N-hexacosanol ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat nephropathy.

In this study we investigated the effects of N-hexacosanol on streptozotocin-induced rat diabetic nephropathy. Diabetes was induced in 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats by administering an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). The rats were divided into four groups and maintained for 8 weeks: control rats, diabetic rats without treatment with N-hexacosanol, and diabetic rats treated with N-hexacosanol (2 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg i.

[Case of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease presenting hepatic encephalopathy].

We report a 71-year-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), who presented with hepatic encephalopathy. She was diagnosed as having ADPKD at 61 years of age. Thereafter, her renal function gradually worsened and she was admitted to our hospital because of encephalopathy and end-stage renal failure.

Effects of low dose of recombinant human growth hormone on renal excretion of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in humans: an inverse relation between serum and urinary IGF-I level.

To elucidate the possible physiological interaction between growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) system in human kidney, recombinant human GH (rhGH), which reached a supranormal level of serum GH, was administered, and serum and urinary IGF-I levels were determined in 6 normal men. The first two days served as a pre-control period (preTx). At days 3 and 4 (Tx), 2 U of rhGH was subcutaneously injected twice at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

Serum and urinary levels of insulin-like growth factor I in patients with chronic renal disease and diabetes mellitus: its clinical implication.

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of serum and urinary insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in renal disease and diabetes mellitus. In renal portion, we measured their concentrations in patients with chronic renal disease (serum creatinine < 2.0 mg/dl) (CRD.

Cyst sclerotherapy with minocycline hydrochloride in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background: The enlarged cysts in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) frequently cause abdominal discomfort. Cyst sclerotherapy with minocycline hydrochloride was performed to relieve this symptom.

Methods: Ten symptomatic ADPKD cases were recruited.

Increased urinary endothelin excretion in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The urinary endothelin level in patients with chronic liver disease was determined in order to explore its possible involvement in renal function. The plasma endothelin level was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) than in those with chronic hepatitis (CH) or in control patients (C). Similarly, urinary endothelin excretion in LC was significantly increased, compared with CH and C.

Renal response to prostaglandin E1 infusion in polycystic kidney disease versus non-polycystic renal disease.

The effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on renal function was examined in 8 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and 8 subjects with non-polycystic chronic renal disease (CRD). Intravenous PGE1 infusion (50 micrograms/hr, for 2 hrs) resulted in a significant fall in creatinine clearance in ADPKD, but not in CRD. Although PGE1 had no effect on urinary sodium excretion and osmolar clearance in both groups, it increased significantly free water clearance in CRD, but not in ADPKD.

Clinical significance of plasma endothelin-1 in patients with chronic liver disease.

To determine the clinical significance of plasma endothelin-1 in chronic liver disease, these levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with cirrhosis (N = 16) (2.04 +/- 0.

Epidermal growth factor and endothelin in cyst fluid from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease cases: possible evidence of heterogeneity in cystogenesis.

We determined the concentrations of immunoreactive epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelin (ET), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in cyst fluid from 10 nondialyzed patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The concentrations of ET and cAMP in low-sodium cyst fluid (cyst sodium concentration < 100 mEq/L) were significantly increased compared with those in high-sodium cyst fluid (cyst sodium concentration > or = 100 mEq/L), but the concentration of EGF did not differ between the two. There was no relationship between cyst fluid volume and EGF, ET, cAMP values in ADPKD cases.

[Clinical significance of serum and urinary neopterins after transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma].

To elucidate the immunological effects of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), serum and urinary neopterins were measured using the radioimmunoassay in patients with HCC before and after TAE (n = 11), and compared with one shot arterial injection (AI)(n = 8). At the third day after TAE, serum and urinary neopterin levels were maximally elevated up to 164% and 158% from their respective baselines (p < 0.01).

Inhibition of plasma endothelin-1 concentration by captopril in patients with essential hypertension.

The aim of this study was to determine whether captopril has any effect on plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration in patients with essential hypertension. Nine normotensives and eleven hypertensives were included in this study. Blood pressure and pulse rate were monitored before and at 60 min after captopril ingestion (25 mg).

Effects of topical instillation of minocycline hydrochloride on cyst size and renal function in polycystic kidney disease.

To reduce renal cyst size in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), minocycline hydrochloride solution was instilled into the enlarged cysts in three ADPKD patients. In one patient with reduced renal function, such sclerotherapy apparently diminished cyst size, but without apparent improving effect on renal function at 7 months of follow-up. The second patient, who needed the replacement therapy on admission, had been free from hemodialysis over 4 months after the therapy.

Acute effects of oral glucose loading on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in patients with chronic renal disease.

To determine the changes of the glucose-induced renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in chronic renal disease, a standard oral glucose loading test (75g) was performed in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (n = 12) and compared with control subjects (10). Glucose loading resulted in a significant decrease of serum aldosterone as well as increases of blood glucose and insulin similarly in both CGN and C. However, the suppression of aldosterone was statistically milder in CGN than in C (p < 0.

Suppression of plasma endothelin-1 level by alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition in normal men.

The effect of synthetic alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (alpha-hANP) on plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) level was examined in 6 healthy subjects. Intravenous infusion of alpha-ANP (0.1 micrograms/kg/min) resulted in significant falls in plasma renin activity and aldosterone, but without effect on ET-1 level.

Long-term effects of enalapril in rat with experimental chronic tubulo-interstitial nephropathy.

The aim of this study was to determine whether or not angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, could ameliorate the chronic tubulo-interstitial nephropathy (TIN) in uninephrectomized (UNx) rats. Chronic TIN(M) was induced by 2-bromoethylamine hydrobromide. Rats were assigned to five groups; control, UNx-control (UNxC), UNx treated with enalapril (UNxE), UNxMC and UNxME.

Increased internal calcium mobilization in platelets of patients with chronic renal failure.

Platelet free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured with Fura-2 to elucidate the intracellular calcium kinetics in patients with renal disease. There were no significant differences of the resting [Ca2+]i among the control subjects (C) (n = 12), patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (n = 8), and patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) (n = 12). In all groups, platelets [Ca2+]i were significantly increased by agonists (thrombin, adenosine diphosphate) compared with their respective basal level.

Reduced glomerular hypertrophy by somatostatin analog, SMS 201-995, in the subtotal nephrectomized rats fed high-protein meals.

The chronic effects of SMS 201-995 (SMS), a long-acting somatostatin analog, on the progression of renal failure in 3/4 subtotal nephrectomized rats (NPX) fed high protein meals (40% protein) were investigated. Rats were divided into four groups, [i.e.

Clinical significance of serum and urinary neopterins in patients with chronic renal disease.

To determine the clinical significance of serum and urinary neopterins in patients with chronic renal disease, we measured these values using IMMUtest Neopterin RIA kits. Serum neopterin levels in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (10.2 +/- 8.

Effects of a rice meal on renal hemodynamics and excretory functions in normal subjects.

The nature of renal hemodynamic response to a large carbohydrate-rich meal and the associated renal excretory functions were examined. Seven normal subjects were studied after ingestion of 300 g of rice meal. Five healthy men served as a time control.

Effect of glucagon infusion on renal hemodynamics in normal subjects and patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

The effect of glucagon infusion (15-20 ng/kg/min, for one hour) on renal hemodynamics was examined in normal subjects and in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN). In normal subjects, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was significantly increased by glucagon with a concomitant rise in effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and filtration fraction (FF) (GFR/ERPF). In renal patients with a baseline GFR of above 90 ml/min/l/73 m2, GFR was significantly increased in response to glucagon, without a significant rise in ERPF.