Angiotensin II-receptor subtypes in human atria and evidence for alterations in patients with cardiac dysfunction

Angiotensin II (All) has been implicated as an important factor in the pathophysiology of heart diseases. Following the recent identification of two subtypes of the All receptor in cardiac tissue of animals, we investigated the possible occurrence of these, or similar, subtypes in human atrial tissue. In right-atrial tissue from patients undergoing heart surgery, we determined the All-receptor profile in receptor binding studies, using [125I]-angiotensin as radioligand and All as well as two compounds selective for the receptor subtypes to identify and quantify All-receptor subpopulations. In 35 patients (23 requiring coronary bypasses, 10 vaivular surgery and two combined coronary and valvular surgery), the left-ventricular ejection fraction was determined in the preoperative phase, and right- and left-atrial pressure during surgery. In membranes of human right atria, All receptors are present in high density (median: Bmax= 294 fmol. mg−1 protein, range: 111-2073) and two different subtypes can be distinguished. Type-1 receptors (AT1) accounted for 33 ± l0% of the population whereas type-2 receptors (AT2) made up 67 ± 10% of the population. There was no correlation between any of the measured cardiac functions and total All-receptor density or receptor affinity. However, the percentage of AT1 receptors was higher in the atria of patients with normal right-atrial pressure; left-ventricular ejection fraction was positively and right-atrial pressure inversely correlated with the percentage of AT1 receptors (r=0·740 and -0·901, respectively; P<0·001, for both). Moreover, the percentage of AT receptors was directly correlated with the levels of left-atrial pressure (r=0·853; P<0·001). It is concluded that the ratio of AT1 to AT2 receptors correlates well with right-atrial pressure and left-ventricular function. This is a first indication of a possible involvement of All-receptor subtypes in the pathophysiology of cardiac dysfunction

Angiotensin II Receptor Subtypes and Cardiac Function

All the components of the renin-angiotensin system have been identified in the heart including the angiotensin II receptor subtypes AT1 and AT2 In the normal human heart, there is a decreasing receptor density from the right atrium to the left ventricle. In right atrial membranes prepared from pathological hearts, the percentage of AT1 receptor decreases with the severity of cardiac dysfunction whereas that of AT2 receptor increases. Treatment of hypertrophic rats with AT1 receptor antagonists inhibits cardiac hypertrophy and reverses the increase receptor density, indicating involvement of this Ang II receptor subtype. The role of the AT2 receptor is still largely unknown but it may be involved in cell growth and proliferation. The cloning of both AT1 and AT2 receptors as well as the availability of potent and selective antagonists will help us to understand better the functional role of Angiotensin II in cardiovascular disorder

Символи Степової України: некрополістичні пам’ятки козаччини

Дослідження містить унікальні дані про символи козацьких хрестів – витвори народного кам’янорізного мистецтва, узагальнює матеріал про хрести запорожців. Пласт наведеної інформації стане корисним дослідникам, які вивчають перебіг історичного процесу у часи руйнування Старої Січі 1709 р. і Нової Січі у 1775р., а також безпосередньо вітчизняну некрополістику, палеографію, пам’яткознавство, символіку.This review represents greatly informed bulk of rare memorials, examined in the book of I.V. Sapozhnykov «Stone crosses of steppe Ukraine (XVIII – first half of the XIX) – Odesa: publishing house «Chornomor’ya», 1997. – 165p., ill.: I – XXVI». The investigation has unique material about zaporozhtch’s crosses. The bulk of suggested information can be useful for investigators who study historical processes during elimination of Staraya Sich (1709) and Novaya Sich (1775), and also for those ones who study domestic necropolises, paleography, symbolism and memorial study

Vascular risk factors in the Swiss population

Background and Purpose : Identification of the population at risk of stroke remains the best approach to assess the burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Methods : The prevalence of hypertension (HT), hypercholesterolemia (HCh), diabetes mellitus (DM), overweight (OW), obesity (OB), tobacco use (SM), and their combinations was examined in 4458 Swiss persons (1741 men and 2717 women, mean age 57.8 ± 15 years), who volunteered for the present survey. Results : OW was the most prevalent risk factor (50 %), followed by HT (47%), HCh (33%), SM (13 %) and DM (1.6 %). The proportion of persons without risk factors (RF) was 19.9%, with 1 RF 41.5%, 2 RF 33.8%, 3 RF 4%, and 4 RF 0.9%. OW was more prevalent in men than in women (53% vs. 41%, P=0.02). More men than women aged 41-50 years and 51-60 years had HT (49 % vs. 36%, P=0.01, and 52 % vs. 42%, P=0.02). The prevalence of HCh and DM did not show any sex-related differences. HT, OW and HCh were not only the most common single risk factors, but were also most likely to aggregate with each other. Conclusions : The majority of Swiss people have one or two vascular risk factors. OW and HT are by far most common and are likely to aggregate with each other. A small modification of these two factors would reduce the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction significantl

Event Generators for WW Physics

The report summarizes the results of the activities of the Working Group on Event Generators for WW Physics at CERN during 1995.Comment: 99 Latex, including 30 figures, 24 tables. The report is part of: G.Altarelli,T.Sjostrand and F.Zwirner (eds), Physics at LEP2 CERN 96-0

Inflammatory myopathy and severe rhabdomyolysis induced by leuprolide acetate therapy for prostate cancer: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Leuprolide acetate is a synthetic analog of gonadotropin-releasing hormone used for the treatment of prostate cancer. Its side effects are hot flashes, nausea, and fatigue. We report a case of a patient with proximal inflammatory myopathy accompanied by severe rhabdomyolysis and renal failure following the second application of leuprolide acetate. Drug withdrawal and steroid therapy resulted in remission within six weeks of the diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, our case report describes the second case of leuprolide acetate-induced inflammatory myopathy and the first case of severe leuprolide acetate-induced rhabdomyolysis and renal failure in the literature.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 64-year-old Swiss Caucasian man was admitted to the hospital because of progressive proximal muscle weakness, dyspnea, and oliguria. He had been treated twice with leuprolide acetate in monthly doses. We performed a muscle biopsy, which excluded other causes of myopathy. The patient's renal failure and rhabdomyolysis were treated with rehydration and steroid therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The aim of our case report is to highlight the rare but severe side effects associated with leuprolide acetate therapy used to treat patients with inflammatory myopathy: severe rhabdomyolysis and renal failure.</p

Equal pay by gender and by nationality: a comparative analysis of Switzerland's unequal equal pay policy regimes across time

What explains the adoption of two different policies on equal pay by gender (EPG) and by nationality (EPN) in Switzerland? And why is the liberal, litigation-based, equal pay policy regime set up by the Gender Equality Act of 1996 much less effective than the neocorporatist ‘accompanying measures' to the Bilateral European Union-Switzerland Agreement on Free Movement of Persons adopted in 1999 to ensure equal pay for workers of different national origins? The formation of two different policy regimes cannot be explained by different levels of political will. Equally, different ‘varieties of capitalism' cannot explain the setup of the two different equal pay policy regimes within the very same country. Instead, our qualitative comparative analysis across time suggests that the differences can be best explained by a particular constellation of attributes, namely the use of different policy frames—i.e. ‘anti-discrimination' in the EPG and ‘unfair competition' in the EPN case—and the different setting of interest politics epitomised by the opposite stances adopted by Switzerland's employer associations in the two case

Direct Observation of Longitudinally Polarised W Bosons

The three different helicity states of W bosons, produced in the reaction e+e- -> W+W- -> l nu q q~ are studied using leptonic and hadronic W decays at sqrt{s}=183GeV and 189GeV. The W polarisation is also measured as a function of the scattering angle between the W- and the direction of the e- beam. The analysis demonstrates that W bosons are produced with all three helicities, the longitudinal and the two transverse states. Combining the results from the two center-of-mass energies and with leptonic and hadronic W decays, the fraction of longitudinally polarised W bosons is measured to be 0.261 +/- 0.051(stat.) +/- 0.016(syst.) in agreement with the expectation from the Standard Model

Formation of the ηc\eta_c in Two-Photon Collisions at LEP

The two-photon width $\Gamma_{\gamma\gamma}$ of the $\eta_c$ meson has been measured with the L3 detector at LEP. The $\eta_c$ is studied in the decay modes $\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$, $\pi^+\pi^-$K$^+$K$^-$, K$_s^0$K$^\pm\pi^\mp$, K$^+$K$^-\pi^{0}$, $\pi^+\pi^-\eta$, $\pi^+\pi^-\eta'$, and $\rho^+\rho^-$ using an integrated luminosity of 140 pb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} \simeq 91$ GeV and of 52 pb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} \simeq 183$ GeV. The result is $\Gamma_{\gamma\gamma}(\eta_c) = 6.9 \pm 1.7 (stat.) \pm 0.8 (sys.) \pm 2.0$(BR) keV. The $Q^2$ dependence of the $\eta_c$ cross section is studied for $Q^2 < 9$ GeV$^{2}$. It is found to be better described by a Vector Meson Dominance model form factor with a J-pole than with a $\rho$-pole. In addition, a signal of $29 \pm 11$ events is observed at the $\chi_c0$ mass. Upper limits for the two-photon widths of the $\chi_c0$, $\chi_c2$, and $\eta_c'$ are also given

Study of Z Boson Pair Production in e+e- Collisions at LEP at \sqrt{s}=189 GeV

The pair production of Z bosons is studied using the data collected by the L3 detector at LEP in 1998 in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. All the visible final states are considered and the cross section of this process is measured to be 0.74 +0.15 -0.14 (stat.) +/- 0.04 (syst.) pb. Final states containing b quarks are enhanced by a dedicated selection and their production cross section is found to be 0.18 +0.09 -0.07 (stat.) +/- 0.02 (syst.) pb. Both results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Limits on anomalous couplings between neutral gauge bosons are derived from these measurements