Gamma Knife radiosurgery for the management of glomus jugulare tumors: A systematic review and report of the experience of a radioneurosurgery unit in Latin America.

Background: Glomus jugulare tumors (GJTs) are rare and mainly affect women between the 5th and 6th decades of life. Its localization and anatomic relationships make conventional surgical treatment difficult and with a considerable risk of complications. This manuscript aims to describe the results of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKR) in patients with GJT treated in a single center in Latin America, as well as to systematically review the literature to determine the clinical and radiological effectiveness of this technique. Methods: A search of information from January 1995 to June 2023 was performed. Twenty-two articles reporting 721 GJT patients treated with GKR were included in the study. Variables such as symptomatic control, control of tumor size, and complications were evaluated. These variables were described using measures of central tendency and proportions. For the institutional experience, 77 patients with GJT tumors were included in the study. Pre-treatment clinical variables and follow-up data were collected from medical charts and phone interviews. The Short Form-36 scale was applied to assess the quality of life. The data were analyzed using the statistical program STATA17.0. Results: A total of 721 patients were considered. The median of patients included in these studies was 18.5. The mean age was 58.4 years. The median of symptom control was 89%, and the median of imaging control was 95.7%. In our institution, 77 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 53.2 years. The median hospital stay was 4.92 hours. For the clinical follow-up, information on 47 patients was obtained. An improvement in pre-treatment symptoms was described in 58%, with general symptomatic control of 97%. The tumor-control rate was 95%, and there were statistically significant differences in six of the nine Short Form-36 scale domains. Conclusion: GKR is an effective, safe, and cost-effective technique that offers a high degree of symptomatic and tumor size control in patients with GJT.

Role of heme oxygenase in the regulation of the renal hemodynamics in a model of sex-dependent programmed hypertension by maternal diabetes.

Intrauterine programming of cardiovascular and renal function occurs in diabetes because of the adverse maternal environment. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and -2 (HO-2) exert vasodilatory and antioxidant actions, particularly in conditions of elevated HO-1 expression or deficient nitric oxide levels. We evaluated whether the activity of the heme-HO system is differentially regulated by oxidative stress in the female offspring of diabetic mothers, contributing to the improved cardiovascular function in comparison with males. Diabetes was induced in pregnant rats by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg ip) in late gestation. Three-month-old male offspring from diabetic mothers (MODs) exhibited higher blood pressure (BP), higher renal vascular resistance (RVR), worse endothelium-dependent response to acetylcholine (ACH), and an increased constrictor response to phenylephrine (PHE) compared with those in age-matched female offspring of diabetic mothers (FODs), which were abolished by chronic tempol (1 mM) treatment. In anesthetized animals, stannous mesoporphyrin (SnMP; 40 µmol/kg iv) administration, to inhibit HO activity, increased RVR in FODs and reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in MODs, without altering these parameters in control animals. When compared with MODs, FODs showed lower nitrotirosyne levels and higher HO-1 protein expression in renal homogenates. Indeed, chronic treatment with tempol in MODs prevented elevations in nitrotyrosine levels and the acute renal hemodynamics response to SnMP. Then, maternal diabetes results in sex-specific hypertension and renal alterations associated with oxidative stress mainly in adult male offspring, which are reduced in the female offspring by elevation in HO-1 expression and lower oxidative stress levels.

Moderate Effect of Flavonoids on Vascular and Renal Function in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Many studies have shown that flavonoids are effective as antihypertensive drugs in arterial hypertension. In the present work, we have analyzed the effects of some flavonoid extracts in the spontaneous hypertensive rat model (SHR). An important feature of this study is that we have used a low dose, far from those that are usually applied in human therapy or experimental animals, a dose that responded to the criterion of a potential future commercial use in human subjects. Treatments were carried out for 6 and 12 weeks in two groups of SHR rats, which received apigenin, lemon extract, grapefruit + bitter orange (GBO) extracts, and cocoa extract. Captopril was used as a positive control in the SHR group treated for 6 weeks (SHR6) and Diosmin was used as the industry reference in the SHR group treated for 12 weeks (SHR12). Captopril and GBO extracts lowered the high arterial pressure of the SHR6 animals, but none of the extracts were effective in the SHR12 group. Apigenin, lemon extract (LE), GBO, and captopril also improved aortic vascular relaxation and increased plasma and urinary excretion of nitrites, but only in the SHR6 group. Kidney and urinary thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were also significantly reduced by GBO in the SHR6 rats. Apigenin also improved vascular relaxation in the SHR12 group and all the flavonoids studied reduced urinary thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) excretion and proteinuria. Vascular abnormalities, such as lumen/wall ratio in heart arteries and thoracic aorta, were moderately improved by these treatments in the SHR6 group. In conclusion, the flavonoid-rich extracts included in this study, especially apigenin, LE and GBO improved vascular vasodilatory function of young adult SHRs but only the GBO-treated rats benefited from a reduction in blood pressure. These extracts may be used as functional food ingredients with a moderate therapeutic benefit, especially in the early phases of arterial hypertension.

Uso "off label" de stents coronarios medicados: factores pronósticos en el seguimiento / Predictors of major adverse cardiac after off label use of drug eluting stents in coronary angioplasty

Antecedentes: Los stents medicados en indicaciones off-label se asocian con mayor riesgo de complicaciones. Objetivo: Determinar los factores predictores de efectos cardiovasculares adversos mayores (MACE) en un año de seguimiento en pacientes coronarios que reciben stents medicados en indicación off label. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio analítico de una cohorte obtenida de un registro institucional. Se incluyeron adultos con enfermedad coronaria e implantación de stent medicado en indicación off label. Se generó un modelo multivariado para determinar la probabilidad de presentar MACE atribuido al stent medicado en indicación off-label. Resultados: Se incluyeron 603 pacientes en el estudio, edad promedio 61 años, 74 por ciento hombres. Los MACE a 1 año fueron: mortalidad 0,33 por ciento, Infarto Agudo del Miocardio con elevación ST (IAMSTE) 3,0por ciento, trombosis intrastent 1,9 por ciento y revascularización del vaso blanco 6,8 por ciento. Se encontró que dislipidemia (OR 2,2, 95 por ciento CI 1,2-4,1 y enfermedad vascular periférica (5,7, 95 por ciento CI 2,0-16,2) se asociaron a mayor probabilidad de presentar MACE. El IAMSTE se asoció a disminución de la probabilidad de MACE (OR 0,40 95 por ciento, IC 0,17-0,94). Diámetro del vaso de referencia menor de 2,5 mm (OR 2,2, 95 por ciento IC 0,8-6,1) o lesiones mayores de 35 mm de longitud (OR 0,99, 95 por ciento IC 0,99-1,01) no fueron predictivos de MACE, como tampoco otras variables angiográficas. Conclusiones: La implantación de stent medicados en indicación off-label no aumentó la probabilidad de desarrollar MACE. Tener dislipidemia y enfermedad vascular periférica fueron factores independientes que predisponen a presentar MACE.

Background: The off label use of drug eluting stents (DES) is associated to a greater risk of adverse events. Aim: to determine predictors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at one year after the off label implantation of DES. Method: an analysis of a cohort obtained from an institutional PTCA registry was performed. Adults who had one or more DES implanted on off label indications were included. A multivariate model was developed in order to identify predictors of complications associated to off label use of DES. Results: 603 patients, mean age 60 years, 74 percent males, were included. After one year of follow up, mortality was 0.33 percent ST elevation MI developed in 3.0 percent intra-stent thrombosis in 1.9 percent and revascularization of the target vessel was performed in 6.8 percent. Dislipide-mia (OR 2.2, [95 percent C.I. 1.2-4.1]) and peripheral vascular disease (OR 5.7, [2.0-16.2 percent]) were associated to a greater probability of MACE. Use of DES in ST elevation MI was associated to a decreased probability of MACE (OR 0.40, [0.17-0.95]). A reference vessel diameter <2.5mm (OR 2.2 [0.8-6.1percent]) or lesions >35 mm in length (OR 0.99 [0.99-1.1]) were not predictive of MACE. The same was true for other angiographic variables. Conclusion: The use of DES in off label indications was not associated to an increased development of MACE. Dislipidemia and peripheral vascular disease were independent predictors of MACE.