[Assessment of Long-Term Sexual Function after Radical Resection for Lower Rectal Cancer].

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term sexual function and risk factors of dysfunction after the autonomic nerve preserving operation for lower rectal cancer.

Methods: We evaluated postoperative sexual function assessed by IIEF5 in 91 patients who responded to the questionnaire by mail.

Results: After a median follow-up of 5.

[Regrowth of Isolated Local Residual Tumor Effectively Treated with Chemoradiotherapy More Than Five Years after a Resection for Pancreatic Cancer with an Involvement of the Portal Vein].

A 55-year-old man who presented with abdominal pain was diagnosed with pancreatic head cancer involving the portal vein. He underwent pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy without a resection of the portalvein, resulting in a macroscopic residualtumor, because radicalresection was impossible owing to the severe localinvasion. Postoperative chemotherapy( GEM plus S-1)was administered.

[Assessment of Functional Results after Sphincter-Preserving Surgery in Elderly Patients with Low Rectal Cancer].

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative dysfunction and potential problems after a sphincter-preserving operation in elderly patients with low rectal cancer.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2012, 307 consecutive patients with low rectal cancer underwent curative sphincter-preserving surgery. We evaluated postoperative anal and urinary dysfunction in 190 patients who responded to a questionnaire by mail.

A bioartificial liver that combines plasma dialysis and whole liver perfusion.

Background/aims: The development of a bioartificial liver with xenogeneic hepatocytes requires sufficient hepatocyte mass for metabolic support, decreased immunogenicity, and prevention of viral transmission. Therefore, the authors developed a plasma dialysis system using a selective plasma filter, and combined this dialysis system with whole liver plasma perfusion (PDWLP). In this system, the patient's plasma was dialyzed with normal plasma recycled through the pig liver.

Heterotopic gastrointestinal mucosa and pancreatic tissue in a retroperitoneal tumor.

We believe that this is the first report of a retroperitoneal tumor consisting of heterotopic gastrointestinal mucosa and pancreatic tissue. The patient was a 19-year-old woman with the chief complaint being occasional back pain. Abdominal computerized tomography demonstrated a 3.

Attenuation of graft injury in porcine liver transplantation from non-heart beating donor by FR167653.

Background/aims: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) from non-heart beating donor (NHBD) often involves hepatic warm ischemia and reperfusion injury which is triggered by the inflammatory cytokines. This study was carried out to investigate whether a newly synthesized cytokine suppressive anti-inflammatory agent, FR167653, attenuates graft injury in OLTx from NHBD.

Methodology: Porcine OLTx from NHBD was performed.

Efficacy of cutting balloon for anastomotic stricture of the hepatic vein.

Anastomotic stricture of the hepatic vein is an annoying complication, especially in living donor liver transplantation. Balloon dilation has been utilized but is sometimes associated with recurrences. Recently, a cutting balloon was invented for treatment of arteriosclerosis.

Hepatic clearance improves after angioplasty of the hepatic vein.

Anastomotic stricture sometimes causes hepatic congestion leading to decreased hepatic clearance of drugs. We herein describe a correlation between trough levels of tacrolimus and an anastomotic stricture of the hepatic vein. A 13-year-old boy underwent living donor liver transplant with a left lobe graft from his mother.

A new method to immortalize primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

Background: In conventional methods of establishing hepatocyte cell lines, the immortalizing gene alone is introduced into hepatocytes. We designed a new method in which not only the immortalizing gene, the simian virus-40 large T-antigen (SV-40 Tag) gene, but also a drug-resistant gene, under the control of an albumin enhancer/promoter, were introduced into hepatocytes to efficiently obtain immortalized hepatocyte cell lines.

Methods: The plasmid pAPUR contains the puromycin-resistant gene under the control of an albumin enhancer/promoter, and the pSVTag contains the early region of SV-40 enhancer/promoter and the SV-40 Tag gene.

In vitro evaluation of cross-circulation system using semipermeable membrane combined with whole liver perfusion.

Introduction: Many types of isolated hepatocytes-based bioartificial liver have been developed. However, to maintain hepatocyte-specific functions for a long period is still a significant challenge. The possibilities of rejection or viral transmission still remain as untackled obstacles.

Efficacy of double-filtration plasmapheretic cross-circulation with a high-permeability membrane using canine harvested liver in porcine fulminant hepatic failure model.

Introduction: The use of bioartificial liver devices requires. A sufficient liver cell mass to provide adequate metabolic support, reduction of xenogeneic immune reactions, and avoidance of viral transmission. We have developed a plasmapheresis system using a semipermeable membrane combined with canine whole liver perfusion (PMCWLP).

Primary immunosuppression regimen of rapid steroid withdrawal after living related liver transplantation: a single-center experience.

Aim: Corticosteroids have been considered the mainstay of immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation. However, the side effects of long-term steroid use such as diabetes, infections, and bone disease, including growth retardation in children, are serious problems. Our immunosuppression regimen includes FK506 and steroid withdrawal by 30 days after transplantation.

Hepatic vein anastomotic stricture after living donor liver transplantation.

This report discusses the pathophysiology of and therapeutic methods to address hepatic vein anastomotic stricture after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). From 1994 to 2002, our 15 LDLTs using the lateral segments or left lobes included four recipients who experienced 28 occurrences of this complication after the operation. The period between LDLT and the first stricture was 4.

Intraoperative blood lactate level as an early predictor of initial graft function in human living donor liver transplantation.

Unlabelled: This study was performed to investigate whether intraoperative changes in blood lactate levels after hepatic allograft reperfusion reflect initial graft function in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Patients And Methods: From 1994 to 2003, 15 of LDLT cases were divided into two groups based on the intraoperative blood lactate levels. Group A consisted of seven recipients whose new liver grafts started to consume lactate immediately after portal perfusion.

Analysis of clinical variables of donors and recipients with respect to short-term graft outcome in human liver transplantation.

Unlabelled: Donor and recipient factors are closely associated with graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study was performed to analyze clinical characteristics of recipients and donors, which affect 30-day graft loss after OLT.

Materials And Methods: One hundred eighty-six livers from heart-beating donors were accepted between May 1997 and June 1998 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Attenuation of canine warm ischemic small bowel injury by novel combination of nitric oxide donor, FK409, and cytokine suppressive anti-inflammatory agent FR167653.

Organ ischemia-reperfusion injury is caused by two consecutive steps, microcirculatory disturbance and neutrophil-endothelial cell interactions, which are caused by inflammatory cytokines. We examined the hypothesis that combination therapy with a donor (FK409) of nitric oxide, one of the potent mediators with diverse roles as a vosodilator and a platelet inhibitor, together with the cytokine suppressor agent (FR167653) attenuates warm ischemic injury in canine small bowel. Small bowel ischemia was initiated by clamping the superior mesenteric artery and vein.

Synergistic effect of cold and warm ischemia time on postoperative graft function and outcome in human liver transplantation.

Prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) during graft preservation and warm ischemia time (WIT) during rewarming time have been reported to cause postoperative graft dysfunction after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). However, the effects of both CIT and WIT in combination on patient and graft survivals are not yet defined. The aim of this study was to determine whether simultaneously prolonged CIT and WIT were associated with early graft outcomes after clinical OLT.

Porcine partial liver transplantation: a novel model of the "small-for-size" liver graft.

Increasing shortage of cadaveric grafts demands the utilization of living donor and split liver grafts. The purpose of this study was to 1) define the "small-for-size" graft in a pig liver transplant model 2) evaluate pathological changes associated with small-for-size liver transplantation. Pigs were divided into four groups based on the volume of transplanted liver: (a) control group (n=4), 100% liver volume (LV) (b) group I (n=8), 60% LV (c) group II (n=8), 30% LV (d) group III (n=15), 20% LV.

Current status of autonomic nerve-preserving surgery for mid and lower rectal cancers: Japanese experience with lateral node dissection.

Surgical practices for treatment of rectal cancer in Japan have changed from extended dissection along perivascular or parietal plane to pelvic autonomic nerve-preserving procedures without compromising radicality of surgical resection. Previous surgical results suggested the significant advantages of extended surgery in survival and local recurrence rate of Dukes B and C patients. More than 15 percent of patients with cancer in the lower rectum have extramesorectal spread to lateral pelvic nodes that can be removed by lateral dissection for local control and cure.

Attenuation of microcirculatory disturbance after liver ischemia by newly synthesized inflammatory cytokine suppressor, FR167653.

Background/aims: Inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which activate neutrophils, contribute to hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the role of the cytokines in hepatic microcirculation immediately after reperfusion is still unclear. This study was carried out to investigate whether FR167653, a dual inhibitor of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, attenuates hepatic microcirculatory disturbance at the initial phase of reperfusion following liver ischemia.

Influence of cold ischemia time and graft transport distance on postoperative outcome in human liver transplantation.

Purpose: The association between hepatic allograft cold ischemia time (CIT) and graft transport distance (GTD) in human liver transplantation was examined by investigating whether extended graft transportation prolongs the CIT and adversely affects graft survival.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 186 consecutive orthotopic liver transplants (OLTs) done between May 1997 and July 1998. The number of miles from the donor hospital to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in a straight line was measured in each case, and defined as the GTD.

Efficacy of double filtration plasmapheretic cross-circulation using a high permeability membrane between totally hepatectomized dogs and donor pigs.

Background: Major obstacles to develop a bioartificial liver are xenogeneic immune reactions and viral infection from donor pigs. To solve these problems, we studied the effect of xenogeneic double filtration plasmapheretic cross-circulation (DFPCC) using a high performance semipermeable membrane on totally hepatectomized dogs.

Methods: Mongrel dogs, weighing 12-15 kg, underwent total hepatectomy in one stage (n=18).

Usefulness of redox tolerance test in evaluating fatty liver.

Background/aims: In living-related liver transplantation, fatty liver should be exactly detected in the healthy donor with noninvasive measurement before the surgery. The study aimed to investigate the usefulness of redox tolerance test in diagnosing fatty liver.

Methodology: The subjects were 32 patients who underwent an abdominal surgery.

Kidney transplantation for end-stage renal failure in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C viral infection.

Background: End-stage renal failure after successful liver transplantation (LTx) has been described in up to 5% of patients. Kidney transplantation (KTx) has been the treatment of choice in these cases. However, in recipients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the augmentation of immunosuppression after KTx may result in an increased viral load.