OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and that the potent antioxidants may be potential therapeutic drugs for schizophrenia. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of the potent antioxidant sulforaphane (SFN), found in cruciferous vegetables, on behavioral abnormalities (e.g., hyperlocomotion and prepulse inhibition [PPI] deficits) in mice after a single administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP). METHODS: Effects of SFN (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) on hyperlocomotion and PPI deficits in the adult male ddY mice after administration of PCP (3.0 mg/kg, subcutaneously [s.c.]) were examined. RESULTS: Administration of SFN (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]), but not low doses (3 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.), significantly attenuated hyperlocomotion in mice after PCP administration (3.0 mg/kg, subcutaneously [s.c.]). Furthermore, administration of SFN (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated the PPI deficits in mice after PCP administration (3.0 mg/kg, s.c.) in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that SFN has antipsychotic activity in an animal model of schizophrenia. Therefore, it is likely that SFN may be a potential therapeutic drug for schizophrenia.
Adult ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; N-Methylaspartate ; Oxidative Stress ; Phencyclidine ; Schizophrenia ; Thiocyanates ; Vegetables

BACKGROUNDCandida albicans (C. albicans) can become a pathogen causing superficial as well as life-threatening systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Many phenotypic attributes contribute to its capacity to colonize human organs. In our study, 93 C. albicans isolates from patients of various candidiasis in a hospital of China were surveyed. We aimed to investigate the white-opaque (WO) switching competence, drug sensitivity, and virulence of mating type-like (MTL) a/α isolates.

METHODSInternal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene and the MTL configuration were detected in all the isolates by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. White/opaque phenotype and doubling time of cell growth were determined. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of antifungal agent were measured using broth microdilution method.

RESULTSSixty-four isolates (69.6%) were classified to serotype A, 19 (20.6%) to serotype B, and 9 (9.8%) to serotype C. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed that these isolates were divided into four different subgroups of ITS genotypes. Most of our clinical isolates were MTL a/α type, while 6.8% remained MTL a or MTLα type. The frequency of opaque phenotype was 71.0% (66 isolates). Following the guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M27-A3, all isolates were susceptible to caspofungin and a few (0.6-3.2%) of them showed resistance against amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole.

CONCLUSIONSFrom these analyses, there were comparatively more C. albicans strains classified into serotype B, and the frequency of opaque phase strains was significant in the clinical isolates from China. Genetic, phenotypic, or drug susceptibility patterns were not significantly different from previous studies. MTL a/α isolates could also undergo WO switching which facilitates their survival.

Amphotericin B ; pharmacology ; Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Phylogeny

Purpose: To review the current state and discuss future direction of research related to advance care planning (ACP) in Japan. Methods: We have conducted literature search in the Ichushi, CINAHL, and Medline database between January 2011 and November 2017 using Advance Care Planning (ACP) as a keyword. Extracted research articles were further selected using the definition of ACP by Sudore et al., and reviewed using integrative review approach. Results: Majority of selected 39 articles was descriptive studies exploring general knowledge and interests about ACP and end-of-life decision making. Although the number of studies examining prevalence or strategies to implement ACP gradually increased in later years during the search period, detail information about the definition of ACP and strategies were lacking and generalizability of the studies were limited. Conclusion: ACP research in Japan is in the burgeoning phase. Clear definition of ACP in Japanese context that will guide the research and robust and scalable research examining strategies to implement ACP is urgently needed.

Purpose: To elucidate the factors associated with self-evaluations of end-of-life care (EOLC) practices for non-cancer patients experienced by nurses in general hospitals. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted involving 1161 nurses from general hospitals. Results: Comparing the realities of 648 cancer cases with those of 306 non-cancer cases in terms of end-of-life care practices, it was found that significantly lower EOLC self-evaluation scores (on a 10-point scale), fewer instances of eliciting patients’ intentions or wishes, and fewer team discussions related to EOLC practices were observed in the non-cancer cases. (p<0.001). For each disease, pneumonia and heart disease tended to be lower. Self-evaluation of EOLC practices was consistently associated with eliciting patients’ intentions and wishes (β=0.21 for cancer, β=0.16 for non-cancer), and team discussions (β=0.25 for cancer, β=0.35 for non-cancer) for both cancer and non-cancer cases. Conclusion: General hospital nurses’ self-evaluations of EOLC practices for non-cancer patients were lower compared to those for cancer patients. It is necessary to enhance their skills in eliciting patients’ intentions and wishes and to implement a system of care for team discussion.

The Koho school has a high regard for formulation corresponding to sho uniquely developed as a conspicuous feature of Kampo medicine, and Ruihobunrui (the classification of formulae based on the main crude drug : CF) has played an important role in structuring the foundation of this development in the Koho school. CF is a classification method used to express the adaptation and characteristics of formulae in the Koho school, and is useful for research on drug compositions. Therefore, CF can be used effectively in both clinical practice and education. CF has shown little development in China after the appearance of Xu Ling Tai ; however, in Japan the development of CF centered on such influential figures as Todo Yoshimasu of the Koho school, and Naohiro Kitamura of the Kosho school. Kenzo Okuda and Keisetsu Otsuka used CF for clinical practice and education during the revival stage of Kampo medicine in the Showa era ; moreover, CF had a large effect on structuring the foundation of clinical application by formulating Kampo extracts for prescriptions. Thus, CF has played an important role in Kampo medicine. However, the research has been stopped in the present circumstances of Japan. We focus here on CF of the Koho school in Edo and Showa eras, and carried out considerations of CF to establish one of the characteristics of Kampo medicine that places importance on Shang Han Za Bing Lun.

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between the number of days that hospital visits were postponed and changes in clinical parameters due to the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), after the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in April 2020. Methods: Regarding the status of postponement of appointments, we analyzed the patients who had visited the Nihon University Hospital at Matsudo for more than 1 year for supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) and classified them into low-, moderate- and high-risk subgroups according to the periodontal risk assessment (PRA). Clinical parameters for periodontal disease such as probing depth (PD), full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS), full-mouth plaque score, periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), and periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) were analyzed in 2 periods, from October 2019 to March 2020 and after April 2020.Correlation coefficients between days of deferral and the degree of changes in clinical parameters were calculated. Results: The mean age of the 749 patients was 67.56±10.85 years, and 63.82% were female.Out of 749 patients, 33.24% deferred their SPT appointments after April 2020. The average total of postponement days was 109.49±88.84. The number of postponement days was positively correlated with changes in average PD (rs=0.474) and PESA (rs=0.443) in the high-risk subgroup of FMBS, and average PD (rs=0.293) and PESA (rs=0.253) in the highrisk subgroup of tooth number (TN). Patients belonging to the high-risk subgroups for both FMBS and TN had a positive correlation between postponement days and PISA (rs=0.56). Conclusions The findings, the spread of COVID-19 appears to have extended the visit interval for some SPT patients. Moreover, longer visit intervals were correlated with the worsening of some clinical parameters for SPT patients with high PRA.