Novel Functional Aspect of Antihistamines: The Impact of Bepotastine Besilate on Substance P-Induced Events

Besides histamine, substance P (SP) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in pruritic skin diseases. Although antihistamines are frequently used for pruritic skin diseases, little is known concerning the effect on an SP-induced event such as mast cell degranulation and the upregulation of adhesion molecules or the nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in endothelial cells. Our aim was to study the effect of bepotastine besilate on SP-induced degranulation of rat basophillic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells and expression of adhesion molecules and NO synthesis in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs). Bepotastine besilate significantly inhibited SP-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells and NO synthesis in HMVECs. Bepotastine besilate significantly inhibited expression of adhesion molecules in HMVESs, while it failed to suppress SP-induced upregulation of the adhesion molecules in HMVECs. Therefore, bepotastine besilate is assumed to act favorably on SP-induced basophil degranulation and NO synthesis in HMVECs

Various Neurological Symptoms by Neurolymphomatosis as the Initial Presentation of Primary Testicular Lymphoma

Neurological symptoms induced by the infiltration of malignant lymphoma into the nervous systems are subsumed under the term neurolymphomatosis (NL). Here, we report the case of a 30-year-old Japanese man with primary testicular lymphoma complicated, as seen in various neurological findings, by secondary NL prior to testicular swelling. Painless right scrotal enlargement was noticed more than 1 month after the appearance of neurological complications such as right upper extremity numbness, dysarthria, facial palsy, and diplopia. Proactive investigation and biopsies of extranodal sites at high risk of central nervous system infiltration of malignant lymphoma, such as the testes, should be considered when secondary NL is suspected based on imaging findings

やせの若年女性におけるエネルギー摂取と自律機能の検討

若い女性で志向される「やせ」が自立調節機能に及ぼす影響を調べるために、エネルギー摂取量、バイタルサイン、寒冷昇圧反応及び尿中バニルマンデル酸(VMA)量を「やせ」(痩身)と「通常」(対照)の女子学生で比較した。1日当たりエネルギー摂取量は両グループとも必要摂取量を下回っていた。エネルギー摂取量、3大栄養摂取症ともグループ間で差がなかった。安静時代謝量と尿中VMA量は痩身で多い傾向が見られた。安静時の鼓膜温、収縮期血圧には差がなかったが、拡張期血圧は痩身で有意に高く、また自立機能の指標として調べた寒冷昇圧反応では、痩身の拡張期血圧で、寒冷刺激による血圧上昇の後に見られる血管拡張が見られなかった。これらの結果は、痩身では交感神経活動が亢進していることおよび自立調節機能が変調を受けていることを示唆している。健康な体を保つために、若い女性で顕著な"外形上の誤った美しさに対する志向"を正して行くことが重大な課題であり、個人の栄養状態を良くするための望ましい食事スタイルを指導する栄養士の役割には大きいものがある。In order to clarify the effects of leanness on autonomic regulatory functions,energy intakes,vital signs, and cold pressure reaction were investigated on 9 lean and 18 normal female students. The body weight , BMI,degree of obesity,and body fat rate were lower in the lean group then those in the normal one,however body height and vital signs,such as tympanic temperature and pulse were not different between the groups.Diastplic blood pressure,but not systolic one,was lower in the lean group as compared with normal one. The daily intakes of energy,as well as protein,fat and carbohydrates were the same in both groups. The energy intakes of the students were extremely small in even the normal group as compared to the recommended daily intake for thier age and gender group. The resting metabolism and urinary excretion of vanylmandelic acid,a metabolite of catechoamines,seem to be higher in lean group. The cold-induced elevation of blood pressure was not different between groups,but the down of blood pressure,following after cessation of cold stimulation,was not observed in diastolic one in the lean group. The present results suggest that an enhanced activity of the sympathetic nerves contributes,partly,to cause the physical difference between lean and normal groups,possibly throuh an increase of energy dissipation.It is also supposed that decreases in tolerance for immunological activity occurred in excessively lean subjects because of a general disturbance of the autnomic regulatory systems in the body. It is, therefore,important to correct the false admiration among young females for leanness as beauty, and to encourage them to build truly healthy and beautiful bodies

Epidemic Myalgia in Adults Associated with Human Parechovirus Type 3 Infection, Yamagata, Japan, 2008

Human parechovirus has rarely been shown to cause clinical disease in adults. During June–August 2008, a total of 22 adults sought treatment at Yonezawa City Hospital in Yamagata, Japan, for muscle pain and weakness of all limbs; most also had fever and sore throat. All patients received a clinical diagnosis of epidemic myalgia; clinical laboratory findings suggested an acute inflammatory process. Laboratory confirmation of infection with human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) was made for 14 patients; we isolated HPeV3 from 7 patients, detected HPeV3 genome in 11, and observed serologic confirmation of infection in 11. Although HPeV3 is typically associated with disease in young children, our results suggest that this outbreak of myalgia among adults was associated with HPeV3 infection. Clinical consideration should be given to HPeV3 not only in young children but also in adults when an outbreak occurs in the community