Cerebral ischemia induces excess release of glutamate and an increase in the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, which provoke catastrophic enzymatic processes leading to irreversible neuronal injury. Histamine plays the role of neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and histaminergic fibers are widely distributed in the brain. In cerebral ischemia, release of histamine from nerve endings has been shown to be enhanced by facilitation of its activity. An inhibition of the histaminergic activity in ischemia aggravates the histologic outcome. In contrast, intracerebroventricular administration of histamine improves the aggravation, whereas blockade of histamine H₂ receptors aggravates ischemic injury. Furthermore, H₂ blockade enhances ischemic release of glutamate and dopamine. These findings suggest that central histamine provides beneficial effects against ischemic neuronal damage by suppressing release of excitatory neurotransmitters. However, histaminergic H₂ action facilitates the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and shows deleterious effects on cerebral edema.

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Gene therapy is emerging as a potential strategy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, for which no known effective therapy exists. The first human trial in cardiovascular disease was started in 1994 to treat peripheral vascular disease using VEGF. Since then, at least 5 different potent angiogenic growth factors has been tested in clinical trials to treat peripheral arterial disease. In addition, therapeutic angiogenesis using VEGF gene was applied to treat ischemic heart disease. Results from these clinical trials seems to be more than expected. Improvement of clinical symptoms in peripheral arterial disease or ischemic heart disease has been reported. In this review, we have focused on the future potential of gene therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease as a new pharmacological therapy.

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The detection of free radicals generated within the body may contribute to clarifying the pathophysiological role of free radicals in disease processes. As an appropriate procedure to examine the generation of free radicals in a biological system, electron spin resonance (ESR) has emerged as a powerful tool for detection and identification. A method for determination of oxygen radical scavenging activity using ESR and the spin trapping technique was developed. Oxygen radicals were trapped by 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide(DMPO) or α-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone (PBN), and the DMPO or PBN spin aduct signal was measured quantitatively by an ESR spectrometer. The spin trapping method using ESR has also been reported for not only in vitro and ex vivo measurements but also in vivo measurements. In in vivo ESR, nitroxyl radical is being used as a spin trap well. ESR signal intensities of nitroxyl radical are measured after administration to animals and the signal decay rates of nitroxyl radical have reported to be influenced by various types of oxidative stress. With this method, it is possible to specify the type of radical or the location at which the free radicals are produced. The spin trapping method by in vivo ESR is an effective procedure for giving non-invasive measurements in animals. ESR imaging in the organs of live animals can also be obtained after injection of nitroxyl radicals as an imaging agent using ESR-computed tomography. In vivo ESR imaging has been established as a powerful technique for determining the spatial distribution of free radicals in living organs and tissues.

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Many studies of cough were performed under the restrained or anesthetized condition, and coughs were evoked by inhalation of capsaicin or citric acid. Inhalation of irritants induced the “diving response” with apnea and coughs, and these responses induced a change of tidal volume. As a result, respiratory responses are dependent on the inhalation volume. Therefore we developed a new coughing model, and coughs were evoked by microinjection of citric acid into the larynx in the unaesthetized unrestrained guinea pig. Microinjection of 7.5% citric acid (2 µl/30 s, 5 min) induced coughs (27.03±4.03 coughs/10 min), and citric acid-induced responses were stable independent of the inhalation volume. In the inhalation studies, animals were exposed to citric acid only once because induced-responses were remarkably decreased by repeated administration at an interval of 24 h. However in our coughing model it was possible to repeatedly challenge the animals by microinjection of citric acid at intervals of 24 h. Microinjection of citric acid into the larynx induced coughs in Sprague-Dawley rats, but inhalation of citric acid did not induce cough. These results indicate that this coughing model is highly sensitive and correctly assessed cough responses.

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Linezolid (ZYVOX^®), a novel synthesized antibacterial drug, was first approved in April 2001, as an antibacterial against vancomycin (VCM) -resistant enterococci in Japan. LZD has a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria with MIC₉₀ of 0.5 - 4 mcg/mL. These antibacterial activities of LZD are similar to those of vancomycin (VCM). LZD also has similar antibacterial activities against drug-resistant bacteria including VRE and MRSA. Protein-synthesis inhibitors, e.g., macrolides, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and chloramphenicol, are known to bind the 30S and 50S subunits of ribosomes and inhibit the elongation cycle of protein synthesis. In contrast, LZD was found to inhibit the process of formation of the 50S, 30S-mRNA, and fMet-tRNA complex in the ribosome cycle, but not the elongation cycle. Due to this novel mechanism of action, LZD does not have a cross-resistance to drug-resistant bacteria and development of its resistance is quite slow. The antibacterial activity of LZD against VRE is bacteriostatic. In vivo antibacterial activity of orally administered LZD was demonstrated in a mouse model of systemic infection by VRE. When administered orally prior to the abscess formation in a mouse model of soft tissue infection by VRE, LZD showed similar antibacterial activity against VRE infection to that against VCM-susceptible enterococci. LZD is rapidly absorbed following oral administration and bioavailability when compared with intravenous administration is almost 100%. LZD administered orally twice-daily showed excellent efficacy in clinical trials with VRE-infected patients.

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Cevimeline hydrochloride hydrate is a muscarinic receptor agonist with a chemical structure of a quinuclidine. Intraduodenal administration of cevimeline hydrochloride hydrate dose-dependently increased salivary secretion in normal mice and rats, two strains of autoimmune disease mice, and X-irradiated rats. The clinical efficacy of the cevimeline hydrochlide hydrate at 30 mg t.i.d. during 4 weeks has been demonstrated in double blind comparative study with placebo. In addition, its treatments in 52 weeks have increased salivary flow and improved subjective and objective symptoms of patients with xerostomia in Sjögren's syndrome.

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