The Journal of surgical research
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The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) affects inflammatory responses during sepsis. Nonproteolytic activation of prorenin by the (pro)renin receptor has recently been shown to stimulate the tissue RAS. In the present study, the effect of (pro)renin receptor blocker (PRRB) pretreatment on sepsis in a rat cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model was investigated. ⋯ PRRB significantly improved the survival rate of rats with clinically relevant sepsis, possibly by attenuating a sepsis-induced systemic inflammatory response. We propose that overactivation of the RAS by activation of prorenin in foam cells may be a significant contributor to sepsis.
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ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects against liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The mechanism involves nitric oxide metabolism but the importance of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) has not been established. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects against liver IR but it is unclear if this depends on nitric oxide synthase. ⋯ This study developed and used an eNOS-/- model to demonstrate that eNOS mediates protection against liver IR injury by IPC. The eNOS expression and activity and HO-1 expression are increased independently in liver IPC and IR, with HO-1 expression increased in the later stages of IPC and IR.
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The clinical significance of sternal fractures (SFs) after blunt trauma is heavily debated. We aimed to test the hypothesis that isolated SF is not associated with significant morbidity or mortality. ⋯ SFs occur in 3.7% of victims after MVC. With isolated SF, the mortality rate is low (3.5%); the tendency for poorer outcomes is most heavily influenced by associated injuries (pulmonary contusions, other thoracic fractures), complications (cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolism, acute respiratory distress syndrome), comorbidities (currently on or requiring dialysis, residual neurologic deficit from stroke), and lack of insurance.
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The psoas muscle has been shown to predict patient outcomes based on the quantification of muscle area using computed tomography (CT) scans. The accuracy of morphomic analysis on other muscles has not been clearly delineated. In this study, we determine the correlation between temporalis muscle mass, psoas muscle area, age, body mass index (BMI), and gender. ⋯ We demonstrate that dimensions of the temporalis muscle can be quantified and may serve as a proxy for age. Going forward, we aim to assess the utility of temporalis and psoas morphomics in predicting complication rates among trauma patients admitted to the hospital to predict outcomes in the future.