Efficacy of Oral Etidronate for Skeletal Diseases in Japan

Etidronate is an oral bisphosphonate compound that is known to reduce bone resorption through the inhibition of osteoclastic activity. The efficacy of etidronate for involutional (postmenopausal and senile) and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, as well as that for other skeletal diseases, was reviewed in Japanese patients. Cyclical etidronate treatment (200 mg or 400 mg/day for 2 weeks about every 3 months) increases the lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with involutional osteoporosis and prevents incident vertebral fractures in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The losses of the lumbar BMD in patients with liver cirrhosis and the metacarpal BMD in hemiplegic patients after stroke are prevented, and the lumbar BMD is possibly increased, preventing fragile fractures in adult patients with osteogenesis imperfecta type I. Furthermore, proximal bone resorption around the femoral stem is reduced and some complications may be prevented in patients who undergo cementless total hip arthroplasty. Oral etidronate treatment may also help to transiently relieve metastatic cancer bone pain followed by a decrease in abnormally raised bone resorption in patients with painful bone metastases from primary cancer sites, such as the lung, breast and prostate. Thus, oral etidronate treatment is suggested to be efficacious for osteoporosis, as well as other skeletal diseases associated with increased bone resorption, in Japanese patients. Randomized controlled trials needed to be conducted on a large number of patients to confirm these effects

The effect of phase stability in Pt3Al and Pt3Ga

departmental bulletin pape

Characterization and Distribution of Prostaglandin D Synthetase in Rat Skin

The biochemical properties and immunohistochemical localization of prostaglandin D synthetase were investigated in adult rat skin. The activity of prostaglandin D synthetase, which isomerizes prostaglandin H2 to prostaglandin D2, was detected in the 100,000 g supernatant of the homogenate of adult rat skin. Whole skin showed considerable activity (1.9 nmol/min/mg protein), and prostaglandin D2 was the major prostaglandin among those formed from prostaglandin H2 in the presence of glutathione. The epidermis, which was separated from whole skin by heating (55°C, 30 s), exhibited about three times higher activity (3.5) than the dermis (1.0). The enzymatic properties of both layers were similar; they were absolutely glutathione-dependent, were inhibited only a few percent by 1mM 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and were completely absorbed by anti-rat spleen prostaglandin D synthetase antibody. Immunohistochemical studies, using anti-rat spleen prostaglandin D synthetase antibody and the immunoperoxidase method, showed that prostaglandin D synthetase was localized in Langerhans cells (not in keratinocytes) in the epidermis, in macrophages or histiocytes, and also in mast cells in the dermis. Immunoelectron microscopy also supported these findings. These results suggest that prostaglandin D2 is one of the most important arachidonic acid metabolites and plays a significant role in immunological function in the skin via Langerhans cells and macrophages

NQPC-15 COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND ACTIVITY OF DAILY LIFE AFTER TUMOR REMOVAL FOR PATIENTS WITH BIFRONTAL GLIOBLASTOMA

Abstract INTRODUCTION Glioblastomas often grow in a butterfly shape in the bifrontal lobes. The aggressive removal of these contrast-enhanced lesions may cause serious cognitive dysfunction. In this study, we have analyzed changes of cognitive function, effects on ADL, as well as rehabilitation methods for patients with bifrontal glioblastoma before and after tumor removal. SUBJECTS In this study, 6 patients including 2 males and 4 females with a mean age of 39.8 were reviewed. All patients exhibited bifrontal glioblastoma that was surgically removed. The primary tumor location was lower-left frontal gyrus for four of the patients, the right preSMA-SMA region for one patient, and the lower-right frontal gyrus for the remaining patient. METHOD Patients’cognitive function and ADL evaluated after the tumor removal and at the end of postoperative chemoradiotherapy, were retrospectively analyzed. We compared and verified the features and EOR. An evaluation was performed using MMSE-J, FAB, TMT, RCPM, RBMT, BADS, and FIM. RESULT After completion of chemoradiotherapy, 3 patients returned home, 2 were transferred to the hospital, and 1 returned to work. MMSE score was worsen in two patients, and their tumor were located in the lower-right frontal gyrus and the lower-left frontal gyrus. Two cases in the right frontal lobe and two cases in the lower left frontal gyrus scored lower average on the TMT. In our final evaluation, ADL was not worsening after surgery. DISCUSSION Many patients with bifrontal glioblastoma exhibited disturbance of consciousness due to strong edema before surgery, but they recovered in about two months after the tumor removal and many of them considered back to work. Involvement of prefrontal cortex may be related to severe cognitive dysfunction. Active rehabilitation should be started as soon as possible after surgery to acquire a compensation functions for the cognitive disorders and simulation for social life and work. </jats:sec