On September 20, 2022, the Japanese Society of Oral Therapeutics and Pharmacology published the fifth edition of the revised Dental Drugs in Japan. This was the first revision in seven years since the publication of the fourth edition, and it had been 32 years since the first edition was published in 1990.

The first through the fourth editions of the book have served as a bible for basic and clinical dental pharmacotherapy, and have provided safe and appropriate dental pharmacotherapy while updating information on drugs.

The revised 5th edition, on the other hand, has been substantially revised with the aim of becoming a practical book for the clinician's chairside. The full-color pages are more accessible to dental students and dental hygienists, and the necessary drug information can be obtained at a glance. In addition, the book has been edited to focus on topics such as antimicrobial resistance, herbal medicines, polypharmacy, and medication adherence in today's hyper-aged society.

This paper looks back on the past four editions and traces the 35-year history of Dental Drugs in Japan.

茵蔯蒿湯は日本で慢性肝疾患や口内炎の治療のための漢方製剤として広く使用されている．本研究では，ヒト骨肉腫細胞株（Saos-2）を用いて，茵蔯蒿湯の炎症性サイトカインであるインターロイキン（IL）-6およびIL-8，および骨形成のマーカーであるI型コラーゲンとアルカリフォスファターゼ（ALP）の分泌に対する茵蔯蒿湯の効果を調査した．Saos-2細胞の増殖能はMTTアッセイとBrdU Cell Proliferation Assay Kitを用いて分析し，コラーゲンの産生はELISAを用いて分析した．ALPの産生はLabAssay ALPキットを用いて評価した．歯周病病原体Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitansからのリポ多糖（LPS）刺激に反応してSaos-2がIL-6およびIL-8を産生するシステムを使用した．IL-6，IL-8，I型コラーゲンの産生，およびALPの分泌レベルはELISAおよびALPアッセイを用いて評価した．Saos-2細胞は，茵蔯蒿湯の存在または非存在下で24時間培養され，その濃度は0.1，1，10，100，および1000 μg/mLで行った．茵蔯蒿湯は，濃度依存的にSaos-2細胞の増殖を有意に誘導した．本研究では，1000 μg/mLの茵蔯蒿湯はIL-6およびIL-8を抑制し，I型コラーゲンの産生とALPの分泌を促進した．これらの結果は，茵蔯蒿湯が抗炎症および骨形成効果の可能性を持つことを示唆している．

  Objective：This study aimed to facilitate the diagnosis of drug-induced taste disturbances by compiling a comprehensive list of medications that are associated with adverse effects. Drugs that warranted special consideration based on the incidence rates of taste-related adverse reactions were investigated.

  Methods：We investigated the incidence of taste abnormalities associated with drugs listed as having potential adverse effects using data from the Manuals for Management of Individual Serious Adverse Drug Reactions：Drug-Induced Taste Disturbance. This analysis was based on a review of package inserts and interview forms. Medications with a reported incidence rate of ≧10 ％ for taste disturbances were identified and classified according to therapeutic categories following the Japan Standard Commodity Classification system.

  Results：Twenty-four drugs were identified with an incidence rate of ≧10％ for taste abnormalities. Of these, 20 were antineoplastic agents, whereas the remaining were categorized as sedatives, detoxifying agents, radiopharmaceuticals, and antiviral drugs. Notably, of the 20 antineoplastic agents tested, 12 were molecularly targeted.

  Discussion and Conclusion：Although drug-induced taste disturbances are associated with sedatives, psychotropic medications, and cardiovascular agents, our findings indicate that antineoplastic agents, particularly molecularly targeted drugs, are associated with significantly higher incidences of taste-related side effects. This finding suggests the need for increased clinical awareness when prescribing these therapies.