Publications by authors named "Minato S"

Japanese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit distinct body type characteristics, such that the rate of overweight/obese women is remarkably low. In addition, hyperandrogenism is relatively rare among Japanese PCOS patients. Therefore, these factors are considered in PCOS diagnostic criteria used in Japan.

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  • * The study compared levels of OT in the hypothalamus and serum of young versus middle-aged perimenopausal female rats, finding that older rats had higher body weight and fat but similar serum OT levels.
  • * The research indicates that while estrogen (E2) helps maintain serum OT levels, other factors influence OT/OT receptor levels, suggesting OT alone may not prevent weight gain or metabolic issues in perimenopausal women.
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A 9-year-old Yorkshire terrier was brought to the emergency department for inability to maintain the correct station with acute onset. Neurological examination showed a non-ambulatory tetraparesis, spontaneous proprioceptive deficit in all limbs, and decreased flexor reflex in the forelimbs. The neurological symptoms suggested a cranial cervical spinal cord with suspicion of spinal shock.

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  • Previous studies indicate that androgen effects on body weight and appetite vary based on estrogen levels in females, but the exact mechanisms remain unknown.
  • The research tested the hypothesis that androgens influence oxytocin levels, an anorectic factor, in ovariectomized female rats with and without estradiol supplementation.
  • Findings revealed that testosterone increased oxytocin levels and reduced appetite in estrogen-deficient rats, while having no effect in those with estradiol, suggesting a link between androgens, oxytocin, and appetite regulation influenced by estrogen levels.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an increased risk of psychological distress as well as enhanced responses to psychosocial stress. Recently, it was hypothesized that PCOS patients may be at high risk of novel COVID-19 infections and worse clinical presentations during such infections. Here, we evaluated the effects of PCOS on stress responses to bacterial and viral mimetics using dihydrotestosterone-induced PCOS model rats.

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  • Many chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, especially those on peritoneal dialysis (PD), suffer from sarcopenia, making muscle mass evaluation crucial for management.
  • The study measured psoas muscle mass index (PMI) in 68 PD patients and found that men had a significantly higher PMI than women.
  • Factors such as gender, body mass index (BMI), serum creatinine, serum albumin levels, and vitamin D use were identified as independently associated with PMI, indicating the need for future studies on nutrition and vitamin D's effects on muscle mass in PD patients.
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  • * Ovariectomized female rats were split into control, progesterone-treated, and estrogen-treated groups, with results showing that both hormone-treated groups had lower body weight and fat mass compared to controls.
  • * Findings suggest that progesterone may positively influence body weight and appetite regulation, but its mechanisms differ from those of estrogen, particularly regarding hormone levels like oxytocin and leptin in the studied tissues.
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Aim: Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is one of the treatments of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) and endometrial cancer (EC) to preserve the fertility. Efficacy of MPA therapy and fertility and obstetric outcomes after remission were evaluated in EC or AEH patients.

Methods: Among patients diagnosed with EC or AEH at Tokushima University Hospital between January 2002 and October 2020, we retrospectively analyzed patients, ages range from 26 to 40, who underwent conservative management using MPA (400-600 mg/day).

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  • Recent research shows that excess androgens in women of reproductive age can negatively impact metabolism, appetite, and body weight regulation.
  • These androgens increase the risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes by affecting appetite regulation and energy expenditure.
  • However, these negative effects are not seen in post-menopausal women or ovariectomized animals, suggesting that estrogen levels might play a crucial role in how androgens influence metabolism.
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  • * In crops, variations in the genes for these enzymes may have arisen from duplication and adaptation for specialized functions, while the model plant Brachypodium distachyon has a simpler gene set related to gibberellin biosynthesis, including one ent-CPS gene and four KS-like genes.
  • * Detailed studies revealed that BdCPS and BdKS1 in B. distachyon are crucial for gibberellin production, whereas BdKSL2 and BdKSL3 likely
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  • Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is linked to increased mortality in hemodialysis patients, but its effects on liver and brain oxygen saturation have been less explored.
  • A study measured liver and brain oxygen levels in 91 hemodialysis patients, finding that those with IDH experienced a significant drop in both at the onset of the condition, particularly more so in the liver.
  • The results highlight that the difference in oxygen saturation changes between the liver and brain is closely related to IDH development and the fluid removal rate during hemodialysis.
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  • Hepato-splanchnic circulation plays a crucial role in oxygenating abdominal organs and maintaining blood volume during hemodialysis (HD), but its relationship with clinical factors is not fully understood.
  • A study with 91 HD patients measured hepatic oxygen saturation and found that those with intradialytic hypotension (IDH) experienced significantly greater decreases in liver oxygen levels compared to those without IDH.
  • Results indicated that changes in hepatic oxygenation were linked to systemic blood pressure and ultrafiltration rate, suggesting a complex interaction that requires further research for clarity.
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Background: We determined the effects of roxadustat on the values of anemia, iron metabolism, renal function, proteinuria, and lipid metabolism and identified the associated factors of the change in hemoglobin levels after roxadustat administration in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who were receiving an erythropoietin-stimulating agent (ESA).

Methods: We conducted retrospective analysis of the changes in hemoglobin, serum ferritin, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride levels; transferrin saturation; the estimated glomerular filtration rate; and the urinary protein/creatinine ratio over 24 weeks after the change from an ESA to roxadustat in 50 patients with non-dialysis CKD and anemia (roxadustat group). Seventy-two patients with non-dialysis CKD and anemia who proceeded ESA therapy were used as the control (ESA) group.

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Oxytocin (OT) affects many behavioral, psychological, and physiological functions, including appetite and body weight regulation. Central and peripheral OT levels are markedly affected by gonadal steroids, especially estrogen, and the anorectic effects of estrogen are partially mediated by OT in rodents. In this study, the relationship between the estrogen milieu and serum OT levels was evaluated in women of reproductive age under physiological ( = 9) and supraphysiological estrogenic conditions ( = 7).

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It has been well established that undernutrition and low energy availability disturb female reproductive functions in humans and many animal species. These reproductive dysfunctions are mainly caused by alterations of some hypothalamic factors, and consequent reduction of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. Evidence from literature suggests that increased activity of orexigenic factors and decreased activity of anorexigenic/satiety-related factors in undernourished conditions attenuate GnRH secretion in an integrated manner.

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Aim: The abnormal secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) is one of the typical features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and adopted in the diagnostic criteria of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG). We investigated cut-off values for LH and the LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio in resent two measurement systems for the diagnosis of PCOS.

Methods: Ninety-nine controls and 106 patients with PCOS were enrolled.

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Objectives : It has been suggested that the clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (ET) are superior to those of fresh embryo transfer. We examined whether a freeze-all strategy is necessary for all embryo transfers, and, if not, to evaluate the conditions in which the pregnancy rates of fresh embryo transfer and frozen-thawed ET did not differ. Methods : Patients who underwent blastocyst transfer at Tokushima University Hospital between 2008 and 2019 were enrolled.

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  • The study investigates reasons for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failure in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients over time, focusing on intraoperative blood flow as a potential predictor.
  • It analyzed data from 130 patients who received new radiocephalic AVFs, finding that higher intraoperative blood flow was correlated with lower failure rates up to 24 months post-surgery.
  • Specifically, a blood flow of >225 mL/min was identified as critical for maintaining AVF function long-term, suggesting it could serve as a reliable marker for AVF failure in these patients.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently seen in females of reproductive age and is associated with metabolic disorders that are exacerbated by obesity. Although body weight reduction programs via diet and lifestyle changes are recommended for modifying reproductive and metabolic phenotypes, the drop-out rate is high. Thus, an efficacious, safe, and continuable treatment method is needed.

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It has been shown that biotin, a water-soluble vitamin (B7), plays roles in reproductive functions, such as oocyte maturation and embryo development, in experimental animals. On the other hand, little is known about the clinical effects of biotin on human reproduction. In this study, serum and follicular fluid biotin levels were measured in patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), and their associations with reproductive outcomes were evaluated.

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  • - The study focused on how elobixibat affects constipation and cholesterol levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 to 5.
  • - After 4 weeks of treatment, patients experienced a significant increase in stool frequency and improvements in their LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, while triglycerides stayed the same.
  • - The only factor linked to changes in stool frequency was phosphate levels, and the treatment had minimal adverse effects, indicating it can safely benefit patients with CKD.
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Whether femoral varus derotational osteotomy (VDRO) alone or a combination of femoral and pelvic osteotomies should be performed for hip dislocation in nonambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP) remains controversial. Few studies have reported radiographical results after the surgical treatment in nonambulatory children with CP. This study aimed to assess the results and determine predictors indicating progressive hip subluxation and redislocation after VDRO without pelvic osteotomy.

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It is well known that undernourished conditions disturb female reproductive functions in many species, including humans. These alterations are mainly caused by a reduction in gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus. Evidence from the literature suggests that some hypothalamic factors play pivotal roles in the coordination of reproductive functions and energy homeostasis in response to environmental cues and internal nutritional status.

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Background: Although animal models of PCOS have been used in many studies, none of them can reproduce both the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of PCOS. In addition, behavioral parameters have not been evaluated in PCOS animal models.

Purpose: We tried to produce an improved rat model of PCOS, and the reproductive, metabolic, and behavioral phenotypes of the model rats were evaluated.

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Background: It is known that metabolic and nutritional disturbances induce reproductive dysfunction in females. The main cause of these alterations is reduced gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from the hypothalamus, and the underlying mechanisms have gradually been elucidated.

Methods: The present review summarizes current knowledge about the effects of nutrition/metabolism on reproductive functions, especially focusing on the GnRH regulation system.

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