Small bowel transplantation in rats, a multicenter experience summarizing the pitfalls to be overcome

Small Bowel transplantation in rats is a highly complex microsurgical procedure because several technical complications may lead to recipient mortality and transplant failure. Our aim was to report the most common complications associated with orthotopic and heterotopic intestinal transplantation in rats in order to identify the “pitfalls” of the procedure and prevent them. A retrospective multicenter study was performed. All participant centers have established rodent transplant procedures and trained surgeons. Two hundred ninety-three complications from 264 unsuccessful intestinal transplants were reported, representing an overall failure rate of 15% of the procedures performed. Recipient complications were most frequent than donor (257 vs. 36 p<0.0001). Excessive surgical time (11/36); severe hemorrhage (12/36) and inappropriate infusion of the preservation solution in the intestinal graft (11/36) were the most common donor complications. Arterial anastomosis bleeding (50/257), venous anastomosis bleeding (35/257) and portal vein stenosis (26/257) were the most common intraoperative complications in the recipient. To maximize success rate, surgeons should optimize time and avoid bleeding during graft dissection in the donor surgery. After performing a bloodless vascular anastomosis an adequate post-operative management of the animal is mandatory to guarantee survival.Fil: Stringa, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Medicina Traslacional, Trasplante y Bioingeniería. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Medicina Traslacional, Trasplante y Bioingeniería; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; ArgentinaFil: Andrés Moreno, Ane M.. La Paz University Hospital; EspañaFil: Lausada, Natalia Raquel. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; ArgentinaFil: Pastor Oliver, Cristina. Biomedical Research Center from Aragón; EspañaFil: Abate, Juan C.. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; ArgentinaFil: Vecchio, Leandro. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; ArgentinaFil: Rumbo, Martín. Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; Chile. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; ArgentinaFil: Navarro Zorraquino, Marta. Biomedical Research Center from Aragón; EspañaFil: Hernández Oliveros, Francisco. La Paz University Hospital; EspañaFil: Gondolesi, Gabriel Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Medicina Traslacional, Trasplante y Bioingeniería. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Medicina Traslacional, Trasplante y Bioingeniería; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Transplante de Órganos; Argentin

Small bowel transplantation in rats, a multicenter experience summarizing the pitfalls to be overcome

Small Bowel transplantation in rats is a highly complex microsurgical procedure because several technical complications may lead to recipient mortality and transplant failure. Our aim was to report the most common complications associated with orthotopic and heterotopic intestinal transplantation in rats in order to identify the “pitfalls” of the procedure and prevent them. A retrospective multicenter study was performed. All participant centers have established rodent transplant procedures and trained surgeons. Two hundred ninety-three complications from 264 unsuccessful intestinal transplants were reported, representing an overall failure rate of 15% of the procedures performed. Recipient complications were most frequent than donor (257 vs. 36 p<0.0001). Excessive surgical time (11/36); severe hemorrhage (12/36) and inappropriate infusion of the preservation solution in the intestinal graft (11/36) were the most common donor complications. Arterial anastomosis bleeding (50/257), venous anastomosis bleeding (35/257) and portal vein stenosis (26/257) were the most common intraoperative complications in the recipient. To maximize success rate, surgeons should optimize time and avoid bleeding during graft dissection in the donor surgery. After performing a bloodless vascular anastomosis an adequate post-operative management of the animal is mandatory to guarantee survival.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasLaboratorio y Programa de Trasplante de Organos, Tejidos y CélulasInstituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológico

Immune response and in vivo production of cytokines in patients with liver hydatidosis

Cytokines play an important role in the human immunological response, but the exact role of cytokines in the human immune response against parasites, especially against Echinococcus granulosus, remains unclear. IL-1, IL-2, IL-4 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) levels in peripheral blood of 21 patients with liver hydatidosis were evaluated before surgical treatment, and the levels of IgA, IgM, IgG, IgE, specific IgE against E. granulosus, C3, C4 and BF complement fractions and CD20, CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD16 cell percentages were also determined, as was the relationship between these variables and cytokine levels. Data from hydatid patients were compared with data obtained from 21 healthy volunteers. Hydatid patients showed increases of IgG, IgE, IgEs and IL-2 (P< 0.01), and decreases of IL-1 and TNF levels (P< 0.001), but these variables (respectively) increased in patients showing cysts in the central area of the liver or with a wide opening of cysts in the biliary tract. The increase of IL-1, IL-2 and IL-4 showed a close relationship with the number, characteristics and above all the location of cysts within the liver itself. IgG and IL-4 levels and also IgG and IgE levels showed a significant correlation (P< 0.05)

Quorum sensing network in clinical strains of A. baumannii : AidA is a new quorum quenching enzyme

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important pathogen that causes nosocomial infections generally associated with high mortality and morbidity in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Currently, little is known about the Quorum Sensing (QS)/Quorum Quenching (QQ) systems of this pathogen. We analyzed these mechanisms in seven clinical isolates of A. baumannii. Microarray analysis of one of these clinical isolates, Ab1 (A. baumannii ST-2-clon-2010), previously cultured in the presence of 3-oxo-C12-HSL (a QS signalling molecule) revealed a putative QQ enzyme (α/β hydrolase gene, AidA). This QQ enzyme was present in all nonmotile clinical isolates (67% of which were isolated from the respiratory tract) cultured in nutrient depleted LB medium. Interestingly, this gene was not located in the genome of the only motile clinical strain growing in this medium (A. baumannii strain Ab421-GEIH-2010 [Ab7], isolated from a blood sample). The AidA protein expressed in E. coli showed QQ activity. Finally, we observed downregulation of the AidA protein (QQ system attenuation) in the presence of HO (ROS stress). In conclusion, most of the A. baumannii clinical strains were not surface motile (84%) and were of respiratory origin (67%). Only the pilT gene was involved in surface motility and related to the QS system. Finally, a new QQ enzyme (α/β hydrolase gene, AidA protein) was detected in these strains