Design, synthesis, and evaluation of new vanin-1 inhibitors based on RR6.

Fourteen novel vanin-1 inhibitors coded OMP-# were designed from RR6 and successfully synthesized by a nucleophilic addition-elimination reaction of the pantetheinic acid-derived Weinreb amide as a key step under Barbier conditions. The synthesized OMP compounds exhibited inhibitory activity against human serum vanin-1 in vitro. Among the synthesized compounds, OMP-7, which possesses a trifluoromethoxy group at the para-position on the phenyl ring, exhibited the most potent activity, approximately 20 times that of the mother compound RR6. OMP-7 was further subjected to an in vivo assay using a normal hamster. More potent activity was observed than that of RR6 against both serum and renal vanin-1. The activity lasted for 4 h after injection against serum vanin-1 and 1 h after injection against renal vanin-1, whereas RR6 did not show the desired activity.

Adverse event profiles of drugs used for treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis according to spontaneous reporting system database.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a systemic inflammatory disease of childhood onset. The purpose of this study was to clarify the frequency of adverse events caused by drugs used in JIA treatment and characterize their safety profiles using a spontaneous reporting system database. We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse event reports on drugs used for the treatment of JIA and which were submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency were analyzed, and the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for reports on each adverse event were calculated. A total of 5,748 reports were identified in the treatment of JIA, in which 35 different drugs were involved. Adverse events by drugs in JIA were frequently reported in females (64.3%) and in those younger than 10 (61.2%). Among the most frequently reported drugs, prednisolone (36.8%) and tocilizumab (36.0%) were predominant. Prednisolone was significantly correlated with hematophagic histiocytosis (ROR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.18 - 1.61). Tocilizumab was associated with a high ROR for pneumonia (ROR, 8.61: 95% CI, 5.81 - 12.7), a decreased neutrophil count (ROR, 6.1; 95% CI, 4.07 - 9.16), and lymphadenitis (ROR, 8.34; 95% CI, 4.2 - 16.6). Our results revealed the safety profile of drugs for the treatment of JIA patients. It was suggested that there is a diversity in drugs and their strength of association with adverse events in JIA patients. Our results may provide useful information for the treatment of JIA patients, although further research with more data is needed.

Ferroptosis: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Acute Kidney Injury.

Ferroptosis is a recently recognized form of nonapoptotic cell death that is triggered by reactive oxidative species (ROS) due to iron overload, lipid peroxidation accumulation, or the inhibition of phospholipid hydroperoxidase glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Recent studies have reported that ferroptosis plays a vital role in the pathophysiological process of multiple systems such as the nervous, renal, and pulmonary systems. In particular, the kidney has higher rates of O2 consumption in its mitochondria than other organs; therefore, it is susceptible to imbalances between ROS and antioxidants. In ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is damage caused by the restoring blood flow to ischemic tissues, the release of ROS and reactive nitrogen species is accelerated and contributes to subsequent inflammation and cell death, such as ferroptosis, as well as apoptosis and necrosis being induced. At the same time, I/R injury is one of the major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), causing significant morbidity and mortality. This review highlights the current knowledge on the involvement of ferroptosis in AKI via oxidative stress.

Acute Kidney Injury Impacts on Hypokalemia Associated with Yokukansan Preparation: A Retrospective Observational Study.

The time course of acute kidney injury and hypokalemia remains unelucidated. We investigated whether altered renal function impacts hypokalemia and clinical predictors for acute kidney injury in patients who used Yokukansan preparation. We performed a secondary analysis of retrospective observational cohort data from adult patients who started Yokukansan preparation. The study was conducted from June 2015 to May 2019 at Tokyo Women's Medical University, Medical Center East. The effect of acute kidney injury (>1.5-fold increase from baseline serum creatinine level) or renal function recovery on hypokalemia (serum potassium level <3.0 mEq/L) was investigated. The clinical predictors for acute kidney injury were determined using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. Out of 258 patients, 12 patients had both outcomes, and all but one patient experienced in the order of acute kidney injury and hypokalemia. Excluding one patient, hypokalemia occurred in 11/34 (32%) patients after acute kidney injury and 27/223 (12%) patients without acute kidney injury (p = 0.005). Hypokalemia occurred in 9/25 (36%) of acute kidney injury with recovery, 2/9 (22%) of acute kidney injury without recovery, and 27/223 (12%) of no acute kidney injury (p = 0.014). Patients with acute kidney injury showed a late onset of hypokalemia compared with those without acute kidney injury (p = 0.001). In 258 patients, multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that high systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure increased the risk of acute kidney injury. Clinicians should remember that hypokalemia developed after acute kidney injury while Yokukansan preparation treatment.

Pharmacovigilance Evaluation of Bendamustine-related Skin Disorders using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

PURPOSE: Bendamustine is used in hematologic malignancies such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and multiple myeloma. This study evaluated the association of bendamustine-related skin disorders using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. METHODS: We identified and analyzed reports of skin disorders between April 2004 and November 2019 from the JADER database and calculated the reported odds ratios (RORs) using disproportionality analysis. Additionally, we analyzed the relationship between skin disorders related to bendamustine use and patient information (age and sex). RESULTS: The symptoms, ranked in order of decreasing strength of association with skin disorders, were infusion-related reaction (ROR=5.708), herpes zoster (ROR=4.658), hypersensitivity (ROR=3.271), and rash (ROR=1.472). Additionally, analysis of the relationships between rash related to bendamustine and sex or age showed significant relationships for female sex and age younger than 70 years (ROR=2.247 and 2.176, respectively). Meanwhile, analysis of the relationship between herpes zoster and sex showed a significantly stronger association for male than female sex (ROR=2.887). CONCLUSION: Our analysis of skin disorders related to bendamustine use reported in the spontaneous reporting system databases showed that the association of rash with bendamustine use was affected by sex (female) and age (younger than 70 years). Additionally, the association of herpes zoster with bendamustine was affected by sex (male). Bendamustine is an outpatient chemotherapy regimen, and so we recommend close monitoring of female patients or those younger than 70 years who experience rash-like symptoms and male patients who experience herpes zoster-like symptoms.

Current status of adverse event profile of tacrolimus in patients with solid organ transplantation from a pharmacovigilance study.

OBJECTIVE: The calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus has been widely used to prevent allograft rejection after transplantation. The purpose of this study was to clarify the adverse events associated with tacrolimus in solid organ transplantation using a spontaneous reporting system database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse event reports submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency were analyzed, and the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each adverse event were calculated. RESULTS: The database comprised 26,620 reports associated with tacrolimus, of which 2,014, 1,988, and 725 reports involved heart, kidney, and liver transplantation, respectively. Infectious disorder was commonly detected in these transplant patients. There was a significant association between tacrolimus use and colon cancer in patients undergoing heart transplantation (ROR: 3.33, 95% CI: 2.18 - 5.08), but not kidney or liver transplantation. Tacrolimus use in those undergoing kidney transplantation is strongly associated with bronchitis (ROR, 8.95; 95% CI, 6.34 - 12.6). A signal for seizure was detected in liver transplant patients with tacrolimus (ROR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.77 - 9.59). CONCLUSION: It was suggested that there is a diversity in the strength of the association between tacrolimus and adverse events in patients receiving heart, kidney, and liver transplantation. Our results may provide useful information for treatment with tacrolimus, although further research with more data is needed to clarify this.

Safety profiles of new xanthine oxidase inhibitors: A post-marketing study.

INTRODUCTION: The development of new xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors, such as febuxostat and topiroxostat, could offer an alternative to treatment with allopurinol. The purpose of this study was to compare safety profiles of new XO inhibitors with allopurinol using a spontaneous reporting system database. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis was conducted using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. Adverse event reports submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency were analyzed, and the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each adverse event were calculated. RESULTS: Among 7,305 reports of adverse events associated with XO inhibitors, 64.5% involved males, who were frequently in their 70s (25.9%). A large number of skin-related adverse events were detected with the use of allopurinol, but not with febuxostat or topiroxostat. As for individual XO inhibitors, the signal values showing associations between drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) and allopurinol, drug-induced liver injury and febuxostat, and blood urea increase and topiroxostat were noteworthy. CONCLUSION: The strength of the associations of XO inhibitors with adverse events is variable, and further studies are required to evaluate the identified signals.

In Vivo and In Vitro Evaluation of Urinary Biomarkers in Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Kidney Injury.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury (AKI). Previously, we reported that vanin-1, which is involved in oxidative stress, is associated with renal tubular injury. This study was aimed to determine whether urinary vanin-1 is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of AKI in two experimental models: in vivo and in vitro. In a rat model of AKI, ischemic AKI was induced in uninephrectomized rats by clamping the left renal artery for 45 min and then reperfusing the kidney. On Day 1 after renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), serum creatinine (SCr) in I/R rats was higher than in sham-operated rats, but this did not reach significance. Urinary N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) exhibited a significant increase but decreased on Day 2 in I/R rats. In contrast, urinary vanin-1 significantly increased on Day 1 and remained at a significant high level on Day 2 in I/R rats. Renal vanin-1 protein decreased on Days 1 and 3. In line with these findings, immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that vanin-1 was attenuated in the renal proximal tubules of I/R rats. Our in vitro results confirmed that the supernatant from HK-2 cells under hypoxia/reoxygenation included significantly higher levels of vanin-1 as well as KIM-1 and NGAL. In conclusion, our results suggest that urinary vanin-1 might be a potential novel biomarker of AKI induced by I/R.

Glaucocalyxin A Ameliorates Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Injury in Human Renal Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cell Line HK-2 Cells.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury is one of the major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI), which is increasingly prevalent in clinical settings. Glaucocalxin A (GLA), a biologically ent-kauranoid diterpenoid, has various pharmacological effects like antioxidation, immune regulation, and antiatherosclerosis. In this study, the effect of GLA on AKI and its mechanism were studied in vitro. HK-2 human renal tubular epithelial cells were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), which were established as an in vitro AKI model. Subsequently, the mRNA expressions of inflammatory and antioxidant factors were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death were detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. GLA pre-treatment improved the cell viability of HK-2 cells exposed to H/R. GLA suppressed the H/R-induced ROS production in HK-2 cells. GLA also elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase of HK-2 cells exposed to H/R. Moreover, GLA prevented H/R-induced cell death in HK-2 cells. Furthermore, GLA ameliorated the activation of the protein kinase B (Akt)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway in HK-2 cells exposed to H/R. Our findings suggested that GLA protected HK-2 cells from H/R-induced oxidative damage, which was mediated by the Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. These results indicate that GLA may serve as a promising therapeutic drug for AKI.

Geriatric Patients Are at a High Risk of Hypokalemia Associated with Yokukansan Preparation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Although hypokalemia is an adverse effect of Yokukansan preparation, especially in geriatric patients, its association with age is unclear. We investigated whether age is a risk factor for hypokalemia. This single-center retrospective cohort study, conducted at Tokyo Women's Medical University, Medical Center East between June 2015 and May 2019, included patients who received the Yokukansan preparation. The primary outcome was hypokalemia (serum potassium level: < 3.0 mEq/L). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine risk factors, hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The cut-off age was also examined. Of 665 patients (median age: 78 years; interquartile range: 68-84 years), 55 (8.3%) developed hypokalemia associated with Yokukansan preparation. Risk factors for hypokalemia were age (HR: 1.013, 95% CI: 1.006-1.021, p < 0.001), dementia (HR: 0.500, 95% CI: 0.357-0.682, p < 0.001), serum albumin level (HR: 0.754, 95% CI: 0.669-0.850, p < 0.001), and daily Yokukansan preparation dose ≥ 7.5 g (HR: 1.446, 95% CI: 1.144-1.850, p = 0.002). The cut-off ages were >75 and >80 years but not 65 years and >70 years. Clinicians should assess risk factors and monitor serum potassium levels to avoid hypokalemia associated with the Yokukansan preparation.

Risk Factors for Skin Toxicities Associated with Bendamustine-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Bendamustine plays an especially important role as a treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, patients administered bendamustine alone or in combination with rituximab (BR) may experience drug-associated skin toxicities that can profoundly impact their health-related QOL through both physical discomfort and psychological distress. Moreover, worsening skin symptoms may lead to dose reduction or termination in the management of cancer chemotherapy. We retrospectively investigated patient backgrounds and pretreatment characteristics from medical records of NHL patients treated with bendamustine alone or BR therapy and identified predictive factors for skin toxicities at the start of chemotherapy. Patients were eligible for the study if they were 20 years older, diagnosed with NHL, and received bendamustine alone or BR therapy at the Department of Hematology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2018. This study included 95 patients with newly diagnosed or refractory or relapsed NHL. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis with backward selection revealed that baseline non-prior chemotherapy (odds ratio (OR), 15.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.24-83.13, p < 0.001) was a significant factor influencing the occurrence of skin toxicity. Our results demonstrated that non-prior chemotherapy was a significant risk factor for skin toxicities in patients with NHL receiving bendamustine alone or BR therapy. No patient experience serious side effects of grade 3 or higher and that bendamustine is very useful as a first-line treatment.

Risk Factors for Febrile Neutropenia Induced by Docetaxel Chemotherapy in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

We retrospectively obtained data of patient background and pretreatment characteristics from medical records and identified the predictive factors of febrile neutropenia (FN) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with docetaxel alone or in combination with the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab. Patients were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were 20 years or older, diagnosed with NSCLC, and received docetaxel monotherapy alone or in combination with bevacizumab at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, between July 1, 2011, and March 31, 2018. Eighty-one patients with recurrent or advanced NSCLC were included. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis with backward selection revealed that lower baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) scores of 1 and 2 (odds ratio (OR), 5.098; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.045-24.879, p = 0.021) and baseline platelet count below 18.8 × 104/µL (OR, 3.861; 95% CI, 1.211-12.311, p = 0.022) were significant factors influencing the FN occurrence rate. Our results demonstrated that ECOG-PS 1-2 and lower baseline platelet count were significant risk factors of FN in patients with NSCLC receiving docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Moreover, the combination of anti-VEGF antibodies and docetaxel might be associated with increased FN frequency. Despite the limitations of this study including its retrospective design, single-center site, and small sample size, baseline ECOG-PS score and platelet count may be regarded as important indices to identify patients for prophylactic granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment before docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

Drug-induced thrombotic microangiopathy using the Japanese pharmacovigilance database.

OBJECTIVE: Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), often described as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), is clinically problematic because it is life-threatening. However, up-to-date information on drugs inducing TMA is limited in the real-world setting. The purpose of this study was to clarify drugs associated with TMA using a spontaneous reporting system database. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse event reports submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency between 2004 and 2017 were analyzed. The drug-induced TMA, TTP, and HUS signals were estimated using disproportionality analysis with calculation of the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 3,292 TMA cases were identified. In the overall analysis, approximately half of the TMA cases involved males, and the most patients were in their 60s. Signal scores of TMA were high for ticlopidine hydrochloride (ROR: 16.2, 95% CI: 12.9 - 20.5), busulfan (ROR: 15.2, 95% CI: 11.5 - 20.3), tacrolimus hydrate (ROR: 10.6, 95% CI: 9.59 - 11.8), gemcitabine hydrochloride (ROR: 10.5, 95% CI: 8.96 - 12.2), and cyclosporine (ROR: 8.70, 95% CI: 7.67 - 9.86). As for TTP or HUS, signal scores of TTP and HUS for tacrolimus and cyclosporine were similar; however, those of TTP for ticlopidine and those of HUS for gemcitabine were noteworthy, and other drugs showed varied likelihoods of reporting TTP and HUS. CONCLUSION: Our results should raise physicians' awareness of drugs associated with TMA, but further investigation of these medications is warranted.

Comparison of nocturnal blood pressure based on home versus ambulatory blood pressure measurement: The Ohasama Study.

OBJECTIVES: The nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is a strong predictor of hypertensive target organ damage including that in cardiovascular diseases. The use of ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring has enabled the evaluation of nocturnal BP and detection of non-dippers. This study compared nocturnal BP values, nocturnal decline in BP, and the prevalence of non-dippers based on ABP and home BP (HBP) measurements in a general population. METHODS: Data on HBP measured with HEM 747-IC-N (Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd.) and 24-hour ABP measured with ABPM-630 (Nippon Colin) were obtained from fifty-five participants aged ≥ 20 years (mean age: 65.1 years, 78.2% women). To exclude a systematic difference between the two methods, we conducted a validation study for HBP and ABP in another population that consisted of hypertensive outpatients (mean age: 65.4 years, 53.4% women). RESULTS: After adjusting for the systematic difference in BP between the two methods calculated in the validation study (3.9 mmHg for systolic and 3.0 mmHg for diastolic), morning and daytime (average of morning and evening) HBP were significantly lower than morning (average of 2 h after waking) and daytime (average of being awake) ABP, respectively. No significant difference was found in nocturnal BP between HBP and ABP monitoring regardless of the quality of sleep during nocturnal HBP measurement. Agreement between HBP and ABP in the detection of non-dippers was low mainly due to the difference in daytime BP values. Conclusion: HBP monitoring may be a reliable alternative to ABP for the assessment of nocturnal BP.

Roles Played by Biomarkers of Kidney Injury in Patients with Upper Urinary Tract Obstruction.

Partial or complete obstruction of the urinary tract is a common and challenging urological condition caused by a variety of conditions, including ureteral calculi, ureteral pelvic junction obstruction, ureteral stricture, and malignant ureteral obstruction. The condition, which may develop in patients of any age, induces tubular and interstitial injury followed by inflammatory cell infiltration and interstitial fibrosis, eventually impairing renal function. The serum creatinine level is commonly used to evaluate global renal function but is not sensitive to early changes in the glomerular filtration rate and unilateral renal damage. Biomarkers of acute kidney injury are useful for the early detection and monitoring of kidney injury induced by upper urinary tract obstruction. These markers include levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), monocyte chemotactic protein-1, kidney injury molecule 1, N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase, and vanin-1 in the urine and serum NGAL and cystatin C concentrations. This review summarizes the pathophysiology of kidney injury caused by upper urinary tract obstruction, the roles played by emerging biomarkers of obstructive nephropathy, the mechanisms involved, and the clinical utility and limitations of the biomarkers.

Evaluation of Acute Kidney Injury Associated With Anticancer Drugs Used in Gastric Cancer in the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database.

Background: Development of acute kidney injury (AKI) depends on the severity of renal dysfunction, clinical setting, comorbid factors, and geographical location. Gastric cancer is one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, and its incidence is significantly high in Japan. Objective: We analyzed the rank-order of the association of anticancer agents for gastric cancer with AKI using a spontaneous reporting system database, the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. Methods: We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis using the adverse event reports submitted to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency between April 2004 and March 2017. Results: Anticancer drug-related AKI was common in patients in their 60s and 70s (39.2% and 43.2%, respectively). AKI occurred most frequently within 1 month after anticancer drug administration. The signals of AKI were reported after treatment with S-1 (tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil), cisplatin (CDDP), and capecitabine, with significant adjusted reporting odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.50 (1.09-2.07), 3.43 (2.48-4.74), and 1.82 (1.15-2.90), respectively. CDDP-induced AKI was more likely to occur in patients who were male, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus. Conclusion and Relevance: This study showed that most AKI cases were related to S-1 and/or CDDP adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer treatment. The data also clarified that AKIs occurred within 1 month and that their clinical outcomes were more severe than previous reports of drug-induced AKI in general medicine. Our study provides useful information to minimize the risks of administration to patients at high risk for S-1 and/or CDDP containing chemotherapy-induced AKI.

Surveillance of drugs that most frequently induce acute kidney injury: A pharmacovigilance approach.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) often occurs in hospitalized patients, and it is an increasing problem worldwide. Recently, clinical studies have shown that there is a strong association between drug-induced AKI and poor outcomes, including the progression of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease; however, limited data are available on drug-induced AKI. The purpose of this study was to clarify the rank-order of the association of all drugs with AKI using a spontaneous reporting system database. METHODS: We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Adverse event reports submitted to Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency between April 2004 and January 2017 were analysed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Based on 5 195 890 reports of all adverse events, we obtained 12 964 reports of AKI caused by all drugs and calculated the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for AKI. The most frequently reported drugs were valaciclovir hydrochloride (ROR, 24.88; 95% CI: 23.1-26.8), eldecalcitol (ROR, 14.23; 95% CI, 11.68-17.33), edaravone (ROR, 14.03; 95% CI, 11.76-16.75), acyclovir (ROR, 11.17; 95% CI, 9.55-13.1), piperacillin-tazobactam (ROR, 9.23; 95% CI, 7.72-11.0), and spironolactone (ROR, 7.36; 95% CI, 6.12-8.86). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: A comprehensive study using a pharmacovigilance database enabled us to identify the drugs that most frequently induce AKI, raising physicians' awareness of the drugs in use for patients with potentially decreased renal function.

Association of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis with antiepileptic drugs in pediatric patients: Subgroup analysis based on a Japanese spontaneous database.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are known to cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which are severe cutaneous disorders; however, real-world data remain limited, especially on pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of AEDs with SJS and TEN in pediatric patients based on the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database, which is a spontaneous reporting database. METHODS: Adverse event reports submitted to the JADER database between 2004 and 2017 were analysed. We performed a retrospective pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis, calculating the reporting odds ratio (ROR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 159 605 adverse events were reported in pediatric patients. Significant SJS signals were detected for ethosuximide, phenytoin, phenobarbital, gabapentin, carbamazepine, zonisamide, clonazepam and lamotrigine. TEN signals were detected for ethosuximide, phenytoin, phenobarbital, gabapentin, carbamazepine and zonisamide, but the signal was strongest for gabapentin (ROR, 24.76; 95% CI, 11.4-53.9). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Severe cutaneous disorders were associated with multiple AEDs, but individual AEDs were associated with variable signals. These results may be useful for minimizing the risk of SJS or TEN during treatment of children with AEDs.

Pharmacovigilance Assessment of Drug-Induced Acute Pancreatitis Using a Spontaneous Reporting Database.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with risks of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of AP recently increased compared to that traditionally reported in the literature. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible association between AP and drugs using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database, which is a spontaneous reporting database of adverse drug events. METHODS: Adverse event reports submitted to the JADER database between 2004 and 2017 were analyzed. Disproportionality analysis was performed by calculating the reporting odds ratio (ROR) with 95% confidence intervals for signal detection. RESULTS: A total of 3,443 reports (0.17% of all adverse events) were identified as drug-induced AP, in which 431 different drugs were involved. Acute pancreatitis was frequently reported in men (58.5%) in their 60s (19.1%); 40.6% developed AP within 4 weeks after the treatment. Among the most frequently reported drugs, signals were detected for prednisolone, ribavirin, sitagliptin, mesalazine, tacrolimus, and l-asparaginase, which are well-known causes of AP. Telaprevir, donepezil, and ustekinumab also generated signals. As for drugs with high RORs, l-asparaginase and alogliptin were noteworthy. CONCLUSION: Most of the identified drugs were already known to induce AP, but the likelihood of the reporting of AP varied among the drugs. Our results should raise physicians' awareness of drugs associated with AP, but further investigation of these medications is warranted.

Augmentation of cadmium-induced oxidative cytotoxicity by pioglitazone in renal tubular epithelial cells.

The aim of this study was to examine whether a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist could affect cadmium (Cd)-induced cytotoxicity via the increased expression of megalin, one of the uptake pathways, using renal epithelial LLC-PK1 cells. The treatment with 1 µM Cd for 24 h was not cytotoxic; however, when the cells were pretreated with 0.1 µM pioglitazone for 12 h and then exposed to 1 µM Cd for 24 h, significant accumulation of Cd and cytotoxicity were detected, with an increase in megalin mRNA expression. In addition, pretreatment with pioglitazone significantly increased the Cd-induced generation of hydrogen peroxide and cell apoptosis. The augmented Cd-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis on preincubation with pioglitazone were inhibited by prior treatment with GW 9662 (PPAR-γ antagonist). These findings suggest that a PPAR-γ agonist could augment Cd-induced oxidative injury and cell apoptosis, possibly dependent on the expression level of the uptake pathway.