Disasters that develop in the liver due to hydatid cyst: a case report.

Hilar cavernous transformation is the formation of venous structures rich in collateral around the portal vein. Portal vein thrombosis is a rare entity. Although there are many reasons for its etiology, few cases have been reported secondary to hydatid cysts in the liver. Here, we present a 24-year-old patient with complaints of abdominal pain and swelling. Her CT and MRI scans show cholelithiasis with portal vein thrombosis and hilar cavernous transformation due to giant hydatid cyst compression in the lateral liver sector.

La transformación cavernosa hiliar es la formación de estructuras venosas ricas en colaterales alrededor de la vena porta. La trombosis de la vena porta es una afección poco frecuente. Aunque existen muchas razones en su etiología, se han descrito pocos casos secundarios a quiste hidatídico en el hígado. Aquí se presenta el caso de una paciente de 24 años con quejas de dolor abdominal e hinchazón. La tomografía computarizada y la resonancia magnética mostraron colelitiasis con trombosis de la vena porta y transformación cavernosa hiliar por compresión del quiste hidatídico gigante en el sector lateral del hígado.

Predictive model for Zika virus RNA minipool nucleic acid testing in outbreak scenarios.

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, causes asymptomatic infections in blood donors and can be transmitted by transfusion. During the 2016 US outbreak, universal individual-donation nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) was used to screen the blood supply for ZIKV. Testing pooled samples from multiple donations with minipool (MP)-NAT is less sensitive than ID-NAT, which raised questions about its utility in ZIKV outbreaks. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A mathematical model and computer simulation determined the risk of missing ID-NAT-reactive and immunoglobulin (Ig) M-negative donations in a ZIKV outbreak if MP-NAT is used initially instead of ID-NAT. The model calculated the time required for ZIKV RNA to replicate to a concentration detectable by testing donations individually or in pools of 6 (MP6) or 16 (MP16). A computer simulation then randomly selected infection times to determine the probability of detection by the candidate tests. RESULTS: The probability of detecting the first ID-NAT-reactive unit in an outbreak is 92% (2.5th-97.5th percentile, 79%-99%) by MP6 and 85% (2.5th-97.5th percentile, 67%-99%) by MP16. When one donation is detected by MP-NAT, the model predicts that the chance of having missed one or more ID-NAT-reactive donations is 8% to 15%. The probability of missing a unit by MP-NAT is constant over the course of the outbreak (8% by MP6, 15% by MP16). CONCLUSION: The model predicts that the probability that a candidate MP-NAT will detect the first ID-NAT-reactive unit in a ZIKV outbreak is 85% to 92% and remains constant over time.

Ursodeoxycholic acid upregulates ERK and Akt in the protection of cardiomyocytes against CoCl2.

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is used to treat liver diseases and demonstrates cardioprotective effects. Accumulation of the plasma membrane sphingolipid sphingomyelin in the heart can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Sphingomyelinases (SMases) break down sphingomyelin, producing ceramide, and inhibition of SMases activity can promote cell survival. We hypothesized that UDCA regulates activation of ERK and Akt survival signaling pathways and SMases in protecting cardiac cells against hypoxia. Neonatal cardiomyocytes were isolated from 0- to 2-day-old Sprague Dawley rats, and given 100 µM CoCl2, 150 µM H2O2, or placed in a hypoxia chamber for 24 h. The ameliorative effects of 100-µM UDCA treatment for 12 h were then assessed using MTS, QuantiGene Plex (for Smpd1 and Smpd2), and SMase assays, beating rate assessment, and western blotting (for ERK and Akt). Data were analyzed by the paired Student t-tests and one-way analyses of variance. Cell viability decreased significantly after H2O2 (85%), CoCl2 (50%), and hypoxia chamber (52%) treatments compared to the untreated control (100%). UDCA significantly counteracted the effects of chamber- and CoCl2- induced hypoxia on viability and beating rate. However, no significant differences were observed in acid SMase gene and protein expression between the untreated, CoCl2, and UDCA-CoCl2 groups. In contrast, neutral SMase gene and protein expression did significantly differ between the latter two groups. ERK and Akt phosphorylation was higher in hypoxic cardiomyocytes treated with UDCA than those given CoCl2 alone. In conclusion, UDCA regulates the activation of survival signaling proteins and SMases in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes during hypoxia.

The metabolic dynamics of cartilage explants over a long-term culture period.

INTRODUCTION: Although previous studies have been performed on cartilage explant cultures, the generalized dynamics of cartilage metabolism after extraction from the host are still poorly understood due to differences in the experimental setups across studies, which in turn prevent building a complete picture. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the response of cartilage to the trauma sustained during extraction and determined the time needed for the cartilage to stabilize. Explants were extracted aseptically from bovine metacarpal-phalangeal joints and cultured for up to 17 days. RESULTS: The cell viability, cell number, proteoglycan content, and collagen content of the harvested explants were analyzed at 0, 2, 10, and 17 days after explantation. A high percentage of the cartilage explants were found to be viable. The cell density initially increased significantly but stabilized after two days. The proteoglycan content decreased gradually over time, but it did not decrease to a significant level due to leakage through the distorted peripheral collagen network and into the bathing medium. The collagen content remained stable for most of the culture period until it dropped abruptly on day 17. CONCLUSION: Overall, the tested cartilage explants were sustainable over long-term culture. They were most stable from day 2 to day 10. The degradation of the collagen on day 17 did not reach diseased levels, but it indicated the potential of the cultures to develop into degenerated cartilage. These findings have implications for the application of cartilage explants in pathophysiological fields.

The metabolic dynamics of cartilage explants over a long-term culture period

INTRODUCTION: Although previous studies have been performed on cartilage explant cultures, the generalized dynamics of cartilage metabolism after extraction from the host are still poorly understood due to differences in the experimental setups across studies, which in turn prevent building a complete picture. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the response of cartilage to the trauma sustained during extraction and determined the time needed for the cartilage to stabilize. Explants were extracted aseptically from bovine metacarpal-phalangeal joints and cultured for up to 17 days. RESULTS: The cell viability, cell number, proteoglycan content, and collagen content of the harvested explants were analyzed at 0, 2, 10, and 17 days after explantation. A high percentage of the cartilage explants were found to be viable. The cell density initially increased significantly but stabilized after two days. The proteoglycan content decreased gradually over time, but it did not decrease to a significant level due to leakage through the distorted peripheral collagen network and into the bathing medium. The collagen content remained stable for most of the culture period until it dropped abruptly on day 17. CONCLUSION: Overall, the tested cartilage explants were sustainable over long-term culture. They were most stable from day 2 to day 10. The degradation of the collagen on day 17 did not reach diseased levels, but it indicated the potential of the cultures to develop into degenerated cartilage. These findings have implications for the application of cartilage explants in pathophysiological fields.