Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Dec 1995
Local and systemic effects of endotoxin in contracting skeletal muscle.
This study was performed to determine the direct effect of endotoxin on force generation, O2 consumption and vascular resistance in contracting skeletal muscle. ⋯ Endotoxin must affect muscle force production by acting through intermediates such as cytokines, and the effect is not apparent in the first 60 minutes.
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Although pyruvate supplementation enhances endurance in humans and increases cardiac output in dogs, its effects on cardiac and peripheral vascular function are not known. Thus, we assessed the cardiovascular effects of pyruvate infusion. ⋯ We conclude that pyruvate infusion in normal dogs induces venodilation but does not alter either cardiac contractility or arterial tone.
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Recent advances in the field of molecular biology have revolutionized our understanding of the functioning of living organisms and facilitated the development of robust tools for both diagnosis and treatment of diseases. With particular reference to the field of critical care medicine, development of molecular biology techniques have aided in the following: (1) rapid and highly specific detection of pathogenic infectious agents (eg, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pneumocystis carinii, cytomegalovirus, Legionella); (2) development of assays for measurement of circulating cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-1 that has helped our understanding of the pathogenesis of the sepsis syndrome; (3) administration of antibodies or soluble receptors to attempt to prevent untoward effects of cytokines such as TNF or IL-1; and (4) the administration of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or proteins to patients in an attempt to alter the course of a disease such as antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase). The rapidity of progress in this field has been staggering, which necessitates frequent updating of our knowledge for clinicians to put these molecular tools to their best use. This brief review attempts to explain the basic principles of commonly used techniques in molecular biology including recombinant DNA, polymerase chain reaction, DNA libraries, gene therapy, and protein biochemistry in a manner that is understandable to those without an in-depth knowledge of the field.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 1995
Inspiratory tidal volume sparing effects of tracheal gas insufflation in dogs with oleic acid-induced lung injury.
Tracheal gas insufflation (TGI) improves the efficiency of conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) by reducing the series dead space of the airways. Consequently, application of TGI as an adjunct to CMV may permit reducing tidal volume (VT) while limiting CO2 retention. We tested the extent to which panexpiratory TGI allows reduction of VT while maintaining PaCO2 constant in an oleic acid-induced lung injury model. ⋯ We conclude that TGI can be a useful adjunct to CMV during acute lung injury to limit VT while avoiding CO2 retention.