[Renal hemodynamics and blood pressure. Intrarenal Doppler evaluation]. / Hemodinamia renal y presión arterial. Evaluación Doppler intrarrenal.

UNLABELLED: This new technique has been used to evaluate renal hemodynamic pattern because although it is impossible to measure the arterial diameter, the doppler signal is easier to obtain than in the renal artery. In order to define normal patterns we studied 67 untreated patients, with no evidence of acute or chronic disease, using intrarenal doppler ultrasound technique. The mean (SD) systolic, diastolic and mean renal doppler deviation were 2.144 +/- 0.54, 0.688 +/- 0.23 and 0.604 +/- 0.28 kHz respectively. The mean peak doppler frequency was 1.136 +/- 0.34 kHz, and Stuart, Pourcelot and Gosling indexes were 3.6 +/- 0.8, 0.67 +/- 0.06 and 1.31 +/- 0.39 respectively. The mean ejection time was 0.28 +/- 0.03 s. A multiple regression analysis was performed and a marked negative correlation was found between all the velocities and age. Arterial blood pressure was the second determinant of velocity. To examine the influence of blood pressure in renal hemodynamics, we compared normal (diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg) and hypertensive patients (13 patients in each group) matching them for age, sex, weight and height. RESULTS: In addition to blood pressure differences (caused by design) we found that systolic arterial doppler deviation was higher in normotensive than in hypertensive patients (2.152 +/- 0.48 vs 1.730 +/- 0.44 kHz. p < 0.05). As arterial area probably decreases with age, it is possible that low velocity of flow might be caused by an effective plasmatic renal flow fall. Contrary to expected, hypertensive patients blood flow velocity was lower than in normal which suggests that intrarenal arteriolar resistance was increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Brote de leptospirosis en las Fuezas Armadas Argentinas / Leptospirosis outbreak in Argentine Army Forces

Se estudiaron 26 personas de sexo masculino que cumplían instrucción militar. A los 8 días de haber realizado maniobras en el agua, un soldado presentó hipertermia, mialgias y compromiso respiratorio, hepático y renal. A partir de este caso se realiza un estudio de campo en el resto del batallón que tenía iguales antecedentes epidemiológicos y se detectan en total 14 enfermos de leptospirosis. Esta enfermedad debe considerarse como riesgo en el personal de las Fuerzas Armadas por las actividades propias de las mismas

Bioequivalence of two pharmaceutical forms of diltiazem.

Diltiazem, a calcium-channel blocking agent, has been shown to be a potent coronary vasodilator used in the treatment of ischaemic heart disease. The present study was conducted to compare the bioavailability of regular 60 mg tablets administered every 6 h with sustained release capsules of 120 mg administered every 12 h. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis was carried out for determination of diltiazem and one of its metabolites desacetyldiltiazem in six male patients. The relative bioavailability of this sustained-release pharmaceutical form did not show any significant difference with that of tablets.

Effects of lorcainide and amiodarone on stress-induced myocardial damage in the rat.

This paper is concerned with the effects of Lorcainide (LCN) and Amiodarone (AMD) on stress-induced myocardial lesions in rats. Forty rats were used. The first group (G-1) was used as a control (n = 10) and animals were injected with saline. Animals in group 2 (G-2) (n = 15) received AMD 10 mg per kilogram, and animals in group 3 (G-3) (n = 15) received LCN 3 mg per kilogram. During five minutes before the injections, the rats were submitted to a stress, consisting of intermittent cold water jets (6 degrees C). Animals were sacrificed one hour after injection, and the hearts were histologically studied. The relative areas of necrotic myocardium were assessed by Bertazzoli's modified method. In G-1, myocytolysis in the subendocardium of left ventricle (score: 2.2 +/- 0.79), contraction bands (1.2 +/- 1.03) and subendocardial myocardial damage (0.8) were common findings. In groups G-2 and G-3, the lesions described were found, but to a lesser degree; subendocardial myocytolysis: 1.6 +/- 0.63 and 1.07 +/- 0.4; contraction bands: 0.67 +/- 0.82 and 0.07 +/- 0.26; and subendocardial damage: 0.77 and 0.40. LCN and AMD markedly decreased stress-induced myocytolysis (p less than 0.01) (graph 1), but LCN was more effective than AMD (p less than 0.05). Comparison of severity and extension of contraction bands showed that only LCN had a significant effect (p less than 0.01) (graph 2); the same was observed as regards the decrease of damaged zones (p less than 0.05). From our data, LCN and AMD appears to have the capacity of reversing some of the stress-induced myocardial damage in rats.