Effect of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb on Body Composition and Biochemical Examination of Blood / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

Peucedanum japonicum Thunb (PJT) has reported the effect of lipid and glucose metabolism at some in vivo and in vitro study. In this study, 21 subjects with dyslipidemia border zone took PJT for 12 weeks. The changes over time of body composition and biochemical test were examined. The values of HbA1c were significantly reduced compared to the values before intake. For body fat percentage, the value at 8 weeks after intake showed a significant decrease compared with the value before intake. Adiponectin was significantly increase after 8 weeks in obese subject. These results suggested PJT may improvement of glucose metabolism.

Creating a list of psycho-social problems and solutions for patients with pancreatic cancer by applying the social problem-solving process

Purpose： The aim of this study was to create a list of psycho-social problems and solutions for patients with pancreatic cancer by applying the social problem-solving process. Methods： A semi-structured interview of approximately 1 hour was conducted on two occasions. The participants were 17 patients with pancreatic cancer. Results： Psycho-social problems were divided into two themes: “facing the future uncertainty” and “facing the effects of treatment received”. A list of problems and solutions was created for each problem theme. Realistic goals for “facing the future uncertainty” were ‘maintaining this living condition （n=7）’, ‘preparing for changes to the environment （n=5）’, ‘keeping a sense of control over my own life （n=5）’ and ‘dealing with anxiety （n=3）’. Realistic goals for “facing the effects of treatment received” were ‘restoring the self of pre-illness（n=2）’. Conclusion： For seemingly unsolvable problems, patients can formulate realistic goals that they want to have clarified, and then the problems can be recaptured as solvable problems.

Incidence of Nocturnal Leg Cramps in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis before and after Conservative and Surgical Treatment

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of conservative and surgical treatments for nocturnal leg cramps in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Nocturnal leg cramps is frequently observed in patients with peripheral neuropathy. However, there have been few reports on the relationship between nocturnal leg cramps and LSS, and it remains unknown whether conservative or surgical intervention has an impact on leg cramps in patients with LSS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 130 LSS patients with low back and leg pain. Conservative treatment such as exercise, medication, and epidural block was used in 66 patients and surgical treatment such as decompression or decompression and fusion was performed in 64 patients. Pain scores and frequency of nocturnal leg cramps were evaluated based on self-reported questionnaires completed before and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The severity of low back and leg pain was higher and the incidence of nocturnal leg cramps was significantly higher before treatment in the surgically treated group compared with the conservatively treated group. Pain scores improved in both groups after the intervention. The incidence of nocturnal leg cramps was significantly improved by surgical treatment (p=0.027), but not by conservative treatment (p=0.122). CONCLUSION: The findings of this prospective study indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with LSS and severity of symptoms. Pain symptoms were improved by conservative or surgical treatment, but only surgery improved nocturnal leg cramps in patients with LSS. Thus, these results indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with spinal nerve compression by LSS.

Conservative and Surgical Treatment Improves Pain and Ankle-Brachial Index in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

PURPOSE: The pathological mechanism of lumbar spinal stenosis is reduced blood flow in nerve roots and degeneration of nerve roots. Exercise and prostaglandin E1 is used for patients with peripheral arterial disease to increase capillary flow around the main artery and improve symptoms; however, the ankle-brachial index (ABI), an estimation of blood flow in the main artery in the leg, does not change after treatment. Lumbar spinal nerve roots contain somatosensory, somatomotor, and unmyelinated autonomic nerves. Improved blood flow by medication with prostaglandin E1 and decompression surgery in these spinal nerve roots may improve the function of nerve fibers innervating muscle, capillary, and main vessels in the lower leg, resulting in an increased ABI. The purpose of the study was to examine whether these treatments can improve ABI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seven patients who received conservative treatment such as exercise and medication (n=56) or surgical treatment (n=51) were included. Low back pain and leg pain scores, walking distance, and ABI were measured before treatment and after 3 months of conservative treatment alone or surgical treatment followed by conservative treatment. RESULTS: Low back pain, leg pain, and walking distance significantly improved after both treatments (p<0.05). ABI significantly increased in each group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first investigation of changes in ABI after treatment in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Improvement of the spinal nerve roots by medication and decompression surgery may improve the supply of blood flow to the lower leg in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Existence of a Neuropathic Pain Component in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

PURPOSE: Pain from osteoarthritis (OA) is generally classified as nociceptive (inflammatory). Animal models of knee OA have shown that sensory nerve fibers innervating the knee are significantly damaged with destruction of subchondral bone junction, and induce neuropathic pain (NP). Our objective was to examine NP in the knees of OA patients using painDETECT (an NP questionnaire) and to evaluate the relationship between NP, pain intensity, and stage of OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-two knee OA patients were evaluated in this study. Pain scores using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), painDETECT, duration of symptoms, severity of OA using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) system, and amount of joint fluid were evaluated and compared using a Spearman's correlation coefficient by rank test. RESULTS: Our study identified at least 5.4% of our knee OA patients as likely to have NP and 15.2% as possibly having NP. The painDETECT score was significantly correlated with the VAS and WOMAC pain severity. Compared with the painDETECT score, there was a tendency for positive correlation with the KL grade, and tendency for negative correlation with the existence and amount of joint fluid, but these correlations were not significant. CONCLUSION: PainDETECT scores classified 5.4% of pain from knee OA as NP. NP tended to be seen in patients with less joint fluid and increased KL grade, both of which corresponded to late stages of OA. It is important to consider the existence of NP in the treatment of knee OA pain.

FTY720-induced lymphocyte apoptosis inhibits acute graft versus host disease in rat small bowel transplantation / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect and mechanism of FTY720 on acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) in rat small bowel transplantation (SBTx).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Heterotopic SBTx was performed using a parent (WF)-into-F1 (WFxACI) rat combination. Recipient rats were divided into experimental group (n=6) and control group (n=6). Rats in the experimental group were administered with FTY720 at 0.5 mg/kg for 14 days. Lymphocyte apoptosis in the liver and the mucosa of intestine and graft was detected by TUNEL and flow cytometry 15 days after transplantation. Recipient survival and lymphocyte apoptosis were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Recipients in the control group died of GVHD after a mean survival time of (16+/-2.1) days. FTY720-treated recipients had a significantly longer survival (>100 days). After administration of FTY720, the percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes was significantly increased in the graft as compared to that in the control group by flow cytometry. The ratio of apoptotic lymphocyte in the liver and graft was also significantly higher in the experimental group by TUNEL.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>FTY720 effectively induces the lymphocyte apoptosis, inhibits the lesion of target tissues by GVHD, and prolongs the recipient survival.</p>

Complementary Medicine & Mucosal Immunology-Recent Topics around Inflammatory Bowel Disease / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

Complementary medicine aimed at improving patients’ QOL by complementing modern medicine has recently become the focus of attention. These alternative supplements or functional foods are commonly biologically based. Contained within food itself, these specialized components serve a tertiary function regarding biological regulation and defense. Further, in vivo mechanisms are considered to be closely linked to mucosal immunity of the intestine. As the mechanism of innate immunity is further elucidated, the significant role of certain food components in relation to mucosal immunity of the intestine has become a focus of interest.<br> In this paper, I would like to describe the experimental and clinical applications of complementary medicine in cases of chronic and/or intractable inflammatory bowel disease.<br>

Visiting the Centers of CAM in the United States / 日本補完代替医療学会誌

We had the opportunities to visit some centers of CAM in the United States twice, on May & September, in 2005. Those are National Center of CAM (NCCAM) and Office of Cancer CAM (OCCAM) in Maryland. Further, as the cancer center, we visited the University of California at Davis and the University of Texas MD Anderson Hospital.<br> We also introduce regarding the 2^nd International Conference of Integrative Oncology which was held at San Diego on November in 2005.<br>