Evaluation of Erastin as a Therapeutic Agent Under Hypoxic Conditions in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In pancreatic cancer tissues, hypoxic areas exist due to poor blood flow. Attenuation of the pharmacological efficacy of existing anticancer drugs in these hypoxic areas necessitates the search for novel anticancer compounds. We aimed to determine whether erastin exhibits anticancer effects in a hypoxic environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pancreatic cancer cell lines were subjected to cobalt chloride, a hypoxia-mimicking agent. Cell viability assay, measurement of reactive oxygen species, and western blotting analysis were conducted to investigate the efficacy of erastin under hypoxic environments. RESULTS: Erastin exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, erastin triggered the intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species in a hypoxic environment. Subsequent treatment with N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, markedly attenuated cytotoxicity, and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Erastin induces cell death by accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and inducing apoptosis under hypoxic conditions, proving its potential for further development as a novel anticancer compound.

A nationwide cross-sectional survey on hepatitis B and C screening among workers in Japan.

In Japan, there is no publicly funded screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections (using HBs antigen and HCV antibody, respectively) among workers, and workplace health programmes play a crucial role in reducing viral hepatitis-related deaths. The national number of hepatitis screening tests conducted in the workplace is unknown. To provide baseline data for policy formulation, we conducted a nationwide survey to estimate these parameters using data from approximately 10.5 million workers (6.8 million men and 3.8 million women) who underwent mandatory health examinations in their workplaces between April 2016 and March 2017. Among these workers, 494,303 (5.23%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.22%-5.24%) and 313, 193 (3.82%, 95% CI 3.81%-3.84%) were screened for HBV and HCV, respectively. Among those who were screened, 0.28% (95% CI 0.27-0.30%) and 0.35% (95% CI 0.33-0.37%) tested positive for HBs antigen and HCV antibody, respectively. According to the age-specific prevalence from the survey an estimated 0.30 and 0.14 million workers in Japan require treatment for HBV and HCV, respectively. To reduce viral hepatitis-related deaths by efficiently identifying workers who need treatment and promoting access to treatment, one-time hepatitis screening of all workers should be considered.

"Kampo-sommelier Practice": A Trial for an Active Learning Program in Kampo (Japanese Traditional) Medicine.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Kampo-sommelier practice, an active learning program on crude drugs used in Kampo formulations. METHODS: The participants were fourth-year Tokai University School of Medicine students as of 2017. Eighteen small teams attended a 20-minute Kampo-sommelier practice session and were provided 10 kinds of crude drugs (Licorice, Cinnamon, Ginger, etc.) in three forms, original, cut, and powdered, while blinded to the drugs. Each team was asked to distinguish each drug in terms of form, scent, flavor, and color with reference to described characteristics. The ability to match the names of the drugs with their descriptions was assessed in the participants one month later, and also in human science "A" and medicine "B" students, without prior education, and pharmacy "C" students, with professional education. RESULTS: The 117 participants received an average score of 6.2 ± 2.4 (mean ± S.D.) out of 10, which was significantly higher than 3.4 ± 1.8 in 97 "A" students and 3.1 ± 2.4 in 85 "B" students and lower than 8.4 ± 2.1 in 135 "C" students (p < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of this team-based learning approach is suggested by the significantly higher scores of the participants.

Possible role of artificial oxygen carriers in transfusion medicine: a retrospective analysis on the current transfusion practice.

Artificial oxygen carriers (AOC) are under development as a substitute for red blood cells (RBC) in homologous transfusion (Tx). The lack of surface antigen in AOC makes ABO-typing and antibody-screening (T/S) unnecessary. Pathogen elimination renders it much safer, and long-term stability allows ubiquitous storage for emergency use. To delineate the utility of AOC, we retrospectively examined current Tx practices in Tokai University and the Japanese Red Cross Society. The emergency department of Tokai University Hospital has been using O(+)Rh(+) RBC in patients with hemorrhagic shock before Tx becomes available. Those who received the RBCs within 60 min of injury had a significantly higher survival rate than those who received it later (> or =60 min). The Red Cross Blood Center provided 411 units of RBC for 138 urgent requests for rare blood types. Our analysis suggests that if an AOC were available for the initial six units, 96% of such requests could have been covered to avoid urgent donor allocation, preparation, and Tx. Among 2079 surgical cases who ordered T/S, only 29% actually required Tx, rendering >70% of the T/S unnecessary. Because only 7.4% required nine units or more, more than 92% of T/S and Tx could have been avoided in retrospect if an AOC were available for the initial eight units. The results suggest that an AOC might be useful in various situations to alleviate problems, concerns, and technical burden in the current Tx practices. Because the expected utility is based mainly on physical characteristics, AOC may remain advantageous even when biogenetically derived RBC becomes available.

Detection of individual over-smoking using conventional laboratory tests.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to find useful markers for detecting the severity of smoking effects on the human body from conventional laboratory tests used in community health check-ups. METHODS: The subjects were 18,576 persons who visited Tokai University Hospital Health Check Clinic between January 5, 2000, and December 28, 2000. The data on their life-style information and laboratory tests were analyzed by multiple regression analysis and logistic analysis. RESULTS: White blood cell counts (WBC), the numbers of lymphocytes (Ly), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean corpuscular volume of red blood cells (MCV), and carcinoembriogenic antigen (CEA) were positively correlated with numbers of cigarettes consumed, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was negatively correlated, with statistically significant difference. Although the relationship between the grade of smoking habit and MCV, HDL-C and CEA was affected by alcohol intake, the WBC, MCV, HDL-C and CEA were shown to be the grading index for smoking effect regardless of drinking habit. Logistic analysis indicated that an accumulation of these marker abnormalities was not useful for differentiating smokers from non-smokers as compared with a single marker abnormality. CONCLUSION: WBC, MCV, HDL-C and CEA can be the grading index for smoking effect. Abnormalities in one or some of those values observed in healthy smokers indicate some effects of smoking on their bodies.