Proof of concept: short-term non-invasive cervical vagus nerve stimulation in patients with drug-refractory gastroparesis.

Background: Gastric electric stimulation (GES) is a treatment approach to refractory gastroparesis, possibly acting centrally via afferent vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Non-invasive VNS (nVNS) is a potential alternative to GES that could eliminate the safety risks of or identify likely responders to implantable neurostimulators.

Objective: This open-label proof-of-concept study assessed the effects of nVNS in patients with severe drug-refractory gastroparesis.

Global consequences of liver ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Liver ischemia/reperfusion injury has been extensively studied during the last decades and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many clinical entities following hepatic surgery and transplantation. Apart from its pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the organ's post reperfusion injury, it has also been proposed as an underlying mechanism responsible for the dysfunction and injury of other organs as well. It seems that liver ischemia and reperfusion represent an event with "global" consequences that influence the function of many remote organs including the lung, kidney, intestine, pancreas, adrenals, and myocardium among others.