Bioartificial grafts for transmural myocardial restoration: a new cardiovascular tissue culture concept.

Objective: Survival of bioartificial grafts that are destined to restore cardiac function stands and falls with their nutrient supply. Engineering of myocardial tissue is limited because of lack of vascularization. We introduce a new concept to obtain bioartificial myocardial grafts in which perfusion by a macroscopic core vessel is simulated.

Methylene blue: the drug of choice for catecholamine-refractory vasoplegia after cardiopulmonary bypass?

Objectives: Vasoplegia is a frequent complication after cardiopulmonary bypass that often requires the application of norepinephrine. In a number of cases, however, vasoplegia is refractory to norepinephrine. The guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue could be an attractive treatment alternative in such cases.