[Diagnostic blood flow changes in the outflow tract of the left ventricle. A Doppler echocardiography study of arterial hypertension].

In patients with arterial hypertension we analyzed left ventricular filling by pulsed wave (PW) Doppler in the left ventricular inflow and outflow tract (LVIT and LVOT resp.). Separately, we determined the optimal position of flow analysis within the LVOT.

Antiadrenergic effect of M-cholinoceptor stimulation on human ventricular contractility in vivo.

The relevance of an indirect negative inotropic effect of pharmacological or vagally mediated M-cholinoceptor stimulation in the human ventricle in vivo is unknown. The inotropic response induced by isoproterenol (isoprenaline, 20 ng.kg-1 x min-1), measured by m-mode echocardiography as the increase of fractional shortening in seven healthy subjects, was reduced from 17.

Isolated presynaptic inotropic beta-adrenergic supersensitivity of the transplanted denervated human heart in vivo.

Background: The regulation of contractility of the transplanted heart depends on circulating catecholamines resulting from cardiac denervation. Supersensitivity to circulating catecholamines may result from loss of presynaptic neuronal uptake or upregulation of postsynaptic beta-adrenergic receptors.

Methods And Results: Dose-response curves using the beta-adrenergic receptor agonists isoprenaline (no neuronal uptake) and epinephrine (neuronal uptake) were performed in vivo.

Cholinergic baroreflex vasodilatation: defect in heart transplant recipients due to denervation of the ventricular baroreceptor.

Afferent denervation of the ventricular baroreceptor may impair reflex vasodilatation after heart transplantation. This may alter the regulation of blood pressure and contribute to arterial hypertension. A baroreceptor-loading procedure was performed in 23 heart transplant recipients with cyclosporine A immunosuppression and 11 control subjects using a continuous infusion of increasing doses of angiotensin II (15 and 30 ng/kg.

Contractility of the transplanted, denervated human heart.

The purpose of the study was to characterize the contractility of the transplanted human heart and to evaluate possible adverse effects of denervation or structural changes of the myocardium or coronary vessels. As an index of contractility, the linear slope k of the end-systolic pressure/dimension relationship during afterload increase with angiotensin II was determined by M-mode echocardiography in 34 heart transplant recipients and 20 healthy control subjects. Baseline findings for end-systolic diameter and systolic blood pressure were normal and similar in both groups, but the transplanted hearts performed at a significantly lower end-systolic wall stress (40.

[2 year interferon therapy of metastatic carcinoid tumor].

A 39 year old male patient was treated with daily 5 X 10(6) IU interferon alpha 2b s.c. for 22 months because of advanced carcinoid tumor.

[Echocardiography with angiotensin administration in the diagnosis of adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy].

Noninvasive assessment of early cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin is still a problem of clinical concern. We studied whether echocardiography during afterload stress induced by angiotensin II (1,000-3,000 ng/min) allows earlier detection of left ventricular impairment than echo at rest. We compared 30 normals (N) to 30 patients with carcinoma, who had received doxorubicin at a cumulative dose of at least 360 mg/sqm.

Mitral valve prolapse and platelet aggregation in patients with hemiplegic and non-hemiplegic migraine.

Migraine and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) share a number of features. Both migraine and MVP show platelet dysfunctions and an increased risk of transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and stroke. There is a strikingly high incidence of migraine among MVP patients.