Protective effects of postconditioning in transvaginally created pneumoperitoneum.

There are reports of ischemic complications in clinical practice after laparoscopy using pneumoperitoneum. Conditioning has a beneficial effect for various ischemic diseases. This experimental study was designed to evaluate the effects of postconditioning in transvaginally created pneumoperitoneum. Sixty adult female rats, weighing 300±50 g were divided into four equal groups. Pneumoperitoneum was created by CO2 insufflation under a pressure of 10 mmHg. Rats in the first group (sham) were subjected to only sham-operation or gas insufflation. The second group (TV/PP) was subjected to pneumoperitoneum for 60 min followed by 30 min of desufflation. The third group (post-5) was subjected to pneumoperitoneum for 60 min followed by 5 min of desufflation, 5 min of insufflation and again followed by 30 min of desufflation. The fourth group (post-2.5) was subjected to pneumoperitoneum for 60 min followed by 2.5 min of desufflation and 2.5 min of insufflation-repeated in two cycles- and then followed by 30 min of desufflation. The rats were sacrificed, and blood was collected after 30 min, 2 and 6 h from the last desufflation. Levels of oxidative stress markers, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), sulfhydryl groups (SH) and inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, were analyzed. Levels of MDA in the post-5 group were significantly reduced compared to the TV/PP and post-2.5 groups. The level of GSH in TV/PP animals was markedly reduced compared to the Sham, Post-5 and Post-2.5 groups. In addition, levels of SH were increased in the Post-5 group in comparison to the Sham, TV/PP and Post-2.5 groups. No difference in the activity of SOD between the groups was found, and the concentration of TNF-α in TV/PP animals was significantly higher than that in the Sham and postconditioning groups. Overall, the results of the present study indicate that postconditioning can reduce pneumoperitoneum-induced oxidative injury.

Long-term survival in a patient with low-level inflammatory markers and liver metastasis, converted resectable by TACE.

Case report presents the successful treatment of unresectable liver metastasis in a patient with colon cancer. A 44-year-old male underwent right hemicolectomy followed by capecitabine for a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the colon. 2 years later, a liver metastatic lesion was detected and had increased in size despite chemotherapy with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX). Curative liver resection was conducted after conversion of unresectable tumor to resectable by transarterial chemoembolization followed by chemotherapy - irinotecan with fluorouracil and folinic acid (FOLFIRI). No recurrence was observed during 22-month follow-up after hepatectomy.

An isolated venous sac as a novel site for cell therapy in diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Transplanting pancreatic islets is of significant interest for type 1 diabetes mellitus. After intraportal injection of islets, inferior engraftment and eventual loss of transplanted islets constitute major limitations. Therefore, alternative approaches will be helpful. Here, we evaluated in animals whether an isolated venous sac would support survival of transplanted islets, along with correction of hyperglycemia. METHODS: Pancreatic islets isolated from adult Lewis rats were transplanted either into an isolated venous sac made from lumbar vein or into the portal vein of syngeneic rats. The integrity and vascular organization of the venous sac was determined by studies of the local microcirculation. The engraftment, survival, and function of transplanted islets were analyzed by histology, including endocrine function in situ and by glycemic control in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. RESULTS: Transplanted islets showed normal morphology with insulin expression in isolated venous sac during the long term. Transplanted islets received blood supply from vasa vasorum and had access to drainage through venous tributaries in the venous sac. This resulted in restoration of euglycemia in diabetic rats. Removal of islet graft-bearing venous sac in diabetic rats led to recurrence of hyperglycemia. By contrast, euglycemia was not restored in rats treated by intraportal transplantation of islets. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that pancreatic islets successfully engrafted and functioned in the isolated venous sac with ability to restore euglycemia in diabetic rats. Therefore, the isolated venous sac offers a new site for transplantation of pancreatic islets. This would be clinically beneficial as an alternative to intrahepatic islet transplantation.