The rate of rise of corticotrophin releasing factor and endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactivity in normal and abnormal pregnancy.

Maternal plasma concentrations of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactivity (EDLI) were estimated in 80 normal and 88 abnormal pregnancies which were sampled sequentially from 24 weeks gestation to delivery. A slope was fitted for each woman's antenatal EDLI and CRF values, both of which rose significantly during gestation, and the mean of the slopes for the normal and abnormal groups for each value compared. There was no evidence of significant mean differences between groups for EDLI but there was evidence of a significant mean difference for CRF (P less than 0.

A longitudinal study of maternal digoxin-like immunoreactive substances in normotensive pregnancy and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

The serum of women in the third trimester of pregnancy demonstrates cross-reactivity with some commercially available antibodies to digoxin. A number of studies have suggested that levels of this digoxin-like immunoreactive substance(s) are further increased in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, and some have proposed that the digoxin-like immunoreactive substance could be useful as a predictor of pregnancy-induced hypertension. We measured digoxin-like immunoreactive substance levels every 2 weeks throughout the third trimester in 170 women; of these, 20 developed hypertension.

Beneficial effects of diltiazem combined with beta blockade in angina pectoris.

The effects of combining diltiazem, a calcium channel blocking agent, with beta adrenergic blockade were evaluated in 11 patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. All patients had stable angina pectoris and were receiving oral beta blocking therapy. Symptomatic, metabolic, coronary and systemic haemodynamic responses were monitored at rest and during atrial pacing.

Effect of timolol maleate on pacing induced myocardial ischaemia.

The effects of timolol maleate administered intravenously on coronary and systemic haemodynamics, myocardial metabolism, and plasma catecholamine concentrations were assessed in 10 patients with confirmed coronary artery disease. Rapid atrial pacing to the onset of angina was performed in all patients. Timolol reduced cardiac output at rest and during pacing and reduced resting heart rate but did not affect arterial blood pressure.

Restoration of normal reflex responses to orthostatic stress during felodipine therapy in congestive heart failure.

The mechanisms underlying the abnormal responses to orthostatic stress in congestive heart failure are ill defined and little is known about the effects of specific therapy. In the present study intravascular pressures and plasma noradrenaline levels were measured in nine patients with heart failure subjected to 45 degrees and 90 degrees upright tilt. Studies were repeated during 4 weeks of vasodilator therapy with felodipine and again after felodipine withdrawal.

Beneficial effects of diltiazem in coronary artery disease.

The effects of the new calcium channel blocking agent diltiazem were evaluated in 11 patients with stable angina pectoris and confirmed obstructive coronary artery disease at rest and during rapid atrial pacing. Symptomatic, metabolic, coronary, and systemic haemodynamic indices were monitored at rest and during pacing induced ischaemia. At rest, after the administration of intravenous diltiazem, potent vasodilator effects were observed with a significant fall in mean blood pressure and an increase in cardiac index.