Effects of Azelnidipine plus OlmesaRTAn versus amlodipine plus olmesartan on central blood pressure and left ventricular mass index: the AORTA study

Takeshi Takami1, Yoshihiko Saito21Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic Jingumae, Kashihara, Japan; 2First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, JapanPurpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of olmesartan combined with either azelnidipine or amlodipine on central blood pressure (CBP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in hypertensive patients.Patient and methods: Patients with brachial systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg received olmesartan monotherapy (20 mg daily) for 12 weeks. The patients were then randomly assigned to fixed-dose add-on therapy with azelnidipine (16 mg daily) or amlodipine (5 mg daily) (25 patients/group) for a further 24 weeks. CBP and LVMI were measured at baseline and at the end of the study.Results: Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. The decrease in brachial BP was similar in both groups. CBP and LVMI decreased significantly in both groups (both, P < 0.001). However, the decreases in CBP and LVMI were significantly greater with olmesartan/azelnidipine than with olmesartan/amlodipine (CBP, P < 0.001; LVMI, P = 0.002).Conclusions: These findings indicate that olmesartan/azelnidipine had greater effects on CBP and LVMI than did olmesartan/amlodipine, even though the reduction in brachial BP was similar in both groups. These differential effects on CBP and LVMI may have important implications for cardiovascular risk reduction.Keywords: central blood pressure, left ventricular mass index, augmentation index, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, olmesartan/azelnidipin

Evaluation of the affect of speech intonation using a model of the perception of interval dissonance and harmonic tension

Abstract We report the application of a psychophysical model of pitch perception to the analysis of speech intonation. The model was designed to reproduce the empirical findings on the perception of musical phenomena (the dissonance/consonance of intervals and the tension/sonority of chords), but does not depend on specific musical scales or tuning systems. Application to intonation allows us to calculate the total dissonance and tension among the pitches in the speech utterance. In an experiment using the 144 utterances of 18 male and female subjects, we found greater dissonance and harmonic tension in sentences with negative affect, in comparison with sentences with positive affect

Possible activation by the green tea amino acid theanine of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in undifferentiated neural progenitor cells in vitro

AbstractWe have shown marked promotion of both proliferation and neuronal differentiation in pluripotent P19 cells exposed to the green tea amino acid theanine, which is a good substrate for SLC38A1 responsible for glutamine transport. In this study, we evaluated the activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase pathway, which participates in protein translation, cell growth and autophagy in a manner relevant to intracellular glutamine levels, in murine neural progenitor cells exposed to theanine. Exposure to theanine promoted the phosphorylation of mTOR and downstream proteins in neurospheres from embryonic mouse neocortex. Although stable overexpression of SLC38A1 similarly facilitated phosphorylation of mTOR-relevant proteins in undifferentiated P19 cells, theanine failed to additionally accelerate the increased phosphorylation in these stable transfectants. Theanine accelerated the formation of neurospheres from murine embryonic neocortex and adult hippocampus, along with facilitation of both 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine incorporation and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide reduction in embryonic neurospheres. In embryonic neurospheres previously exposed to theanine, a significant increase was seen in the number of cells immunoreactive for a neuronal marker protein after spontaneous differentiation. These results suggest that theanine activates the mTOR signaling pathway for proliferation together with accelerated neurogenesis in murine undifferentiated neural progenitor cells

Intralesional steroid infusion using a spray tube to prevent stenosis after endoscopic submucosal dissection of esophageal cancer

Background/Aims Intralesional steroid injections have been administered as prophylaxis for stenosis after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection. However, this method carries a risk of potential complications such as perforation because a fine needle is used to directly puncture the postoperative ulcer. We devised a new method of steroid intralesional infusion using a spray tube and evaluated its efficacy and safety. Methods Intralesional steroid infusion using a spray tube was performed on 27 patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer with three-quarters or more of the lumen circumference resected. The presence or absence of stenosis, complications, and the number of endoscopic balloon dilations (EBDs) performed were evaluated after treatment. Results Although stenosis was not observed in 22 of the 27 patients, five patients had stenosis and dysphagia requiring EBD. The stenosis in these five patients was relieved after four EBDs. No complications related to intralesional steroid infusion using the spray tube were observed. Conclusions Intralesional steroid infusion using a spray tube is a simple and safe technique that is adequately effective in preventing stenosis (clinical trial number, UMIN000037567)