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Transplantation Jun 2024Curcumin is a pleiotropic antioxidant polyphenol, which has proven to be highly protective in various models of liver injury and inflammation. We hypothesized that...
BACKGROUND
Curcumin is a pleiotropic antioxidant polyphenol, which has proven to be highly protective in various models of liver injury and inflammation. We hypothesized that adding a stable aqueous curcumin formulation which comprises a water-soluble cyclodextrin curcumin formulation (CDC) complex of the water-insoluble curcumin molecule (Novobion, Espoo, Finland) to preservation solution during liver procurement may reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury and improve graft function after liver transplantation using donation after circulatory death (DCD).
METHODS
In a preclinical pig model of DCD-liver transplantation, livers exposed to 15' of warm ischemia were either modulated (N = 6) with a flush of preservation solution (histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate) containing CDC (60 µmol/L) through the vena porta and the aorta, or not (controls, N = 6) before 4 h of cold storage. Area under the curve of log serum aspartate aminotransferase, markers of graft function (lactate, glycemia, prothrombin time, and bile production), inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), and survival were monitored.
RESULTS
Area under the curve of log serum aspartate aminotransferase were similar between curcumin and control groups (22.12 [20.87-24.88] versus 25.08 [22.1-26.55]; P = 0.28). No difference in the liver function markers were observed between groups except a lower serum lactate level 3-h post-reperfusion in the curcumin group (3 [1.95-6.07] versus 8.2 [4.85-13.45] mmol/L; P = 0.05). Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were similar in each group. Recipient survival rates were found similar.
CONCLUSIONS
CDC added to the preservation solution in DCD liver pig model did not improve ischemia-reperfusion injury severity, liver function, or survival. Further efforts are needed to explore this strategy, particularly with dynamic preservation, which finds its way into clinical practice.
PubMed: 38902859
DOI: 10.1097/TP.0000000000005117 -
BMJ Case Reports Jun 2024Takayasu arteritis is an inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology affecting large vessels. Medium vessel involvement is also well documented; however, neuropathy as a...
Takayasu arteritis is an inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology affecting large vessels. Medium vessel involvement is also well documented; however, neuropathy as a presenting manifestation is rare. In this case report, a young woman in her 20s presented with an 8-month history of intermittent claudication in the right upper limb progressing to rest pain with allodynia in C5-C8 distribution and painless right axillary mass. On examination, she had absent pulses in the right radial, brachial and subclavian artery with audible bruit in the right subclavian and abdominal aorta. CT angiogram showed features suggestive of Takayasu arteritis with a partially thrombosed aneurysm arising from the right axillary artery leading to compression of the right brachial plexus. This patient received treatment with methotrexate and oral corticosteroids. At 3 months follow-up, there was a reduction in the size of the aneurysm, resolution of compressive symptoms and normalisation of inflammatory markers.
Topics: Humans; Takayasu Arteritis; Female; Axillary Artery; Aneurysm; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies; Adult; Computed Tomography Angiography; Methotrexate
PubMed: 38901855
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2024-260086 -
International Journal of Gynaecology... Jun 2024Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder is a critical and severe obstetric condition associated with high risk of intraoperative massive hemorrhage and cesarean... (Review)
Review
Clinical evaluation of the effect for prophylactic balloon occlusion in pregnancies complicated with placenta accreta spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder is a critical and severe obstetric condition associated with high risk of intraoperative massive hemorrhage and cesarean hysterectomy. Severe obstetric hemorrhage is currently one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. Prophylactic balloon occlusions, including prophylactic balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta (PBOAA) and prophylactic balloon occlusion of the internal iliac arteries (PBOIIA), are the most common means of controlling hemorrhage in patients with PAS disorder, but their effectiveness is still debated.
OBJECTIVE
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of prophylactic balloon occlusion during cesarean section (CS) in improving maternal outcomes for PAS patients.
SEARCH STRATEGY
MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from the inception dates to June 2022, using the keywords "placenta accreta spectrum disorder/morbidly adherent placenta (placenta previa, placenta accreta, placenta increta, placenta percreta), balloon occlusion, internal iliac arteries, abdominal aorta, hemorrhage, hysterectomy, estimated blood loss (EBL), packed red blood cells (PRBCs)" to identify the systematic reviews or meta-analyses.
SELECTION CRITERIA
All articles regarding PAS disorders and including the application of balloon occlusion were included in the screening.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two independent researchers performed the data extraction and assessed study quality. EBL volume and PRBC transfusion volume was regarded as the primary endpoints. Random and fixed effects models were used for the meta-analysis (RRs and 95% CIs), and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessments.
MAIN RESULTS
Of 429 studies identified, a total of 35 trials involving the application of balloon occlusion for patients with PAS disorder during CS were included. A total of 19 studies involving 935 patients who underwent PBOIIA were included in the PBOIIA group, and 851 patients were included in control 1 group. Ten studies including 428 patients with PAS who underwent PBOAA were allocated to the PBOAA group, and 324 patients without PBOAA were included in control 2 group. Simultaneously, we compared the effect on PBOAA and PBOIIA including seven studies, which referred to 267 cases in the PBOAA group and 313 cases in the PBOIIA group. The results showed that the PBOIIA group had a reduced EBL volume (MD: 342.06 mL, 95% CI: -509.90 to -174.23 mL, I = 77%, P < 0.0001) and PRBC volume (MD: -1.57 U, 95% CI: -2.49 to -0.66 U, I = 91%, P = 0.0008) than that in control 1 group. With regard to the EBL volume (MD: -926.42 mL, 95% CI: -1437.07 to -415.77 mL, I = 96%, P = 0.0004) and PRBC transfusion volume (MD: -2.42 U, 95% CI: -4.25 to -0.59 U, I = 99%, P = 0.009) we found significant differences between the PBOAA group and control 2 group. Prophylactic balloon occlusion (PBOAA and PBOIIA) had a significant effect on reducing intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in patients with PAS. Moreover, PBOAA was more effective than PBOIIA in reducing intraoperative blood loss (MD: -406.63 mL, 95% CI: -754.12 to -59.13 mL, I = 92%, P = 0.020), but no significant difference in controlling PRBCs (MD: -3.48 U, 95% CI: -8.90 to 1.95 U, I = 99%, P = 0.210) between the PBOIIA group and the PBOAA group. Hierarchical analysis was conducted by differentiating gestational weeks and maternal age to reduce the high heterogeneity of meta-analysis. Hierarchical analysis results demonstrated the heterogeneities of the study were reduced to some extent, and gestational weeks and maternal age might be the cause of increased heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
Prophylactic balloon occlusion is a safe and effective method to control hemorrhage and reduce PRBC transfusion volume for patients with PAS, and PBOAA could reduce more intraoperative blood loss than PBOIIA. However, we found no statistical difference in lessening packed red blood cell transfusion volume for PAS patients. Hence, preoperative prophylactic balloon occlusion is the recommended application for PAS patients in obstetric CSs. Furthermore, PBOAA is preferred for controlling intraoperative bleeding in patients with corresponding medical conditions.
PubMed: 38899567
DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.15704 -
The British Journal of Radiology Jun 2024The abdominal aorta is a continuation of the thoracic aorta and gives off coeliac trunk, superior mesenteric artery & inferior mesenteric artery. The focus of our study...
OBJECTIVE
The abdominal aorta is a continuation of the thoracic aorta and gives off coeliac trunk, superior mesenteric artery & inferior mesenteric artery. The focus of our study is to evaluate variations in origin level in coeliac trunk, Superior Mesenteric artery, Inferior Mesenteric artery, and Aortic bifurcation in the Indian population and compare with various demographics.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was retrospective and the local ethics committee approval was taken before starting it. 300 patients who were of more than 18 years of age and required CECT studies were included in this. The vertebral origin level of the arteries from Abdominal Aorta and Aortic Bifurcation level was analyzed.
RESULTS
The most common origin level of Coeliac trunk for both males and females was T12-L1 Disc level. The most common origin level of Superior Mesenteric Artery was L1 Upper level. The most common origin level of Inferior Mesenteric Artery was L3 Upper level. The most common origin level of Superior Mesenteric Artery was L5 Lower level. There was no statistical difference between the origin of any arteries in Males and Females in the Indian Population.
CONCLUSION
As per our study in the Indian population and the published literature it is realized that there are significant variations in origins of Coeliac Trunk, Superior Mesenteric artery, Inferior Mesenteric artery and Abdominal Aorta bifurcation in different populations.
ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE
This study elaborates on potential Anatomical Variations in Indian Population, particularly Mumbai City population. Also, our study compares it to different countries' data and their results in variations found in Abdominal Aorta branches.
PubMed: 38897651
DOI: 10.1093/bjr/tqae121 -
Journal of Biomechanics Jun 2024Biological tissues decay over time after harvesting, which alters their biomechanical properties. This poses logistical challenges for studies investigating passive...
Biological tissues decay over time after harvesting, which alters their biomechanical properties. This poses logistical challenges for studies investigating passive arterial biomechanics as tissues need to be characterized shortly after excision. Freezing and cryopreservation methods can help alleviate the need for biomechanical testing of fresh tissue in human ex vivo studies. However, these methods tend to eliminate or reduce arterial cell functionality and affect passive biomechanics. Furthermore, their impact on dynamic arterial biomechanics remains unknown despite arterial viscoelastic properties being an integral component contributing to arterial stiffness under in vivo loading conditions. The present study aims to investigate the impact of rapid cooling and subsequent storage at -80 °C on the passive viscoelastic properties of arterial tissue and aid in ascertaining whether this is a suitable method to delay tissue analysis for studies investigating passive arterial biomechanics. Control and frozen abdominal rat aorta segments were quasi-statically and dynamically tested using a biaxial testing set-up. The results were modeled using a constituent-based quasi-linear viscoelastic modeling framework, yielding directional stiffness parameters, individual constituent biomechanical contributions, and a quantification of viscoelastic stiffening under dynamic pressurization conditions. Frozen samples displayed significantly decreased wall thickness, viscoelastic dissipation, viscoelastic stiffening, and significantly decreased circumferential deformation with changes in luminal pressure. Furthermore, frozen samples displayed significantly increased circumferential stiffness, pulse wave velocity, and collagen load bearing. Consequently, these changes should be considered when utilizing this tissue preservation method to delay biomechanical characterization of rat aortic tissue.
PubMed: 38897049
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112190 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2024Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a disease characterized by localized dilation of the abdominal aorta, involving multiple factors in its occurrence and development,... (Review)
Review
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is a disease characterized by localized dilation of the abdominal aorta, involving multiple factors in its occurrence and development, ultimately leading to vessel rupture and severe bleeding. AAA has a high mortality rate, and there is a lack of targeted therapeutic drugs. Epigenetic regulation plays a crucial role in AAA, and the treatment of AAA in the epigenetic field may involve a series of related genes and pathways. Abnormal expression of these genes may be a key factor in the occurrence of the disease and could potentially serve as promising therapeutic targets. Understanding the epigenetic regulation of AAA is of significant importance in revealing the mechanisms underlying the disease and identifying new therapeutic targets. This knowledge can contribute to offering AAA patients better clinical treatment options beyond surgery. This review systematically explores various aspects of epigenetic regulation in AAA, including DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA, and RNA modification. The analysis of the roles of these regulatory mechanisms, along with the identification of relevant genes and pathways associated with AAA, is discussed comprehensively. Additionally, a comprehensive discussion is provided on existing treatment strategies and prospects for epigenetics-based treatments, offering insights for future clinical interventions.
PubMed: 38895538
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1394889 -
Journal of Cellular and Molecular... Jun 2024Cardiac hypertrophy, worldwide known as an adaptive functional compensatory state of myocardial stress, is mainly believed to proceed to severe heart diseases, even to...
Cardiac hypertrophy, worldwide known as an adaptive functional compensatory state of myocardial stress, is mainly believed to proceed to severe heart diseases, even to sudden death. Emerging studies have explored the microRNA alteration during hypertrophy. However, the mechanisms of microRNAs involved in cardiac hypertrophy are still uncertain. We studied young rats to establish abdominal aorta coarctation (AAC) for 4 weeks. With the significant downregulated cardiac function and upregulated hypertrophic biomarkers, AAC-induced rats showed enlarged myocardiocytes and alterations in microRNAs, especially downregulated miR-31-5p. miR-31-5p targets the 3'UTR of Nfatc2ip and inhibits myocardial hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we verified that Nfatc2ip is necessary and sufficient for cardiac hypertrophy in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Moreover, we found miR-31-5p inhibited the colocalization of Nfatc2ip and hypertrophic gene β-Mhc. Luciferase assay and ChiP-qPCR test demonstrated that Nfatc2ip binded to the core-promoter of β-Mhc and enhanced its transcriptional activity. Above all, our study found a new pathway, mir-31-5p/Nfatc2ip/β-Mhc, which is involved in cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting a potential target for intervention of cardiac hypertrophy.
Topics: MicroRNAs; Animals; Cardiomegaly; NFATC Transcription Factors; Myocytes, Cardiac; Rats; Male; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Gene Expression Regulation; 3' Untranslated Regions; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 38894694
DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18413 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The clinical use of photon-counting CT (PCCT) allows for the generation of virtual non-contrast (VNC) series from contrast-enhanced images. In routine clinical practice,...
The clinical use of photon-counting CT (PCCT) allows for the generation of virtual non-contrast (VNC) series from contrast-enhanced images. In routine clinical practice, specific issues such as ruling out acute bleeding require non-contrast images. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of PCCT-derived VNC reconstructions in abdominal imaging. PCCT scans of 17 patients including early arterial, portal venous and native sequences were enrolled. VNC reconstructions have been calculated. In every sequence and VNC reconstruction, 10 ROIs were measured (portal vein, descending aorta, inferior vena cava, liver parenchyma, spleen parenchyma, erector spinae muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue, first lumbar vertebral body, air, and psoas muscle) and density values were compared. The VNC reconstructions show significant changes in density compared to the contrast-enhanced images. However, there were no significant differences present between the true non-contrast (TNC) and any VNC reconstructions in the observed organs and vessels. Significant differences ( < 0.05) between the measured mean density values in the TNC versus VNC reconstructions were found in fat and bone tissue. The PCCT-derived VNC reconstructions seemed to be comparable to the TNC images, despite some deviations shown in the adipose tissue and bone structures. However, the further benefits in terms of specific clinical issues need to be evaluated.
PubMed: 38893656
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111130 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Jun 2024The surgical treatment strategy for aortic arch pathology with a shaggy aorta must be determined on a case-by-case basis because of the risk of catastrophic...
BACKGROUND
The surgical treatment strategy for aortic arch pathology with a shaggy aorta must be determined on a case-by-case basis because of the risk of catastrophic complications, such as brain infarction and spinal cord injury.
CASE PRESENTATION
This report describes the surgical case of two saccular aneurysms of the arch and abdominal aorta associated with a shaggy aorta in a 63-year-old man who underwent total arch replacement and secondary thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Considering the risk of embolization during endovascular therapy, graft replacement for the abdominal aortic aneurysm was initially performed. On postoperative day 28, total arch replacement with the conventional elephant trunk was performed using the functional brain isolation technique, which involves manipulating places far from the atherosclerotic burden, such as arterial inflow for cardiopulmonary bypass and unclamping of neck vessels. On postoperative day 7 after total arch replacement, thoracic endovascular aortic repair was performed across the conventional elephant trunk in the nondiseased descending aorta. No postoperative complications, such as cerebrovascular failure, paraplegia, or embolization to abdominal viscera or lower extremities, occurred. The patient remained asymptomatic.
CONCLUSIONS
The present case suggests that total arch replacement with the conventional elephant trunk and secondary thoracic endovascular aortic repair may be an effective alternative for aortic arch pathology with a shaggy aorta. The strategy for surgical treatment in patients with aortic arch pathologies with a shaggy aorta must be judged on a case-by-case basis, considering patient characteristics, comorbidities, and preoperative evaluation using transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography angiography, to eliminate potential determinants of intraoperative stroke.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Aorta, Thoracic; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic; Endovascular Procedures; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 38890739
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-024-02841-5 -
Journal of the American Heart... Jun 2024Recent studies suggest that immune-mediated inflammation of perivascular adipose tissue of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) contributes to disease development and...
BACKGROUND
Recent studies suggest that immune-mediated inflammation of perivascular adipose tissue of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) contributes to disease development and progression. Whether the perivascular adipose tissue of AAA is characterized by a specific adaptive immune signature remains unknown.
METHODS AND RESULTS
To investigate this hypothesis, we sequenced the T-cell receptor β-chain in the perivascular adipose tissue of patients with AAA and compared it with patients with aortic occlusive disease, who share the former anatomical site of the lesion and risk factors but differ in pathogenic mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that patients with AAA have a lower repertoire diversity than those with aortic occlusive disease and significant differences in variable/joining gene segment usage. Furthermore, we identified a set of 7 public T-cell receptor β-chain clonotypes that distinguished AAA and aortic occlusive disease with very high accuracy. We also found that the T-cell receptor β-chain repertoire differentially characterizes small and large AAAs (aortic diameter<55 mm and ≥55 mm, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
This work supports the hypothesis that T cell-mediated immunity is fundamental in AAA pathogenesis and opens up new clinical perspectives.
Topics: Humans; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Male; Aged; Female; T-Lymphocytes; Adipose Tissue; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; Middle Aged; Aorta, Abdominal
PubMed: 38888318
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.034096