The anti-cancer drug-induced pica in rats is related to their clinical emetogenic potential.

Cancer chemotherapy is frequently accompanied by severe emesis. The anti-cancer drugs are classified according to their clinical emetogenic potential. We have already found that kaolin ingestion behavior "pica" is analogous to emesis in rats. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the clinical emetogenic potential of anti-cancer drugs on the induction of the pica in rats. Rats were housed in individual cages with free access to food and kaolin pellets and the daily food and kaolin intakes were measured for 3 days after the intraperitoneal administration of anti-cancer drugs (cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D, 5-fluorouracil and vincristine). The drugs with high potential for inducing emesis, such as cisplatin and cyclophosphamide, induced pica in all animals on the day of administration and the behavior lasted during the observation period. The drugs with moderate emetogenic potential, i.e. actinomycin D and 5-fluorouracil, also induced pica on the first and second day after the drug administration but the kaolin intake was less than that of the drugs with high potential. Vincristine, a drug with low emetogenic potential, slightly increased the kaolin intake in rats on the only first day of the administration. Cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D and vincristine induced anorexia and decreased their body weight during the observation period. These results suggested that the both amounts of kaolin intake and duration of behavior in the anti-cancer drug-induced pica are related to the clinical emetogenic potential of the drugs and the incidence of the anorexia is not related to their emetogenic potential.

Evaluation of Efficiency Improvement in Vital Documentation Using RFID Devices.

We introduced medical devices with RFID tags and the terminal with RFID reader in our hospital. Time study was conducted in two phases. In phase I, nurses round as usual, and in phase II, the nurse round the ward with a terminal installed on a cart. This study concluded that RFID system shortens the time for vital sign documentation. However, deploying the terminals at every bedside did not contribute the more time reduction.

[A case of Hypothyroid Graves' disease with extremely high titers of TSAb].

Graves' ophthalmopathy in hypothyroid state is called Hypothyroid Graves' Disease, which is a comparatively rare disease. We experienced a case of a 57 year old man with severe exophthalmos and diplopia, which are typical symptoms of Graves' opthalmopathy, and with an extremely high thyroid-stimulating antibody(TSAb) level. He also had a firm diffuse goiter and hypothyroidism with positive anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroid microsomal antigen. These findings suggested Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Severity of ophthalmopathy and TSAb level were improved during replacement therapy with T4. Although a thyroid stimulation-blocking antibody was also detected in this patient, we thought that hypothyroidism in this case was based on destructive change in the thyroid with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Therefore, we should be aware of the fact that there are cases of hypothyroidism with Graves' ophthalmopathy and a high level of TSAb.

Suppressive effect of neoxanthin on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipose cells.

The objective of this study was to assess the suppressive effects of 13 naturally occurring carotenoids on the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1. The relationship between carotenoid structure and suppressive effects was also examined. Treatment with neoxanthin significantly reduced lipid accumulation, as well as glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. This suppressive effect on adipose cell differentiation was not observed in the other 12 carotenoids used in this study. Neoxanthin treatment also decreased expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) mRNAs. An examination of structure and function suggested that carotenoids containing an allene bond and an additional hydroxyl substituent on the side group may show suppressive effects on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells.