Defective renal prostaglandin synthesis in hypertensive patients with morbid obesity

Changes of vasoactive substances following embolization for renal cell carcinoma

Renal arterial embolization and subsequent nephrectomy or nephrectomy alone were performed in 34 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Renal arterial embolization caused a blood pressure elevation concomitant with an increase in plasma renin activity (PRA), urinary aldosterone excretion or urinary prostaglandin (PGE2) excretion. Subsequent nephrectomy normalized hypertension and reduced the levels of these vasoactive substances. There were significant relationships between the increase in mean blood pressure and the increase in PRA, the increment in mean blood pressure and the increment in urinary aldosterone excretion, and the increase in PRA and increase in log urinary PGE2 excretion following embolization. These evidences suggest that enhancement of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system participates in the development of hypertension following embolization, and increased PRA may play an important role in the release of urinary PGE2.

Efficacy and safety of two-year therapy with transdermal clonidine for essential hypertension

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of transdermal clonidine (TC) in 23 patients with essential hypertension over a two-year period. Fourteen patients achieved control of blood pressure using TC alone. Six patients achieved control with a combination of TC and the diuretic chlorthalidone (CH). Three patients had control with CH alone or did not achieve control with either TC alone or TC plus CH and were dropped from the study. Of the 20 patients remaining in the study, six patients remained on TC or TC plus CH for the two-year study. Ten of the 20 patients quit the study because of skin reactions and four because of other side effects. No clinically significant changes were noted in serum or urinary laboratory parameters. Finally, TC was effective as long-term monotherapy for essential hypertension in only four of our patients. The major limitation is skin-related side effects.

Urinary Prostaglandin E2 Excretion after the Resumption of Renal Function Post Renal Transplantation

Previous studies have demonstrated that the renal prostaglandin system participate in the recovery from ischemic events, in diuresis and in natriuresis. This study was undertaken to probe renal prostaglandin E2 synthesis during the first and second weeks after renal transplantation

Urinary prostaglandin E2 excretion was greatly elevated immediately after transplantation, compared to the second week, and differences in urine PGE2 concentration were also significant. This suggests that enhanced prostaglandin synthesis accompanies the resumption of renal function after transplantation.