Randomized, crossover questionnaire survey of acceptabilities of controlled-release mesalazine tablets and granules in ulcerative colitis patients

Background/Aims Oral mesalazine is an important treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC), and non-adherence to mesalazine increases the risk of relapse. Controlled-release (CR) mesalazine has 2 formulations: tablets and granules. The relative acceptabilities of these formulations may influence patient adherence; however, they have not been compared to date. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptabilities of the 2 formulations of CR mesalazine in relation to patient adherence using a crossover questionnaire survey. Methods UC patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in each group took either 4 g of CR mesalazine tablets or granules for 6 to 9 weeks, and then switched to 4 g of the other formulation for a further 6 to 9 weeks. The acceptability and efficacy were evaluated by questionnaires, and adherence was assessed using a visual analog scale. The difference in acceptabilities between the 2 formulations and its impact on adherence were assessed. Results A total of 49 patients were prospectively enrolled and 33 patients were included in the analysis. Significantly more patients found the tablets to be less acceptable than the granules (76% vs. 33%, P=0.0005). The granules were preferable to the tablets when the 2 formulations were compared directly (73% vs. 21%, P=0.004), for their portability, size, and numbers of pills. The adherence rate was slightly better among patients taking the granules (94% vs. 91%) during the observation period, but the difference was not significant (P=0.139). Conclusions CR mesalazine granules are more acceptable than tablets, and may therefore be a better option for long-term medication

A 100%-complete sequence reveals unusually simple genomic features in the hot-spring red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>All previously reported eukaryotic nuclear genome sequences have been incomplete, especially in highly repeated units and chromosomal ends. Because repetitive DNA is important for many aspects of biology, complete chromosomal structures are fundamental for understanding eukaryotic cells. Our earlier, nearly complete genome sequence of the hot-spring red alga <it>Cyanidioschyzon merolae </it>revealed several unique features, including just three ribosomal DNA copies, very few introns, and a small total number of genes. However, because the exact structures of certain functionally important repeated elements remained ambiguous, that sequence was not complete. Obviously, those ambiguities needed to be resolved before the unique features of the <it>C. merolae </it>genome could be summarized, and the ambiguities could only be resolved by completing the sequence. Therefore, we aimed to complete all previous gaps and sequence all remaining chromosomal ends, and now report the first nuclear-genome sequence for any eukaryote that is 100% complete.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our present complete sequence consists of 16546747 nucleotides covering 100% of the 20 linear chromosomes from telomere to telomere, representing the simple and unique chromosomal structures of the eukaryotic cell. We have unambiguously established that the <it>C. merolae </it>genome contains the smallest known histone-gene cluster, a unique telomeric repeat for all chromosomal ends, and an extremely low number of transposons.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By virtue of these attributes and others that we had discovered previously, <it>C. merolae </it>appears to have the simplest nuclear genome of the non-symbiotic eukaryotes. These unusually simple genomic features in the 100% complete genome sequence of <it>C. merolae </it>are extremely useful for further studies of eukaryotic cells.</p

Mutual Inhibition between Carvedilol Enantiomers during Racemate Glucuronidation Mediated by Human Liver and Intestinal Microsomes

Carvedilol is administered orally as a racemic mixture of R(+)- and S(-)-enantiomers for treatment of angina pectoris, hypertension and chronic heart failure. We have reported that enzyme kinetic parameters for carvedilol glucuronidation by human liver microsomes (HLM) differed greatly depending on the substrate form, namely, racemic carvedilol and each enantiomer. These phenomena were thought to be caused by mutual inhibition between carvedilol enantiomers during racemate glucuronidation. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of these phenomena in HLM and human intestinal microsomes (HIM) and its relevance to uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A1, UGT2B4 and UGT2B7, which mainly metabolize carvedilol directly in phase II enzymes. HLM apparently preferred metabolizing (S)-carvedilol to (R)-carvedilol in the racemate, but true activities of HLM for both glucuronidation were approximately equal. By determination of the inhibitory effects of (S)-carvedilol on (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation and vice versa, it was shown that (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation was more easily inhibited than was (S)-carvedilol glucuronidation. UGT2B7 was responsible for (S)-carvedilol glucuronidation in HLM. Ratios of contribution to (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation were approximately equal among UGT1A1, UGT2B4 and UGT2B7. However, enzyme kinetic parameters were different between the two lots of HLM used in this study, depending on the contribution ratio of UGT2B4, in which (R)-glucuronidation was much more easily inhibited by (S)-carvedilol than was (S)-glucuronidation by (R)-carvedilol. Meanwhile, HIM preferred metabolizing (R)-carvedilol, and this tendency was not different between the kinds of substrate form

Mutual Inhibition between Carvedilol Enantiomers during Racemate Glucuronidation Mediated by Human Liver and Intestinal Microsomes

Carvedilol is administered orally as a racemic mixture of R(+)- and S(-)-enantiomers for treatment of angina pectoris, hypertension and chronic heart failure. We have reported that enzyme kinetic parameters for carvedilol glucuronidation by human liver microsomes (HLM) differed greatly depending on the substrate form, namely, racemic carvedilol and each enantiomer. These phenomena were thought to be caused by mutual inhibition between carvedilol enantiomers during racemate glucuronidation. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of these phenomena in HLM and human intestinal microsomes (HIM) and its relevance to uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A1, UGT2B4 and UGT2B7, which mainly metabolize carvedilol directly in phase II enzymes. HLM apparently preferred metabolizing (S)-carvedilol to (R)-carvedilol in the racemate, but true activities of HLM for both glucuronidation were approximately equal. By determination of the inhibitory effects of (S)-carvedilol on (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation and vice versa, it was shown that (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation was more easily inhibited than was (S)-carvedilol glucuronidation. UGT2B7 was responsible for (S)-carvedilol glucuronidation in HLM. Ratios of contribution to (R)-carvedilol glucuronidation were approximately equal among UGT1A1, UGT2B4 and UGT2B7. However, enzyme kinetic parameters were different between the two lots of HLM used in this study, depending on the contribution ratio of UGT2B4, in which (R)-glucuronidation was much more easily inhibited by (S)-carvedilol than was (S)-glucuronidation by (R)-carvedilol. Meanwhile, HIM preferred metabolizing (R)-carvedilol, and this tendency was not different between the kinds of substrate form

The Coiled-Coil Protein VIG1 Is Essential for Tethering Vacuoles to Mitochondria during Vacuole Inheritance of Cyanidioschyzon merolae[C][W][OA]

The mechanism of vacuole inheritance is poorly understood. This work makes use of the model organism C. merolae, which has a minimum set of organelles that are systematically inherited, and identifies vig1 as being essential for vacuole inheritance