The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jan 2013
Intermittent administration of human parathyroid hormone before osteosynthesis stimulates cancellous bone union in ovariectomized rats.
It has been reported that intermittent administration of human parathyroid hormone (h-PTH) promotes bone healing after surgery for osteoporotic fractures. If bone healing is promoted by the administration of h-PTH during pre-operative waiting period, we can prevent prolonged bed rest. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of pre-operative h-PTH treatment on cancellous bone union and its mechanism for fracture healing in ovariectomized rats as a model for osteoporosis. Ovariectomized 7-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent an osteotomy of the proximal tibia as a fracture model, and h-PTH (30 μg/kg body weight) or vehicle was administered as a pre-operative treatment for one week. After the one-week treatment, tibiae were fixed with wire for osteosynthesis, and h-PTH or vehicle was administered for 1 or 3 weeks following wire fixation. In addition to bone histomorphometry, we used alcian blue/hematoxylin stained sections for evaluating cartilage volume and immunostained sections for analyzing the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for cell proliferation and that of Sox9 and Runx2, differentiation markers for cartilage cells and osteoblasts, respectively. Pre-operative treatment with PTH significantly increased bone volume. Pre-operative and pre- to post-operative treatment with PTH for 2 weeks significantly promoted bone union. Pre-operative treatment with PTH significantly increased cartilage volume, and pre- to post-operative treatment with PTH for 2 weeks significantly increased the percentage of cells positive for Runx2 (p < 0.01), but not PCNA or Sox9. Pre-operative administration of h-PTH enhances bone union by promoting cartilage formation and cell differentiation to osteoblasts, but not by promoting cell proliferation.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Sep 2012
Characteristics of physicians engaged in basic science: a questionnaire survey of physicians in basic science departments of a medical school in Japan.
The number of physicians engaged in basic science and teaching is sharply decreasing in Japan. To alleviate this shortage, central government has increased the quota of medical students entering the field. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of physicians who are engaged in basic science in efforts to recruit talent. ⋯ Moreover, physicians who became basic scientists earlier in their career wanted more research-related lectures in medical education. Improving physicians' salaries in basic science is important to securing talent. In addition, basic science may be a good career path for women physicians to follow.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jul 2012
Clinical TrialMonitoring the autonomic nervous activity as the objective evaluation of music therapy for severely and multiply disabled children.
Severely and multiply disabled children (SMDC) are frequently affected in more than one area of development, resulting in multiple disabilities. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of music therapy in SMDC using monitoring changes in the autonomic nervous system, by the frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability. We studied six patients with SMDC (3 patients with cerebral palsy, 1 patient with posttraumatic syndrome after head injury, 1 patient with herpes encephalitis sequelae, and 1 patient with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome characterized by frequent seizures, developmental delay and psychological and behavioral problems), aged 18-26 (mean 22.5 ± 3.5). ⋯ Interestingly, four of 6 patients showed significantly lower HF components during music therapy than before therapy, suggesting that these four patients might react to music therapy through the suppression of parasympathetic nervous activities. Thus, music therapy can suppress parasympathetic nervous activities in some patients with SMDC. The monitoring changes in the autonomic nervous activities could be a powerful tool for the objective evaluation of music therapy in patients with SMDC.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jul 2012
High prevalence of deep vein thrombosis in tsunami-flooded shelters established after the great East-Japan earthquake.
High prevalence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in disaster shelters has been reported in the aftermath of earthquakes in Japan. Calf DVT was examined using sonography in the shelters after the Great East Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011. By the end of July 2011, 701 out of 8,630 evacuees suspected with calf DVT, judged by inspections or medical interviews, were examined in 32 shelters, and 190 evacuees were confirmed to have calf DVT. ⋯ Moreover, crowded shelters restricted the mobility of elderly people, which would exacerbate the prevalence of DVT. Those deteriorated and crowded shelters were observed in tsunami-flooded areas. Therefore, long-term shelters should not be set up in flooded areas after tsunami.
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Fish bones are one of the most frequently observed ingested foreign bodies in the pharynx-esophagus. Fish bones have a tendency to stick and penetrate the mucosa, which can occasionally lead to severe or lethal complications. The extraluminal migration of fish bones in the upper digestive tract is a rare event, and it is even more unlikely that the foreign body will remain in the neck for a prolonged period. We report the unique case of a 69-year-old woman who remained asymptomatic, while a fish bone was lodged in her neck for 9 months. Finally, after her anterior neck had become swollen, she underwent neck exploration, which revealed that the fish bone was embedded in the scar tissue running from within the thyroid gland to outside of the thyroid. Treatment proceeded without complications, and the foreign body was removed successfully. The length of the fish bone was 34 mm. Intraoperative ultrasonography was able to identify the fish bone in situ using real-time imaging; therefore, we recommend this technique for locating migrated foreign bodies in the neck.