Serum Oxidative/anti-oxidative Stress Balance Is Dysregulated in Potentially Pulmonary Hypertensive Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Case Control Study

Effects of Combined Epidural Anesthesia and General Anesthesia on Cognitive Function and Stress Responses of Elderly Patients Undergoing Liver Cancer Surgery

This study aimed at exploring the effects of combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia on the cognitive function and stress responses of elderly patients undergoing liver cancer surgery. One hundred and fifteen elderly patients were enrolled as research subjects. They were admitted to our hospital and underwent liver cancer surgery from August 2017 to May 2019. Fifty five cases were treated with general anesthesia (GA) (GA group), while the other sixty cases were treated with combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia (joint group). Scoring standards of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate the patients before and after operation. Their operating time, total fluid input (TFI), spontaneous breathing recovery time (SBRT), preoperative and postoperative indices of stress responses (epinephrine (EPI), cortisol (Cor), and norepinephrine (NE)), and postoperative adverse reactions were observed. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to anesthesia time, TFI, postoperative SBRT, and postoperative directional recovery time (DRT) (cP < 0.05). There was no difference in operating time, total fluid loss (TFL), and hospitalization time (P > 0.05). After operation, patients in both groups experienced a cognitive decline of different degrees and the MMSE scores decreased. There was no significant difference in the score between the two groups before operation and 3 days and 7 days after operation (P > 0.05). The score was significantly better in the joint group than that in the GA group at 6 hours and 1 day after operation (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in levels of EPI, Cor, and NE between the two groups before operation (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences after operation. The total incidence of postoperative adverse reactions was 11.67% in the joint group and 25.45% in the GA group. In conclusion, combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia can significantly reduce postoperative cognitive dysfunction and inhibit postoperative stress responses in elderly patients undergoing liver cancer surgery. It has good application value in clinical practice.

Interplay of cardiovascular mediators, oxidative stress and inflammation in liver disease and its complications

The liver is a crucial metabolic organ that has a key role in maintaining immune and endocrine homeostasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic liver disease might promote the development of various cardiac disorders (such as arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy) and circulatory complications (including systemic, splanchnic and pulmonary complications), which can eventually culminate in clinical conditions ranging from portal and pulmonary hypertension to pulmonary, cardiac and renal failure, ascites and encephalopathy. Liver diseases can affect cardiovascular function during the early stages of disease progression. The development of cardiovascular diseases in patients with chronic liver failure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and cardiovascular complications can in turn affect liver function and liver disease progression. Furthermore, numerous infectious, inflammatory, metabolic and genetic diseases, as well as alcohol abuse can also influence both hepatic and cardiovascular outcomes. In this Review, we highlight how chronic liver diseases and associated cardiovascular effects can influence different organ pathologies. Furthermore, we explore the potential roles of inflammation, oxidative stress, vasoactive mediator imbalance, dysregulated endocannabinoid and autonomic nervous systems and endothelial dysfunction in mediating the complex interplay between the liver and the systemic vasculature that results in the development of the extrahepatic complications of chronic liver disease. The roles of ageing, sex, the gut microbiome and organ transplantation in this complex interplay are also discussed.

Impact of liver damage on blood-borne variables and pulmonary hemodynamic responses to hypoxia and hyperoxia in anesthetized rats

BACKGROUND

Liver disorders may be associated with normal pulmonary hemodynamic, hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), or portopulmonary hypertension (POPH). In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the severity of liver dysfunctions on blood-borne variables, and pulmonary hemodynamic during repeated ventilation with hyperoxic and hypoxic gases.

METHODS

Female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned into four groups of Sham (n = 7), portal vein ligation (PPVL, n = 7), common bile duct ligation (CBDL, n = 7), and combination of them (CBDL+ PPVL, n = 7). Twenty-eight days later, right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and systemic blood pressure were recorded in anesthetized animals subjected to repeated maneuvers of hyperoxia (O₂ 50%) and hypoxia (O₂ 10%). Besides, we assessed blood parameters and liver histology.

RESULTS

Liver histology score, liver enzymes, WBC and plasma malondialdehyde in the CBDL+PPVL group were higher than those in the CBDL group. Also, the plasma platelet level in the CBDL+PPVL group was lower than those in the other groups. On the other hand, the serum estradiol in the CBDL group was higher than that in the CBDL+PPVL group. All the above parameters in the PPVL group were similar to those in the Sham group. During ventilation with hyperoxia gas, RVSP in the CBDL+PPVL group was higher than the ones in the other groups, and in the CBDL group, it was more than those in the PPVL and Sham groups. Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) was not detected in both CBDL+PPVL and CBDL groups, whereas, it retained in the PPVL group.

CONCLUSION

Severe liver damage increases RVSP in the CBDL+PPVL group linked to the high level of ROS, low levels of serum estradiol and platelets or a combination of them. Furthermore, the high RVSP at the noted group could present a reliable animal model for POPH in female rats.

Oxidative Stress Indexes for Diagnosis of Health or Disease in Humans

Oxidative stress (OS) is the imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant molecules, in favor of oxidants, that causes aging and disease. Many studies have been published that demonstrate the relationship between OS and human health and disease; however, the following questions arise: (i) how are we sure that the OS is present in a biological process? (ii) Is the OS reported in the different investigations equivalent? (iii) What are the best oxidant and antioxidant markers for OS diagnosis? (iv) Can we establish the types and the intensity of the OS? (v) Does OS index could be useful for research and/or application in clinical medicine? In this regard, several indexes have been proposed to measure OS in humans relative to the state of health and disease, among which the following can be highlighted: Oxidative Stress Index (OSI), Tiol Ratios (-SH/TT, -SS/-SH, and-SS/TT), Glutathione Ratio (GSSG/GSH), Oxidative Stress Score (OSS), and OXY-index. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present the state of the art of knowledge about OS indexes for diagnosis of health or disease in humans. We searched for articles in English or Spanish in the PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus electronic databases published up until May 2019. The keywords used were “oxidative stress,” “index,” and “oxidative stress index.” It was identified 11479 records in both databases, and 490 articles were analyzed. Our review suggests that all indexes analyzed allow diagnose and differentiate the OS related to human health and disease. Also, the studies on OSI, Oxy-score, and OSS indexes have proven to be reliable, practical, and with clinical utility. However, it is necessary to continue with longitudinal studies, especially assess the usefulness of the indexes in the clinical prognosis, and make comparative studies between the different indexes.

The effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on glycemic control, oxidative stress balance and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical trial

Aim

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on hemoglobinA1c (HbA1c) levels, oxidative stress balance and quality of life (QOL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to no periodontal treatment (simple oral hygiene instructions only).

Methods

The design was a 6-month, single-masked, single center, randomized clinical trial. Patients had both T2DM and chronic periodontitis. Forty participants were enrolled between April 2014 and March 2016 at the Nephrology, Diabetology and Endocrinology Department of Okayama University Hospital. The periodontal treatment group (n = 20) received non-surgical periodontal therapy, including scaling and root planing plus oral hygiene instructions, and consecutive supportive periodontal therapy at 3 and 6 months. The control group (n = 17) received only oral hygiene instructions without treatment during the experimental period. The primary study outcome was the change in HbA1c levels from baseline to 3 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in oxidative stress balance (Oxidative-INDEX), the Diabetes Therapy-Related QOL and clinical periodontal parameters from baseline to 3 months and baseline to 6 months.

Results

Changes in HbA1c in the periodontal treatment group were not significantly different with those in the control group at 3 and 6 months. Systemic oxidative stress balance and QOL significantly improved in the periodontal treatment group compared to the control group at 3 months. In the subgroup analysis (moderately poor control of diabetes), the decrease in HbA1c levels in the periodontal treatment group was greater than that in the control group at 3 months but not significant.

Conclusions

In T2DM patients, non-surgical periodontal treatment improved systemic oxidative stress balance and QOL, but did not decrease HbA1c levels at 3 months follow-up.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials UMIN-ICDR UMIN 000013278 (Registered April 1, 2014).

Measurement and Clinical Significance of Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Humans

Oxidative stress is the result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Biomarkers of oxidative stress are relevant in the evaluation of the disease status and of the health-enhancing effects of antioxidants. We aim to discuss the major methodological bias of methods used for the evaluation of oxidative stress in humans. There is a lack of consensus concerning the validation, standardization, and reproducibility of methods for the measurement of the following: (1) ROS in leukocytes and platelets by flow cytometry, (2) markers based on ROS-induced modifications of lipids, DNA, and proteins, (3) enzymatic players of redox status, and (4) total antioxidant capacity of human body fluids. It has been suggested that the bias of each method could be overcome by using indexes of oxidative stress that include more than one marker. However, the choice of the markers considered in the global index should be dictated by the aim of the study and its design, as well as by the clinical relevance in the selected subjects. In conclusion, the clinical significance of biomarkers of oxidative stress in humans must come from a critical analysis of the markers that should give an overall index of redox status in particular conditions.