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Biomedical subjects

S R Goldsmith

Publications and source records attributed to S R Goldsmith.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Angiotensin II and sympathetic activity in patients with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the effects of intravenous angiotensin II infusions and the short-term effects of enalaprilat on venous plasma norepinephrine and norepinephrine spillover in patients with stable chronic congestive heart failure. BACKGROUND: Angiotensin II has been shown experimentally to stimulate norepinephrine release. Such effects, if present in humans with congestive heart failure, could be of pathophysiologic and pharmacologic importance. METHODS: In study 1, 60-min angiotensin II (5 ng/kg per min) infusions were administered in eight patients with chronic New York Heart Association functional class II and III congestive heart failure. Heart rate, arterial pressure, forearm venous plasma norepinephrine, norepinephrine clearance (estimated from the clearance of tritiated norepinephrine) and norepinephrine spillover were measured after 30 min in the supine position and after 15 min each of head-up and head-down tilt. All patients were studied in a double-blind manner on two occasions with vehicle control infusions. In study 2, 14 patients comparable to those in the first study had similar measurements made in the supine position before and 30 and 60 min after the administration of enalaprilat (1 mg intravenously). Eight patients received a double-blind vehicle control. RESULTS: In study 1, there were no effects of angiotensin II on heart rate, plasma norepinephrine, norepinephrine clearance or norepinephrine spillover compared with the vehicle control when the patient was in the supine position. Mean arterial pressure increased from 85 +/- 13 to 95 +/- 10 mm Hg with angiotensin II. During upright tilt, plasma norepinephrine and norepinephrine spillover increased comparably with angiotensin II and the vehicle control. During head-down tilt, plasma norepinephrine decreased with both angiotensin II and the vehicle control. Norepinephrine spillover remained elevated relative to control values on both study days during head-down tilt. In study 2, both enalaprilat and vehicle control administration were associated with a slight decrease in mean arterial pressure (5 +/- 2 vs. 3 +/- 4 mm Hg, p = NS), but no changes were seen in plasma norepinephrine. Norepinephrine clearance and spillover decreased comparably with time after both enalaprilat and vehicle control. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the infusion of angiotensin II nor the acute administration of enalaprilat significantly alters the activity of the sympathetic nervous system as reflected by plasma norepinephrine or systemic venous norepinephrine spillover in patients with chronic congestive heart failure. These data weaken the hypothesis that angiotensin II is an important regulator of sympathetic activity in congestive heart failure.

Adult↗

Dissociation of sympathetic responses to baroreceptor loading and unloading in compensated congestive heart failure secondary to ischemic or nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

This study tested the hypothesis that abnormalities of baroreceptor-mediated suppression of sympathetic activity may persist in chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) despite pharmacologic treatment and clinical stability. Plasma norepinephrine and norepinephrine kinetics (using 3HNE infusions) were measured during head-up and head-down tilt in 8 patients with chronic CHF and 6 normal control subjects. In response to upright tilt, normal subjects increased plasma norepinephrine (270 +/- 45 to 413 +/- 60 pg/ml, p less than 0.001) and norepinephrine spillover (540 +/- 103 to 781 +/- 124 ng/min, p less than 0.001). Patients also increased plasma norepinephrine (436 +/- 105 to 600 +/- 112 pg/ml, p less than 0.05) and norepinephrine spillover (802 +/- 180 to 1,037 +/- 370 ng/min). During head-down tilt, plasma norepinephrine decreased in normal subjects (from 413 +/- 60 to 256 +/- 26 pg/ml, p less than 0.001). The decrease was due entirely to a decrease in norepinephrine spillover (781 +/- 124 to 466 +/- 40 ng/min, p less than 0.001). In contrast, there was no significant change in norepinephrine spillover (1,037 +/- 370 to 949 +/- 338 ng/min) during head-down tilt in patients with CHF. These data suggest that suppression of sympathetic activity during baroreceptor loading may be defective in CHF despite relative preservation or correction of the response to baroreceptor unloading.

Adult↗

Effect of digitalis on norepinephrine kinetics in congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that digitalis glycosides would reduce sympathetic activity as reflected by forearm venous norepinephrine kinetics in patients with congestive heart failure. BACKGROUND: Digitalis glycosides have been reported to decrease sympathetic nervous system activity with baroreceptor sensitization in experimental animals. Such effects could be of therapeutic importance in congestive heart failure. METHODS: Double-blind randomized assessment was made of the effects of low dose intravenous deslanoside (Cedilanid-D, 0.002 mg/kg body weight) and vehicle on heart rate, arterial pressure, forearm blood flow, plasma norepinephrine, norepinephrine clearance and norepinephrine spillover in nine patients with stable congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association functional class II or III. Open label assessment of the responses to 0.6 mg of deslanoside was made in an overlapping group of seven patients. All measurements were made 30 and 60 min after intravenous injection of drug or vehicle and after 15 min of 30 degrees head-down tilt as a test of the sympathetic response to baroreceptor loading. RESULTS: Heart rate, arterial pressure and forearm blood flow were unchanged by low dose deslanoside. Heart rate decreased slightly with the 0.6 mg dose with the patients in the supine position. Norepinephrine spillover and clearance decreased with time on each study day in the supine position, but no effect was attributable to digitalis. Plasma norepinephrine and norepinephrine clearance and spillover all remained unchanged during head-down tilt on each study day. CONCLUSIONS: Nonpressor doses of deslanoside do not suppress sympathetic activity as reflected by venous norepinephrine and norepinephrine spillover in patients with congestive heart failure. Further, deslanoside did not normalize the sympathetic response to mild baroreceptor loading produced by head-down tilt. These data do not support sympathoinhibition through baroreceptor sensitization as a likely effect of digitalis in congestive heart failure.

Deslanoside↗

Baroreflex loading maneuvers do not suppress increased plasma arginine vasopressin in patients with congestive heart failure.

Nonspecific baroreflex loading maneuvers such as head-down tilt readily suppress stimulated arginine vasopressin levels in normal humans. To test the hypothesis that the increased arginine vasopressin levels in patients with congestive heart failure would not respond normally to baroreflex loading, 12 patients with congestive heart failure had arginine vasopressin levels and osmolality determined in the supine position and after 15 min of 30 degrees head-down tilt. Arginine vasopressin was increased to 6.5 +/- 2.0 pg/ml at control measurement and did not decrease. Eight patients underwent further study after osmotic stimulation with mannitol. Mannitol increased osmolality from 287 +/- 9.2 to 294 +/- 7.8 mOsm/kg (p less than 0.001) and from 288 +/- 9 to 299 +/- 8.2 mOsm/kg (p less than 0.01) on two occasions. No significant suppression of arginine vasopressin was seen during head-down tilt after mannitol infusion compared with values in a time control period. These results are consistent with an abnormality in baroreflex suppression of arginine vasopressin secretion in chronic congestive heart failure and suggest that such a defect may contribute to long-term high levels of arginine vasopressin in this condition.

Adult↗

Cocaine and chest pain: clinical features and outcome of patients hospitalized to rule out myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features, electrocardiographic findings, and hospital course in patients admitted with acute chest pain temporally related to cocaine use. DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis. SETTING: A 485-bed county hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred and one consecutive patients with cocaine-related chest pain admitted to the hospital to rule out myocardial infarction. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The quality of the chest pain frequently suggested myocardial ischemia. Dyspnea was common (56%). The onset of chest pain occurred during cocaine use in 21% of patients, within 1 hour of use in 37%, and after 1 hour of use in 42%. Admission electrocardiographic findings were interpreted as normal in 32% of patients; as acute myocardial injury in 8%; as early repolarization variant in 32%; as left ventricular hypertrophy in 16%; and as "other" in 12%. Forty-three percent of patients had ST-segment elevation meeting the electrocardiographic criteria for use of thrombolytic therapy, but such elevation was usually due to the early repolarization variant. The initial total creatine kinase was elevated more than 3.3 mu kat/L (200 U/L) in 43% of patients, and an elevated total creatine kinase was recorded at some time during the hospital course in 47% of patients. The creatine kinase MB fraction was less than 0.02 in all patients. Myocardial infarction was ruled out in all patients. No patient experienced in-hospital cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSION: The quality of acute chest pain related to cocaine use is indistinguishable from that experienced in acute myocardial ischemia. Abnormal or normal variant electrocardiographic findings are common in patients with chest pain related to cocaine use, but nevertheless the incidence of acute myocardial infarction is low. The ST-segment and T-wave changes can mimic acute myocardial injury and are most likely normal findings in young black men that can be readily recognized in the emergency department. Most of these patients do not require admission to an intensive care unit.

Adolescent↗

Impaired suppression of plasma norepinephrine during head-down tilt in patients with congestive heart failure.

Neurohumoral activation is present in congestive heart failure and may contribute to vasoconstriction in this syndrome. The mechanisms leading to and maintaining neurohumoral activation in long-standing congestive heart failure are as yet undefined. The present study addresses the possibility that baroreceptor-mediated suppression of plasma norepinephrine may be abnormal in patients with long-standing congestive heart failure. Eight normal subjects and 12 patients with long-standing congestive heart failure were studied during 15 minutes of 30 degrees head-down tilt. There were no significant changes in heart rate or arterial blood pressure in either group during these maneuvers. In normal subjects, plasma norepinephrine declined from 257 +/- 38 pg/ml at control to 208 +/- 39 pg/ml during head-down tilt (p less than 0.005). Plasma norepinephrine was elevated in the patients with congestive heart failure, 475 +/- 189 pg/ml, and did not change during head-down tilt. These observations suggest that baroreflex loading maneuvers, which in this study included increased central blood volume and hydrostatic effects on the sinoaortic baroreceptor, do not suppress increased plasma norepinephrine in patients with long-standing congestive heart failure. Impaired baroreflex responsiveness could therefore contribute to either the generation or maintenance of high plasma norepinephrine in this syndrome.

Adult↗

Effect of a pressor infusion of angiotensin II on sympathetic activity and heart rate in normal humans.

We tested the hypothesis that pressor infusions of angiotensin II (AII) could stimulate the sympathetic nervous system as reflected by norepinephrine (NE) spillover in humans. AII was infused at 5 ng/kg/min in six healthy volunteers, with vehicle and phenylephrine infusions as controls, on 3 separate days. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, plasma NE, NE clearance, and NE spillover were assessed before and after 30-minute infusions of AII, vehicle, or phenylephrine in the supine position and then after 15 minutes of head-up and 15 minutes of head-down tilt. Both AII and phenylephrine raised mean arterial pressure (88 +/- 9.6 to 103 +/- 14 mm Hg, p less than 0.001, and 91 +/- 7.6 to 104 +/- 9.2 mm Hg, p less than 0.001, respectively), whereas heart rate fell only with phenylephrine (60 +/- 6 to 51 +/- 6.3 beats/min, p less than 0.001). Neither plasma NE nor NE spillover was affected by either infusion, and NE clearance declined slightly with both. No changes occurred in any variable during vehicle infusions in the supine position. During upright tilt, NE spillover increases were attenuated by both AII and phenylephrine while NE clearance changes were slightly greater, leaving plasma NE increases similar on each day. During head-down tilt, NE and NE spillover declined comparably on each study day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Subpressor angiotensin II infusions do not stimulate sympathetic activity in humans.

Angiotensin II (ANG II) exerts significant direct and indirect pressor and chronotropic effects in experimental animals. The indirect effects have been shown to be due to interactions with the sympathetic nervous system at several levels. To test the hypothesis that ANG II in subpressor doses enhances the activity of the sympathetic nervous system in humans either at rest or in response to a stimulus from baroreceptor unloading, we measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), plasma norepinephrine (NE), and plasma NE kinetics during infusions of ANG II at 2 ng.kg-1. min-1 [or 5% dextrose in water (D5/W) control in six healthy volunteers in the supine position and during 60 degrees head-up tilt. No changes in any measured variable occurred during either infusion in the supine position. During upright tilt with D5/W, HR increased (58 +/- 8.4 to 68 +/- 7.7 beats/min, P less than 0.005), MAP rose slightly (90 +/- 3.9 to 94 +/- 4.0 mmHg, P less than 0.005), and plasma NE increased (213 +/- 3.8 to 366 +/- 83 pg/ml, P less than 0.005). The responses of the variables to tilt during ANG II were not different from those with D5/W.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Influence of acid-base status on plasma catecholamines during exercise in normal humans.

The influence of acid-base status on plasma catecholamines during exercise was investigated in six healthy volunteers. Incremental exercise to 175 W was performed on a bicycle ergometer under four conditions: 1) control, 2) during forced hyperventilation (HV), 3) after pretreatment with acetazolamide (AZE), and 4) while breathing 4% CO2. Resting plasma norepinephrine (PNE) and epinephrine (PE) were not different among the four protocols despite higher resting pH during HV and lower resting pH after AZE [control, 7.4 +/- 0.02; HV, 7.48 +/- 0.03 (P less than 0.005); AZE, 7.36 +/- 0.01 (P less than 0.005) (P values indicate significant differences from the control protocol)]. Resting pH was not different from control during the 4% CO2 study (7.4 +/- 0.01). At the 175-W exercise load, there were significant differences in both pH and PNE. During the control test, pH was 7.38 +/- 0.02, PNE was 951 +/- 164 pg/ml, and PE was 264 +/- 132 pg/ml. During HV, pH was 7.46 +/- 0.5 (P less than 0.001), PNE was 976 +/- 67 pg/ml, and PE was 210 +/- 27 pg/ml. After AZE, pH was 7.31 +/- 0.2 (P less than 0.001), PNE was 1,866 +/- 561 pg/ml (P less than 0.005), and PE was 382 +/- 264 pg/ml. While subjects breathed 4% CO2, pH was 7.29 +/- 0.02 (P less than 0.001), PNE was 1.842 +/- 617 pg/ml (P less than 0.01), and PE was 467 +/- 275 pg/ml.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetazolamide↗

The effect of moderate hypotension on vasopressin levels in normal humans.

Isosmotic decreases in central venous pressure do not stimulate arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion in normal humans, while symptomatic vasovagal hypotension produces large rises in plasma AVP levels. The effects of an asymptomatic fall in arterial pressure on plasma AVP in humans are poorly documented. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, plasma osmolality, and plasma AVP were measured in seven healthy volunteers during infusion of sodium nitroprusside on two occasions, with and without central venous pressure measurements. On both study days, heart rate increases (5 +/- 3 and 8 +/- 4 beats/min) and mean arterial pressure reductions (12 +/- 3 and 13 +/- 2.0 mm Hg) were comparable. Plasma AVP (3.2 +/- 1.4 and 4.0 +/- 1.7 pg/ml at control) did not change on either study day after nitroprusside titration (30-40 minutes) or after an additional 90 minute observation on the first day. When measured on the second day, central venous pressure declined from 5.6 +/- 1.9 to 2.9 +/- 1.5 mm Hg, p less than .001. Osmolality was constant on both days at all times. Unloading of sinoaortic baroreceptors produced by asymptomatic hypotension, coupled with a moderate reduction in central venous pressure, does not, therefore, stimulate plasma AVP secretion in normal humans. This observation has relevance to understanding the mechanisms involved in the reported increases in plasma AVP during orthostatic stress and in various diseases.

Analysis of Variance↗

Alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation and vasopressin in congestive heart failure.

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have increased plasma levels of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). The stimulus for increased AVP secretion is unknown, but appears to involve a nonosmotic drive which alters normal osmoregulatory mechanisms. Centrally acting alpha 2-adrenergic agonists suppress AVP secretion in experimental animals. To examine the hypothesis that such effects might be apparent on the chronically elevated AVP levels in patients with CHF, we measured AVP, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and plasma norepinephrine (NE) after 4 mg oral guanabenz in nine patients with this disease. Plasma NE decreased from 513 +/- 131 to a minimum of 371 +/- 117 pg/ml (p less than 0.02) 5 h postdrug. HR decreased from 80 +/- 9.3 to 74 +/- 10 beats/min (p less than 0.05) and MAP decreased from 88 +/- 8.5 to 83 +/- 10 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Plasma AVP, however, did not change from baseline levels of 5.6 +/- 1.6 pg/ml. Serum osmolality was also constant. These data do not support a possible role for acute increases of alpha 2-adrenergic activity in suppressing the increased plasma AVP levels of CHF, at least under basal conditions at constant osmolality.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Response of plasma arginine vasopressin to nicotine in normal man.

The response of plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) to nicotine administered by chewing gum (Nicorette, 2 mg) was examined in nine healthy volunteers. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, serum osmolality, plasma AVP level, and plasma nicotine level were measured at baseline (control) and at 30, 45, and 60 minutes after initial administration of the gum. There were small increases in heart rate (72 +/- 6.3 to 82 +/- 5.1 beats/min, p less than 0.05) and mean arterial pressure (88 +/- 8.2 to 93 +/- 10 mm Hg, p = NS), while the plasma nicotine level increased to a maximum of 16 +/- 2.0 ng/ml (p less than 0.001). No changes were seen in either osmolality (283 +/- 3.4 mOsm/kg) or AVP level (4.3 +/- 2.0 pg/ml) in eight of the nine subjects who remained asymptomatic. In one subject whose hemodynamic and plasma nicotine responses were similar to the others but who became nauseated, the plasma AVP level increased from 4.2 to 26 pg/ml. These data suggest that nicotine at the plasma concentrations achieved in this study is not associated with stimulation of plasma AVP secretion in normal man. Other factors in association with nicotine use, in this case nausea, may be required for AVP stimulation to occur.

Adult↗

Effects of infused norepinephrine and angiotensin-II on vasopressin levels in humans.

Angiotensin II (A-II) has been shown to stimulate plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion in experimental animals, although offsetting effects from a rise in arterial pressure may obscure the effect. A rise in plasma norepinephrine (NE) may have several effects on plasma AVP because of changes in arterial pressure and central adrenergic stimulation. As little data exist concerning these neurohumoral interrelationships in humans, the current investigation was performed to examine the role of acute changes in plasma NE and A-II in the control of arginine vasopressin (AVP). The question is of potential importance because of diffuse disturbances in neurohumoral control in diseases such as hypertension and congestive heart failure. We measured heart rate, arterial pressure, and plasma AVP during 2.5 and 5.0 micrograms/min infusions of NE, and during .05 and .10 micrograms/kg/min infusions of A-II. NE increased mean blood pressure from 81 +/- 11 mm Hg to 87 +/- 16 mm Hg at 2.5 micrograms/min and to 93 +/- 16 mm Hg at 5.0 micrograms/min (p less than .001). Heart rate was unchanged during the 2.5 micrograms/min infusion but declined from 58 +/- 9 beats/min to 54 +/- 9 beats/min during the 5.0 micrograms/min infusion (p = NS). Plasma AVP, 3.0 +/- 0.9 pg/mL, did not change. During A-II infusions, mean arterial pressure increased from 81 +/- 13 mm Hg to 92 +/- 17 mm Hg and 112 +/- 21 mm Hg at the two rates (p less than .001); heart rate declined from 61 +/- 6.8 beats/min to 59 +/- 9.1 beats/min and 56 +/- 11.3 beats/min (p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Baroreceptor-mediated suppression of osmotically stimulated vasopressin in normal humans.

Increases in central venous pressure and arterial pressure have been reported to have variable effects on normal arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels in healthy humans. To test the hypothesis that baroreceptor suppression of AVP secretion might be more likely if AVP were subjected to a prior osmotic stimulus, we investigated the response of plasma AVP to increased central venous pressure and mean arterial pressure after hypertonic saline in six normal volunteers. Plasma AVP, serum osmolality, heart rate, central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure were assessed before and after a 0.06 ml.kg-1.min-1-infusion of 5% saline give over 90 min and then after 10 min of 30 degrees head-down tilt and 10 min of head-down tilt plus lower-body positive pressure. Hypertonic saline increased plasma AVP. After head-down tilt, which did not change heart rate, pulse pressure, or mean arterial pressure but did increase central venous pressure, plasma AVP fell. Heart rate, pulse pressure, and central venous pressure were unchanged from head-down tilt values during lower-body positive pressure, whereas mean arterial pressure increased. Plasma AVP during lower-body positive pressure was not different from that during tilt. Osmolality increased during the saline infusion but was stable throughout the remainder of the study. These data therefore suggest that an osmotically stimulated plasma AVP level can be suppressed by baroreflex activation. Either the low-pressure cardiopulmonary receptors (subjected to a rise in central venous pressure during head-down tilt) or the sinoaortic baroreceptors (subjected to hydrostatic effects during head-down tilt) could have been responsible for the suppression of AVP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗