Effects of propranolol on pulmonary gas exchange in patients with cirrhosis.

Propranolol, a beta-blocking agent, has been proposed in the prevention of gastro-intestinal bleeding in cirrhotic patients, and is known for its bronchoconstrictive effects. Since hypoxemia is a frequent finding in patients with cirrhosis, this work was undertaken to study the effects of intravenous propranolol on pulmonary function and on gas exchange in these patients. The 10 patients studied had cirrhosis associated with an increase in the alveolar arterial O2 difference, (A-a)DO2, an index of arterial oxygenation impairment.

Cholinergic component of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in newborn guinea pigs.

The magnitude of parasympathetic reflex-mediated bronchoconstriction during histamine infusion was compared in anesthetized paralyzed newborn and adult guinea pigs. The animals were ventilated using a constant-flow ventilator, and the conductance and compliance of the respiratory system were continuously monitored. We found that reactivity to histamine infusion was less in newborns than in adults, because newborns required a larger dose of histamine than adults (300 vs.

[Hypoxemia in liver cirrhosis].

Hypoxaemia is observed in almost 30 per cent of patients with cirrhosis of the liver, irrespective of the cause of cirrhosis. Two main physiopathological mechanisms can be described: hypoxaemia may be secondary to intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities or due to a regional disequilibrium of the ventilation/perfusion ratio. In the first case, the severity of hypoxaemia often requires complex and invasive investigations, while in the second case, by far the most frequent, hypoxaemia is moderate, usually asymptomatic and in practice only needs a few investigations.

The efficacy of an information group intervention on relatives of schizophrenics.

Socio-therapy of schizophrenia cannot fail to consider such an important element as assistance to relatives. This report will review the main treatment methods used today and presents an intervention model which acts on the family of the schizophrenic at different levels. While the schizophrenic patient receives an individual treatment (pharmacological and psychotherapeutic), his/her relatives undergo a two-step group intervention.

Mechanism of histamine-induced epinephrine release in guinea pig.

The aims of this study were to provide direct evidence that in anesthetized guinea pigs i.v. administration of histamine induces sympathoadrenal activation and to identify the source and mechanism of histamine-induced epinephrine release.

Spontaneous increase and decrease of thoracic lymphadenopathy and SACE in sarcoidosis.

A case of sarcoidosis with iterative spontaneous increase and decrease of thoracic lymphadenopathy is described. No condition such as infectious disease, particular environmental exposure or medication could explain this unusual course of thoracic sarcoidosis.

Comparative effects of bisoprolol and acebutolol in smokers with airway obstruction.

1. The effects of single oral doses of 10 mg bisoprolol and 400 mg acebutolol on respiratory function were studied in nine smokers with airway obstruction in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. 2.

Smoking and pulmonary sarcoidosis: effect of cigarette smoking on prevalence, clinical manifestations, alveolitis, and evolution of the disease.

Patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis are less likely to smoke than persons of a similar age in the general population. This could be because smoking reduces the likelihood of developing sarcoidosis, or alternatively smoking could reduce the severity of the disease process so that smoking patients are underrepresented among patients with clinically overt disease. To evaluate these possibilities 64 patients with sarcoidosis of recent onset were studied at presentation and after a one year follow up period, clinical, functional, radiographic, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid criteria being used to identify factors that might account for the lower incidence of sarcoidosis in smokers and to determine whether the disease is less severe in smoking patients.

Effects of rilmenidine on bronchomotor responses in the guinea pig.

This study compares the effects of 2 alpha 2-adrenergic agonists, rilmenidine (S 3341) and clonidine, on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction (HIB) in guinea pigs. Clonidine has previously been shown to potentiate HIB in guinea pigs. The study was conducted in anesthetized, paralyzed and ventilated guinea pigs.

Effects of cardioselective beta blockade on the peripheral lung in guinea pigs.

Impairment of lung function with selective beta-1 blocking drugs has been repeatedly demonstrated in guinea pigs, normal subjects and asthmatic patients. The effects of several beta blockers, propranolol (non-selective), atenolol (beta-1 selective), IPS 339 (beta-2 selective) on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction have been investigated in 30 anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated guinea pigs, measuring changes in conductance and dynamic compliance. Their effects on peripheral lung, where only beta-2 adrenoceptors are present, were more specifically assessed using changes in lung distensibility by means of static pressure-volume curves.

Failure of enhancement by labetalol of bronchopulmonary effects of histamine in guinea-pigs: independence of alpha-adrenoceptor antagonism.

The effect of labetalol on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction was studied in anaesthetized guinea-pigs. Unlike propranolol (1 mg kg-1), the same dose of labetalol did not enhance histamine-induced bronchoconstriction. To determine whether the absence of enhancement of the respiratory effects of histamine by labetalol was due to its alpha 1-blocking properties or to its partial agonist activity at beta 2-adrenoceptors, the effects of propranolol plus prazosin and of propranolol plus labetalol on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction were examined.

[Effects of histamine on the pressure-volume curve of the respiratory system in the guinea pig].

Intravenous infusion of histamine has been shown to constrict smooth muscle of alveolar ducts. In this study, we have assessed the effects of a prolonged infusion of histamine to obtain a steady state response on quasistatic pressure-volume curves (P-V curves) together with the changes in dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and conductance (G) of the respiratory system. Increasing doses of histamine were given in order to obtain the dose-response characteristics of the changes in Cdyn, G and P-V curves.