Menaquinone (vitamin K2) therapy for bronchial asthma. I. Mechanism of action menaquinone on allergic reactions.

The mechanism of action of the drug was investigated from various points of view. The findings may be summarized as follows: 1. In the experiments of the degranulation of mesenteric mast cells of rats, menaquinone proved to significantly inhibit the degranulation either in active or passive sensitization with the reagin-like antibody. 2. Menaquinone did not inhibit the formation of the reagin-like antibody. 3. In the experiements of the degranulation of basophilic granulocytes from patients of bronchial asthma, the rate of appearance of A form basophilic cells upon addition of the antihuman IgE goat serum was not markedly but significantly inhibited in the patients treated with menaquinone for long periods, as compared with that in the control, whereas the in vitro addition of menaquinone did not exert a significant inhibitory action.</p

Social skills and loneliness in junior high school students

The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between social skills and loneliness, and to contribute to prevention and intervention of loneliness in junior high school students. Questionnaires were administered to 83 students (45 males and 38 females). Correlation analysis showed that loneliness score was negatively related to the scores of peer reinforcement, social initiation, conflict resolution and assertion skills, and also positively related to the score of withdrawal behaviors. In addition, this study found gender differences in the role of social skills and problem behaviors on loneliness. Boys' loneliness was negatively related to peer reinforcement, social initiation, and assertion skills, and girls' loneliness was negatively related to conflict resolution skills, whereas both boys' and girls' loneliness were associated with withdrawal behaviors. These findings were discussed in terms of the context of social skills training

Studies on heparin in allergic reactions 3. Therapeutic use of heparin in bronchial asthma

Seventy-five patients with bronchial asthma were treated with heparin by three different administration methods : 5000 u intravenously plus 5000 u by inhalation (method 1), 5000 u intravenously plus 5000 u by inhalation combined with 1 mg sulbutamol (method 2) and 10000 u by inhalation (method 3). The percent efficacy of heparin therapy was 44.4 % in the bronchial asthma patients treated by method 1, 72.7% in those treated by method 2 and 25.0% in those treated by method 3. Heparin therapy was more effective in patients over 50 years old, those with an age at onset of 40 years or more (late onset asthma) and those with serum IgE levels of less than 400 u/ml. The efficacy of heparin was also observed more frequently in cases with lower FEV1.0%, (V50) and (V25) values. Reduction of the plasma heparin concentration 1 h after intravenous administration was more rapid in cases in which heparin was effective than in those in which it was not

Studies on heparin in allergic reactions 2. Plasma concentration of heparin in bronchial asthma

To observe the participation of heparin in asthma attacks, plasma concentrations of heparin were estimated in asthmatic subjects. Changes in the plasma concentration of heparin after intravenous administration were also examined during asthma attacks. The mean plasma concentration of heparin was 0.017u/5ml in healthy subjects, and 0.017u/5ml in the non-attack stage, 0.018u/5ml in the pre-attack stage and 0.016u/5ml in the attack stage of bronchial asthma patients. The plasma concentration of heparin in the mild cases of asthma was higher in the attack-free period than in the attack period, while the plasma concentration of heparin in the severe cases of asthma was significantly lower in the attack-free period than in the attack period. There was a significant correlation between the plasma concentration of heparin and the peripheral basophil count. The time-dependent reduction in plasma heparin after intravenous administration was more remarkable in asthmatic subjects than in healthy subjects, and the reduction was most remarkable in the large attack stage of asthma. The half-reduction time of the plasma heparin concentration after intravenous administration was 1h and 20min

Studies on heparin in allergic reactions 1. Action of heparin on immediate hypersensitivity

The action of heparin on allergic reactions was examined in skin and bronchial reactions to chemical mediators, in the rat PCA reaction and antigen-induced degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells. Heparin inhibited the histamine-induced skin reaction in rats. Bronchoconstriction caused by histamine and acetylcholine was also inhibited by pre-treatment with heparin. The skin reaction due to reaginic antibody (PCA), but not that due to precipitated antibody, in rats was inhibited by heparin administration. Heparin moderately inhibited the degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells elicited by reaginic antibody, but the inhibitory action was not as strong as that of prednisolone or disodiumcromoglycate

Studies on heparin in allergic reactions 1. Action of heparin on immediate hypersensitivity

The action of heparin on allergic reactions was examined in skin and bronchial reactions to chemical mediators, in the rat PCA reaction and antigen-induced degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells. Heparin inhibited the histamine-induced skin reaction in rats. Bronchoconstriction caused by histamine and acetylcholine was also inhibited by pre-treatment with heparin. The skin reaction due to reaginic antibody (PCA), but not that due to precipitated antibody, in rats was inhibited by heparin administration. Heparin moderately inhibited the degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells elicited by reaginic antibody, but the inhibitory action was not as strong as that of prednisolone or disodiumcromoglycate

Clinical Effect of Menaquinone on Bronchial Asthma

A series of 191 patients of bronchial asthma were treated with menaquinone for not less than one year, and the clinical effect of the drug was investigated. 1) The therapy with menaquinone only gave effective rate of 90.0% (a marked effective rate of 42.4%) in mild patients, an effective of 86.7% (a marked effective rate of 30.0%) in moderate patients, and an effective rate of 72.2% (a marked effective rate of 27.3%) in severe patients. namely, considerably high effective rates were attained by the therapy in the respective patients. 2) The therapy with menapuinone, in conjunction with hyposensitization therapy, gave an effective rate of 100% (a marked effective rate of 33.3%) in mild patient, and an effective rate of 93.8% (a marked effective rate of 34.4%) in moderate patients, but such a low effective rate as 60% (a marked effective rate of 10%) in severe patients. It was revealed that menaquinone therapy is more effective, when employed in conjunction with hyposensitization. 3) The double blind stuby of the clinical effects of menaquinon revealed that the placebo used in the study was effective on only 16.7% of the patients treated with it, and that the incidence of recurrence due to discontinuance of menaquinone therapy tended to be low in patients treated with the drug for long periods