33 research outputs found

    Hypotension following Patent Ductus Arteriosus Ligation: The Role of Adrenal Hormones

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    OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that an impaired adrenal response to stress might play a role in the hypotension that follows patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a multicenter study of infants born at <32 weeks gestation who were about to undergo PDA ligation. Serum adrenal steroids were measured three times: before and after a cosyntropin (1.0 microgram/kg) stimulation test (performed prior to the ligation), and at 10–12 hours after the ligation. A standardized approach for diagnosis and treatment of postoperative hypotension was followed at each site. A modified Inotrope Score (1 x dopamine (μg/kg/min) + 1 x dobutamine) was used to monitor the catecholamine support an infant received. Infants were considered to have catecholamine-resistant hypotension if their highest Inotrope Score was >15. RESULTS: Of 95 infants enrolled, 43 (45%) developed hypotension and 14 (15%) developed catecholamine-resistant hypotension. Low post-operative cortisol levels were not associated with the overall incidence of hypotension following ligation. However, low cortisol levels were associated with the refractoriness of the hypotension to catecholamine treatment. In a multivariate analysis: the odds ratio for developing catecholamine-resistant hypotension was OR=36.6, CI=2.8–476, p=0.006. Low cortisol levels (in infants with catecholamine-resistant hypotension) were not due to adrenal immaturity or impairment; their cortisol precursor concentrations were either low or unchanged and their response to cosyntropin was similar to infants without catecholamine-resistant hypotension. CONCLUSION: Infants with low cortisol concentrations following PDA ligation are likely to develop postoperative catecholamine-resistant hypotension. We speculate that decreased adrenal stimulation, rather than an impaired adrenal response to stimulation, may account for the decreased production

    Structural characterization, functional and biological activities of an exopolysaccharide produced by probiotic Bacillus licheniformis AG-06 from Indian polyherbal fermented traditional medicine

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    International audienceAn exopolysaccharide (EPS) was purified from the probiotic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis AG-06 isolated from the polyherbal fermented traditional medicine (Ashwagandharishta) of Indian Ayurveda. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based compositional analysis exhibits the heteropolymeric nature of the EPS consisting of galactose, rhamnose, xylose, mannose, and glucose, as the monomeric units. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses confirm the presence of typical carbohydrate polymer functional groups and structural units, respectively. The purified EPS demonstrates the web-like fibrous and porous nature in scanning electron microscopic and atomic force microscopic studies. The purified EPS had shown 71.83% and 67.79% of flocculation and emulsification activities, respectively. Antioxidant activity was evaluated against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), nitric oxide, and superoxide free radicals and the scavenging actions were increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the purified EPS exhibits a significant cytotoxic activity against the human lung carcinoma cells (A549), which strongly suggests the anticancer potential of the EPS derived from B. licheniformis AG-06
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