Superoxide dismutase and catalase anti-oxidant activity in leucocyte lysates from hypertensive patients: effects of eprosartan treatment.

Introduction: In an earlier study, our group reported that circulating leucocytes in hypertensive (HT) patients show a significant increase in oxidative stress compared to the control group, and this normalised after two months of treatment with eprosartan.(1) It can be speculated that these facts may be attributable to a possible reduction in anti-oxidative activity in untreated HT patients, which would be corrected by eprosartan.

Materials And Methods: In this observational pilot study, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were evaluated in leucocyte lysates in a group of 21 HT patients at baseline and after two months of treatment with eprosartan (600 mg/ day).

Effects of eprosartan on mitochondrial membrane potential and H2O2 levels in leucocytes in hypertension.

We investigated whether circulating leucocytes from hypertensive patients exhibit more spontaneous, stimulated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and greater mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi) than those from normotensive individuals. We also investigated the effects of oral treatment with the angiotensin II (AT II) type 1 receptor blocker eprosartan (600 mg day(-1)) on these markers of oxidative stress. In 25 hypertensive patients and 28 healthy volunteers, spontaneous H2O2 formation was measured by flow cytometry after preincubation of buffy coat-leucocytes from fresh peripheral venous blood at 37 degrees C with 2',7' dichlorofluorescein.

Cytoplasmic free calcium mobilization in platelets, expression of P-selectin, phosphatidylserine, and microparticle formation, measured by whole blood flow cytometry, in hypertensive patients. Effect of doxazosin GITS.

The effects of doxazosin on expression of CD62 (P-selectin) and phosphatidylserine on platelet membrane and platelet calcium flux were studied in 50 uncomplicated essential hypertensive patients (World Health Organization stages 1-2) and 80 normotensive control subjects, matched for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertensive patients showed greater in vivo platelet activation at baseline than control patients (percentage of CD62-positive platelets, 4.1+/-2.

Effect of doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system on platelet degranulation and platelet-leukocyte microaggregate formation induced by physiologic shear stress in hypertension.

Introduction: In this prospective, ex vivo, single-blind study, the effect of doxazosin on platelet function was studied in patients with hypertension.

Materials And Methods: Platelet activation by shear stress was measured in whole blood samples of 22 hypertensive patients and 22 normotensive controls, using flow cytometry. Sheared samples were evaluated for CD62 expression, microaggregate formation, and Ca2+ mobilization.

Effect of atorvastatin upon platelet activation in hypercholesterolemia, evaluated by flow cytometry.

Hyperlipidemia is a well established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherothrombotic events, in which platelet activation also plays a significant role. However, very few studies have addressed platelet activation in hypercholesterolemia, the potential effect of lipid lowering drugs upon platelet hyperfunction, and the question of whether changes in the latter are correlated to normalization of plasma lipids. This study used whole blood flow cytometry to assess in vivo and in vitro platelet activation in a group of 33 patients with hypercholesterolemia, and also the ex vivo effect of atorvastatin (20 mg/day) upon such activation.

Effect of eprosartan on cytoplasmic free calcium mobilization, platelet activation, and microparticle formation in hypertension.

Background: Hypertensive patients show greater platelet activation than do normotensive individuals. Platelet activation is characterized by increased phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure in the external hemilayer of the membrane, a larger number of platelet microparticles (PMP), and changes in intraplatelet-free calcium kinetics. This study evaluated whether eprosartan can protect against undesirable platelet activation.

Flow cytometric analysis of platelet activation in hypertensive patients. Effect of doxazosin.

The percentage of spontaneously activated platelets and the platelet response to several agonists were studied in 26 hypertensive patients. The percentage of platelets expressing glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa in its active conformation (GPIIb/IIIa*), P-selectin and phosphatidylserine (PS) was measured by flow cytometry at baseline and 1 and 2 months after treatment with doxazosin (4 mg/day). The response to ADP and Ca2+ ionophore was also evaluated.

Effect of a modified fibrate (Biniwas Retard) on hemorheological alterations in hyperlipemic patients.

The effect of a binifibrate (Biniwas Retard, Wasserman) on the plasma lipids and hemorheological profile of 30 primary hyperlipemic patients was studied. Our results indicate that the patients under study had evident rheological alterations as well as the expected lipid alterations. Treatment with Biniwas (2 x 550 mg/day) for six months not only substantially improved the alterations in the lipid balance but also tended to normalize the patients' hemorheological alterations, and there was a statistically significant correlation between the two effects.

Therapy of difficult cases of canine pyoderma with marbofloxacin: a report of 39 dogs.

Thirty-nine dogs with severe and/or recurrent lesions of pyoderma were treated with marbofloxacin at an average dosage of 2.12 mg/kg bodyweight, once daily, for time periods varing from 10 to 213 days. Forty-seven strains of bacteria, isolated from 34 cultures, were tested for sensitivity to various antibiotics.

The effect of long-term treatment with hypotensive drugs on blood viscosity and erythrocyte deformability in patients with essential arterial hypertension.

This study examined ninety-six patients with essential arterial hypertension (WHO grade I-II) who had been under treatment for a period of at least one year before participating in the study. When the study began the patients received no drug treatment for one month. At the end of this washout period their basal situation was evaluated and drug treatment was begun (26 patients on calcium antagonists, 39 on beta-blockers and 31 on angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors).