Critical care medicine
-
Critical care medicine · Sep 2013
Enterocyte Damage in Critically Ill Patients Is Associated With Shock Condition and 28-Day Mortality*
Small bowel dysfunction in critically ill patients is frequent, underdiagnosed, and associated with poor prognosis. Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein is a marker of enterocyte damage, and plasma citrulline concentration is a marker of functional enterocyte mass. Primary objective was to identify factors associated with intestinal fatty acid-binding protein in critically ill patients. Secondary objectives were to study factors associated with plasma citrulline concentration and its correlation with intestinal fatty acid-binding protein. ⋯ In critically ill patients, enterocyte damage is frequent, and it is significantly associated with shock and 28-day mortality. The link between intestinal fatty acid-binding protein and plasma citrulline concentrations in critically ill patients needs to be further evaluated.
-
Critical care medicine · Sep 2013
Niacin suppresses the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and attenuates brain injury after cardiac arrest in rats*.
To determine whether niacin attenuates brain injury and improves neurological outcome after cardiac arrest in rats and if its therapeutic benefits are associated with suppression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. ⋯ Single high dose and repeated low dose of niacin attenuated brain injury and improved neurological outcome after cardiac arrest in rats. Their therapeutic benefits were associated with suppressions of the phosphorylations of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase and the cleavage of caspase 3.