The effects of long-term cilazapril treatment on glucose and lipid metabolism were assessed in 25 hypertensive patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Patients were treated with 0.5 to 1 mg of cilazapril once daily or a combination of cilazapril and other antihypertensive drugs once daily for 48 weeks. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) throughout the study with no significant changes in heart rate and no adverse effects such as cough. There were no significant changes in body mass index or serum levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c, fructosamine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoproteins (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), or apolipoproteins (apo A-I, apo C-II, apo C-III, apo B, and apo E). Cilazapril caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in levels of apo A-II and a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the apo B:apo A-I ratio, an index of arteriosclerosis. These results suggest that cilazapril has favorable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and that it may be useful as the first or second choice of antihypertensive drugs in hypertensive patients with NIDDM.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of 24 weeks of treatment with epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on peripheral neuropathy in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The effects of treatment with epalrestat, an aldose reductase inhibitor, on peripheral neuropathy were studied in 45 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Epalrestat 150 mg three times daily was given for 24 weeks. Subjective symptoms, such as spontaneous pain in the lower extremities and numbness and hypoesthesia of the extremities or trunk, were significantly (P < 0.001) relieved after 12 and 24 weeks of epalrestat treatment. Vibratory perception thresholds, as measured by using a tuning fork (C-128) and a vibrometer, were improved after 24 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, there were no adverse effects on glucose or lipid metabolism during treatment. These results suggest that long-term (24-week) epalrestat therapy can be used effectively to treat peripheral neuropathy in NIDDM patients without affecting glucose or lipid metabolism.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relation between low serum cholesteryl-ester transfer activity and abdominal aortic calcification in normolipidemic elderly subjects.

We studied the relation between cholesteryl-ester transfer activity (CETA) and abdominal aortic calcification in elderly subjects. Compared with 10 young healthy subjects (mean +/- S.D. age, 27 +/-2 years) and to 26 elderly subjects without abdominal aortic calcification (79 +/- 7 years), 16 elderly patients with abdominal aortic calcification (82 +/- 6 years) had significantly lower levels of serum CETA. However, there were no differences in the levels of serum lipids and apolipoproteins, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II and E, between the two elderly groups. When the two groups of elderly subjects were considered together, the level of serum CETA did not correlate significantly with any lipids and apolipoproteins. These results provide evidence that CETA may prevent the development of aortic calcification in normolipidemic elderly people.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Age-related change in the amount of ubiquitinated histones in the mouse brain.

We investigated age-related changes in the ubiquitination of histones in mouse brains. By Western blot analysis using rabbit anti-ubiquitin antibodies, histone H2A and H2B were found to be the only proteins that are ubiquitinated in the acid-extractable nuclear proteins of both young (4-month-old) and senescent (29-month-old) mouse brains. The proportion of ubiquitinated histones was about 30% higher in senescent mice than in young ones. When total brain homogenates were analyzed similarly using somewhat different age groups of the animals, the proportion in the old animals was about 2-fold higher than that in the young.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of posture on the plasma hormonal and renal water-electrolyte excretory responses to acute water loading in diabetic subjects with hypoadrenergic orthostatic hypotension.

The effects of posture on the plasma hormonal and renal water-electrolyte excretory responses to acute water loading (20 mL/kg BW, orally) were studied in six non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects with hypoadrenergic orthostatic hypotension (HOH), eight NIDDM subjects without HOH, and seven nondiabetic subjects. The three groups were similar with respect to basal levels of mean blood pressure (MBP), serum sodium and osmolality, plasma renin activity (PRA), the plasma volume regulatory hormones alpha-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), arginine vasopressin (AVP) and aldosterone, and urinary water and sodium excretion. In the supine state, while allowing the subjects to stand only to void, water loading resulted in no changes in MBP and similar responses of these plasma and urinary parameters in the three groups. In the standing state, water loading produced responses of MBP, and plasma and urinary parameters comparable to those in the supine state in the diabetic group without HOH and the nondiabetic group. In the diabetic group with HOH, however, MBP and hourly urinary water and sodium excretion rates were low compared to those in the other two groups. During water loading, plasma ANP decreased, and, despite the fall of MBP, plasma AVP remained unchanged, and PRA and plasma aldosterone increased normally in the diabetic group with HOH. These results demonstrate that, in NIDDM subjects with HOH, changing from lying to standing induces deranged renal water and sodium handling after water loading, accompained by a decrease in plasma ANP, and inadequate responses of plasma AVP, PRA, and plasma aldosterone to hypotension.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chromoscopy of the colon using indigo carmine dye with electrolyte lavage solution.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Colonic Polyps↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of primary thyroid lymphoma.

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of a patient with primary malignant lymphoma of the thyroid gland and Hashimoto thyroiditis are presented. On T1-weighted images the intensity of the thyroid lymphoma was similar to that of Hashimoto thyroiditis. On T2-weighted images the thyroid lymphoma was seen as a homogeneous area of high intensity compared with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Magnetic resonance was equal to CT in diagnosing and staging of primary thyroid lymphoma. Direct coronal images of MR were useful in planning the radiation port.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mediastinal lymph node metastases from nonsmall cell bronchogenic carcinoma: reevaluation with CT.

We evaluated the sensitivity of CT for detecting mediastinal lymph node metastases in patients with nonsmall cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Computed tomography of 208 cases of surgically proven bronchogenic carcinoma from three institutes was evaluated retrospectively using specific diagnostic criteria. These consisted of two size thresholds for specific mediastinal node regions: 13 mm short transverse diameter for nodes in the subcarinal, precarinal, and tracheobronchial regions and 10 mm for other regions. Based on these criteria, the overall sensitivity of CT was 69%, specificity 94%, and accuracy 86% for detection of metastasis. In cases of adenocarcinoma, sensitivity was 61%, specificity 93%, and accuracy 81%, and in those of squamous cell carcinoma the respective values were 86, 94, and 92%. Comparison between the results using the present criteria with the former criterion of 10 mm short transverse diameter for all mediastinal nodes revealed that the number of false-positive cases decreased markedly. We conclude that more accurate CT evaluation of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in nonsmall cell bronchogenic carcinoma can be achieved with specific size criteria for specific mediastinal regions.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of Sjögren syndrome: correlation with sialography and pathology.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the parotid glands were performed in 13 cases of Sjögren syndrome to assess if there are any typical MR features. The MR findings were compared with sialography and pathology results. Signal intensity ratios of parotid (minus background noise) to skeletal muscle (minus background noise) were measured in these 13 cases as well as in 10 normal controls. Both T1- and T2-weighted images showed multiple hypointense mixed with hyperintense foci (salt-and-pepper appearance) throughout the glands in the six Sjögren cases of intermediate severity (46%), inhomogeneous glands in five cases with early or advanced disease, and homogeneous glands in the remaining two cases with the earliest stage of disease. Mean intensity ratios in T2-weighted pulse sequences in patients with salt-and-pepper appearance and inhomogeneous glands were significantly smaller than those in normal controls (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.001, respectively). Pathologic studies tend to indicate that focal lymphocytic aggregates associated with increased interlobular fibrosis are probably responsible for the hypointense foci and the decrease in intensity ratios. We think that the salt-and-pepper appearance is suggestive of Sjögren syndrome and that the decreased intensity ratios combined with a typical clinical picture may lead to a highly probable diagnosis of this disorder.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adiponectin replacement therapy attenuates myocardial damage in leptin-deficient mice with viral myocarditis.

The effects of adiponectin replacement therapy on myocardial damage were studied in leptin-deficient (OB) mice with acute viral myocarditis. Encephalomyocarditis virus was injected intraperitoneally into OB and wild-type (WT) mice. One subgroup of OB mice received no intervention and another subgroup received daily adiponectin replacement, simultaneously with viral inoculation. Differences in heart weight, cardiac histological score, numbers of infiltrating or apoptotic cells in the myocardium and the immunoreactivity of adiponectin receptors in myocytes were determined. The reactivity of adiponectin receptor 1 in myocytes from OB mice on day 4 and day 8 after viral inoculation was significantly decreased compared with that in myocytes from WT mice; the OB mice also had elevated cardiac weights and severe inflammatory myocardial damage. Adiponectin replacement in OB mice inhibited the development of severe myocarditis by augmenting myocyte adiponectin receptor 1 reactivity. Exogenously administered adiponectin may inhibit the progression of viral myocarditis through binding to the adiponectin receptor 1 in leptin-deficient conditions.

Adiponectin↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adiponectin, T-cadherin and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in damaged cardiomyocytes from autopsy specimens.

This study determined the presence of adiponectin, T-cadherin (an adiponectin receptor) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in damaged myocytes from autopsied patients with acute or old myocardial infarction (MI) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), using immunohistochemical staining. The enrolled patients included eight with acute MI, six with old MI and seven with DCM. Four autopsied individuals with no cardiac lesions were also enrolled as controls. Adiponectin and TNF-alpha were not observed in normal myocytes from control subjects, but T-cadherin was weakly detected. Immunoreactivity for adiponectin and T-cadherin was observed at the periphery of damaged myocytes from MI and DCM patients; intracellular reactivity for TNF-alpha was also seen. There were no statistically significant differences in the degree of reactivity for each molecule in the myocytes between the MI and DCM patients. These results suggest that the presence of adiponectin and TNF-alpha in damaged myocytes may contribute to the processes of myocardial injury occurring in MI and DCM.

Adiponectin↗