3 research outputs found
Morphological and Biochemical Changes During Aging and Photoaging of the Skin of C57BL/6J Mice
The differences between the dorsal skin of 11- and 16-week-old C57BL/6J mice were
examined morphologically and biochemically. The dermis of the 16-week-old mice
was thinner than that of the 11-week-old mice due to decreases in the amounts of
soluble collagen and elastin. Next, the changes in dorsal skin exposed to UVA
irradiation for 8 weeks (576 J/cm2) were examined in 3 (younger)- and 8
(older)-week-old C57BL/6J mice. The thickness of the dermis was not
significantly different between the UVA-irradiated and control mice in either
the younger or older group. The increase in the amount of collagen was related
to the increase in the level of soluble collagen in the younger mice. In
contrast, it was related to the increase in the level of insoluble collagen in
the older mice. In the UVA-irradiated older mice, the activity of the latent
form of MMP-13 was significantly higher than that in the control mice. These
results suggest that aging and UVA-induced photoaging in the skin are
histologically and biochemically different phenomena
The efficacy of ma-huang-tang (maoto) against influenza
ABSTRACT In this study, we compared Ma Huang Tang (maoto), a traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo), with antiviral drugs to evaluate their respective and combined effect on the duration of fever and other subjective symptoms of influenza. Forty-five patients enrolled in this randomized control trial had positive type A influenza on rapid influenza antigen test, provided written consent, and sought treatment at Juntendo University Hospital between November 2008 and March 2009. Using a computer-gen-erated list, patients were randomly assigned to one of the four intervention groups: 1): maoto (TJ-27), 9 subjects; 2): Tamiflu (oseltamivir), 13 subjects; 3): Relenza (zanamivir), 6 subjects; and 4): maoto/oseltamivir combination, 9 subjects. Six outcome measures were evaluated, including fever, myalgia, headache, arthralgia, fatigue, and cough. Statistical differences were determined by the Bonferroni-adjusted t-test for multiple comparisons. Our results showed that there were no significant differences among the four groups in the time-course profile of fever and the number of days until fever resolution since treatment was initiated. In addition, no significant intergroup differences were detected in the number of days until resolution of myalgia, headache, fatigue, and cough. However, the maoto group reported a more rapid improvement in joint pain than the oseltamivir group (P = 0.01). In conclusion, maoto showed comparable efficacy as antiviral medications in reducing fever and influenza symptoms. As serious concerns over the indiscriminate use, adverse reactions, and resistance to current antiviral drugs continue to grow, maoto may serve as an elegant option for the treatment of influenza