Naldemedine for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients With Cancer: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Opioid-induced constipation is the most frequent and non-self-limiting adverse effect of opioid analgesia, reducing adherence and interfering with pain relief. This clinical trial aimed to clarify the preventive effect of naldemedine versus placebo for constipation in patients with cancer starting regularly dosed strong opioids therapy.

Methods: This multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, confirmatory trial was conducted between July 2021 and May 2023 at four academic hospitals in Japan (Japan Registry of Clinical Trials identifier: jRCTs031200397).

A Handheld Ultrasound Device Can Predict Constipation with Rectal Fecal Retention in a Palliative Care Setting.

Although handheld ultrasound devices (HUDs) are commonplace, their ability to diagnose fecal retention (FR) remains unclear. This prospective observational study examined HUDs' usefulness in diagnosing FR in patients with constipation in a palliative care setting. Between 10 December 2020 and 30 June 2022, we compared rectal ultrasonographic findings obtained using HUDs with clinical manifestations in 64 males and 70 females (48%, 52%, 68 ± 11 years old) with constipation who had undergone computed tomography (CT).

Development of a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-editing method to isolate a mutant of the unicellular green alga Parachlorella kessleri strain NIES-2152 with improved lipid productivity.

Background: Previously, we isolated a mutant of Parachlorella kessleri named strain PK4 that accumulated higher concentrations of lipids than the wild-type strain. Resequencing of the PK4 genome identified mutations in three genes which may be associated with the high-lipid phenotype. The first gene, named CDMT1, encodes a protein with a calcium-dependent membrane association domain; the second gene, named DMAN1, encodes endo-1,4-β-mannanase, while the third gene, named AATPL1, encodes a plastidic ATP/ADP antiporter-like protein.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease Among Asian Patients With Unexplained Abdominal Symptoms.

Background/aims: The precise incidence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and its effects on the quality of life (QOL) remain unclear, particularly in Asian patients with right-sided SUDD. We assess the prevalence of SUDD and its impact on QOL in a real-world population.

Methods: Five institutional cohorts of patients who received outpatient treatment for unexplained abdominal symptoms from January 15, 2020 to March 31, 2022, were included.

Combined, elobixibat, and colestyramine reduced cholesterol toxicity in a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: Cholesterol levels and bile acid metabolism are important drivers of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) progression. Using a mouse model, we investigated the mechanism by which cholesterol exacerbates MASH and the effect of colestyramine (a bile acid adsorption resin) and elobixibat (an apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter inhibitor) concomitant administration on bile acid adsorption and MASH status.

Methods: Mice were fed a high-fat high-fructose diet with varying concentrations of cholesterol to determine changes in fatty liver according to liver status, water intake, defecation status, insulin resistance, bile acid levels, intestinal permeability, atherosclerosis (in apolipoprotein E knockout mice), and carcinogenesis (in diethylnitrosamine mice).

Difference in target dose distributions between Acuros XB and collapsed cone convolution/superposition and the impact of the tumor locations in clinical cases of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for lung cancer.

Objectives: The objective of the study is to analyze the difference in target dose distributions between Acuros XB (AXB) and collapsed cone convolution (CCC)/superposition and the impact of the tumor locations in clinical cases of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-six patients underwent SABR for lung cancers Kyushu University Hospital from 2014 to 2017. We recalculated clinical plans originally calculated by AXB using CCC with the identical monitor units (MUs) and beam arrangements.

Comparison of long-term prognosis between non-obese and obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aim: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress in non-obese patients as in obese patients. Reports on long-term prognosis in non-obese NAFLD patients are controversial. Therefore, we aimed to examine the long-term prognosis of non-obese patients with NAFLD.

Efficacy and safety of guanabenz acetate treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a study protocol for a randomised investigator-initiated phase IIa study.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic syndrome phenotype in the liver and thus obviously associated with metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance-related to hyperglycaemic and hyperlipidaemia. The prevalence of NAFLD is increasing worldwide. However, currently, there is no consensus regarding the efficacy and safety of drugs used to treat patients with NAFLD/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Rationale and design of a multicenter, single-group, open-label trial aiming at investigating the effectiveness of elobixibat for loss of defecation desire in patients with chronic constipation.

Background: Approximately 60% of patients with chronic constipation (CC) have a significantly higher rate of loss of defecation desire (LODD). Bile acids are expected to have a restorative effect on defecation desire (DD) because they lower the rectal sensory threshold, which is an objective index of DD. Elobixibat (EXB) specifically inhibits the ileal bile acid transporter/apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter, which is a transporter involved in the reabsorption of bile acids in the terminal ileum.

Rationale and design of a multicentre, 12-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, investigator-initiated trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of elobixibat for chronic constipation.

Introduction: Chronic constipation (CC) is a functional disorder that negatively impacts the quality of life of patients. This is a protocol for a multicentre, 12-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to test the efficacy and safety of elobixibat (EXB) versus placebo in patients with CC.

Methods And Analysis: This will be a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-control, randomised controlled trial.

Effectiveness of Naldemedine Compared with Magnesium Oxide in Preventing Opioid-Induced Constipation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) may occur in patients receiving opioid treatment, decreasing their quality of life (QOL). We compared the effectiveness of magnesium oxide (MgO) with that of naldemedine (NAL) in preventing OIC. This proof-of-concept, randomized controlled trial (registration number UMIN000031891) involved 120 patients with cancer scheduled to receive opioid therapy.

Endotoxins and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. It occurs with a prevalence of up to 25%, of which 10-20% cases progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The histopathology of NASH is characterized by neutrophilic infiltration, and endotoxins from gram-negative rods have been postulated as a contributing factor.

The Role of Leaky Gut in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Novel Therapeutic Target.

The liver directly accepts blood from the gut and is, therefore, exposed to intestinal bacteria. Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between gut bacteria and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Approximately 10-20% of NAFLD patients develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and endotoxins produced by Gram-negative bacilli may be involved in NAFLD pathogenesis.

Elobixibat Effectively Relieves Chronic Constipation in Patients with Cancer Regardless of the Amount of Food Intake.

Background: Constipation is a common, distressing complication in patients with cancer receiving palliative care. Elobixibat is a novel inhibitor of the ileal bile acid transporter that is used to treat chronic constipation by stimulating bowel function. However, its efficacy in patients with cancer has not been examined.

Gut microbiota composition associated with hepatic fibrosis in non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aim: Gut microbiota composition is associated with the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the association between gut microbiota composition and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese patients remains unclear. We compared clinical parameters and gut microbiota profiles of healthy controls and non-obese and obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Case Reports: Transformation of End-Stage Neuroendocrine Tumors With Uncontrollable Liver Metastasis Into a Novel or Additional Functional Phenotype.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare, but their worldwide incidence is gradually increasing. NETs are generally heterogeneous; however, in rare cases, they have been shown to change their phenotype (i.e.

Ultra-Sensitive Minute Mass Sensing Using a Microcantilever Virtually Coupled with a Virtual Cantilever.

Mass sensors based on the eigenmode shift of coupled cantilevers achieve much higher sensitivity than those based on the single cantilever's eigenfrequency shift. In the former sensors, two identical cantilevers and a weak coupling stiffness between them are required to achieve high sensitivity. However, conventional coupled cantilevers cannot satisfy these requirements because of machining accuracy.

Complete Genome Sequence of an Anaerobic Benzene-Degrading Bacterium, sp. Strain DN11.

Here, we present the complete genome sequence of sp. strain DN11, a denitrifying bacterium capable of anaerobic benzene degradation. The DN11 genome is 4,956,835 bp long with a G+C content of 66.

Dose evaluation indices for total body irradiation using TomoDirect with different numbers of ports: A comparison with the TomoHelical method.

TomoDirect has been reported to have some advantages over TomoHelical in delivering total body irradiation (TBI). This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the number of ports and the dose evaluation indices in low-dose TBI in TomoDirect mode using 2-12 ports and to compare these data with those for the TomoHelical mode in a simulation study. Thirteen patients underwent low-dose TBI in TomoHelical mode from June 2015 to June 2016.

Metabolic engineering using iterative self-cloning to improve lipid productivity in Coccomyxa.

We previously developed a self-cloning system that introduces cDNA of the uridine monophosphate synthase gene (cUMPS) of Coccomyxa sp. strain Obi as a selectable marker into uracil-auxotrophic mutants (Ura) of the same alga. Here, we developed a Cre/loxP-based system for the removal of cUMPS flanked by directly repeated loxP sites from the Coccomyxa genome using the intracellular delivery of purified Cre recombinase to generate an Ura strain that was used as a host for second-round transformation using cUMPS as the selection marker.