Detection of synthetic cannabinoids using GC-EI-MS, positive GC-CI-MS, and negative GC-CI-MS.

Recently, various synthetic cannabinoid (SC) compounds that have been slightly modified at the functional groups have been identified in Japan. However, the structural elucidation of these new compounds using conventional approaches such as gas chromatography-electron impact-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS) is difficult. As such, indole and indazole SCs were scanned using GC-MS-EI, positive GC-chemical ionization (CI)-MS, and negative GC-chemical ionization-MS, allowing for efficient structural elucidation of unknown SC compounds. Pure substances have been employed for the study.

Case Series of Imported Enteric Fever at a Referral Center in Tokyo, Japan: Antibiotic Susceptibility and Risk Factors for Relapse.

Owing to the increase in Salmonella strains with decreased fluoroquinolone susceptibility in the endemic areas, we have been treating enteric fever with intravenous ceftriaxone empirically since 2007. In this study, we reevaluated our treatment protocol. This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single institute in Tokyo, Japan, between January 2006 and December 2013. Enteric fever was defined as isolation of Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi A, B, and C from the blood and/or stool of patients with fever. Of the 35 patients with imported enteric fever, 28 (80%) had returned from south Asia. Ciprofloxacin-susceptible strains were detected in only 12% of the cases. The isolates showed excellent susceptibility to ampicillin (91%), chloramphenicol (94%), ceftriaxone (97%), and azithromycin (97%). One case of Salmonella Paratyphi B was excluded, and of the remaining 34 patients, 56% were treated with ceftriaxone alone, 26% with ceftriaxone then fluoroquinolone, and 9% with levofloxacin alone. The overall relapse rate was 6.1%; however, among those receiving ceftriaxone monotherapy, the relapse rate was 11% (N = 2). The relapse group was characterized by longer times to treatment initiation (P = 0.035) and defervescence (> 7 days) after treatment initiation (P = 0.022). In such cases, we recommend that ceftriaxone treatment be continued for > 4 days after defervescence or be changed to fluoroquinolone if the strains are found to be susceptible to prevent relapse. Furthermore, ampicillin and chloramphenicol, which are no longer prescribed, may be reconsidered as treatment options in Asia.

Comprehensive review of the detection methods for synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones.

A number of N-alkyl indole or indazole-3-carbonyl analogs, with modified chemical structures, are distributed throughout the world as synthetic cannabinoids. Like synthetic cannabinoids, cathinone analogs are also abused and cause serious problems worldwide. Acute deaths caused by overdoses of these drugs have been reported. Various analytical methods that can cope with the rapid changes in chemical structures are required for routine analysis and screening of these drugs in seized and biological materials for forensic and clinical purposes. Although many chromatographic methods to analyze each drug have been published, there are only a few articles summarizing these analytical methods. This review presents the various colorimetric detections, immunochemical assays, gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods, and liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods proposed for the analysis of synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones.

[Increasing drug resistance in Vibrio cholerae O1 and non-O1 strains isolated from diarrheal cases in Japan].

Drug resistance trends were investigated for 271 Vibrio cholerae O1 (V.c O1) and 401 V. cholerae non-O1 (V.c non-O1) strains isolated from mainly imported diarrheal cases during 1981-2001 in Japan. The results of drug resistance test using 8 drugs (CP, TC, SM, KM, ABPC, ST, NA, and NFLX) showed that 34.7% of the V. c O1 strains and 15.7% of V.c non-O1 strains were multi-drug or mono-drug resistant. The incidence of drug resistant strains has increased since 1991, and it has been remarkable in V.c O1 strains that increased from 1.2% in 1981-1985 to 70.8% in 1996-2001. The drug resistance patterns of the resistant strains classified into 6 types in V.c O1 and 21 types in V.c non-O1. The prevalent patterns recognized were SM (75.5%), CP.TC.SM.ST (10.6%) and CP.SM.ST (8.5%) in V.c O1, and SM (25.4%) and ABPC (25.4%) in V.c non-O1. Ten V.c O1 strains (3.7%) and 10 V.c non-O1 strains (2.5%) were multi-drug resistant including TC. Among those, 13 strains were isolated from travelers who returned to Japan from Thailand. One V.c O1 strain (0.4%) and 6 V.c non-O1 strains (1.5%) were NA high-resistant and fluoroquinolones low-sensitive. Among those, 4 strains were isolated from travelers who returned to Japan from India.

[Shigella boydii strains possessing a new serovar (SM00-27) isolated from diarrhea of overseas travelers in Japan].

Five Shigella strains isolated from stool cultures of five sporadic imported diarrheal cases in Japan during 1999-2001, did not react to any antisera of the established Shigella serovars. These strains had the typical biochemical characteristics of Shigella boydii, and were biochemically identical. All strains were positive in a PCR assay and a cultured-cell invasion test for invasiveness; these indicate that they can cause shigellosis in humans. The results of antigenic analysis revealed that they did not belong to any of the recognized or provisional serovars, and were serologically indistinguishable. Strain SM00-27 is designated as the test strain for this new S. boydii serovar.