Retained common bile duct stone as a consequence of a fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The fundus-first technique for laparoscopic cholecystectomy provides an alternative to the conventional dissection technique in patients at high risk for conversion to open cholecystectomy or at risk for bile duct injury. We report the complication of a retained common bile duct (CBD) stone after utilizing this technique. Intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) was not performed due to the concern for causing CBD injury in a patient with significant periductal inflammation and no risk factors for CBD stones.

Suramin inhibits the growth of malignant mesothelioma in vitro, and in vivo, in murine flank and intraperitoneal models.

Surgical debulking of malignant mesothelioma (MM) ultimately fails due to local recurrence. Suramin, an inhibitor of extracellular growth factors (ECGFs), has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma in a small case series. Our goal was to study survival benefits and disease progression in several MM animal models treated with suramin as a potential agent for adjuvant therapy.

Cytomegalovirus-mediated upregulation of chemokine expression correlates with the acceleration of chronic rejection in rat heart transplants.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections have been shown to dramatically affect solid organ transplant graft survival in both human and animal models. Recently, it was demonstrated that rat CMV (RCMV) infection accelerates the development of transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS) in both rat heart and small bowel graft transplants. However, the mechanisms involved in this process are still unclear.

Homocysteine and arterial disease. Experimental mechanisms.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (hH(e)) in the general population is associated with incidence and progression of arterial occlusive disease, although the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. Current research supports a role for homocysteine (H(e))-mediated endothelial damage and endothelial dysfunction. This mechanism appears to be a key factor in subsequent impaired endothelial-dependent vasoreactivity and decreased endothelium thromboresistance.

Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia induces accelerated transplant vascular sclerosis in syngeneic and allogeneic rat cardiac transplants.

Chronic rejection (CR) and transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS) cause the majority of graft failures in cardiac transplantation. Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia [hH(e)] is associated with human TVS without a proven causal relationship. This study investigated the effect of hH(e) on graft survival and TVS in allogeneic and syngeneic rat cardiac transplants.

Elimination of donor-specific alloreactivity prevents cytomegalovirus-accelerated chronic rejection in rat small bowel and heart transplants.

Background: The primary cause for late failure of vascularized allografts is chronic rejection (CR) characterized by transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection accelerates TVS and CR by unclear mechanisms involving direct effects of CMV, indirect effects of the recipient's immune response to CMV, or interactions between CMV and the recipient's alloreactivity. This study examined the role of CMV and the alloreactive response in the development of TVS using bone marrow chimerism (BMC) in rat small bowel (SB) and heart transplantation models.

Neointimal hyperplasia in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries: the influence of hyperhomocysteinemia.

Purpose: Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia (hH[e]) is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Neointimal hyperplasia (NH) after vessel injury can contribute to atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of hH(e) on NH formation after arterial balloon injury in rats.