Disposition of oral and intravenous pravastatin in MRP2-deficient TR- rats.

The aim of this study was to characterize the role of the efflux transporter Mrp2 (Abcc2) in the pharmacokinetics of orally and intravenously administered pravastatin in rats. Eight Mrp2-deficient TR- rats and eight wild-type rats were given an oral dose of 20 mg/kg pravastatin. Four TR- animals and four wild-type animals were studied after intravenous administration of pravastatin (5 mg/kg). The TR(-) rats showed a 6.1-fold higher mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of pravastatin (p < 0.001) after oral administration and a 4.7-fold higher AUC (p < 0.01) after intravenous administration of pravastatin as compared with the wild-type animals. The mean systemic (total) clearance of pravastatin was 4.6-fold higher (39.2 versus 8.50 l/h/kg, p < 0.001) and the mean V 4.3-fold higher (14.1 versus 3.29 l/kg, p < 0.01) in the wild-type rats. The mean renal clearance of pravastatin in the TR(-) rats was 16.5-fold increased as compared with the wild-type animals (0.695 versus 0.042 l/h/kg, p < 0.05). The increased systemic exposure to oral pravastatin in the TR- rats was associated with a greater inhibitory effect on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, as shown by smaller lathosterol to cholesterol concentration ratios. These results suggest that the reduced biliary pravastatin excretion in the Mrp2-deficient TR- rats is partly compensated for by increased urinary excretion of pravastatin. Furthermore, intestinal Mrp2 does not appear to play a major role in the oral absorption of pravastatin in normal rats.     

Lack of correlation between coronary artery calcium and myocardial perfusion imaging

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) provides evidence of coronary atherosclerosis and has significant prognostic power. Although prior studies have documented a relationship between CAC and hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis, the results have not been conclusive. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated 126 consecutive patients who underwent electron beam computed tomography CAC scoring by use of the Agatston method and stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) within 3 months of each other. The analysis revealed no correlation between absolute CAC score and age- and gender-adjusted CAC scores with MPI. Overall, 18% of patients had abnormal MPI results irrespective of their CAC. CONCLUSION: CAC scoring and stress MPI should be thus considered complementary approaches rather than exclusionary in the evaluation of the patient at risk for coronary artery disease.     

Determinants of salvage of jeopardized myocardium after coronary thrombolysis

Coronary thrombolysis is an attractive approach for salvaging jeopardized, ischemic myocardium. The advent of second- and third-generation clot-selective thrombolytic agents will make this approach safer and more widely applicable in the future. However, residual stenoses and reocclusion are common after the thrombolytic therapy. In addition to thrombolysis, future management of coronary thrombosis may include adjunctive pharmacologic therapy such as calcium-channel antagonists, beta-blockers, or oxygen free radical scavengers, and/or mechanical interventions such as balloon or laser angioplasty, or bypass surgery.     

Simultaneous noninvasive evaluation of gastric emptying and orocaecal transit times

Summary The aim of the study was to use a novel combination of two methods for the simultaneous evaluation of two effects of oral cisapride in 10 diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy; gastric emptying time was measured by following radio-opaque markers and orocaecal transit time by the sulphasalazine-sulphapridine method. The study was of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design.It was possible to evaluate the effect of a prokinetic drug on gastric emptying and orocaecal transit times using these two noninvasive techniques at the same time. Cisapride significantly reduced both the gastric emptying (1.2 h versus 2.1 h) and orocaecal tansit (5.9 h versus 7.7 h) times.     

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Differentiation between organic and functional psychiatric illness in the elderly: An evaluation of four cognitive tests

One hundred and sixty-four patients admitted to a psychogeriatric unit were given a combination of four different cognitive tests: the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Abbreviated Mental Test Score, The Felix Post Unit Score and the compilation of tests recommended by the MRC Alzheimer's Disease Workshop. The tests were compared with respect to their ability to sort accurately cases of dementia and depression, and the effects of age and education on test score and misclassification rate with diagnosis controlled for. The MMSE had a very high misclassification rate for the poorly educated and depressed group. The logistical discriminant functional analysis selected only eight items as the best discriminators between organic/ functional or dementia/depression groups. Only one of these eight was not either a memory or orientation test. The value of simply adding up tests of different aspects of cognitive function in dementia assessment or screening is questioned.     

The temporal pattern of recovery of myocardial perfusion and metabolism delineated by positron emission tomography after coronary thrombolysis

Recovery of mechanical function by ischemic myocardium is dependent on the restoration of nutritive blood flow and oxidative metabolism subsequent to reperfusion. To characterize the time course and extent of recovery of perfusion and metabolism, we used positron emission tomography with 15O-labeled water and 11C-labeled palmitate to sequentially study six dogs after 2 hr of ischemia followed by reperfusion for 4 wk. Myocardial blood flow in the ischemic region increased from 15 +/- 8% of normal during coronary occlusion to 82 +/- 25% 1 hr after reperfusion. Despite maintained coronary patency documented angiographically, flow was reduced after 24 hr to 37 +/- 16% of normal. This decrease was temporary, with flow returning to 66 +/- 11%, 62 +/- 7%, and 64 +/- 18% of normal after 1, 2, and 4 wk of reperfusion, respectively. Uptake of 11C-labeled palmitate paralleled alterations in perfusion during ischemia and early reperfusion, averaging 32 +/- 15% of normal during ischemia, and 67 +/- 22% and 36 +/- 10% after 1 and 24 hr of reperfusion. After that, palmitate uptake was more variable. Flow and fatty acid uptake after 4 wk of reperfusion were not related to collateral flow during ischemia or the extent of initial reperfusion. However, uptake of palmitate 1 hr after reperfusion was a strong predictor of the uptake of palmitate 4 wk after reperfusion (r = 0.86, p less than 0.03). The results indicate that positron emission tomography with 15O-labeled water and 11C-labeled palmitate may be useful for assessing the success of recanalization in restoring nutritive perfusion and fatty acid metabolism and that the uptake of [11C]palmitate early after reperfusion predicts the ultimate salvage of myocardium.     

Effect of depressive symptoms on survival after heart transplantation

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the value of preoperative self-reported assessment for depression and anxiety in patients who had undergone heart transplantation (HTx). The initial sample was divided into subgroups of patients with ischemic (ICMP) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP). Patient depression and anxiety scores were measured in both subgroups and their impact on pre- and postoperative mortality investigated. METHOD: An initial sample of 152 patients with either ICMP (N = 57) or DCMP (N = 95) and end-stage heart disease awaiting heart transplantation were assessed in a multidimensional longitudinal study, including psychological and somatic variables. One hundred and three patients received a HTx and were followed up for a mean of 4.4 years. Proportional hazard models were computed to test for the influence of psychosocial and somatic factors on outcome. RESULTS: Preoperative depression and state anxiety scores were significantly higher in the ICMP group. In addition to donor and recipient age, ICMP patients in the preoperative high depression group also showed a significantly higher mortality after HTx. This result remained significant even after controlling for sociodemographic and somatic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patient self-reported depression, but not anxiety, can contribute to the identification of subgroups of patients with an unfavorable outcome after HTx. It therefore may be helpful to screen for depression, particularly in patients with an ischemic cause of their end-stage heart disease. Specific intervention programs should be further developed and evaluated.