Clinical application of prophylactic percutaneous left ventricular assist device (TandemHeart) in high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention using an arterial preclosure technique: single-center experience.

Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the feasibility and safety of implanting a prophylactic left ventricular (LV) assist device prior to high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to assess the impact of suturemediated preclosure of the arteriotomy site on minimizing vascular complications.

Background: Patients with multivessel disease, left main coronary artery disease (LMCA) or left main equivalent and/or moderate-to-severe LV dysfunction with elevated LV end-diastolic pressure are at increased risk of complications during PCI. The TandemHeart (TH) is a nonpulsatile percutaneous transseptal ventricular assist device (PTVA) that offers vital temporary hemodynamic support during high-risk PCI.

Clinical utility of TandemHeart for high-risk tandem procedures: percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty followed by complex PCI.

Periprocedural hemodynamic stability is the cornerstone of success for complex percutaneous interventions. Percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (VSD) are increasingly being used to perform complex percutaneous coronary and non-coronary interventions. We report our experience in utilizing the TandemHeart, a percutaneous VSD, to successfully perform complex tandem procedures; balloon aortic valvuloplasty and angioplasty.

Anticoagulation in pregnant women with prosthetic heart valves.

Background: Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis in women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves. Effective anticoagulation is therefore critical in such patients but remains problematic, since oral anticoagulation and both unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparin may be associated with important fetal and maternal side effects.

Purpose: To review information related to the use of anticoagulation with both warfarin and heparin and reassess the safety and efficacy of these therapies in pregnant women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves.

Cell transplantation after oxidative hepatic preconditioning with radiation and ischemia-reperfusion leads to extensive liver repopulation.

The inability of transplanted cells to proliferate in the normal liver hampers cell therapy. We considered that oxidative hepatic DNA damage would impair the survival of native cells and promote proliferation in transplanted cells. Dipeptidyl peptidase-deficient F344 rats were preconditioned with whole liver radiation and warm ischemia-reperfusion followed by intrasplenic transplantation of syngeneic F344 rat hepatocytes.

Isolation of human progenitor liver epithelial cells with extensive replication capacity and differentiation into mature hepatocytes.

The liver can regenerate itself through the progenitor cells it harbors. Here we demonstrate isolation of epithelial progenitor/stem cells from the fetal human liver, which contains a large number of hepatoblasts. Progenitor liver cells displayed clonogenic capacity, expressed genes observed in hepatocytes, bile duct cells and oval cells, and incorporated genes transferred by adenoviral or lentiviral vectors.

Early cell transplantation in LEC rats modeling Wilson's disease eliminates hepatic copper with reversal of liver disease.

Background & Aims: The Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat is an excellent model of Wilson's disease with impaired copper excretion, hypoceruloplasminemia, and copper toxicosis. We hypothesized that early hepatocyte transplantation would improve copper excretion and liver disease in Wilson's disease.

Methods: Normal syngeneic Long-Evans Agouti rat hepatocytes were transplanted intrasplenically into 2-week-old LEC rats.