Stabilization of Flail Chest and Fractured Sternum by Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum

We report a 55-year-old male patient with a massive flail chest that required chest stabilization by minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) employing a Nuss bar. Surgical stabilization of severe flail chest and fractured sternum with Nuss bar by MIRPE is a safe and useful treatment modality in properly selected patients

Effects of Nasal CPAP Treatment on Insulin Resistance, Lipid Profile, and Plasma Leptin in Sleep Apnea

Background Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked with metabolic syndrome characterized by dyslipidemia, dyscoagulation, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type 2 and their cardiovascular consequences. This study was designed to determine the effects of 8 weeks of therapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on insulin resistance, glucose, and lipid profile, and the relationship between leptin and insulin-resistance parameters in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea

The effect of alpha-lipoic acid on NOS dispersion in the lung of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Oxidative stress and impaired bioactivity of nitric oxide (NO) play an important role in the organ pathogenesis and angiopathic complications of diabetes mellitus. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a-lipoic acid (ALA) on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in lung tissues. ALA is a strong antioxidant. We wonder how it can affect oxidative stress and NO in the lung cells and vessels of diabetic rats. Wistar rats were divided into four groups; control, diabetic [65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) for 15 days], STZ+ALA-treated (65 mg/kg ALA every 2 days for 15 days), and ALA-only-treated animals. At the end of the experimental period, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) distribution were evaluated. Oxidative stress decreased with ALA in diabetic animals, and SOD also increased with ALA. iNOS and eNOS increased in diabetic animals, and ALA prevented iNOS increment in lung tissues. As a result, ALA can prevent some diabetic effects on the lungs and can also protect from vascular damages. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Impact of the total pericardial closure using bilateral trap door incision and pericardial cavity intervention on outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting: a randomized, controlled, parallel-group prospective study

OBJECTIVES: In this randomized, controlled and parallel-group prospective study, the feasibility of total pericardial closure with an intra-pericardial drain and a pericardio-pleural window (pericardial cavity intervention) was investigated by examining postoperative outcomes, including atrial fibrillation and pericardial effusion, following coronary artery surgery

The Preventive Effects of Posterior Pericardiotomy with Intrapericardial Tube on the Development of Pericardial Effusion, Atrial Fibrillation, and Acute Kidney Injury after Coronary Artery Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background Pericardial effusion (PE), atrial fibrillation (AF), and acute kidney injury (AKI) are commonly found after coronary artery surgery. These adverse events may also be interwoven in the postoperative period. In this prospective study, we investigated whether posterior pericardiotomy (PP) with intrapericardial tube positioned along the right atrium (pericardial space intervention) is effective in the prevention of these adverse events

Effects of combined administration of doxorubicin and chloroquine on lung pathology in mice with solid Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

Combined use of a chemotherapeutic agent and an autophagy inhibitor is a novel cancer treatment strategy. We investigated the effects of chloroquine (CQ) on lung pathology caused by both solid Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and doxorubicin (DXR). A control group and eight experimental groups of adult female mice were inoculated subcutaneously with 2.5 x 10(6) EAC cells. DXR (1.5 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg) and CQ (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) alone or in combination were injected intraperitoneally on days 2, 7 and 12 following inoculation with EAC cells. Lung tissue samples were examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for endothelial (eNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). Serum catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using ELISA. We found decreased levels of iNOS and eNOS in the groups that received 1.5 mg/kg DXR alone and in combination with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg CQ. Combined administration of DXR and CQ partially prevented disruption of alveolar structure. Levels of antioxidant enzymes and MDA were lower in all treated groups; the greatest reduction was observed in mice that received the combination of 25 mg/kg CQ + 1.5 mg/kg DXR. Levels of NGAL were elevated in all treated groups. We found that CQ ameliorated both EAC and DOX induced lung pathology in female mice with solid EAC by reducing oxidative stress