity, obesity, and suffering from more severe pain.
We thought that it was resulted from ingoring the abdominal-sho (symptom). Therefore, in this study, we defined the abdominal-sho of Boi-ogi-to as “frog abdominal-sho”, and administered Boi-ogi-to to 17 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who had frog abdominal sho. As a result, in the patients with frog abdominal-sho, the formulation was moderately or even better effective in relieving pain in 77% of these patients. It was acknowledged that the effect was independent of the severity of pain, the degree of obesity, and whether the roentgenographic deformity was slight or moderate.