L-[1-11C]-tyrosine PET to evaluate response to hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion for locally advanced soft-tissue sarcoma and skin cancer. (1/1261)

PET with L-[1-11C]-tyrosine (TYR) was investigated in patients undergoing hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) with recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha (rTNF-alpha) and melphalan for locally advanced soft-tissue sarcoma and skin cancer of the lower limb. METHODS: Seventeen patients (5 women, 12 men; age range 24-75 y; mean age 52 y) were studied. TYR PET studies were performed before HILP and 2 and 8 wk afterwards. The protein synthesis rates (PSRs) in nanomoles per milliliter per minute were calculated. After final PET studies, tumors were resected and pathologically examined. Patients with pathologically complete responses (pCR) showed no viable tumors after treatment. Those with pathologically partial responses (pPR) showed various amounts of viable tumors in the resected tumor specimens. RESULTS: Six patients (35%) showed a pCR and 11 patients (65%) showed a pPR. All tumors were depicted as hot spots on PET studies before HILP. The PSR in the pCR group at 2 and 8 wk after perfusion had decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison to the PSR before HILP. A significant difference was found in PSR between the pCR and pPR groups at 2 and at 8 wk (P < 0.05). Median PSR in nonviable tumor tissue was 0.62 and ranged from 0.22 to 0.91. With a threshold PSR of 0.91, sensitivity and specificity of TYR PET were 82% and 100%, respectively. The predictive value of a PSR > 0.91 for having viable tumor after HILP was 100%, whereas the predictive value of a PSR < or = 0.91 for having nonviable tumor tissue after HILP was 75%. The 2 patients in the pPR groups with a PSR < 0.91 showed microscopic islets of tumor cells surrounded by extensive necrosis on pathological examination. CONCLUSION: Based on the calculated PSR after HILP, TYR PET gave a good indication of the pathological outcome. Inflammatory tissue after treatment did not interfere with viable tumor on the images, suggesting that it may be worthwhile to pursue TYR PET in other therapy evaluation settings.  (+info)

Hypothermic neuroprotection of peripheral nerve of rats from ischaemia-reperfusion injury. (2/1261)

Although there is much information on experimental ischaemic neuropathy, there are only scant data on neuroprotection. We evaluated the effectiveness of hypothermia in protecting peripheral nerve from ischaemia-reperfusion injury using the model of experimental nerve ischaemia. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. We used a ligation-reperfusion model of nerve ischaemia where each of the supplying arteries to the sciatic-tibial nerves of the right hind limb was ligated and the ligatures were released after a predetermined period of ischaemia. The right hind limbs of one group (24 rats) were made ischaemic for 5 h and those of the other group (24 rats) for 3 h. Each group was further divided into three and the limbs were maintained at 37 degrees C (36 degrees C for 5 h of ischaemia) in one, 32 degrees C in the second and 28 degrees C in the third of these groups for the final 2 h of the ischaemic period and an additional 2 h of the reperfusion period. A behavioural score was recorded and nerve electrophysiology of motor and sensory nerves was undertaken 1 week after surgical procedures. At that time, entire sciatic-tibial nerves were harvested and fixed in situ. Four portions of each nerve were examined: proximal sciatic nerve, distal sciatic nerve, mid-tibial nerve and distal tibial nerve. To determine the degree of fibre degeneration, each section was studied by light microscopy, and we estimated an oedema index and a fibre degeneration index. The groups treated at 36-37 degrees C underwent marked fibre degeneration, associated with a reduction in action potential and impairment in behavioural score. The groups treated at 28 degrees C (for both 3 and 5 h) showed significantly less (P < 0.01; ANOVA, Bonferoni post hoc test) reperfusion injury for all indices (behavioural score, electrophysiology and neuropathology), and the groups treated at 32 degrees C had scores intermediate between the groups treated at 36-37 degrees C and 28 degrees C. Our results showed that cooling the limbs dramatically protects the peripheral nerve from ischaemia-reperfusion injury.  (+info)

Myocardial temperature reduction attenuates necrosis after prolonged ischemia in rabbits. (3/1261)

OBJECTIVE: Previously we observed that a large reduction in infarct size was attained by cooling the risk region of the heart, either before or early after the onset of a 30-min coronary artery occlusion. While this is a standard duration of ischemia used in the rabbit model of infarction, it may not reflect the situation of patients who are reperfused late. The effects of regional hypothermia with a longer duration of ischemia, and when the intervention is applied later, are unknown. This study tests the hypothesis that a local reduction in cardiac temperature protects myocardium during prolonged ischemia (2 h) even if begun well after coronary artery occlusion. METHODS: Anesthetized rabbits received 2 h of coronary artery occlusion and 3 h of reperfusion. Rabbits were randomly assigned to a treated group: topical myocardial cooling starting 30 min after coronary occlusion (n = 14), or control group, no intervention (n = 12). Myocardial temperature in the risk zone, hemodynamics and regional myocardial blood flow were measured. RESULTS: Ischemic zone temperature was similar in both groups at 30 min post occlusion, but the cooling maneuver produced a reduction in temperature in the risk region of the treated group such that myocardial temperature was reduced an average of 10 degrees C between 30 and 60 min of coronary artery occlusion. Myocardial temperature in the control group remained within 0.3 degree C of baseline during coronary artery occlusion and into reperfusion. Core temperatures were similar in both groups. Hemodynamic parameters and collateral blood flow during occlusion were also equivalent in both groups. After 120 min of coronary occlusion, necrosis in the control group comprised 72 +/- 3% of the ischemic risk region. However, in cooled hearts, infarct size, expressed as a fraction of the risk region was significantly lower. Infarct size in this group averaged 59 +/- 3% of the risk region (p < 0.004 vs. controls), and thus cooling resulted in a salvage of approximately 18% of the risk region. CONCLUSION: These results show that reducing myocardial temperature protects ischemic myocardium during a long duration of ischemia even if initiated after coronary artery occlusion.  (+info)

RVLM and raphe differentially regulate sympathetic outflows to splanchnic and brown adipose tissue. (4/1261)

To determine whether neurons in the rostral raphe pallidus (RPa) specifically control the sympathetic nerve activity to brown adipose tissue (BAT SNA), thereby regulating adipocyte metabolism and BAT thermogenesis, the responses in BAT SNA to disinhibition of RPa neurons and to disinhibition of neurons in the vasomotor region of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were compared with those in splanchnic (Spl) SNA, which primarily regulates visceral vasoconstriction. In urethan-chloralose-anesthetized ventilated rats, both acute hypothermia and microinjection of bicuculline into RPa produced significantly larger increases in BAT SNA (542 and 1,949% of control) than in Spl SNA (19 and 24% of control). The enhanced burst discharge in BAT SNA was not coherent with that in Spl SNA or with the arterial pressure (AP) at any frequency except the central respiratory frequency. Microinjections of bicuculline into RVLM evoked increases in Spl SNA (86% of control) and AP (32 mmHg), but reduced BAT SNA to low, normothermic levels. Microinjections of muscimol into RVLM reduced Spl SNA (-82% of control) and AP (-59 mmHg), but did not prevent the increase in BAT SNA after disinhibition of RPa neurons. These results indicate that the neural networks generating BAT SNA in response to disinhibition of RPa neurons are independent of those generating basal Spl SNA and support a model in which sympathetic outflow to tissues involved in thermoregulation and metabolism is regulated by central pathways, including neurons in RPa, that are distinct from those involved in the sympathetic control of the cardiovascular system.  (+info)

A comparative study between hypothermic and normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in open heart surgery in dogs--effects on systemic hemodynamics. (5/1261)

Open heart surgery was performed on two groups of dogs under extracorporeal circulation with or without hypothermia to investigate hemodynamic changes during extracorporeal circulation. During hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), arterial O2 tension and postoperative blood pressure were favorably maintained, indicating that hypothermic extracorporeal circulation can be performed for a long period of time. On the other hand, during normothermic CPB, the average surgical duration was significantly shorter, and marked shifts in the concentrations of various enzymes were suppressed. However, due to reductions in arterial O2 tension, the length of cardiac arrest time was restricted, demonstrating that this method is suitable for performing extracorporeal circulation for CPB of relatively short duration. If circulation circuitry can be improved, such as through the development of a surpassing oxygenator, normothermic CPB would incur less stress on the body, thus making it preferential to hypothermic CPB in most cases.  (+info)

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha mediates the adaptive response to fasting. (6/1261)

Prolonged deprivation of food induces dramatic changes in mammalian metabolism, including the release of large amounts of fatty acids from the adipose tissue, followed by their oxidation in the liver. The nuclear receptor known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) was found to play a role in regulating mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation, suggesting that PPARalpha may be involved in the transcriptional response to fasting. To investigate this possibility, PPARalpha-null mice were subjected to a high fat diet or to fasting, and their responses were compared with those of wild-type mice. PPARalpha-null mice chronically fed a high fat diet showed a massive accumulation of lipid in their livers. A similar phenotype was noted in PPARalpha-null mice fasted for 24 hours, who also displayed severe hypoglycemia, hypoketonemia, hypothermia, and elevated plasma free fatty acid levels, indicating a dramatic inhibition of fatty acid uptake and oxidation. It is shown that to accommodate the increased requirement for hepatic fatty acid oxidation, PPARalpha mRNA is induced during fasting in wild-type mice. The data indicate that PPARalpha plays a pivotal role in the management of energy stores during fasting. By modulating gene expression, PPARalpha stimulates hepatic fatty acid oxidation to supply substrates that can be metabolized by other tissues.  (+info)

Ischemic preconditioning and myocardial hypothermia in rabbits with prolonged coronary artery occlusion. (7/1261)

This study tests whether combining regional hypothermia and ischemic preconditioning (IP) provides greater myocardial protection during prolonged coronary artery occlusion (CAO) than either intervention alone, and whether increasing the duration of IP from 5 to 7 min extends the window of protection to include a 2-h CAO. Anesthetized rabbits were randomized to four groups (n = 8 rabbits/group): control (C), hypothermia alone (H), IP alone for two 7-min episodes (IP7), and IP plus hypothermia (H + IP7). To compare differences in IP for 5 versus 7 min, additional rabbits (n = 6) received one 5-min episode of ischemia (IP5). All rabbits got 2 h of CAO and 3 h of reperfusion. In comparison with the infarct size in the control group (72 +/- 4% of the risk zone), infarct size was significantly reduced in H (50 +/- 7%), IP7 (49 +/- 5%), and H + IP7 (42 +/- 6%) (all P < 0.05 vs. control group). IP5 failed to confer protection (67 +/- 5% of the risk zone). Therefore, IP can protect against a 2-h CAO if the IP regimen is increased from 5 to 7 min. The combination therapy significantly improved regional myocardial blood flow in the previously ischemic region to a greater extent than either treatment alone.  (+info)

Effect of mild hypothermia on the changes of cerebral blood flow, brain blood barrier and neuronal injuries following reperfusion of focal cerebral ischemia in rats. (8/1261)

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of mild hypothermia induced in different time courses on rats subjected to 3 hours (h) of ischemia followed by 3 h or 72 h of reperfusion. METHODS: Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three mild hypothermic (MHT, 32 +/- 0.2 degrees C) groups, including intra-ischemia (MHTi), intra-reperfusion (MHTr), and intra-ischemia/reperfusion (MHTi + r) group, and one normothermic group (NT, 37 +/- 0.2 degrees C) as the control. Reversible focal ischemia was carried out in rats with suture model. The cortical blood flow was measured during 3 h of ischemia followed by 3 h of reperfusion. The permeability of brain blood barrier (BBB) was estimated after 3 h of reperfusion. The infarct volume was measured at 72 h after reperfusion to determine the effects of MHT. RESULTS: The acute post-ischemic hyperperfusion and delayed hypoperfusion in ischemic perifocal region and sustained hypoperfusion in ischemic core were inhibited in MHTi + r and MHTi rats (P < 0.05). MHTi + r protection on post-ischemic progressive hypoperfusion in the perifocal region was more effective than that of MHTi (P < 0.05). The BBB disruption and the infarct volume were significantly reduced in both MHTi and MHTi + r groups (P < 0.05), especially in the MHTi + r rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that MHTi + r has more substantial protective effects on reducing ischemia/reperfusion injury than MHTi. It may inhibit post-ischemic hyperperfusion and delayed or sustained hypoperfusion in ischemic perifocal regions, and reduce brain blood barrier disruption in the cortex region.  (+info)