0000000000550083
AUTHOR
Eike Martin
Influence of N-acetylcysteine on hepatic amino acid metabolism in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation
Experimental treatment with the antioxidant and glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been performed in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) to reduce reperfusion injury. To investigate the effect of NAC on the hepatic and intestinal amino acid metabolism, intraoperative amino acid exchange rates were studied in liver transplant recipients with high dose NAC treatment (n = 10) and in control patients (n = 9). Treatment with NAC was found to cause a loss of amino acids and increased urea nitrogen release from the liver graft. The net balance of most amino acids was shifted to increased hepatic release or decreased hepatic uptake. The initial cumulative splanchnic release of all …
The acute myotoxic effects of bupivacaine and ropivacaine after continuous peripheral nerve blockades.
Bupivacaine causes muscle damage. However, the myotoxic potency of ropivacaine is still unexplored. Therefore, we performed this study to compare the effects of bupivacaine and ropivacaine on skeletal muscle tissue in equipotent concentrations. Femoral nerve catheters were inserted into anesthetized minipigs, and 20 mL of either bupivacaine (5 mg/mL) or ropivacaine (7.5 mg/mL) was injected. Subsequently, bupivacaine (2.5 mg/mL) and ropivacaine (3.75 mg/mL) were continuously infused over 6 h. Control animals were treated with corresponding volumes of normal saline. Finally, muscle samples were dissected at injection sites. After processing and staining, histological patterns of muscle damage…