[A case of breast cancer with extensive osteonecrosis of maxilla induced by a bisphosphonate].

Here, we report a case of extensive osteonecrosis of the maxilla associated with a history of bisphosphonate (BP) therapy for management of bone metastases from breast cancer. A 66-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of a fistulation on the right side of the maxilla in May 2005 by her dentist. The patient had a medical history of breast cancer with bone metastasis that was treated by chemotherapy with 45 mg pamidronate in 2 weekly courses for 16 months. We suspected that this rare case of osteonecrosis was caused by chemotherapy with BPs. Palliative treatments, including antibiotic therapy and local irrigation, were administered. Finally, extensive osteonecrosis of the maxilla occurred.

Beneficial effects of citrus juice fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum YIT 0132 on atopic dermatitis: results of daily intake by adult patients in two open trials.

This study aimed to examine whether daily intake of citrus juice containing heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum YIT 0132 (LP0132-fermented juice) alleviates symptoms of atopic dermatitis. This was a natural extension of our previous study in which LP0132 was shown to enhance IL-10 production in vitro and LP0132-fermented juice was found to alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life (QOL) in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis. In two open trials, Trial 1 and Trial 2, 32 and 18 adult patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis consumed LP0132-fermented juice for 8 weeks. Skin conditions and QOL were subjectively evaluated using Skindex-16 before intake of the juice (Pre-treatment), 8 weeks after starting intake (Treatment) and 8 weeks after termination of intake (Post-treatment). Blood parameters were also analyzed. Comparison of the Treatment and Post-treatment time points with the Pre-treatment time point revealed significant reductions in the Skindex-16 overall score and the 3 domain subscores (symptoms, emotions, and functioning domains) in both trials. Moreover, blood levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and specific IgEs for Japanese cedar and cypress pollen were significantly attenuated in Trial 2. The findings suggest that daily intake of citrus fermented juice containing heat-killed LP0132 has beneficial effects on symptoms and QOL in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis due to an immunomodulatory effect via attenuation of IgE and ECP.

Electrical and pharmacological properties of the slow depolarization induced by Schaffer collateral stimulation in astrocytes of the rat hippocampal CA1 region.

Intracellular recordings were made from astrocytes of the hippocampal CA1 region in rat slice preparations. A single stimulus at the Schaffer collaterals with high intensities (>/=10 V), but not low intensities (<10 V), induced a slow depolarization similar to the evoked postsynaptic potentials observed in hippocampal CA1 neurons. The slow depolarization was almost abolished in the presence of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate/kainate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (20 microM) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (100 microM). Tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) or Co(2+) (2 mM) also abolished this slow depolarization. The slow depolarization reversed its polarity at -8 mV in the presence of tetraethylammonium (20 mM). These results suggest that the synaptically released glutamate (Glu) induces depolarization, which is mainly mediated by ionotropic Glu receptors, in astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 region.