Intravenous enalaprilat for treatment of acute hypertensive heart failure in the emergency department.

Background: Afterload reduction with bolus enalaprilat is used by some for management of acute hypertensive heart failure (HF) but existing data on the safety and effectiveness of this practice are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effects of bolus enalaprilat when administered to patients with acute hypertensive heart failure.

Findings: We performed an IRB-approved retrospective cohort study of patients who presented to the emergency department of a large urban academic hospital.

Adrenergic receptors mediate stress-induced elevations in extracellular Hsp72.

Heat-shock protein concentrations in the blood increase after exposure to a variety of stressors, including trauma and psychological stress. Although the physiological function of extracellular heat shock protein remains controversial, there is evidence that extracellular heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) can facilitate immunologic responses. The signal(s) that mediate(s) the in vivo elevation of extracellular Hsp72 in the blood after stressor exposure remain(s) unknown.