European surgical research. Europäische chirurgische Forschung. Recherches chirurgicales européennes
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Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal complications after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Endothelin expression and microcirculatory dysfunction have been shown to be involved in UGIB. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of vasopressin during CPB on the gastric mucosal microcirculation and the involvement of the endothelin system. ⋯ Vasopressin aggravates CPB-associated microvascular malperfusion of the gastric mucosa but does not induce gastric mucosal injury.