IntroductionZinc is well known for its anti-inflammatory effects, including regulation of migration and activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). Zinc deficiency is associated with inflammatory diseases such as acute lung injury (ALI). As deregulated neutrophil recruitment and their hyper-activation are hallmarks of ALI, benefits of zinc supplementation on the development of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced ALI were tested.Methods64 C57Bl/6 mice, split into eight groups, were injected with 30 µg zinc 24 hours before exposure to aerosolised LPS for 4 hours. Zinc homoeostasis was characterised measuring serum and lung zinc concentrations as well as metallothionein-1 expression. Recruitment of neutrophils to alveolar, interstitial and intravascular space was assessed using flow cytometry. To determine the extent of lung damage, permeability and histological changes and the influx of protein into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. Inflammatory status and PMN activity were evaluated via tumour necrosis factor α levels and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. The effects of zinc supplementation prior to LPS stimulation on activation of primary human granulocytes and integrity of human lung cell monolayers were assessed as well.ResultsInjecting zinc 24 hours prior to LPS-induced ALI indeed significantly decreased the recruitment of neutrophils to the lungs and prevented their hyperactivity and thus lung damage was decreased. Results from in vitro investigations using human cells suggest the transferability of the finding to human disease, which remains to be tested in more detail.ConclusionZinc supplementation attenuated LPS-induced lung injury in a murine ALI model. Thus, the usage of zinc-based strategies should be considered to prevent detrimental consequences of respiratory infection and lung damage in risk groups.

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The results showed significant differences between human and porcine intestines. The porcine model remains the standard for studies on anastomotic healing because it is currently the only viable model for studying anastomosis and wound healing. Nevertheless, scientific interpretations must consider the anatomic differences between humans and porcine intestines.

Some of the major complications leading to high morbidity and mortality rates in intestine surgery are caused by anastomotic insufficiencies. As the suture represents a crucial factor for the successful treatment of intestine anastomosis, it is of critical importance to investigate the tearing of sutured tissue. The goal of this study consists in examining the tear-out characteristics of stitched porcine small intestinal tissue as a function of the position of the stitch, using an optical strain measurement system. Furthermore, the hole formation of two different suture materials (monofilament and braided) with a single stitch is examined and compared. A clear trend for strain characteristic cannot be found for all number of stitches. In the case of four stitches however, it can be observed that for four out of six samples the outer stitches show a higher strain distribution than the inner ones. The comparison of the hole formation indicates that tissue stitched with monofilament PDS II tears by exhibiting a broader deformation pattern than tissue stitched with braided Vicryl.