[Objective] Perspiration is almost only heat radiation mechanism under high temperature environments. And sudoriferous water is supplied from blood. Blood flow is determined by blood fluidity, blood volume and the cardiovascular system. It was reported that strong stress decreased blood fluidity.In this experiment, we investigated the relation between blood fluidity and water supply in rats loaded with forced exercise in high temperature environment.[Methods] SPF male Wistar rats weighing 250g were used. All animals were put in high temperature environment (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature; WBGT: 28°C) through whole experimental period. The rats were divided into four groups randomly; Suitable temperature environment-Exercise-Non water intake (SEN), High temperature environment-Exercise-Non water intake (HEN), High temperature environment-Exercise-Water intake (HEW) and Baseline (BL). In a group of water supply, distilled water was served before and later exercise by sonde forcibly. The blood was collected before or later of exercise and blood and erythrocyte suspension fluidity were measured.[Results] In the HEN, hydroperoxides, blood sodium, lactic acid and adrenaline increased while blood and erythrocyte suspension fluidity were decreased significantly compared with the BL. In addition, the hematocrit did not increase even if water equivalent to 4% of body weight lost it.[Conclusion] We speculate that exercise in high temperature environment decreases blood fluidity. However, the water supply in exercise that might not be sufficiently improve blood fluidity.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine how rehabilitation and patient education for knee osteoarthritis improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to identify factors influencing HRQOL. Methods: Between May 2020 and March 2022, 30 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee were treated conservatively and rehabilitated with a patient education program. The patient education program was based on the health belief model by Sedlak et al., and patient education using pamphlets was provided during the rehabilitation intervention. The survey items were patient basic information, instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) (FAI), fear of falling (FES), degree of depression (GDS), HRQOL (SF-8), knee function assessment (JOA score), and X-ray classification (K-L classification), and the survey method was a self-administered questionnaire at the start of rehabilitation, 1 month after the intervention, and at the end of the rehabilitation intervention. We examined factors affecting the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of HRQOL scores. Results: JOA score, FES, FAI, GDS, and SF-8 improved significantly (p<0.01). MCS was also negatively correlated with FES and age (r=-0.486, -0.368). Sex was extracted as a factor for PCS as a factor affecting HRQOL (p<0.01). MCS was extracted with FES as a factor (p=0.046). Conclusion A rehabilitation intervention incorporating patient education in osteoarthritis of the knee showed improvement in HRQOL and may be useful for improving depression, fear of falling, and instrumental ADL.

Yokukansan (YKS), one of the traditional Japanese “Kampo” medicines, is a mixture of extract powders from seven kinds of medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma, Hoelen, Cnidii Rhizoma, Uncariae Uncis Cum Ramulus, Angelicae Radix, Bupleuri Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix). YKS has been administered to fragile habitus patients who show symptoms such as emotional irritability, neurosis and insomnia, and to infants who suffer from night crying and convulsions. In recent years, YKS has been reported to be effective against pain disorders such as headache and chronic pain, but the mechanism underlying these beneficial effects is still unclear. In this study, the effect of YKS on chronic inflammatory pain and stress caused by pain were investigated using rats with adjuvant arthritis.
Male Wistar rats were injected with complete Freund's adjuvant into the plantar surface of the right hindpaw, and then pain thresholds and stress markers were measured. The thermal pain threshold measured with the plantar test significantly decreased, and the level of salivary chromogranin A (CgA), which is used as a mental stress marker, was significantly increased in this model. The administration of YKS controlled the activation of spinal microglia involved in the expression of chronic pain, and significantly reduced a decrease in the pain threshold. Moreover, an increase in the level of salivary CgA was significantly inhibited. The authors concluded that YKS has effects in reducing chronic inflammatory pain and the stress caused by pain.

We report a case in which feelings of abdominal distension and discomfort of the abdominal wall caused by malignant ascites were relieved by ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block. Case report: A 59-year-old man developed gastric cancer with malignant ascites and experienced feelings of abdominal distension, but no nausea, dyspnea, poor mobility, or limb edema. Symptom control was inadequate with diuretic therapy and abdominal paracentesis. Feelings of distension improved temporarily with ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block. A percutaneous catheter was then used to administer an infusion of 0.25% ropivacaine triweekly until his death 20 days later. Conclusion: Feelings of abdominal distension is one of various symptoms of severe ascites and is difficult to manage. Ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block can be used to relieve this symptom on a case-by-case basis.

It has been reported that the effect of shoseiryuto, a traditional Japanese “Kampo” medicine, on allergic rhinitis depends on several mechanisms. Previously, we reported that shoseiryuto administered in an allergic rhinitis rat model, inhibited increases of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the nasal mucus, which in turn are involved in the exacerbation of rhinitis symptoms and allergic symptoms. In the present research, we looked into whether the secretion of SP and CGRP are directly inhibited by the administration of shoseiryuto.
Histamine solution 5µl (10 mg/ml) was instilled in both nostrils of healthy, male SD rats, thereby inducing allergic symptoms, and for the group to which shoseiryuto had been pre-administered, increase in the concentration of SP and CGRP in the nasal mucus was significantly inhibited. Moreover, upon investigating SP and CGRP production in the trigeminal ganglia by means of immunostaining, it was found to be similarly significantly inhibited. The above results indicate that shoseiryuto directly inhibits the secretion of SP and CGRP in the C-fibers of nasal mucosa.

Objective: In general, antiallergic drugs, steroids, and autonomic drugs are administered for patients with allergic diseases, but the chronic administration of these medicines may occasionally induce side effects. As such, several complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are used, even though their effectiveness has not been established by a significant amount of evidence. Health food, herbal medicines, herbal tea, and aromatherapy, etc., are used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) as CAM. Rosmarinic acid is a type of polyphenol, and is reported to have antiallergic, antioxydative and anti-inflammatory properties. Rosmarinic acid is included in Perilla Herbs, which are used in health foods and herbal medicines (Kampo medicines), Rosemary and Lemon balm, which are used as herbal teas and essential oils of aromatherapy. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of rosmarinic acid on AR using AR model rats.
Methods: Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were sensitized with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) to induce AR. Rosmarinic acid (1 mg/kg i.p. or 3 mg/kg i.p.) is administrated for 21 days. On day 22, the symptom of nasal allergy was evaluated by counting the number of sneezes within 10 minutes. Substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the nasal lavage fluids were also measured.
Result: SP and CGRP take part in the exacerbation of rhinitis symptoms, and are secreted from the nerve ending following nerve stimulation by chemical mediators such as histamine. The administration of Rosmarinic acid had no effect on NGF, but significantly suppressed increases of sneezes, SP and CGRP dose-relatedly. Conclusion: Rosmarinic acid could control the symptom of nasal allergy, and one of the mechanisms was suppressing of the secretion of SP and CGRP.

We report a case whose left lower limb neuropathic pain accompanied by pelvic tumor invasion was remarkably eliminated by ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve block. Case report: The subject was a sixty year old male. Pharmacological therapy was given according to the WHO analgesic ladder, but his left lower limb pain failed to respond to drugs. His intractable lower limb neuropathic pain was alleviated by ultrasound-guided sciatic nerve block. Drug delivery can be achieved with a percutaneous catheter and a disposable infusion pump. Infusions were run at 5mlh^-1 with 0.1% ropivacaine. Conclusion: Neuropahic pain is sometimes hard to be controlled only by opioids or adjuvant analgesics, but there is a possibility of providing pain relief by combination use with nerve blocks. Interventional techniques can be highly effective but also have the potentiality to produce significant adverse effects. Many patients have factors which would be considered a near absolute contra-indication to the use of nerve blocks such as immuno-compromise or impairment of coagulation. Skillful application of peripheral neural blockade with ultrasound imaging broadens the options for providing optimal pain management. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(1): 313-315