Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Decreases the Magnitude of Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury on a Swine Model of Supraceliac Aortic Cross-Clamping.

BACKGROUND: Temporary hepatic ischemia is inevitable during open aortic surgery when supraceliac clamping is necessary, as in thoracoabdominal or pararenal aneurysms. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been described as a potential protective means against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in various tissues including the liver. The aim of this experimental study was to detect the effect of RIPC on liver IRI in a model of supraceliac aortic cross-clamping. METHODS: An animal study was performed. Four groups of 6 swines each were examined: the control (sham) group, the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group, and 2 remote ischemic preconditioning groups (RIPC I and RIPC II group). In the IR group, the animals underwent a complete cessation of the splanchnic arterial circulation for 30 min by a concomitant occlusion of the supraceliac and the infrarenal aorta. In the RIPC groups, a remote preconditioning was applied before the splanchnic ischemia. This consisted of a temporary occlusion of the infrarenal aorta for 15 min followed by 15 min of reperfusion (RIPC I group), and 3 cycles of 5 min similar ischemia, followed by 5 min of reperfusion each (RIPC II group). All animals were followed for 24 hr after the ischemia (reperfusion period). The liver ischemia-reperfusion injury was assessed by examining specific serum biomarkers indicating the magnitude of metabolic injury from selective blood samples of the hepatic circulation. In particular, the following parameters were examined: C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor a, ferritin, and L-arginine. RESULTS: All parameters were affected in the IR group as compared to the sham group. Both RIPC groups developed a less serious change as compared to the IR group, in all examined parameters. CONCLUSIONS: In an animal study of splanchnic ischemia produced in a way to this produced during a supraceliac aortic aneurysm open repair, the remote ischemic preconditioning seemed to attenuate the effect of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Remote ischemic preconditioning produced with short bouts of ischemia of the lower body by temporary clamping of the infrarenal aorta might be used as a means of decreasing the detrimental effects of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury after supraceliac aortic cross-clamping. This was found in a swine model of suprarenal AAA open repair by studying the variance of certain biological biomarkers in selective blood samples retrieved from the hepatic vein.

Use of the Nellix Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing System in Combination With Parallel Grafts for the Treatment of a Symptomatic Type V Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

PURPOSE: To report endovascular treatment of a symptomatic type V thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) using the combined techniques of endovascular aneurysm sealing and parallel stent-grafts. CASE REPORT: A 70-year-old man was referred with a symptomatic type V TAAA. The Nellix EndoVascular Aneurysm Sealing (EVAS) System was used in combination with 2 chimney grafts for the celiac artery (CA) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA); one periscope graft perfused the right renal artery. Completion angiography showed exclusion of the aneurysm and patency of all 3 parallel grafts but occlusion of the left renal artery (LRA) due to unintentional coverage of its ostium by the Nellix endobags. Antegrade catheterization of the LRA failed, requiring implantation of an aortorenal vein bypass. The postoperative course was complicated by acute kidney injury. Imaging at 6 months showed sustained exclusion of the aneurysm, patency of the CA and SMA parallel grafts and left aortorenal bypass but occlusion of the right renal artery periscope graft. Serum creatinine at 6 months was 1.5 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: The combination of EVAS with parallel grafts for preservation of the visceral vessels may be a feasible technique to treat selected TAAAs in the acute setting when other options are not applicable.

Patent Femoropopliteal Vein Bypass Graft 45 Years After Implantation.

Patency of femoropopliteal vein bypass above the knee has been estimated between 69% and 77% at 5 years. This article reports a case of a patent femoropopliteal vein bypass 45 years after implantation without any reintervention. The morphologic alterations observed after 45 years at this vein bypass graft are additionally discussed.

Remote Ischemic Preconditioning May Attenuate Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in a Porcine Model of Supraceliac Aortic Cross-Clamping.

AIM: The effect of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) in decreasing renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) during a suprarenal aortic cross-clamping was examined in a swine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four groups of pigs were examined: (a) ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group, renal IRI produced by 30 min of supraceliac aortic cross-clamping; (b) RIPC I group, the same renal IRI following RIPC by brief occlusion of the infrarenal aorta (15 min ischemia and 15 min reperfusion); (c) RIPC II group, the same renal IRI following RIPC by brief occlusion of the infrarenal aorta (3 cycles of 5 min ischemia and 5 min reperfusion); (d) sham group. Renal function was assessed before and after IRI by examining creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), TNF-α, malondialdehyde (MDA), cystatin C and C-reactive protein (CRP) from renal vein blood samples at specific time intervals. RESULTS: Both RIPC groups presented significantly less impaired results compared to the IR group when considering MDA, cystatin C, CRP and creatinine. Between the two RIPC groups, RIPC II presented a better response with regard to CRP, NGAL, TNF-α, MDA and cystatin C. CONCLUSIONS: Remote IR protocols and mainly repetitive short periods of cycles of IR ameliorate the biochemical kidney effects of IRI in a model of suprarenal aortic aneurysm repair.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma presenting with penile metastasis: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Penile metastases are an extremely rare occurrence, and most primary malignancies are located in the urinary bladder, prostate, rectum, and rectosigmoid. Although very few cases of penile metastases have been reported, those of lung cancer as the primary tumor are very rare. Among the latter, squamous cell carcinomas constitute the majority, whereas adenocarcinomas are almost exceptions. To the best of our knowledge, only two cases have been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 59-year-old Greek man who presented with persistent cough and chest pain that had started one month prior to a medical appointment. A physical examination, complete laboratory work-up, computed tomography scanning (of the chest, brain, and abdomen), pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, penile ultrasonography, bone scanning, and histological analyses were conducted. Afterward, a lung adenocarcinoma metastatic to the bones, brain, adrenals, lymph nodes, and penis was diagnosed. The primary lesion was a mass of 4cm in diameter in the apical segment of the lower lobe of the right lung. The patient was treated with bone and brain radiotherapy and various cycles of first- and second-line chemotherapy, and partial response was achieved five months after the initial appointment. CONCLUSIONS: Although these metastatic sites are well known to occur from a primary pulmonary malignancy, penile metastasis is extremely rare. Its identification requires prompt awareness by the physician despite the dismal prognosis. Furthermore, since the penis usually is omitted from the physical examination and lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, more penile metastases may be detected in the future, making early detection and appropriate management of great importance.