Exp Ther Med
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Sepsis is a complex syndrome characterized by the development of progressive dysfunction in multiple organs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of curcumin against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced vasoconstrictive dysfunction, and to investigate the possible underlying mechanism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Control, sepsis and curcumin. ⋯ Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that curcumin alleviated the LPS-induced damage in the aortic tunica intima and tunica media. Therefore, the results indicated that curcumin alleviates LPS-induced vasoconstrictive dysfunction in the thoracic aorta of rats. In addition, the inhibition of TSP-1 and TGF-β1 expression may be involved in the mechanism underlying this protective effect.
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The aim of this study was to assess the computed tomography angiography (CTA) manifestations of collateral circulations in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). Eighty patients with BCS were examined by CT scan. Using the CTA images of the relevant blood vessels, including the affected hepatic veins (HVs) and inferior venae cavae (IVCs), the collateral circulations were reconstructed. ⋯ Extrahepatic collateral pathways included IVC-lumbar-ascending lumbar-hemiazygos/azygos vein (n=80, 100.0%), IVC-left renal-ascending lumbar-hemiazygos vein (n=75, 93.8%), IVC-left renal-inferior phrenic vein (n=49, 61.3%), IVC-renal -peri-renal -superficial epigastric vein (n=26, 32.5%) and superficial epigastric vein (n=12, 15.0%) types. The CTA characteristics of each type of collateral circulation were demonstrated. In conclusion, the present study revealed that CTA is able to show the intra- and extrahepatic collateral circulations of patients with BCS, which may be useful for therapeutic planning.
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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) in comparison to corticosteroids (CS) for knee osteoarthritis (OA). The data sources included PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and hand searched reviews. Randomized controlled trials that reported the effects of intra-articular HA and CS in the treatment of knee OA were selected based on specific inclusion criteria. ⋯ After one month, the two approaches exhibited equal efficacy; however, in the long term, HA was found to have an enhanced effect. No statistically significant difference was observed in the adverse events caused by the two interventions. Further investigation and understanding into the trend observed in the present study may aid clinicians in the treatment of knee OA.
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This study aimed to explore the correlation between red blood cell (RBC) transfusion volume and patient mortality in massive blood transfusion. A multicenter retrospective study was carried out on 1,601 surgical inpatients who received massive blood transfusion in 20 large comprehensive hospitals in China. According to RBC transfusion volume and duration, the patients were divided into groups as follows: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-39 and ≥40 units within 24 or 72 h. ⋯ It is concluded that during massive blood transfusion in surgical inpatients, there is a correlation between RBC transfusion volume within 24 or 72 h and the mortality of the patients. Patient mortality increases with the increase in the volume of RBC transfusion. RBC transfusion volume, the length of stay at hospital and intensive care unit stay constitute the independent risk factors for patient mortality.
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Heparin is a potent blood anticoagulant that has been demonstrated to attenuate inflammatory responses in sepsis. Sepsis is considered to be a microcirculation-mitochondrial distress syndrome. Azurocidin (AZU), a protein with strong heparin-binding potential that induces inflammatory responses and apoptosis, has been shown to increase the permeability of endothelial cells and induce the prognosis of sepsis. ⋯ Heparin exhibited an antagonistic function on these processes and inhibited the endocytosis of AZU by HUVECs. In conclusion, the results indicated that AZU inhibited the oxygen metabolic function in mitochondria, and this function was effectively antagonized by heparin via the inhibition of AZU endocytosis by HUVECs. Therefore, heparin may be a potential therapeutic agent for treating mitochondrial dysfunction in the future.