Situs inversus and cystic kidney disease: Two adult patients with this Heterogeneous syndrome.

Background: Situs inversus is a rare complication of cystic kidney diseases. Only three genes, INVS (NPHP2), NPHP3 and PKD2 have been proved to be responsible for some cases, while the responsible genes in many others are still unknown.

Case Reports: Here we report two male patients with situs inversus combined with cystic kidney disease without any family history of polycystic kidney disease.

Imbalance of renal production between 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine in patients with essential hypertension complicated by microalbuminuria.

Background: In the kidney, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) are formed by the same enzyme, l-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, but act on renal function and glomerular structure in an opposite direction. The present study was designed to explore whether rates of renal production of 5-HT relative to that of DA are altered in patients with essential hypertension and microalbuminuria.

Methods: We measured urinary levels of 5-HT and DA, reflecting renal production of 5-HT and DA as well as 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion in 82 consecutive untreated, essential hypertensives without overt proteinuria.

Increased blood viscosity is associated with reduced renal function and elevated urinary albumin excretion in essential hypertensives without chronic kidney disease.

Increased blood viscosity reduces blood flow and elevates vascular resistance in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to elucidate how blood viscosity could affect renal function and eventually contribute to renal damage in essential hypertensives (EHT). In 164 untreated EHT without apparent renal damage (96 men, 56±12 years old, creatinine clearance 123±33 ml min(-1) per 1.

[Case of distal renal tubular acidosis complicated with renal diabetes insipidus, showing aggravation of symptoms with occurrence of diabetes mellitus].

We report herein a 27-year-old male case of inherited distal renal tubular acidosis complicated with renal diabetes insipidus, the symptoms of which were aggravated by the occurrence of diabetes mellitus. At 2 months after birth, he was diagnosed as having inherited distal renal tubular acidosis and thereafter supplementation of both potassium and alkali was started to treat his hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis. At the age of 4 years, calcification of the bilateral renal medulla was detected by computed tomography.

[Autopsy case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis complicated with intestinal cytomegalovirus infection].

A 55-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of arthralgia, purpura, abdominal pain, melena and leg edema. Laboratory findings showed an increased serum creatinine level (2.4 mg/dL), hematuria and massive proteinuria (10.

[Case of bladder pheochromocytoma with familial clustering].

We report herein a rare female case of bladder pheochromocytoma with familial clustering. Her mother had received an operation for bladder pheochromocytoma. When the present case was 20 years of age, body weight loss and fever appeared.

Fasudil attenuates myocardial fibrosis in association with inhibition of monocyte/macrophage infiltration in the heart of DOCA/salt hypertensive rats.

Objective: To determine the effects of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, on mineralocorticoid-induced myocardial remodeling, we investigated whether fasudil would suppress myocardial fibrosis and inflammation in deoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA)/salt hypertensive rats.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats treated with DOCA combined with 1% NaCl and 0.2% KCl in the drinking water after receiving left nephrectomy were given fasudil (10 mg/kg/day; n = 20) or vehicle (n = 20).

Tranilast attenuates myocardial fibrosis in association with suppression of monocyte/macrophage infiltration in DOCA/salt hypertensive rats.

Objective: In order to study the association between myocardial fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in the hypertensive heart, we investigated whether N(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthranilic acid (tranilast), an anti-inflammatory drug, would suppress myocardial fibrosis via inhibition of inflammatory cell infiltration in deoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA) hypertensive rats.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats treated with DOCA combined with the addition of 1% NaCl and 0.2% KCl in the drinking water after left nephrectomy were given tranilast (100 mg/kg per day, n = 15) or vehicle (n = 15) for up to 4 weeks.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme-gene polymorphism is associated with collagen I synthesis and QT dispersion in essential hypertension.

Aim: This study tested the hypothesis that abnormal QT dispersion, an indicator of arrhythmogenic risk, is associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and abnormalities of collagen metabolism.

Methods: A total of 132 patients with untreated essential hypertension (EHT) were recruited. QT dispersion corrected by heart rate (QTc) on a 12-lead electrocardiogram, ACE genotype, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and E/A ratio using echocardiogram, plasma ACE activity and serum propeptide type I C-terminal procollagen (PICP) concentration, a marker of myocardial fibrosis, were determined.