Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, established in 1880, is one of Japan’s oldest and most distinguished academic societies. The Society currently has around 15,000 members. It publishes three monthly scientific journals. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (Chem. Pharm. Bull.) began publication in 1953 as Pharmaceutical Bulletin. It covers chemistry fields in the pharmaceutical and health sciences. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (Biol. Pharm. Bull.) began publication in 1978 as the Journal of Pharmacobio-Dynamics. It covers various biological topics in the pharmaceutical and health sciences. A fourth Society journal, the Journal of Health Science, was merged with Biol. Pharm. Bull. in 2012. Yakugaku Zasshi (Japanese for “Pharmaceutical Science Journal”) has the longest history, with publication beginning in 1881. Yakugaku Zasshi is published mostly in Japanese, except for some articles related to clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical education, which are published in English.
The main aim of the Society’s journals is to advance the pharmaceutical sciences with research reports, information exchange, and high-quality discussion. The average review time for articles submitted to the journals is around one month for first decision. The complete texts of all of the Society’s journals can be freely accessed through J-STAGE. The Society’s editorial committee hopes that the content of its journals will be useful to your research, and also invites you to submit your own work to the journals.

Chairman of Committee
Sumio Ohtsuki
Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University
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11,217 registered articles
(updated on September 28, 2023)
Online ISSN : 1347-5215
Print ISSN : 0918-6158
ISSN-L : 0918-6158
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Featured article
Volume 46 (2023) Issue 9 Pages 1223-1230
Therapeutic Effect of Colony Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor Kinase Inhibitor, JTE-952, on Methotrexate-Refractory Pathology in a Rat Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis Read more
Editor's pick

Effectively preventing the structural destruction of joints, particularly bone and cartilage, which progresses due to resistance to conventional anti-inflammatory drugs, is one of the unmet medical needs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, the authors investigated the therapeutic effects of JTE-952, a novel colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) kinase inhibitor, on methotrexate-resistant joint destruction using a rat model of RA, adjuvant-induced arthritis. Blocking CSF1/CSF1R signaling with JTE-952 did not suppress paw swelling under inflammatory conditions, but it did suppress the destruction of joint structural components, including bone and cartilage, in inflamed joints and may improve subsequent joint dysfunction.

Volume 46 (2023) Issue 9 Pages 1240-1248
Metallothionein Gene Deficiency Facilitates the Differentiation of C2C12 Myoblasts into Slow-Twitch Myotubes Read more
Editor's pick

Fast-to-slow fiber transition in skeletal muscle occurs during aging and has been implicated in muscle atrophy in sarcopenia, but the mechanism is unclear. Authors showed that metallothionein 1 and 2 gene knockout (MTKO) using the CRISPR-Cas9 system promoted to myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, which was accompanied by an increased number of slow-twitch myotubes. The increased slow-type myotubes in MTKO cells was inhibited by an antioxidant N-acetylcysteine, suggesting that MT may be involved in specification of skeletal muscle fiber-type due to its antioxidant capacity. This study may help to elucidate the mechanisms of age-related muscle weakness.

Volume 46 (2023) Issue 9 Pages 1296-1303
Descriptive Study on a Nationwide Exploratory Questionnaire Survey of Emergency Contraceptive Pills and Their Sexual History and Knowledge in Japan Read more
Editor's pick

In Japan, the move towards non-prescription emergency contraceptives is under discussion. A nation-wide survey of 4,631 women conducted by the authors revealed that nearly half of them lacked accurate knowledge about emergency contraceptives. Total of 43.6% of women with previous experience needing emergency contraceptives chose not to use them voluntarily. To address this, the authors emphasize the importance of comprehensive sex education, and promoting understanding of emergency contraceptives among women in Japan.

Volume 46 (2023) Issue 9 Pages 1310-1315
Non-invasive Microneedle Application Increases Ceramide and Natural Moisturizing Factors in a Reconstructed Human Skin Model Read more
Editor's pick

Microneedles are microscopic needle structures with lengths of several hundred micrometers, and have attracted attention as one way to improve skin barrier and moisturizing functions as cosmetic product. However, conventional microneedles are thought to work by penetrating the stratum corneum, which carries the risk of side effects. Therefore, in this study, the authors applied microneedles non-invasively without penetrating the stratum corneum and investigated their effects on the skin. The results showed that microneedles can improve skin barrier and moisturizing functions even when applied non-invasively. This study provides valuable insights for the development of new cosmetic techniques using microneedles.

Volume 46 (2023) Issue 9 Pages 1343-1346
Dietary Zinc Deficiency Induces Cav3.2-Dependent Nociceptive Hypersensitivity in Mice Read more
Editor's pick

The activity of Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels expressed in the sensory neurons is reduced by physiological concentrations of zinc. Sulfides including hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gasotransmitter, enhance the channel activity by removing zinc from Cav3.2, leading to the increased pain sensitivity. Dietary zinc deficiency causes Cav3.2-dependent mechanical allodynia in mice. Exogenously applied sulfides produce Cav3.2-dependent allodynia in the mice fed with normal diet, but do not affect the already developed allodynia in the mice fed with zinc-deficient diet. Thus, the authors suggest that the enhanced Cav3.2 activity participates in the development of pathological pain associated with zinc deficiency.

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Announcements from publisher
  • Announcement of Academic Journals’ Awards Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (BPB)
    https://bpb.pharm.or.jp/award/award.pdf
  • Biol. Pharm. Bull. Vol. 46 No. 2
    Current Topics: Cutting Edge Developments in RNA Biology for the Control of Gene Expression
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