Changes in Ocular Surface Characteristics after Switching from Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Latanoprost to Preservative-Free Tafluprost or Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Tafluprost

Purpose. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of switching from Latanoprost ophthalmic solution containing a preservative to preservative-free Tafluprost ophthalmic solution or Tafluprost containing a preservative on ocular surfaces. Materials and Methods. Forty patients (40 eyes) with glaucoma (mean age: 62.0 ± 10.9 years) using Latanoprost with preservative for six months or longer were assigned either to a Tafluprost-containing-preservative group (20 eyes) or preservative-free-Tafluprost group (20 eyes). The intraocular pressure, corneal epithelial barrier function (fluorescein uptake concentration with fluorophotometer FL-500), superficial punctate keratopathy (AD classification), and tear film breakup time (TBUT) were assessed before switching and at 12 weeks after switching. Results. No significant differences in intraocular pressure were noted after switching in either group. Corneal epithelial barrier function was improved significantly after switching in both the Tafluprost-containing-preservative and the preservative-free-Tafluprost groups. There were no significant differences in AD scores after switching in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative group, but significant improvements were noted in the preservative-free-Tafluprost group. No significant differences in TBUT were noted in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative or preservative-free-Tafluprost groups after switching. Conclusion. After switching from preservative Latanoprost to Tafluprost containing-preservative or preservative-free Tafluprost, corneal epithelial barrier function was improved while the intraocular pressure reduction was retained

Discovery of the Central Excess Brightness in Hard X-rays in the Cluster of Galaxies Abell 1795

Using the X-ray data from \ASCA, spectral and spatial properties of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) of the cD cluster Abell 1795 are studied, up to a radial distance of $\sim 12'$ ($\sim 1.3$ $h_{50}^{-1}$ kpc). The ICM temperature and abundance are spatially rather constant, although the cool emission component is reconfirmed in the central region. The azimuthally- averaged radial X-ray surface brightness profiles are very similar between soft (0.7--3 keV) and hard (3--10 keV) energy bands, and neither can be fitted with a single-$\beta$ model due to a strong data excess within $\sim5'$ of the cluster center. In contrast, double-$\beta$ models can successfully reproduce the overall brightness profiles both in the soft and hard energy bands, as well as that derived with the \ROSAT PSPC. Properties of the central excess brightness are very similar over the 0.2--10 keV energy range spanned by \ROSAT and \ASCA. Thus, the excess X-ray emission from the core region of this cluster is confirmed for the first time in hard X-rays above 3 keV. This indicates that the shape of the gravitational potential becomes deeper than the King-type one towards the cluster center. Radial profiles of the total gravitating matter, calculated using the double-$\beta$ model, reveal an excess mass of $\sim 3 \times 10^{13}~ M_{\odot}$ within $\sim 150 h^{-1}_{50}$ kpc of the cluster center. This suggests a hierarchy in the gravitational potential corresponding to the cD galaxy and the entire cluster.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures; to appear ApJ 500 (June 20, 1998

Smoking cessation is associated with increased plasma adiponectin levels in men

SummaryObjectivesLow levels of adiponectin, an adipocytokine with anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic properties, are associated with increased risk of future myocardial infarction in men. Previous studies have demonstrated that cigarette smoking is involved in the development of insulin resistance, and current smokers have been shown to have reduced plasma adiponectin levels. However, the influence of smoking cessation on adiponectin levels remains unknown. We sought to assess whether smoking cessation is associated with increased plasma adiponectin levels in men.MethodsThe study includes 72 men (47 non-smokers and 25 current smokers at baseline) with stable angina pectoris who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and follow-up coronary angiography 6 months later. During the 6-month follow-up period, all 47 non-smokers remained non-smokers, while 15 men of the 25 baseline current smokers successfully quit smoking. We evaluated plasma adiponectin levels at coronary intervention and 6 months later.ResultsPlasma adiponectin levels at coronary intervention were comparable to those after 6 months in non-smokers (4.22 [3.15–6.43] vs. 4.58 [3.03–6.26]μg/mL, P=0.124) and in persistent smokers (4.77 [4.25–10.53] vs. 5.16 [4.11–8.10]μg/mL, P=0.721). Meanwhile, an increase in adiponectin level was observed in patients who quit smoking for 6 months (4.24 [3.30–5.70] vs. 5.50 [4.03–8.00]μg/mL, P=0.002). Univariate analysis revealed that the percent increase in adiponectin levels correlated positively with smoking cessation (P=0.003) and negatively with additional use of β-blockers (P=0.049). In addition, increases in adiponectin levels were closely associated with increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.148), decrease in triglycerides (P=0.140), and additional use of renin–angiotensin system inhibitors (P=0.069). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that smoking cessation was an independent determinant of the increase in adiponectin (P=0.036).ConclusionsSmoking cessation is associated with increased plasma adiponectin levels in men with stable angina, suggesting that the significance of smoking cessation may be partly explained by the increase in adiponectin level

Resveratrol inhibits development of colorectal adenoma via suppression of LEF1; comprehensive analysis with connectivity map

Although many chemopreventive studies on colorectal tumors have been reported, no effective and safe preventive agent is currently available. We searched for candidate preventive compounds against colorectal tumor comprehensively from United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds by using connectivity map (CMAP) analysis coupled with in vitro screening with colorectal adenoma (CRA) patient-derived organoids (PDOs). We generated CRA-specific gene signatures based on the DNA microarray analysis of CRA and normal epithelial specimens, applied them to CMAP analysis with 1309 FDA-approved compounds, and identified 121 candidate compounds that should cancel the gene signatures. We narrowed them down to 15 compounds, and evaluated their inhibitory effects on the growth of CRA-PDOs in vitro. We finally identified resveratrol, one of the polyphenolic phytochemicals, as a compound showing the strongest inhibitory effect on the growth of CRA-PDOs compared with normal epithelial PDOs. When resveratrol was administered to ApcMin/+ mice at 15 or 30 mg/kg, the number of polyps (adenomas) was significantly reduced in both groups compared with control mice. Similarly, the number of polyps (adenomas) was significantly reduced in azoxymethane-injected rats treated with 10 or 100 mg/resveratrol compared with control rats. Microarray analysis of adenomas from resveratrol-treated rats revealed the highest change (downregulation) in expression of LEF1, a key molecule in the Wnt signaling pathway. Treatment with resveratrol significantly downregulated the Wnt-target gene (MYC) in CRA-PDOs. Our data demonstrated that resveratrol can be the most effective compound for chemoprevention of colorectal tumors, the efficacy of which is mediated through suppression of LEF1 expression in the Wnt signaling pathway

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in elderly and middle-aged Japanese

AbstractBackground/PurposeDiagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are beneficial for successful aging. In spite of several criteria for MetS, there is little information on cardiometabolic risk clustering in elderly Japanese. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to determine the relationship between age-associated changes in obesity and metabolic components in the Japanese.MethodsWe analyzed data from the nationwide survey conducted in 2000. Using Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and Japanese diagnostic criteria for MetS, we analyzed 2366 people aged from 40 to 79 years (men, 1425 and women, 941) from the total participants.ResultsThe prevalence of MetS was almost three fold higher by modified ATP III, International Diabetes Federation, and Japanese criteria, in elderly women than in middle-aged women, whereas no difference was found between middle-aged and elderly men by the three criteria. A marked increase in the prevalence of MetS was found by modified ATP III and International Diabetes Federation criteria compared with that by the Japanese criteria in women. Among the risk factors, the prevalence of central obesity and dyslipidemia increased only in women and that of high fasting glucose and high blood pressure increased in both genders with aging. Among the MetS subjects who fulfilled the modified ATP III criteria, more clustering of risk was observed in elderly than in middle-aged subjects, especially in women. Blood pressure increased and triglyceride decreased in both genders, and non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol decreased in elderly men. The prevalence of dyslipidemia decreased in elderly men.ConclusionAging is an important factor that affects the metabolic abnormality, and aging of the population would lead to increase in the prevalence of MetS. Therefore, the development of better approaches to the prevention and management of MetS is necessary for successful aging in our society

Sustained reduction of serum cholesterol in low-dose 6-year simvastatin treatment with minimum side effects in 51,321 Japanese hypercholesterolemic patients - Implication of the J-LIT study, a large scale nationwide cohort study

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科　The Japan Lipid Intervention Trial (J-LIT) study, a nationwide cohort study utilizing the clinical practice of general physicians, was designed to clarify the relationship between the incidence of coronary heart disease and serum lipid concentrations during simvastatin therapy, as well as the safety of the therapy, in a large number of Japanese hypercholesterolemic patients. All the enrolled patients were treated with simvastatin. The current study analyzed the lipid lowering effect and safety of the low-dose simvastatin therapy used in the J-LIT study. Open-labeled simvastatin was given to 51,321 patients at an initial dose of mostly 5 mg/day. After 6 months of the treatment, the average serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations in all the patients followed up were reduced by 18.3% and 26.0%, respectively, and that of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased 2.3% on average. These concentrations were well maintained throughout the 6-year treatment period. A minority of patients (1.4%) unexpectedly had a remarkable reduction in TC concentration by more than 40%. Hyper-responders, even to low-dose statin, were found for the first time in this large-scale and long-term investigation. Overall adverse drug reactions occurred in 3.3% of subjects during the 6-year treatment, the major events being hepatic and musculoskeletal disorders, of which the incidence was less than 1%. Low-dose simvastatin therapy of 5 mg/day effectively controlled the serum TC concentration by reducing it by approximately 20% on average in hypercholesterolemic Japanese patients, a reduction that corresponds to the effect of simvastatin 20 mg/day in Western studies. In addition, the low incidence of drug-related adverse events in this study may. be also related to the low dosage of simvastatin