Effect of 6 weeks of vitamin E administration on renal haemodynamic alterations following a single dose of neoral in healthy volunteers.

Background: A single oral dose of cyclosporin-A (CsA) transiently reduces renal plasma flow (RPF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in transplant patients and, in some patients, chronic administration of CsA leads to renal impairment and fibrosis. Based on experimental studies, several mediators including free radicals have been proposed to account for CsA-nephrotoxicity. We have previously reported that administration of the antioxidant vitamin E in a rat model of chronic CsA-nephrotoxicity reduces renal fibrosis and maintains renal function.

Increased cardiac troponin T and endothelin-1 concentrations in dialysis patients may indicate heart disease.

Background: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is a highly sensitive marker for the detection of myocardial damage. However, patients maintained on chronic dialysis often have increased serum cTnT concentrations without evidence of acute myocardial injury. The reason for this is unclear.

Hemodynamic effects of endothelin-1 and big endothelin-1 in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Increased plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) have been reported in patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD). In the present study, which included hemodialysis (HD) patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 32) ischemic heart disease, the putative association between plasma levels of ET-1 and big ET-1 and ischemic heart disease and the influence of the dialysis procedure on ET concentrations was investigated. This study also examined in an additional five HD patients without cardiac disease whether intravenously infused ET-1 and big ET-1 (0.

The C-terminal fragment of big endothelin-1 does not potentiate the vasoactive effects of endothelin-1.

The aim was to study the cardiovascular effects of the C-terminal (22-38) fragment of big endothelin-1, which is produced by the cleavage of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) to endothelin-1 (ET-1). An intravenous infusion of the (22-38) fragment (4, 8 and 12 pmol kg-1 min-1, each dose for 10 min) was given to 10 healthy subjects. Four control subjects received 0.

Exogenous endothelin-1 causes peripheral insulin resistance in healthy humans.

In states of insulin resistance, increased plasma levels of endothelin-1 and a disturbed vascular reactivity have been reported. In order to investigate the effects of endothelin-1 on peripheral insulin sensitivity and the vasoactive interactions between insulin and endothelin-1, six healthy subjects were studied on two different occasions with the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique combined with an intravenous infusion of either endothelin-1 (4 pmol kg-1 min-1) or 0.9% sodium chloride.

A calcium-channel blocker, amlodipine, attenuates insulin antinatriuresis but does not modulate insulin-mediated attenuation of cardiovascular reactivity in healthy man.

Background: Insulin exerts an antinatriuretic effect when administered acutely in vivo. Interestingly, insulin fails to reduce sodium excretion in rats receiving verapamil. The present study was undertaken in order to investigate whether the calcium-channel blocker amlodipine attenuates the antinatriuretic effect of insulin in humans.

Central and regional hemodynamic effects during infusion of Big endothelin-1 in healthy humans.

Big endothelin-1 (Big ET-1) was given intravenously to six healthy men to study uptakes and vascular effects. Blood samples were taken from systemic and pulmonary arterial and internal jugular and deep forearm venous catheters. Arterial Big ET-1-like immunoreactivity (Big ET-1-LI) increased from 5.

Effect of insulin on renal sodium handling and renal haemodynamics in insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus patients.

The effects of insulin on renal haemodynamics and renal sodium handling were studied in eight insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetic patients (aged 30 +/- 3 years). Seven healthy men (aged 38 +/- 4 years) served as controls. The type 1 diabetic patients were resistant to insulin-stimulated glucose disposal as estimated by a 45% lower metabolic (P < 0.

Renal hemodynamics and sodium handling in moderate renal insufficiency: the role of insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

Insulin infusion during euglycemia causes antinatriuresis and renal vasodilation in healthy humans, whereas the effects of acute insulin infusion on tubular sodium handling and renal hemodynamics in chronic renal disease are unknown. The response to euglycemic insulin infusion was investigated in two homogeneous patient groups with a slight renal impairment-one with nephrotic syndrome (GFR, 64 mL/min; N = 9) and one with non-nephrotic immunoglobulin A nephropathy (GFR, 70 mL/min; N = 8). In addition, nine renal transplant recipients (GFR, 44 +/- 6 mL/min) were investigated.

Metabolism of Big endothelin-1 (1-38) and (22-38) in the human circulation in relation to production of endothelin-1 (1-21).

Healthy male volunteers received intravenous infusions of Big endothelin (ET)-1 (1-38) or Big ET-1 (22-38). Blood samples were drawn from catheters in the brachial and pulmonary arteries and the hepatic, renal, jugular and deep forearm veins. The in vivo half-lives of circulating plasma Big ET-1 (1-38) were 6.

Big ET-1 infusion in man causes renal ET-1 release, renal and splanchnic vasoconstriction, and increased mean arterial blood pressure.

Objective: The aim was to study the vascular effects of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) infusion and its possible conversion to ET-1.

Methods: Six healthy subjects were given an intravenous infusion of big ET-1 in a dose of 8 pmol.kg-1.

Somatomedin levels in pregnancy: longitudinal study in healthy subjects and patients with growth hormone deficiency.

Somatomedin (Sm) levels throughout pregnancy were determined in a longitudinal study of four normal women and three patients with GH deficiency by use of the RIA for Sm-A, a newly developed RIA for insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2), and the placenta RRA for Sm-A. In both normal women and those with GH deficiency, there was a continuous rise of immunoreactive Sm-A throughout pregnancy. During the third trimester the levels were 2-fold elevated above the level in nonpregnant age-matched normal subjects.