PRPF19 regulates p53-dependent cellular senescence by modulating alternative splicing of MDM4 mRNA.

Alteration of RNA splicing is a hallmark of cellular senescence, which is associated with age-related disease and cancer development. However, the roles of splicing factors in cellular senescence are not fully understood. In this study, we identified the splicing factor PRPF19 as a critical regulator of cellular senescence in normal human diploid fibroblasts. PRPF19 was downregulated during replicative senescence, and PRPF19 knockdown prematurely induced senescence-like cell cycle arrest through the p53-p21 pathway. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that PRPF19 knockdown caused a switch of the MDM4 splicing isoform from stable full-length MDM4-FL to unstable MDM4-S lacking exon 6. We also found that PRPF19 regulates MDM4 splicing by promoting the physical interaction of other splicing factors, PRPF3 and PRPF8, which are key components of the core spliceosome, U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP. Given that MDM4 is a major negative regulator of p53, our findings imply that PRPF19 downregulation inhibits MDM4-mediated p53 inactivation, resulting in induction of cellular senescence. Thus, PRPF19 plays an important role in the induction of p53-dependent cellular senescence.

Adverse reaction profiles of hemorrhagic adverse reactions caused by direct oral anticoagulants analyzed using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are used in anticoagulant therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of DOAC-induced gastrointestinal (GI) and nervous system hemorrhage using the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. We identified and analyzed the reports of hemorrhagic reactions between 2004 and 2016 from the FAERS and JADER databases, and calculated the adjusted reported odds ratio (ROR) using the multiple logistic regression method. Additionally, we used the time-to-onset analysis. In the FAERS database, the adjusted ROR of apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran for GI hemorrhage was 6.79 (5.84-7.91), 19.58 (18.85-20.34), and 14.51 (13.58-15.51), respectively. In the JADER database, the adjusted ROR of apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, and dabigatran for GI hemorrhage was 11.80 (9.50-14.64), 11.03 (9.18-13.26), 10.17 (6.95-14.88), and 9.85 (7.23-13.42), respectively. We found that the association of GI hemorrhage with DOACs was affected by sex (female). Additionally, 30% of GI hemorrhage was observed after 30 days. Hemorrhagic reactions of both GI and nervous systems were observed in both the spontaneous reporting system databases. We recommend that female patients who experience symptoms related to GI hemorrhage should be closely monitored and advised to adhere to an appropriate care plan. Additionally, our results show that patients should be closely monitored for hemorrhage even after a month.

Measurement of Linezolid and Its Metabolites PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 in Human Plasma Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method.

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was developed and validated for the quantification of linezolid, PNU-142300, and PNU-142586 in human plasma. After protein precipitation using acetonitrile, the protein-free supernatant was separated using reverse-phase chromatography using an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column and monitored at 254 nm. p-Toluic acid was used as the internal standard. No interference peak was observed at the retention times of linezolid, PNU-142300, PNU-142586, and p-toluic acid from blank plasma. The calibration curve of linezolid was linear from 0.2 to 50.0 µg/mL (coefficient of determination (r2) > 0.9999) and those of PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 were linear from 0.2 to 20.0 µg/mL (r2 > 0.9996 and > 0.9998, respectively). The intra- and inter-assay accuracy (%) and precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) %) of the three components were confirmed to meet the criteria of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Tests confirmed the stability of linezolid, PNU-142300, and PNU-142586 in plasma during three freeze-thaw cycles and long-term storage of frozen plasma for up to 30 d; in extracts they were stable in the UPLC autosampler for over 48 h at 4°C. Furthermore, plasma concentrations of linezolid, PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 in patients treated with linezolid could be measured using the UPLC method developed in this study. This assay would be a powerful tool for therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analyses in the optimization of linezolid treatment.

Evaluation of Drug-Induced Photosensitivity Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) Database.

Drug-induced photosensitivity (DIP) refers to the development of cutaneous disorders caused by the combined effects of different medications and light. The aim of this study was to obtain new information on drug risk comparisons and on DIP onset profiles, including seasonal variations, for clinically used prescription drugs. We analyzed reports of DIP recorded in the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database using a reporting odds ratio (ROR). We also used Weibull proportional-hazards models for each drug to examine the patterns of DIP. The JADER database contains 430587 reports recorded from April 2004 to November 2016. The ROR values (95% confidence interval [CI]) of losartan/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), valsartan/HCTZ, and ketoprofen were 214.5 (162.1-283.9), 104.7 (66.3-165.5), and 117.9 (76.6-181.5), respectively. For time-to-onset analysis, the median durations (interquartile range) for DIP caused by losartan/HCTZ, valsartan/HCTZ, and ketoprofen were 56 (41-78), 49 (38-88), and 8 (2-14) days, respectively. The lower limit of the 95% CI for the Weibull shape parameter ß value for losartan/HCTZ was greater than 1. More than half of the reports of DIP onset following the administration of ketoprofen were recorded within 10 d of treatment initiation. The seasonal variation of photosensitivity reactions was shown to follow an annual sinusoidal pattern with a peak in April and May. Based on the results, losartan/HCTZ, valsartan/HCTZ, and ketoprofen should be used carefully in clinical practice to avoid DIP.

Age-related trends in injection site reaction incidence induced by the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors etanercept and adalimumab: the Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system, 2004-2015.

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors are increasingly being used as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the administration of these drugs carries the risk of inducing injection site reaction (ISR). ISR gives rise to patient stress, nervousness, and a decrease in quality of life (QoL). In order to alleviate pain and other symptoms, early countermeasures must be taken against this adverse event. In order to improve understanding of the risk factors contributing to the induction of ISR, we evaluated the association between TNF-α inhibitors and ISR by applying a logistic regression model to age-stratified data obtained from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. The FAERS database contains 7,561,254 reports from January 2004 to December 2015. Adjusted reporting odds ratios (RORs) (95% Confidence Intervals) were obtained for interaction terms for age-stratified groups treated with etanercept (ETN) and adalimumab (ADA). The adjusted RORs for ETN* ≥ 70 and ADA* ≥ 70 groups were the lowest among the age-stratified groups undergoing the respective monotherapies. Furthermore, we found that crude RORs for ETN + methotrexate (MTX) combination therapy and ADA + MTX combination therapy were lower than those for the respective monotherapies. This study was the first to evaluate the relationship between aging and ISR using the FAERS database.

Genome-wide association study of clinically defined gout identifies multiple risk loci and its association with clinical subtypes.

OBJECTIVE: Gout, caused by hyperuricaemia, is a multifactorial disease. Although genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of gout have been reported, they included self-reported gout cases in which clinical information was insufficient. Therefore, the relationship between genetic variation and clinical subtypes of gout remains unclear. Here, we first performed a GWAS of clinically defined gout cases only. METHODS: A GWAS was conducted with 945 patients with clinically defined gout and 1213 controls in a Japanese male population, followed by replication study of 1048 clinically defined cases and 1334 controls. RESULTS: Five gout susceptibility loci were identified at the genome-wide significance level (p<5.0×10(-8)), which contained well-known urate transporter genes (ABCG2 and SLC2A9) and additional genes: rs1260326 (p=1.9×10(-12); OR=1.36) of GCKR (a gene for glucose and lipid metabolism), rs2188380 (p=1.6×10(-23); OR=1.75) of MYL2-CUX2 (genes associated with cholesterol and diabetes mellitus) and rs4073582 (p=6.4×10(-9); OR=1.66) of CNIH-2 (a gene for regulation of glutamate signalling). The latter two are identified as novel gout loci. Furthermore, among the identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we demonstrated that the SNPs of ABCG2 and SLC2A9 were differentially associated with types of gout and clinical parameters underlying specific subtypes (renal underexcretion type and renal overload type). The effect of the risk allele of each SNP on clinical parameters showed significant linear relationships with the ratio of the case-control ORs for two distinct types of gout (r=0.96 [p=4.8×10(-4)] for urate clearance and r=0.96 [p=5.0×10(-4)] for urinary urate excretion). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide clues to better understand the pathogenesis of gout and will be useful for development of companion diagnostics.

Association between Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Therapy and Suicidality: Analysis of U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System Data.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are prescribed for the treatment of depression worldwide. SSRIs are suspected to increase the risk of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults. We examined the association between SSRI therapy and suicidality by applying a logistic regression model to age-stratified data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System database. We attempted to mitigate the effect of patient-related factors by data subsetting. We selected case reports for SSRIs as referred to in the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification code N06AB. The association between SSRIs and "suicidal events" or "self-harm events" was calculated as a reporting odds ratio (ROR) and adjusted for covariates by logistic regression. For subjects <18 years old (y.o.) the adjusted RORs (95% confidence interval) of SSRI therapy with suicidal events were 9.58 (8.97-10.23) in the whole data analysis and 4.64 (4.15-5.19) in the subset analysis; those with self-harm events were 31.40 (27.71-35.58) and 16.31 (13.12-20.29), respectively. Although the adjusted RORs were lower in the subset analyses than in the whole data analyses, both analyses indicated associations between SSRI treatment and suicidal and self-harm events. In both analyses these associations were stronger in the <18 y.o. group than other age groups. Children and adolescents should be closely monitored for the occurrence of suicidality when they are prescribed SSRIs. In addition, we found that data subsetting might mitigate the effect of an intrinsic risk among patients taking the suspected drug.

Analysis of Neuropsychiatric Adverse Events in Patients Treated with Oseltamivir in Spontaneous Adverse Event Reports.

There have been concerns that oseltamivir causes neuropsychiatric adverse events (NPAEs). We analyzed the association of age and gender with NPAEs in patients treated with oseltamivir using a logistic regression model. NPAE data were obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (2004 to 2013). The lower limit of the reporting odds ratio (ROR) 95% confidence interval (CI) of "abnormal behavior" in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan was ≥1. The effects of the interaction terms for oseltamivir in male patients aged 10-19 years were statistically significant. The adjusted ROR of "abnormal behavior" was 96.4 (95% CI, 77.5-119.9) in male patients aged 10-19 years treated with osletamivir. In female patients, the results of the likelihood ratio test for "abnormal behavior" were not statistically significant. The adjusted NPAE RORs were increased in male and female patients under the age of 20 years. Oseltamivir use could be associated with "abnormal behavior" in males aged 10-19 years. After considering the causality restraints of the current analysis, further epidemiological studies are recommended.

Analysis of the Interaction between Clopidogrel, Aspirin, and Proton Pump Inhibitors Using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database.

Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent widely used in combination with aspirin to limit the occurrence of cardiovascular (embolic/thrombotic) events. Consensus guidelines recommend proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as a gastrointestinal (GI) prophylactic measure for all patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the simultaneous use of clopidogrel, aspirin, and PPIs on hemorrhagic and embolic/thrombotic events using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Reports of hemorrhagic and embolic/thrombotic events between 2004 and 2013 were analyzed with a reporting odds ratio (ROR) algorithm and logistic regression methods. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Terms was used to identify such events. Regarding hemorrhagic events, the adjusted RORs of the concomitant use of aspirin and clopidogrel and those of PPIs prescribed with aspirin and clopidogrel were 4.40 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.02-4.81) and 3.40 (95% CI, 2.84-4.06), respectively. For embolic/thrombotic events, the adjusted RORs of the concomitant use of aspirin and clopidogrel and those of PPIs prescribed with aspirin and clopidogrel were 2.37 (95% CI, 2.16-2.59) and 2.38 (95% CI, 2.00-2.84), respectively. Among patients included in the FAERS database, the concurrent use of aspirin and clopidogrel with PPIs reduced the adjusted ROR of GI hemorrhagic events. PPIs had little influence on the adjusted ROR of embolic/thrombotic events. These results support the use of PPIs as a preventive measure against GI hemorrhagic events for patients receiving clopidogrel and aspirin.

Evaluation of Dabigatran- and Warfarin-Associated Hemorrhagic Events Using the FDA-Adverse Event Reporting System Database Stratified by Age.

Dabigatran and warfarin are oral anticoagulant drugs widely used for the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between aging and dabigatran- and warfarin-induced gastrointestinal (GI) and nervous system hemorrhage using data available in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. We analyzed reports of hemorrhagic events in the GI and nervous system recorded in the FAERS database between 2004 and 2014 using an adjusted reporting odds ratio (ROR). We demonstrated that dabigatran-associated GI hemorrhage was significantly increased in patients over the age of 80 years. The RORs of dabigatran increased with increasing age, although aging had little effect on warfarin-associated GI hemorrhage. The ROR for anticoagulant-associated nervous system hemorrhage was not significantly affected by aging, as compared to GI hemorrhage. Our results indicate that the excretion of dabigatran may be affected by aging, as compared to warfarin, likely due to renal function decline. Our results emphasize the need for physicians to closely monitor GI bleeding in aging patients, because it is closely related to renal function deterioration.

Serial intermediates with a 1 nt 3'-flap and 5' variable-length flaps are formed by cooperative functioning of Pyrococcus horikoshii FEN-1 with either B or D DNA polymerases.

Flap endonuclease-1 (FEN-1) plays important roles with DNA polymerases in DNA replication, repair and recombination. FEN-1 activity is elevated by the presence of a 1 nucleotide expansion at the 3' end in the upstream primer of substrates called "structures with a 1 nt 3'-flap", which appear to be the most preferable substrates for FEN-1; however, it is unclear how such substrates are generated in vivo. Here, we show that substrate production occurred by the cooperative function of FEN-1(phFEN-1) and Pyrococcus horikoshii DNA polymerase B (phPol B) or D (phPol D). Using various substrates, the activities of several phFEN-1 F79 mutants were compared with those of the wild type. Analysis of the activity profiles of these mutants led us to discriminate "structures with a 1 nt 3'-flap" from substrates with a 3' -projection longer than 2 nt or from those without a 3'-projection. When phFEN-1 processed a gap substrate with phPol B or phPol D, "structures with a 1 nt 3'-flap" were assumed the reaction intermediates. Furthermore, the phFEN-1 cleavage products with phPol B or D were from 1mer to 7mer, corresponding to the sizes of the strand-displacement products of these polymerases. This suggests that a series of 1 nt 3'-flap with 5'-variable length-flap configurations were generated as transient intermediates, in which the length of the 5'-flaps depended on the displacement distance of the downstream strand by phPol B or D. Therefore, phFEN-1 might act successively on displaced 5'-variable flaps.

[A comparison of susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates to carbapenem antibiotics in our hospital].

We investigated the susceptibility of 400 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) clinical isolates to 3 antipseudomonal carbapenems, namely, doripenem (DRPM), meropenem (MEPM), and imipenem (IPM). The test strains were isolated from the following specimens: respiratory (n = 194), urinary (n = 61), digestive (n = 38), pus (n = 36), skin (n = 21), blood (n = 9), upper respiratory tract and oral cavity (n = 8), and others (n = 33) at Osaka City University Hospital from July to October 2013. Test strains were categorized as susceptible, ≤ 2 µg/mL; intermediate, 4 µg/mL; and resistant, ≥ 8 µg/mL according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria (M100-S22), updated on January 2012. To compare the antimicrobial activities of these 3 carbapenems, the susceptibility rate for each agent was analyzed. Susceptibility to DRPM, MEPM, and IPM was 78.3%, 74.3%, and 64.8%, respectively, whereas resistance was 12.5%, 22.8%, and 28.5%, respectively. The frequency of strains resistant to DRPM was significantly lower than that for MEPM (p < 0.001) and IPM (p < 0.001). To compare the activities of the 3 carbapenems against the P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, we plotted the numbers of strains against each minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) level. The MICs of DRPM were lower than those of MEPM in 19.8% of strains, and lower than those of IPM in 41.8% of strains, and the MICs of MEPM were lower than those of IPM in 33.0% of strains. Further, we found that 7.7% of the MEPM-resistant strains were susceptible to DRPM, 23.7% of the IPM-resistant strains were susceptible to DRPM, and 9.6% of the IPM-resistant strains were susceptible to MEPM; however, none of the MEPM-resistant strains was susceptible to IPM, and none of the DRPM-resistant strains was susceptible to MEPM or IPM. In conclusion, the in vitro activity of DRPM against the P. aeruginosa clinical isolates was superior to those of MEPM and IPM.

Efficacy and limitations of oral inotropic agents for the treatment of chronic heart failure.

The heart failure guideline in Japan has stated the necessity of investigating the role of oral inotropic agents in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), which are clinically available only in Japan. A total of 1,846 consecutive patients with heart failure (mean: 69.5 years old, 1,279 males) treated at our institute from November 2009 to August 2010 were investigated retrospectively. Thirty-one patients (1.84%) who had taken oral inotropic agents (pimobendan 27, docarpamine 6, and denopamine 4) were extracted for this study, and the efficacy and limitations of the treatments were analyzed. Following the oral inotropic treatment, the NYHA functional class (P = 0.017), cardiothoracic ratio (P = 0.002) and B-type natriuretic peptide levels (P = 0.011) were significantly improved, and the number of emergency room (ER) visits (P < 0.001) and hospitalizations (P < 0.001) were significantly reduced. The nonsurviving patients (n = 7/31, 22.6%) were significantly older (P = 0.02) and tended to have a larger cardiothoracic ratio (P = 0.084) compared with the survivors. An absence of concomitant beta-blocker therapy was significantly associated with a worse prognosis (oneyear mortality 2/21 versus 5/10, log rank, P = 0.011). Oral inotropic agents brought about improvements in the clinical parameters of CHF and a reduction in ER visits and hospitalizations. However, concomitant beta-blocker therapy should be considered for patients receiving oral inotropic treatment.

Synthesis of vitamin D3 derivatives with nitrogen-linked substituents at A-ring C-2 and evaluation of their vitamin D receptor-mediated transcriptional activity.

Binding of a series of novel 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25-VD(3)) derivatives, having a nitrogen-linked substituent at the 2α- or 2ß-position of the A-ring (2-N-substituted compounds), with the vitamin D receptor (VDR) was investigated by means of computational docking studies. Selected compounds were synthesized by coupling A-ring synthons and/or with CD-ring-bearing bromomethylene under Trost's conditions. The 2α- and 2ß-stereoisomers of the A-ring synthons were synthesized from l-serine () as a single chiral source by installing vinyl and propargyl groups at opposite ends of the molecule. The activity of the obtained compounds was evaluated by means of a luciferase-based VDR transcriptional activity assay in NIH3T3 cells. Relatively small substituents incorporating a hydrogen-bonding donor, i.e., NHAc and NHMs, were effective for eliciting VDR transcriptional activity, and 2ß-NHMs-1,25-VD(3) () showed the highest activity, being more potent than 1,25-VD(3). Derivatives with bulky substituents were inactive. These new insights into the structure-activity relationships of 1,25-VD(3) derivatives may be helpful in separating the various biological activities of 1,25-VD(3) and in generating novel therapeutic drug candidates.

[Anesthetic management for a case of an isolated congenital unilateral absence of the right pulmonary artery].

Isolated unilateral absence of the right pulmonary artery without any intracardiac anomaly (APA) is a rare congenital cardiovascular disorder. We report a case of a 47-day-old female infant with right APA who underwent pulmonary angiogram under general anesthesia. Induction and maintenance of anesthesia consisted of total intravenous anesthesia with propofol, remifentanil and vecuronium. Hemodynamic status and oxygenation were stable throughout the examination. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 22 mmHg. During bronchofiberscopic examination through an endotracheal tube, SpO2 rapidly decreased from 98% to 50% in 10 s despite sufficient preoxygenation with 100% oxygen. Our case suggests that a care must be taken for desaturation during procedures without ventilation in PAP patients.

Population pharmacokinetics of linezolid and its major metabolites PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 in adult patients.

INTRODUCTION: Only a few reports are available on the population pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of linezolid and its main metabolites. Therefore, we investigated the population PK of linezolid and its metabolites in adult patients treated with intravenous linezolid to identify the causative factors affecting pharmacokinetics, and evaluated the relationship between the parent compound and major metabolites PNU-142300 and PNU-142586. METHODS: Population PK analysis was performed using medical data collected from patients who were treated with intravenous linezolid (600 mg twice daily). We examined the impact of covariate candidates such as demographic characteristics and laboratory parameters. Simulations using the final model were investigated and used to estimate the plasma concentrations, trough concentrations (Cmin ), and area under the curve (AUC) of linezolid and its metabolites, and the metabolite-to-parent ratios for Cmin and AUC were used to assess the accumulation of metabolites over linezolid. RESULTS: A total of 82 plasma concentrations from 23 patients were analyzed. The volume of distribution was estimated to be 47.1 L, assuming that linezolid and its metabolites were the same. The total clearance (CL) of linezolid, and CLs of PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 were influenced by creatinine clearance (CLcr), with population mean CLs of 3.86, 7.27, and 13.54 L/h, respectively. The Cmin and AUCs of linezolid and its metabolites and the ratios of metabolites per linezolid were predicted to increase exponentially with decreasing renal function. CONCLUSION: We developed the first population PK model in which CLcr was incorporated as a covariate in the CL of linezolid and its metabolites. Using the final model, it was possible to predict the plasma concentration, Cmin , and AUC appropriately. The model was found to be a potentially useful tool for future studies on optimal dosing and toxicity analysis.

Crucial involvement of catecholamine neurotransmission in postoperative nausea and vomiting: Whole-transcriptome profiling in the rat nucleus of the solitary tract.

The genetic mechanisms of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and the involvement of the catecholamine system in the brain have not been elucidated. Eating kaolin clay as a type of pica has been examined as an alternative behavior to emesis. Here, we evaluated changes in whole-transcriptome analysis in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in a rat pica model as a surrogate behavior of PONV to elucidate the molecular genetic mechanisms of the development of PONV and the involvement of the catecholamine system in the NTS. First, kaolin pica behaviors were investigated in 71 female Wistar rats following isoflurane anesthesia, surgical insult or morphine administration. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that 3 mg/kg morphine increased kaolin intake by 2.8 g (P = 0.0002). Next, total RNA and protein were extracted from the dissected NTS, and whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to identify PONV-associated genes and to verify the involvement of the catecholamine system. The gene expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine beta-hydroxylase in the catecholamine biosynthesis pathway decreased significantly in the PONV model. Release of noradrenaline, a catecholamine pathway end product, may have increased at the synaptic terminal of the NTS neuron after pica behavior. Systematic administration of α2 adrenergic receptor agonists after surgery reduced kaolin intake from 3.2 g (control) to 1.0 g (P = 0.0014). These results indicated that catecholamine neurotransmission was involved in the development of PONV in the NTS.

Analysis of fall-related adverse events among older adults using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database.

BACKGROUND: Falls are a common but serious problem in older adults, and may lead to fractures and bleeding. As many factors, such as medication, aging, and comorbid diseases may simultaneously affect fall-related adverse events (AEs) in older adults, we evaluated the association between fall-related AEs and the use of medication, aging, and comorbid diseases using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. METHODS: We analyzed reports of fall-related AEs associated with α-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, central nervous system (CNS)-active drugs (opioids, benzodiazepines, hypnotics and sedatives, non-selective monoamine reuptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)) in the JADER database using the reporting odds ratio (ROR). For the definition of falls, we used the Preferred Terms of The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). We used the association rule mining technique to discover undetected associations, such as potential risk factors. RESULTS: The JADER database comprised 430,587 reports between April 2004 and November 2016. The RORs (95% CI) of α-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, opioids, benzodiazepines, hypnotics and sedatives, non-selective monoamine reuptake inhibitors, and SSRIs were 1.63 (1.27-2.09), 0.74 (0.63-0.86), 1.26 (1.15-1.38), 0.93 (0.80-1.07), 1.83 (1.68-2.01), 1.55 (1.12-2.14), 2.31 (1.82-2.95), and 2.86 (2.49-3.29), respectively. From the lift value in the association rule mining, the number of administered CNS-active drugs and patient age were associated with fall-related AEs. Furthermore, the scores of lift for patients with herpes zoster administered calcium channel blockers or benzodiazepines and patients with dementia administered benzodiazepines were high. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the number of administered CNS-active drugs and patient age are both associated with fall-related AEs. We recommend that patients with herpes zoster treated with calcium channel blockers and benzodiazepines be closely monitored for fall-related AEs.

Contraceptives as possible risk factors for postpartum depression: A retrospective study of the food and drug administration adverse event reporting system, 2004-2015.

Aim: Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that commonly affects women during the early postpartum period. The objective of this study was to analyse the association of postpartum depression with drugs (including contraceptive devices and implants) with spontaneously reported adverse events reported in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database. Design: Retrospective study. Method: Reports of postpartum depression events between 2004-2015 were analysed with a reporting odds ratio (ROR) algorithm. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities was used to identify postpartum depression. Results: The reporting odds ratios (95% confidence intervals, CI) of levonorgestrel (an intrauterine device with progestogen), etonogestrel (a hormonal contraceptive implant), sertraline and drospirenone (an oral contraceptive) were 12.5 (8.7-18.0), 14.0 (8.5-22.8), 12.2 (6.5-23.1) and 5.4 (2.7-10.9) respectively. Among the drugs in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database, the use of contraceptives or an intrauterine device with progestogen might convey risk for postpartum depression.