Validity of direct bilateral axillary arterial cannulation in emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

Background And Aim Of The Study: To assess the validity and long-term outcomes of direct bilateral axillary arterial cannulation for acute type A aortic dissection.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2020, 208 consecutive patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent emergency surgical repair. Cardiopulmonary bypass was attempted to establish direct bilateral axillary arterial cannulation and bicaval drainage.

Cryopreserved allogenic fibroblast sheets: development of a promising treatment for refractory skin ulcers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of cryopreserved allogenic fibroblast cell sheets in a mouse model of skin ulcers. It is necessary to reduce the cost of regenerative medicine for it to be widely used. We consider that cell sheets could be applied to various diseases if cryopreservation of allogenic cell sheets was possible.

Intimal-protected adventitial inversion technique accelerates the obliteration of a patent false lumen.

Background And Aims: The optimal procedure for reconstructing the dissected aortic stump for acute type A dissection remains controversial. We routinely used the intimal-protected adventitial inversion technique (iPAIT), a modified adventitial inversion technique, to protect the fragile intima by inserting a graft and assessed the safety and efficacy of this technique.

Methods: Between August 2008 and April 2020, 146 consecutive patients with acute type A dissections underwent thoracic aortic surgery in our hospital.

Early and Long-Term Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Selected Nonagenarians in Japan.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is increasingly being performed in very elderly patients, although its efficacy and validity remain unclear. This study evaluated real-world TAVI outcomes in Japanese nonagenarians with severe aortic stenosis.

Methods and results: This single-center study retrospectively assessed the early and long-term clinical outcomes of TAVI in nonagenarians (n=35) and in patients aged <90 years (group Y; n=171).

Nuclear β-catenin expression is positively regulated by JAB1 in human colorectal cancer cells.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is important for development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). The degradation complex for β-catenin is functionally impaired in CRC cells, thereby resulting in the accumulation of β-catenin and its translocation into the nucleus. Nuclear β-catenin interacts with and co-activates T cell factor4 (TCF4), resulting in β-catenin/TCF4-dependent transcription.

Allogeneic fibroblast sheets accelerate cutaneous wound healing equivalent to autologous fibroblast sheets in mice.

Background/aims: This study sought to confirm the difference of the wound-healing effect, cell survival, and immune response between autologous fibroblast sheets and allogeneic fibroblast sheets.

Methods: Regarding wound healing, autologous or allogeneic fibroblast sheets were transplanted onto a mouse cutaneous wound healing model and the wound contraction rate was evaluated. The luciferase-expressing fibroblast sheet was prepared and the survival of the cell sheet was evaluated by IVIS after autologous or allogeneic transplantation.

Dclk1 Inhibition Cancels 5-FU-induced Cell-cycle Arrest and Decreases Cell Survival in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is frequently used in colorectal cancer treatment, but with limited success. The aim of the present study was to explore the cytotoxic effects of 5-FU, in combination with inhibition of doublecortin-like kinase 1 (Dclk1), a tumor stem cell marker that regulates pro-survival signaling in colorectal cancer cells, in the human colon cancer cell line, COLO-320.

Materials And Methods: The effects of 5-FU treatment plus Dclk1 inhibition on the phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), cell cycle, DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell survival in COLO-320 cells were evaluated.

Current Status and Perspectives on Pharmacologic Therapy for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a common disease involving the segmental expansion and rupture of the aorta, has a high mortality rate. Therapeutic options for AAA are currently limited to surgical repair to prevent catastrophic rupture. Non-surgical approaches, particularly pharmacotherapy, are lacking for the treatment of AAA.

Enhancement of cytotoxic effects of gemcitabine by Dclk1 inhibition through suppression of Chk1 phosphorylation in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Although gemcitabine (GEM) is frequently used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, the effects are limited. To increase the inhibitory effect of GEM, the identification of a molecular target is needed. Recent studies have revealed that doublecortin-like kinase 1 (Dclk1) positively regulates tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, factors related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), pluripotency, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells.

Hypoxic preconditioning of human cardiosphere-derived cell sheets enhances cellular functions via activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/HIF-1α pathway.

Cell sheet technology is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction. We recently developed a novel protocol, termed "hypoxic preconditioning," capable of augmenting the therapeutic efficacy of cell sheets. Following this protocol, the pro-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic activity of cell sheets were enhanced by brief incubation of cell sheets under hypoxic culture conditions.

Short- and long-term outcomes of intramyocardial implantation of autologous bone marrow-derived cells for the treatment of ischaemic heart disease.

Objectives: Ischaemic heart disease remains a major cause of death in Japan. We have implanted autologous bone marrow-derived cells locally into the ischaemic region as a therapy in addition to coronary artery bypass grafting since 1999. We describe the outcomes of our cell therapy for ischaemic heart disease.

Autologous preconditioned mesenchymal stem cell sheets improve left ventricular function in a rabbit old myocardial infarction model.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) constitute one of the most powerful tools for therapeutic angiogenesis in infarcted hearts. However, conventional MSC transplantation approaches result in insufficient therapeutic effects due to poor retention of graft cells in severe ischemic diseases. Cell sheet technology has been developed as a new method to prolong graft cell retention even in ischemic tissue.

Development of a Highly Specific IgM Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Bartonella henselae Using Refined N-Lauroyl-Sarcosine-Insoluble Proteins for Serodiagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease.

The conventional anti-Bartonella henselaeIgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IgM-ELISA) methods for diagnosing cat scratch disease (CSD) remain poor in both sensitivity and specificity. We sought to develop an IgM-ELISA with improved accuracy in the serodiagnosis of CSD by exploring the antigens that are most suitable for an ELISA. We prepared 5 different protein antigens: antigen I (sonicatedB.

[Aortic Arch-descending Aorta Bypass for Intraoperative Lower Body Malperfusion during Chronic Type A Aortic Dissection Repair].

We present a case of intraoperative lower body malperfusion in a 55-year-old woman who was undergoing total aortic arch replacement (TAR) for chronic type A aortic dissection. We planned 2-staged operation that consisted of total aortic arch replacement using the elephant trunk technique and thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair. During the 1st surgery, hemodynamic findings after TAR indicated lower body malperfusion, with the blood pressure of the upper body of 127/46 (68) mmHg and that of the lower body of 71/46 (51) mmHg.

[Radical nephrectomy and caval tumor thrombectomy with cardiopulmonary bypass combined with right anterior minithoracotomy;report of a case].

Renal cell carcinoma is a tumor with a distinct feature that it can invade the renal vein and grow intravascularly extending to the inferior vena cava (IVC). We herein report a case of a 71-year-old female who presented with a neoplasm that involved the right kidney and an intra-IVC tumor thrombus. We performed radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass through a right anterior mini thoracotomy.

Aortic arch surgery in octogenarians: is it justified?

Objectives: Elderly patients are sometimes denied aortic arch surgery because of the perception of poor outcomes and an unacceptable quality of life (QOL). In this study, we evaluated the early clinical outcomes, long-term survival and QOL following surgical treatment for aortic arch disease in octogenarian patients.

Methods: A total of 47 consecutive patients over the age of 80 years were referred to our institutions.

[Apico-aortic valved conduit for aortic stenosis in patients who could not tolerate median sternotomy].

Unlabelled: This report presents 3 cases treated with an apico-aortic valved conduit. Cases 1, 2:A 67-year-old female patient and a 60-year-old male patient what had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting were admitted to our hospital for severe aortic stenosis. Computed tomography showed a severe calcified ascending aorta, and coronary angiography revealed patent bypass graft.

[Video-assisted thoracoscopic implantation of left ventricular pacing lead;usefulness of CARTO system;report of a case].

A 70-year-old man, with a history of broad anterior myocardial infarction and repeated several hospitalizations due to heart failure, was referred to our institution for cardiac resynchronization therapy. However, as intravenous implantation of the left ventricular pacemaker lead was not possible, the patient underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic (VAT) implantation. We noted broad myocardial scarring and patent grafts, along with previously bypassed left internal thoracic artery( LITA)-left anterior descending artery (LAD) and right internal thoracic artery (RITA)-D1;thus, the area suitable for implantation of the left ventricule (LV) pacemaker was believed to be restricted.

Transapical extirpation of a left ventricular thrombus in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

A 58-year-old Japanese female was referred to our hospital. Although the electrocardiogram showed ST elevation, coronary angiography showed intact coronary artery. We diagnosed Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and a left ventricular thrombus.

[Surgical therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy].

Background: Surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) is considered as an effective surgical procedure for patients with ischemic myocardiopathy( ICM). However" surgical treatment for ischemic heart failure (STICH)" trial concluded that adding SVR to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) did not relieve symptoms and failed to lower death rate or cardiac rehospitalization as compared with CABG alone.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CABG with SVR for ICM.

Validation of the JapanSCORE versus the logistic EuroSCORE for predicting operative mortality of cardiovascular surgery in Yamaguchi University Hospital.

Purpose: Recent studies have shown that the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (Euro-SCORE) is a reliable risk model in cardiac surgery. In Japan, the JapanSCORE has been devised as the Japanese original risk model for cardiovascular surgery. We evaluated the validity of the JapanSCORE, especially in comparison with the logistic EuroSCORE METHODS: We calculated the predicted mortality according to two risk models for 523 consecutive patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery within a 6-year period (July 2003 to June 2009) at Yamaguchi University Hospital.

Secondary omental and pectoralis major double flap reconstruction following aggressive sternectomy for deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery.

Background: Deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery carries high morbidity and mortality. Our strategy for deep sternal wound infection is aggressive strenal debridement followed by vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy and omental-muscle flap reconstrucion. We describe this strategy and examine the outcome and long-term quality of life (QOL) it achieves.

[Familial aortic dissection of non-Marfan syndrome with mutations in the transforming growth factor-beta receptor type 1 genes].

Marfan syndrome is an inherited connective tissue disorder with ocular, skeletal and cardiovascular systems and often causes acute aortic dissection. Interestingly, there have been several reports of familial thoracic aortic dissection in patients with autosomal dominant diseases without Marfan syndrome. Variation of the transforming growth factor-beta receptor (TGFBR) gene is reported to be one of the causes.