メディカルアロマセラピー研究の動向と課題

【目的】 アロマセラピー研究として報告されている文献を分析し，メディカルアロマセラピーの視点から，国内外の研究動向と課題を検討する．【方法】 医学中央雑誌Web版 （Ver.5），CiNii Articles， Pubmed を用いて「アロマセラピー」「芳香浴」「看護」「患者」「aromatherapy」「inhalation」「treatment」「patient」のキーワードでand 検索を行った．論文の種類は「原著論文」とし，1997 年～2017 年の範囲で絞り込み，芳香浴のみ実施している研究を対象とした．研究目的，研究方法（研究デザイン，対象者，介入期間，使用精油の種類，データ分析方法），研究結果について要約表を作成し，内容を分析した．【結果】 対象文献は，国内文献23件，海外文献18件であった．研究デザインは，海外文献では実験研究が最も多く，14件の文献が対象者数50名以上を確保していた．研究目的は，睡眠障害の緩和，苦痛・不安の緩和，疼痛の緩和，精神症状の緩和，ストレスの緩和の5つに分類された．介入期間は単回介入，芳香浴の方法は乾式吸入法が最も多かった．評価指標は客観的・主観的指標の両方を用いている文献が最も多く，研究目的に合わせた評価指標の選択が必須であった．使用精油は，ラベンダーが最も多く使用されており，海外ではジンジャーも使用されていた．精油別に得られた効果として，睡眠の促進や疼痛の軽減にはラベンダー，精神症状の緩和にはラベンダーやベルガモット，悪心・嘔吐による苦痛の軽減にはジンジャーが有効であった．患者の好みに合わせた精油の選択により相乗効果が認められた．【結論】 芳香浴単独の援助であっても効果が得られることが明らかとなった．今後の課題として，精油の作用機序の解明，対象者数を増やすこと，適切な評価指標を使用すること，実験条件を統一した研究の蓄積が挙げられた

Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant derived from recombination of two Omicron subvariants

In late 2022, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have become highly diversified, and XBB is spreading rapidly around the world. Our phylogenetic analyses suggested that XBB emerged through the recombination of two cocirculating BA.2 lineages, BJ.1 and BM.1.1.1 (a progeny of BA.2.75), during the summer of 2022. XBB.1 is the variant most profoundly resistant to BA.2/5 breakthrough infection sera to date and is more fusogenic than BA.2.75. The recombination breakpoint is located in the receptor-binding domain of spike, and each region of the recombinant spike confers immune evasion and increases fusogenicity. We further provide the structural basis for the interaction between XBB.1 spike and human ACE2. Finally, the intrinsic pathogenicity of XBB.1 in male hamsters is comparable to or even lower than that of BA.2.75. Our multiscale investigation provides evidence suggesting that XBB is the first observed SARS-CoV-2 variant to increase its fitness through recombination rather than substitutions

Population Structure of Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) Cyst Formation-Promoting Bacteria in Hiroshima Bay, Japan

A total of 31 bacterial isolates that have potential Alexandrium cyst formation-promoting activity (Alex-CFPB) were isolated from Hiroshima Bay (Japan), which is characterized by seasonal blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. The population structure of Alex-CFPB was analyzed by means of restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNA). Fourteen ribotypes, A to N, were observed among the 31 isolates of Alex-CFPB by using four restriction enzymes, MboI, HhaI, RsaI and BstUI. Among them, seven isolates, which were obtained from the seawater samples taken during the peak and termination periods of the A. tamarense bloom in 1998, belonged to ribotype A. This result suggests that bacterial strains of ribotype A may be dominant in the Alex-CFPB assemblages during these periods. The partial 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic tree of 10 ribotypes studied showed that nine of them fell into the Rhodobacter group of the α subclass of the Proteobacteria. Eight of nine ribotypes of the Rhodobacter group fell into the lineage of the Roseobacter subgroup, and one fell into the Rhodobacter subgroup. The non-Rhodobacter group type fell into the Marinobacterium-Neptunomonas-Pseudomonas group of the γ-Proteobacteria. Isolates of Alex-CFPB ribotypes A and C do not have clear growth-promoting activities but have strong cyst formation-promoting activities (CFPAs) under our laboratory conditions. These results show that the Alex-CFPB assemblage may consist of various bacteria that belong mainly to the Roseobacter group and have strong CFPAs. These results suggest that not only the Alexandrium cyst formation-inhibiting bacteria (Alex-CFIB) reported previously but also Alex-CFPB, especially bacteria of ribotype A, may play significant roles in the process of encystment and bloom dynamics of Alexandrium in the natural environment

Clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technology treatment by using a self‐injection of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin as the final maturation trigger

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of self‐injections of the prefilled recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (r‐hCG) in a syringe in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment for the maturation trigger (MT), as compared to self‐injections of conventional hCG and intranasal administration of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist (GnRH‐a). Methods Between January and April, 2017, 396 patients who underwent oocyte retrieval were recruited. Of these, 396 patients were classified into three groups, according to the types of MT: (1) the urinary human chorionic gonadotropin (u‐hCG) group that consisted of patients who had a self‐injection of u‐hCG (n = 127); (2) the GnRH‐a group that received nasal administration of GnRH‐a (n = 159); and (3) the r‐hCG group that had a self‐injection of r‐hCG (n = 110). Several ART outcomes were evaluated. Results The mature oocyte retrieval rate was not different between the u‐hCG, r‐hCG, and GnRH‐a groups and the fertilization and cleavage rates were similar between the three groups. The clinical pregnancy rates did not significantly differ between the GnRH‐a group and the u‐hCG group; however, it was significantly lower in the GnRH‐a group, compared to the r‐hCG group. No difference was observed in the incidence of moderate or more severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome among the three groups. Conclusion The self‐injection of the prefilled r‐hCG is a favorable MT for ART patients

TNF-α Suppresses Apelin Receptor Expression in Mouse Quadriceps Femoris-Derived Cells

Expression of the apelin receptor, APJ, in skeletal muscle (SM) is known to decrease with age, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels are observed in SM with age and are associated with muscle atrophy. To investigate the possible interconnection between TNF-α elevation and APJ reduction with aging, we investigated the effect of TNF-α on APJ expression in cells derived from the quadriceps femoris of C57BL/6J mice. Expression of Tnfa and Apj in the quadriceps femoris was compared between 4- (young) and 24-month-old (old) C57BL/6J mice (n = 10 each) using qPCR. Additionally, APJ-positive cells and TNF-α protein were analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. Further, quadricep-derived cells were exposed to 0 (control) or 25 ng/mL TNF-α, and the effect on Apj expression was examined by qRT-PCR. Apj expression and the ratio of APJ-positive cells among quadricep cells were significantly lower in old compared to young mice. In contrast, levels of Tnfa mRNA and TNF-α protein were significantly elevated in old compared to young mice. Exposing young and old derived quadricep cells to TNF-α for 8 and 24 h caused Apj levels to significantly decrease. TNF-α suppresses APJ expression in muscle cells in vitro. The increase in TNF-α observed in SM with age may induce a decrease in APJ expression