Reactive oxygen species are, at least partly, involved in the diabetogenic agent-induced dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells because the expression of antioxidative and redox proteins is low. We examined the levels of antioxidant/redox proteins, peroxiredoxins-1, -4, and -6 and glutathione reductase (GR), by immunohistochemistry and found that the expression of GR was very high in pancreatic islet cells compared to exocrine cells. When diabetes was induced by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin, the pre-administration of 1,3-bis[2-chloroethyl]-1-nitrosourea, an irreversible inhibitor of GR, made islet cells more vulnerable to streptozotocin. These data point to a pivotal role of the glutathione redox system in pancreatic islet cells against diabetogenic stress.
In order to examine whether effects on male reproductive organs following 2-weeks administration of Etoposide (ET) are detectable, ET was administered intravenously once a week to rats for 2 and 4 weeks at 5 and 10 mg/kg/week. No deaths and no drug-related changes in body weight or in gross pathology were observed. However, decreased testis and/or thymus weights were noted. And histopathological examination revealed decrease and/or loss of spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the testes. It was evident that the target cells of the test article in the male reproductive organs are spermatogonia. Atrophy of the medulla and increase of immature lymphocytes in the cortex of the thymus and increase of fatty cells and increase of immature hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow were also apparent. The histological changes in the testis, thymus and bone marrow suggest that ET inhibits cellular mitosis which reflects its mechanism of action as an anticancer agent. It is concluded that effects of ET on male reproductive organs can be detected by histopathological examination of the testes after 2-weeks repeated administration.
We reported four patients who received the treatment for severe pain with normal saline and/or distilled water injections. They suffered from various kinds of severe pain. The diagnoses were, a chest pain from bone metastases of terminal liver cancer (Case 1), a low back and leg pain from lumbar spinal canal stenosis (Case 2), a scar pain after thoracic drainage (Case 3) and a postherpetic pain in cervical region (Case 4). All patients received the treatment consisted of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pentazocine and/or continuous epidural block, but pain relief was a little and incomplete. While they requested more potent pain relieving measures, but received injections of normal saline and/or distilled water. They recognized that "analgesic" injections had either some effect or no effect, but their physicians thought of the complaints as " psychogenic" one. After consulting to our clinic, we informed them in detail about the treatments with morphine and/or codeine. All 4 patients received our proposal, oral codeine (Case 2, 3) or continuous intravenous/oral morphine (Case 1, 4) started. Pain effectively relieved in all cases with satisfaction.In the treatment of pain, the word, "believe the patient's report of pain", is the most fundamental principle. When patients complain of pain, they really suffer from pain and want more potent or much doses of analgesic, not normal saline or distilled water! At that time, physician should " believe the patient's report of pain" and provide reliable pain-relieving therapies.
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