A somatostatin analogue, octreotide, ameliorates intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury through the early induction of heme oxygenase-1.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal damage after ischemia followed by revascularization, referred to as "ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury," is a devastating complication that can occur after acute superior mesenteric obstruction, or after both elective and emergent abdominal aortic surgery. Once an entire layer of intestine is involved in severe ischemia, the mortality rate reaches 90%; no effective medical treatment has been reported to date. Here, we demonstrate that a somatostatin analogue, octreotide, but not a free-radical scavenger, MCI-186, prevented death due to surgically induced intestinal I/R injury in rats. METHODS: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) of Male Sprague-Dawley rats, that received MCI-186 or octreotide, was surgically clamped, and then the clips were removed and SMA blood flow restored. Survival was assessed, and blood and small intestine were subjected to cell count, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Of interest, pretreatment with octreotide, but not with MCI-186, just before induced intestinal ischemia prompted the early expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein-associated accumulation of CD68-positive cells, a possible cellular source of HO-1. Inversely, the administration of tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPPN), a specific inhibitor of HO-1, completely abolished the therapeutic effects of octreotide, indicating that the favorable effects of octreotide against intestinal I/R injury is predominantly dependent on the early induction of HO-1. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a somatostatin analogue may be useful in leading to an improvement of the prognosis of patients with intestinal I/R injury in the clinical setting.

Retrograde colon intussusception in an adult due to adenoma: treatment by combined laparoscopic and endoscopic approach.

This report describes the case of a young patient who underwent laparoscopic surgery to reduce for a retrograde intussusception of the sigmoid-descending colon caused by adenoma of the sigmoid colon. A 36-year-old woman visited our hospital, complaining primarily of vomiting and abdominal pain. Abdominal CT scan showed the typical finding of intussusception. An emergency colonoscopy revealed that the invaginated colon with a polypoid mass was protruding into the descending colon. A gastrografin enema showed the invaginated bowel segment at the descending colon. We performed endoscopic polypectomy and then hand-assisted laparoscopic reduction. The pathological finding showed tubular adenoma. Laparoscopy is a diagnostic or therapeutic tool for selected cases of adult intussusception. Benign tumor is one of the causes of intussusception in adults and a good indication for laparoscopic surgery.

Long-term Results of Reconstructive Surgery for the Unilateral Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease and Future Risks of Contralateral Iliac Events.

OBJECTIVE: Our experience with unilateral iliac reconstructive surgery was retrospectively reviewed, and the long-term patency and the morphological information was disclosed. In addition, the prognosis of contralateral iliac artery was examined, because future contralateral iliac events seem to be important for durability of unilateral iliac revascularizations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 148 patients (mean age, 66.9 years; 88% male) who had undergone unilateral aortoiliac reconstruction without contralateral iliac lesions were evaluated. The unilateral aortoiliac reconstructive procedures included 112 (76%) aorto or iliofemoral bypasses, 27 (18%) femorofemoral bypasses, and 9 (6%) axillofemoral bypasses. The indications for arterial reconstruction were disabling claudication and limb salvage in 125 (84%) and 23 (16%) patients, respectively. Preoperative arteriograms were reviewed to determine the Inter-Society Consensus (TASC II) classification categorizing iliac artery lesions. Contralateral iliac events were defined as any arterial reconstructive procedure, intervention, amputation for progression of contralateral iliac disease, or repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to predict long-term results in patients grouped based on various factors which were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: In the 148 patients, unilateral iliac reconstructive procedures were undertaken in 83 (56%) patients with TASC II type D lesions, 34 (23%) patients with TASC II type C lesions, and 31 (21%) patients with TASC II type B lesions. Overall primary and secondary patency rates were 93.8% and 96.5% at 3 years and 90.0% and 93.9% at 5 years. A multivariate analysis disclosed critical limb ischemia influencing primary patency rates, and type of aortoiliac reconstruction or gender influencing secondary patency rates. TASC II classification did not affect primary or secondary patency rates. During the follow-up period, 15 contralateral iliac events occurred, including 11 aortoiliac reconstructive or interventional procedures, 3 repairs of AAA, and one case of bilateral thigh amputation due to acute aortic occlusion. The overall probability of contralateral iliac events was 2.2% at 3 years and 5.9% at 5 years. CONCLUSION: The long-term patency following unilateral iliac reconstructive surgery was satisfactory, and not affected by morphology of the iliac artery. Also, the future risk of contralateral iliac events appeared to be low.

Actions of veratridine on tetrodotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated Na currents, Na1.6, in murine vas deferens myocytes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The effects of veratridine, an alkaloid found in Liliaceae plants, on tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive voltage-gated Na(+) channels were investigated in mouse vas deferens. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Effects of veratridine on TTX-sensitive Na(+) currents (I(Na)) in vas deferens myocytes dispersed from BALB/c mice, homozygous mice with a null allele of Na(V)1.6 (Na(V)1.6(-/-)) and wild-type mice (Na(V)1.6(+/+)) were studied using patch-clamp techniques. Tension measurements were also performed to compare the effects of veratridine on phasic contractions in intact tissues. KEY RESULTS: In whole-cell configuration, veratridine had a concentration-dependent dual action on the peak amplitude of I(Na): I(Na) was enhanced by veratridine (1-10 microM), while higher concentrations (> or =30 microM) inhibited I(Na). Additionally, two membrane current components were evoked by veratridine, namely a sustained inward current during the duration of the depolarizing rectangular pulse and a tail current at the repolarization. Although veratridine caused little shift of the voltage dependence of the steady-state inactivation curve and the activation curve for I(Na), veratridine enhanced a non-inactivating component of I(Na). Veratridine caused no detectable contractions in vas deferens from Na(V)1.6(-/-) mice, although in tissues from Na(V)1.6(+/+) mice, veratridine (> or =3 microM) induced TTX-sensitive contractions. Similarly, no detectable inward currents were evoked by veratridine in Na(V)1.6(-/-) vas deferens myocytes, while veratridine elicited both the sustained and tail currents in cells taken from Na(V)1.6(+/+) mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These results suggest that veratridine possesses a dual action on I(Na) and that the veratridine-induced activation of contraction is induced by the activation of Na(V)1.6 channels.

Treatment of solitary iliac aneurysms: clinical review of 28 cases.

PURPOSE: The clinical characteristics and long-term results of patients with solitary iliac aneurysms (SIAs) were investigated. METHODS: 28 consecutive patients who underwent repair of SIAs between 1985 and 2004 were reviewed retrospectively, and compared with those of 536 patients who underwent elective repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during the same period. RESULTS: The incidence of SIAs among all aorto-iliac aneurysms was 5.0%. The 28 patients with SIAs were men with a mean age of 69.1 years. There were a collective total of 42 iliac aneurysms in the 28 patients, with 12 patients having multiple aneurysms. Thirty aneurysms involved the common iliac artery, and 12 involved the internal iliac artery. Twenty-two patients had symptoms, although none of the SIAs ruptured. Four patients had coexistent iliac occlusive disease and two patients had femoral occlusive disease. The 5-and 10-year survival rates of the patients with SIAs were 90.5% and 75.4%, whereas those of the patients with AAAs were 76.3% and 54%, respectively (P = 0.089). CONCLUSION: Routine imaging is necessary not only to evaluate the SIAs, but also to detect multiple aneurysms or arterial occlusive disease. Close and long-term followup is mandatory for the early detection of the formation of new aneurysms.