In a rat model of bypass DuraGraft ameliorates endothelial dysfunction of arterial grafts.

Coronary artery bypass surgery can result in endothelial dysfunction due to ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that DuraGraft helps maintain endothelial integrity of saphenous vein grafts during ischemic conditions. In this study, we investigated the potential of DuraGraft to mitigate endothelial dysfunction in arterial grafts after IR injury using an aortic transplantation model.

Zinc-aspirin preconditioning reduces endothelial damage of arterial grafts in a rodent model of revascularization.

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common cardiac surgical procedure. The prognosis of revascularization via CABG is determined by the patency of the used grafts, for which an intact endothelium is essential. The degree of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which occurs during the harvest and implantation of the grafts, is an important determinant of graft patency.

Preservation solution Custodiol containing human alpha-1-antitrypsin improves graft recovery after prolonged cold ischemic storage in a rat model of heart transplantation.

Introduction: The shortage of available donor hearts and the risk of ischemia/reperfusion injury restrict heart transplantation (HTX). Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), a well-characterized inhibitor of neutrophil serine protease, is used in augmentation therapy to treat emphysema due to severe AAT deficiency. Evidence demonstrates its additional anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective effects.

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Protects Vascular Grafts of Brain-Dead Rats Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is a potential side effect of brain death (BD). Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury during heart transplantation may lead to further endothelial damage. Protective effects of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), a human neutrophil serine protease inhibitor, have been demonstrated against IR injury.

Bone Marrow Culture-Derived Conditioned Medium Recovers Endothelial Function of Vascular Grafts following Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Diabetic Rats.

Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a challenge in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Diabetic patients with coronary artery disease are more likely to require CABG and therefore run a high risk for cardiovascular complications. Conditioned medium (CM) from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells has been shown to have beneficial effects against IRI.

Improvement of Left Ventricular Graft Function Using an Iron-Chelator-Supplemented Bretschneider Solution in a Canine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation.

Demand for organs is increasing while the number of donors remains constant. Nevertheless, not all organs are utilized due to the limited time window for heart transplantation (HTX). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether an iron-chelator-supplemented Bretschneider solution could protect the graft in a clinically relevant canine model of HTX with prolonged ischemic storage.

Sex similarities and differences in the reverse and anti-remodeling effect of pressure unloading therapy in a rat model of aortic banding and debanding.

Investigating the effect of sex on pressure unloading therapy in a clinical scenario is limited by several nonstandardized factors. Hence, we sought to study sex-related similarities and differences under laboratory conditions. Pressure overload was induced in male and female rats by aortic banding (AB) for 6 and 12 wk.

Custodiol-N versus Custodiol: a prospective randomized double-blind multicentre phase III trial in patients undergoing elective coronary bypass surgery.

Objectives: HTK-Solution (Custodiol) is a well-established cardioplegic and organ preservation solution. We currently developed a novel HTK-based solution, Custodiol-N, which includes iron chelators to reduce oxidative injury, as well as l-arginine, to improve endothelial function. In this first-in-human study, Custodiol-N was compared to Custodiol in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery.

Aspirin Reduces Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Induced Endothelial Cell Damage of Arterial Grafts in a Rodent Model.

Long-term graft patency determines the prognosis of revascularization after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the graft suffered during harvesting and after implantation might influence graft patency. Aspirin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug improves the long-term patency of vein grafts.

Graft Preservation Solution DuraGraft Alleviates Vascular Dysfunction Following In Vitro Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Vascular ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting can result in graft failure and the need for repeat revascularization procedures. DuraGraft has been shown to protect structure and function in saphenous vein grafts against IRI. We compared the effect of DuraGraft to saline solution on arterial grafts submitted to IRI.

Reconditioning of circulatory death hearts by ex-vivo machine perfusion with a novel HTK-N preservation solution.

Background: Warm ischemia followed by blood reperfusion is associated with reduced myocardial contractility. Circulatory death (CD) hearts are maintained by machine perfusion (MP) with blood. However, the impact of MP with histidine-tryptophane-ketoglutarate (HTK) or novel HTK-N solution on reconditioning of CD-heart contractility is unknown.

The Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Canagliflozin Alleviates Endothelial Dysfunction Following Vascular Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Vascular ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) contributes to graft failure and adverse clinical outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting. Sodium-glucose-cotransporter (SGLT)-2-inhibitors have been shown to protect against myocardial IRI, irrespective of diabetes. We hypothesized that adding canagliflozin (CANA) (an SGLT-2-inhibitor) to saline protects vascular grafts from IRI.

Impact of skeletonized harvesting of the internal thoracic artery on intrasternal microcirculation considering preparation quality.

Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated the impact of internal thoracic artery (ITA) harvesting on microcirculation in parasternal tissues. However, the impact of skeletonized ITA harvesting on intrasternal microcirculation is unknown. Intraskeletal tissue perfusion has been proven to be crucial for deep wound healing.

Conditioned Medium from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviates Endothelial Dysfunction of Vascular Grafts Submitted to Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in 15-Month-Old Rats.

In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is the main contributor to organ dysfunction. Aging-induced vascular damage may be further aggravated during CABG. Favorable effects of conditioned medium (CM) from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been suggested against IRI.

Left-ventricular hypertrophy in 18-month-old donor rat hearts was not associated with graft dysfunction in the early phase of reperfusion after cardiac transplantation-gene expression profiling.

The use of hearts with left-ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) could offer an opportunity to extend the donor pool for cardiac transplantation. We assessed the effects of LVH in 18-month-old spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (SHRSP) donor rats and following transplantation. In donors, cardiac function and structural alterations were assessed.

Negative drift of sedation depth in critically ill patients receiving constant minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane, sevoflurane, or desflurane: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) physicians have extended the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) to deliver and monitor long-term volatile sedation in critically ill patients. There is limited evidence of MAC's reliability in controlling sedation depth in this setting. We hypothesized that sedation depth, measured by the electroencephalography (EEG)-derived Narcotrend-Index (burst-suppression N_Index 0-awake N_Index 100), might drift downward over time despite constant MAC values.

Monitoring of perfusion quality and prediction of donor heart function during ex-vivo machine perfusion by myocardial microcirculation versus surrogate parameters.

Currently, lactate (Lac) is used to evaluate machine perfusion (MP) of hearts, donated after circulatory death (DCD). We hypothesize that monitoring of myocardial microcirculation (mLDP) by Laser-Doppler-Perfusion is superior to Lac to evaluate perfusion and predict contractility. In a pig model, DCD-hearts were perfused 4 hours followed by reperfusion and left ventricular contractility measurement.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived conditioned medium protects vascular grafts of brain-dead rats against in vitro ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Background: Brain death (BD) has been suggested to induce coronary endothelial dysfunction. Ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury during heart transplantation may lead to further damage of the endothelium. Previous studies have shown protective effects of conditioned medium (CM) from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) against IR injury.

Pharmacological activation of soluble guanylate cyclase improves vascular graft function.

Objectives: Ischaemia-reperfusion injury impairs the nitric oxide/soluble guanylate cyclase/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signalling pathway and leads to vascular dysfunction. We assessed the hypothesis that the soluble guanylate cyclase activator cinaciguat would protect the vascular graft against ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

Methods: In the treatment groups, rats (n = 8/group) were pretreated with either intravenous saline or intravenous cinaciguat (10 mg/kg) 2 h before an aortic transplant.

Brain-dead donor heart conservation with a preservation solution supplemented by a conditioned medium from mesenchymal stem cells improves graft contractility after transplantation.

Hearts are usually procured from brain-dead (BD) donors. However, brain death may induce hemodynamic instability, which may contribute to posttransplant graft dysfunction. We hypothesized that BD-donor heart preservation with a conditioned medium (CM) from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) would improve graft function after transplantation.

N-octanoyl dopamine is superior to dopamine in protecting graft contractile function when administered to the heart transplant recipients from brain-dead donors.

The major source of heart transplantation comes from brain-dead (BD) donors. However, brain death and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury during transplantation may lead to cardiac dysfunction and hemodynamic instability. A previous work demonstrated that pre-treatment of BD donors with dopamine improved the graft survival of heart allograft in recipient after transplantation.

Incomplete structural reverse remodeling from late-stage left ventricular hypertrophy impedes the recovery of diastolic but not systolic dysfunction in rats.

Objective: Pressure overload-induced left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy (LVH) regresses after pressure unloading. However, distinct structural alterations become less reversible during the progression of LVH, which might influence the restoration of cardiac function. Here, we investigated how a reverse remodeling process from early versus late-stage LVH affects different aspects of left ventricular function.

Acute canagliflozin treatment protects against in vivo myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in non-diabetic male rats and enhances endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.

Background: The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients, with a pronounced decrease in hospitalization for heart failure (HF) especially in those with HF at baseline. These might indicate a potent direct cardioprotective effect, which is currently incompletely understood. We sought to characterize the cardiovascular effects of acute canagliflozin treatment in healthy and infarcted rat hearts.

Myofilament Ca sensitivity correlates with left ventricular contractility during the progression of pressure overload-induced left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy in rats.

Aim: Here we aimed at investigating the relation between left ventricular (LV) contractility and myofilament function during the development and progression of pressure overload (PO)-induced LV myocardial hypertrophy (LVH).

Methods: Abdominal aortic banding (AB) was performed to induce PO in rats for 6, 12 and 18 weeks. Sham operated animals served as controls.

Hypothermic perfusion of donor heart with a preservation solution supplemented by mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: Heart transplantation is the definitive treatment for end-stage heart failure. A shortage of donor hearts forced transplant programs to accept older donors and longer ischemic times. Previous studies have suggested that administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or their conditioned medium (CM) protects the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI).