Superoxide dismutase and catalase anti-oxidant activity in leucocyte lysates from hypertensive patients: effects of eprosartan treatment.

Introduction: In an earlier study, our group reported that circulating leucocytes in hypertensive (HT) patients show a significant increase in oxidative stress compared to the control group, and this normalised after two months of treatment with eprosartan.(1) It can be speculated that these facts may be attributable to a possible reduction in anti-oxidative activity in untreated HT patients, which would be corrected by eprosartan.

Materials And Methods: In this observational pilot study, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were evaluated in leucocyte lysates in a group of 21 HT patients at baseline and after two months of treatment with eprosartan (600 mg/ day).

Effects of eprosartan on mitochondrial membrane potential and H2O2 levels in leucocytes in hypertension.

We investigated whether circulating leucocytes from hypertensive patients exhibit more spontaneous, stimulated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and greater mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi) than those from normotensive individuals. We also investigated the effects of oral treatment with the angiotensin II (AT II) type 1 receptor blocker eprosartan (600 mg day(-1)) on these markers of oxidative stress. In 25 hypertensive patients and 28 healthy volunteers, spontaneous H2O2 formation was measured by flow cytometry after preincubation of buffy coat-leucocytes from fresh peripheral venous blood at 37 degrees C with 2',7' dichlorofluorescein.

Cytoplasmic free calcium mobilization in platelets, expression of P-selectin, phosphatidylserine, and microparticle formation, measured by whole blood flow cytometry, in hypertensive patients. Effect of doxazosin GITS.

The effects of doxazosin on expression of CD62 (P-selectin) and phosphatidylserine on platelet membrane and platelet calcium flux were studied in 50 uncomplicated essential hypertensive patients (World Health Organization stages 1-2) and 80 normotensive control subjects, matched for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertensive patients showed greater in vivo platelet activation at baseline than control patients (percentage of CD62-positive platelets, 4.1+/-2.

Effect of doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system on platelet degranulation and platelet-leukocyte microaggregate formation induced by physiologic shear stress in hypertension.

Introduction: In this prospective, ex vivo, single-blind study, the effect of doxazosin on platelet function was studied in patients with hypertension.

Materials And Methods: Platelet activation by shear stress was measured in whole blood samples of 22 hypertensive patients and 22 normotensive controls, using flow cytometry. Sheared samples were evaluated for CD62 expression, microaggregate formation, and Ca2+ mobilization.

Effect of atorvastatin upon platelet activation in hypercholesterolemia, evaluated by flow cytometry.

Hyperlipidemia is a well established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherothrombotic events, in which platelet activation also plays a significant role. However, very few studies have addressed platelet activation in hypercholesterolemia, the potential effect of lipid lowering drugs upon platelet hyperfunction, and the question of whether changes in the latter are correlated to normalization of plasma lipids. This study used whole blood flow cytometry to assess in vivo and in vitro platelet activation in a group of 33 patients with hypercholesterolemia, and also the ex vivo effect of atorvastatin (20 mg/day) upon such activation.