Survival Analysis in Adult Heart Transplantation: Experience from a Brazilian Single Center.

Introduction: Heart transplantation is the gold standard for advanced heart failure treatment. This study examines the survival rates and risk factors for early mortality in adult heart transplant recipients at a Brazilian center.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved 255 adult heart transplant patients from a single center in Brazil.

Ethanol Lock Therapy for the Prevention of Nontunneled Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection in Pediatric Patients.

Background: Ethanol lock therapy (ELT) has been reported as being effective in preventing central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in tunneled (or long-term) central venous catheters (CVCs). To the best of our knowledge, no studies have evaluated this therapy in relation to nontunneled (or short-term) CVCs.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of ELT in preventing CLABSI in nontunneled CVC in pediatric patients.

Pediatric abdominal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: diagnosis through surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Objective: To describe the success rate and the complications after procedures to diagnose abdominal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children and adolescents.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with a population consisting of children and adolescents with abdominal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed between September 1994 and December 2012. The sample comprised of 100 patients who underwent 113 diagnostic procedures, including urgent surgery (n=21), elective surgery (n=36), and non-surgical diagnosis (n=56).

Tracheal occlusion and ventilation changes the nitric oxide pathway in congenital diaphragmatic hernia model.

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Tracheal occlusion (TO) stimulates fetal lung growth and maturation and reverse vascular changes responsible for pulmonary hypertension, which are related to mechanisms involving nitric oxide (NO) in CDH. We aim to evaluate the effect of TO and ventilation on NO pathways.

Evaluation of the expression of I-FABP and L-FABP in a necrotizing enterocolitis model after the use of Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Background/purpose: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe intestinal disease that primarily affects premature babies, leading to high mortality and morbidity. Probiotics represent an important alternative prophylaxis for NEC but its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Moreover, intestinal and liver-type fatty acid-binding proteins (I-FABP and L-FABP) may be utilized because markers of intestinal injury, including NEC.

[Prenatal management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: present, past and future].

The congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a defect in the formation of the diaphragm, which affects between 1:2,000 and 1:4,000 live births and represents 8% of major congenital anomalies. Medical advances in the last 30 years involving prenatal diagnosis, fetal intervention, neonatal surgical and clinical management have changed the survival of these patients. The historical evolution of these advances helps us to understand the effort in pursuit of better results of this defect, which is often lethal.

Ventilation causes pulmonary vascular dilation and modulates the NOS and VEGF pathway on newborn rats with CDH.

Background/purpose: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a defect that presents high mortality because of pulmonary hypoplasia and hypertension. Mechanical ventilation changes signaling pathways, such as nitric oxide and VEGF in the pulmonary arterioles. We investigated the production of NOS2 and NOS3 and expression of VEGF and its receptors after ventilation in rat fetuses with CDH.

Effect of corticosteroids and lung ventilation in the VEGF and NO pathways in congenital diaphragmatic hernia in rats.

Purpose: The use of dexamethasone (Dx) stimulates growth, fetal lung maturation and can improve pulmonary hypertension in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Our aim was to evaluate the effect of Dx on the lung after fetal pulmonary ventilation in the CDH rat model.

Methods: Some groups underwent prenatal treatment with dexamethasone (0.

Standardization of pulmonary ventilation technique using volume-controlled ventilators in rats with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Objective: To standardize a technique for ventilating rat fetuses with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) using a volume-controlled ventilator.

Methods: Pregnant rats were divided into the following groups: a) control (C); b) exposed to nitrofen with CDH (CDH); and c) exposed to nitrofen without CDH (N-). Fetuses of the three groups were randomly divided into the subgroups ventilated (V) and non-ventilated (N-V).

Evaluation of histological changes after tracheal occlusion at different gestational ages in a fetal rat model.

Objectives: To evaluate the histological changes of tracheal cartilage and epithelium caused by tracheal occlusion at different gestational ages in a fetal rat model.

Methods: Rat fetuses were divided into two groups: a) External control, composed of non-operated rats, and b) Interventional group, composed of rats operated upon on gestational day 18.5 (term = 22 days), divided into triads: 1) Tracheal occlusion, 2) Internal control and 3) Sham (manipulated but not operated).

Validation of protocol of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis in rats and the pitfalls during the procedure.

Purpose: To describe the difficulties of implementing the protocol of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in order to obtain a larger number of newborns affected with the disease and a lower mortality.

Methods: Term Sprague-Dawley newborns rats (22 days) were divided into four groups of 12 fetuses each (n = 48): EC--breastfed newborns; IH--breastfed newborns and subjected to a stress protocol by ischemia and hypothermia; ESB--formula-fed newborns (Esbilac®, PetAg, Hampshire, IL, USA) and NEC--formula-fed newborns and subjected to stress protocol. The parameters set for the study protocol were: milk concentration (0.

Effect of nitrofen in the final stages of development of the diaphragm muscle in rats.

Purpose: To evaluate the expression of myosin in muscle fibers of the diaphragm in experimental congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Methods: Fetuses of pregnant rats were divided into four groups: External Control (EC), composed of non-manipulated rats; Nitrofen, composed of pregnant rats that received 100 mg of nitrofen (2,4-dichloro-4'nitrodiphenyl ether) diluted in olive oil on gestational day (GD) 9.5, whose fetuses developed CDH (N+) or not (N-), and Olive Oil Placebo (OO), composed of pregnant rats that received the oil on the same GD.

Corticosteroid effect upon intestinal and hepatic interleukin profile in a gastroschisis rat model.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of corticosteroids on intestinal and liver interleukin profile in an experimental model of gastroschisis in fetal rats.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats at 19.5 days of gestation had its fetuses operated for the creation of gastroschisis.

The role of gut-liver axis in the restriction of intrauterine growth in a model of experimental gastroschisis.

Purpose: To evaluate the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by the expression of IR-β, IRS-1, IRS-2, IGF-IRβ and Ikappaβ in experimental model of gastroschisis.

Methods: Pregnant rats at 18.5 days of gestation were submitted to surgery to create experimental fetal gastroschisis (term = 22 days) were divided in three groups: gastroschisis (G), control (C) and sham (S).

Increased contractility and impaired relaxation of the left pulmonary artery in a rabbit model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Purpose: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with pulmonary hypertension which is often difficult to manage and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to study the pulmonary artery reactivity in an animal model of CDH.

Methods: To investigate the reactivity of the aorta and left pulmonary artery in a rabbit model of CDH, we studied the in vitro responses to the α1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine (PE) and to both the muscarinic receptor agonist (ACh) and the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP).