The Journal of surgical research
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Acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) cause substantial morbidity and mortality despite improvements in the understanding of lung injury and advances in treatment. Recruitment maneuver (RM) with high sustained airway pressures is proposed as an adjunct to mechanical ventilation to maintain alveolar patency. In addition, RM has been advocated to improve pulmonary gas exchange. However, many factors may influence responses to RM and the effect of pleural effusion (PLE) is unknown. ⋯ ALI/ARDS leads to poor oxygenation and hemodynamics. RM results in improved oxygenation, but this improvement is attenuated by PLE.
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ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects against liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. The mechanism involves nitric oxide metabolism but the importance of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) has not been established. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects against liver IR but it is unclear if this depends on nitric oxide synthase. ⋯ This study developed and used an eNOS-/- model to demonstrate that eNOS mediates protection against liver IR injury by IPC. The eNOS expression and activity and HO-1 expression are increased independently in liver IPC and IR, with HO-1 expression increased in the later stages of IPC and IR.