At what distance do wolves move away from an approaching human?

Management of controversial animals, like large carnivores, in multi-use landscapes is highly dependent on human tolerance. Human fear of wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) is known to be an important variable affecting human attitudes towards wolves. Successful management of wolves thus forces managers to respond to human fear of wolves. In this study, we assess the distance at which radio-collared wolves move away from an approaching human, also called the flight initiation distance (FID), and how FID is affected by wind speed and wind direction. We used silent VHF receivers and walked at normal pace towards radio-collared wolves. When approaching the wolves, we made no attempt to hide or walk in a less noisy manner. In the 34 experimental provocations, wolves moved away when the approaching human was between 17 and 310 m away. The mean FID was 106 m. FID was negatively correlated with wind speed. One hour after having been roused by the approaching human, wolves had moved a median distance of 1.2 km.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam blocks ligand binding to the formyl peptide receptor but not the formyl peptide receptor like 1

The anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam has been reported to affect the production of reactive oxygen species in phagocytes. This anti-inflammatory effect is thought to be mediated through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), an enzyme important for prostaglandin synthesis. We have compared the effects of piroxicam on superoxide production mediated by two closely related G-protein coupled receptors expressed on neutrophils, the formyl peptide receptor (FPR) and the formyl peptide receptor like 1 (FPRL1). Neutrophils were stimulated with agonists that bind specifically to FPR (the peptide ligand N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, fMLF) or FPRL1 (the peptide ligand Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-L-Met-NH(2), WKYMVM) or both of these receptors (the peptide ligand Trp-Lys-Tyr-Met-Val-D-Met-NH(2), WKYMVm). Piroxicam reduced the neutrophil superoxide production induced by the FPR agonist but had no significant effect on the FPRL1 induced response. Neutrophil intracellular calcium changes induced by the agonist WKYMVm (that triggers both FPR and FPRL1) were only inhibited by piroxicam when the drug was combined with the FPRL1 specific antagonist, Trp-Arg-Trp-Trp-Trp-Trp (WRW(4)), and this was true also for the inhibition of superoxide anion release. Receptor-binding analysis showed that the fluorescently labelled FPR specific ligand N-formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-Tyr-Lys (fNLFNYK), was competed for in a dose-dependent manner, by the FPR ligand fMLF and as well as by piroxicam. We show that piroxicam inhibits the neutrophil responses triggered through FPR, but not through FPRL1 and this inhibition is due to a reduced binding of the activating ligand to its cell surface receptor.

Arsenic trioxide-induced neuroblastoma cell death is accompanied by proteolytic activation of nuclear Bax

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) is toxic to multidrug-resistant neuroblastoma cells in vivo and in vitro. In neuroblastoma, As(2)O(3) does not exert its cell death-promoting effects via a classical apoptotic pathway. A death mechanism involving proteolytic cleavage of Bax to a p18 form seems to be of importance, because inhibition of Bax cleavage coincides with diminished cell death. As existing models of cell death implicate Bax in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, triggering death after Bax translocation to the mitochondria, we investigated the cellular localization of p18 Bax by subcellular fractionation. After As(2)O(3) treatment, p18 Bax was only present in nuclei-enriched, mitochondria-depleted fractions. Cytoplasmic p21 Bax levels decreased, whereas total (p21 and p18) nuclear Bax increased. Overexpressed p21 Bax localized to the cytoplasm and nuclei, whereas overexpressed p18 Bax localized to extra-nuclear structures only. The inability of overexpressed p18 Bax to locate to the nucleus, and the As(2)O(3)-induced reduction of p21 Bax in the cytosol, suggest an As(2)O(3)-induced mechanism where p18 Bax gets cleaved and 'trapped' in the nucleus. This model is strengthened by the observation that calpain, the protease responsible for p18 Bax generation, is present in the nuclei, and that nuclear calpain is induced by increasing As(2)O(3) and Ca(2+) levels.

Ten-year trends in health-related quality of life after surgical and conventional treatment for severe obesity: the SOS intervention study

OBJECTIVE

To examine trends and effects of weight loss treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in the severely obese over 10 years.

DESIGN

Swedish obese subjects (SOS) intervention study is a controlled, longitudinal trial of the health effects of weight loss in the severely obese.

SUBJECTS

A total of 655 of 851 surgically treated and 621 of 852 conventionally treated obese men (body mass index, BMI>or=34) and women (BMI>or=38) who completed 10 years of the study.

MEASUREMENTS

HRQL was assessed before treatment and after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 years.

RESULTS

HRQL change during the 10-year observation period largely followed phases of weight loss, weight regain and weight stability. Improvements and deteriorations in HRQL were associated with the magnitude of weight loss or regain, except regarding anxiety. Peak improvements in the surgical group were observed during the first year of weight loss, whereas the weight regain phase (mainly between 1- and 6-year follow-up) was accompanied by a gradual decline in HRQL. The period from 6- to 10-year follow-up was characterized by relatively stable observations in both weight and HRQL. At 10 years, net gains were noted in all HRQL domains compared to baseline. Comparisons of treatment effects on HRQL in the surgical vs conventional group after 10 years showed significantly better outcome in the surgical group on current health perceptions, social interaction, psychosocial functioning and depression, whereas no significant differences were found for overall mood and anxiety. Long-term results of the study suggest that a maintained weight loss of about 10% is sufficient for positive long-term effects on HRQL, a limit that was reached in about two-thirds of the surgically treated patients who completed 10 years of the study.

CONCLUSION

Long-lasting weight reduction in the severely obese has a general long-standing positive outcome on HRQL. Bariatric surgery is a favorable option for the treatment of severe obesity, resulting in long-term weight loss and HRQL improvements in a majority of patients. However, difficulties among some surgical patients to control and maintain weight loss over time should not be ignored. Future research should study if the long-term efficacy of bariatric surgery may be further enhanced by implementing lifestyle modification techniques in the postoperative management of patients.

Adaptive spatio-temporal filtration of bioelectrical signals

In this paper we show how independent component analysis (ICA) algorithms can be used to perform spatio-temporal filtration of electromyographic (EMG) and electrocardiographic (ECG) signals. The technique was used to decompose the EMG signals into motor unit action potential (MUAP) trains. From the 88 outputs of the adaptive spatio-temporal filtration, three groups of different MUAP train patterns were found. The technique was also used to obtain a fetus' ECG and showed better result compared to using ICA.

Wireless system for real-time recording of heart rate variability for home nursing

Modern wireless communication technologies offer new possibilities for patient monitoring in hospitals, as well as at home or in outdoor environments. In this paper, we present a wireless system for ECG recordings and real-time analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The system also makes it possible for distance consultation, for example with a specialist in cardiology, with the help of a WEB-solution.

A new instrument for measuring self-efficacy in patients with an anterior cruciate ligament injury

It has been suggested that self-efficacy belief is of major importance for rehabilitation outcome after sports-related injuries. No instruments are, however, available to evaluate perceived self-efficacy for prognostic and outcome expectations in patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Perceived self-efficacy is defined as a judgment of one's potential ability to carry out a task, rather than a measure of whether or not one actually can or does perform the task. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument for measuring perceived self-efficacy in patients with an ACL injury. A total of 210 male and female patients with an ACL injury were included in this study. The items were generated by health professionals with long clinical experience of patients with an ACL injury and by discussions with patients. After item analysis and item reduction, based on the results from 88 patients, the final 22-item version of the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES) was evaluated in 18 patients for test-retest reliability and in 104 patients for internal consistency and validity. The K-SES was compared with the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC), Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), SF-36 and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) instruments. A factor analysis was also performed on the K-SES. The test-retest revealed a correlation of r(s)=0.73 between test-days and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.75. No significant difference between test-days was found. The internal consistency was 0.94, as calculated with Cronbach's alpha. There were low correlations between the K-SES and MHLC and the K-SES and CSQ, respectively. A strong correlation was found between the K-SES and physical functioning, as measured by the SF-36 (r(s)=0.8). All the sub-scales in the KOOS correlated moderately to strongly (r(s)=0.4-0.7) to the K-SES. The factor analysis produced two factors of importance. Factor one was related to how patients perceived their present physical performance/function, while factor two was related to how patients perceived the future physical performance/prognosis of their knee. Good reliability and good face, content, construct and convergent validity were demonstrated for this new instrument (K-SES) for measuring perceived self-efficacy in patients with an ACL injury. The K-SES is recommended for studies designed to evaluate prognostic and outcome expectations of perceived self-efficacy in patients with an ACL-insufficient knee.

The genome of black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray)

We report the draft genome of the black cottonwood tree, Populus trichocarpa. Integration of shotgun sequence assembly with genetic mapping enabled chromosome-scale reconstruction of the genome. More than 45,000 putative protein-coding genes were identified. Analysis of the assembled genome revealed a whole-genome duplication event; about 8000 pairs of duplicated genes from that event survived in the Populus genome. A second, older duplication event is indistinguishably coincident with the divergence of the Populus and Arabidopsis lineages. Nucleotide substitution, tandem gene duplication, and gross chromosomal rearrangement appear to proceed substantially more slowly in Populus than in Arabidopsis. Populus has more protein-coding genes than Arabidopsis, ranging on average from 1.4 to 1.6 putative Populus homologs for each Arabidopsis gene. However, the relative frequency of protein domains in the two genomes is similar. Overrepresented exceptions in Populus include genes associated with lignocellulosic wall biosynthesis, meristem development, disease resistance, and metabolite transport.

Single-leg hop testing following fatiguing exercise: reliability and biomechanical analysis

A fatiguing exercise protocol was combined with single-leg hop testing to improve the possibilities of evaluating the effects of training or rehabilitation interventions. In the first test-retest experiment, 11 healthy male subjects performed two trials of single-leg hops under three different test conditions: non-fatigued and following fatiguing exercise, which consisted of unilateral weight machine knee extensions at 80% and 50%, respectively, of 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) strength. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.75 to 0.98 for different hop test conditions, indicating that all tests were reliable. For the second experiment, eight healthy male subjects performed the fatiguing exercise protocol to investigate how fatigue influences lower-extremity joint kinematics and kinetics during single-leg hops. Hip, knee and ankle joint angles, moments and powers, as well as ground-reaction forces were recorded with a six-camera, motion-capture system and a force platform. Recovery of hop performance following the fatiguing exercise was also measured. During the take-off for the single-leg hops, hip and knee flexion angles, generated powers for the knee and ankle joints, and ground-reaction forces decreased for the fatigued hop conditions compared with the non-fatigued condition (P<0.05). Compared with landing during the non-fatigued condition, hip moments and ground-reaction forces were lower for the fatigued hop conditions (P<0.05). The negative joint power was two to three times greater for the knee than for the hip and five to 10 times greater for the knee than for the ankle during landing for all test conditions (P<0.05). Most measured variables had recovered three minutes post-exercise. It is concluded that the fatiguing exercise protocol combined with single-leg hop testing was a reliable method for investigating functional performance under fatigued test conditions. Further, subjects utilized an adapted hop strategy, which employed less hip and knee flexion and generated powers for the knee and ankle joints during take-off, and less hip joint moments during landing under fatigued conditions. The large negative power values observed at the knee joint during the landing phase of the single-leg hop, during which the quadriceps muscle activates eccentrically, indicate that not only hop distance but also the ability to perform successful landings should be investigated when assessing dynamic knee function.

Self-efficacy, symptoms and physical activity in patients with an anterior cruciate ligament injury: a prospective study

Self-efficacy belief may be of major importance for the outcome of rehabilitation after sports-related injuries. A new instrument, the Knee Self-Efficacy Scale (K-SES), was used to evaluate the role of perceived self-efficacy in patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this prospective exploratory study was to describe the patients' perceived self-efficacy at various times post-injury and surgery, respectively, for responsiveness of the K-SES and to correlate the K-SES score with the patients' subjective symptoms. The purpose was also to describe the influence of gender, age and physical activity on the patients' perceived self-efficacy. Thirty recently injured patients with an ACL-deficient knee and 33 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction reported their physical activity level and their perceived self-efficacy on four test occasions during a 1-year period. The patients' subjective knee symptoms were documented on two of the test occasions. A significant increase in the K-SES score was seen after injury as well as after surgery, during the course of rehabilitation. Pre-operatively, men's perceived self-efficacy was significantly (P=0.013) higher compared with women's self-efficacy. Patients with a high baseline (pre-injury) physical activity level (Tegner 7-10) perceived their self-efficacy as being significantly (P=0.005) higher pre-operatively compared with patients with a low baseline activity level (Tegner 3-6). "Younger" (age 17-29), recently injured patients, perceived their self-efficacy as being significantly (P=0.034) higher compared with "older" patients (age 30-54). At the 12-month test, 15 of 30 patients with an ACL-deficient knee and 15 of 33 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction reported that they had returned or nearly returned to their baseline physical activity level. The subjective knee outcome score, as measured by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), improved significantly (P<0.01) during rehabilitation, apart from the KOOS subscale of "pain" (P=0.077) for patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction. There was a "low" to "strong" correlation (r(s)=0.0-0.7) between the K-SES and the five subscales in the KOOS. We conclude from the present study that K-SES has good responsiveness with significantly increased self-efficacy during the rehabilitation process for patients with an ACL-deficient knee as well as for patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction. The improvement in perceived self-efficacy could, however, only be partly explained by the improvement in subjective symptoms. Furthermore, self-efficacy differed significantly with gender, age and physical activity level early in the rehabilitation process.

Determination of the expression pattern of the dual promoter of zebrafish fushi tarazu factor-1a following microinjections into zebrafish one cell stage embryos

The zebrafish fushi tarazu factor-1a (ff1a) is a transcription factor belonging to the NR5A subgroup of nuclear receptors. The NR5A receptors bind DNA as monomers and are considered to be orphans due to their ability to promote transcription of downstream genes without ligands. In zebrafish, four ff1 homologues (Ff1a, Ff1b, Ff1c, and Ff1d) have been identified so far. The gene coding for Ff1a is driven by two separate promoters, and give rise to four splice variants. Ff1a is expressed in the somites and pronephric ducts during somitogenesis and in the brain, liver, and mandibular arch during later embryonic stages. In adults the gene is highly expressed in gonads, liver, and intestine, but can be detected in most tissues. The broad variety of embryonic expression domains indicates several important developmental features. One of the mammalian fushi tarazu factor-1 genes, steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), is essential for the development of gonads and adrenals. SF-1 is together with Sox9, WT1, and GATA4 a positive transcriptional regulator of human anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) and thereby linked to the male sex-determining pathway. The zebrafish ff1a dual promoter contains several GATA binding sites and E-boxes, a site for DR4, XFD2, MyoD, Snail, HNF3, S8, and an HMG-box recognition site for Sox9. In a first attempt to dissect the ff1a promoter in vivo we have produced first generation transgenes in order to determine the correlation between the expression of the endogenous ff1a gene and the microinjected ff1a dual promoter coupled to the pEGFP reporter vector. Our results show that the microinjected constructs are expressed in the correct tissues.

Hydrolysis of steam-pretreated lignocellulose: synergism and adsorption for cellobiohydrolase I and endoglucanase II of Trichoderma reesei

The mechanism of hydrolysis of cellulose is important for improving the enzymatic conversion in bioprocesses based on lignocellulose. Adsorption and hydrolysis experiments were performed with cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) and endoglucanase II (EG II) from Trichoderma reesei on a realistic lignocellulose substrates: steam-pretreated willow. The enzymes were studied both alone and in equimolar mixtures. Adsorption isotherms were determined at 4 and 40 degrees C during 90-min reaction times. Both CBH I and EG II adsorbed stronger at 40 than at 4 degrees C. The time course of adsorption and hydrolysis, 3 min to 48 h, was studied at 40 degrees C. About 90% of the cellulases were adsorbed within 2 h. The hydrolysis rate was high in the beginning but decreased during the time course. Based on adsorption data, the hydrolysis and synergism were analyzed as function of adsorbed enzyme. CBH I showed a linear correlation between hydrolysis and adsorbed enzyme, whereas for EG II the corresponding curve leveled off at both 4 and 40 degrees C. At low conversion, below 1%, EG II produced as much soluble sugars as CBH I. At higher conversion, CBH I was more efficient than EG II. The synergism as function of adsorbed enzyme increased with bound enzyme before reaching a stable value of about 2. The effect of varying the ratio of CBH I:EG II was studied at fixed total enzyme loading and by changing the ratio between the enzymes. Only a small addition (5%) of EG II to a CBH I solution was shown to be sufficient for nearly maximal synergism. The ratio between EG II and CBH I was not critical. The ratio 40% EG II:60% CBH I showed similar conversion to 5% EG II:95% CBH I. Modifications of the conventional endo-exo synergism model are proposed.

Identification of epistasis through a partial advanced intercross reveals three arthritis loci within the Cia5 QTL in mice

Identification of genes controlling complex diseases has proven to be difficult; however, animal models may pave the way to determine how low penetrant genes interact to promote disease development. We have dissected the Cia5/Eae3 susceptibility locus on mouse chromosome 3 previously identified to control disease in experimental models of multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Congenic strains showed significant but small effects on severity of both diseases. To improve the penetrance, we have now used a new strategy that defines the genetic interactions. The QTL interacted with another locus on chromosome 15 and a partial advanced intercross breeding of the two congenic strains for eight generations accumulated enough statistical power to identify interactions with several loci on chromosome 15. Thereby, three separate loci within the original QTL could be identified; Cia5 affected the onset of arthritis by an additive interaction with Cia31 on chromosome 15, whereas the Cia21 and Cia22 affected severity during the chronic phase of the disease through an epistatic interaction with Cia32 on chromosome 15. The definition of genetic interactions was a prerequisite to dissect the Cia5 QTL and we suggest the partial advanced intercross strategy to be helpful also for dissecting other QTL controlling complex phenotypes.

Trigeminal uptake and clearance of inhaled manganese chloride in rats and mice

Inhaled manganese (Mn) can enter the olfactory bulbs via the olfactory epithelium, and can then be further transported trans-synaptically to deeper brain structures. In addition to olfactory neurons, the nasal cavity is innervated by the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve that projects to the spinal trigeminal nucleus. Direct uptake and transport of inhaled metal particles in the trigeminal system has not been investigated previously. We studied the uptake, deposition, and clearance of soluble Mn in the trigeminal system following nose-only inhalation of environmentally relevant concentrations. Rats and mice were exposed for 10-days (6 h/day, 5 days/week) to air or MnCl2 aerosols containing 2.3 +/- 1.3 mg/m3 Mn with mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3.1 +/- 1.4 microm for rats and 2.0 +/- 0.09 mg/m3 Mn MnCl2 with MMAD of 1.98 +/- 0.12 microm for mice. Mn concentrations in the trigeminal ganglia and spinal trigeminal nucleus were measured 2 h (0-day), 7-, 14-, or 30-days post-exposure using proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Manganese-exposed rats and mice showed statistically elevated levels of Mn in trigeminal ganglia 0-, 7- and 14-days after the 10-days exposure period when compared to control animals. The Mn concentration gradually decreased over time with a clearance rate (t1/2) of 7-8-days. Rats and mice were similar in both average accumulated Mn levels in trigeminal ganglia and in rates of clearance. We also found a small but significant elevation of Mn in the spinal trigeminal nucleus of mice 7-days post-exposure and in rats 0- and 7-days post-exposure. Our data demonstrate that the trigeminal nerve can serve as a pathway for entry of inhaled Mn to the brain in rodents following nose-only exposure and raise the question of whether entry of toxicants via this pathway may contribute to development of neurodegenerative diseases.

A comparative controlled study of personality in severe obesity: a 2-y follow-up after intervention

OBJECTIVE

The primary purpose was to examine 2-y effects of weight change on personality traits in severely obese subjects treated conventionally or surgically. We also assessed differences between the severely obese patients and a primarily normal-weight reference group.

METHOD

Personality traits were assessed using 7 of 15 scales from the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP): Somatic Anxiety, Muscular Tension, Psychasthenia, Psychic Anxiety, Monotony Avoidance, Impulsiveness, and Irritability. A total of 1380 surgical candidates, 1241 conventionally treated patients and 1135 subjects from the SOS (Swedish Obese Subjects) reference study, representing the general population, completed the KSP. Data presented in this study were gathered twice from the patients (prior to treatment and after 2 y) and once from the reference subjects. Significance tests and effect sizes (ES) were calculated.

RESULTS

At baseline, the obese were characterised as more anxiety prone, impulsive, irritable and less monotony avoiding than the reference group; surgery patients more so than the conventionally treated. At follow-up, it was found that anxiety proneness decreased and Monotony Avoidance increased with increasing weight loss. The conventionally treated were, on average, weight stable and, hence, only a small decrease was noted regarding Somatic Anxiety. The surgery group lost on average 28 kg, and differences between surgically treated and the reference group decreased on all scales except Impulsiveness, which remained unchanged. The largest improvement was in relation to Psychasthenia.

CONCLUSIONS

Weight reduction maintained for 2 y was associated with changes on practically all personality traits in proportion to the magnitude of weight loss. In particular, Psychasthenia seemed to be alleviated, while Impulsiveness was unaffected.

Beta1-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms and response to beta1-adrenergic receptor blockade in patients with essential hypertension

BACKGROUND

Studies suggest that the Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly polymorphisms in the beta1-adrenergic receptor might be of functional importance for the cardiovascular system. Both have been associated with altered receptor activity in vitro, and with hypertension and cardiac failure in vivo.

HYPOTHESIS

The aim of this study was to test whether these polymorphisms were associated with the change in heart rate or blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy treated with the beta1-adrenergic receptor blocker atenolol.

METHODS

Blood pressure and heart rate were measured in 101 hypertensive patients with echocardiographically verified LV hypertrophy, randomized in a double-blind study to treatment with either the beta1-adrenergic receptor blocker atenolol or the angiotensin II type I receptor antagonist irbesartan. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated after 12 weeks. Beta1-adrenergic receptor genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

We found no significant associations between the changes in the measured variables and either of the two polymorphisms. However, carriers of the 49Gly allele showed a tendency toward a greater reduction in heart rate compared with patients with the Ser/Ser49 genotype (p = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

The Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly beta1-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms do not seem to exert a major effect on the changes in heart rate and blood pressure during 12 weeks of treatment with atenolol in patients with essential hypertension and LV hypertrophy.

Gender-specific association between preproendothelin-1 genotype and reduction of systolic blood pressure during antihypertensive treatment--results from the Swedish Irbesartan Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Investigation versus Atenolol (SILVHIA)

BACKGROUND

Studies suggest that endothelin-1 contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. A G5665T gene polymorphism of preproendothelin-1 has been shown to be associated with higher blood pressure in overweight patients. No study has yet determined the effect of this polymorphism on the change in blood pressure during antihypertensive treatment.

HYPOTHESIS

This study aimed to determine this effect in hypertensive patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy during antihypertensive treatment with either irbesartan or atenolol.

METHODS

We determined the preproendothelin-1 genotype using minisequencing in 102 patients with essential hypertension and LV hypertrophy verified by echocardiography, randomized in a double-blind fashion to treatment with either the AT1-receptor antagonist irbesartan or the beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist atenolol.

RESULTS

The change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) after 12 weeks of treatment was related to the preproendothelin-1 genotype in men; after adjustment for potential covariates (age, blood pressure, and LV mass index at study entry, dose of irbesartan/atenolol, and type of treatment), those carrying the T-allele responded on average with a more than two-fold greater reduction than those with the G/G genotype (-21.9 mmHg 13.9] vs. -8.9 [2.3], p = 0.007). No significant differences in blood pressure change between G/G and carriers of the T-allele were seen among women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our finding suggests a gender-specific relationship between the G5665T preproendothelin-1 polymorphism and change in SBP in response to antihypertensive treatment with irbesartan or atenolol, suggesting the endothelin pathway to be a common mechanism included in the hypertensive action of the drugs.