Lack of association between ACE and bradykinin B2 receptor gene polymorphisms and ACE inhibitor-induced coughing in hypertensive Koreans

Background & Objective:  Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used widely in therapy for hypertension, congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction. However, coughing, one of their major adverse effects limits their use. It is documented that Asians are more liable to coughing than Europeans. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic polymorphism involved in ACE inhibitor-induced coughing.
Methods:  We monitored hypertensive subjects ( n  = 110) treated with ACE inhibitors, and tested for any associations between ACE inhibitor-induced coughing and polymorphisms in the genes for ACE and the bradykinin B2 receptor, which are suspected to be related to coughing.
Results & Discussion:  We found no significant differences between the groups with coughing and without coughing in the frequency of ACE I/D (Insertion/Deletion) polymorphisms. One single nucleotide polymorphism was discovered in the promoter (−58T/C) and, one in intron-exon junction upsteam of exon 2 (−59C/A), of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene. However, no significant correlation was found between those genotypes or allele distributions and ACE inhibitor-induced coughing.
Conclusion:  We found no significant links between polymorphisms of the ACE gene or bradykinin B2 receptor gene with ACE inhibitor-induced coughing in hypertensive Koreans. But, the topic remains controversial and requires more study.     

7-(1,7-双取代-1,4-二氢-4-酮-1,8-萘啶-3-甲酰氨基)头孢菌素的合成

本文报道了以1,7-双取代-1,4-二氢-4-酮-1,8-萘啶-3-羧酸,用混合酸酐法与7-ACA,7-ADCA,7-ACT和7-ACD缩合,合成了24个1,7-双取代-1,4-二氢-4-酮-1,8-萘啶-3-甲酰胺头孢菌素衍生物,通过葡聚糖凝胶(Sephadex LH-20)及离心薄层层析纯化精制,得到纯品。体外抑菌试验结果表明:大多数新头孢菌素衍生物对革兰氏阳性菌具有较好的抗菌作用。尚有一些新头孢菌素衍生物对某些革兰氏阴性菌具有中等敏感程度。     

Hereditary cochleovestibular dysfunction due to a COCH gene mutation (DFNA9): a follow‐up study of a family

Hereditary cochleovestibular dysfunction due to a COCH gene mutation (DFNA9): a follow‐up study of a family Cochleovestibular impairment was evaluated, in relation to age, in a longitudinal follow‐up study on a Dutch family with a DFNA9 trait caused by a Pro51Ser mutation in the COCH gene on chromosome 14q12‐q13. Fourteen cases were genotyped. The onset age of progressive impairment reported by the mutation carriers was between age 35 and 45 years. Pure‐tone thresholds deteriorated by about 2–7 dB per year (mean 3.8 dB per year) in a variable, often asymmetrical, fashion. One mutation carrier developed recurrent episodes of vertigo accompanied by nausea and vomiting, resembling Ménière's disease. Two others developed special susceptibility for motion sickness and appeared to have a hyperactive vestibulo‐ocular reflex. More advanced stages of vestibular impairment, i.e. vestibular hyporeflexia and complete vestibular areflexia, were eventually found in a number of cases. DFNA9/COCH should be considered as a possible cause in patients developing combined progressive cochlear and vestibular impairment, or suspected hereditary Ménière‐like disease, from around middle age.     

A new and weakly antispasmodic protoberberine alkaloid from Rhizoma Coptidis

A new protoberberine alkaloid, 3‐hydroxy‐2‐methoxy‐9,10‐methylenedioxy‐8‐oxo‐protoberberine, along with three known compounds, was isolated from Rhizoma Coptidis. The new compound displayed weak antispasmodic activity against acetylcholine‐induced contraction in isolated guinea‐pig ileum with an IC₅₀ of 83.7 μm . Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early and recent intraluminal ultrasound devices

The history of intraluminal echography dates back to the very beginning of diagnostic ultrasound. Over the years many fascinating ideas and applications of catheter tip or gastroscopic tube tip mounted transducers have been described. This chapter surveys these methods, subdividing them into a) measurements; b) Doppler and c) imaging. The survey ranges from early work of Cieszynski on the feasibility of echocardiography to more recent intra-arterial catheter tip Doppler with guidewire and balloon as described by Serruys. Examples of ultrasound catheter tip echography in combination with other techniques such as angioscopy, laser ablation and spark erosion are also described. Today practical approaches are limited to imaging only. The three major approaches for catheter tip echo imaging are described and compared. This paper concludes with the results of automatic contour analysis of the inner arterial boundaries.