The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Nov 2009
ReviewCisplatin ototoxicity and protection: clinical and experimental studies.
Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used to treat a variety of malignant tumors. Serious dose-limiting side effects like ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity occur with the use of this agent. ⋯ It also discusses the utility of protective agents employed in patients and in experimental animals. The future strategies for limiting cisplatin ototoxicity will need to avoid interference with the therapeutic effect of cisplatin in order to enhance the quality of life of patients receiving this important anti-tumor agent.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Sep 2009
ReviewExtracorporeal shock wave therapy as a new and non-invasive angiogenic strategy.
Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death and the number of refractory severe patients is increasing. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new therapeutic strategies for severe ischemic heart disease. We found that a low-energy shock wave (SW) (about 10% of energy density that used for urolithiasis) effectively increases the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cultured endothelial cells. ⋯ The SW therapy was also effective to ameliorate LV remodeling after acute myocardial infarction in pigs and to enhance angiogenesis in hindlimb ischemia in rabbits. Based on these animal studies, we are also conducting clinical studies in patients with acute myocardial infarction and those with peripheral artery disease. Thus, our extracorporeal cardiac SW therapy is an effective, safe, and non-invasive angiogenic strategy in cardiovascular medicine and its indication is now rapidly expanding.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Sep 2009
Elevated risk of motor vehicle accident for male drivers with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Previous studies have suggested that patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are at an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). This study is the first systematic investigation of MVA risk among Japanese drivers with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We investigated the rate of MVAs in the preceding 5 years and dozing off at the wheel in Japanese male OSAS drivers (n = 616, mean [S. ⋯ The MVA rate among OSAS patients in the research area was significantly higher than that among the controls. Subjective excessive daytime sleepiness and severity of OSAS are independently associated with the occurrence of MVA. In conclusion, early diagnosis and treatment of OSAS drivers especially with serious respiratory disorder should be made to prevent multiple MVAs.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Aug 2009
Gender differences in the susceptibility to renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in BALB/c mice.
Recent studies have shown the remarkable gender differences in the susceptibility or expression of many diseases. The mechanism underlying the gender differences is unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of gender differences and different ischemia time on the renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). ⋯ In view of our data, the kidneys of male are much more susceptible to IRI than those of female. The optimal ischemia time of kidney is 35-45 min in males and 75 min in females for generating a stable model of IRI in mice. Investigation of the gender differences might provide a new area for mechanistic study of renal IRI.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jul 2009
Effective home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with restrictive lung diseases.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are commonly referred for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), but the use of PR is not common for patients with restrictive lung disease, neuromuscular diseases, and those who have sustained a severe respiratory illness or undergone thoracic surgery. We investigated the effects of PR in patients with restrictive lung diseases in comparison with COPD patients using a home-based setting. Twenty-six restrictive lung diseases patients and 40 COPD patients who had a Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score >or= 2, a clinically stable condition, and who had completed a 6-month PR program, were enrolled in the present study. ⋯ Patients were strongly instructed to practice this program daily at home, and were supervised by a respiratory therapist every 2 weeks in our hospital. Patients with restrictive lung diseases showed the significant increases in inspiratory and expiratory muscle forces, the 6-minute walking distance, the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire and the Short-Form 36, and decreased MRC scores after 6 months. In conclusion, our home-based PR improves respiratory muscle forces, exercise tolerance, health-related quality of life, and the perception of dyspnea in patients with restrictive lung disease to the same extent as in COPD patients.