The Efficacy of Inhaled Hydrogen on Neurologic Outcome Following Brain Ischemia During Post-Cardiac Arrest Care (HYBRID) II trial (jRCTs031180352) suggested that hydrogen inhalation may reduce post-cardiac arrest brain injury (PCABI). However, the combination of hypothermic target temperature management (TTM) and hydrogen inhalation on outcomes is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of hydrogen inhalation and hypothermic TTM on outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).
Hydrogen gas (H2) inhalation during hemorrhage stabilizes post-resuscitation hemodynamics, improving short-term survival in a rat hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) model. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of H2 in HS/R is unclear. Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) damage causes hemodynamic failure associated with HS/R. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that H2 alleviates oxidative stress by suppressing xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) and/or preventing tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α)-mediated syndecan-1 shedding during EG damage.HS/R was induced in rats by reducing mean arterial pressure (MAP) to 35 mm Hg for 60 min followed by resuscitation. Rats inhaled oxygen or H2 + oxygen after achieving shock either in the presence or absence of an XOR inhibitor (XOR-I) for both the groups. In a second test, rats received oxygen alone or antitumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibody with oxygen or H2. Two hours after resuscitation, XOR activity, purine metabolites, cytokines, syndecan-1 were measured and survival rates were assessed 6 h after resuscitation.H2 and XOR-I both suppressed MAP reduction and improved survival rates. H2 did not affect XOR activity and the therapeutic effects of XOR-I and H2 were additive. H2 suppressed plasma TNF-α and syndecan-1 expression; however, no additional H2 therapeutic effect was observed in the presence of anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody.H2 inhalation after shock stabilized hemodynamics and improved survival rates in an HS/R model independent of XOR. The therapeutic action of H2 was partially mediated by inhibition of TNF-α-dependent syndecan-1 shedding.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a severe complication in septic patients. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare (JMHW)-DIC criteria, the first DIC criteria, were established in 1983, and several other criteria have been proposed since then, including the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH)-overt DIC criteria and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) DIC criteria. This study aimed to look into the transition of DIC criteria used in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for sepsis-induced DIC. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for English-language studies published through September 30, 2023. Two reviewers looked through citations that assessed the DIC criteria used in RCTs and their secondary analyses. Data on DIC diagnostic criteria, patient characteristics, interventions, and results were gathered. Twenty-one studies (thirteen RCTs: JMHW-DIC in 5, JAAM-DIC in 4, the sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) in 2; and eight secondary analyses: ISTH-overt DIC in 3, single parameter in 5) were eligible for inclusion. Most RCTs were conducted in Japan, using the criteria of JMHW-DIC, which were followed by JAAM-DIC. Recently, SIC has been used in international RCTs. Meanwhile, other countries tended to conduct RCTs that focused on sepsis, with secondary analyses for DIC using the ISTH-overt DIC criteria. The criteria used in RCTs have changed over decades, from the JMHW-DIC to the JAAM-DIC criteria, and the ISTH-overt DIC criteria were retained in the secondary analysis. Based on these findings, additional research is needed to determine the best criterion for diagnosing septic patients.
Background: Molecular hydrogen gas (H 2 ) is known to alleviate ischemia-reperfusion injury; however, the mechanism of action involved remains unknown. Metabolome analysis of tissue subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury has revealed xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) as a candidate target molecule for H 2. Purpose: The effects of H 2 and the XOR inhibitor (XORi) on resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock (HS) were examined. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to HS by the withdrawal of blood to maintain a mean arterial pressure (MBP) of 35 mmHg for 60 minutes (T0 to T60). They were then resuscitated with lactated Ringer’s solution with 3 times the shed blood volume over 30 minutes (T60 to T90). The animals were randomly assigned into 3 groups: H 2 inhalation (1.3% H 2 ) from T30 (n=6), XORi administration (Topiroxostat 10 mg/kg, orally administered at 60 minutes before induction of HS) (n=5), and control (CTL) (n=5). The rats were observed until 2 hours after fluid resuscitation (T210). Results: Compared to that in the control group, the lactate level at 60 minutes after introduction of HS was lower in the XORi group, while the MBP after 2 hours of fluid resuscitation was higher in the H 2 group. XOR activity in the plasma, liver, kidney, and lung tissue was suppressed in the XORi group, but not in the H 2 group. Increased permeability of the pulmonary vasculature associated with increased levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines and plasma Syndecan-1 (a marker of endothelial glycocalyx degradation) after 2 hours of fluid resuscitation was ameliorated only in the H 2 group. Conclusion: The mechanisms of action possibly differ between H 2 and XORi. XORi confers resistance to ischemia by suppressing anaerobic glycolysis during ischemia. On the other hand, H 2 stabilizes hemodynamics via suppression of inflammation and vascular hyperpermeability after resuscitation.
Objective The close relationship between fatty liver and metabolic syndrome suggests that individuals with fatty liver may have multiple coronary risk factors. In the present study, we investigated the relationships among fatty liver, abdominal fat distribution, and coronary risk markers. Methods and Results Eighty-seven pairs of men and 42 pairs of women who were matched for age and body mass index were enrolled in the present study. The obesity-related markers, abdominal fat distribution (examined by CT), and coronary risk markers were compared in subjects with and without fatty liver. The visceral fat area was significantly larger in the men with fatty liver than in the men without fatty liver. The plasma levels of triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance level, were higher in both males and females with fatty liver than in those without fatty liver, while the plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and adiponectin were lower in the males and females with fatty liver. The plasma levels of apolipoprotein B, remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C), and oxidized LDL were higher in men with fatty liver, but not in women with fatty liver. Conclusion Both males and females with fatty liver had lower insulin sensitivity, lower plasma levels of HDL-C and adiponectin, and higher triglyceride and LDL-C levels. However, the plasma levels of apolipoprotein B, RLP-C, and oxidized LDL were only higher and closely associated with fatty liver in men. Men with fatty liver had a higher risk of coronary disease than women with fatty liver.
As modern modalities in emergency care has been popularized in Japan, the procedural use of contrast media have increased, but with potential risk developing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI). The most important risk for CIAKI is chronic kidney disease, an affliction with continually increasing incidence in modern society.1 The current situation of CIAKI in Japan is difficult to estimate, because most victims are asymptomatic. Maioli et al. reported that among 3,986 patients with coronary angiography, 18.6% of 1,400 patients with estimated creatinine clearance rate of <60 mL/min developed CIAKI and persistent impaired renal function.2 The first guidelines regarding contrast agent examinations were recently announced in Japan, but their only recommendation is to provide the classic fluid replacement, with saline 6–12 h before and after the procedure. According to a review summarizing recently published reports, little evidence supports this hypothesis.3 In order to quickly diagnose and treat emergent patients to save their lives, it is appropriate to perform procedures using contrast media, even without knowledge of their renal function. We investigated the incidence of CIAKI in 100 patients in whom contrast media had been used among a total of 269 patients who had been hospitalized at our institution and department from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. The diagnostic criteria were in accordance with the 2012 guidelines on the use of iodinated contrast media in patients with impaired renal function, as follows: those with ≥0.5 mg/dL or ≥25% increase in serum creatinine levels within 72 h after administering contrast agents were considered to have developed CIAKI. Among the 100 patients in whom contrast media was used, 9 (9.0%) developed CIAKI. The characteristics of CIAKI patients are summarized in Table 1. In those 9 patients, 2 had undergone cardiac catheterization, 2 had undergone catheterization, and 5 had undergone contrast computed tomography. These results are approximately the same as those of previous reports using the same diagnostic criteria.4 In this study, the proportion of shock patients is high, and the possibility that it affected renal function cannot be denied. Investigations at other institutions are planned. In addition, prevention is the most important consideration for CIAKI, and the usefulness of risk scores predicting the development CIAKI has been reported;5 however, no prospective studies have been performed to date, and therefore, they will be necessary in the future. Furthermore, the development of novel treatments to prevent CIAKI is also required. None.
Abstract Background: A health-economic evaluation related to COVID-19 is urgently needed to allocate healthcare resources efficiently; however, relevant medical cost data in Japan concerning COVID-19 are scarce. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the healthcare cost for hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 2021 at Keio University Hospital. We calculated the healthcare costs during hospitalization using hospital claims data and investigated the variables significantly related to the healthcare cost with multivariate analysis. Results: The median healthcare cost per patient for the analyzed 330 patients was Japanese yen (JPY) 1,304,431 (US dollars ~11,871) (interquartile range: JPY 968,349–1,954,093), and the median length of stay was 10 days. The median healthcare cost was JPY 798,810 for mild cases; JPY 1,113,680 for moderate I cases; JPY 1,643,909 for moderate II cases; and JPY 6,210,607 for severe cases. Healthcare costs increased by 4.0% for each additional day of hospitalization; 1.26 times for moderate I cases; 1.64 times for moderate II cases; 1.84 times for severe cases; and 2.05 times for cases involving ICU stay. Conclusions: We clarified the healthcare cost for hospitalized COVID-19 patients by severity in a Japanese university hospital. These costs contribute as inputs for forthcoming health economic evaluations for strategies for preventing and treating COVID-19.
