Prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain after thoracotomy and total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective multicenter study in Japan (Japanese Study Group of Subacute Postoperative Pain).

We performed a multicenter observational study to assess the prevalence and risk factors of persistent pain after lung cancer surgery and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the Japanese population. After receiving Ethics Committee approval, a retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent surgery at seven university hospitals in Japan in 2013. A total of 511 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery and 298 patients who underwent TKA were included. The prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) at 3 and 6 months was 18 and 12% after lung surgery and 49 and 33% after TKA, respectively. The prevalence of analgesic use at 3 and 6 months was 16 and 9% after lung surgery and 34 and 22% after TKA, respectively. In both groups, preoperative analgesic use was associated with CPSP. Anesthetic methods or techniques during both types of surgery did not significantly affect the prevalence of CPSP. This is the first study in which the prevalence of CPSP after lung surgery and TKA in Japanese population was extensively evaluated in a multicenter trial. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the prevalence of CPSP in the Japanese population and to identify risk factors and prevention methods.

[Risk Factors for the Postsurgical Hoarseness Contribution of the Intubation Device].

BACKGROUND: Postsurgical hoarseness is one of the major postoperative complications. METHODS: Risk factors associated with the postsur- gical hoarseness were investigated from medical records of 579 adult patients undergoing general anes- thesia with tracheal intubation. Postsurgical hoarseness was judged if a patient developed hoarseness at PODO or PODI by postanesthesia round. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the parameters associated with postsurgical hoarseness. RESULTS: Postsurgical hoarseness developed in 16.1% of patients. None of the patients suffered hoarseness continuing more than 4 days. Multivariate logistic regression revealed increased BMI (odds ratio (OR) 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI):1.00-1.131], depth of tracheal tube (OR 0.71 [95% CI : 0.57-0.86]), intu- bation performed by doctors in training (OR 4.07 [95% CI : 2.42-7.10]) and intubation with Airway Scope® (OR 2.03 [95% CI : 1.10-3.66]). CONCLUSIONS: Increased BMI, depth of tracheal tube, intubation performed by doctors in training and intu- bation with Airway Scope® are risk factors of postsur- gical hoarseness.

Prolongation of intrathecal and sciatic nerve blocks using a complex of levobupivacaine with maltosyl-beta-cyclodextrin in rats.

BACKGROUND: We used a cyclodextrin-based drug delivery system, consisting of levobupivacaine complexed with maltosyl-beta-cyclodextrin (G2-beta-CD), in spinal and sciatic nerve blocks in rats to investigate prolongation of the local anesthetic effect. METHODS: Rats were assigned to four groups (n = 6 in each) and received intrathecally 30 microL of 1% levobupivacaine complexed with 0 (control), 50, 100, or 200 mM of G2-beta-CD. Muscle tone and tail flick latency were studied after intrathecal administration. Four more groups (n = 6) of rats received a sciatic nerve block with 0.5% or 1% levobupivacaine complexed with either 0 or 100 mM of G2-beta-CD. The time course of changes in proprioception, motor function, and nociception after circumferential subcutaneous administration to the sciatic nerve was examined. RESULTS: With the intrathecal block, all rats stopped tail movement immediately after injection of the local anesthetic. The mean time to recovery of muscle tone with 1% levobupivacaine complexed with 100 mM (80.0 +/- 8.9 min) and 200 mM (91.7 +/- 7.0 min) of G2-beta-CD was significantly longer than that of the control group (38.3 +/- 3.1 min), but tail flick latency was not prolonged. With the sciatic nerve block, all rats were temporarily immobilized after levobupivacaine injection. The anesthetic effects of 0.5% levobupivacaine with 100 mM of G2-beta-CD were twice as long as those for 0.5% levobupivacaine alone, and those of 1% levobupivacaine with 100 mM of G2-beta-CD were 1.4 times longer than those for 1% levobupivacaine alone. CONCLUSIONS: The complex of levobupivacaine with G2-beta-CD prolonged the anesthetic effect of levobupivacaine in both intrathecal and sciatic nerve blocks in rats.

Thermostabilized ovalbumin that occurs naturally during development accumulates in embryonic tissues.

We have reported that ovalbumin accumulates without digestion in various tissues during embryonic development of the chicken. There are different types of ovalbumin with respect to thermal stability and one of them, which was named "HS-ovalbumin" in the present study, was found to have a T(m) value of 83 degrees C and to be present dominantly in albumen, egg yolk, amniotic fluid, and serum of fertilized eggs. HS-ovalbumin, arising physiologically from its native form (N-ovalbumin), is reminiscent of the previously described intermediate form appearing during the production processes of the so-called S-ovalbumin, which disappeared shortly in fertilized eggs. We showed that HS-ovalbumin is distinguishable from S-ovalbumin by a monoclonal antibody and also from N-ovalbumin by the stability to heating. At the late stages of development, ovalbumin of amniotic fluid seems to be swallowed through pharynx, carried in the intestine through stomach, and absorbed in the blood. Analyses by monoclonal antibody and heat treatment indicated that the HS-form occupies the largest fraction of ovalbumin that accumulates in the embryonic tissues. The current findings suggest that HS-ovalbumin is crucial for embryogenesis.

Sabellaria jeramae, a new species (Annelida: Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) from the shallow waters of Malaysia, with a note on the ecological traits of reefs.

A new species of the genus Sabellaria Lamarck, 1818 (Annelida: Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) is described from the intertidal zone of Jeram, Selangor, Malaysia. Sabellaria jeramae n. sp. is a gregarious species that constructs large reefs several hundreds of meters long and 50-200 m wide. The new species is distinguished from other congeners by the character combination of the presence of a single kind of middle paleae with conspicuous morphology, and outer paleae with long frayed teeth. Morphological features of the species are described and compared to those of all congeneric species. We also compare the reef structure and geographical distribution of the new species to those of the members of the family Sabellariidae around the world, demonstrating the ecological traits of the reefs.

Partial revision of Japanese Pectinariidae (Annelida: Polychaeta), including redescriptions of poorly known species.

Eight species of Pectinariidae de Quatrefages, 1866 were recorded from Japan and adjacent waters. We studied four species of the family and redescribe the poorly known species from the Seto Inland Sea and Ariake Sound, Kyushu based on recently collected material. The species covered in this study are Amphictene japonica (Nilsson, 1928), Lagis bocki (Hessle, 1917), Pectinaria okudai (Imajima & Hartman, 1964) and Pectinaria hiuchiensis Kitamori, 1965.