In vivo Assessment of a Manual Single Lumen Alternating Micro-Batch Hemodiafiltration System.

Introduction: The manual single lumen alternating micro-batch hemodiafiltration (mSLAMB) system is a closed-loop dialysis system designed to provide kidney support in emergency situations (e.g., fluid overload, hyperkalemia, acidemia).

Estimating Changes in Glomerular Filtration Rate With Fluorescein Isothiocyanate-Sinistrin During Renal Replacement Therapy.

Excreted exclusively by the kidneys, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-sinistrin can be used to measure glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and is detectable transdermally. Determination of changes in native kidney GFR (NK-GFR) in patients with acute kidney injury, particularly during continuous renal replacement therapy, improves clinical decision-making capability. To test feasibility of measuring changes in NK-GFR during CRRT with FITC-sinistrin, in vitro circuits (n = 2) were utilized to simultaneously clear FITC-sinistrin by removal of ultrafiltrate at varying rates, simulating kidney function, and by dialysis at a constant rate.

Transdermal Detection of MB-102 and Correlation to Meropenem Pharmacokinetics During Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: In Vivo Results.

Critically ill patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) have medical conditions requiring extensive pharmacotherapy. Continuous renal replacement therapy impacts drug disposition. Few data exist regarding drug dosing requirements with contemporary CRRT modalities and effluent rates.

Immunomodulatory therapy using a pediatric dialysis system ameliorates septic shock in miniature pigs.

Background: Application of the immunomodulatory selective cytopheretic device (SCD) to enhance renal replacement therapy and improve outcomes of acute kidney injury in pediatric patients is impeded by safety concerns. Therapy using a pediatric hemodialysis system could overcome these limitations.

Methods: Yucatan minipigs (8-15 kg) with induced septic shock underwent continuous hemodiafiltration with the CARPEDIEM™ pediatric hemodialysis system using regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) with or without SCD (n = 5 per group).

Regenerative Medicine and Immunomodulatory Therapy: Insights From the Kidney, Heart, Brain, and Lung.

Regenerative medicine was initially focused on tissue engineering to replace damaged tissues and organs with constructs derived from cells and biomaterials. More recently, this field of inquiry has expanded into exciting areas of translational medicine modulating the body's own endogenous processes, to prevent tissue damage in organs and to repair and regenerate these damaged tissues. This review will focus on recent insights derived from studies in which the manipulation of the innate immunologic system may diminish acute kidney injury and enhance renal repair and recovery without the progression to chronic kidney disease and renal failure.

Novel Leukocyte Modulator Device Reduces the Inflammatory Response to Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Leukocyte (LE) activation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) promotes a systemic inflammatory response that contributes to organ injury and postoperative organ dysfunction. A leukocyte modulatory device (L-MOD) for use during (and after) CPB to limit leukocyte-mediated organ injury was tested in a preclinical model. Twenty-two pigs underwent 180 minutes of CPB and 5 hours postoperative observation.

Development of a wearable bioartificial kidney using the Bioartificial Renal Epithelial Cell System (BRECS).

Cell therapy for the treatment of renal failure in the acute setting has proved successful, with therapeutic impact, yet development of a sustainable, portable bioartificial kidney for treatment of chronic renal failure has yet to be realized. Challenges in maintaining an anticoagulated blood circuit, the typical platform for solute clearance and support of the biological components, have posed a major hurdle in advancement of this technology. This group has developed a Bioartificial Renal Epithelial Cell System (BRECS) capable of differentiated renal cell function while sustained by body fluids other than blood.

An Immunomodulatory Device Improves Insulin Resistance in Obese Porcine Model of Metabolic Syndrome.

Obesity is associated with tissue inflammation which is a crucial etiology of insulin resistance. This inflammation centers around circulating monocytes which form proinflammatory adipose tissue macrophages (ATM). Specific approaches targeting monocytes/ATM may improve insulin resistance without the adverse side effects of generalized immunosuppression.

A bio-artificial renal epithelial cell system conveys survival advantage in a porcine model of septic shock.

Renal cell therapy using the hollow fiber based renal assist device (RAD) improved survival time in an animal model of septic shock (SS) through the amelioration of cardiac and vascular dysfunction. Safety and ability of the RAD to improve clinical outcomes was demonstrated in a Phase II clinical trial, in which patients had high prevalence of sepsis. Even with these promising results, clinical delivery of cell therapy is hampered by manufacturing hurdles, including cell sourcing, large-scale device manufacture, storage and delivery.

The bioartificial kidney.

Renal failure has an exceedingly high mortality rate despite advances in dialysis technology. Current renal replacement therapies (RRTs) restore only the filtration function of the kidney. Replacing the critical transport, metabolic, and endocrine functions of the kidney may provide more complete RRT, changing the natural history of these disease processes.

Minimum inhibitory concentration and postantibiotic effect of amikacin for equine isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.

Objective: To report the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amikacin sulfate for equine clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and characterize the initial kill and duration of the postantibiotic effect (PAE) for selected strains.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Methods: Isolates of MRSA (n=35) had their amikacin MIC determined using the E-test agar diffusion method.