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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The regulation of contractile activity in smooth muscle cells involves rapid discrimination and processing of a multitude of simultaneous signals impinging on the membrane before an integrated functional response can be generated. The sarcolemma of smooth muscle cells is segregated into caveolar regions-largely identical with cholesterol-rich membrane rafts-and actin-attachment sites, localized in non-raft, glycerophospholipid regions. Here we demonstrate that selective extraction of cholesterol abolishes membrane segregation and disassembles caveolae. Simultaneous measurements of force and [Ca2+]i in rat ureters demonstrated that extraction of cholesterol resulted in inhibition of both force and intracellular Ca2+ signals. Considering the major structural reorganization of cholesterol-depleted sarcolemma, it is intriguing to note that decreased levels of membrane cholesterol are accompanied by a highly specific inhibition of phasic, but not tonic contractions. This implies that signalling cascades that ultimately lead to either phasic or tonic response may be spatially segregated in the plane of the sarcolemma. Replenishment of cholesterol restores normal contractile behavior. In addition, the tissue function is re-established by inhibiting the large-conductance K(+)-channel. Sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation in combination with Western blotting analysis demonstrates that its alpha-subunit is associated with detergent-resistant membranes, suggesting that the channel might be localized within the membrane rafts in vivo. These findings are important in understanding the complex signalling pathways in smooth muscle and conditions such as premature labor and hypertension.
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PMID:Membrane cholesterol regulates smooth muscle phasic contraction. 1513 49

Cortikosteroids, a hormons of adrenal glands have a influence to almost all organic sistems because of their antiinflamatory and immunosupressive effects. They are used in perinatology to accelerate lungs maturation in expected premature labour. The most frequent used corticosteroids are bethamethason and dexamethason, with useful effects: acceleration of growth of fetal lungs by ripening pneumocites type II and supression of creating secundary septs; by protection of brain from intraventricular haemorrhage and periventricular leucomalation; decreasing rate of rethinopathy and enterocolitis and ductus artheriosus persistens. By this way the mortality rate ofpreterm newborns is decreased in 60% of cases. Expected harmful effects of antenatal using of corticosteroids are: high blood pressure of newborns in first 24 hours after delivery, the possible oedema of lungs, in simultaneous using of corticosteroids and bethamimetic treatment. It is not recommended to repeat treatment by corticosteroids in same pregnancy because of hormonal influence to fetal growth and neurological development, till clear benefit is not proved.
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PMID:[The role of corticosteroids in the lungs' maturation in expected premature birth]. 1552 98

Epidemiologic studies have yielded controversial information regarding an association between antenatal steroid administration and elevations in arterial blood pressure (BP). The aim of the study was to determine whether antenatal administration of a clinically relevant dose of steroids at a time when fetal nephrogenesis is at its highest results in abnormal kidney development and adult hypertension. Pregnant sheep were treated with either vehicle or betamethasone. Maternal injections were given 24 h apart at 80 d of gestational age (dGA; 0.55 of gestation). Animals were studied either as fetuses or as immature adults. Fetuses were delivered by cesarean section at 135 dGA. Adults were studied at 6 mo of age. Betamethasone administration did not induce premature labor or intrauterine growth restriction. In the betamethasone-exposed group, we found at 135 dGA a 25.5% decrease in the number of glomeruli with no differences in fetal kidney weight. In adults, mean, systolic, and diastolic arterial BPs were significantly higher, whereas there were no significant differences in heart rate over the same study period. The major finding of this study is that a single course of antenatal steroids alters renal development and is associated with elevations in arterial BP in lambs at 6 mo of age. We conclude that antenatal glucocorticoid administration under the National Institutes of Health consensus guidelines may alter human fetal renal development.
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PMID:Alterations in fetal kidney development and elevations in arterial blood pressure in young adult sheep after clinical doses of antenatal glucocorticoids. 1614 65

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) administered to pregnant women infected with HIV diminishes the rate of perinatal viral transmission. This is true for mono-, bi-, or tri-therapy (HAART), with the greatest effects being seen in the latter case. Nevertheless, when these therapies are employed, potential risks to the mother and fetus must be considered. These risks include hyperglycemia, lactic acidosis, mitochondrial toxicity, cutaneous rash, hepatitis, hypertension, and premature labor. Elective caesarean section reduces the perinatal transmission of HIV in patients with or without monotherapy, but has not shown a benefit in patients on tri-therapy (HAART). This article reviews the evidence for and against antiretroviral therapy and elective caesarean section in the setting of HIV in pregnancy and proposes treatment guidelines for these patients.
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PMID:[Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in pregnancy: antiretroviral treatment (ART) and mode of delivery]. 1634 54

Progressive systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease with inflammation and fibrosis. Pregnant women with progressive systemic sclerosis have an increased risk for preterm births and probably for small-for-date babies. We report the case of a 28-year-old II G O P suffering from progressive systemic sclerosis with severe pulmonary fibrosis and affection of the oesophagus. She was admitted to hospital at 32 weeks of gestation with premature labour and cervical incompetence. At 34 weeks of gestation she was delivered by Caesarean section with spinal anaesthesia because of foetal growth arrest and decreased pulmonary function. The operation and the postoperative course were without any complications. Pregnant women with progressive systemic sclerosis have an increased risk for renal and pulmonary complications (hypertension, hypoxia). Therefore careful interdisciplinary obstetric monitoring is very important.
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PMID:[Progressive systemic sclerosis and pregnancy]. 1639 40

SUMMARY Concerns have been raised regarding the use of repeated courses of systemic glucocorticosteroids given to pregnant women with threatened premature labour to improve fetal lung maturity. Most worrying are animal studies showing detrimental effects on the developing brain, though human data to date are conflicting. Additional concerns relate to the fetal origins of adult diseases, particularly vascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. It is currently recommended that obstetricians give only a single course of antenatal corticosteroids to pregnant women to enhance lung maturity instead of giving repeated doses, which was previously a common practice. Other clinicians including dermatologists, gastroenterologists and rheumatologists may have reason to provide systemic glucocorticosteroids to pregnant women. Although systemic glucocorticosteroids all cross the placenta to some degree, the extent to which they do so depends on the drug involved. The choice of systemic glucocorticosteroid for the pregnant women in light of this evolving literature is discussed.
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PMID:Use of systemic glucocorticosteroids in pregnancy: be alert but not alarmed. 1640 80

Adolescent pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and fetal effects. Potential risk factors involve early dating behavior, early initiation of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, low academic interest, single-parent families and, above all, poverty. Girls younger than 18 years and not legally majors are psychologically and socially underdeveloped, presenting higher obstetrical risks. Maternal complications due to adolescent pregnancy include, among others: anemia; pregnancy induced hypertension; sexually transmitted diseases; and premature labor and delivery. The most common complications concerning the infant are related to: low birth weight, due either to prematurity or intrauterine growth restriction; infection; chemical dependence (due to maternal substance abuse); sudden infant death syndrome; and increased morbidity and mortality during the 1st year of age. In addition, education of teenage mothers on the importance of pre-and postnatal care can reduce the poor perinatal outcome of both mother and infant.
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PMID:Adolescent pregnancy and perinatal outcome. 1664 54

Nicardipine is a water soluble calcium channel antagonist, with predominantly vasodilatory actions. Intravenous (IV) nicardipine (Cardene IV), which demonstrates a relatively rapid onset/offset of action, is used in situations requiring the rapid control of blood pressure (BP). IV nicardipine was as effective as IV nitroprusside in the short-term reduction of BP in patients with severe or postoperative hypertension. A potential role for IV nicardipine in the intraoperative acute control of BP in patients undergoing various surgical procedures (including cardiovascular, neurovascular and abdominal surgery), and in the deliberate induction of reduced BP in surgical procedures in which haemostasis may be difficult (e.g. surgery involving the hip or spine) was demonstrated in preliminary studies. Preliminary studies also indicated the ability of a bolus dose of IV nicardipine to attenuate the hypertensive response, but not the increase in tachycardia, after laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation in anaesthetised patients. In large, well designed studies, IV nicardipine prevented cerebral vasospasm in patients with recent aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage; however, overall clinical outcomes at 3 months were similar to those in patients who received standard management. Small preliminary studies have investigated the use of IV nicardipine in a variety of other settings, including acute intracerebral haemorrhage, acute ischaemic stroke, pre-eclampsia, acute aortic dissection, premature labour and electroconvulsive therapy.In conclusion, the efficacy of IV nicardipine in the short-term treatment of hypertension in settings for which oral therapy is not feasible or not desirable is well established. The ability to titrate IV nicardipine to the tolerance levels of individual patients makes this agent an attractive option, especially in critically ill patients or those undergoing surgery. Potential exists for further investigation of the use of this agent in clinical settings where a vasodilatory agent with minimal inotropic effects is appropriate.
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PMID:Intravenous nicardipine: its use in the short-term treatment of hypertension and various other indications. 1697 41

This paper starts with a review of the metabolism of n-6 (omega6) and n-3 (omega3) fatty acids, the resulting eicosanoids (prostaglandins, leucotrienes, and thromboxanes), and the physiological functions they are involved in, with special emphasis on effects during pregnancy (such as possible benefits on fetal growth, prevention of hypertension of pregnancy, and prevention of premature labor). Attention is then turned to the key role for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), most notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in central nervous system and retinal cell membrane structure and in cerebral and retinal development. Massive maternofetal transfer of LCPUFAs occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy, so that maintaining an adequate intake of DHA during pregnancy is crucial. Preterm babies must receive sufficient amounts of DHA, either via breast milk or via formula supplemented with LCPUFAs, both of which prevent DHA levels from declining in blood and cerebral phospholipids. These two methods of achieving an adequate DHA intake ensure normal maturation of visual acuity and cognitive function, as shown by randomized controlled trials. Formula supplemented with fish oils rich in n-3 LCPUFAs but lacking a proportionate supply of arachidonic acid (ArA, 20: 4n-6) negatively affects somatic growth, confirming the need for an adequate ArA supply. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can also exert negative effects. Therefore, the best source of supplemental LCPUFAs may be oil from single-cell algae and microscopic fungi, which contains adequate amounts of DHA and ArA. In full term neonates, strong arguments support LCPUFA supplementation, despite continuing controversy generated by conflicting results from interventional studies. These discrepancies in study results may be ascribable to differences in study design, patient age, intervention duration, assessment tool sensitivity, and LCPUFA sources. In 1996, an amendment to the European Directive on infant formulas and follow-on formulas was developed to authorize LCPUFA supplementation and to specify appropriate ranges. As a result, formulas supplemented with DHA and ArA were introduced on the market. Pregnant and nursing women should be advised to maintain an adequate dietary intake of DHA in order to meet their increased needs and those of the fetus or infant.
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PMID:[Omega 3: is there a situation of deficiency in young children?]. 1707 23

Pre-eclampsia affects 6-10% of pregnancies and is one of the primary causes of premature birth. It is widely accepted that inappropriate placental development, combined with environmental factors, plays a major role in disease pathogenesis. The p57(Kip2) mouse is the only mouse model of pre-eclampsia that recapitulates the full spectrum of symptoms of the human disease, including placental abnormalities, hypertension, proteinuria and premature labour. In addition, pregnant females expressing wild-type levels of p57(Kip2) develop pre-eclampsia when carrying fetuses that lack p57(Kip2) expression. This demonstrates that either the fetus or the placenta causes the disease. Here, taking advantage of the unique genetics of the p57(Kip2) mouse, we have used full genome expression profiling to define the placental aspect of the p57(Kip2) phenotype at a molecular level and to conduct an unbiased search for factors involved in pre-eclampsia pathogenesis. During this analysis, we found that although mutant embryos demonstrate altered placental architecture and have histological changes indicative of reduced utero-placental blood flow, the p57(Kip2) pregnant females do not demonstrate hypertension or renal pathology. This suggests a model in which placental abnormalities cause pre-eclampsia only given other environmental variables. On the basis of this model, we expect that misregulation of molecular factors, while not able to cause a full spectrum of disease symptoms in this context, still occurs in these p57(Kip2) mutant mice. Our studies suggest a role for environmental factors in the p57(Kip2) pre-eclampsia phenotype and have identified several candidates for pre-eclampsia predisposition in this model, including known regulators of blood pressure, inflammation and apoptosis.
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PMID:Genome-wide expression profiling of placentas in the p57Kip2 model of pre-eclampsia. 1728 31


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