Pituitary gland metastasis of breast cancer presenting as diabetes insipidus: A case report.

Metastasis to pituitary gland is a rare condition, and patients are usually asymptomatic. Diabetes insipidus (DI) is the most common presenting symptom, and breast cancer is the most common source of pituitary metastasis (PM). We report a case of PM of breast cancer presenting as DI. A 45-year-old female patient presented to our department with complaints of polyuria and polydipsia. She had a medical history of metastatic breast adenocarcinoma. Laboratory data showed normal fasting plasma glucose level and hypotonic urine. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed infiltration of the pituitary stalk and the absence of the posterior pituitary bright spot consistent with metastasis to the pituitary gland. The water deprivation and vasopressin challenge tests confirmed central DI. Pituitary function tests revealed disconnection hyperprolactinemia with a menopausal profile. The patient was treated with vasopressin with great clinical results. Pituitary metastases are rare but should be suspected in patients with metastatic cancer who present with DI.

Therapeutic potential of vasopressin in the treatment of neurological disorders.

Vasopressin (VP) is a nonapeptide made of nine amino acids synthesized by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. VP acts as a neurohormone, neuropeptide and neuromodulator and plays an important role in the regulation of water balance, osmolarity, blood pressure, body temperature, stress response, emotional challenges, etc. Traditionally VP is known to regulate the osmolarity and tonicity. VP and its receptors are widely expressed in the various region of the brain including cortex, hippocampus, basal forebrain, amygdala, etc. VP has been shown to modulate the behavior, stress response, circadian rhythm, cerebral blood flow, learning and memory, etc. The potential role of VP in the regulation of these neurological functions have suggested the therapeutic importance of VP and its analogues in the management of neurological disorders. Further, different VP analogues have been developed across the world with different pharmacotherapeutic potential. In the present work authors highlighted the therapeutic potential of VP and its analogues in the treatment and management of various neurological disorders.

Cardiac Agents during Neonatal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Epinephrine (adrenaline) is currently the only cardiac agent recommended during neonatal resuscitation. The inability to predict which newborns are at risk of requiring resuscitative efforts at birth has prevented the collection of large, high-quality human data. SUMMARY: Information on the optimal dosage and route of epinephrine administration is extrapolated from neonatal animal studies and human adult and pediatric studies. Adult resuscitation guidelines have previously recommended vasopressin use; however, neonatal studies needed to create guidelines are lacking. A review of the literature demonstrates conflicting results regarding epinephrine efficacy through various routes of access as well as vasopressin during asystolic cardiac arrest in animal models. Vasopressin appears to improve hemodynamic and post-resuscitation outcomes compared to epinephrine in asystolic cardiac arrest animal models. KEY MESSAGES: The current neonatal resuscitation guidelines recommend epinephrine be primarily given via the intravenous or intraosseous route, with the endotracheal route as an alternative if these routes are not feasible or unsuccessful. The intravenous or intraosseous dose ranges between 0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, which should be repeated every 3-5 min during chest compressions. However, the optimal dosing and route of administration of epinephrine remain unknown. There is evidence from adult and pediatric studies that vasopressin might be an alternative to epinephrine; however, the neonatal data are scarce.

Tolvaptan for Treatment of Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH) in a Child with Corpus Callosum Agenesis.

Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is one of the common causes of euvolemic hyponatremia (serum Na+ < 135 mEq/L) in hospitalized children. It is characterized by increased serum ADH, leading to water retention via its action on V2 receptors in the distal renal tubules. Various conditions such as pain, the postoperative state, drugs, central nervous system infections, tumors, malformations, and pneumonia can predispose a person to SIADH. The conventional treatment of SIADH includes fluid restriction and salt supplementation. Occasionally, this may fail to control hyponatremia, mandating pharmacological therapy. V2-receptor antagonists are an FDA-approved therapy for adults with euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia. However, there is limited experience with their use in the pediatric population. Here, the authors present a girl with corpus callosum agenesis with severe symptomatic hyponatremia due to SIADH who was successfully managed with the V2-receptor antagonist tolvaptan.

Effect of Early Administration of Vasopressin on New-Onset Arrhythmia Development in Patients With Septic Shock: A Retrospective, Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Adjunctive vasopressin use in septic shock reduces catecholamine requirements and is associated with a lower incidence of new-onset arrhythmias (NOAs). The association of vasopressin timing on NOA development is ill-described. Objective: To determine whether early administration of vasopressin was associated with a lower incidence of NOA in septic shock patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients at a large, academic medical center. Septic shock patients who required vasopressin and norepinephrine were eligible for inclusion. Patients were excluded for receipt of other vasoactive agents, history of cardiac arrhythmias, or outside hospital admission. Early vasopressin was defined as receipt within 6 hours of septic shock onset. The primary outcome was incidence of NOA. Results: In total, 436 patients, 220 (50.4%) in the early and 216 (49.6%) in the late vasopressin group, were included. Early vasopressin was not associated with a lower incidence of NOA compared with late vasopressin (9% vs 7%, median absolute difference [95% confidence interval, CI]: -2.1 [-7.2, 3.0], P = 0.41). Early vasopressin patients were observed to have shorter shock duration (2 vs 4 days, median absolute difference [95% CI]: 2 [1, 2], P < 0.001), and ICU length of stay (6 vs 7 days, median absolute difference [95% CI]: 1 [0, 2], P = 0.02). Conclusions and Relevance: Early vasopressin use was not associated with a lower incidence of NOA. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the effect of vasopressin timing on NOA and other clinical outcomes.

Does Early Vasopressin in Septic Shock Improve Outcomes? An Important Piece to This Emerging Puzzle Has Arrived.

In this month's Annals of Pharmacotherapy, the largest observational study assessing the early versus later use of vasopressin has been published. When this new study is combined with the other available observational studies, there are 2 important outcomes to focus on. When all the observational studies are pooled together, no reduction in new onset arrhythmias is seen (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41-1.95) with early versus late vasopressin use while the reduction in renal replacement therapy just missed statistical significance (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.32-1.00). Early vasopressin likely does not reduce new onset arrhythmias versus later use but might reduce the need for renal replacement therapy.

Vasopressin in vasoplegic shock in surgical patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Vasoplegia, or vasoplegic shock, is a syndrome whose main characteristic is reducing blood pressure in the presence of a standard or high cardiac output. For the treatment, vasopressors are recommended, and the most used is norepinephrine. However, new drugs have been evaluated, and conflicting results exist in the literature. METHODS: This is a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, written according to the recommendations of the PRISMA report. The SCOPUS, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases were used to select the scientific articles included in the study. Searches were conducted in December 2022 using the terms "vasopressin," "norepinephrine," "vasoplegic shock," "postoperative," and "surgery." Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.4. The endpoint associated with the study was efficiency in treating vasoplegic shock and reduced risk of death. RESULTS: In total, 2,090 articles were retrieved; after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten studies were selected to compose the present review. We found no significant difference when assessing the outcome mortality comparing vasopressin versus norepinephrine (odds ratio = 1.60; confidence interval 0.47-5.50), nor when comparing studies on vasopressin versus placebo. When we analyzed the length of hospital stay compared to the use of vasopressin and norepinephrine, we identified a shorter length of hospital stay in cases that used vasopressin; however, the meta-analysis did not demonstrate statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the outcomes included in our study, it is worth noting that most studies showed that using vasopressin was safe and can be considered in managing postoperative vasoplegic shock.

A preliminary study on the mechanism of VASH2 in childhood medulloblastoma.

To study the differences in VASH2 expression in pediatric medulloblastoma (MB) tumor tissues of different molecular subtypes, to analyze the correlation between VASH2 and the molecular subtypes of medulloblastoma, clinicopathological data, and prognosis, and to explore the specific mechanism of VASH2's role in SHH medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY. We analyzed 47 pediatric medulloblastoma cases admitted to the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2011 to December 2019, and the expression levels of YAP1 and GAB1 in these tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecularly typed (WNT-type, SHH-type, and non-WNT/SHH-type). The correlation between VASH2 and molecular typing of medulloblastoma was analyzed. We also analyzed the medulloblastoma dataset in the GEO database (GSE30074 and GSE202043) to explore the correlation between VASH2 and the prognosis of medulloblastoma patients, as well as performed a comprehensive GO enrichment analysis specifically for the VASH2 gene to reveal the underlying biological pathways of its complex molecular profile. We used vasopressin 2 (VASH2) as a research target and overexpressed and knocked down VASH2 in SHH medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY by lentiviral vectors in vitro, respectively, to investigate its role in SHH medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and biological roles in the cell cycle. (1) Among 47 pediatric medulloblastoma cases, 8 were WNT type, 29 were SHH type, and 10 were non-WNT/SHH type. the positive rate of VASH2 was highest in the SHH type with a 68.97% positive rate, followed by non-WNT/SHH and lowest in the WNT type. The results of the multifactorial analysis showed that positive expression of VASH2 was associated with medulloblastoma molecular subtype (SHH type), site of tumor development (four ventricles), and gender (male), P < 0.05. (2) The results of cellular experiments showed that overexpression of VASH2 increased the invasion and migration ability of medulloblast Daoy, while knockdown of VASH2 inhibited the invasion and Overexpression of VASH2 upregulated the expression of Smad2 + 3, Smad4, Mmp2 and the apoptotic indicators Bcl-2 and Caspase3, while knockdown of VASH2 suppressed the expression of Smad2 + 3 and Mmp2, and silenced the expression of Smad4 and the apoptotic indicators Bcl2, Caspase3 expression. Flow cytometric cycle analysis showed that VASH2 overexpression increased the S phase in the Daoy cell cycle, while VASH2 knockdown decreased the S phase in the SHH medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY cell cycle. Bioinformatics analysis showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the expression of VASH2 genes in the GSE30074 and GSE202043 datasets and the prognosis of the patients, but the results of this dataset analysis suggested that we need to continue to expand the sample size of the study in the future. The results of the GO enrichment analysis showed that the angiogenic pathway was the most significantly enriched, and the PPI interactions network of VASH2 was obtained from the STRING database. Using the STRING database, we obtained the PPI interaction network of VASH2, and the KEGG enrichment analysis of VASH2-related genes showed that VASH2-related genes were related to the apoptosis pathway, and therefore it was inferred that VASH2 also affects the development of tumors through apoptosis. We found for the first time that the positive expression rate of VASH2 was closely associated with SHH-type pediatric medulloblastoma and that VASH2 was involved in the invasion, migration, cell cycle, and apoptotic capacity of SHH medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY by affecting downstream indicators of the TGF-ß pathway. This suggests that it is involved in the progression of pediatric medulloblastoma, and VASH2 is expected to be a diagnostic and therapeutic target for SHH-type pediatric medulloblastoma.

Effect of tolvaptan on hyponatremia in a dog with syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone.

A 1-year-old spayed female Miniature Schnauzer had chronic hyponatremia, accompanied by polyuria and polydipsia. Blood tests and urinalysis revealed severe hyponatremia, low plasma osmolality with euvolemia, and increased sodium excretion in urine. Hypothyroidism and hypoadrenocorticism were ruled out as causes. These findings led to the diagnosis of syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed dilation of the lateral ventricles, indicating severe hydrocephalus. Tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist commonly used in human SIADH, was administered along with water restriction. This treatment resulted in a consistent increase in plasma sodium levels without any adverse effects. This case report represents the first documented evidence of the therapeutic efficacy of tolvaptan in treating SIADH in a dog.

Vasopressin and methylprednisolone and hemodynamics after in-hospital cardiac arrest - A post hoc analysis of the VAM-IHCA trial.

INTRODUCTION: The Vasopressin and Methylprednisolone for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (VAM-IHCA) trial demonstrated a significant improvement in return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) with no clear effect on long-term outcomes. The objective of the current manuscript was to evaluate the hemodynamic effects of intra-cardiac arrest vasopressin and methylprednisolone during the first 24 hours after ROSC. METHODS: The VAM-IHCA trial randomized patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest to a combination of vasopressin and methylprednisolone or placebo during the cardiac arrest. This study is a post hoc analysis focused on the hemodynamic effects of the intervention after ROSC. Post-ROSC data on the administration of glucocorticoids, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, blood gases, vasopressor and inotropic therapy, and sedation were collected. Total vasopressor dose between the two groups was calculated based on noradrenaline-equivalent doses for adrenaline, phenylephrine, terlipressin, and vasopressin. RESULTS: The present study included all 186 patients who achieved ROSC in the VAM IHCA-trial of which 100 patients received vasopressin and methylprednisolone and 86 received placebo. The number of patients receiving glucocorticoids during the first 24 hours was 22/86 (26%) in the placebo group and 14/100 (14%) in the methylprednisolone group with no difference in the cumulative hydrocortisone-equivalent dose. There was no significant difference between the groups in the mean cumulative noradrenaline-equivalent dose (vasopressin and methylprednisolone: 603 ug/kg [95CI% 227; 979] vs. placebo: 651 ug/kg [95CI% 296; 1007], mean difference -48 ug/kg [95CI% -140; 42.9], p = 0.30), mean arterial blood pressure, or lactate levels. There was no difference between groups in arterial blood gas values and vital signs. CONCLUSION: Treatment with vasopressin and methylprednisolone during cardiac arrest caused no difference in mean arterial blood pressure, vasopressor use, or arterial blood gases within the first 24 hours after ROSC when compared to placebo.

THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF VASOPRESSORS FOR SEPTIC SHOCK PATIENTS: A SYSTEMIC REVIEW AND NETWORK META-ANALYSIS.

ABSTRACT: Background: Septic shock is a distributive shock with decreased systemic vascular resistance and MAP. Septic shock contributes to the most common causes of death in the intensive care unit (ICU). Current guidelines recommend the use of norepinephrine as the first-line vasopressor, whereas adrenergic agonists and vasopressin analogs are also commonly used by physicians. To date, very few studies have synthetically compared the effects of multiple types of vasoactive medications. The aim of this study was to systemically evaluate the efficacy of vasoactive agents both individually and in combination to treat septic shock. Methods: The PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched up to May 12, 2022, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. A network meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of different types of vasopressors. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome was the ICU length of stay. Adverse events are defined as any undesirable outcomes, including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, peripheral ischemia, or stroke and cerebrovascular events. Findings: Thirty-three randomized controlled trials comprising 4,966 patients and assessing 8 types of vasoactive treatments were included in the network meta-analysis. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve provided a ranking of vasoactive medications in terms of 28-day all-cause mortality from most effective to least effective: norepinephrine plus dobutamine, epinephrine, vasopressin, terlipressin, norepinephrine, norepinephrine plus vasopressin, dopamine, and dobutamine. Dopamine was associated with a significantly shorter ICU stay than norepinephrine, terlipressin, and vasopressin, whereas other vasoactive medications showed no definite difference in ICU length of stay. Regarding adverse events, norepinephrine was associated with the highest incidences of myocardial infarction and peripheral ischemia. Dopamine was associated with the highest incidence of cardiac arrhythmia. Epinephrine and terlipressin were associated with the highest incidences of myocardial infarction and peripheral ischemia. Interpretation: The results of this network meta-analysis suggest that norepinephrine plus dobutamine is associated with a lower risk of 28-day mortality in septic shock patients than other vasoactive medications, and the use of dopamine is associated with a higher risk of 28-day mortality due to septic shock than norepinephrine, terlipressin, and vasopressin.

The Vasopressin Loading for Refractory septic shock (VALOR) study: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Vasopressin is a second-line vasoactive agent for refractory septic shock. Vasopressin loading is not generally performed because of the lack of evidence for its effects and safety. However, based on our previous findings, we hypothesized it can predict the responsibility to vasopressin infusion with safety, and prospectively examined it in the present study. METHODS: Vasopressin loading was performed via the intravenous administration of a bolus of 1 U, followed by its continuous infusion at 1U/h in patients with septic shock treated with ≥ 0.2 µg/kg/min noradrenaline. An arterial pressure wave analysis was conducted, and endocrinological tests were performed immediately prior to vasopressin loading. We classified patients into responders/non-responders based on mean arterial pressure (MAP) changes after vasopressin loading. Based on our previous findings, the lower tertile of MAP changes was selected as the cut-off. The change in the catecholamine index (CAI) after 6 h was assigned as the primary outcome. Digital ischemia, mesenteric ischemia, and myocardial ischemia during the admission period were prospectively and systematically recorded as adverse events. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients were registered during the study period and examined. Sixty-two patients with a MAP change > 22 mmHg were assigned as responders and the others as non-responders. Blood adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were significantly higher in non-responders. Stroke volume variations were higher in responders before loading, while stroke volume and dP/dtmax were higher in responders after loading. Median CAI changes were - 10 in responders and 0 in non-responders, which was significantly lower in the former (p < 0.0001). AUROC of MAP change with vasopressin loading to predict CAI change < 0 after continuous infusion was 0.843 with sensitivity of 0.92 and specificity of 0.77. Ischemia events were observed in 5 cases (5.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Vasopressin loading may be safely introduced for septic shock. Vasopressin loading may be used to predict responses to its continuous infusion and select appropriate strategies to increase blood pressure.

Low-Dose vasopressin and renal perfusion in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Congenital heart surgeries are associated with post-bypass renal and cardiac dysfunctions. The use of low-dose vasopressin has been found to be beneficial in adult cardiac surgeries. Objective: To assess the hemodynamic and renal effects of patients undergoing on-pump pediatric cardiac surgery under general anesthesia (GA) with low-dose vasopressin infusion. Design: Prospective randomized controlled study. Setting: Operation room and ICU, tertiary care teaching hospital. Patients: Fifty-five pediatric cardiac patients undergoing repair for congenital heart diseases (CHD). Interventions: Low-dose vasopressin infusion in the study group and placebo in the control group. Measurements and Main Results: Renal near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), serum NGAL, and inflammatory mediators-IL6 and IL8 along with other renal and hemodynamic parameters in the perioperative period were recorded. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and cardiac index were significantly higher in the vasopressin group. Inflammatory markers were significantly high in the immediate postoperative period in all patients which later stabilized in the next 48 h but showed similar trends in both groups. Low-dose vasopressin infusion did not improve either renal perfusion or function. The duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay, the incidence of AKI development, and transfusion requirements were marginally lower in the vasopressin group, although not significant. Conclusion: Low-dose vasopressin infusion improved hemodynamics and showed a decreased incidence of complications. However, it failed to show any benefit of renal function and overall outcome in pediatric cardiac surgery.