小学校給食で提供されるエネルギーおよび主要栄養素量の妥当性についての検討

We performed food consumption survey in July, 2007 for the 2nd and 5th grade children at an elementary school of Nagano city to evaluate the amounts of energy and nutrients offered with school lunch. Energy intake of the 2nd grade was comparable to the estimated energy requirement (EER), while that of the 5th grade was greatly lower than the EER. Most of nutrients, except iron and dietary fiber, were within the recommendable range. As to the consumption ratio from each meal, energy, protein, lipid and iron showed the similar pattern, being about 33% of total daily consumption from lunch. As for daily consumption of calcium and vitamin B2, intake ratio from lunch was about 50% and 40%, respectively. Results confirmed the important role of school lunch service to compensate the amounts of nutrients which are easy to lack in daily food consumption

平成29年度「T-GAP」実践報告 : ソーシャル・アクション型授業の開発と実践

ソーシャル・アクションに取り組む学校が増えつつある。国際バカロレア・ディプロマプログラムのCAS活動もそうだが、生徒自らが社会課題を設定し、その解決に向けてアクションを起こすことが期待される。国際的には社会的起業(Social Enterpreneurship)が注目される中、高校生がソーシャル・アクションに取り組む意義は大きい。そのため、本校は2年次にてグループでソーシャル・アクションに取り組むための授業として「T-GAP : つくさかグローバル・アクション・プロジェクト」という授業を開発した。本小論は、SGHに指定されて以来、開発を重ねてきた成果を報告する

Review on counter measures to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, May 2020

An outbreak of novel coronavirus infection occurred in China at the end of 2019, which was designated as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and spread to regions across Asia and ultimately all over the world. As of 21 May 2020, a total of more than 5 million cases with more than 350 thousand deaths were reported worldwide. Evaluation of the pathogenicity of the disease and determining the efficacy of control measures are essential for rapid containment of the disease. However, the world is facing difficulties in controlling COVID-19 at both of the national and global levels due to variations in pathogenicity of infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causal agent of COVID-19, and to diverse measures applied in each country based on their control capacities and policies. In the present review, we summarize the basic information and findings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including pathogen agent, epidemiology, disease transmission, and clinical manifestations. Diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures applied or under development all over the world are also reviewed to provide the opportunity to establish a more effective scenario for disease containment. Humanity has progressed by developing countless great technologies and immense scientific theories, however it may be a fact that we cannot conquer all risks to humanity. New findings and challenges for the unprecedented pandemic at the global level, such as COVID-19, should also contribute to preparedness for unknown diseases in future, similar to the lessons learnt from severe acute respiratory syndrome and the pandemic A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza

Dexamethasone Sensitizes Cancer Stem Cells to Gemcitabine and 5-Fluorouracil by Increasing Reactive Oxygen Species Production through NRF2 Reduction

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have high tumor-initiating capacity and are resistant to chemotherapeutic reagents; thus eliminating CSCs is essential to improving the prognosis. Recently, we reported that dexamethasone increases the effects of gemcitabine on pancreatic CSCs; however, the mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the dexamethasone-induced chemosensitization of CSCs. Dexamethasone increased the growth-inhibitory effects of gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil, whereas N-acetyl-cysteine, a ROS scavenger, abolished this effect. Although dexamethasone alone did not increase ROS levels, dexamethasone promoted the increase in ROS levels induced by gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil. Dexamethasone treatment reduced the expression of NRF2, a key regulator of antioxidant responses, which was attenuated by siRNA-mediated knockdown of the glucocorticoid receptor. Furthermore, brusatol, a suppressor of NRF2, sensitized pancreatic CSCs to gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil. Of note, essentially, the same mechanism was functional in ovarian and colon CSCs treated by the combination of dexamethasone and chemotherapeutic agents. Our study suggests that dexamethasone can sensitize CSCs to chemotherapeutic agents by promoting chemotherapy-induced ROS production through suppressing NRF2 expression

Doxazosin, a Classic Alpha 1-Adrenoceptor Antagonist, Overcomes Osimertinib Resistance in Cancer Cells via the Upregulation of Autophagy as Drug Repurposing

Osimertinib, which is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is an important anticancer drug because of its high efficacy and excellent safety profile. However, resistance against osimertinib is inevitable; therefore, therapeutic strategies to overcome the resistance are needed. Doxazosin, a classic quinazoline-based alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist is used to treat hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia with a known safety profile. The anticancer effects of doxazosin have been examined in various types of malignancies from the viewpoint of drug repositioning or repurposing. However, it currently remains unclear whether doxazosin sensitizes cancer cells to osimertinib. Herein, we demonstrated that doxazosin induced autophagy and enhanced the anticancer effects of osimertinib on the cancer cells and cancer stem cells of non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma at a concentration at which the growth of non-tumor cells was not affected. The osimertinib-sensitizing effects of doxazosin were suppressed by 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, which suggested that the effects of doxazosin were mediated by autophagy. The present study provides evidence for the efficacy of doxazosin as a combination therapy with osimertinib to overcome resistance against osimertinib

Brexpiprazole, a Serotonin-Dopamine Activity Modulator, Can Sensitize Glioma Stem Cells to Osimertinib, a Third-Generation EGFR-TKI, via Survivin Reduction

Glioblastoma is a primary brain tumor associated with a poor prognosis due to its high chemoresistance capacity. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are one of the mechanisms of chemoresistance. Although therapy targeting CSCs is promising, strategies targeting CSCs remain unsuccessful. Abnormal activation of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) due to amplification, mutation, or both of the EGFR gene is common in glioblastomas. However, glioblastomas are resistant to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), and overcoming resistance is essential. Brexpiprazole is a new, safe serotonin-dopamine activity modulator used for schizophrenia and depression that was recently reported to have anti-CSC activity and function as a chemosensitizer. Here, we examined its chemosensitization effects on osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR-TKI with an excellent safety profile, in glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are CSCs of glioblastoma. Brexpiprazole treatment sensitized GSCs to osimertinib and reduced the expression of survivin, an antiapoptotic factor, and the pharmacological and genetic inhibition of survivin mimicked the effects of brexpiprazole. Moreover, co-treatment of brexpiprazole and osimertinib suppressed tumor growth more efficiently than either drug alone without notable toxicity in vivo. This suggests that the combination of brexpiprazole and osimertinib is a potential therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma by chemosensitizing GSCs through the downregulation of survivin expression

Spironolactone, a Classic Potassium-Sparing Diuretic, Reduces Survivin Expression and Chemosensitizes Cancer Cells to Non-DNA-Damaging Anticancer Drugs

Spironolactone, a classical diuretic drug, is used to treat tumor-associated complications in cancer patients. Spironolactone was recently reported to exert anti-cancer effects by suppressing DNA damage repair. However, it currently remains unclear whether spironolactone exerts combinational effects with non-DNA-damaging anti-cancer drugs, such as gemcitabine and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Using the cancer cells of lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma, the combinational effects of spironolactone with gemcitabine and osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR-TKI, were examined in vitro with cell viability assays. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we investigated alterations induced in survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein, by spironolactone as well as the chemosensitization effects of the suppression of survivin by YM155, an inhibitor of survivin, and siRNA. We also examined the combinational effects in a mouse xenograft model. The results obtained revealed that spironolactone augmented cell death and the suppression of cell growth by gemcitabine and osimertinib. Spironolactone also reduced the expression of survivin in these cells, and the pharmacological and genetic suppression of survivin sensitized cells to gemcitabine and osimertinib. This combination also significantly suppressed tumor growth without apparent adverse effects in vivo. In conclusion, spironolactone is a safe candidate drug that exerts anti-cancer effects in combination with non-DNA-damaging drugs, such as gemcitabine and osimertinib, most likely through the suppression of survivin

Chain Compounds Based on Paddle-wheel Copper(II) Carboxylate Bearing Four Nitroxide Radicals

Chain compounds of paddle-wheel Cu2-clusters of 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxy (Hcaproxy) and 4-carboxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (Hcatempo) and N,N’-bidentate ligands (L = 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bpy), 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe), trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpel), 4,4′-dipyridyl disulfide (pds), 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (dabco), and pyrazine (pyz)), [Cu2(caproxy)4(L)]n, and [Cu2(catempo)4(L)]n, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and UV-vis spectra and temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibilities (4.5–300 K). The crystal structures of [Cu2(caproxy)4(pds)]n, [Cu2(catempo)4(4,4′-bpy)]n, and [Cu2(catempo)4(bpe)]n revealed zigzag or linear chains consisting of alternate arrangement of the dinuclear cluster bearing four nitroxide radicals and N,N’-bidentate ligand. Temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibilities showed a considerable antiferromagnetic interaction between the two copper(II) ions within the dinuclear cluster, and weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the dinuclear clusters and/or the radical and dinuclear cluster