The role of long-term mechanical circulatory support in patients with advanced heart failure.

In patients with end-stage heart failure, advanced therapies such as heart transplantation and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) have to be considered. LVADs can be implanted as a bridge to transplantation or as an alternative to heart transplantation: destination therapy. In the Netherlands, long-term LVAD therapy is gaining importance as a result of increased prevalence of heart failure together with a low number of heart transplantations due to shortage of donor hearts. As a result, the difference between bridge to transplantation and destination therapy is becoming more artificial since, at present, most patients initially implanted as bridge to transplantation end up receiving extended LVAD therapy. Following LVAD implantation, survival after 1, 2 and 3 years is 83%, 76% and 70%, respectively. Quality of life improves substantially despite important adverse events such as device-related infection, stroke, major bleeding and right heart failure. Early referral of potential candidates for long-term MCS is of utmost importance and positively influences outcome. In this review, an overview of the indications, contraindications, patient selection, clinical outcome and optimal time of referral for long-term MCS is given.

Ventricular assist device implantation in patients with a failing systemic right ventricle: a call to expand current practice.

Ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation is an established treatment modality for patients with end-stage heart failure, and improves symptoms and survival. In the Netherlands, it is not yet routinely considered in patients with congenital heart disease and failing systemic right ventricle (SRV). Recently, a VAD was implanted in 2 SRV patients, one who underwent a Mustard procedure during infancy for transposition of the great arteries (male, 47 years old) and one with a congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (male, 54 years old). The first patient is doing well >1 year after implantation; the second patient will be discharged home soon. These examples and other reports demonstrate the feasibility of adopting VAD implantation into routine care for SRV failure. In conclusion, patients with SRV failure may be suitable candidates for VAD implantation: they are relatively young, usually have a preserved subpulmonary left ventricular function, and their specific anatomical and physiological characteristics often make them unsuitable for cardiac transplantation. Therefore it is important to recognise the possibility of VAD implantation early in the process of SRV failure, and to timely refer these patients to a heart failure clinic with experience in VAD implantation in this group of patients for optimisation, screening, and implantation.

Optimal surgical mitral valve repair in Barlow's disease: the concept of functional prolapse.

Barlow's disease presents the most severe form of degenerative mitral valve disease as it normally affects various valvular structures and segments. We discuss the technical aspects of mitral valve repair in this setting. Furthermore, the concept of "functional prolapse" of the mitral valve is discussed as well as recommendations on when to proceed with surgical correction of anterior leaflet prolapse.

Left ventricular assist device for end-stage heart failure: results of the first LVAD destination program in the Netherlands.

PURPOSE: Mechanical circulatory support with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) may be a valuable treatment in end-stage heart failure patients for an extended period of time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of implantation of a continuous-flow LVAD in end-stage heart failure patients within the first destination program in the Netherlands. METHODS: A third-generation LVAD was implanted in 16 heart failure patients (age 61 ± 8; 81 % male; left ventricular ejection fraction 20 ± 6 %) as destination therapy. All patients were ineligible for heart transplant. At baseline, 3 and 6 months, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, quality-of-life and exercise capacity were assessed. Clinical adverse events were registered. RESULTS: Survival at 30 days and 6 months was 88 and 75 %, respectively. In the postoperative phase, 6 (38 %) patients required continuous veno-venous haemofiltration for renal failure and 2 (13 %) patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation because of severe right ventricular failure. During follow-up, NYHA functional class and quality-of-life improved from 3.7 ± 0.1 to 2.3 ± 0.1 and 57 ± 5 to 23 ± 3 at 6 months (P < 0.001), respectively. The 6 min walking distance improved from 168 ± 42 m to 291 ± 29 m at 6 months (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Continuous-flow LVAD therapy is a promising treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure ineligible for heart transplant.

Cardiospecific sevoflurane treatment quenches inflammation but does not attenuate myocardial cell damage markers: a proof-of-concept study in patients undergoing mitral valve repair.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is considered a key mediator of complications after cardiac surgery. Sevoflurane has been shown to quench inflammation and to provide cardioprotection in preclinical studies. Clinical studies using sevoflurane confirm this effect on inflammation but do not consistently show clinical benefits. This paradox may indicate that the contribution of inflammation to postoperative sequalae is less than commonly thought or that systemic doses are too low in their local concentration. To test the latter, we evaluated the effects of intramyocardial sevoflurane delivery. METHODS: Selective myocardial sevoflurane delivery was performed during aortic cross-clamping in patients undergoing valve surgery (n=11). Results were compared with a control group not receiving sevoflurane (n=10). A reference group (n=5) was added to evaluate the effects of systemic sevoflurane delivery. Paired arterial and myocardial venous blood samples were collected at various time points post-reperfusion. Inflammatory mediators and myocardial cell damage were studied. RESULTS: Intramyocardial delivery was superior to systemic delivery in attenuation of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 (-44% and -25%, respectively; both P=0.001). Myocardial and systemic sevoflurane delivery effectively suppressed surgery-related inflammatory responses including postoperative C-reactive protein levels when compared with controls [63 (47-99) (P=0.01) and 58 (56-81) (P=0.04) compared with 107 (79-144) mg litre(-1)]. Sevoflurane treatment did not reduce postoperative troponin T, creatine kinase, and creatine kinase-MB values. CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-concept study suggests that intramyocardial delivery compared with the systemic delivery of sevoflurane more strongly attenuates the systemic inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary bypass without reducing postoperative markers of myocardial cell damage. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register NTR2089.

Once daily MMX mesalazine for the treatment of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis: a phase II, dose-ranging study.

BACKGROUND: SPD476 (MMX mesalazine), is a novel, once daily, high-strength mesalazine formulation (1.2 g/tablet) that utilizes Multi Matrix System (MMX) technology to delay and extend delivery of the active drug throughout the colon. AIM: To assess the safety and efficacy of MMX mesalazine in patients with mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis, in a pilot, phase II, randomized, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-ranging study (SPD476-202). METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis were randomized to MMX mesalazine 1.2, 2.4 or 4.8 g/day given once daily for 8 weeks. Remission ulcerative colitis-disease activity index (UC-DAI) < or =1, a score of 0 for rectal bleeding and stool frequency, and > or =1 -point reduction in sigmoidoscopy score from baseline was the primary end point. RESULTS: Week 8 remission rates were 0%, 31% and 18% of patients receiving MMX mesalazine 1.2, 2.4 and 4.8 g/day respectively. No statistically significant difference in remission was observed between treatment groups. MMX mesalazine 2.4 and 4.8 g/day groups demonstrated greater improvement in overall UC-DAI and component scores from baseline, compared with the 1.2 g/day group. CONCLUSION: MMX mesalazine given as 2.4 or 4.8 g/day once daily is well tolerated and effective for the treatment of mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis.

Chronic effects of celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, cause enhanced alcohol-induced liver steatosis in rats.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenetic role of prostaglandins in steatosis, the first stage of alcoholic liver injury, is not well understood, especially that involving the inflammatory reactions controlled by prostaglandins and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver. We, therefore, studied the chronic effects of the COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, given to ethanol-treated rats. METHODS: Rats were fed ethanol and a low dose of celecoxib (approximately 20 mg/kg daily) in a high-fat/low-carbohydrate liquid diet for six weeks. RESULTS: Ethanol treatment caused liver steatosis, moderate cellular infiltration and enhanced levels of plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Co-administration of celecoxib further increased the steatosis, relative liver weights and increased plasma ALT and TNF-alpha levels above those in ethanol-treated rats. Also, celecoxib counteracted the ethanol-induced increase in hepatic prostaglandin E(2) receptor EP4 mRNA expression. In contrast, celecoxib alone increased plasma ALT and TNF-alpha levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that prolonged low-dose celecoxib treatment with ethanol enhances alcohol-induced steatosis and liver inflammatory reactions above that from ethanol or celecoxib alone. It is suggested that reduction in PGE(2) by treatment with celecoxib removes the endogenous protective effect of this prostaglandin.

Oral chronic ethanol administration to rodents by agar gel diet.

BACKGROUND: Chronic ethanol administration to rodents requires specially designed equipment and is labor intensive. Here we report a new procedure. METHOD: A commercial liquid diet preparation was made into a gel by addition of 0.5% agar. The gel, containing 5.3% ethanol, was offered in Falcon tubes equipped with a feeding opening. RESULTS: The gel consumption by C57/Bl mice resulted in high blood ethanol levels (average 43 mM). After 6 weeks, marked liver steatosis and significantly increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels had developed. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of ethanol in a nutritionally adequate gel provides a simple method for studies on chronic ethanol effects in rodents.

Cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction is impaired in IGF-1 deficient mice.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain more insight in the role of IGF-1 in cardiac remodeling and function after experimental myocardial infarction. We hypothesized that cardiac remodeling is altered in IGF-1 deficient mice, which may affect cardiac function. METHODS: A myocardial infarction was induced by surgical coronary artery ligation in heterozygous IGF-1 deficient mice. One week after surgery, left ventricular function was analyzed, and parameters of cardiac remodeling were measured. RESULTS: No significant difference in cardiac function was found between infarcted wildtype and knock-out animals, despite a marked reduction in capillarization and blunting of the hypertrophic response of the interventricular septum in the IGF-1 deficient group. Furthermore, decreased DNA synthesis and increased apoptosis rates were observed in the IGF-1 knock-out mice. CONCLUSION: IGF-1 deficient mice show preservation of cardiac function 1 week after MI, despite an altered cardiac remodeling process.

Long lasting p53-specific T cell memory responses in the absence of anti-p53 antibodies in patients with resected primary colorectal cancer.

Colorectal carcinoma is commonly associated with mutation and overexpression of p53, making this antigen a potential target for immune intervention. We analyzed humoral and proliferative immunity against p53 in the blood of patients with resected primary colorectal cancer. The majority of these patients displayed anti-p53 T helper (Th) immunity in the absence of measurable p53 specific antibody levels. The Th responses were long-lasting since they could be detected up to several years after resection of the primary tumor. In a number of cases the Th responses were highly sensitive, reflected by the recognition of naturally processed p53 protein. Our data argue that boosting of these responses in patients with minimal residual disease through p53-specific vaccination, may be employed for improving the chance of disease-free survival of these patients.

Chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) is characterized by Th1 and Th2 cytokines.

Oral administration of DSS has been reported to induce an acute and chronic colitis in mice. The aim of our study was to evaluate if the chronic phase of DSS-induced colitis was characterized by a Th1/Th2 response and how this would relate to mucosal regeneration. Swiss Webster mice were fed 5% DSS in their drinking water for 7 days, followed by 2-5 weeks consumption of water. Control mice received only water. The animals were killed at 3 and 6 weeks after induction. Their colons were isolated for histology and immunohistochemistry, using specific MoAbs for T and B cells, macrophages, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-4 and IL-5. Colons were scored for inflammation, damage and regeneration. Two weeks after stopping DSS the colonic epithelium had only partially healed. Total colitis scores were still increased, especially in the distal colon, which was due to more inflammation, damage and less regeneration. In areas of incomplete colonic healing the basal parts of the lamina propria contained macrophages and CD4+ T cells. These CD4+ T cells showed a focal increase of IFN-gamma and IL-4 staining compared with control animals. These findings were still observed 5 weeks after stopping DSS in some mice, albeit less extensive. Chronic DSS-induced colitis is characterized by focal epithelial regeneration and a Th1 as well as Th2 cytokine profile. We postulate that chronic immune activation mediated by both populations of Th cells can interfere with colonic healing and can play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic colitis.

Effects of local budesonide treatment on the cell-mediated immune response in acute and relapsing colitis in rats.

Glucocorticosteroids (GCS) are effective in treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but also have unwanted systemic side effects. Here, we describe the effects of budesonide and dexamethasone on acute experimental colitis and on T cells in thymus and spleen, as well as the effect of budesonide treatment on relapsing colitis. Acute colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in ethanol, and a relapse was induced by an intraperitoneal booster of TNBS. GCS were administered intrarectally on days 1, 4, and 6 after induction of acute colitis or a relapse. Inflammatory cells in the colon were studied on day 7, and in acute colitis also on days 13 and 16. Budesonide treatment in acute and relapsing colitis resulted in reduction of macroscopic damage and decreased the numbers of macrophages and neutrophils in the colon. Dexamethasone was less effective. Dexamethasone, but not budesonide, reduced the number of T cells in the thymus. It is concluded that local budesonide is more effective in treatment of acute experimental colitis than dexamethasone and, in contrast to dexamethasone, did not cause a general suppression of T cells. Although budesonide was very effective in the treatment of relapsing colitis, this effect was not accomplished by affecting the number of T cells in the colon.

CD4+ T cells from 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis rodents migrate to the recipient's colon upon transfer; down-regulation by CD8+ T cells.

CD4+ T cells play an important role in the aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but it is not clear which factor(s) cause activation of these cells. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of adoptive transfer of splenic (CD4+) T cells from TNBS/ethanol-sensitized donor rats to naive recipients and the migration pattern of transferred T cells. For the transfer experiments, colitis was induced in rats by colonic administration of TNBS/ethanol. Seventeen days later, either total splenic T cells or CD4+, or CD8+ T cells were transferred to naive recipients. At days 1, 2 and 3 after transfer, the recipients were killed and the migration pattern of the transferred T cells was studied, as well as inflammatory cells in several organs, including the colon. To determine cytokine profiles of the T cells, colitis was induced in mice. Therefore, different combinations of 2,4-dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS) in ethanol or saline, or ethanol alone were intrarectally administered. At day 9 after induction of colitis, mice were killed and cytokine profiles in the colon were studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The results show that CD4+ T cells from donor rats with TNBS/ethanol-induced colitis migrate in particular to the colon upon transfer to naive recipients, and that this process is down-regulated by CD8+ T cells. This migration is probably caused by T cell recognition of the colonic bacterial flora and initiates an inflammatory reaction in the recipient's colon, characterized by an increase of the recipient's own T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. In the mice experiments we showed that a second administration of DNBS/ethanol or ethanol alone, which presumably causes bacterial translocation, results in increased numbers of T cells into the colon, accompanied by an increase in Th1 cytokines. These data suggest that Th1 cells recognize the colonic bacterial flora.

Stereoscopic segregation of transparent surfaces and the effect of motion contrast.

Stereoscopic segregation in depth was studied using two superimposed frontoparallel surfaces displayed in dynamic random dot stereograms. The two patterns were positioned symmetrically in front of and behind a binocular fixation point. They were either stationary, or they could move relative to each other. Sensitivity for segregation was established by adding gaussian distributed disparity noise to the disparities specifying the two planes, and finding the noise amplitude that gave threshold segregation performance. Observers easily segregate the two surfaces for disparity differences between approximately 6 and 30-40 arcmin. Motion contrast, which by itself provides no cue to perform the task, greatly improves sensitivity for segregation. Noise tolerance rises by a factor of two or more when the patterns move at different speeds, or in different (frontoparallel) directions. The effect increases with directional difference, but the optimal directional difference deviated from 180 deg. The optimal speed varies with disparity difference. Thus, motion and disparity must interact in order to resolve the two transparent planes.

Characterization of the mucosal cell-mediated immune response in IL-2 knockout mice before and after the onset of colitis.

One of the major advances in the understanding of inflammatory bowel disease has been the observation that mice with immunoregulatory defects, such as interleukin-2 knockout (IL-2 -/-) mice, develop spontaneous gut inflammation. Here we have characterized the immune response in the ileum, caecum and colon of these mice before and after the onset of colitis by examining the cellular infiltrate, the cytokines produced by these cells and the mucosal vascular addressin MAdCAM-1. IL-2 -/- mice developed colitis after 35 days of age and before this the mice were apparently healthy. IL-2 -/- mice aged over 35 days with colitis had large numbers of CD4+, CD8+, alpha beta T-cell receptor (TCR)+ and gamma delta TCR+ T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and MAdCAM-1+ endothelial cells in the caecum and colon. This was associated with an increase in the number of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-1 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) transcripts and a decrease in IL-4 and IL-10 transcripts. Treatment of IL-2 -/- mice with cyclosporin A significantly delayed mortality. Interestingly, IL-2 -/- mice under 35 days, although healthy, did show some subtle immunological signs of preclinical disease. There was a significant increase in the number of macrophages and dendritic cells in the colonic lamina propria and increased mRNA for IL-1 and TNF-alpha. There were also increased numbers of MAdCAM-1+ endothelial cells, but IFN-gamma transcripts were not elevated. These results suggest that T-cell-mediated colitis in IL-2 -/- mice may be secondary to an initial non-specific inflammation.

Leukocyte migration in experimental inflammatory bowel disease.

Emigration of leukocytes from the circulation into tissue by transendothelial migration, is mediated subsequently by adhesion molecules such as selectins, chemokines and integrins. This multistep paradigm, with multiple molecular choices at each step, provides a diversity in signals. The influx of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes into inflamed tissue is important in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The importance of each of these groups of adhesion molecules in chronic inflammatory bowel disease, either in human disease or in animal models, will be discussed below. Furthermore, the possibilities of blocking these different steps in the process of leukocyte extravasation in an attempt to prevent further tissue damage, will be taken into account.

Anti-CD11b/CD18 antibodies reduce inflammation in acute colitis in rats.

The influx of monocytes and neutrophils into the inflamed tissue could be an important aspect in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A membrane protein involved in the monocyte/neutrophil adherence to endothelium is CD11b/CD18 or alpha M beta 2 (complement receptor type 3 = CR3). In the present study the role of CD11b/CD18 in experimental IBD was studied by treatment with ED7 and OX42, two MoAbs against CD11b/CD18. Colitis was induced in rats by a single, rectal administration of 30 mg 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in ethanol 30%. Two hours before and 3 days after induction of colitis, the animals were given an i.v. dose of 0.5 mg of either ED7 or OX42 in 1 ml PBS. Controls received PBS or an irrelevant MoAb. Four days after the last treatment with the antibodies, the rats were killed, and macroscopic damage scores of the colon were determined. Macrophages and granulocytes were studied by immunohistochemistry and quantified by Interaktives Bild Analysen System (IBAS), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in colonic tissue was measured. After treatment with ED7 and OX42 the mean damage score of the colon was reduced from 4.2 in IBD animals to 1.0 and 1.3, respectively. Smaller areas of ulcerations and a decrease in the number of ulcerations were observed compared with PBS-treated rats. Furthermore, the amount of infiltrating monocytes and leucocytes in the submucosa was enormously reduced, as well as MPO activity in the colonic tissue. These results show that treatment with MoAbs against CD11b/CD18 reduces clinical signs of experimental IBD in rats by a partial blockade of infiltrating macrophages and granulocytes.

Non-lymphoid and lymphoid cells in acute, chronic and relapsing experimental colitis.

In rodents, intracolonic administration of ethanol 30% induces an acute colitis, while administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) in ethanol induces a longer lasting colitis. In the acute and chronic stages of experimental colitis, lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells were studied in the colon by immunohistochemistry. During the acute inflammation a high damage score of the colon was observed, which was related to an increase in the number of macrophages and granulocytes. Also a change in distributional patterns of macrophage subpopulations was found. The chronic stage of TNBS-ethanol-induced colitis was characterized by an increase in the number of lymphocytes, especially T cells. These data suggest that macrophages and granulocytes are important in the acute phase of experimental colitis, while lymphocytes play a pivotal role in the chronic stage. As most inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients have relapses during the chronic disease, we attempted to induce a relapse during experimental colitis by giving a second i.p. or s.c. dose of TNBS. This resulted in increased damage scores of the colon, new areas of ulceration and a further increase in macrophage numbers. No effect on the number of granulocytes was seen. These results indicate that it is possible to mimic relapses in experimental colitis by a second administration of TNBS, and suggest that the rats had been sensitized by the first dose of TNBS, given into the colon.

Nicotine dependence treatment during inpatient treatment for other addictions: a prospective intervention trial.

This study assessed the effect of treating nicotine dependence in smokers undergoing inpatient treatment for other addictions. It was a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled trial with a 1-year outcome. The subjects were smoking patients (50 controls, 51 in intervention group) in an inpatient addictions treatment unit in a medical center. The enrollment of subjects was sequential: controls were enrolled first; after a 6-week washout period, intervention subjects were enrolled. Controls received usual care, and the intervention group received nicotine dependence treatment consisting of a consultation, 10 intervention sessions, and a structured relapse prevention program. Smoking cessation rate and abstinence from alcohol or other drug use were the main outcome measures. The confirmed smoking cessation rate at 1 year was 11.8% in the intervention group and 0.0% in the control group (p = 0.027). Nicotine dependence intervention did not seen to interfere with abstinence from alcohol or other drugs (1-year relapse rate was 31.4% in the intervention group and 34.0% in controls). In this study, nicotine dependence treatment provided as part of addictive disorders treatment enhanced smoking cessation and did not have a substantial adverse effect on abstinence from the nonnicotine drug of dependence.