Publications by authors named "Masashi Kato"
Little is known about the anti-graying effects of antioxidants on hair. The anti-graying effects of three antioxidants (luteolin, hesperetin, and diosmetin) on hair were investigated according to the sequential processes of hair graying that were previously clarified in model mice [Ednrb(+/-);RET-mice]. External treatment with luteolin, but not that with hesperetin or diosmetin, alleviated hair graying in Ednrb(+/-);RET-mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVitrectomy with silicone oil (SO) endotamponade is an effective treatment for vision-threatening retinal diseases. However, unexplained vision impairment has been reportedly critical side effects. Previously, we reported that the eyes with ocular toxoplasmosis showed retinal ferroptosis with the clinical sign of reduced intravitreal iron (Fe).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018.
Metabolic mechanism of lignin-derived aromatics in white-rot fungi.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- White-rot fungi, like Phanerochaete chrysosporium, are essential for breaking down lignocellulosic biomass, which includes important components like cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, thus contributing to the carbon cycle.
- These fungi use various enzymes—such as lignin peroxidases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases—to degrade lignin and its derivatives, though more research is needed to fully understand the metabolic pathways involved.
- The metabolic flexibility of these fungi allows them to adapt their enzyme production, specifically through the interplay of key pathways, enhancing their efficiency in degrading lignin for potential biotechnological applications.
Aims: The clinical significance of bundle branch block (BBB) during atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm in relation to heart failure (HF) events remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the associations between BBB patterns and HF in AF patients.
Methods And Results: We enrolled 2721 AF patients whose baseline electrocardiography during AF rhythm was available from a community-based prospective survey, the Fushimi AF Registry.
Article Synopsis
- Darolutamide combined with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and docetaxel significantly lowered the risk of death by 32.5% in the ARASENS study, indicating its effectiveness for treating metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).
- In the Japanese subgroup analysis of 148 patients, higher percentages of participants were older (≥75 years) and had lower body mass indexes compared to the overall study population, but the treatment showed a similar safety and efficacy profile.
- While overall survival trends were positive for darolutamide in Japanese patients, the combined treatment was well tolerated, with no new safety concerns identified, despite some patients experiencing more frequent adverse events like neutropenia.
Article Synopsis
- Most heart failure patients show signs of congestion, which can impact prognosis differently based on their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
- This study analyzed data from 3,787 patients to evaluate how varying levels of congestion affect outcomes like death and rehospitalization, revealing that severe congestion on admission is linked to worse outcomes in those with LVEF ≥ 40%.
- The results suggest that while clinical congestion severity affects patients with higher LVEF, it does not have the same effect on those with lower LVEF, indicating a need for further research into congestion's role across different LVEF levels.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the heart's energy dynamics during acute heart failure (HF) to understand what happens during decompensation, which is when the heart can't pump effectively.
- It involved 50 patients with decompensated HF, measuring intracardiac energy loss (EL) using echo-vector flow mapping at both admission and discharge, comparing results with 40 stable patients who do not have HF.
- Findings showed that energy loss in the left ventricle increased significantly in decompensated HF cases compared to compensated ones, indicating energy inefficiency in the heart, especially among patients with preserved ejection fraction.
Article Synopsis
- A 28-year-old woman with no serious health issues got really sick with dizziness and vomiting, leading to surgery for her brain after doctors found a problem with her blood vessels.* -
- Later on, she developed a fever and was diagnosed with an infection caused by a germ called Corynebacterium striatum, which was affecting her heart's mitral valve.* -
- After surgery to replace her damaged mitral valve, she was given medicine for 31 days and got better, leaving the hospital without any further problems.*
Article Synopsis
- Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a newly recognized condition in the DSM-5-TR (2022) characterized by intense longing for a deceased loved one and preoccupation with their memory.
- A patient developed physical symptoms similar to her deceased husband's after his death from a brain tumor, demonstrating how grief can manifest in physical ways.
- Effective treatment through outpatient psychotherapy using the dual-process model of grief helped alleviate her physical symptoms by balancing grief expression with adapting to life changes.
Chemicals are representative environmental factors that affect human health. Recently, external exposure to a chemical of rhododenol (RD) caused chemical leukoderma, an acquired patchy hypopigmentation, in about 20,000 Asian people. The development of a hazard assessment system for accurate determination of leukoderma-inducible chemicals is required for the prevention of such tragedies.
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- Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation often leads to early arrhythmia recurrences due to inflammation, prompting the study of Saireito as a potential treatment to reduce these occurrences.
- A randomized trial with 100 patients compared the effects of a 30-day Saireito treatment against a control group, focusing on the frequency of atrial tachyarrhythmias post-ablation.
- Results showed that while the Saireito group had fewer episodes of arrhythmias in the first two weeks, they also experienced more adverse symptoms compared to the control group.
Article Synopsis
- * A total of 383 patients were analyzed, revealing that those with persistent PSA levels post-surgery had significantly shorter castration resistance-free survival (CRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) compared to those with non-persistent levels.
- * The findings suggest that stratifying patients by PSA levels can help tailor postoperative treatment, with patients experiencing better outcomes when receiving a combination of androgen deprivation therapy and radiotherapy if their PSA levels are high.
Article Synopsis
- Combo treatments with androgen receptor inhibitors and hormone therapy are now the main way to treat advanced prostate cancer, but some patients still need better options.
- For patients with fewer tumors, using local radiation may help improve their survival chances, and sometimes they can take a break from other treatments.
- Future plans involve using detailed genetic information to help doctors decide the best treatment for patients based on their specific risks.
Background: Although various medical remedies have been attempted to alleviate the symptoms of Meniere's disease (MD), the risk-benefit ratios of these various treatments remain debatable.
Objective: We investigated the efficacy of sound stimulation of 100 Hz for treating vestibular dysfunction in patients with Meniere's disease (MD).
Materials And Methods: Patients with definitive MD with intractable vestibular symptoms and endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the inner ear were evaluated.
Article Synopsis
- Previous research shows that revision surgery can enhance health-related quality of life after corrective fusion surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD), prompting this study to analyze the cost-effectiveness of these surgeries over 5 years.
- The study involved 79 ASD patients, comparing those who had unexpected revision surgery to those who did not, focusing on costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY).
- Results indicated that while total medical costs were significantly higher for the revision group, there was no notable difference in cumulative QALY improvement, with costs to improve one QALY also being about 20% higher for those who underwent revisions.
Article Synopsis
- Viral hepatitis is a significant global health threat, leading to high mortality rates and liver complications from five different viruses: Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
- Despite some effective treatments, many patients still suffer due to gaps in healthcare and the need for more accessible therapies.
- The World Health Organization's 2016 plan aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health issue by 2030, emphasizing the need for safer, shorter treatments and better understanding of the disease's mechanisms.
Background: People worldwide are routinely exposed to tellurium mainly via dietary ingestion. There has been no study to clarify the contribution of tellurium to blood pressure in humans or animals.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in a general population of 2592 residents in Japan, the associations of urinary tellurium levels with blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension were investigated.
Objectives: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) 8th edition has proposed micrometastasis as a lymph node metastasis (LN+) of diameter ≤2 mm in prostate cancer. However, supporting evidence has not described. We evaluated LN+ patients' survival after radical prostatectomy (RP) based on the LN maximum tumor diameter (MTD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFB cells present in human cutaneous melanoma have been associated with protective or detrimental effects on disease progression according to their phenotype. By using the RET model of spontaneous melanoma and adoptive transfer of B16 melanoma cells, we show that immature and follicular B2 (B2-FO) cells exert a protective effect on melanoma progression by promoting the generation of effector memory T cells and limiting the recruitment of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Unfortunately, this beneficial effect progressively wanes as a consequence of enhanced expression of the IL4-induced gene 1 (IL4I1) enzyme by immature B cells and B2-FO cells.
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- DNA-binding transcription factors, like KojR, are proteins that attach to specific DNA sequences to control gene expression, specifically in kojic acid metabolism.
- The study employed techniques like gSELEX-Seq and RNA-Seq to identify KojR-associated genes and confirmed that KojR binds preferentially to a specific DNA sequence.
- Additionally, KojR is suggested to regulate genes related to the carbon metabolic pathway, emphasizing its significant role in carbon metabolism in the organism studied.
Article Synopsis
- Patients who are immunosuppressed, like kidney transplant recipients, typically have lower antibody responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, but responses improve with more doses.
- In a study of Japanese kidney transplant patients, antibody positivity rates increased to 75.0% after the fourth dose and 81.5% after the fifth dose.
- Those who developed antibodies after their fourth vaccination had higher body mass index and better kidney function, suggesting that further doses are beneficial for improving immunity against COVID-19.