K-ras mutations and cell kinetics in Helicobacter pylori associated gastric intestinal metaplasia: a comparison before and after eradication in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori related gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is considered to be a precancerous lesion. AIMS: To identify the effects of H pylori eradication on K-ras mutations, cell kinetics in IM and histological changes in patients with and without gastric cancers in a one-year prospective study. METHODS: Patients included group A (n = 39), chronic gastritis, and group B (n = 53), intestinal-type early gastric cancer patients who had all undergone endoscopic mucosal resection (n = 25) or surgical resection (n = 28). K-ras codon 12 mutations in IM were examined, followed by DNA sequencing analysis. Proliferating and apoptotic cells were detected with anti-Ki-67 antibody and using the TUNEL method, respectively. RESULTS: The incidence of K-ras mutations in the cancer was only 3.8%. The mutant K-ras in IM was observed more frequently in group A (46.2%) than in group B patients (1.9%) (p<0.005). After eradication, the K-ras mutations significantly declined to 12.8% in group A (p<0.005). The mutation pattern of K-ras codon 12 before eradication was that GGT was mainly changed to AGT (50%) in group A. AGT transformation was not affected by treatment. Apoptosis in IM showed an increase after H pylori eradication in both groups (p<0.05 in group A) although no histological improvement in IM was observed. The monocyte score was significantly higher in group A than in group B (p<0.05); the score improved significantly after eradication. CONCLUSIONS: K-ras mutations in IM do not always play a role in gastric carcinogenesis but cell kinetics, especially apoptosis, in IM may contribute to it. There are early events in K-ras mutations which are influenced by H pylori infection; some mutations may also be selected by eradication. These unstable K-ras mutations in IM may be related to lymphocyte infiltration caused by H pylori infection.

Low-dose thymoglobulin as second-line treatment for steroid-resistant acute GvHD: an analysis of the JSHCT.

A nationwide retrospective study for the clinical outcomes of 99 patients who had received thymoglobulin at a median total dose of 2.5 mg/kg (range, 0.5-18.5 mg/kg) as a second-line treatment for steroid-resistant acute GvHD was conducted. Of the 92 evaluable patients, improvement (complete or partial response) was observed in 55 patients (60%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that male sex and grade III and IV acute GvHD were associated with a lower improvement rate, whereas thymoglobulin dose (<2.0, 2.0-3.9 and ⩾4.0 mg/kg) was NS. Factors associated with significantly higher nonrelapse mortality included higher patient age (⩾50 years), grade IV acute GvHD, no improvement of GvHD and higher dose of thymoglobulin (hazard ratio, 2.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-4.85; P=0.004 for 2.0-3.9 mg/kg group and 1.79; 0.91-3.55; P=0.093 for ⩾4.0 mg/kg group). Higher dose of thymoglobulin was associated with a higher incidence of bacterial infections, CMV antigenemia and any additional infection. Taken together, low-dose thymoglobulin at a median total dose of 2.5 mg/kg provides a comparable response rate to standard-dose thymoglobulin reported previously, and <2.0 mg/kg thymoglobulin is recommended in terms of the balance between efficacy and adverse effects.

Crystallographic refinement of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor A-II from peanut (Arachis hypogaea) at 2.3 A resolution.

The crystal structure of Bowman-Birk type protease inhibitor A-II from peanut was refined at 2.3 A resolution using a restrained least-squares method. The crystallographic R-factor is 0.196 for 7697 reflections with F > 3 sigma (F) in the range from 6.0 to 2.3 A resolution. Two molecules in an asymmetric unit are independently refined and, their structures are compared with each other. The inhibitor molecule has an elongated shape with two reactive sites, one at both ends of the longest dimension. As a secondary structure, a 4-stranded beta-sheet-like structure is found, in which two water molecules bind two 2-stranded beta-sheets together with six hydrogen bonds. The molecule is constructed by two homologous domains which are related by an intramolecular pseudo 2-fold axis. The structure and atomic B-factors of peptide loops containing a reactive site were compared with that of adzuki bean Bowman-Birk type inhibitor in the complex with bovine beta-trypsin. This comparison shows that no significant structural change occurs in the reactive site of inhibitor at the formation of the inhibitor-protease complex, but structural rigidity around the reactive site seems to increase.

Phase II study of irinotecan, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and tegafur/uracil for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Irinotecan combined with continuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil (5FU) has been shown to be an effective and tolerable regimen in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Tegafur/uracil (UFT) during 5FU infusion enhances plasma 5FU concentration, mimics continuous 5FU infusion and delivers the drug to target tumor cells. We conducted a phase II trial of four-agent combined therapy for MCRC, giving patients (pts) intravenous irinotecan (30 mg/m2 on day 1), leucovorin (LV, 200 mg/m2 on day 1 and 2), 5FU (300 mg/m2 on day 1 and 2), and UFT (400 mg/day for 14 days). The main endpoint was the objective tumor response rate. Sixteen pts with a good performance status were enrolled from February 2001 to May 2002. The response rate was 19% (3 partial responses), and 13 pts had stable disease. The median time to progression was 5.2 months, and the median survival time was 20.2 months. Considering the low toxicity and reasonable cost, this regimen deserves further investigation.

Measurement of plasma brain natriuretic peptide level as a guide for cardiac overload.

OBJECTIVES: We examined whether measurement of the plasma BNP concentrations might be useful for the early diagnosis of the existence and severity of disease in patients with heart disease in daily clinical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: The plasma BNP and ANP concentrations in 415 patients with heart disease and hypertension and 65 control subjects were measured. Patients with heart disease had higher plasma BNP and ANP concentrations than did those with hypertension or control subjects. Among the etiology of cardiac diseases, specifically dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, was associated with the highest plasma BNP concentrations, whereas dilated cardiomyopathy was associated with the highest plasma ANP concentrations. Plasma BNP concentrations showed an increase as the severity of the heart disease, as graded according to the NYHA classification of cardiac function, increased. In both patients with heart disease and hypertension, the plasma BNP values were higher in those who had abnormalities in their echocardiogram and electrocardiogram as compared to those without any abnormalities. The plasma BNP levels also showed a significant correlation with left ventricular wall thickness and left ventricular mass. On the other hand, the plasma ANP levels showed significant correlations with left ventricular dimension. Receiver operative characteristic analysis revealed that plasma BNP levels showed substantially high sensitivity and specificity to detect the existence of heart diseases. CONCLUSION: Measurements of the plasma BNP concentrations is useful to detect the existence of the diseases, and abnormalities of left ventricular function and hypertrophy in patients with heart disease in daily clinical practice.

Increased sodium-calcium exchange in arterial smooth muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We compared sodium-calcium (Na-Ca) exchange in vascular smooth muscle between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Aortic rings of 11 SHR and 11 WKY rats aged 11-12 weeks were superfused with physiological saline, and isometric tension was measured. Systolic blood pressure was higher in SHR (174 +/- 12 mm Hg) than in WKY rats (132 +/- 4 mm Hg): 1) In the presence of 10 microM phentolamine, 10 microM verapamil, and 5 mM caffeine, reduction of ionized extracellular sodium concentration [( Na+]o) from normal (139.2 mM) to 1.2 mM (replaced by N-methyl-D-glucamine) caused an external Ca2+-dependent increase in tonic tension (calcium entry by Na-Ca exchange). The rate of increase was higher in SHR (35.4 +/- 3.9 mg/min) than in WKY rats (17.9 +/- 1.3 mg/min) (p less than 0.01). 2) In the presence of phentolamine, verapamil, and caffeine, relaxation from low-Na+ contraction was promoted by external calcium removal. The rate of relaxation was directly related to [Na+]o. The rates of relaxation at normal (139.2 mM) [Na+]o were higher in SHR than in WKY rats (p less than 0.05). The rates of relaxation at 1.2 mM [Na+]o (calcium extrusion by adenosine triphosphate-driven calcium pump) were not different between SHR (11.6 +/- 2.8 mg/min) and WKY rats (8.9 +/- 2.5 mg/min). The increase in the rates of relaxation from 1.2 mM to normal (139.2 mM) [Na+]o (calcium extrusion by Na-Ca exchange) was greater in SHR (34.9 +/- 6.6 mg/min) than in WKY rats (17.1 +/- 4.5 mg/min) (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute depressor effect of alcohol in patients with essential hypertension.

To investigate the time course of the effects of alcohol on blood pressure, we studied the response of ambulatory blood pressure, neurohumoral variables, and hemodynamics to a single moderate dose of alcohol in hypertensive patients. Sixteen Japanese men (22-70 years old) with essential hypertension who were habitual drinkers were examined under standardized conditions. On the alcohol intake day, they ingested 1 ml/kg ethanol (vodka) at dinner, and on the control day they consumed a nonalcoholic beverage. The order of the two periods was randomized. Mean ambulatory blood pressure was lower in the alcohol intake period than in the control period (125 +/- 3/74 +/- 2 versus 132 +/- 4/78 +/- 2 mm Hg, p less than 0.05), and the significant depressor effect of alcohol lasted for up to 8 hours after drinking. Blood pressure on the next day did not differ with or without alcohol intake. The acute hypotensive effect of alcohol was associated with an increase in heart rate and cardiac output and with a decrease in systemic vascular resistance as determined by echocardiography. Plasma catecholamine levels and renin activity rose significantly at 2 hours after dinner, whereas vasopressin and potassium levels fell on the alcohol day. Blood glucose and serum insulin levels were comparable between the two periods. Three patients with marked alcohol-induced flush had greater hypotensive and tachycardiac responses than those who did not show an alcohol-induced flush. The change in mean blood pressure induced by alcohol was negatively correlated with age, the baseline blood pressure, and the change in plasma norepinephrine. These results indicate that the major effect of acute alcohol intake is to lower blood pressure through systemic vasodilatation in hypertensive subjects. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may be useful for assessing blood pressure in habitual drinkers.

Renal function curve in patients with secondary forms of hypertension.

The causative mechanisms of hypertension were investigated by studying the renal function (pressure-natriuresis) curve in patients with primary aldosteronism (n = 6) and renovascular hypertension (n = 6). Before and after radical operation (removal of adenoma in primary aldosteronism and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in renovascular hypertension), dietary NaCl intake was altered from 10 to 13 g/day in Week 1 to 1 to 3 g/day in Week 2. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and urinary sodium excretion were measured on the last 3 days of each week. By restricting sodium intake before operation, MAP was reduced from 122 +/- 7 to 113 +/- 7 mm Hg (p less than 0.025) in primary aldosteronism but not in renovascular hypertension (130 +/- 6 to 128 +/- 5 mm Hg). The renal function curve was drawn by plotting urinary sodium excretion on the ordinate and MAP on the abscissa before and after operation. The slope of the curve was analyzed between the plotted points, and each curve was extrapolated to zero sodium excretion as an estimate of the degree of shift of the curve along the MAP axis. Before, as compared with after operation, the extrapolated x-intercept of the curve was shifted rightward in both primary aldosteronism (111 +/- 7 vs 87 +/- 4 mm Hg; p less than 0.025) and renovascular hypertension (128 +/- 5 vs 95 +/- 2 mm Hg; p less than 0.025) and the slope was depressed in primary aldosteronism (16 +/- 1 vs 40 +/- 17 [mEq/day]/mm Hg; p less than 0.025) but not in renovascular hypertension (130 +/- 75 vs 40 +/- 13 [mEq/day]/mm Hg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of dietary sodium on platelet alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in essential hypertension.

To study the aggregation, adhesion, and specific binding of an alpha 2-antagonist, [3H]rauwolscine, to the platelet membrane fractions, platelets were obtained from 30 patients with essential hypertension and nine normotensive subjects fed a high sodium diet (NaCl, 16-18 g/day) for 7 days and thereafter a low sodium diet (NaCl, 1-3 g/day) for 7 days. The patients with essential hypertension were classified as either salt responders (all those who had greater than 7% decrease in mean arterial pressure from the high to low sodium period) or salt nonresponders (all others). In salt responders, the number of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors on platelet membrane fraction was increased from 523.4 +/- 55.4 fmol/mg of protein in the high sodium period to 669.4 +/- 84.0 fmol/mg of protein in the low sodium period (p less than 0.01), whereas it did not change in salt nonresponders. In contrast, the epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation through alpha 2-adrenergic receptors was decreased in nonresponders, from 47.3 +/- 7.4% in the high sodium period to 24.5 +/- 9.3% in the low sodium period (p less than 0.05), while it did not change in responders. No significant change in the number of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors or epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation was observed in the normotensive subjects.

Effects of dietary salt on sodium-calcium exchange and ATP-driven calcium pump in arterial smooth muscle of Dahl rats.

AIM: To compare the effects of dietary salt on sodium-calcium exchange and the ATP-driven calcium pump in arterial smooth muscle between Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats. METHODS: Aortic rings freshly excised from 16 DS rats and 16 DR rats on a low- (0.3%) or high- (8%) NaCl diet for 4 weeks were superfused with physiological saline and isometric tension was measured. In the presence of 10 mumol/l phentolamine, 10 mumol/l verapamil and 5 mmol/l caffeine, relaxation of a low-Na+ contraction was promoted by external calcium removal. RESULTS: On the high-salt diet, the rate of relaxation at 1.2 mmol/l extracellular sodium (calcium extrusion by calcium ATPase) was significantly lower in aortic rings from DS rats than from DR rats. The increase in the rates of relaxation from 1.2 mmol/l to normal (139.2 mmol/l) extracellular sodium (calcium extrusion by sodium-calcium exchange) was significantly greater with the high-salt diet than with the low-salt diet in rings from DR rats, but it was not different between the high- and low-salt diets in DS rats. The rate of increase in tonic tension by reducing extracellular Na+ from normal to 1.2 mmol/l in the presence of verapamil, caffeine and phentolamine (calcium entry by sodium-calcium exchange) was significantly lower in rings from DS rats than in those from DR rats on the high-salt diet. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that the effects of dietary salt on the sodium-calcium exchange system in arterial smooth muscle differ between DS and DR rats and that calcium extrusion by the calcium pump is decreased in DS rats compared with DR rats. The lack of an increase in sodium-calcium exchange in salt-fed DS rats might lead to an elevation in cellular calcium and contribute to the mechanism of hypertension.

Acute effects of alcohol ingestion on blood pressure and erythrocyte sodium concentration.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the acute effects of alcohol on blood pressure and erythrocyte cation concentrations in patients with essential hypertension. DESIGN: An alcoholic drink or an isocaloric control drink was given during supper in random order on different days, and blood pressure and erythrocyte cation concentrations were measured before and 2 h after the meal. METHODS: The subjects were 21 men with essential hypertension who habitually drank alcohol. Blood pressure was measured with a semi-automated sphygmomanometer, and erythrocyte cation concentrations were measured by flame photometry after haemolysis with distilled water. RESULTS: Blood pressure decreased after both drinks, but the decrease was significantly larger after the alcoholic drink than after the control drink. There was a significant difference between the changes in erythrocyte sodium caused by the alcoholic and the control drink. Furthermore, there were significant positive correlations between the fall in blood pressures and the decrease in erythrocyte sodium concentration. CONCLUSION: The predominant acute effect of alcohol ingestion in patients with hypertension is blood pressure reduction, and it may be associated with a decrease in intracellular sodium.

Pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor as a marker for early detection of rejection in canine pancreas allotransplantation.

Serum pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI)* was measured in the course of canine segmental pancreas allotransplantation without immunosuppression. Serum PSTI concentrations showed two distinct elevations: the first elevation was on the first day and the onset of the second elevation was the sixth day after operation. The first postoperative elevation of the serum PSTI level is thought to be related to the operative procedures, because the first elevation was observed after both autotransplantation and allotransplantation, and biopsies of the autograft and allograft at the first day after the operations showed nonspecific neutrophilic infiltration and no perivascular lymphoid infiltrates. The second postoperative elevation of the serum PSTI level is thought to reflect a rejection process because this elevation was not seen after autotransplantation, and biopsies of allografts at the sixth day after the operation showed typical perivascular lymphoid infiltrates and cellular rejection of the exocrine tissue. In addition, the onset of the second elevation of serum PSTI level preceded by about three days the onset of the elevation of blood sugar at the ninth day after the operation. The results suggest that serum PSTI can be used as a marker for diagnosis of early pancreatic allograft rejection.

Expression and activation of MAP kinases, ERK1/2, in the human villous trophoblasts.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) plays a central role in the signal transduction for diverse cellular responses, such as proliferation, differentiation, stress response and cell death, via activation after binding of growth factors to the respective receptors on the cell membrane. In the human placental tissues, however, little is known about the expression and activation of the classical MAP kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2). We therefore examined the expression of ERK1/2 in the human chorionic and placental tissues between 5 and 41 weeks of gestation, using Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. To explore the activation of ERK1/2 protein, we used an antibody that reacts with both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated ERK1/2 (total ERK1/2), as well as antibodies that react only with phosphorylated ERK1/2. The expression pattern of phosphorylated ERK1/2 in the trophoblasts was compared with that of various growth factor receptors, such as c-met, IGF-1R, flt-1, EGFR, PDGFR, Bek, and flg. Total ERK1/2 was immunolocalized in the villous cytotrophoblasts (CTs), but not in the syncytiotrophoblasts (STs), throughout pregnancy. In situ hybridization also showed the localization of ERK1 mRNA in the villous CTs. Interestingly, however, phosphorylated ERK1/2 was immunolocalized in the villous CTs only up to 12 weeks of gestation. Western blot also showed the stronger bands of phosphorylated ERK1/2 in the tissues of the first trimester. Among the growth factor receptors, c-met was strongly expressed in the villous CTs during the first trimester, and resembled the expression pattern of phosphorylated ERK1/2. These findings suggest that the MAP kinase pathway is activated in the villous CTs during the first trimester in the human placenta.

Change of serum alpha-1 microglobulin and beta-2 microglobulin following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

By serially measuring serum levels of alpha-1 microglobulin and beta-2 microglobulin following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we tried to define their relationship to renal dysfunction, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and infection as complications of the transplantation. The study involved a total of 25 patients with leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and aplastic anemia who received BMT in this department; one patient received re-transplantation, thus bringing the total number of transplants to 26. Twenty-four patients received BMT from HLA-identical siblings while two others received BMT from unrelated donors. Alpha-1 microglobulin was within normal limits in all patients before BMT; among various complications such as nephrotoxicity, acute GVHD and infection which took place after transplantation, a raised alpha-1 microglobulin level was found only in nephrotoxicity; however, the increase was not significant compared with the pre-transplantation level. The pre-transplantation beta-2 microglobulin level was higher than normal in some patients; it was significantly increased in all of the above complications compared with the pretransplantation level (1.57 +/- 0.57 mg/l). A significant correlation was found between the serum creatinine level and the beta-2 microglobulin level (r = 0.849) in patients with renal dysfunction. In some patients, however, the beta-2 microglobulin level increased earlier than the serum creatinine level, and this finding was considered useful for the early diagnosis of renal dysfunction following allogeneic BMT.

Effect of cilazapril and salt on Ca2+ extrusion in arterial smooth muscle of Dahl rats.

We examined effects of salt and cilazapril on the Ca pump and Na/Ca exchange system in arterial smooth muscle of Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats. Twenty-four DS rats were assigned to four groups. H and H+ rats were fed a high salt diet; L- and L+ rats were fed a low salt diet. H+ and L+ were administered cilazapril. Aortic rings were superfused with physiologic saline and isometric tension was measured. Relaxation of low Na+-induced contraction was promoted by the removal of external Ca. Cilazapril significantly decreased blood pressure in both the high and low salt diet groups. The inhibition of renin-angiotensin system by cilazapril showed that Ca extrusion by ATP-driven Ca pump was decreased by salt loading, and that Ca extrusion by Na/Ca exchange was increased by salt loading. There was a negative correlation between Ca extrusion by Ca pump and blood pressure, and a positive correlation between Ca extrusion by Na/Ca exchange and blood pressure. These results suggest that the decrease of Ca2+ extrusion by ATP-driven Ca pump resulting from a high salt diet might lead to an elevation in the concentration of cellular Ca2+ and contribute to the mechanism of hypertension in DS rats, and that Ca2+ extrusion by the Na/Ca exchange might be increased in compensation for an increase in cellular Ca2+ concentration on the high salt diet.

Antihypertensive drugs and sodium restriction. Analysis of their interaction based on pressure-natriuresis relationship.

The hypotensive effects of some antihypertensive drugs are augmented under sodium restriction, while those of others are not. The mechanisms of these interactions were theoretically analyzed based on the arterial pressure-natriuresis relationship. Four-week studies were performed in 24 patients with essential hypertension who were given a regular sodium diet (12-15 g of NaCl/d) in the first and third weeks and a sodium-restricted diet (1-3 g/d) in the second and fourth weeks. One of three antihypertensive drugs, 60 mg/d of nicardipine (Ca-antagonist), 120 mg/d of propranolol (beta-blocker) or 150 mg/d of captopril (converting-enzyme inhibitor) was administered in the third and fourth weeks. The mean arterial pressure and urinary sodium excretion were measured on the last three days of each week. The degree of interaction between the antihypertensive drugs and sodium restriction was statistically compared. The hypotensive effect of nicardipine and propranolol did not differ with the change in sodium intake, whereas that of captopril was greater under sodium restriction than under the regular sodium diet. Urinary sodium excretion was plotted on the ordinate as a function of arterial pressure before and after administration of the antihypertensive drugs. The pressure-natriuresis curve was shifted left, without a change in the slope, by nicardipine and propranolol and also left, but with a decrease in the slope, by captopril. The hypotensive effect of nicardipine and propranolol, being independent of the amount of sodium intake, was based on the leftward shift of the pressure-natriuresis curve that was probably due to the decrease in renal vascular resistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of dietary sodium on the Na-K ATPase inhibitor in patients with essential hypertension.

To study the circulating humoral factor modifying transmembrane sodium transport, plasma was obtained from 12 patients with essential hypertension (EH) fed a high sodium diet (NaCl 15 to 17 g/d) for seven days and thereafter a low sodium diet (NaCl 2 to 3 g/d) for seven days. Ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ influx into the red blood cells (RBC) obtained from a healthy subject, and incubated with the plasma obtained during the high sodium diet was significantly lower than that incubated with the plasma obtained during the low sodium diet (3.74 +/- 0.26 v 3.97 +/- 0.30 nmol/10(8) cells, P less than .05). The changes in mean blood pressure from the high to low sodium diet showed a significant positive correlation with the changes in the ouabain-sensitive Rb influx into RBC in the plasma from the high to low sodium diet. These results suggest that a humoral factor modifying the sodium pump might be altered by sodium balance in EH, especially in salt-sensitive hypertension.

A gender difference in the association between salt sensitivity and family history of hypertension.

We examined 174 subjects (82 men and 92 women) with essential hypertension to determine whether gender played an important role in the association of blood pressure (BP) familial disposition, and hypertension. To evaluate the salt sensitivity of BP, we measured changes in blood pressure after restricting salt intake from about 15 g/day to less than 3 g/day. The familial disposition to hypertension was categorized into four groups according to the presence or absence of hypertension in the father, mother, and siblings. If none, one, two, or three family members had hypertension, they were assigned the FH(-), FH(+), FH(++), and FH( ) groups, respectively. Only in women did the FH(-) group show a significantly smaller blood pressure reduction than that of the other groups. The mean BP reduction in the four groups was 4.1 +/- 1.9, 8.5 +/- 1.1, 10.1 +/- 1.5, and 11.2 +/- 2.8 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM), respectively. This difference in BP reduction was not observed in men. Multiple regression analysis, using percent changes in mean BP as the dependent variable and other factors as independent variables, also showed a significant partial correlation coefficient for familial disposition to hypertension only in women. Thus, the relationship between salt sensitivity and familial disposition to hypertension differed according to gender. This difference may provide an important insight into the hereditary nature of hypertension.

Effects of salt, prostaglandin, and captopril on vascular responsiveness in essential hypertension.

To examine the influence of dietary sodium, prostaglandin, and captopril on vascular reactivity, 12 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and seven normotensive subjects (NT) were given a high sodium diet and thereafter a low sodium diet, each for ten days. Indomethacin (IND) (150 mg/d) was administered during the last three days of each dietary period. Blood pressure and cardiac output (CO) (by impedance cardiography) were measured during the angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion before and after the IND treatment of each dietary period. In eight patients with EH, captopril 100 mg was given before Ang II infusion. EH patients were classified as either salt sensitive (SS) or nonsalt sensitive (NSS). The mean blood pressure (MBP) response to Ang II was significantly higher on high sodium intake than on low sodium intake in NSS and NT, but not in SS. IND significantly increased the MBP response to Ang II on low sodium intake in NSS and NT, but not in SS. IND significantly increased the TPR response to Ang II on low sodium intake, remarkably in NSS and NT compared with SS. Salt sensitivity (% decrease in MBP from high to low sodium intake) highly correlated with the increase in the TPR response to Ang II by IND on low sodium intake (r = -0.90). After captopril administration, IND still increased the MBP and TPR response to Ang II on low sodium intake. These results suggest that the modulation of the vascular responsiveness to Ang II by prostaglandins is altered by sodium balance and salt sensitivity in EH.

Sodium sensitive and sodium retaining hypertension.

The differences between sodium sensitive and sodium retaining hypertension were theoretically considered using a water tank model of body fluid volume-blood pressure regulation. If an outlet valve is attached to a tank with a base area corresponding to the reciprocal of total peripheral resistance (TPR) and water is poured into this tank at a rate corresponding to the amount of Na+ intake, then equilibrium should be achieved at a certain water level, volume and output from the outlet, which represent mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) and urinary Na+ excretion. The height of the outlet from the tank bottom and the size cross-sectional area, of the outlet correspond to the x-intercept and slope of the renal function (pressure-natriuresis) curve, respectively. In both nonsodium sensitive hypertension, due to the shift of the curve toward a higher blood pressure level (elevated height of the outlet) without change in the slope (size of the outlet), and sodium sensitive hypertension, due to the depressed slope of the curve (reduced outlet size), not only MAP (water level) but also CO (water volume) are increased, resulting in sodium retaining hypertension, if TPR (reciprocal of base area) remained unchanged, while CO is relatively unchanged, resulting in nonsodium retaining hypertension, if TPR is elevated. Thus, the MAP and its sensitivity to sodium intake is determined by the renal function curve. Since body fluid volume is determined by both the renal function curve and TPR, however, changes in TPR during the development of hypertension is a major factor in determining whether or not the body fluid volume has to change only a small amount or a large amount. Therefore, the sodium sensitivity of blood pressure and sodium retention must be considered separately.