Tissular growth factors profile after teduglutide administration on an animal model of intestinal anastomosis.

Background: Teduglutide is an enterotrophic analogue of glucagon-like peptide-2, with an indirect and poorly understood mechanism of action, approved for the rehabilitation of short-bowel syndrome. This study aims to analyze the response of tissue growth factors to surgical injury and teduglutide administration on an animal model of intestinal anastomosis.

Methods: Wistar rats (n = 59) were distributed into four groups: "ileal resection" or "laparotomy", each one subdivided into "postoperative teduglutide administration" or "no treatment"; and sacrificed at the third or the seventh day, with ileal sample harvesting.

Glutaminemia prognostic significance in critical surgical patients - An analysis of plasma aminogram profile.

Background: Glutamine depletion is common in the critically-ill patients. Glutaminemia lower than 420 μmol/l has been considered as an independent predictive factor of mortality, but the indications for exogenous glutamine supplementation remain controversial. This study intends to determine the glutaminemia profile in critical surgical patients and to investigate its correlation with the severity indexes and the prognosis.

Intestinal inflammatory and redox responses to the perioperative administration of teduglutide in rats.

Purpose:: To investigate the inflammatory and redox responses to teduglutide on an animal model of laparotomy and intestinal anastomosis.

Methods:: Wistar rats (n=62) were allocated into four groups: "Ileal Resection and Anastomosis" vs. "Laparotomy", each one split into "Postoperative Teduglutide Administration" vs.

Teduglutide effects on gene regulation of fibrogenesis on an animal model of intestinal anastomosis.

Background: Teduglutide is an enterotrophic analog of glucagon-like peptide 2 approved for the rehabilitation of short-bowel syndrome. This study aims to analyze the effects of teduglutide administration on the gene regulation of fibrogenesis during the intestinal anastomotic healing on an animal model.

Methods: Wistar rats (n = 62) were assigned into four groups: "Ileal Resection and Anastomosis" or "Laparotomy," each one subdivided into "Postoperative Teduglutide Administration" or "No Treatment," and sacrificed at the third or at the seventh days, with ileal sample harvesting.

Intestinal dysfunction in the critical trauma patients - An early and frequent event.

Background: Small-bowel dysfunction exerts a relevant prognostic impact in the critically ill patients. Citrullinemia has been used in the evaluation of the intestinal function and it is considered an objective parameter of the functional enterocyte mass. Present study proposes to determine the intestinal dysfunction prevalence and the citrullinemia kinetic profile in severe trauma patients and to investigate its correlation with severity indicators and clinical outcome.

Intestinal Epithelial Stem Cells: Distinct Behavior After Surgical Injury and Teduglutide Administration.

Background: Previous studies suggest that intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESC), critical drivers of homeostasis and regeneration, include two subpopulations: crypt-based columnar and "position +4" stem cells, identified by Lgr5 and Bmi1 biomarkers, respectively. Teduglutide is an enterotrophic counterpart of glucagon-like peptide 2. This study aimed to investigate the response of putative IESC to surgical injury and teduglutide administration on an animal model of intestinal resection and anastomosis.

Argininemia and plasma arginine bioavailability - predictive factors of mortality in the severe trauma patients?

Background: Arginine is an amino acid determinant in the metabolic, immune and reparative responses to severe trauma. The present study aims to determine argininemia and plasma arginine bioavailability (PAB) in critical trauma patients and to analyze its correlation with prognosis.

Methods: A prospective study of 23 critical trauma patients was undertaken.

Locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the rectum presenting with necrotising fasciitis of the perineum: successful management with early aggressive surgery and multimodal therapy.

Colorectal cancer is a common malignant neoplasm and its treatment usually involves surgery associated, in some cases, depending on the staging, with chemoradiotherapy. Necrotising fasciitis of the perineum is a highly lethal infection of the perineum, perirectal tissues and genitals, requiring emergency surgical debridement, broad-spectrum antibiotics and control of sepsis. We present the case of a 59-year-old man with necrotising fasciitis of the perineum as the first clinical manifestation of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the rectum, in which successful management consisted of early and aggressive surgical debridement, followed by multimodal therapy with curative intent.

Solitary necrotic nodule of the liver: a very challenging diagnosis!

Solitary necrotic nodule of the liver is a rare entity of unknown aetiology. We describe the case of a 59-year-old woman reporting sporadic right upper quadrant pain. An abdominal CT scan revealed a liver nodule located in segment 4.

Study of hepatocellular function in the murine model following hepatic artery selective clamping.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of selective hepatic artery clamping (SHAC) in hepatocellular function.

Methods: Three groups of Wistar male rats were subjected to SHAC ischemia period of 60min: Group A continuous SHAC were subjected to SHAC ischemia period of 60min, Group B intermittent SHAC of 30min with 5min of reperfusion and Group C intermittent SHAC of 15min with 5min of reperfusion. Animals without SHAC were included-Group D.

Rupture of splenic angiosarcoma: a rare cause of spontaneous haemoperitoneum.

Primary splenic angiosarcoma, a very rare mesenchymal tumour of endothelial cell origin, comprises 2.6% of all cases of angiosarcoma and 10% of all primitive splenic tumours. Clinical presentation is usually unspecific, with abdominal pain and anaemia.

Hepatectomy and liver regeneration: from experimental research to clinical application.

Background: The mechanisms and kinetics of hepatic growth have continuously been investigated. This study concerns liver regeneration in animal and patients who underwent partial hepatectomy evaluated by the hepatic extraction fraction (HEF) calculated through radioisotopic methods.

Methods: Thirty normal Wistar rats were submitted to an 85% hepatectomy, and 95 patients with primary and secondary liver tumours were included.

Haemoptysis and left upper quadrant abdominal pain: an unusual presentation of partial thoracic migration of an adjustable gastric band's tube.

Laparoscopic gastric banding is considered the safest bariatric procedure, holding satisfactory long-term weight loss results, low rates of early complications and negligible mortality. Long-term follow-up are showing a high prevalence of late complications. We describe the case of a 40-year-old female patient, with a medical history of laparoscopic gastric banding, admitted in the emergency department complaining of haemoptysis, left upper quadrant abdominal pain and a slight tachycardia.

Hepatic extraction fraction: interest of its quantification in patients with hepatic tumours.

Background/aims: This prospective study aimed to estimate the usefulness of the hepatic extraction fraction (HEF) in the context of the pre- and postoperative evaluation of patients with hepatic tumours.

Methodology: Seventy patients with colorectal metastases (n=25), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=25), cholangiocellular carcinoma (n=6), gastric cancer metastases (n=5), hemangioma (n=5) and others (n=4) were included. Thirty patients underwent hepatectomy.

Progression while receiving preoperative chemotherapy should not be an absolute contraindication to liver resection for colorectal metastases.

Purpose: Tumor progression while receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (PD) has been associated with poor outcome and is commonly considered a contraindication to liver resection (LR). This study aims to clarify in a large multicenter setting whether PD is always a contraindication to LR.

Methods: Data from the LiverMetSurvey international registry were analyzed.