Urinary cadmium and lead concentrations and their relation to blood pressure in a population with low exposure.

The 24 hour urinary excretion of cadmium (U-Cd) and lead (U-Pb), and the excretion of beta-2- microglobulins and retinol binding protein concentration in spot urines, were determined in a random 4% sample of the population of a small Belgian town. Blood pressure and body weight were measured on two separate occasions. U-Cd averaged 2.

Effect of aspirin on renal function and the prostaglandin-kallikrein systems early after myocardial infarction.

Using a double-blind procedure, 29 patients with a recent myocardial infarction were randomly allocated to a placebo group (n = 14) and to a group receiving aspirin, 300 mg three times a day (n = 15) over 7 days. No change in renal function was observed in either treatment group. Compared with the placebo group, the 24-h urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was significantly suppressed in the aspirin group, but the urinary kallikrein activity was unchanged.

Intracellular concentration and transmembrane fluxes of sodium and potassium in erythrocytes of white normal male subjects with and without a family history of hypertension.

Compared with white normal males without a family history of hypertension (n = 43), red blood cells of white normal males with such a family history (n = 17) had a higher (P less than 0.01) intracellular sodium concentration (8.07 +/- 0.

Haemodynamic and humoral responses to chronic ketanserin treatment in essential hypertension.

Ketanserin (120 mg/day) or placebo was given orally to 14 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension according to a double blind crossover protocol, each treatment period lasting six weeks. Resting intra-arterial pressure in the recumbent position was reduced from 150/84 to 141/77 mm Hg; the hypotensive effect persisted throughout an uninterrupted graded exercise test to the point of exhaustion. The haemodynamic effects were similar at rest and during exercise.

Responses of the systemic circulation and of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to ketanserin at rest and exercise in normal man.

The systemic circulation at rest and during exercise was studied in ten normal male volunteers, after placebo on one occasion and after acute intravenous administration of the serotonergic antagonist ketanserin on another occasion. The effects of ketanserin on the components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, on plasma catecholamines and on exercise capacity for graded uninterrupted exercise were also investigated. At rest in recumbency rapid intravenous injection of 10 mg of ketanserin, followed by a continuous infusion of 2 mg/h, produced an acute but transient fall in mean intra-arterial pressure of 6 mmHg compared with placebo.

Contraceptive pill use, urinary sodium and blood pressure. A population study in two Belgian towns.

The relationship between contraceptive pill use, urinary sodium and blood pressure was investigated in a random sample of the premenopausal female inhabitants of 2 small Belgian towns. Systolic and diastolic pressure tended to be higher in 58 present pill users (126 +/- 11/75 +/- 9 mm Hg: mean +/- standard deviation) than in 110 women not currently taking the contraceptive pill (123 +/- 11/74 +/- 8 mm Hg). Their urinary sodium excretion averaged 149 +/- 47 and 143 +/- 57 mEq/24 h, respectively.

Hemodynamic and humoral effects of prostaglandin inhibition in exercising humans.

This double-blind placebo-controlled study investigated whether indomethacin-induced (500 mg/3 days) prostaglandin synthesis inhibition (PG inhibition) affected systemic hemodynamics and several humoral factors in nine sodium-replete normal humans, during exercise. Independent of the level of physical activity, PG inhibition was accompanied by small but significant (P less than 0.001) increases in systolic (+4.

Influence of physical training on blood pressure, plasma renin, angiotensin and catecholamines in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

Eighteen patients with ischaemic heart disease were trained for 3 months, three times a week. The effectiveness of the training programme was demonstrated by increases of 27% in peak oxygen uptake and 29% in exercise duration, and by a decrease in resting and submaximal heart rates. Blood pressure, however, was not significantly affected during the training period.

A population study on the relationship between blood pressure and the excretion of urinary cations.

The relationships between blood pressure and the 24-h excretion of three urinary cations (Ca2+, K+, and Na+) were investigated in a random sample of 528 adults (greater than or equal to 20 years) inhabitants of two Belgian towns. In these adults both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were strongly and independently correlated with age and body weight. Systolic pressure in women was significantly and positively related to pulse rate.

Antihypertensive action and serotonin-induced platelet aggregation during long-term ketanserin treatment in hypertensive patients.

Ketanserin (3 X 40 mg daily) was administered during 6 weeks in 14 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. Ketanserin decreased (p less than 0.01) the recumbent blood pressure from 159/104 to 153/97 mm Hg and the recumbent heart rate from 75 to 72 beats/min.

Prenalterol in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension in Shy-Drager syndrome.

The effects of prenalterol, a selective beta 1-adrenoreceptor agonist, were studied in a patient with the Shy-Drager syndrome, presenting with incapacitating orthostatic hypotension. The main haemodynamic defect was an impressive postural fall in stroke volume and cardiac output pointing to denervation of the capacitance vessels. Prenalterol 4 X 30 mg orally produced a marked increase in supine and standing blood pressure, along with substantial symptomatic improvement.

The pressor effect of exogenous angiotensin II is diminished during dynamic exercise.

To evaluate the effect of dynamic exercise on the response to angiotensin II (AII), AII (7.5 ng/kg/min) or vehicle (P) was infused intravenously in seven normal sodium replete volunteers before, during and after a graded uninterrupted exercise test until exhaustion, using a randomized cross-over protocol. Plasma angiotensin II (PAII) during AII infusion was an average 86-145 pg/ml higher than during P.

Urinary excretion of immunoreactive prostaglandin F2 alpha in healthy children and adults.

The 24-hours urinary excretion of immunoreactive prostaglandin F2 alpha (U-iPGF2 alpha) in normal children on a free diet was not significantly different in 30 boys (aged 3-15 years; geometric mean 589 ng/24 h) compared to 27 girls (aged 4-14 years; mean 473 ng/24 h). In both sexes this excretion rose with age until adolescence where it reached a plateau. In normal adults the men had significantly higher (p less than 0.

The hypotensive effect of captopril in hypertensive patients is age-related.

The hypotensive action of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril was investigated in 13 hypertensive patients in relation to their age, body weight, the pretreatment level of plasma renin activity (PRA), serum creatinine concentration and suppression of angiotensin II (PA II) by captopril. Captopril was administered in biweekly doubling doses (15 mg, 50 mg and finally 100 mg t.i.

Effects of beta 1-adrenoceptor agonism on plasma renin activity in normal men.

The contribution of beta 1-adrenoceptors to the regulation of plasma renin activity was investigated in nine healthy sodium-replete volunteers: seven subjects received a cumulative intravenous dose of 75 micrograms/kg prenalterol, a predominant beta 1-adrenoceptor agonist, and two subjects only vehiculum. In the seven actively treated subjects beta 1-adrenoceptor agonism increased (P less than 0.001) systolic intra-arterial pressure by an average of 16 +/- 4 mm Hg and heart rate by 19 +/- 3 beats min.

Levels of renin, angiotensin I and II, angiotensin-converting enzyme and aldosterone in infancy and childhood.

Basal plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin I and II (AI, AII), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and plasma aldosterone (PA) and sodium and potassium concentration were simultaneously measured in 55 healthy recumbent children aged between 1 week and 13 years. A significant (P less than 0.001) age-related decrease for PRA (r = -0.

Effects of prostaglandin synthesis inhibition on blood pressure and humoral factors in exercising, sodium-deplete normal man.

A double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out in 10 sodium-deplete normal men to determine whether prostaglandin synthesis inhibition (PG-inhibition) by indomethacin (150 mg daily for three days plus an additional 50 mg on the morning of the active experiments) affected blood pressure and humoral factors at exercise. Urinary sodium excretion during placebo averaged 39 mEq/24 h. Independent of the level of physical activity, PG-inhibition increased (P less than 0.

Double-blind comparison between propranolol and bendroflumethiazide in captopril-treated resistant hypertensive patients.

In a double-blind crossover trial, 15 captopril (daily dose 600 mg) treated patients received in addition to the converting enzyme inhibitor, placebo, propranolol (240 mg), or bendroflumethiazide (7.5 mg). Propranolol produced an additional hypotensive effect, while pulse rate slowed, indicating effective beta-adrenoceptor blockade.

Four urinary cations and blood pressure. A population study in two Belgian towns.

The relationship between blood pressure and the 24-hour urinary excretion of four cations (Ca, Mg, K, Na) was investigated in a random sample of 688 inhabitants of two Belgian towns. In 160 youths aged 10-19 years, systolic/diastolic blood pressure averaged 118 +/- 12.6/65 +/- 8.