Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011881 (diabetic nephropathy)
 10,836 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Favourable results with the use of inhibitors of the angiotension I-converting enzyme in the therapy not only of high-renin but also normo-renin and low-renin hypertension revived interest in research in the area of the renin-angiotensin (RAS) system. The use of classical radioimmunological, radiohistochemical receptor studies as well as of recent methods of molecular biology and pathology revealed that for the regulation of blood pressure and the extracellular volume and pathogenesis of hypertension not only RAS components in systemic blood are important but also local tissue RAS with an autocrine and paracrine action at the site of its origin. Cerebral RAS participates in the central cardiovascular regulation, in the control of the salt and water intake, the secretion of antidiuretic hormone and ACTH. In the cardiovascular apparatus RAS is responsible not only for vasoconstriction but it acts also as a growth factor promoting the development of cardiac and vascular hypertrophy. In the kidneys RAS decides on the blood flow, its distribution, glomerular filtration. Its excessive stimulation may contribute in arterial hypertension, diabetic nephropathy and in residual nephrons during chronic renal failure, to the change from functional hyperfiltration to irreversible structural damage of the nephron. Inhibitors of the converting enzyme not only reduce the peripheral vascular resistance in arterial hypertension but influence also the tissue production of angiotensin II and thus the regression of cardiovascular hypertrophy and progression of renal damage.
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PMID:[Renaissance of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathogenesis and therapy of arterial hypertension]. 280 32

Pituitary-adrenocortical axis is disturbed in patients with chronic renal failure. Such abnormalities have been described in diabetic patients, too. The studies were performed to answer the following questions: 1) Is there a difference in basal ACTH and cortisol plasma level between patients with diabetic nephropathy and normal subjects? 2) Does haemodialysis affect ACTH and cortisol plasma level in patients with diabetic nephropathy? 18 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 10 normal controls were the subjects of this study. Blood samples for ACTH and cortisol determination were collected from each patient with diabetic nephropathy four times: before haemodialysis from the arterial line of dialyzer (0a) after 60 minutes of haemodialysis from the arterial (60a) and the venous (60v) line of dialyzer and after 240 minutes of haemodialysis from the arterial line (240a). Blood samples from normal controls were collected at 6 a.m. to determine ACTH and cortisol level. All the diabetic patients were on chronic 4-hour-haemodialysis 3 times a week. An artificial kidney Fresenius 4008 E, polysulfone dialyzers F5 and acetate dialysing solution were used in the studies. Plasma samples were analyzed for cortisol and ACTH by RIA. The studies brought to following conclusions: 1) The basal ACTH plasma level is significantly higher in patients with diabetic nephropathy than in normal controls. There is no significant difference in cortisol plasma level between diabetic patients and the control group. 2) Haemodialysis effects significant decrease of ACTH in plasma of diabetic patients. There is no statistic significance in cortisol plasma level in diabetic patients during haemodialysis.
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PMID:[Effect of hemodialysis on the pituitary adrenocortical axis in patients with diabetic nephropathy]. 884 11

Edema develops as one of symptoms and signs in several endocrine disorders, and sometimes can be important clue in detecting the basal endocrine disorder. In patients with long-standing hypothyroidism, characteristic edematous skin changes develop and be called myxedema. In hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease, peripheral edema sometimes develop with or without heart failure. Severe eyelid puffiness composing Graves' ophthalmopathy and 'circumscribing myxedema', mostly in the pretibial regions, are also highly disease-specific disorders. In Cushing's syndrome, both adrenal and ACTH-dependent, peripheral edema is sometimes important sign leading suspicion of this syndrome. In diabetic patients, attention should be paid to edema constantly especially with nephropathy and hypertension. In diabetic nephropathy stage 3B, aggravation of renal function is often progressive. Recently the range of therapeutic options of glycemic controls has been extended with introduction of thiazolidinediones (TZDs). Weight gain and peripheral edema are recognized side effects of these drugs, particularly when used in combination with insulin. The potential risk of worsened heart failure should be taken into consideration when TZDs are used in patients with diabetes and heart diseases.
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PMID:[Edema in endocrine and metabolic diseases]. 1567 23