Preeclampsia -- a state of prostaglandin deficiency? Urinary prostaglandin excretion, the renin-aldosterone system, and circulating catecholamines in preeclampsia.

Urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), plasma concentrations of renin, aldosterone, norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were determined during pregnancy, 5 days, 3, and 6 months after delivery in preeclampsia, normotensive pregnant, and nonpregnant control subjects. The PGE2 was higher in normotensive pregnant control subjects than in nonpregnant subjects. In preeclampsia, PGE2 was reduced to nonpregnant level. PGF2 alpha was the same in preeclampsia and in normotensive pregnancy, but elevated when compared to the normotensive nonpregnant control group. Plasma concentrations of renin and aldosterone were increased during pregnancy, but considerably less in preeclampsia than during normotensive pregnancy. NE and E were the same as in nonpregnant subjects during both hypertensive and normotensive pregnancy. All parameters were normal 3 months after delivery. There were no correlations between PGE2, PGF2 alpha, plasma concentrations of renin, aldosterone, NE, or E and blood pressure level in third trimester either in preeclampsia or in normotensive pregnancy. PGE2 was positively correlated to plasma concentrations of renin. It is suggested that the lack of renal PGE2 in preeclampsia might be responsible for the decrease in renal blood flow and sodium excretion. It is hypothesized that preeclampsia is a state of prostaglandin deficiency. The changes in the renin-aldosterone system may be secondary to changes in prostaglandin concentration both in preeclampsia and normotensive pregnancy.

Urine and plasma propranolol.

Eight hypertensive patients who had been followed in an outpatient clinic during long-term therapy with propranolol (40 to 160 mg twice daily) were studied during a 24-hr stay in the ward. The usual oral dose was given and the total and free plasma concentrations were determined during the 24 hr and the urinary excretion of unchanged drug was measured. Average free plasma concentration of propranolol (y free) was calculated from: y free = Excreted propranolol (ng/24 hr)/Creatinine clearance (ml/24 hr). There was a significant relationship between log y free and average free plasma concentration (means free) determined from the directly measured plasma concentration curve: log y free = 0.0743 means free - 0.0466 (r = 0.98, P less than 0.001). In another group of propranolol-treated hypertensive patients there was a significant positive relationship between orosomucoid concentration and reciprocal of the free propranolol fraction in plasma. From this relationship the average total drug concentration (y total) was calculated from y free; there was a significant correlation with directly measured total plasma level: log y total = 0.0038 . means total + 1.0895 (r = 0.91, P less than 0.001). It is suggested that individually determined values of y free below 30 ng/ml and y total below 400 ng/ml (the concentration range studied) can be used to calculate the average mean 24-hr free and total plasma concentrations.

The effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on lipids, platelet function, coagulation, fibrinolysis and monocyte chemotaxis in patients with hypertension.

We have studied the effect of dietary supplementation with 4 g of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) daily for 6 wk on plasma lipids, haemostasis and monocyte chemotaxis in 10 patients with untreated hypertension. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides did not change, but the ratio of total to HDL-cholesterol was significantly reduced after the fish oil supplement. Platelet function was unaltered by intake of n-3. Plasma fibrinogen and fibronectin decreased after supplementation with n-3 PUFA, while the effects on fibrinolysis were equivocal. Monocyte chemotaxis was reduced by the supplement. These data lend support to a role for an increased intake of n-3 PUFA in the management of patients with hypertension.

Quality of life, side effects and efficacy of lisinopril compared with metoprolol in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

In a double-blind, parallel-group multicentre study in general practice, lisinopril (10-20 mg once daily) was compared with metoprolol (100-200 mg once daily) in 360 patients whose diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was in the range 91-115 mmHg despite diuretic treatment. Following a three week run-in period during which the diuretic was withdrawn, monotherapy with either lisinopril or metoprolol was given for two months with dose doubled after one month if DBP remained greater than 90 mmHg. Quality of life was assessed using established and validated questionnaires at the time of cessation of diuretic treatment and again after two months's active treatment. Both metoprolol and lisinopril achieved statistically significant BP reduction relative to baseline (P less than 0.001). Significantly fewer adverse events were experienced on lisinopril and metoprolol than on diuretic treatment. Frequency of withdrawals due to adverse events were statistically significantly lower on lisinopril than metoprolol P = 0.01. Before treatment approximately 35% of the patients had quality of life problems measured by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), which was reduced to 17% on lisinopril and 23% on metoprolol. Thus both metoprolol and lisinopril were effective and safe in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension with lisinopril being better tolerated. From patients' self-assessments of quality of life, lisinopril was found to be superior to metoprolol in some aspects of emotional, cognitive and social functioning.

Mineralization defect but no effect on hypercalcemia during clodronate treatment in secondary hyperparathyroidism.

In four patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, treatment with clodronate caused no decrease in serum calcium. In one of the patients treatment for seven months was associated with a severe mineralization defect which was not caused by aluminium. This lesion was reversible upon termination of clodronate treatment. In a single patient without hyperparathyroidism, a precipitous decrease in serum calcium was observed due to clodronate. However, long-term treatment with clodronate did not ameliorate ectopic calcification in this patient. It is concluded that in severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, clodronate does not always decrease serum calcium. Our experience suggest that clodronate like other bisphosphonates may inhibit bone mineralization.

Arterial hypertension in chronic glomerulonephritis. An analysis of 310 cases.

310 cases of glomerulonephritis classified morphologically according to the criteria of the WHO were analyzed retrospectively in order to determine the frequency of arterial hypertension. The overall prevalence of arterial hypertension was 61%. Hypertension was most frequent and severe in membranoproliferative and sclerotic glomerulonephritis, but often mild and transient in extracapillary glomerulonephritis. Hypertension usually developed during the early stages of the disease when kidney function was well preserved and in only 16% was hypertension first seen during the uremic stage. No correlation was found between hypertension and the presence of the nephrotic syndrome. During dialysis, hypertension was present in 78%; in 90% of these patients hypertension was "controllable" and in 10% it was "uncontrollable".

Heart rate variability and n-3 fatty acids in patients with chronic renal failure--a pilot study.

Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) often have autonomic cardiac dysfunction, which can be assessed by measuring heart rate variability (HRV). This dysfunction prediposes the patients to sudden cardiac death. This study describes 24-hour HRV in patients with CRF compared to HRV in patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI). Furthermore, associations between HRV in patients with CRF and the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in cell membranes were examined, because n-3 PUFA may improve HRV. Twenty-nine patients with CRF treated with dialysis were enrolled. A 24-hour Holter recording was obtained at baseline and the HRV variables, RR (= mean of all normal RR intervals during the 24-hour recording) and SDNN (= standard deviation of all normal RR intervals in the entire 24-hour recording) were analyzed. Also, granulocyte fatty acid composition was determined. The patients were allocated to dietary supplementation with either 5.2 g of n-3 PUFA or a placebo oil (olive oil) daily for 12 weeks in a double-blind design. At the end of the supplementation period the Holter recording and blood sampling were repeated. At baseline the CRF patients' mean SDNN ws 86 ms compared to 118 ms (p < 0.01) in patients with a previous MI. After supplementation with either n-3 PUFA or placebo a highly significant correlation was observed between the content of n-3 PUFA in cell membranes and HRV (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). Furthermore, when the patients were dichotomized according to their mean SDNN, it was found, that those with the highest SDNN had a higher content of n-3 PUFA in cell membranes compared to those with the lowest SDNN (7.8% vs 4.2%, p < 0.05). In conclusion, HRV was decreased in CRF patients indicating a cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. The positive correlation between the n-3 PUFA content in cell membranes and HRV suggests that the effects of an increased intake of n-3 PUFA in CRF patients should be further studied.

[The effects of captopril and metoprolol on blood pressure and side effects in patients with mild to moderate hypertension]. / Effekten af captopril og metoprolol på blodtryk og forekomst af bivirkninger hos patienter med mild til moderat hypertension.

A material of 76 patients from general practice treated with diuretics for mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to supplementary treatment with captopril (39 patients) and metoprolol (37 patients), respectively, on account of diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mmHg. Satisfactory regulation of the blood pressure (diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mmHg) and acceptable wellbeing was obtained in 29 patients in the captopril group and in 23 patients in the metoprolol group. Six patients in the captopril group were excluded on account of absence of effect on the blood pressure and four dropped out on account of side effects. In the metoprolol group, nine patients were excluded on account of absence of effect on the blood pressure and five on account of side effects. This difference was not significant. In the captopril group, 14 side effects were registered in eight patients while 23 side effects were observed in 15 patients in the metoprolol group. This difference was not statistically significant, p greater than 0.05 (risk for type 2 error = 60%). It is concluded that captopril + a diuretic is just as effective a form of treatment of slight to moderate hypertension as metoprolol + a diuretic and that treatment with captopril + a diuretic is associated with so few side effects that it may be considered as an alternative first choice of treatment in cases of slight to moderate hypertension.

The significance of body sodium content in hypertension following renal transplantation: exchangeable sodium and plasma renin concentration before and after renal transplantation.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the importance of body sodium content in hypertension following renal transplantation using measurements of exchangeablesodium (NaE) before and after transplantation. Plasma renin concentration (PRC) was also investigated. In the present study the necessity of a reference for expressing NaE values was eliminated because the subjects investigated acted as their own controls. The study included fourteen recipients, of whom seven were normotensive with an average blood pressure (BP) of 136/84 mmHg and seven were hypertensive with an average BP of 182/113 mmHg after renal transplantation. In the hypertensive NaE increased significantly (mean 22%) in contrast to an insignificant decrease in NaE in the normotensives (mean, -5%). The change in NaE was positively correlated to the mean BP after renal transplantation (p = 0.69, n = 14, P less than 0.02). BP and NaE were not correlated to prednisone dosages. PRC was normal in all the hypertensives. The results strongly suggest that sodium accumulation in the body, which is not prednisone-dependent, is involved in the pathogenesis in post-transplant hypertension.

Hypertension in end-stage renal disease. The relationship between blood pressure, plasma renin, plasma renin substrate and exchangeable sodium in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Blood pressure (BP), plasma renin concentration (PRC), plasma renin substrate concentration (PRSC) and exchangeable sodium (ES) have been studied in 27 patients undergoing regular hemodialysis because of end-stage renal disease. PRC was significantly higher in the hypertensive than in the normotensive patients. The pattern of PRSC was similar in the groups of patients but with a marked individual variation. ES was slightly lower in the hypertensives than in the normotensives but the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between mean BP, the natural logarithm of PRC and ES, but the effect of ES was negligible. PRC was negatively correlated to ES in all patients, including the hypertensives. These results strongly suggest that the renin-angiotensin system is the most important factor involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension in end-stage renal disease, when sodium balance is adequately controlled. A clinical application of the predictive value of PRC concerning the effect of bilateral nephrectomy on hypertension is outlined.

The influence of different sodium loads on renin release in hypertensive and normotensive states of chronic renal failure.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of different sodium loads on renin release in the hypertensive and normotensive state of chronic renal failure. Blood pressure (BP), plasma renin concentration (PRC) and exchangeable sodium (NaE) were measured in eighteen patients with advanced chronic renal failure, nine hypertensives and nine normotensives, and in seven normal subjects (a) 6 days after a fixed sodium intake of 10 mmol/day, and (b) 6 days after a fixed sodium intake of 150 mmol/day. Mean NaE was 14-19% higher in the hypertensives compared with the normotensives and values of NaE correlated significantly to values of mean BP. No significant differences were present in PRC between the groups of patients and controls on either of the sodium regimens and no correlation was found between BP and PRC. However, average decreases of PRC in the hypertensives on high sodium intake, 33-34%, were significantly lower than the corresponding values of 69-71% in the normotensive patients and controls, respectively. Furthermore, the percentage changes of PRC on high sodium intake correlated significantly to mean BP as well as to NaE. These results suggest that renin release is relatively unresponsive to different sodium intakes in hypertension following chronic renal failure. This alteration in renin release may contribute to the maintenance of hypertension in chronic renal failure, PRC being "inappropriately' increased in relationship to the sodium excess.