Effects of L-/N-Type Calcium Channel Blockers on Angiotensin II-Renin Feedback in Hypertensive Patients.

Objectives: Cilnidipine, an L-/N-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), has unique organ-protective properties due to suppression of hyperactivity in the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In this study, we hypothesized that cilnidipine might exert a renoprotective effect by suppressing the RAS.

Methods: A total of 25 hypertensive patients receiving a RAS inhibitor were randomly assigned to a cilnidipine ( = 12) or amlodipine ( = 13) group.

[Effect of Relative Electron Density and Physical Density Adjustment in Patient-specific Quality Assurance Using PMMA Phantom].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to improve the accuracy of dose-distribution calculations by understanding how the calculated dose varies with the change in the relative electron density replacing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in patient-specific quality assurance.

Method: We calculated the relative electron density at which dose attenuation in each dose calculation algorithm coincides with the measured value of the dose attenuation of single-field irradiation. Next, the dose change was calculated by changing the relative electron density or physical electron density for substituting PMMA for each X-ray energy and calculation algorithm.

Online tool for calculating null points in various inversion recovery sequences.

Accurate equations for calculating the inversion time of the null point (TInull) in inversion recovery (IR) sequences are required for adequate suppression of fat or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) but are not widely known. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the process of deriving accurate TInull equations using schematic diagrams that allow the equations to be easily understood, and to devise a convenient online tool for instant calculation of TInull. We investigated various IR sequences in which a 180° inversion pulse is followed by spin echo (SE) type sequences, termed IR-SE-type sequences, including FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery), STIR (short inversion time inversion recovery), and SPAIR (spectral adiabatic inversion recovery, spectral attenuated inversion recovery).

Two cases of acute myocardial infarction during combined chemotherapy in young patients with testicular cancer.

The two patients were males aged over 30 years. To treat testicular tumors, combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) had been employed. In case 1, during the 4th course of BEP therapy, thoracic pain suddenly appeared.

Renoprotective and antioxidant effects of cilnidipine in hypertensive patients.

Cilnidipine, an L/N-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), has been reported to have more beneficial effects on proteinuria progression in hypertensive patients than amlodipine, an L-type CCB. The N-type calcium channel blockade that inhibits renal sympathetic nerve activity might reduce glomerular hypertension by facilitating vasodilation of the efferent arterioles. However, the precise mechanism of the renoprotective effect of cilnidipine remains unknown.

Extended observation of the nasal cycle using a portable rhinoflowmeter.

Objective: Nasal patency varies owing to the effects of humidity, temperature, and exercise. In addition, periodic cycles of congestion and decongestion that alternate between the right and the left side of the nose, which are termed the "nasal cycle," have been observed. The physiologic mechanisms underlying this cycle are not clear.

Potassium current properties in apical and basal inner hair cells from guinea-pig cochlea.

Inner hair cells (IHCs) of guinea-pigs were separately isolated from the apical and basal turn and the potassium currents were measured by the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique. The potassium current flows through two types of membrane conductance: a fast (I(k,f)), tetraethylammonium (TEA)-sensitive conductance and a slow (I(k,s)), TEA-resistant conductance. Membrane conductance demonstrated no significant differences between apical IHCs and basal IHCs.