Comparative assessment of coronary physiology using transthoracic pulsed-wave Doppler and myocardial contrast echocardiography in rats.

Background: Coronary physiology assessment in rodents by ultrasound is an excellent noninvasive and easy to perform technique, including pulsed-wave Doppler (PWD) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). Both techniques and the corresponding calculated parameters were investigated in this study at rest as well as their response to pharmacologically induced stress.

Methods: Left ventricular myocardial function was assessed in eight anaesthetised rats using transthoracic echocardiography.

Sodium Channels and Local Anesthetics-Old Friends With New Perspectives.

The long history of local anesthetics (LAs) starts out in the late 19th century when the content of coca plant leaves was discovered to alleviate pain. Soon after, cocaine was established and headed off to an infamous career as a substance causing addiction. Today, LAs and related substances-in modified form-are indispensable in our clinical everyday life for pain relief during and after minor and major surgery, and dental practices.

Effect of Aprotinin on Liver Injury after Transplantation of Extended Criteria Donor Grafts in Humans: A Retrospective Propensity Score Matched Cohort Analysis.

The number of patients awaiting liver transplantation still widely exceeds the number of donated organs available. Patients receiving extended criteria donor (ECD) organs are especially prone to an aggravated ischemia reperfusion syndrome during liver transplantation leading to massive hemodynamic stress and possible impairment in organ function. Previous studies have demonstrated aprotinin to ameliorate reperfusion injury and early graft survival.

Cardiovascular Evaluation of Liver Transplant Patients by Using Coronary Calcium Scoring in ECG-Synchronized Computed Tomographic Scans.

Background: The goal of cardiac evaluation of patients awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is to identify the patients at risk for cardiovascular events (CVEs) in the peri- and postoperative periods by opportunistic evaluation of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in non-gated abdominal computed tomographs (CT).

Methods: We hypothesized that in patients with OLT, a combination of Lee's revised cardiac index (RCRI) and CAC scoring would improve diagnostic accuracy and prognostic impact compared to non-invasive cardiac testing. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated 169 patients and compared prediction of CVEs by both methods.

Prehospital administration of blood and plasma products.

Purpose Of Review: Posttraumatic bleeding following major trauma is life threatening for the patient and remains a major global health issue. Bleeding after major trauma is worsened by trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC). TIC consists of acute trauma coagulopathy and resuscitation coagulopathy.

Global Longitudinal Strain at Rest as an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Liver Transplant Candidates: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

Speckle tracking echocardiography enables the detection of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction at rest in many heart diseases and potentially in severe liver diseases. It could also possibly serve as a predictor for survival. In this study, 117 patients evaluated for liver transplantation in a single center between May 2010 and April 2016 with normal left ventricular ejection fraction were included according to clinical characteristics of their liver disease: (1) compensated ( = 29), (2) clinically significant portal hypertension ( = 49), and (3) decompensated ( = 39).

Update of the organoprotective properties of xenon and argon: from bench to beside.

The growth of the elderly population has led to an increase in patients with myocardial infarction and stroke (Wajngarten and Silva, Eur Cardiol 14: 111-115, 2019). Patients receiving treatment for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) highly profit from early reperfusion therapy under 3 h from the onset of symptoms. However, mortality from STEMI remains high due to the increase in age and comorbidities (Menees et al.

Visual quality assessment of the liver graft by the transplanting surgeon predicts postreperfusion syndrome after liver transplantation: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The discrepancy between demand and supply for liver transplants (LT) has led to an increased transplantation of organs from extended criteria donors (ECD).

Methods: In this single center retrospective analysis of 122 cadaveric LT recipients, we investigated predictors of postreperfusion syndrome (PRS) including transplant liver quality categorized by both histological assessment of steatosis and subjective visual assessment by the transplanting surgeon using multivariable regression analysis. Furthermore, we describe the relevance of PRS during the intraoperative and postoperative course of LT recipients.

Adaptation to acute pulmonary hypertension in pigs.

The extent of right ventricular compensation compared to the left ventricle is restricted and varies among individuals, which makes it difficult to define. While establishing a model of acute pulmonary hypertension in pigs we observed two different kinds of compensation in our animals. Looking deeper into the hemodynamic data we tried to delineate why some animals could compensate and others could not.

Xenon protects left ventricular diastolic function during acute ischemia, less than ischemic preconditioning.

Anesthetics modify regional left ventricular (LV) dysfunction following ischemia/reperfusion but their effects on global function in this setting are less clear. Aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that xenon would limit global LV dysfunction as caused by acute anterior wall ischemia, comparable to ischemic preconditioning. In an open-chest model under thiopental anesthesia, 30 pigs underwent 60-minute left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion.

Risk factors for coagulopathy after liver resection.

Study Objective: To identify risk factors for coagulopathy in patients undergoing liver resection.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Patients who underwent liver resection at a university hospital between April 2010 and May 2011 were evaluated within seven days after surgery.

The role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in late-phase preconditioning with xenon, isoflurane and levosimendan in rat cardiomyocytes.

Objectives: The protective effects of late-phase preconditioning can be triggered by several stimuli. Unfortunately, the transfer from bench to bedside still represents a challenge, as concomitant medication or diseases influence the complex signalling pathways involved. In an established model of primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, we analysed the cardioprotective effects of three different stimulating pharmaceuticals of clinical relevance.

Levosimendan limits reperfusion injury in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model.

Background: Neuroprotective strategies in ischemic stroke are an important challenge in clinical and experimental research as an adjunct to reperfusion therapy that may reduce neurologic injury and improve outcome. The neuroprotective properties of levosimendan in traumatic brain injury in vitro, transient global brain ischemia and focal spinal cord ischemia suggest the potential for similar effects in transient brain ischemia.

Methods: Transient brain ischemia was induced for 60 min by intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in 40 male Wistar rats under general anesthesia with s-ketamine and xylazine and with continuous monitoring of their blood pressure and cerebral perfusion.

Xenon and isoflurane reduce left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in the rat.

Background: Xenon and isoflurane are known to have cardioprotective properties. We tested the hypothesis that these anesthetics positively influence myocardial remodeling 28 days after experimental perioperative myocardial infarction and compared their effects.

Methods: A total of 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 60 min of coronary artery occlusion and 120 min of reperfusion.

Effects of xenon and isoflurane on apoptosis and inflammation in a porcine myocardial infarction model.

Volatile anaesthetics can reduce the infarction size in myocardial tissue when administered before and during experimentally induced ischaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether xenon is beneficial compared to isoflurane in limiting myocardial tissue apoptosis and inflammation induced by experimental ischaemia-reperfusion injury in a porcine right ventricular infarction model. Twenty-one animals used for this study randomly received isoflurane, xenon or thiopental, (n=6-8 per group).

The effects of levosimendan on brain metabolism during initial recovery from global transient ischaemia/hypoxia.

Background: Neuroprotective strategies after cardiopulmonary resuscitation are currently the focus of experimental and clinical research. Levosimendan has been proposed as a promising drug candidate because of its cardioprotective properties, improved haemodynamic effects in vivo and reduced traumatic brain injury in vitro. The effects of levosimendan on brain metabolism during and after ischaemia/hypoxia are unknown.

Neuroprotective properties of levosimendan in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.

Background: We investigated the neuroprotective properties of levosimendan, a novel inodilator, in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.

Methods: Organotypic hippocampal brain slices from mouse pups were subjected to a focal mechanical trauma. Slices were treated after the injury with three different concentrations of levosimendan (0.

A practical rule for optimal flows for xenon anaesthesia in a semi-closed anaesthesia circuit.

Background And Objective: Stable haemodynamics and its cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties favour xenon as an ideal but expensive anaesthetic agent. The aim of this study was to optimize a semi-closed anaesthesia circuit for xenon anaesthesia with respect to economics and patient safety.

Methods: A semi-closed nonrebreathing circuit was compared with a closed anaesthesia circuit.

Continuous right ventricular volumetry by fast-response thermodilution during right ventricular ischemia: head-to-head comparison with conductance catheter measurements.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular end-diastolic volume obtained by volumetric pulmonary artery catheter, using the conductance catheter as reference method.

Design: Prospective, comparative study.

Setting: Research laboratory of a university hospital.

Comparison of 3 methods to induce acute pulmonary hypertension in pigs.

Large animal models for acute pulmonary hypertension (PHT) show distinct differences between species and underlying mechanisms. Two embolic procedures and continuous infusion of a stable thromboxane A(2) analogue (U46619) were explored for their ability to induce PHT and their effects on right ventricular function and pulmonary and systemic circulation in 9 pigs. Injection of small (100 to 200 microm) or large (355 to 425 microm) polystyrene beads and incremental dosage (0.

Development of a composite degradable/nondegradable tissue-engineered vascular graft.

The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of constructing a reinforced autologous vascular graft by combining the advantages of fibrin gel as an autologous cell carrier material with the inherent mechanical strength of an integrated mesh structure. It was hypothesized that the mesh and dynamic culture conditions could be combined to generate mechanically stable and implantable vascular grafts within a shorter cultivation period than traditional methods. A two-step moulding technique was developed to integrate a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) mesh (pore size: 1-2 mm) in the wall of a fibrin-based vascular graft (I.