ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the effect of myocardial protection between HTK and del Nido cardioplegia solutions in neonates with surgeries for transposition of the great arteries. MethodsThe clinical data of 208 neonates with complete transposition of the great arteries in our institution from 2014 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the cardioplegia solutions utilized in the operations, the patients were divided into two groups: a HTK group and a del Nido group. Propensity score matching was conducted to eliminate the biases. The cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamping time, total amount of cardioplegia solutions, transfusion frequency of cardioplegia, ICU stay time, mechanical support time, inotropic score, hospital stay, left ventricular ejection fraction, N-terminal proBNP and troponin I were compared and analyzed between the two groups after matching. ResultsAfter 1:1 propensity score matching, a total of 54 patients were analyzed with 27 patients in each group. In the HTK group, there were 22 males and 5 females with a median age of 7.0 (2.0, 11.0) d. In the del Nido group, there were 23 males and 4 females with a median age of 8.0 (3.0, 11.0) d. A total of 3 children died after the surgery: 2 (7.4%) patients in the HTK group and 1 (3.7%) patient in the del Nido group. There was no significant difference in hospital mortality between the two groups (P=1.000). The total amount of cardioplegia solutions in the HTK group was significantly higher than that of del Nido group (P<0.001). Transfusion frequency of cardioplegia in del Nido group was significantly higher than that of the HTK group (P=0.043). There was no significant difference in the postoperative ICU time, mechanical support time, length of hospital stay, inotropic score, left ventricular ejection fraction, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor or troponin I between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionFor neonates with surgeries for complete transposition of the great arteries, HTK cardioplegia solutions can provide effective and safe myocardial protection, which is similar to del Nido cardioplegia solutions.
ObjectivePulmonary vein banding was used to establish a piglet model of pulmonary vein stenosis. We investigated the pathomorphological alterations of pulmonary veins in the model and compared it with the vascular tissue of recurrent stenosis after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC).MethodsTen pigs of 6 weeks old were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups: 5 in a sham operation group and 5 in a pulmonary vein banding group. The operation had two stages, in which thoracotomies through intercostal space were done respectively on both sides. Biocompatible materials were applied around the pulmonary veins in the experimental group. The same method was used in the sham group. But the pulmonary veins were not banded. Six weeks after the operation, the pulmonary veins of the animals were harvested for hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining to observe the pathological alterations of pulmonary veins. The proliferative tissues of patients with recurrent stenosis after TAPVC repair were collected and observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining.ResultsBoth the sham operation group and the pulmonary vein banding group survived. But the pulmonary vein banding group had obvious clinical manifestations of pulmonary venous stenosis. Compared with the sham group, the pulmonary vein banding group showed intimal hyperplasia, decreased expression of endothelial marker and increased expression of mesenchymal markers, and co-expression of endothelial and mesenchymal markers in intimal cells. Human pathology also showed intimal hyperplasia and co-expression of endothelial and mesenchymal markers in intimal cells.ConclusionThe surgical pulmonary vein stenosis in piglets shows intimal hyperplasia and myofibroblasts, which was consistent with clinical pathology.