Efficacy and Safety of Switching Prostaglandin Analog Monotherapy to Tafluprost/Timolol Fixed-Combination Therapy

Purpose. To assess the efficacy and safety of switching from prostaglandin analog (PGA) monotherapy to tafluprost/timolol fixed-combination (Taf/Tim) therapy. Subjects and Methods. Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma, or ocular hypertension who had received PGA monotherapy for at least 3 months were enrolled. Patients were examined at 1, 2, and 3 months after changing therapies. Subsequently, the patients were returned to PGA monotherapy. The examined parameters included intraocular pressure (IOP) and adverse events. A questionnaire survey was conducted after the switch to Taf/Tim therapy. Results. Forty patients with a mean age of 66.5 ± 10.3 years were enrolled; 39 of these patients completed the study protocol. Switching to Taf/Tim significantly reduced the IOP from 18.2 ± 2.6 mmHg at baseline to 14.8 ± 2.5 mmHg at 1 month, 15.2 ± 2.8 mmHg at 2 months, and 14.9 ± 2.5 mmHg at 3 months (P<0.001). Switching back to the original PGA monotherapy returned the IOP values to baseline levels. Taf/Tim reduced the pulse rate insignificantly. No significant differences were observed in blood pressure, conjunctival hyperemia, or corneal adverse events. A questionnaire showed that the introduction of Taf/Tim did not significantly influence symptoms. Conclusions. Compared with PGA monotherapy, Taf/Tim fixed-combination therapy significantly reduced IOP without severe adverse events

Non-neuronal expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry genes in the olfactory system suggests mechanisms underlying COVID-19-associated anosmia

Abstract:Altered olfactory function is a common symptom of COVID-19, but its etiology is unknown. A key question is whether SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) – the causal agent in COVID-19 – affects olfaction directly, by infecting olfactory sensory neurons or their targets in the olfactory bulb, or indirectly, through perturbation of supporting cells. Here we identify cell types in the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb that express SARS-CoV-2 cell entry molecules. Bulk sequencing demonstrated that mouse, non-human primate and human olfactory mucosa expresses two key genes involved in CoV-2 entry, ACE2 and TMPRSS2. However, single cell sequencing revealed that ACE2 is expressed in support cells, stem cells, and perivascular cells, rather than in neurons. Immunostaining confirmed these results and revealed pervasive expression of ACE2 protein in dorsally-located olfactory epithelial sustentacular cells and olfactory bulb pericytes in the mouse. These findings suggest that CoV-2 infection of non-neuronal cell types leads to anosmia and related disturbances in odor perception in COVID-19 patients

Lysophospholipids–potent candidates for brain food, protects neuronal cells against α-Synuclein aggregation

Accumulation and aggregation of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) are the hallmarks of the incidence of α-Synucleinopathies, which comprises dementia with Lewy bodies (LBs). Aggregation inhibitors are anticipated to reduce α-Syn toxicity and serve as therapeutic agents. As a result, α-Syn is regarded as the potential and priority target for drug development. Here, we report inhibition of α-Syn aggregation by a certain lysophospholipids (LPLs) species. LPLs are small bioactive lipid molecules characterized by a single carbon chain and polar head group. The LPLs used here were extracted from porcine liver decomposition product (PLDP), which was previously reported to enhance cognitive function in healthy older adults. In this study, we found that PLDP-extracted lipids (PEL) reduced α-Syn aggregation in a cellular model. In particular, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) 16:0, LPC18:0, LPC18:1, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) 16:0, which are known to be contained in PEL, were found to strongly inhibit α-Syn aggregation. Furthermore, when α-Syn was co-incubated with LPLs, the fluorescence emission of Thioflavin-T (ThT) declined remarkably, indicating a lower fibril formation. Interestingly, differences were observed in the degrees of effect on the reduction of insoluble α-Syn among each LPL. In this context, LPC18:1 and LPE18:1 appeared to interact with α-Syn below 1 nM in vitro. Taken together, these studies indicated the potential of PLDP-derived LPLs as effective therapeutic agents against α-Synucleinopathies.Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 156, art. no. 113891; 202

Engineering study on lithium isotope separation by ion exchange chromatography

We have been studying the lithium isotope separation by ion exchange chromatography for the engineering development. We performed the lithium isotope separation experiments by chromatography. From the results, we estimated the migration lengths required to obtain the 20 %, 50 %, and 90 % enriched lithium-6, the required lengths are 340, 1600, and 5800 m, respectively. We studied the detection methods of lithium adsorption band boundary in order to design the circular type chromatographic equipment, which type equipment is required for the industrial plant. Based on these investigations, we designed the automatic circular type chromatographic equipment with the boundary interface detector and manufactured the prototype equipment

Lemierre’s Syndrome after Head and Neck Photoimmunotherapy for Local Recurrence of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Introduction: Head and neck photoimmunotherapy (HN-PIT) uses a combination of drugs and laser illumination to specifically destroy tumor cells. Lemierre’s syndrome is an infectious disease with severe systemic symptoms caused by prior infection in the pharyngeal region, leading to thrombophlebitis. Here, we report a case of Lemierre’s syndrome that developed after HN-PIT for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Case Presentation: A 68-year-old male with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma) underwent HN-PIT after local recurrence with chemoradiation therapy. Three months after HN-PIT, the patient developed fever and neck pain, which led to a diagnosis of Lemierre’s syndrome. The patient was treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants for at least 1 month. The patient’s general condition and inflammatory findings on blood sampling showed gradual improvement, and a follow-up cervicothoracic computed tomography imaging showed that the venous thrombus had been obscured and the patient was doing well. Conclusion: HN-PIT is a high-risk procedure for the development of Lemierre’s syndrome due to irradiation-induced mucositis, and anticipating the development of Lemierre’s syndrome during HN-PIT is important

Correction to: Female-biased sexual dimorphism of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

Following publication of the original article [1], we noticed a number of errors