Report of the MEDINE2 Bachelor of Medicine (Bologna First Cycle) tuning project.

Background: European Higher Education institutions are expected to adopt a three-cycle system of Bachelor, Master and Doctor degrees as part of the Bologna Process. Tuning methodology was previously used by the MEDINE Thematic Network to gain consensus on core learning outcomes (LO) for primary medical degrees (Master of Medicine) across Europe.

Aims: The current study, undertaken by the MEDINE2 Thematic Network, sought to explore stakeholder opinions on core LO for Bachelor of Medicine degrees.

Fractional urinary excretion of endothelin-1 is reduced by acute ETB receptor blockade.

Evidence suggests that urinary excretion of endothelin-1 (ET-1) reflects renal ET-1 production and is independent of systemic ET-1 activity. The influence of ET receptors on urinary ET-1 excretion has not been studied in humans, yet peritubular ETB receptors are abundant within the kidney. We have studied the effects of acute ETA and ETB receptor blockade with BQ-123 and BQ-788, respectively, on urinary ET-1 excretion in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study in 16 subjects with a wide range of GFRs (15-152 ml/min).

Endothelin A receptor antagonism and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition are synergistic via an endothelin B receptor-mediated and nitric oxide-dependent mechanism.

Animal studies suggest that endothelin A (ETA) receptor antagonism and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition may be synergistic. This interaction and the role of ETB receptors and endothelial mediators were investigated in terms of systemic and renal effects in humans in two studies. In one study, six subjects received placebo, the ETA receptor antagonist BQ-123 alone, and BQ-123 in combination with the ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788 after pretreatment with the ACE inhibitor enalapril (E) or placebo.

Endothelin-A receptor antagonism reduces blood pressure and increases renal blood flow in hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure: a comparison of selective and combined endothelin receptor blockade.

Background: Endothelin (ET) is implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic renal failure (CRF). We therefore studied the systemic and renal hemodynamic effects of ET receptor antagonists in CRF and examined differences between selective ETA, selective ETB, and combined ETA/B receptor blockade.

Methods And Results: We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 4-way crossover study comparing selective ET receptor antagonists BQ-123 (ETA) and BQ-788 (ETB), given alone and in combination, in acute studies in 8 hypertensive CRF patients and 8 matched healthy controls.