[Urological therapy of renal cell cancer].

Renal cell carcinomas, which originate within the renal cortex, constitute 80-85% of primary renal neoplasms. Patients can present with a range of symptoms due to the tumor itself (e.g.

Nitric oxide and ocular blood flow in patients with IDDM.

Endothelial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disorders such as diabetic retinopathy. We hypothesized that either local endogenous nitric oxide (NO) synthesis or local reactivity to endogenous NO might be impaired in patients with IDDM and that this may contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy. Ten otherwise healthy patients with long-standing IDDM and ten healthy control subjects were studied according to an open randomized two-way cross-over design.

Effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition on renal hemodynamics in humans: reversal by L-arginine.

Animal experiments indicate that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) influences renal hemodynamics and that this effect can be reversed by L-arginine, the precursor of NO synthesis. We have therefore studied the effects of an inhibitor of NOS, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), and a subsequent coinfusion with L-arginine on renal hemodynamics. In a double-blind, randomized crossover design, eight healthy volunteers (means +/- 1SD, 25.

Altered reactivity of the inferior vena cava to noradrenaline and acetylcholine following the blockade of EDRF-biosynthesis with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester.

1. Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) has been shown to influence arterial tone, but controversial results have been obtained studying veins. The present study was performed to determine the importance of EDRF for the inferior vena cava in the rabbit and whether blockade of the synthesis of EDRF with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester may influence the reactivity of the inferior vena cava to noradrenaline.

Expression of VCAM-1 in rabbit iliac arteries is associated with vasodilator dysfunction of regenerated endothelium following balloon injury.

Previous studies have demonstrated impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation following balloon injury of the rabbit iliac artery, suggesting dysfunction of the regenerated endothelium. More recently, expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) has been shown up to 4 weeks in a different injury model of the rabbit aorta, suggesting sustained inflammatory activation of endothelium following injury. The aim of the present study was to combine the examination of VCAM-1 expression, as a marker of cellular activation, and the assessment of endothelium-dependent relaxation to test the hypothesis that different forms of altered endothelial function are concurrently present in the chronic phase following experimental balloon angioplasty.

Purine substrates for human thiopurine methyltransferase.

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) catalyzes the S-methylation of thiopurine drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 6-thioguanine (6-TG). A genetic polymorphism regulating TPMT activity in human tissue is an important factor responsible for individual differences in the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of these drugs. Because of the clinical importance of this polymorphism, we studied 18 purine derivatives, including ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides, as potential substrates for purified human kidney TPMT.