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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is thought to involve inflammatory infiltration of leukocytes, lung injury induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), in particular superoxide anion, and fibrosis (collagen deposition). No treatment has been shown to improve definitively the prognosis for IPF patients. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide, which is subsequently detoxified by catalase. Lecithinized SOD (PC-SOD) has overcome clinical limitations of SOD, including low tissue affinity and low stability in plasma. In this study, we examined the effect of PC-SOD on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Severity of the bleomycin-induced fibrosis in mice was assessed by various methods, including determination of hydroxyproline levels in lung tissue. Intravenous administration of PC-SOD suppressed the bleomycin-induced increase in the number of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bleomycin-induced collagen deposition and increased hydroxyproline levels in the lung were also suppressed in animals treated with PC-SOD, suggesting that PC-SOD suppresses bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The dose-response profile of PC-SOD was bell-shaped, but concurrent administration of catalase restored the ameliorative effect at high doses of PC-SOD. Intratracheal administration or inhalation of PC-SOD also attenuated the bleomycin-induced inflammatory response and fibrosis. The bell-shaped dose-response profile of PC-SOD was not observed for these routes of administration. We consider that, compared with intravenous administration, inhalation of PC-SOD may be a more therapeutically beneficial route of administration due to the higher safety and quality of life of the patient treated with this drug. idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; reactive oxygen species doi:10.1152/ajplung.00289.2009

Pharmacists are needed as members of oncology teams. The Japanese Society of Hospital Pharmacists (JSHP) conducts a nationwide survey annually to analyze the actual situation and generate fundamental information about hospital pharmacy practice in Japan. Using data from this large-scale survey, we described pharmacists’ involvement in cancer chemotherapy. We explored the factors related to the acceleration of pharmacists’ tasks or involvement in clinical practice, primarily in oncology.Data were obtained from annual surveys conducted by JSHP from 2015 to 2020. All variables were expressed as categorical variables and tabulated. The Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the categorical variables. The Cochran–Armitage trend test was used to identify significant trends.From 2015 to 2020, 22,362 responses were recorded. After applying the exclusion criteria, 20,906 were analyzed. The proportion of hospitals enrolling pharmacists with oncology-related certifications significantly increased in all hospitals providing cancer care. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that a smaller number of beds per pharmacist significantly correlated with additional fees for outpatient pharmacy services (p = 0.0002 for trend).Hospitals charging increased fees for outpatient oncology pharmacy services were associated with a smaller number of beds per pharmacist, regardless of hospital size. A balance between the number of beds and pharmacists, particularly certified oncology pharmacists, is crucial for safe and high-quality cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious adverse event caused by the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, only few large-scale studies have explored the association among ICI use, underlying cancer type, and ILD complications. This study aimed to analyze the association between the primary cancer type and ICI-induced ILD in a cross-sectional manner using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab (anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) antibodies) and durvalumab, avelumab, and atezolizumab (anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies) were included as ICIs in this study. Adverse events were identified based on the preferred terms of Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) version 27.0/J listed in the Standardized MedDRA Queries (SMQ) "interstitial lung disease." The reporting odds ratio was calculated to detect the association between ICI use and ILD complications, and a signal was detected if the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval exceeded 1. In the analysis of all cancer types, a signal was detected for all ICIs except avelumab. An association between ICI and ILD was detected for all cancer types with nivolumab. However, pembrolizumab exhibited a signal only in colorectal cancer. In contrast, anti-PD-L1 antibodies displayed signals in five cancer types, excluding head and neck cancer, which was not reported in JADER. Among these cancer types, atezolizumab exhibited a signal only in breast cancer. The results of this study will help guide the safe use of ICIs based on the underlying cancer type in terms of ILD complications.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has considerably affected several social services. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has partially revised the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Law and established legislations on permanent online medication instructions. Based on these social needs, the development of human resources to provide online medication instructions is vital. Therefore, we developed a training program for providing online medication instructions in preparatory clinical education. Pharmacy students who had conducted medical interviews with standardized patients participated in the training. Educational outcomes were evaluated using an objective multiple-choice test and free description before and after practical training. The median number of correct answers on objective tests on the legislation on online medication instructions increased significantly. Based on the free description analysis, students were able to comprehend the influence of communication environment on the quality of medication instructions. Based on the results of the direct evaluation using objective testing and indirect evaluation by analyzing the free descriptions, they also acquired the skills necessary for providing online medication instructions. Therefore, this training program can contribute to mastering the provision of online medication instructions.