Effects of clozapine on adipokine secretions/productions and lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Clozapine, a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA), is a cause of side effects related to metabolic syndrome. The participation of serotonin 5-HT and histamine H receptors in the central nervous system has been reported as a mechanism of the weight gain caused by clozapine. In the present study, we investigated the direct pharmacological action of clozapine on the 3T3-L1 adipocytes and compared it to that of blonanserin, an SGA with low affinity for both receptors.

Insulin elevates leptin secretion and mRNA levels via cyclic AMP in 3T3-L1 adipocytes deprived of glucose.

Aims: Leptin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes, yet the regulatory mechanisms of this hormone have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to clarify the roles of insulin and glucose in leptin secretion and mRNA production using inhibitors of insulin signal transduction in adipocytes cultured under glucose-free or normal conditions.

Methods: Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were stimulated with insulin in combination with inhibitors for phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B), as well as epinephrine and a cyclic AMP (cAMP) analog under glucose-free or normal conditions.

Involvement of the histamine H4 receptor in clozapine-induced hematopoietic toxicity: Vulnerability under granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Clozapine is an effective antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but can cause fatal hematopoietic toxicity as agranulocytosis. To elucidate the mechanism of hematopoietic toxicity induced by clozapine, we developed an in vitro assay system using HL-60 cells, and investigated the effect on hematopoiesis. HL-60 cells were differentiated by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) into three states according to the following hematopoietic process: undifferentiated HL-60 cells, those undergoing granulocytic ATRA-differentiation, and ATRA-differentiated granulocytic cells.

[Practical program to gather patient information from a diversified perspective and provide appropriate therapies in practical hospital training].

In the 11-week practical hospital training of pharmaceutical students in Nagoya University Hospital, a clinical practice program has been implemented with the objective of compensating for any deficits students may have in skills and attitudes due to insufficiencies in their formal education. The program aims to enable the students to observe patients from various angles, obtain from them information necessary for drug therapy, and propose multiple treatment methods according to the patient's background and situation. Tests are conducted before and after the program to assess the students' knowledge and to confirm whether lectures on basic knowledge of practical skills had been provided and whether practical skill training had been performed.