The Keio Journal of Medicine
Online ISSN : 1880-1293
Print ISSN : 0022-9717
ISSN-L : 0022-9717
Volume 61, Issue 2
Displaying 1-3 of 3 articles from this issue
REVIEW
  • Yoshiaki Kubota
    2012 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 47-56
    Published: June 25, 2012
    Released on J-STAGE: June 26, 2012
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Anti-angiogenic therapy is an anti-cancer strategy that targets the new vessels that grow to provide oxygen and nutrients to actively proliferating tumor cells. Most of the current anti-cancer reagents used in the clinical setting indiscriminately target all rapidly dividing cells, resulting in severe adverse effects such as immunosuppression, intestinal problems and hair loss. In comparison, anti-angiogenic reagents theoretically have fewer side effects because, except in the uterine endometrium, neoangiogenesis rarely occurs in healthy adults. Currently, the most established approach for limiting tumor angiogenesis is blockade of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. In line with the results of preclinical studies, significant therapeutic effects of VEGF blockers have been reported in various types of human cancers, even in patients with progressive/recurrent cancer who could not otherwise be treated. However, some patients are refractory to this treatment or acquire resistance to VEGF inhibitors. Moreover, several studies have shown that VEGF blockade damages healthy vessels and results in adverse effects such as hemorrhagic and thrombotic events. In recent research that indicated possible ways to overcome these problems, several VEGF-independent and tumor-selective pro-angiogenic mechanisms were discovered that could be targeted in combination with or without conventional VEGF blockade. These findings offer opportunities to greatly improve current anti-angiogenic treatment for cancer.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Nobuhiko Sasaki, Hirohisa Horinouchi, Akira Ushiyama, Haruyuki Minamit ...
    2012 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 57-65
    Published: June 25, 2012
    Released on J-STAGE: June 26, 2012
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Oxygen transport is believed to primarily occur via capillaries and depends on the oxygen tension gradient between the vessels and tissues. As blood flows along branching arterioles, the O2saturation drops, indicating either consumption or diffusion. The blood flow rate, the O2concentration gradient, and Krogh’s O2diffusion constant (K) of the vessel wall are parameters affecting O2delivery. We devised a method for evaluatingKof arteriolar wallin vivousing phosphorescence quenching microscopy to measure the partial pressure of oxygen in two areas almost simultaneously. TheKvalue of arteriolar wall (inner diameter, 63.5 ± 11.9 μm; wall thickness, 18.0 ± 1.2 μm) was found to be 6.0 ± 1.2 × 10−11(cm2/s)(ml O2·cm−3tissue·mmHg−1). The arteriolar wall O2consumption rate (M) was 1.5 ± 0.1 (ml O2·100 cm−3tissue·min−1), as calculated using Krogh’s diffusion equation. These results suggest that the arteriolar wall consumes a considerable proportion of the O2that diffuses through it.
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CASE REPORT
  • Ayca Acikalin, Muge Gulen, Banu Kara, Ferhat Icme, Caglar Emre Cagliya ...
    2012 Volume 61 Issue 2 Pages 66-68
    Published: June 25, 2012
    Released on J-STAGE: June 26, 2012
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Lavender plants have been used for their cosmetic and biologic benefits for many centries. Extracts fromLavandulaplants have been found to cause antimuscarinic effects by blocking sodium and calcium ion channels inin vitroandin vivostudies. We present a case of poisoning by ingestion of tea made fromLavenderstoechas( grass). The patient was admitted to our emergency department with supraventricular tachycardia due to anticholinergic syndrome triggered by drinking lavender tea. On electrocardiography, a narrow QRS complex tachycardia was evident. After carotid sinus massage, the patient immediately returned to sinus rhythm. There are no reported data about the toxicity ofLavender stoechasplants with respect to supraventricular tachycardia, anticholinergic syndrome or sympathetic nerve activity.
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