Salinity, Temperature and Ammonia Acute Stress Response in Seabream () Juveniles: A Multidisciplinary Study.

The present study aimed to investigate the acute response of gilthead seabream () juveniles exposed to temperature, salinity and ammonia stress. Radioimmunoassay was used to evaluate cortisol levels, whereas insulin-like growth factors ( and ), myostatin (), heat-shock protein 70 () and glucocorticoid receptor () gene expression was assessed trough Real-Time PCR. The presence and localization of IGF-I and HSP70 were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

Echocardiography in Low-Risk Hypertensive Patients.

Background It is debated whether echocardiography should be part of the diagnostic workup in all hypertensive patients. We identified some factors potentially associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) at echocardiography in untreated hypertensive patients. Methods and Results We studied 2150 patients without LVH at ECG.

Impact of Chamber Dilatation on the Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular Geometry in Hypertension.

Background: The different geometric patterns of the left ventricle may or may not coexist with chamber dilatation. The prognostic impact of such a combination is unclear.

Methods And Results: We studied a cohort of 2635 initially untreated patients with hypertension, mean age 50 years.

The prognostic legacy of left ventricular hypertrophy: cumulative evidence after the MAVI study.

Objective: Although regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) confers a marked prognostic benefit, it is unknown whether cardiovascular risk in these patients is comparable to those who never developed LVH.

Methods: We analyzed the 'Massa Ventricolare sinistra nell'Ipertensione' (MAVI) study, a prospective study in which serial changes in left ventricular mass at echocardiography were associated with subsequent cardiovascular events. We also conducted a cumulative meta-analysis in order to investigate how evidence progressed in this field.

Detrimental Effects of Hyperglycemia in Acute Coronary Syndromes: from Pathophysiological Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies.

Hyperglycemia recognized during hospitalization for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is common. It is a powerful predictor of worse prognosis in patients both with and without previously known diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia during ACS is caused by an inflammatory and adrenergic response to ischemic stress, when catecholamines are released and glycogenolysis induced.

Hyperglycemia in acute coronary syndromes: from mechanisms to prognostic implications.

Hyperglycemia is a frequent condition in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Hyperglycemia during ACS is caused by an inflammatory and adrenergic response to ischemic stress, when catecholamines are released and glycogenolysis induced. Although the involved pathophysiological mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated, it is believed that hyperglycemia is associated with an increase in free fat acids (which induce cardiac arrhythmias), insulin resistance, chemical inactivation of nitric oxide and the production of oxygen reactive species (with consequent microvascular and endothelial dysfunction), a prothrombotic state, and vascular inflammation.

Safety and efficacy of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants in non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a Bayesian meta-analysis approach.

Introduction: Choosing between different non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is difficult due to the absence of head to head comparative studies. We performed a Bayesian meta-analysis to explore similarities and differences between different NOACs and to rank treatments overall for safety and efficacy outcomes.

Areas Covered: Through a systematic literature search we identified randomized controlled Phase III trials of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban versus adjusted-dose warfarin in patients with NVAF.

Induction of brown cells in Venerupis philippinarum exposed to benzo(a)pyrene.

Benzo(a)pyrene is an important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) commonly present in the marine environment and responsible for carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects in various animal species. In the present study, we investigated by both histochemical and immunohistochemical approaches the effect of an acute exposure to different concentrations of B(a)P in the Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum. The general morphology of the different clam tissues, which was investigated histologically, evidenced a significant increase in the number of intestinal brown cells after B(a)P exposure.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the elderly: features and perspectives.

Aging leads to a multitude of changes in the cardiovascular system that include a rise in blood pressure. Age-related changes in blood pressure are mainly attributable to an increase in systolic blood pressure, generally associated with a slight decrease diastolic blood pressure. This leads to a widening in pulse pressure.

Clinical utility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the management of hypertension.

Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is essential for the diagnosis, monitoring and management of hypertension. However, conventional office-based BP readings have several limitations that include a low reproducibility, the white-coat effect and the existence of masked hypertension. These limitations can be addressed through the use of ambulatory BP monitoring.

Efficacy and safety profile of aliskiren: practical implications for clinicians.

Renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) is an enzymatic cascade that plays a pivotal role in the development of arterial hypertension, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Inhibition of the RAS with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ACE-Is) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) has proved to be a successful strategy for the treatment of hypertension and related cardiovascular disorders. However, by reducing feedback inhibition of renin release, the effects of ACE-Is and ARBs lead to an increase in plasma renin concentration (PRC) and activity (PRA), limiting a complete inhibition of the RAS.

Expression of CYP4 and GSTr genes in Venerupis philippinarum exposed to benzo(a)pyrene.

Bivalve molluscs, such as Venerupis philippinarum, are often used as bioindicators of environmental pollution since they can bioaccumulate a large variety of pollutants because of their filter feeding. The Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) is an important contaminant, commonly present in the marine environment. Pollutants are generally metabolized by enzymes of phase I, mainly CYPs enzymes, and by conjugation enzymes of phase II like GST.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation and clinical utility of azilsartan medoxomil for the treatment of hypertension.

Introduction: Azilsartan medoxomil is a newly approved angiotensin-receptor blocker for the management of hypertension. It is a prodrug that is quickly hydrolyzed to the active moiety azilsartan, a potent and highly selective angiotensin-receptor blocker with estimated bioavailability of ∼ 60%. This new agent induces a potent and long-lasting antihypertensive effect.

Fixed-dose combination therapy in hypertension: cons.

The goal of antihypertensive therapy is to reduce the risk associated with blood pressure elevation. Although the choice of first-line drug therapy may exert some effects on different long-term cardiovascular endpoints, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses demonstrated that blood pressure reduction per se is the primary determinant in primary and secondary prevention. Numerous analyses carried out over the last years have repeatedly shown that many patients require the combination of two or more drugs to reach the recommended level of blood pressure control.

Atrial fibrillation and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a systematic overview and meta-analysis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) confers an increased risk of mortality in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is unclear whether new-onset and preexisting AF portend a different risk. We extracted data from studies that evaluated in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI and included information on cardiac rhythm.

Safety and efficacy of aliskiren in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic overview.

Introduction: Aliskiren is the first orally active direct renin inhibitor approved for the treatment of hypertension. Aliskiren's inhibitory effect on angiotensin I generation, through renin blockade, is highly specific and long-lasting (24 hours). This feature differentiates aliskiren from traditional antihypertensive drugs.

Safety and efficacy of aliskiren in the treatment of hypertension and associated clinical conditions.

Aliskiren is the first known representative of a new class of non-peptide orally active renin inhibitors that blocks the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) at its rate-limiting step. It induces a net reduction in plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II and aldosterone levels. Aliskiren is effective in reducing blood pressure (BP) and is well tolerated.

Seasonal effects on hematological and innate immune parameters in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax.

The temperate aquatic environment is affected by two primary components of season, temperature and photoperiod, during the annual cycle. Many organisms respond to seasonal change physiologically, behaviorally or both. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seasonality on cortisol, hematological and innate immune parameters in European sea bass reared under traditional semi-intensive aquaculture.

Whole body cortisol and expression of HSP70, IGF-I and MSTN in early development of sea bass subjected to heat shock.

Whole body cortisol levels were determined during early larval developmental stages of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) subjected to a heat shock with the aim to investigate the correlation between the stress event and the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis. Moreover, the mRNA expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and myostatin (MSTN) was also detected. Whole body cortisol was determined by a radio-immunoassay (RIA) technique whereas the expression of HSP70, IGF-I and MSTN mRNAs was quantified by Real-Time PCR.

Immunohistochemical localization of IGF-I, IGF-II and MSTN proteins during development of triploid sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

The cellular localization of IGF-I, IGF-II and MSTN proteins was investigated during ontogenesis of triploid sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by an immunohistochemical approach. The results were compared with those observed in diploids. IGF-I immunostaining was mainly observed in skin, skeletal muscle, intestine and gills of both diploids and triploids.

The toxicity of sulfamethazine to Daphnia magna and its additivity to other veterinary sulfonamides and trimethoprim.

Sulfonamides (SAs), the oldest chemotherapeutic agents used for antimicrobial therapy, still play an important role in veterinary mass treatments. Consequently, traces of these compounds, alone or in combinations, have been repeatedly detected in the environment. Sulfamethazine (SMZ) deserves particular attention not only because it is the most used veterinary SA, but also due to its proven effects on fertility in mice and on thyroid hormone homeostasis in rats.

Effects of exposure to overcrowding on rodlet cells of the teleost fish Dicentrarchus labrax (L.).

Farmed fish are usually exposed to routine procedures which have strong effects on stress responses. Rodlet cells may represent an useful biomarker for studies on the presence of stressors in aquaculture. This work focused on the localization of rodlet cells by light and electron microscopy in gills of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) subjected to different conditions of overcrowding.

Immunohistochemical localization of constitutive and inducible heat shock protein 70 in carp (Cyprinus carpio) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to transport stress.

In the present work we investigated by immunohistochemistry the cellular localization of constitutive as well as inducible heat shock protein 70 in several tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to transport stress.In carp, the constitutive form (HSC70) was detected only in red skeletal muscle of both control and stressed animals. In the same species, the inducible form (HSP70) was evident in the epithelia of renal tubules,gills and skin of stressed animals, whereas in controls only red skeletal muscle exhibited an immunopositivity to HSP70 antibody.

Cellular localization of insulin-like growth factor-II protein in the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) from hatching to adult.

The cellular localization of IGF-II protein was investigated during larval and postlarval developmental stages of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) by immunohistochemistry using antisera raised against Sparus aurata IGF-II. At hatching, IGF-II immunoreactivity was already present in the skin, developing intestine and skeletal muscle. During larval life IGF-II protein was also observed in heart musculature, in kidney and gill epithelia as well as in liver.