Background. The increasing trend of colon cancer in Japan is attributed to changes in dietary habits, that is, increased amounts of fat and decreased amounts of fiber in the diet. The effects of Japanese dietary fiber from Lagenaria scineraria (yugao‐melon) on colonic carcinogenesis in mice were examined. Methods. Eighteen ICR mice in each group were fed with either a basal diet or a diet containing 5%, 10%, or 20% of yugao powder for 35 weeks. All the mice a weekly intraperitoneal injection of 1,2‐dimethylhydrazine (DMH), 10 mg/kg body weight for 10 weeks. The effects of yugao powder on the mucosal and luminal variables involved in colonic carcinogenesis were then compared with those of wheat bran in the mice without any carcinogen treatment. Results. The incidence of colon tumors (adenocarcinomas) was lower in the yugao powder diet groups than in the basal diet group at week 35 (24% vs. 50%, P < 0.05). The bile acid concentration in the colon was reduced in all the fiber diet groups except for the 5% yugao powder diet group. The colonic luminal pH acidified as yugao powder contents also increased in the yugao powder diet groups. The findings on the colonic short chain fatty acids, microflora, and mucosal fatty acids and ornithine decarboxylase activity were all inconsistent with a tendency to either develop or to inhibit carcinogenesis in both the fiber diet groups. Conclusions. Dietary fiber from yugao‐melon suppressed DMH‐induced colonic carcinogenesis in mice by lowering the bile acid concentration and pH in the colon. The results of the luminal and mucosal variables examined also suggested that the mechanisms of action of yugao powder against colonic carcinogenesis differed from those of wheat bran. Cancer 1995;75:1508‐15.

Background Clinical pharmacists play a role in limiting the disadvantages of pharmacotherapy for patients by detecting and resolving drug-related problems (DRPs) through medication reviews. Although their contributions to patient care have been analyzed and understood in various countries, the role of Japanese clinical pharmacists in this context remains to be clearly elucidated. Thus, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the detection of DRPs by clinical pharmacists and determine the potential impact of pharmacist interventions in Japan. Methods This study was conducted in a 273-bed hospital and targeted hospitalized patients over a period of 6 months. DRPs detected by clinical pharmacists during the study period were investigated and classified into 10 types. Furthermore, medications were categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification. A review committee consisting of two pharmacists independently reviewed the pharmacist interventions on a six-point scale (extremely significant, very significant, significant, somewhat significant, no significance, adverse significance) according to the potential impact on patient care. Results During the study period, 1711 patients (mean age: 71.2 years, 54.1% male) were included, and 2149 DRPs were detected (1.26 DRPs/patient). Pharmacists intervened in all the DRPs detected. The most common DRP was supratherapeutic dosage (19.3%), followed by untreated indication (18.1%). The most common medication classification causing DRPs was “Antiinfectives for Systemic Use” (25.1%), followed by “Alimentary Tract and Metabolism” (19.9%). Most of the pharmacist interventions (99.6%) were rated “somewhat significant” or more significant, of which 1.1% were rated “extremely significant,” and none were rated as “adverse significance.” Conclusions Our results show that in Japan, as in other countries, clinical pharmacists detect and resolve DRPs in hospitalized patients through medication review. Our findings also show that clinical pharmacists have a positive impact on patient care and suggest the need for their involvement.

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The effects of bile salts on the output of prostaglandin E2(PGE2) were studied in rats by colonic perfusion. Bile salts and their concentrations in infusates were as follows; chenodeoxycholic acid sodium salt (CDCNa), sulfolithocholic acid disodium salt (SLCNa) and sulfotaurolithocholic acid disodium salt (STLCNa) were at 1 mmol/l, lithocholic acid sodium salt (LCNa) was at 0.6 mmol/l, 5 beta-chol-3-en-24-oic acid sodium salt (delta 3Na) was at 0.006 mmol/l, and sulfoglycolithocholic acid disodium salt (SGLCNa) was at 0.8 mmol/l. Median values of PGE2 outputs were 40.9, 52.4, 65.5, trace, 7.6, 9.8 and 9.8 pg/10 min/cm in the CDCNa, LCNa, delta 3Na, SLCNa, STLCNa, SGLCNa and control groups, respectively (control vs CDCNa, LCNa, delta 3Na, SLCNa group, p less than 0.01 by median test). There was such a dissociation in PGE2 output and electrolyte concentration in the perfusates that high concentration of Na+ and Cl- ions was observed only in the SGLCNa group (p less than 0.01 by t-test compared with the control group), whereas in the remainder of the groups substantial net movement of electrolytes and water was not observed. Light microscopy showed no evidence of morphological damage in any group. These results indicated that CDCNa, LCNa and delta 3Na increased PGE2 outputs in the colon at low concentration without functional or morphological changes.