Life-supporting human complement regulator decay accelerating factor transgenic pig liver xenograft maintains the metabolic function and coagulation in the nonhuman primate for up to 8 days.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether the pig liver is capable of functioning efficiently when transplanted into a primate, neither is there experience in transplanting a liver from a transgenic pigs expressing the human complement regulator human complement regulator decay accelerating factor (h-DAF) into a baboon. The objective of this study was to determine whether the porcine liver would support the metabolic functions of non-human primates and to establish the effect of hDAF expression in the prevention of hyperacute rejection of porcine livers transplanted into primates. METHODS: Five orthotopic liver xenotransplants from pig to baboon were carried out: three from unmodified pigs and two using livers from h-DAF transgenic pigs. FINDINGS: The three control animals transplanted with livers from unmodified pigs survived for less than 12 hr. Baboons transplanted with livers from h-DAF transgenic pigs survived for 4 and 8 days. Hyperacute rejection was not detected in the baboons transplanted with hDAF transgenic pig livers; however, it was demonstrated in the three transplants from unmodified pigs. Baboons transplanted with livers from h-DAF transgenic pigs were extubated at postoperative day 1 and were awake and able to eat and drink. In the recipients of hDAF transgenic pig livers the clotting parameters reached nearly normal levels at day 2 after transplantation and remained normal up to the end of the experiments. In these hDAF liver recipients, porcine fibrinogen was first detected in the baboon plasma 2 hr postreperfusion, and was present up to the end of the experiments. One animal was euthanized at day 8 after development of sepsis and coagulopathy, the other animal arrested at day 4, after an episode of vomiting and aspiration. The postmortem examination of the hDAF transgenic liver xenografts did not demonstrate rejection. INTERPRETATION: The livers from h-DAF transgenic pigs did not undergo hyperacute rejection after orthotopic xenotransplantation in baboons. When HAR is abrogated, the porcine liver maintains sufficient coagulation and protein levels in the baboon up to 8 days after OLT.

Renal transplantation--choice of anesthesia.

The appropriate anesthesia for renal transplantation (RT) requires minimal toxicity for patient and transplant besides of sufficient pain relief and correction of vital functions. Since 1990 for this reason prolonged epidural anesthesia (PEA) was used for 42 RT. The catheterization of epidural space was performed on the spine level Th9-Th12. Lidocaine and Bupivacaine solutions were used for epidural block. Sedation during the operation was performed only with low doses of Diazepam and Sodium Oxybutyrate. After the operation epidural catheters were used for pain relief during 2-5 postoperative days. Less cardiodepressive effect, stable intraoperative hemodynamics and absence of serious post-operative pulmonary complications were observed in patients operated under PEA. Also less toxic action of PEA for recipient as well as for renal allograft was marked. Obtained results show that PEA might be the preferable method for RT due to its lower toxicity, significantly less number of postoperative complications.

[The efferent therapy of Raynaud's phenomenon]. / Eferentna terapiia fenomenu Reino.

The method of discrete plasmacytapheresis was applied for the treatment of 8 patients with primary and 18 with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. The incorporation of this method in the therapeutic complex have promoted the achievement of clinical improvement in the whole of the patients with primary and in 13 with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. Remission lasted from 1.5 months till 4.5 years. Positive effect is caused by the improvement of blood rheological properties on the hemodilution background, the excretion of pathological substances from blood flow.