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Biomedical subjects

F Krück

Publications and source records attributed to F Krück.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Potassium substitution via the oral route: does its efficacy depend on the anion of the potassium salt?

In an open, randomized study, we investigated the effect of oral potassium chloride (KCl) and of potassium citrate/bicarbonate (K-cit/bic) in 42 patients with hypokalemia (less than or equal to 3.5 mmol/l). In both groups 80 mmol K+ were administered daily. The parameters examined were serum potassium concentration, acid-base status, and urinary electrolyte excretion. Parameters were evaluated on days 0, 2, 4, and 6. With KCl, [K+] increased from 3.2 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SD) on day 0 to 3.8 +/- 0.4 mmol/l on day 2 (p less than 0.005) and 4.0 +/- 0.5 mmol/l on day 4 (p less than 0.005). On day 6 [K+] was also 4.0 +/- 0.4 mmol/l (p less than 0.005 vs day 0). With K-cit/bic, [K+] increased from 3.2 +/- 0.2 to 3.7 +/- 0.4 on day 2, 3.9 +/- 0.5 on day 4, and 4.1 +/- 0.6 mmol/l on day 6 (all p less than 0.005 vs day 0). The increase of [K+] was not different between the two groups. Blood pH on day 0 was in the normal range in both groups and did not change significantly during the study. There was a decrease of carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) with KCl from 38.7 +/- 4.9 on day 0 to 36.4 +/- 3.6 on day 2 (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid-Base Equilibrium

Acute and long term effects of loop diuretics in heart failure.

Diuretics, together with digitalis glycosides and vasodilators are of prime importance in the medical treatment of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Diuretics provide quick symptomatic relief in these patients. Their beneficial effect is related to the promotion of sodium and water excretion via the kidney, thus reducing extracellular fluid volume expansion and mitigating the increase in preload and afterload caused by sodium and water retention. Loop diuretics administered intravenously are indispensable in the management of pulmonary oedema; thiazides and loop diuretics in low doses are effectively used in the oral treatment of mild to moderate heart failure. Torasemide is a new loop diuretic which differs from furosemide (frusemide) and related loop diuretics by virtue of its longer elimination half-life and longer duration of action, with almost complete bioavailability. The efficacy and tolerability of torasemide have been compared with furosemide in several studies. Once daily oral administration of torasemide (starting with 5mg) or furosemide 40mg reduce bodyweight, oedema and symptoms of heart failure to a similar extent. Mean New York Heart Association class is consistently reduced by 0.5 to 0.7. Intravenous administration attenuates the increase in intracardiac pressures during exercise in patients with CHF, and produces acute improvements in cardiac haemodynamics in patients with high grade left heart failure. A beneficial effect on both pulmonary and cardiac haemodynamics has been demonstrated during chronic oral treatment of patients with previously untreated CHF. Torasemide was well tolerated with only mild and transient adverse effects reported in a small number of patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diuretics

[Severe periodic hypokalemic paralysis. Prevention using beta-receptor blockade].

For ten years, severe physical exercise in a 24 year old male patient had been an almost constant trigger of frequent attacks of pareses which were mostly accompanied by complete tetraplegia and once by the occurrence of cardiac arrest with atrial fibrillation. During the attack, the serum potassium concentration fell to 1.2 mmol/l, whereas the intraleukocytic potassium concentration rose from 136 mmol/l to 149 mmol/l. The catecholamine excretion in the urine was raised during the first 24 hours after admission as an emergency (189 micrograms noradrenalin and 54 micrograms adrenalin). After intravenous adrenalin infusion (0.01-0.1 microgram/kg X min) during the symptom-free interval, there was a major fall of the serum potassium concentration from 3.9 mmol/l to 3.1 mmol/l. This was not accompanied by a raised insulin excretion and could be prevented by prior administration of the nonselective beta blocker propranolol. On the basis of these results, the patient was treated prophylactically with three times 40 mg/d p.o. propranolol. Pareses requiring treatment no longer occurred under this therapy.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

Hemodynamic, renal, and hormonal responses to changes in dietary potassium in normotensive and hypertensive man: long-term antihypertensive effect of potassium supplementation in essential hypertension.

The hemodynamic, hormonal, and renal responses to alterations in dietary potassium were studied in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. In a short-term study, nine normotensive and nine hypertensive young men received a normal diet and low potassium, high potassium, and high potassium/low sodium diets for 1 week, each. The long-term effect of potassium supplementation (normal diet plus 96 mmol KC1/d for 8 weeks) was evaluated in 17 patients with essential hypertension. Blood pressure did not change significantly during short-term alterations of potassium intake but decreased during long-term supplementation (from 152.2 +/- 3.5/99.6 +/- 1.9 mm Hg to 137.4 +/- 2.9/89.1 +/- 1.4 mm Hg). High dietary potassium induced a significant but transient natriuresis. Plasma potassium concentration was increased during long- but not during short-term high potassium intake. In contrast to plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone, urinary kallikrein was consistently stimulated during long-term potassium supplementation. The plasma concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline were significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects and were not markedly altered by the dietary changes. It is concluded that long- but not short-term potassium supplementation lowers blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension. The antihypertensive effect may be mediated by potassium-induced natriuresis, by a stimulation of Na-K-ATPase secondary to increased plasma potassium levels, and/or by a modulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, kallikrein-kinin, and sympathetic nervous systems.

Adult

Studies on the role of sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase inhibition in the pathogenesis of human hypertension. Changes in vascular and cardiac function following inhibition of the sodium pump in normotensive subjects and effects of calcium entry blockade.

An endogenous humoral factor which inhibits the sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) enzyme in vitro has been incriminated recently of playing a pathogenetic role in experimental and human hypertension. The present study was therefore performed in six healthy volunteers to investigate the hemodynamic consequences of an inhibition of this enzyme by ouabain, a potent and specific inhibitor of Na-K-ATPase. In addition, the role of intracellular calcium as a potential mediator was studied indirectly by the administration of nifedipine, a potent calcium entry blocker with predominant vasodilator properties. Intravenous administration of 8.5 micrograms ouabain/kg body weight inhibited red blood cell (RBC) - Na-K-ATPase by 49% which was accompanied by a significant increase in RBC - ATP and a decrease in intracellular potassium concentrations. This enzyme inhibition resulted in a 24% increase in peripheral vascular resistance. The parallel decrease in cardiac output and heart rate, however, prevented a rise in arterial pressure. This increase in vascular resistance was completely abolished by pretreatment with nifedipine (10 mg orally). In the absence of an effect of nifedipine on Na-K-ATPase, its attenuation of the vasoconstrictor effect of ouabain suggests that the effects of ouabain on the vascular smooth muscle cell are mediated by intracellular calcium. These results demonstrate that inhibition of the Na-K-ATPase enzyme in vivo causes a marked peripheral vasoconstriction. They are also compatible with the concept that an endogenous inhibitor of Na-K-ATPase - in the presence of decreased baroreceptor reflex sensitivity due to blood volume expansion - may play a role in the pathogenesis of human arterial hypertension.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Induction of puberty in a patient with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: effect of sequentially applied hCG and pulsatile GnRH administration.

Pulsatile substitution with GnRH appears to be the therapy of choice in patients with Kallmann's syndrome, a well defined type of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We tried to simplify the treatment and to limit the subcutaneous GnRH therapy to the period absolutely necessary to induce spermatogenesis. Therefore we applied in sequence first hCG to stimulate testicular growth and second pulsatile GnRH application to induce spermatogenesis. We herein report that with this mode of therapy testicular growth from infantile to adult size and normal spermatogenesis could be achieved. We conclude that pulsatile GnRH application is a new effective therapy of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism which can be simplified considerably by pretreatment with hCG.

Adult

Cyclic Cushing's syndrome combined with cortisol suppressible, dexamethasone non-suppressible ACTH secretion: a new variant of Cushing's syndrome.

A 55 year old woman with an unusual form of Cushing's disease was studied. During several periods (periods lasting up to 84 days) evidence of cortisol hypersecretion with cycles occurring every 6 days was found. Suppression of plasma cortisol through orally administered dexamethasone (up to 32 mg per day) could not be achieved either during periods of cyclic cortisol hypersecretion or during apparent remission with normal cortisol secretion. Marked suppression of plasma ACTH was measured in response to an iv infusion of 50 mg cortisol over a period of 55 min whereas a similar test with 2 mg dexamethasone (iv bolus) did not suppress ACTH secretion. Transsphenoidal exploration of the sella revealed a tumour surrounding the anterior pituitary. Examination of the pituitary showed a few tiny tumour structures embedded in normal tissue which could not be removed, when the tumour was resected selectively under preservation of normal appearing tissue. Post-operatively, clinical and chemical remission (normal response to 1 mg dexamethasone) was observed for about 4 months. Thereafter, cortisol hypersecretion occurred again necessitating bilateral adrenalectomy. Our results are compatible with the assumption that normal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal suppressibility with cortisol, but not with dexamethasone, was caused by the loss of feedback receptors for dexamethasone in the presence of cortisol receptors in the cells which secrete ACTH or CRF. The combination of cyclic hypercortisolism with dexamethasone non-suppressible Cushing's syndrome has not been reported before and thus represents a new variant of Cushing's syndrome.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Relation of endogenous digoxin-like immunoreacting activities to salt balance and renal function in man.

We have previously shown that a natriuretic factor which is present in a small molecular weight fraction (IV) of serum and urine from salt loaded animals and healthy subjects, respectively, inhibits the Na-K-ATPase enzyme in vitro and also binds to a specific digoxin antibody. In the present study digoxin-like immunoreacting activity (DLIA) was therefore determined in the serum of healthy volunteers during low (35 nmol/day) and high (greater than 400 mmol/day) sodium intake and of patients with chronic renal failure and serum creatinine concentrations ranging from 127 to 757 mumol/l. DLIA was determined with a radioimmunoassay for digoxin in native serum and in the salt (III) and post-salt (IV) serum fractions eluted from a Sephadex G-25 column. DLIA in native serum of healthy subjects was less than 0.125 ng/ml. After gel filtration DLIA eluted exclusively in the small molecular weight salt (F III) and post-salt (F IV) fractions. Whereas DLIA increased in F III and decreased in F IV, total DLIA in F III + IV slightly increased from 0.37 +/- 0.03 to 0.49 +/- 0.05 ng/ml (p less than 0.01) with the change from low to high sodium intake. DLIA in native serum of uremic patients ranged from 0 to 1.70 ng/ml and was detectable consistently only in patients with serum creatinine concentrations above 250 mumol/l. DLIA in F III which averaged 0.22 +/- 0.04 ng/ml and total activity which ranged from 0.11 to 0.88 ng/ml closely correlated with the degree of renal impairment (p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Low urinary kallikrein excretion and elevated blood pressure normalized by orally kallikrein in essential hypertension.

1. Urinary kallikrein was measured in 67 patients with essential hypertension and 25 normotensive subjects variously on unrestricted and low sodium diet. Also, the effect of orally applied hog pancreatic kallikrein on elevated blood pressure and kallikrein excretion was evaluated. 2. Urinary kallikrein was reduced in a large subgroup of patients with sustained essential hypertension. 3. With salt restriction, urinary kallikrein rose markedly in normotensive subjects and patients with borderline hypertension but not in those with sustained hypertension. 4. Oral kallikrein normalized reduced kallikrein excretion and lowered elevated blood pressure. 5. The rise in urinary kallikrein with oral kallikrein was due to an increased formation of endogenous enzyme. 6. A defective kallikrein-kinin system may be involved in both the low urinary kallikrein excretion and the hypertension.

Administration, Oral

[Effect of a chronic alpha adrenergic receptor blockade on basal secretion of renin in essential hypertension].

To investigate the effect of chronic alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade on renin release, plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined overnight at short intervals in 9 patients with essential hypertension before and after 7 days medication with phenoxybenzamine (20 mg orally/day). Inhibition of basal (supine) renin secretion in response to alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade was more apparent in patients with elevated PRA (n = 3) than in those with normal PRA. On the other hand, patients with low PRA (n = 2) even showed an increase in renin release. In addition, night-day variations with secretory episodes in PRA were blunted during drug administration. It is suggested that alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade inhibits renin secretion distal to its blockade of specific adrenergic receptors. However, the increase in renin release during phenoxybenzamine observed in patients with low PRA indicates that the responsiveness of renin secretion to stimulatory effects (most probably induced by the lowered blood pressure in our patients) remained intact during alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists

Clinical and pharmacological investigations of the new saluretic azosemid.

Ple 1053 (Azosemid) is a diuretic which resembles furosemide chemically and in its mode of action. When administered intravenously, Ple 1053 was approximately 5 times more potent on a weight basis than furosemide, its dose-response relationship was closer and the slope was steeper. After oral administration Ple 1053 and furosemide were approximately equal in potency. However, the effect of Azosemid in healthy subjects was relatively prolonged and abrupt peaks did not occur.

Administration, Oral

Third factor and edema formation.

Urine extracts as well as plasma and urine fractions from normal persons during extracellular volume expansion and from patients with edema of different origin were tested for natriuretic (rat bioassay) and antinatriferetic (frog skin) activity. Whereas the extracts and fractions from normal persons with extracellular volume expansion proved to have a distinct natriuretic and antinatriferetic effect, no such effect was observed with urine and plasma preparations from patients with sodium retention and edema. Whether or not edema formation is mediated by a loss of natriuretic activity remains still to be clarified.

Adult