Ole Amtorp

Randomized double-blind Scandinavian trial of angiopeptin versus placebo for the prevention of clinical events and restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty

Angiopeptin, a somatostatin analogue, inhibits intimal hyperplasia after percutaneous transluminal coronary artery balloon angioplasty (PTCA) in several animal models. This pilot study sought to determine the effect of subcutaneous infusion of angiopeptin on clinical events and restenosis in patients undergoing successful PTCA. One hundred twelve patients were randomized to receive continuous subcutaneous angiopeptin (750 micrograms/day) or placebo infusion from the day before PTCA and for the following 4 days in a double-blind study. An additional subcutaneous injection of 375 micrograms of angiopeptin or saline was given immediately before PTCA. Eighty patients had a successful PTCA, and 75 of these patients with 94 lesions underwent angiography 6 +/- 2 months after PTCA. All 112 patients underwent a 12-month clinical follow-up examination. Age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and morphologic features of stenosis were similar in both groups. The hierarchical 12-month event rate (death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, and repeated PTCA) was reduced from 34% to 25% (p = 0.30) by angiopeptin by intention-to-treat analysis. Restenosis (> or = 50% diameter stenosis) was significantly reduced in lesions treated with angiopeptin (12% vs 40%; p = 0.003). Late lumen loss also was significantly reduced after angiopeptin treatment (0.12 +/- 0.46 mm vs 0.52 +/- 0.64 mm; p = 0.003). In conclusion, continuous subcutaneous angiopeptin infusion for 5 days tended to decrease clinical events and restenosis after PTCA.

Long-term clinical, hemodynamic, angiographic, and neurohumoral responses to vasodilation with felodipine in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

Twenty patients on conventional therapy for severe congestive heart failure (CHF) were randomly assigned to adjunctive treatment with felodipine (n = 10) or placebo (n = 10) and followed over a 6-month period. Baseline clinical, hemodynamic, angiographic, and neu-rohumoral estimates of CHF were comparable in the two treatment groups. These estimates remained virtually unchanged at 6 months in patients on placebo therapy, but circulating noradrenaline levels were further augmented. In patients on felodipine therapy, substantial reductions in left ventricular end-systolic pressure, mean arterial pressure, and systemic vascular resistance were observed at 6 months. This afterload reduction led to a preferential increment in the stroke volume (36%) which increased cardiac output (30%), whereas heart rate tended to decrease. The improved hemodynamics during felodipine treatment were paralleled by marked improvements in the angiographic left ventricular ejection fraction and regional segmental wall motion score. The enhanced contractile state of the left ventricle was accompanied by significant reductions in the augmented plasma levels of catecholamines, and the patient clinical status improved. The 6-month mortality rate in the 20 patients was 40% and indicated a closer relation to baseline noradrenaline plasma levels than to hemodynamic or angiographic estimates of CHF. Despite the limited number of patients, the long-term clinical efficacy of felodipine is thus evidenced in patients with CHF and is related to sustained arteriolar dilatation and improved neurohumoral profile by this vasoselective calcium antagonist.

Functional and histopathological changes in dog kidneys after administration of cisplatin.

The nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin (5 mg/kg i.v.) was evaluated in 8 dogs 48-72 h after administration. The lithium clearance method was used for assessing the absolute and fractional reabsorption rates of sodium and water in proximal as well as in more distal segments of the total nephron population, before and during saline loading (infusion of 5 ml/kg of isotonic saline i.v.). Histological examinations of the kidney biopsies were used to evaluate the degree of renal tissue injury. During 48-72 h after administration of cisplatin blood urea nitrogen and plasma creatinine increased significantly from 3.9 +/- 0.2 to 11.7 +/- 1.4 mmol/l and 96 +/- 3 to 178 +/- 10 mumol/l, respectively. Mean values of renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, filtration fraction and lithium clearance in cisplatin-treated animals (143 +/- 14 ml/min, 10.7 +/- 1.1. ml/min, 0.14 +/- 0.01 and 6.3 +/- 0.6 ml/min, respectively) were significantly lower than in 6 control animals (212 +/- 8 ml/min, 49.0 +/- 2.0 ml/min, 0.36 +/- 0.001 and 10.1 +/- 1.3 ml/min, respectively). In contrast, urinary excretion rates of sodium, potassium and water were significantly higher, while fractional as well as absolute proximal and distal reabsorption rates were significantly lower in cisplatin-treated animals compared to controls. Saline loading caused an increase in the output of tubular fluid from the proximal tubules (lithium clearance) in the cisplatin-treated animals, while the fractional distal reabsorption rate of sodium decreased significantly. The histological changes are in agreement with the physiological data which point to the proximal tubules as the more severely damaged segment. In conclusion, the depressed renal function 48-72 h after administration of cisplatin can be attributed to impairment of proximal as well as distal tubular reabsorptive capacities associated with increased renal vascular resistance. The polyuria seems to be due to impaired reabsorption rates in the distal nephron segments, which will affect the concentration mechanism.

Acute Effect of Cisplatin on Renal Hemodynamics and Tubular Function in Dog Kidneys

The present study was designed to investigate the early hemodynamic and tubular effects of cisplatin administration on dogs. To localize the nephrotoxic actions of cisplatin, we have taken advantage of the lithium clearance method. After infusion of 5 mg of cisplatin per kg, an immediate and significant increase in urinary flow rate (from 0.39 +/- 0.07 ml/min to 0.73 +/- 0.12 ml/min), sodium clearance (from 0.33 +/- 0.11 ml/min to 0.65 +/- 0.14 ml/min), potassium clearance (from 9.23 +/- 0.48 ml/min to 10.77 +/- 0.95 ml/min), lithium clearance (from 15.55 +/- 2.21 ml/min to 23.76 +/- 4.00 ml/min) and fractional lithium clearance (from 0.31 +/- 0.03 to 0.44 +/- 0.04) was seen. This occurred without measurable changes in glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow. The calculated fractional as well as absolute rates of proximal reabsorption of sodium decreased significantly from 0.68 +/- 0.03 to 0.56 +/- 0.04 and from 4.76 +/- 0.32 mmol/min to 3.92 +/- 0.23 mmol/min, respectively. The results show that administration of cisplatin causes an acute, mainly proximal tubular impairment in dogs without alterations in renal hemodynamics.

Effects of 12 weeks of ramipril treatment on the quality of life in patients with moderate congestive heart failure: Results of a placebo-controlled trial

SummaryThe assessment of quality of life (QoL) has become recognized as an important tool for evaluating heart failure therapy. The angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril (mean dose 8 mg) was evaluated in 223 patients with moderate chronic congestive heart failure at 24 centers in 4 Nordic countries following a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group design. The follow-up period was 12 weeks. QoL was evaluated using a questionnaire with 47 items, including the disease-specific Severe Heart Failure Questionnaire, the Sleep Dysfunction Scale, and the Psychological General Well-Being Index. In both treatment groups the total score increased from baseline to 12 weeks for both the Severe Heart Failure Questionnaire and for the Psychological Well-Being Index, reflecting relief of symptoms and improved well-being. However, no significant differences between the placebo and ramipril groups could be detected. Only a trend toward improvement in sleep on ramipril compared with placebo therapy was observed. In conclusion, in this placebo-controlled trial no significant effects of 12-week ramipril treatment of QoL could be demonstrated in patients with moderate congestive heart failure.

Skeletal muscle vascular responses in human limbs to isometric handgrip

Studies of whole limb blood flow have shown that static handgrip elicits a vasodilatation in the resting forearm and vasoconstriction in the resting leg. We asked if these responses occur in the skeletal muscle vascular bed, and if so, what is the relative contribution of local metabolic versus other mechanisms to these vascular responses. Blood flow recordings were made simultaneously in the skeletal muscle of the resting arm and leg using the Xenon-washout method in ten subjects during 3 min of isometric handgrip at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction. In the arm, skeletal muscle vascular resistance (SMVR) decreased transiently at the onset of exercise followed by a return to baseline levels at the end of exercise. In the leg SMVR remained unchanged during the 1st min of handgrip, but had increased to exceed baseline levels by the end of exercise. During exercise electromyography (EMG) recordings from nonexercising limbs demonstrated a progressive 20-fold increase in activity in the arm, but remained at baseline in the leg. During EMG-signal modelled exercise performed to mimic the inadvertent muscle activity, decreases in forearm SMVR amounted to 57% of the decrease seen with controlateral handgrip. The present study would seem to indicate that vascular tone in nonexercising skeletal muscle in the arm and leg are controlled differently during the early stages of static handgrip. Metabolic vasodilatation due to involuntary contraction could significantly modulate forearm skeletal muscle vascular responses, but other factors, most likely neural vasodilator mechanisms, must make major contributions. During the later stages of contralateral sustained handgrip, vascular adjustments in resting forearm skeletal muscle would seem to be the final result of reflex sympathetic vasoconstrictor drive, local metabolic vasodilator forces and possibly neurogenic vasodilator mechanisms.

Efficacy of controlled-release isosorbide-5-mononitrate as adjunctive treatment to β-blocking agents in patients with stable angina pectoris

Twenty-four patients with severe stable angina pectoris were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study to assess the efficacy of a controlled-release preparation of isosorbide-5-mononitrate (ISMN-CR) 60 mg once daily or twice daily as adjunctive treatment to a β blocker. In bicycle ergometer exercise tests performed 4 h after study drug intake, total exercise time and time until 1-mm ST-depression increased significantly during both regimens as compared with placebo (p < 0.05). However, only the 60-mg once-daily regimen was significantly better than placebo with regard to time until angina pectoris. The results indicate that ISMN-CR 60 mg once daily is effective as adjunctive to β-blocker treatment, and nitrate tolerance appeared to develop during the twice-daily regimen. In 10 of the patients, the effect of additional sublingual nitroglycerin (NTG) was studied. Exercise time after NTG remained remarkably constant throughout all study periods. Exercise time was significantly prolonged after additional NTG and independent of the dose level of ISMN-CR. This indicates that cross-tolerance to NTG was not induced during sustained treatment with ISMN-CR.