Perspectives on Stem Cell Therapy in Diabetic Neuropathic Pain.

Diabetes mellitus-related morbidity and mortality are primarily caused by long-term complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, and neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy (DN) involves the progressive degeneration of axons and nerve fibers due to chronic exposure to hyperglycemia. This metabolic disturbance leads to excessive activation of the glycolytic pathway, inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, ultimately resulting in nerve damage.

Heart Failure in Menopause: Treatment and New Approaches.

Aging is an important risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF) and half of patients with HF have preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) which is more common in elderly women. In general, sex differences that lead to discrepancies in risk factors and to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been attributed to the reduced level of circulating estrogen during menopause. Estrogen receptors adaptively modulate fibrotic, apoptotic, inflammatory processes and calcium homeostasis, factors that are directly involved in the HFpEF.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Therapies on Fibrotic Heart Diseases.

Stem cell therapy is a promising alternative approach to heart diseases. The most prevalent source of multipotent stem cells, usually called somatic or adult stem cells (mesenchymal stromal/stem cells, MSCs) used in clinical trials is bone marrow (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue (AT-MSCs), umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) and placenta. Therapeutic use of MSCs in cardiovascular diseases is based on the benefits in reducing cardiac fibrosis and inflammation that compose the cardiac remodeling responsible for the maintenance of normal function, something which may end up causing progressive and irreversible dysfunction.

Pericardium closure after heart operations: a safety option?

Objectives: Primary pericardium closure may reduce the risk of cardiac injury during chest re opening, especially the right ventricle, aorta and coronary bypass grafts. Nevertheless, concern about adverse hemodynamic effects prevents most heart surgeons of closuring the pericardium.

Methods: We evaluated 48 patients undergoing open heart surgery consecutively which the pericardium was closed in 30 patients (group A) and 18 patients, as a control group (group B) in which the pericardium was left open.

Bicuspid aortic valve: theoretical and clinical aspects of concomitant ascending aorta replacement.

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is associated with annuloaortic ectasia, dissection and ascending aortic aneurysm. The high incidence of this congenital malformation and aortic disease suggests a close correlation between the two phenomena. Abnormalities in different phases of cell migration of the neural crest might be responsible for the occurrence of abnormalities in the aortic valve, media layer of the ascending aorta and vessels of the aortic arch.

One-stage management of infected sternotomy wounds using bilateral pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flap.

Objective: To assess the results of single-stage treatment of infected sternotomy wounds using bilateral pectorals major myocutaneous advancement flaps.

Methods: Between January 2000 and July 2007, 1972 heart surgeries with median transesternal thoracotomy were performed. Thirteen (0.

Heparin quality control in the Brazilian market: implications in the cardiovascular surgery.

Introduction: The change in the heparin solution trade mark in Brazil that had been commonly used in cardiac surgery has shown increased number in the coagulopathy, re-exploration and other side effects in our Institution and others.

Methods: All four different heparin solutions available in the Brazilian market were studied in the Connective Tissue Lab, HUCFF, UFRJ and compared to the Liquemine (out of the market) and the international control solution. All samples were evaluated by magnetic nuclear resonance as well as their anticoagulant effectiveness.