Microvascular research
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Microvascular research · May 2015
New insights into systemic sclerosis related microcirculatory dysfunction by assessment of sublingual micr\ocirculation and vascular glycocalyx layer. Results from a preliminary study.
Initial morphological and functional markers of systemic sclerosis (SSc) are evidenced in microvascular structural damage. However, nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) explores only morphological abnormalities. Sidestream Dark Field (SDF) imaging of sublingual microcirculation enables assessment of both morphological and functional capillary impairment and allows measurement of the glycocalyx layer, which is an indicator of endothelial dysfunction. ⋯ Our results suggest for the first time in SSc, that sublingual microcirculation and glycocalyx are impaired and that SDF imaging findings correlate with those of NVC. Nevertheless, further studies are required for the validation of our preliminary results.
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Microvascular research · May 2015
The beneficial effects of acute hypercapnia on microcirculatory oxygenation in an animal model of sepsis are independent of K(+)ATP channels.
Acute hypercapnia maintains the microcirculatory oxygenation of the splanchnic region during sepsis. The first aim of this study was to characterize the role of K(+)ATP channels on the microcirculatory flow and oxygenation during acute moderate hypercapnia. The second aim was to investigate whether a short period of hypercapnia induces detrimental effects in an otherwise undamaged rodent lung. ⋯ The observed beneficial effect of hypercapnia on microvascular oxygenation of the colon in sepsis does not seem to be mediated via K(+)ATP channels.