Investigation of drugs for the prevention of doxorubicin-induced cardiac events using big data analysis.

AIM: Doxorubicin, an anthracycline anti-tumour agent, is an essential chemotherapeutic drug; however, the adverse events associated with doxorubicin usage, including cardiotoxicity, prevent patients from continuing treatment. Here, we used databases to explore existing approved drugs with potential preventative effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiac events and examined their efficacy and mechanisms. METHODS: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS), and Food and Drug Administration Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) databases were used to extract candidate prophylactic drugs. Mouse models of doxorubicin-induced cardiac events were generated by intraperitoneal administration of 20 mg/kg of doxorubicin on Day 1 and oral administration of prophylactic candidate drugs for 6 consecutive days beginning the day before doxorubicin administration. On Day 6, mouse hearts were extracted and examined for mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes. RESULTS: GEO analysis showed that doxorubicin administration upregulated 490 genes and downregulated 862 genes, and LINCS data identified sirolimus, verapamil, minoxidil, prednisolone, guanabenz, and mosapride as drugs capable of counteracting these genetic alterations. Examination of the effects of these drugs on cardiac toxicity using FAERS identified sirolimus and mosapride as new prophylactic drug candidates. In model mice, mosapride and sirolimus suppressed the Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio, which is elevated in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. These drugs also suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines Il1b and Il6 and markers associated with myocardial fibrosis, including Lgal3 and Timp1. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that doxorubicin-induced cardiac events are suppressed by the administration of mosapride and sirolimus.

A web-based survey of educational opportunities of medical professionals based on changes in conference design during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, understanding how to hold future online academic conferences effectively is imperative. We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on academic conferences, including facilities and settings for attendance, participation status, cost burden, and preferences for future styles of holding conferences, through a web-based questionnaire survey of 2,739 Japanese medical professionals, from December 2020 to February 2021. Of the participants, 28% preferred web conferences, 60% preferred a mix of web and on-site conferences, and 12% preferred on-site conferences. Additionally, 27% of the presenters stopped presenting new findings at web conferences. The proportion of participants who audio-recorded or filmed the sessions, despite prohibition, was six times higher at web than face-to-face conferences. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the percentage of participants attending general presentations decreased from 91 to 51%. While web conferencing offers advantages, these are offset by a decrease in presentations pertaining to novel findings and data. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-022-11032-5.

Fluoropyridmidine use and hypertriglyceridemia among Japanese patients: analysis of adverse event database.

Background The association between fluoropyrimidines except for capecitabine and the risk of hypertriglyceridemia is unclear. Objective To investigate hypertriglyceridemia in patients receiving fluoropyrimidines. Method This observational study used anonymized patient data recorded in the open-access Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. All fluoropyrimidine and taxane users were investigated. Results We identified 29,451 fluoropyrimidine users and 21,266 taxane users. Disproportionality for both hypertriglyceridemia and an increase in serum triglyceride levels was observed in fluoropyrimidine users compared with in taxane users (reporting odds ratio, 6.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.05-22.17; P < .001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that both hypertriglyceridemia and an increase in serum triglyceride levels among fluoropyrimidines users were significantly associated with doxifluridine use (odds ratio [OR] 42.50; 95% CI 5.34-338.00; P < .001), tegafur use (OR 9.56; 95% CI 2.08-43.90; P < .001), capecitabine use (OR 12.30; 95% CI 2.67-56.80; P < .001), and breast cancer (OR 5.61; 95% CI 1.07-29.50; P = .042). Conclusion This study suggests that the use of tegafur and doxifluridine is associated with an increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia similar to that with the use of capecitabine; in particular, fluoropyrimidine users with breast cancer may have a high risk of hypertriglyceridemia.