Publications by authors named "Hitomi Hirose"
Article Synopsis
- The long-term effects and treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI) from the red yeast rice supplement Benikoji CholesteHelp are not fully understood, but three cases of renal dysfunction improved after stopping the supplement.
- In the first case, a 59-year-old woman developed severe renal impairment and Fanconi syndrome after 7 months of use, but her kidney function gradually improved over three months post-discontinuation, though not back to baseline levels.
- The other two cases involved men aged 48 and 47 who experienced mild renal dysfunction after taking the supplement for 2 and 4 months, respectively, both of which showed significant improvement after stopping the supplement, indicating that discontinuation may reverse renal impairment in these scenarios.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the importance of cell alignment in human heart muscle for effective tissue movement, focusing on hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) grown on microstripe-patterned plates.
- Aligned cardiomyocytes (ACMs) showcased adult-like characteristics in terms of pathology, gene expression, and drug response compared to unaligned CMs.
- The research suggests that ACMs could serve as a better model for drug testing and offer potential for regenerative therapies in heart failure, particularly using cells from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Article Synopsis
- - TAFRO syndrome is a serious inflammatory disorder with symptoms like low platelet count, fluid retention, fever, and organ dysfunction, and it can worsen rapidly, potentially leading to death.
- - A case study highlighted a 45-year-old man who developed TAFRO syndrome symptoms shortly after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, fulfilling criteria for diagnosis soon after.
- - Although COVID-19 vaccination is crucial for public health, its potential link to complications like TAFRO syndrome needs to be recognized, even as treatments can resolve symptoms.
Article Synopsis
- A 56-year-old woman was hospitalized with epigastric pain, and tests indicated she had acute pancreatitis.
- Imaging revealed a condition called pancreas divisum and a stone located in the minor papilla, which likely caused the pancreatitis.
- Treatment involved conservative care, and her condition improved, culminating in the spontaneous expulsion of the stone within 10 days, marking a rare case of pancreatitis linked to this anatomical variation.
[Voluntary inoculation of hepatitis B vaccine at pediatric medical institutions].
Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi
May 2021
Article Synopsis
- * While 80.0% of clinics preferred to vaccinate "only when the patient wishes," 71.7% expressed a desire to recommend vaccination if requested, though 38.9% found this challenging due to the voluntary nature of the vaccine.
- * About 60.9% of clinics requested an "expansion of the scope of regular vaccination," and 54.3% sought "enlightenment activities and information provision," highlighting the need for better information and outreach to both medical staff
Article Synopsis
- Monensin, an Na ionophore, increases intracellular sodium levels, which affects ion transport in guinea pig ventricular myocytes; this study aims to understand the effects on membrane potential and currents.
- Experiments showed that monensin shortens action potential duration and reduces the plateau phase amplitude, while decreasing sodium and calcium currents, with specific changes in ion exchange currents.
- The findings indicate that the changes in action potential and currents due to monensin are primarily caused by reduced calcium current and increased sodium-calcium exchange, with limited effects on other potassium currents.
[Questionnaire survey on hepatitis B vaccine in clinics].
Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi
October 2020
Article Synopsis
- * The implementation rates for hepatitis B vaccination and HBs antibody testing were both found to be 38.9%, highlighting a concerning gap in preventive measures despite 42.5% of institutions experiencing needle-stick injuries.
- * The low rates of vaccination and testing are attributed to a lack of awareness regarding infection control guidelines, indicating the need for sensitization programs to enhance understanding and adherence to these protocols in the region.
[The effect of introducing an on-call system for attending physicians].
Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi
September 2020
Article Synopsis
- Gastroenterologists in hospitals with a chief physician system often face overtime demands, especially during nights and holidays, due to the treatment of critically ill patients.
- In October 2019, a new on-call system was introduced to reduce the workload on attending physicians by streamlining emergency response.
- Following the implementation of the on-call system, there was a notable decrease in overtime hours and holiday work, along with reduced work stress, indicating an improvement in efficiency and job satisfaction among physicians.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored how different cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes affect the metabolism of the drug carvedilol (CAR) in human liver microsomes.
- It found that CYP2D6 plays a major role in metabolizing the R-enantiomer of CAR, while CYP1A2 predominantly metabolizes the S-enantiomer, with CYP3A4 also involved.
- Inhibition experiments showed that the absence of certain CYP isoforms significantly reduced the metabolism of both enantiomers, indicating that the process is highly selective and relies on multiple CYP enzymes.
Article Synopsis
- * The new species exhibits irregular diverticula in its intestinal caeca, whereas the related species C. inermis has a smooth intestine and different vaginal openings.
- * Phylogenetic analysis indicates that C. japonica is closely related to other Calicotyle species that infect sharks, leading to the conclusion that the loss of certain features in these parasites occurred relatively recently in their evolutionary history.
Article Synopsis
- - A new culture medium was created for growing Cryptocaryon irritans, a marine parasite causing 'white spot disease' in fish, using a layer of fish cells and an agarose gel enriched with nutrients and antibiotics.
- - The parasite grew and matured in the medium, with 70% of trophonts (a developmental stage) successfully transitioning to encysted tomonts and releasing new infective theronts after being moved to seawater.
- - This study is significant as it demonstrates that Cryptocaryon irritans can complete its life cycle in vitro, without the need for a host fish, marking a breakthrough in research on this organism.
Article Synopsis
- Two new species of hexabothriid monogeneans were discovered in Japan, one from the gills of shortspine spurdog and the other from ginzame.
- Squalonchocotyle mitsukurii can be identified by its unique inwardly curved vagina compared to related species.
- Callorhynchocotyle sagamiensis is recognized by its distinct muscular cirrus with a widened opening, differing from existing species with a tubular and bulbous structure.
Article Synopsis
- The weedy sea dragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus in an aquarium in Kanagawa Prefecture was found to be infected with a protozoan ciliate in 2001, leading to several health issues.
- Infected fish exhibited symptoms such as sloughing skin, fin damage, skin discoloration, and swelling in the abdomen due to fluid buildup.
- Histopathological analysis confirmed that the ciliates primarily targeted the dermis, causing severe epidermal detachment, and categorized them within the order Scuticociliatida; the study also explores factors contributing to the mortality of these sea dragons.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the levels of toxic compounds in common carp from the Hikiji River, Japan, where dioxin-contaminated waste was released from 1992 to 2000.
- Fish collected downstream from the contamination site showed significantly higher levels of toxic dioxins compared to those from a reference site, alongside changes in liver enzymes and reproductive health indicators.
- Results indicate that the dioxins may activate certain liver enzymes while negatively impacting reproductive functions in female carp, suggesting serious ecological consequences of the effluent release.