Lecture presentation on the prevention of thrombotic diseases held for doctors in Nagasaki

Lecture presentation on the prevention of thrombotic diseases held for doctors in Nagasaki

Daiwa Pharmaceutical held a lecture presentation on June 2, 2007 for doctors in Nagasaki, where Hitosugi Masahito, assistant professor at the Department of Legal Medicine, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, delivered a lecture entitled “Prevention of thrombotic diseases and the effects of functional food.” Assistant professor Hitosugi is known for his research on pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), also known as “economy class syndrome.”

In his lecture, he compared and analyzed the actual state of PTE occurrence between Japan and the U.S., and predicted there would be many more undiagnosed cases of PTE in Japan, since cases of sudden death are less frequently subjected to autopsy in Japan than in the U.S. Citing a study on blood rheology, he explained that sitting for two hours significantly increases the viscosity of blood in venous vessels in the thighs, which may cause thrombi and possibly result in sudden death.

The early detection of such a condition leading to sudden death due to thrombosis is difficult, and thus daily prevention is very important. Assistant professor Hitosugi directed his attention to the prevention of thrombosis through improved diet. He studied the effects of “NKCP” (developed and produced by Daiwa Pharmaceutical), mainly consisting of “bacillopeptidase F” secreted by Bacillus subtilis natto on human blood coagulation/fibrinolysis parameters, and confirmed its anticoagulant effect and plasmin-independent fibrinolytic effect. He stated that based on a clinical study on human subjects, “NKCP” promises to be effective in preventing thrombosis because it exerts the effects of stimulating fibrinolysis, reducing blood viscosity, and relieving neck stiffness.

During his lecture, he also compared the in vitro effects of “NKCP” mainly consisting of bacillopeptidase F and similar products consisting of conventional nattokinase on human blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. As a result, although both types of products showed anticoagulant and plasmin-like activities in human blood, bacillopeptidase F exhibited about 100 times higher anticoagulant activity and about 2.5 times higher plasmin-like activity per unit protein than conventional nattokinase.

In concluding his lecture, assistant professor Hitosugi stated his intention to continue clarifying the action mechanism of bacillopeptidase F as proven effective in clinical studies, and emphasized the importance of obtaining evidence on the effectiveness of functional foods for consumers through scientific analysis and verification.

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