Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Published: April 2003
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Background: Tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive agent, is widely used in patients after transplantation to prevent allograft rejection. Because tacrolimus has a narrow therapeutic range, it is essential to carefully control the blood level. It has been demonstrated that tacrolimus is metabolized mainly by cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 3A4, and that tacrolimus is a substrate of P-glycoprotein.
Methods: This article reports a case of considerable increase in the blood level of tacrolimus after the intake of pomelo in a renal transplant recipient.
Results: Pomelo may increase the blood concentration of tacrolimus by inhibiting CYP 3A4, P-glycoprotein, or both.
Conclusions: Patients taking drugs such as tacrolimus or cyclosporine, which have their kinetics affected by grapefruit juice, should avoid pomelo and other grapefruit-related citrus fruits.
Background: Computational modeling indicated that pathological high shear stress (HSS; 100 dyn/cm) is generated in pulmonary arteries (PAs; 100-500 µm) in congenital heart defects causing PA hypertension (PAH) and in idiopathic PAH with occlusive vascular remodeling. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a feature of PAH. We hypothesize that HSS induces EndMT, contributing to the initiation and progression of PAH.
Aim: Intraoperative lung-protective ventilation strategies (LPVS) have been shown to improve lung oxygenation and prevent postoperative pulmonary problems in surgical patients. However, the application of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)-based LPVS in emergency traumatic brain injury (TBI) has not been thoroughly explored. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of drive pressure-guided individualized PEEP on perioperative pulmonary oxygenation, postoperative pulmonary complications, and recovery from neurological injury in patients with TBI.
Aim: Patients with gastric malignant tumors usually undergo surgical treatment when indicated. Surgical intervention causes significant trauma and can lead to considerable stress responses in patients. These patients experience increased malnutrition along with reduced immune function, which ultimately leads to the occurrence of postoperative complications.
Background: Worldwide patient-caregiver concordance on cognitive prognostic awareness (PA) has been extensively examined, but concordance on sufficient (ie, cognitive and emotional) death preparedness is unexplored. We comprehensively examine the evolution of patient-caregiver concordance on death preparedness over the patient's last 6 months.
Materials/methods: This study re-examined data from 2 cohort studies on 694 dyads of cancer patients and their caregivers recruited from a single medical center in Taiwan.
Background: Seizures can cause as well as result from neuroinflammation. This study was performed to identify the hematologic inflammatory parameters (HIPs) and inflammatory mediators that change after a single seizure in a canine pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure model.
Methods: Five healthy Beagle dogs were used in this study.
