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Predecessor
Volume 130, Issue 8
Displaying 1-12 of 12 articles from this issue
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Reviews
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Tomomi GOTOArticle type: Review
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 999-1010
Published: 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSOne of the major roles of public health agencies is to ensure safe products for consumers through analysis of residual agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs in foods. The use of agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs in agriculture is necessary to improve the quality of the food produced. They play a beneficial role in providing a plentiful, low-cost supply of high-quality food. On the other hand, as a consequence of this use, the presence of residues in food that is a critical element of overall public health is unavoidable, and residues in food are of great importance in the evaluation of food quality. N-methyl carbamate pesticides have anticholinesterase activity and are used worldwide. The postcolumn HPLC method is widely used for the detection of N-methyl carbamate pesticides in food. However, this traditional method involves a time-consuming process that requires skillful techniques. Therefore we developed a new analysis method for N-methyl carbamate pesticides as described in detail in this paper. The new method, including sample preparation and determination, is simple and rapid and allows simultaneous determination of pesticides in food within a much shorter analysis time as compared with the traditional method. This should provide high-quality analysis and ensure safe products for consumers.
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Kenichi MURAIArticle type: Review
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1011-1016
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThis review describes the first method to prepare imidazolines from aldehydes and 1,2-diamines by condensation and successive oxidation using NBS in one-pot operation. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and can be applied to various aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and 1,2-diamines. The utility of this method is also demonstrated in the total synthesis of spongotine A and the preparation of a newly designed organocatalyst, C3-symmetric trisimidazoline 7.
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Regular Articles
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Keiko KISHIMOTO, Chie YOSHINO, Noriko FUKUSHIMAArticle type: Regular Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1017-1027
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of websites providing health food information for cancer patients and, to assess the status to get this information online. We used four common Japanese search engines (Yahoo!, Google, goo, and MSN) to look up websites on Dec. 2, 2008. The search keywords were “health food” and “cancer”. The websites for the first 100 hits generated by each search engine were screened and extracted by three conditions. We extracted 64 unique websites by the result of retrieval, of which 54 websites had information about health food factors. The two scales were used to evaluate the quality of the content on 54 websites. On the scale of reliability of information on the Web, the average score was 2.69±1.70 (maximum 6) and the median was 2.5. The other scale was matter need to check whether listed to use safely this information. On this scale, the average score was 0.72±1.22 (maximum 5) and the median was 0. Three engines showed poor correlation between the ranking and the latter score. But several websites on the top indicated 0 score. Fifty-four websites were extracted with one to four engines and the average number of search engines was 1.9. The two scales were positively correlated with the number of search engines, but these correlations were very poor. Ranking high and extraction by multiple search engines were of minor benefit to pick out more reliable information.
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Katsuhito HORI, Naoko YOSHIDA, Tomonori OKUMURA, Yasufumi OKAMURA, Jun ...Article type: Regular Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1029-1040
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSOrally disintegrating (OD) tablets are widely used in clinical practice. However, drug information on the choice and dispensing based on their stability after opening packages and usability in patients and dispensaries is not sufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate possible evaluation methods of the stability and usability of amlodipine OD tablets. Additives of the brand were changed in April 2009, and therefore the previous and current forms and two generics, current and newly marketed (in November 2009) products of different firms, were used. OD tablets were stored at 25°C and 75% relative humidity for 3 months after opening the packages, and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. Their weight, diameter, thickness, and color difference increased slightly from the initial state. The extent of the change in their hardness, disintegration time, and friability was different among products. These physicochemical changes were acceptable in dispensary practice. Storage after opening the packages did not affect their dissolution rate. The dissolution rate at the initial state of the current brand was slower than that of the previous one. All products used were able to be dispensed by an automatic tablet-packing machine and applied to the so-called simple suspension method for intubational administration. Sensory evaluation tests revealed no major difference in the oral disintegration time, taste, impression, and preference among products. In conclusion, the stability and usability of amlodipine OD tablets used in this study were examined using several methods, and they can be used equivalently from the stability and usability viewpoints.
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Atsuko SATO, Mieko MORONE, Yutaka AZUMAArticle type: Regular Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1041-1052
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe aims of this study were to assess the basic academic ability of freshmen with regard to chemistry and implement suitable educational guidance measures. At Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, basic academic ability examinations are conducted in chemistry for freshmen immediately after entrance into the college. From 2003 to 2009, the examination was conducted using the same questions, and the secular changes in the mean percentage of correct response were statistically analyzed. An experience survey was also conducted on 2007 and 2009 freshmen regarding chemical experiments at senior high school. Analysis of the basic academic ability examinations revealed a significant decrease in the mean percentage of correct responses after 2007. With regard to the answers for each question, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of correct answers for approximately 80% of questions. In particular, a marked decrease was observed for calculation questions involving percentages. A significant decrease was also observed in the number of students who had experiences with chemical experiments in high school. However, notable results have been achieved through the implementation of practice incorporating calculation problems in order to improve calculation ability. Learning of chemistry and a lack of experimental experience in high school may be contributory factors in the decrease in chemistry academic ability. In consideration of the professional ability demanded of pharmacists, the decrease in calculation ability should be regarded as a serious issue and suitable measures for improving calculation ability are urgently required.
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Xiao-dong JU, Min DENG, Ying-fang AO, Chang-long YU, Jian-quan WANG, J ...Article type: Regular Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1053-1060
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSSinomenine (SIN), an alkaloid extracted from the stem of the Chinese medicinal plant sinomenium acutum, has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis. But little is known whether SIN has a protective effect on osteoarthritis (OA). In this study, we investigated the protective effect of SIN on IL-1β-induced proteoglycan degradation and apoptosis in rabbit articular cartilage and chondrocytes. Treatment with 10 ng/ml IL-1β increased the level of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) released into the culture media, and up-regulated the activity and mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) and down-regulated the activity and mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) in cartilage explants, as confirmed by the methods of GAG quantitation, MMP-13/TIMP-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Treatment with 10 ng/ml IL-1β resulted in marked apoptosis in chondrocytes, as demonstrated by decreased cell viability, occurrence of DNA laddering and increased caspase-3 activity and annexin V binding of phosphatidylserine. However, simultaneous treatment with SIN (10, 50 or 250 μM) inhibited the GAG release and the activity and mRNA expression of MMP-13, and enhanced the activity and mRNA expression of TIMP-1 in a dose-dependent manner in cartilage explants. Furthermore, DNA fragment, caspase-3 activity and apoptosis rate were down-regulated, and cell viability was up-regulated dose-dependently in chondrocytes. Thus, SIN has the protective capacity to antagonize cartilage degradation and chondrocyte apoptosis, which suggest that SIN may act as an agent for pharmacological intervention in the progress of OA.
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Zhifeng ZHOU, Jufeng YE, Lingyun CHEN, Ande MA, Fei ZOUArticle type: Regular Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1061-1068
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSA simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with UV detector was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ropivacaine, bupivacaine and dexamethasone in biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres within 11 min. Chromatographic separation was performed on a XDB-C18 column using a mobile phase comprised of acetonitrile-NaH2PO4 buffer (pH 3.5, 30 mM) (30:70, v/v) with a flow rate gradient program. The method was in good linearity (r>0.999) over the range of 0.025-40.0 μg/ml for ropivacaine and bupivacaine, and 0.05-40 μg/ml for dexamethasone. The method was proved to be precise with intra- and inter-day precision less than 3.0% and 6.0% for all drugs and accurate with intra- and inter-day accuracy between -8.0% to 4.5% and between -5.0% to 5.5% for all drugs. The assay was rapid, simple and easy to apply. Therefore, it was very suitable for routine determination and quality control of ropivacaine, bupivacaine and dexamethasone in PLGA microspheres.
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Notes
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Nobuyuki YAMAMOTO, Koji MIYAMOTO, Masakazu KATOHArticle type: Note
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1069-1073
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSAlcohol-based hand rubs are widely used for infection control in clinical practice. However, it is known that frequent use of the alcohol-based hand rubs may cause skin irritation. To predict the skin irritation in human, animal experiments are quite useful. Especially, the Draize Test using rabbits is suitable for this purpose because their skin is highly sensitive. On the other hand, the development of alternative to animal experiments is important not only from the viewpoint of ethical aspects but also from the efficient research and development. Reconstructed human epidermis (RhE) was developed as a human skin equivalent model in vitro, and has been applied to the evaluation of skin irritation. But the RhE has not been utilized for the evaluation of alcohol-based hand rubs because of the high skin permeability and cytotoxicity of alcohols. The aim of this study was to develop a new method using the RhE in evaluation of skin irritation caused by alcohol-based hand rubs. The authors propose an experimental technique named “Skin model blowing method (SMBM)” consisting of the sequential procedure as follows; applying small amount of testing sample on RhE, blow-dry, post incubation, and cell viability measurement. According to the SMBM, the skin irritation caused by alcohol-based hand rubs could be evaluated under the similar condition of their actual use. It was found that a high correlation existed between the cell viability obtained from SMBM and the skin irritation index in rabbit which had been reported previously.
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Osamu IMAKYURE, Hideki SHUTO, Fumi NISHIKAWA, Yoshifuka HAGIWARA, Sach ...Article type: Note
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1075-1084
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe acquirement of basic knowledge of clinical trials and professional attitude in their practices is a general instructional objective in the Model Core Curriculum for Pharmaceutical Education. Unfortunately, the previous program of clinical trial education was not effective in the acquirement of a professional attitude in their practices. Then, we developed the new clinical trial education program using protocol through small group discussion (SGD) and roll-playing. Our program consists of 7 steps of practical training. In step 1, the students find some problems after presentation of the protocol including case and prescription. In step 2, they analyse the extracted problems and share the information obtained in SGD. In steps 3 and 5, five clinical case scenarios are presented to the students and they discuss which case is suitable for entry to the clinical trial or which case corresponds to the discontinuance criteria in the present designed protocol. In steps 4 and 6, the roll-playing is performed by teachers and students as doctors and clinical research coordinators (CRC) respectively. Further, we conducted a trial practice based on this program for the students. In the student's self-evaluation into five grades, the average score of the skill acquisition level in each step was 3.8-4.7 grade. Our clinical trial education program could be effective in educating the candidates for CRC or clinical pharmacists.
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Yoshihisa YAMAMOTO, Toyofumi SUZUKI, Kaname HASHIZAKI, Masao OGURA, Yu ...Article type: Note
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1085-1091
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe previously reported a strong positive correlation between syrup viscosity and the rate of syrup loss due to adhesion to a glass metering device. In this study, we examined differences in the surface free energies of metering devices made of different polymeric materials, since reducing adhesion loss to metering devices could improve the efficiency of drug preparation involving highly viscous syrups. Among metering devices made of glass only, glass with a silicone coating (SLC), polypropylene (PP), and polymethylpentene (PMP) the surface free energy of the glass-only metering device was the highest (49.2 mN/m). The adhesion loss obtained for highly viscous syrups in the PP and PMP metering devices was significantly lower than that of the glass metering device. Measurements of syrup contact angles suggested that in metering devices made of PP and PMP, which have low surface free energies, a decrease in the spreading wetting of syrups was a factor in reducing the rate of adhesion loss. Thus irrespective of the syrup viscosity being measured, metering devices produced from materials with low surface free energies can reduce the time required to prepare prescriptions without compromising the accuracy of drug preparation.
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Makoto ANRAKU, Hirofumi INOUE, Eiji SATO, Toshiyuki HATA, Daiju TSUCHI ...Article type: Note
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1093-1103
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSTo estimate the extent of use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and health food, we administered a questionnaire to the parents of children in a nursery school and to elderly people in a daycare center in Fukuyama city. The aim of the questionnaire was to determine the percentage of children and elderly people who use OTC drugs and health food, the purpose of using them, and the types of OTC drugs and health food used. Other questions concerned the person advising them on the use of OTC and health food, the side effects of OTC drugs and health food, and the awareness of children and elderly people regarding possible interactions between prescription drugs and OTC drugs. In children, the most frequently consumed OTC drugs were cold medicines (32.1%), followed by topical creams (22.6%) and eye lotion (14.3%). In elderly people, the most frequently consumed OTC products were eye lotion (18.0%), followed by laxatives (14.8%) and fomentation agents (13.1%). The purchase ratio of health food for children and elderly people were 4.8% and 11.5%, respectively. These results suggest that the need for OTC drugs and health food in children are very different from those in elderly people. In addition, in promoting self-medication, the demand for the opinion of a specialist occupied about 80% or 70% of the total specialist time among children and elderly people, respectively. Therefore, when providing information on health food and OTC drugs, the needs of each generation should be taken into account. The information obtained from the responses received will allow us to provide better pharmaceutical care for both children and elderly people in Fukuyama city.
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Article
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Koji MIYAWAKI, Yoshihiro MIWA, Kazunori TOMONO, Nobuo KUROKAWAArticle type: Article
2010 Volume 130 Issue 8 Pages 1105-1111
Published: August 01, 2010
Released on J-STAGE: August 01, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe objective of this study is to investigate an effect on the antimicrobial appropriate use of the antimicrobial stewardship. We investigated the consumption of injectable antimicrobials from 2001 to 2007 and the administration period of specific antimicrobials (carbapenems, fourth-generation cephalosporins, anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agents) in the individual patient. Since September 2004, the infection control team at Osaka University Hospital has been promoting appropriate use of antimicrobials through consultation, education, and weekly surveillance of specific antimicrobial usage. We obtained the amount of all antimicrobial injections as titer from the medical information database of the electronic medical chart system retrospectively. Antimicrobial use densities (AUD) were evaluated by measuring the number of doses administered/1000 patient-days. Although the number of inpatient admissions and operations increased 1.53- and 1.39-fold, respectively, in the seven years from 2001 to 2007, the expenditure on specific antimicrobials decreased markedly with AUD of specific antimicrobials decreasing from 39.6 to 29.2. The percentage of inpatients receiving specific antimicrobials decreased from 19.8% to 9.8%, and the ratio of the number of inpatients administered a specific antimicrobial within seven days to the number of inpatients administered each specific antimicrobial increased to over 60%. This led to reduction in the total expenditure of antimicrobials by about \\100 million annually. The incidence of hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) infection decreased from 0.93% (2003) to 0.68% (2007). We can reduce the expenditure of antimicrobials without increasing incidence of the HA-MRSA by antimicrobial stewardship, and we think that appropriate use of antimicrobials is achieved progressively.
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