aDepartments of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Japan
bPlanning for Drug Development and Clinical Evaluation, Japan
cEnvironmental Health Sciences, Japan
dTohoku University 21st Century COE Program Comprehensive Research and Education Center for Planning of Drug Development and Clinical Evaluation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicine, Sendai, Japan
eOhasama Hospital, Iwate, Japan
Received 24 February, 2006
Revised 6 April, 2006
Accepted 18 April, 2006
Correspondence to Takayoshi Ohkubo, MD, PhD, Department of Planning for Drug Development and Clinical Evaluation, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Tohoku University Hospital, 1-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan Tel: +81 22 717 8590; fax: +81 22 717 8591; e-mail: [email protected]
Sponsorship: This work was supported by grants for scientific research (nos. 14657600, 14370217, 15790293, and 1654041) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology; and health science research grants and medical technology evaluation research grants from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan; Japan Atherosclerosis Prevention Fund; Uehara Memorial Foundation; and Takeda Medical Research Foundation.
