Background: The superoxide anion and other oxygen radicals have been implicated in the progression of chronic renal failure, and are removed by extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) in the extracellular space on the surface of the endothelium. A single-base substitution of the EC-SOD gene which reduces the binding capability to endothelial cells resulting in an increased serum concentration, has been identified in healthy persons and hemodialysis patients. Results: The proportion of patients with this mutation among hemodialysis patients in each 20 months’ duration after the initiation of hemodialysis was retrospectively studied. The percentage of substitution-positive patients declined 80 months after the start of hemodialysis in non-DM patients. In contrast, in DM patients, the rapid decrease was obvious as early as 40 months after the initiation of hemodialysis. By prospective study for 5 years, there were significant differences in the survival rate between patients with and without R213G in DM, but not in non-DM patients. Among those who died, the incidence of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease in cases with R213G was significantly higher than in cases without R213G. Conclusion: These results suggest that the presence of a substitution in the EC-SOD gene at the heparin-binding domain could be a prognostic marker of dialysis patients.

ABSTRACT. We measured the blood plasma testosterone (T) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities in the seminal plasma of the ejaculates of 5 normal (2-5 years old) and 5 asthenozoospermic (AZ-) (3-5 years old) Beagles. Sperm ejaculated by AZdogs was incubated for 3 hr in Eagle's MEM only (controls) or Eagle's MEM containing 100 units/ml of SOD or catalase. Sperm motility was examined during incubation. The mean (± SE) plasma T level of the AZ-dogs (1.2 ± 0.2 ng/ml) was significantly lower than in the normal dogs (2.5 ± 0.2 ng/ml) (P<0.005). The mean (± SE) seminal plasma SOD and catalase activities (18.8 ± 1.9 and 0.5 ± 0.1 unit/g protein, respectively) were significantly lower in the AZ-dogs than in the normal dog (43.3 ± 2.5 and 2.2 ± 0.4 unit/g protein, respectively) (P<0.001 and 0.01, respectively). The motility of sperm incubated in Eagle's MEM containing SOD or catalase was significantly higher than that of control sperm incubated in only Eagle's MEM after 2 or 3 hr of incubation (P<0.05). The results of this study indicate that poor T secretion by the testes and low antioxidant enzyme activities are related to AZ in the dog. KEY WORDS: canine, catalase, seminal plasma, SOD.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 69(2): 133-136, 2007 Seminal plasma is known to contain reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by testicular tissue [18] and sperm [2,20], and elevated seminal plasma ROS concentrations in both humans [1,16] and dogs [22] have been reported to be a cause of oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia. Low sperm motility and morphologically abnormal sperm occur as a result of sperm plasma membrane dysfunction caused by ROS [7].Superoxide dismutase (SOD) [2,6,9] and catalase [6,19,24] are the main antioxidant enzymes in seminal plasma that prevent increases in ROS concentration in seminal plasma and protect the sperm against damage and oxidative stress caused by ROS. The SOD [6,8,18] and catalase [17,24] in seminal plasma are produced by the testis, epididymis, accessory reproductive organs, and sperm, and they are able to maintain sperm motility for a long time [6,8]. Seminal plasma SOD has been reported to have the same effect on canine sperm [5]. However, the cause of spermatogenic arrest in the dog is unknown [12]. In the present study, we examined the interaction between peripheral blood plasma testosterone (T) levels and the activities of seminal plasma SOD and catalase in the dog. Based on the results of this study, we suggested some causes for spermatogenic dysfunction in the dog. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals:Ten male Beagles aged 2-5 years were used in this study. They were cared for in our university and housed in pens with ample runs. Commercial dry dog food was provided twice a day, and the dogs were given free access to water. All animals were maintained according to the guidelines of the Animal Care and Use Committee of the Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University.The semen quality of the dogs was examined 3 times at one-week intervals. Five of the dogs (3-5 years...

Chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains a major adverse event in cancer chemotherapy. Although aprepitant is effective in preventing CINV, an increment in financial burden for uniform use of aprepitant is a concern. The aim of the present study was to define the cost‐effectiveness of aprepitant from the perspective of the Japanese National Health Insurance system. Based on the results of a randomized phase II trial comparing an aprepitant‐containing regimen versus a nonaprepitant regimen in Japanese patients who received cisplatin‐containing highly emetogenic chemotherapy, a decision analytic model was developed. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated both in the outpatient care setting (OCS) and in the inpatient care setting (ICS). The use of the aprepitant‐containing regimen was associated with improved quality of life compared with the nonaprepitant regimen, with an increment in quality‐adjusted life years (QALY) of 0.0016. The incremental total medical costs associated with the use of the aprepitant regimen were lower in the OCS than in the ICS, 6192 JPY (56.92 USD) and 9820 JPY (90.27 USD), respectively. The ICER was calculated as 3 906 698 JPY (35 910 USD) per QALY gained in the OCS and 6 195 781 JPY (56 952 USD) per QALY gained in the ICS. Cost‐effectiveness of the aprepitant‐containing antiemetic therapy was limited to the OCS, considering the threshold of willingness‐to‐pay commonly accepted (5 million JPY [45 960 USD] in Japan and 50 000 USD in the USA). The efficacy of aprepitant offsets the costs for revisiting clinics or rehospitalization added with rescue medications in the OCS.

The clinicopathologic features of 31 surgical patients with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis were analysed in relation to the immunohistochemical demonstration of bacterial antigens using a polyclonal anti-E. coli antibody. The time period after the initial clinical manifestation was critical for identifying the bacterial antigens in the cytoplasm of foamy macrophages. Of 12 lesions removed within 4 weeks of the onset (subacute group), 7 lesions showed positive staining. No positivity was seen in 19 gall-bladder specimens with a clinical course of more than 4 weeks (chronic group). Abscess formation was seen in 7 cases in the subacute group, 5 of which were positive for the bacterial antigens. Gram-negative bacteria were cultured from the bile in four in the subacute group and three in the chronic group. All the four culture-positive subacute lesions were immunoreactive for the bacterial antigens. Accumulation of ceroid pigment in the cytoplasm of foamy macrophages was characteristically seen in 16 of 20 chronic lesions. Three subacute lesions with ceroid pigmentation was negative for the bacterial antigens. In conclusion, xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis can be divided into two forms: subacute and chronic, and the subacute form is closely related to bacterial infection.

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