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BACKGROUND: Parabolic flights offer a unique platform for human experiments in short-term weightlessness. It is generally known that human organ systems react to changes of gravity. Yet, little is known about alterations of blood parameters under these conditions with special emphasis on blood rheology. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the alterations of distinct blood parameters after exposure to weightlessness. METHODS: 14 healthy volunteers underwent short-term phases of weightlessness induced by parabolic flight. At different time points (baseline, t2:1 hour after landing, and t3:24 hours after baseline), venous blood was drawn and analyzed. RESULTS: Analysis of red blood count revealed significant decreases of hemoglobin and hematocrit post flight. While total white blood counts were unaltered, differential subset analysis revealed significant decreases of eosinophil granulocytes and monocytes. Cortisole levels were unchanged and lacked physiologic circadian decrease. Parameters of renal function were found significantly improved (GFR (ml/min/1,73m2): Baseline: 105 [89;109], t2:117 [98;125], t3:110 [102;119]; p = 0.0013. In the sense of mild myocytolysis, levels of myoglobin were significantly elevated post-flight with fast recovery to baseline levels. CONCLUSIONS: In the current analysis, significant alterations of blood parameters after exposure to weightlessness could be detected. These results contribute to the understanding of physiologic adaptations of the human body to weightlessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease is a common comorbidity in patients with peripheral artery disease. We investigated the safety and efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) as supplemental contrast agent to decrease contrast volume during fluoroscopy-guided peripheral vascular procedures in routine angiological practice. We analyzed 191 consecutive interventions of the lower extremity in claudicants and critical limb ischemia (CLI) that were performed with iodinated contrast media (ICM) alone (n = 154) or with the aided or exclusive use of CO2 (n = 37). The technical success rate, total irradiation, and intervention time were not significantly different between ICM and CO2. No severe procedure-related complications occurred. The contrast volume was lower in CO2 than in ICM. Although kidney function, creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate was lower in CO2 at baseline, the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy was lower in CO2 compared to ICM. These data support CO2 as an alternative supplemental contrast agent that can be applied safely and efficiently to lower contrast volume during peripheral vascular interventions preventing kidney dysfunction even in patients with disease of the popliteal artery and below the knee and CLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article by Stachon et al. [[1]] is an important contribution because it highlights the impact of diverse calcification patterns on the conduction system of the heart after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Comparison of incidence and predictors of left bundle branch block after transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the CoreValve versus the Edwards valve. Commentary on Stachon et al. "Impact of Preprocedural Aortic Valve Calcification on Conduction Disturbances after Transfemoral Aortic Valve Replacement.". [Extracted from the article]

The epileptic seizures observed in a broad variety of diseases involving mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and central nervous system pathology strongly suggest the possible role of mitochondria in the pathomechanism of various forms of epilepsy. The mtDNA mutations in these diseases affect the functions of complexes of oxidative phosphorylation that have mitochondria-encoded subunits. Similar deficiencies of oxidative phosphorylation, in particular of Complexes I and IV, have been detected in the epileptogenic brain regions of therapy-resistant focal epilepsies, such as the hippocampal subfield CA3 in temporal lobe epilepsy with Ammon's horn sclerosis. This suggests that impaired mitochondrial function can affect the viability and excitability of hippocampal neurons because of (1) decreased production of adenosine 5′-triphosphate; (2) increased generation of reactive oxygen species; and (3) alteration of calcium homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]