Effect of canagliflozin on the decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate in chronic kidney disease patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase III study in Japan.

Aims/introduction: The Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) trial has shown the effects of canagliflozin on preventing clinically important kidney outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease; however, not many Japanese patients were included in the trial. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of canagliflozin in Japanese chronic kidney disease patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials And Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase III study, chronic kidney disease patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg canagliflozin or a matching placebo once daily for 104 weeks.

Renal, cardiovascular and safety outcomes of canagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy in East and South-East Asian countries: Results from the Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation Trial.

Aims/introduction: The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, canagliflozin, reduced kidney failure and cardiovascular events in the Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) trial. We carried out a post-hoc analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of canagliflozin in a subgroup of participants in East and South-East Asian (EA) countries who are at high risk of renal complications.

Materials And Methods: Participants with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30 to <90 mL/min/1.

Exploratory study on telaprevir given every 8 h at 500 mg or 750 mg with peginterferon-alpha-2b and ribavirin in hepatitis C patients.

Aim: The aims of this study are to assess the antiviral effects, safety and telaprevir (TVR) pharmacokinetics in two cohorts given TVR every 8 h (q8h) at doses of 500 mg and 750 mg with peginterferon-α-2b and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Methods: Twenty chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients with genotype 1b in high viral loads were randomly assigned to two TVR-based regimens of 750 mg q8h (group A) and 500 mg q8h (group B) in combination with peginterferon-α-2b and ribavirin for 12 weeks.

Results: Although the difference was not statistically significant other than trough concentration (Ctrough ) at week 4, the parameters of maximum concentration (Cmax ), the area under the concentration time curve (AUC0-∞ ) and Ctrough tended to be higher in group A than those in group B.

Involvement of stretch-activated cation channels in hypotonically induced insulin secretion in rat pancreatic beta-cells.

In isolated rat pancreatic beta-cells, hypotonic stimulation elicited an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) at 2.8 mM glucose. The hypotonically induced [Ca(2+)](c) elevation was significantly suppressed by nicardipine, a voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channel blocker, and by Gd(3+), amiloride, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate, and ruthenium red, all cation channel blockers.

Comparison of on-site and photographic evaluations of the suppressive effects of cetirizine, loratadine, and fexofenadine on skin response to histamine lontophoresis: A double-blind, crossover study in healthy volunteers.

Background: The standard method used to determine the potency of antihistaminesis to assess the degree of suppression of skin response to histamine challenge.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare the efficacy of 3 antihistaminesusing a histamine challenge test and the usefulness of on-site evaluation with that of photographic evaluation of skin-test reactions.

Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, crossover study, healthy volunteerswere given cetirizine 5 mg (CTZ-5) and 10 mg (CTZ-10), loratadine 10 mg (LOR), fexofenadine 60 mg BID (FEX), and placebo (PLC), in a randomly assigned order, with an interval of at least 1 week between treatments.

Ionic mechanism for contractile response to hyposmotic challenge in canine basilar arteries.

A hyposmotic challenge elicited contraction of isolated canine basilar arteries. The contractile response was nearly abolished by the removal of extracellular Ca(2+) and by the voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channel (VDCC) blocker nicardipine, but it was unaffected by thapsigargin, which depletes intracellular Ca(2+) stores. The contraction was also inhibited by Gd(3+) and ruthenium red, cation channel blockers, and Cl(-) channel blockers DIDS and niflumic acid.

Angiostatic effects of corticosteroid on wound healing of the rabbit ear.

Wound healing is a complex biologic process with initial inflammation, granulation tissue formation, and matrix remodeling. We observed the relation between angiostatic effects and corticosteroid administration time in the rabbit ear chamber. Angiogenesis in the chamber was studied using a microscope-television system.