Local platelet trapping as the cause of thrombocytopenia after hepatic cryotherapy.

Cryosurgery has been shown to be an effective approach to destruction of unresectable hepatic tumors. However, hepatic cryoablation may also be associated with local and systemic side effects, including thrombocytopenia and clotting dysfunction. Although thrombocytopenia is known to relate to the magnitude of hepatocellular injury, its etiology is still unknown.

Arteriolovenular shunting critically determines shutdown of microcirculation upon cryotherapy in tumor-bearing rat liver.

Background: Tissue destruction by cryosurgery not only is mediated by direct cell damage, but also involves secondary mechanisms, such as ischemia due to shutdown of the microcirculation. Clinicians favor repetitive cryoapplication, although there is no proven evidence for a more effective tumor eradication.

Methods: The aims of this study were (1) to establish a rat liver tumor model that allows for intravital microscopic analysis of hepatic tumor microcirculation and (2) to elucidate critical determinants of shutdown of microvascular perfusion after single and repetitive cryotherapy.

Low toxic neoadjuvant cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid in locally advanced gastric cancer yields high R-0 resection rate.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer is effective, but is often associated with severe side effects, including fatal outcome. This study evaluates a combination of cisplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (PLF) in terms of efficacy (R-0 resection rate) and toxicity.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who after extensive staging were deemed not suitable for curative resection underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Increased matrix metalloproteinase 2 concentration and transcript expression in advanced colorectal carcinomas.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and entails a relatively poor prognosis. Clinical outcome depends on the extent of local and metastatic tumor spread. Results of in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases TIMPs) is altered in neoplasia, contributing to the invasive and metastatic properties of malignant tumors.

Differential effects of ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3 on pancreatic microcirculation, tissue integrity, and inflammation.

The differential effects of endothelin-1, -2, and -3 (ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3) on pancreatic microcirculation, pancreatic tissue integrity, and an initial inflammatory response, which are three distinct characteristics of acute necrotizing pancreatitis, were investigated in a dose-dependent manner in rats using in vivo microscopy. Red blood cell (RBC) velocity and functional capillary density (FCD) were estimated after topical superfusion of the pancreas with ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3 (100, 10, 1 pmol), revealing that ET-1 (100, 10, 1 pmol) or high ET-2 (100 pmol) and ET-3 (100 pmol) cause a dose-related deterioration of exocrine nutritive pancreatic blood flow. Analysis of pancreatic exocrine tissue damage employing the Spormann score displayed that the ET-mediated microcirculatory impairment was paralleled by dose-dependent tissue damage, which was significant compared to the control group (topical superfusion with 1 ml, saline solution 0.