BACKGROUND: Isolated office (IO) hypertension is a benign condition according to some researchers, whereas others believe it is associated with cardiovascular abnormalities and increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study is to compare morphofunctional characteristics of the left ventricle (LV) in IO hypertensive subjects, normotensive subjects (hereafter, hypertensives and normotensives), and never-treated sustained hypertensives. The 3 groups were matched not only by age, sex, and body mass index but also by clinic blood pressure (BP) (IO hypertensives and sustained hypertensives) and daytime BP (IO hypertensives and normotensives). METHODS: We enrolled 42 IO hypertensives (clinic BP > 140 and/or 90 mm Hg and daytime BP < or = 130/80 mm Hg), 42 sustained hypertensives (clinic BP > 140 and/or 90 mm Hg and daytime BP > or = 140 and/or 90 mm Hg) and 42 normotensives (clinic BP < 135 and/or 85 mm Hg and daytime BP < or = 130/80 mm Hg). Left ventricular morphologic features and function were assessed using digitized M-mode echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared with normotensives, IO hypertensives had significantly thicker LV walls, increased LV mass, reduced diastolic function, increased prevalence of LV hypertrophy, and preclinical diastolic dysfunction. Sustained hypertensives, compared with IO hypertensives, had significantly thicker LV wall, higher LV mass, and lower diastolic function, whereas the prevalence of LV hypertrophy and preclinical diastolic dysfunction was greater than in IO hypertensives, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing matched BP groups, IO hypertensives have LV morphofunctional characteristics considerably different from normotensives and qualitatively similar to sustained hypertensives. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that IO hypertension should not be considered as simply a benign condition.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Male sexual behaviour: further studies on the role of alpha 2-adrenoceptors.

The role of central alpha 2-adrenoceptors in male sexual behaviour was investigated by administering the selective agonist, guanabenz, and the selective antagonist, efaroxan, to both sexually experienced and sexually inexperienced male rats. In sexually experienced animals, guanabenz, at the dose of 1 mg/kg i.p., increased mount and intromission latencies (ML, IL), intercopulatory interval (ICI) and post-ejaculation interval (PEI), and reduced mount and intromission frequencies (MF, IF) and copulatory efficacy (CE). Efaroxan, at the dose of 10 mg/kg i.p., reduced ML and IL. In sexually inexperienced animals, guanabenz, at the dose of 1 mg/kg i.p., slightly reduced the percent of animals achieving ejaculation and increased PEI. Efaroxan, either at the dose of 3 or 10 mg/kg i.p., increased the percent of animals achieving ejaculation and--only at the dose of 10 mg/kg i.p.--reduced EL. Finally, in sexually experienced animals, efaroxan (10 mg/kg i.p.) prevented the effect of guanabenz (1 mg/kg i.p.). On the whole, these data further indicate that, in rats, male sexual behaviour is positively modulated by brain noradrenergic systems.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

PubMedDate not supplied

No modifications of GABAA and benzodiazepine receptors following experimental dysthyroidism in rats.

The effect of a treatment with L-triiodothyronine (T3) or propylthiouracil (PTU) on the characteristics of benzodiazepine and chloride ion channel binding sites in rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex was studied using a radiolabelled technique. In our experimental conditions, neither hyper- nor hypothyroidism modified number and affinity of [3H]flunitrazepam or [3H]butylbicycloorthobenzoate (TBOB) binding sites. These data indicate that neither benzodiazepine nor chloride ionophore sites of the GABA complex are modified in an experimental condition of dysthyroidism.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute non-A, non-B hepatitis in Italy: a 16-year prospective epidemiological study. The possible role of hepatitis C virus.

During a survey of acute symptomatic viral hepatitis conducted in Padua over the last 16 years, 404 (20%) cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis were observed, including 55% with overt parenteral exposure (35% drug abusers) and 45% with unknown exposure. Between 1978 and 1982 the attack rate of the disease increased significantly (p < 0.01) in males, (from 3.8 to 17.3/10(5) inhabitants), in adolescents and in youths. The prevalence of drug abusers rose up to 58% in 1982 suggesting the occurrence of an outbreak in this risk group. In subsequent years the attack rate returned to initial levels in males, although drug abuse still remains the single most important route of infection, and declined in females, especially after the disappearance of post-transfusion hepatitis since 1991. Retrospective anti-HCV testing of patients seen up to 1990 and prospective investigation of patients hospitalized later have shown an antibody prevalence of 88% among parenterally transmitted cases, and of 29% in the other patients, without significant differences between the prospective and the retrospective study. These findings suggest that an outbreak of hepatitis C occurred in our area in the early eighties and that drug abuse is still the most important mode of transmission of acute hepatitis C.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Behavioral effects of ACTH and MSH peptides.

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Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗