[Transition of Psychotropic Drugs in Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) (Part 15). Transitions in the Standards and Test Methods of Potassium Bromide in JP I (1886) and JP X VI (2011), and Comparison between the USP and BP].

In mental clinics, bromide agents such as potassium bromide were often once used as therapeutic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders. They were also given as hypnotic, sedative and antiepileptic medicines. However, the appearance of new medicines has resulted in them not being used for these purposes in recent years. Potassium bromide is still continuously listed in today's JP and BP. This suggests that it maintains value as a basic medicine for treating mental disorders in the history of psychotropic medicines. However, regarding the standards and test methods for potassium bromide in the present JP, as a result of a comparison between the USP of the same age, BP and EP, a gap is seen, and this is very regrettable. The exchange of art and scientific information related to medical sciences with foreign countries is becoming more active today. Therefore, scholarly information overseas should be collected and reflected in the standards and test methods for potassium bromide adopted in the JP of Japan. The author believes that the standards and test methods comparable to those at the international level should introduced. On the other hand, potassium bromide was recetnly relisted by USP29 (2006) for the first time in approximately 50 years. Moreover, instrumental analysis was introduced as part of the test methods in BP2013; that is, an epoch-making revision was made in terms of test methods. It is assumed from this that there is a sign of new change regarding the existence of potassium bromide as hypnotic, sedative and antiepileptic medicines, and its utility value. It is believed that the sign of change in view of the utility value and pharmacological evaluation probably arose with the new clinical knowledge that potassium bromide was used to treat a baby seriously ill with myoclony epilepsy, as well as to treat a dog with epilepsy.

An improved method for a rapid determination of phytase activity in animal feed.

The current direct colorimetric assay for phytase activity in feeds has interference from high P background and other factors. Our objective was to develop a rapid and reliable spin column method to accurately determine phytase activity in feed ingredients or complete diets. After the feed sample was extracted by stirring in 0.2 M citrate buffer, pH 5.5, for 30 min at room temperature, the oily layer of the supernatant fraction was removed by passing through an acrodisc syringe filter (0.45-microm HT Tuffryn membrane, Gelman Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI). The filtrate was then loaded onto a spin column (MW cutoff 30,000, Millipore, Bedford, MA) to remove free phosphate before the phytase activity assay. Compared with the direct assay, this new procedure improved both accuracy and reproducibility. When diets contained phytase at 0 to 1,500 U/kg (as fed), the CV for multiple assays of the same samples (n = 6) by the new method ranged from 1 to 6% compared with 28 to 39% by the direct method. A linear relationship was found between the added phytase activity in practical diets and the analyzed activity by the new method (r2 = 0.99; P < 0.01). In conclusion, the spin column method is an improved assay for phytase activity in animal feed, and may be used for quality control of phytase supplementation.

Lack of cardioplegia uniformity in clinical myocardial preservation.

Advances in myocardial preservation have led to improved patient survival after open heart operations. However, few studies have detailed the nature of national or regional patterns of cardioplegia use. To determine the regional pattern, all open heart surgery programs in Missouri were surveyed. During 1 year, it was found that cardioplegia was administered to 8,382 patients by 61 cardiothoracic surgeons at ten academic affiliated hospitals and 16 nonteaching hospitals. All cardioplegic solutions were hospital produced. Of 13 crystalloid solutions, 11 differed from one another and eight were intracellular formulations. Of 28 multidose blood-based cardioplegic solutions, there were 23 different mixtures. Most crystalloid (69%) and blood-based (89%) solutions differed substantially from commonly reported formulations. The incidences of the various additives to crystalloid solutions were as follows: bicarbonate, 92%; glucose, 69%; lidocaine, 54%; mannitol, 46%; magnesium, 31%; calcium, 23%; methylprednisolone, 15%; heparin, 8%; and acetate, 8%. Of the common blood-based cardioplegic solution additives, the following incidences were observed: glucose, 79%; bicarbonate, 43%; trishydroxyaminomethane, 36%; acetate, 29%; magnesium, 29%; procaine (or lidocaine), 25%; citrate-phosphate-dextrose, 18%; mannitol/albumin, 14%; nitroglycerin, 11%; glutamate/aspartate, 11%; calcium, 7%; insulin, 3%; and methylprednisolone, 3%. No calcium channel blocker or high-energy phosphate additives were reported. We conclude that many different cardioplegic admixtures that have not been tested experimentally are used routinely in clinical practice, presumably with acceptable results. Because the salutary effects of induced cardiac arrest and hypothermia may mask suboptimal solutions, further study of customized cardioplegia should be considered, particularly with regard to high-risk patients.