Biological mechanism and clinical effect of protein-bound polysaccharide K (KRESTIN®): review of development and future perspectives

The mechanism of action of protein-bound polysaccharide K (PSK; KRESTIN®) involves the following actions: (1) recovery from immunosuppression induced by humoral factors such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-β or as a result of surgery and chemotherapy; (2) activation of antitumor immune responses including maturation of dendritic cells, correction of Th1/Th2 imbalance, and promotion of interleukin-15 production by monocytes; and (3) enhancement of the antitumor effect of chemotherapy by induction of apoptosis and inhibition of metastasis through direct actions on tumor cells. The clinical effectiveness of PSK has been demonstrated for various cancers. In patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, combined use of PSK with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy prolongs survival, and this effect has been confirmed in multiple meta-analyses. For small-cell lung carcinoma, PSK in conjunction with chemotherapy prolongs the remission period. In addition, PSK has been shown to be effective against various other cancers, reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy, and improve quality of life. Future studies should examine the effects of PSK under different host immune conditions and tumor properties, elucidate the mechanism of action exhibited in each situation, and identify biomarkers

Ecological phytochemistry of Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) plants

The Cerrado (the Brazilian savanna) is one of the vegetation formations of great biodiversity in Brazil and it has experienced strong deforestation and fragmentation. The Cerrado must contain at least 12,000 higher plant species.We discuss the ecological relevance of phytochemical studies carried out on plants from the Cerrado, including examples of phytotoxicity, antifungal, insecticidal and antibacterial activities. The results have been classified according to activity and plant family. The most active compounds have been highlighted and other activities are discussed. A large number of complex biochemical interactions occur in this system. However, only a small fraction of the species has been studied from the phytochemical viewpoint to identify the metabolites responsible for these interactions

How Quality of Life Iindicators Reflect the Behaviours of People With Dementia on Dementia Care Mapping and the Relationship Between Well-being, Ill-being and the Behaviour Category Code

Purpose: Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is an observation and evaluation technique intended to improve the quality of care for elderly people with dementia, based on aims of person-centered care. The purpose of this study was to clarify that well-being and ill-being (WIB) levels affects the behavior category code (BCC) in long-term care insurance facilities. Methods: In this study, we evaluated people with dementia who used care facilities between April 2005 and July 2007. The evaluation indices used were the 6-hour DCM, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Gottfries-Brane-Steen Scale (GBS). Results: The total number of subjects whose families submitted written informed consent to participate was 256 (50 men and 206 women). The mean MMSE score of the total subjects was 10.83 (±8.58), and that of individuals receiving home care was the highest 17.14 (±6.38). The next highest mean MMSE score was that of the group home residents: 16.56 (±6.83). The lowest mean MMSE score was of individuals in health services facilities for the elderly (serious dementia ward), at 2.16 (±3.88). Multiple regression analysis was performed after controlling for age, sex, type of dementia and GBS, and we used the WIB value as dependent variables. The BCC variables of L (Labor) in group homes, and E (Expression) and H (handicrafts) variables in welfare institutions and long-term care facilities for the elderly significantly promoted WIB value. Conclusions: Among BCC indices such as L in group homes, and E and H in welfare institutions and long-term care facilities for the elderly, which reflect WIB values (and therefore, quality of life), it was found that those activities associated with work reflected quality of care. However, the BCC indices of B (Borderline) C (Cool), and U (Unresponsiveness) significantly inhibited WIB level; these behaviors are categorized as passive behaviors in the DCM. It is probable that these behaviors in elderly people with dementia reflect problems in long-term care insurance facilities. It is necessary to further examine these passive behaviors, because they can accurately reflect the quality of care for elderly people with dementia

Behavioral and Endocrinological Evaluation of Music Therapy for Elderly Patients With Dementia

The present study investigated the effectiveness of music therapy for dementia patients using endocrinological and behavioral evaluations. The study comprised 10 patients with senile dementia who received music therapy; six had Alzheimer\u27s dementia and four had vascular dementia. Music therapy was performed twice a week for 8 consecutive weeks (16 sessions). As a result, total scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) did not significantly change, but the scores of a subscale, language , improved significantly. According to the Multidimensional Observation Scale For Elderly Subjects (MOSES), scores for irritability decreased significantly. Regarding changes in salivary chromogranin A (CgA) levels, the average was significantly decreased before session 16 compared to after this. These results suggest that the combination of endocrinological measurements, behavioral evaluations and functional assessment methods are useful in evaluating the effects of music therapy in persons with senile dementia