Quantitative evaluation of myocardial layer-specific strain using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in septic patients.

Background: Although global longitudinal strain (GLS) is proven to be reduced and associated with adverse outcomes in septic patients, it has not been elucidated whether or not layer-specific strains are reduced. We aimed to explore the layer-specific strains of left ventricular (LV) for assessing myocardial dysfunction in septic patients.

Methods: A prospective observational study of patients with sepsis was conducted in a tertiary hospital in China.

mTORC2 Activation Mediated by Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Secreted Hepatocyte Growth Factors for the Recovery of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Vascular Endothelial Barrier.

Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier dysfunction. Mesenchymal stem cell-secreted hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has positive effects of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced pulmonary endothelial barrier. Studies have exhibited the mammalian TORC1 (mTORC1) signaling is of potent angiogenesis effects.

Nucleotide polymorphism in ARDS outcome: a whole exome sequencing association study.

Background: Genetic locus were identified associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Our goal was to explore the associations between genetic variants and ARDS outcome, as well as subphenotypes.

Methods: This was a single-center, prospective observational trial enrolling adult ARDS patients.

Venovenous extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: a matched cohort study.

Background: Although the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been rapidly increasing, the benefit of ECMO in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains unclear. Our objective was to investigate the effect of venovenous ECMO (VV-ECMO) on adult patients with severe ARDS.

Methods: We conducted a multi-center, retrospective, cohort study in the intensive care units (ICUs) of six teaching hospitals between January 2013 and December 2018.

Effect of surfactant administration on outcomes of adult patients in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Surfactant is usually deficiency in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) patients and surfactant administration may be a useful therapy. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effect of surfactant administration on outcomes of adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane database, Elsevier, Web of Science and http://clinicaltrials.

LincRNA-p21 promotes mesenchymal stem cell migration capacity and survival through hypoxic preconditioning.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow have potent stabilizing effects for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, low efficiency and survival in MSC homing to injured lung tissue remains to be solved. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether large intergenic noncoding RNA (LincRNA)-p21 promote MSC migration and survival capacity through hypoxic preconditioning in vitro.

mTOR/STAT-3 pathway mediates mesenchymal stem cell-secreted hepatocyte growth factor protective effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular endothelial barrier dysfunction and apoptosis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) protect the endothelial barrier complex and survival, implicated in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) via paracrine hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). However, the mechanism of HGF in endothelial regulation remains unclear. Here, we introduced a coculture protocol of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) and overexpression of the HGF gene of MSCs (MSC-HGF).

MiR-21 attenuates apoptosis-triggered by amyloid-β via modulating PDCD4/ PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway in SH-SY5Y cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains the most common neurodegenerative disease with amyloid beta (Aβ) formatted and accumulated. Recently, microRNAs have been identified as significant regulators in neurogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS). However, the biological role of miR-21 in AD remains unclear.

Noninvasive Ventilation in Acute Hypoxemic Nonhypercapnic Respiratory Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of noninvasive ventilation in patients with acute hypoxemic nonhypercapnic respiratory failure unrelated to exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and bibliographies of articles were retrieved inception until June 2016.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials comparing application of noninvasive ventilation with standard oxygen therapy in adults with acute hypoxemic nonhypercapnic respiratory failure were included.

Hepatic Perfusion Alterations in Septic Shock Patients: Impact of Early Goal-directed Therapy.

Background: Early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) has become an important therapeutic management in early salvage stage of septic shock. However, splenic organs possibly remained hypoperfused and hypoxic despite fluid resuscitation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EGDT on hepatic perfusion in septic shock patients.

The Effect of Early Goal-Directed Therapy on Outcome in Adult Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Background: Whether early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) improves outcome in severe sepsis and septic shock remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of existing clinical trials to examine whether EGDT improved outcome in the resuscitation of adult sepsis patients compared with control care.

Methods: We searched for eligible studies using MEDLINE, Elsevier, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science databases.

The effect of mild induced hypothermia on outcomes of patients after cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Introduction: Mild induced hypothermia (MIH) is believed to reduce mortality and neurological impairment after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, a recently published trial demonstrated that hypothermia at 33 °C did not confer a benefit compared with that of 36 °C. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was made to investigate the impact of MIH compared to controls on the outcomes of adult patients after cardiac arrest.

The Orphan Receptor Tyrosine Kinase ROR2 Facilitates MSCs to Repair Lung Injury in ARDS Animal Model.

There are some limitations to the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to their low engraftment and differentiation rates in lungs. We found previously that noncanonical Wnt5a signaling promoted the differentiation of mouse MSCs (mMSCs) into type II alveolar epithelial cells (AT II cells), conferred resistance to oxidative stress, and promoted migration of MSCs in vitro. As receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) is an essential receptor for Wnt5a, it was reasonable to deduce that ROR2 might be one of the key molecules for the therapeutic effect of MSCs in ARDS.

Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling promotes mesenchymal stem cells to repair injured alveolar epithelium induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have potential for re-epithelization and recovery in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In a previous in vitro study, the results showed that the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway promoted the differentiation of MSCs into type II alveolar epithelial cells, conferred resistance to oxidative stress, and promoted their migration, suggesting that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway might be one of the key mechanisms underling the therapeutic effect of mouse MSCs in ARDS.

Methods: Mouse MSCs stable transfected with β-catenin or green fluorescent protein control were transplanted intratracheally into the ARDS mice induced by lipopolysaccharide.

A high mean arterial pressure target is associated with improved microcirculation in septic shock patients with previous hypertension: a prospective open label study.

Introduction: The effect of mean arterial pressure titration to a higher level on microcirculation in septic shock patients with previous hypertension remains unknown. Our goal is to assess the effect of mean arterial pressure titration to a higher level on microcirculation in hypertensive septic shock patients.

Methods: This is a single-center, open-label study.

Comparison of the effects of albumin and crystalloid on mortality in adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine whether albumin reduced mortality when employed for the resuscitation of adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock compared with crystalloid by meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched for and gathered data from MEDLINE, Elsevier, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science databases. Studies were eligible if they compared the effects of albumin versus crystalloid therapy on mortality in adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

MSCs modified with ACE2 restore endothelial function following LPS challenge by inhibiting the activation of RAS.

Angiotensin (Ang) II plays an important role in the process of endothelial dysfunction in acute lung injury (ALI) and is degraded by angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2). However, treatments that target ACE2 to injured endothelium and promote endothelial repair of ALI are lacking. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of homing to the injured site and delivering a protective gene.

The effect of prone positioning on mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Prone positioning (PP) has been reported to improve the survival of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, it is uncertain whether the beneficial effects of PP are associated with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels and long durations of PP. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate whether the effects of PP on mortality could be affected by PEEP level and PP duration and to identify which patients might benefit the most from PP.

Stable genetic alterations of β-catenin and ROR2 regulate the Wnt pathway, affect the fate of MSCs.

The Wnt pathways have been shown to be critical for the fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro, but their roles in MSCs in vivo remain poorly characterized due to the lack of stable alterations in their signaling. In the present study, we constructed long-term and stable mMSCs lines with activated and inactivated β-catenin (the key molecule of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway) or ROR2 (the key molecule of the noncanonical Wnt5a/ROR2 signaling pathway) modifications with lentiviral vectors. We found that the transduction efficiencies mediated by the lentiviral vectors were 92.

[Effects of gastric versus small bowel feeding on hospital acquired pneumonia in critically ill patients: a meta-analysis].

Objective: To explore whether or not small bowel feeding can reduce the incidence of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Methods: The databases of Pubmed, Embase and Web of Science were searched to identify the relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT) from January 1992 to September 2012. Meta analysis was performed to analyze the effects of gastric versus small bowel feeding on HAP.

Positive end expiratory pressure titrated by transpulmonary pressure improved oxygenation and respiratory mechanics in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients with intra-abdominal hypertension.

Background: Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) is common in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients and when resulting in decrease of chest wall compliance will weaken the effect of positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). We investigated the effect of PEEP titrated by transpulmonary pressure (Ptp) on oxygenation and respiratory mechanics in ARDS patients with IAH compared with PEEP titrated by ARDSnet protocol.

Methods: ARDS patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Zhongda Hospital were enrolled.

[The value of nitrogen washout/washin method in assessing alveolar recruitment volume in acute lung injury patients].

Objective: To evaluate the precision and feasibility of nitrogen washout/washin method in assessing lung recruitment of acute lung injury (ALI) patients.

Methods: Fifteen ALI patients underwent mechanical ventilation were involved. Two positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels (high and low) were adjusted according to ARDSnet recommendations or measurement of transpulmonary pressure, each for 30 minutes.