Particular fractions of microproteinuria in patients with stabile angina pectoris and without a clinical nephropathy

The determination of microalbuminuria is a valuable method in the diagnosis of renal and vascular diabetes or hypertension complications. Recently, microalbuminuria appeared to be the predictor of coronary heart diseases (CHD). The presented study comprised 26 patients with stable angina pectoris (AP) and 27 healthy volunteers. We simultaneously evaluated microproteinuria during the first morning and afternoon miction and the 24-h blood pressure. Amongst patients with AP all urine protein concentrations were increased (results in g/mol creatinine): alpha-1-microglobulin (1.04 + 0.13 vs. 0.47 + 0.05, p < 0.001) albumin (0.95 + 0.15 vs. 0.61 + 0.05, p < 0.05) and IgG (1.00 + 0.17 vs. 0.55 + 0.05, p < 0.01) were higher, in comparison to control group values. Indices for diurnal blood pressure rhythm were significantly lower in the AP group for both systolic (1.07 + 0.01 vs. 1.14 + 0.01 p < 0.001) and diastolic (1.09 + 0.02; vs. 1.21 + 0.03 p < 0.01) pressures. A physiological increase of albumin from the afternoon sample was only observed in the control group. Thus, our AP patients demonstrated signs of subclinical nephropathy in both the proximal tubuli and glomeruli.

Does moxonidine increase cytotoxic activity of ethanol in rats? Preliminary report on the base of the ultrastructural study

Combined effects of moxonidine and ethanol on ultrastructure of selected Wistar-Kyoto rat organs (kidney, liver, heart) were investigated. In cells of the animals, which received moxonidine alone, no morphological changes were found. In the group of rats which received alcohol, several typical submicroscopical changes were found, especially related to the mitochondria. After the combined administration of ethanol and moxonidine the pathological changes were bigger than those found in animals which received alcohol alone. Those changes were particularly significant in kidney and liver. The results might indicate that moxonidine increased cytotoxic activity of ethanol on several organs in rats.