Augmented expression of cardiac atrial natriuretic peptide system in hypertensive rats

The present study was aimed at investigating the regulation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) system in association with either enhanced or attenuated activity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The cardiac tissue mRNA and peptide levels of ANP were measured in rats with two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) or deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. Plasma renin concentration was increased in 2K1C hypertension along with increases of renin mRNA and protein contents in the clipped kidney. On the contrary, it was suppressed in DOCA-salt hypertension along with decreases of renin mRNA and protein contents in the remaining kidney. The plasma ANP concentration was similarly increased in both models of hypertension. The cardiac tissue ANP contents were not significantly changed, but the tissue ANP mRNA levels were upregulated in the hypertrophied heart in these two models of hypertension. It is suggested that the cardiac ANP system is transcriptionally enhanced by cardiac hypertrophy associated with hypertension, independent of the systemic RAS.

Tumor Markers in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure / 대한내과학회지

OBJECTIVES: Tumor markers have been clinically used to diagnose and monitor the progression of various tumor or to assess their response to therapy. This study focuses on the evaluation of tumor markers in Chronic renal failure patients, compared with normal controls. METHODS: The following 9 kinds of serum tumor markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), squamaus cell carcinoma-related antigen(SCC), CYFRA 21-1, CA(carbohydrate antigen) 125, CA 19-9, alpha-fetoprotein(AFP), prostate specific antigen(PSA), human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) and CA 72-4 were measured in 56 persons without chronic renal failure(CRF) as controls, in 132 patients with chronic renal failure(56 patients on conservative management, 41 patients on chronic hemodialysis, and 35 patients on CAPD) who did not present any evidences of neoplasia. RESULTS: 1) The mean level of CEA in CRF patients was significantly higher than that of controls(p<0.001), and that of CRF patients on hemodialysis was significantly higher than that of patients on conservative management(p<0.05). 2) The mean level of SCC in CRF patients was significantly higher than that of controls(p<0.001), and the mean levels of SCC did not differ significantly among three groups of CRF patients. 3) The mean level of CYFRA in CI4F patients was significantly higher than that of controls(p<0.001), and that of CRF patients on hemodialysis was significantly higher than those of patients on conservative management and on CAPD respectively (p<0.05). 4) The mean level of CA 125 in CRF patients was significantly higher than that of controls (p<0.001), and that of CRF patients on CAPD was significantly lower than that of controls(p<0.05). 5) Positive percent for CYFRA 21-1 in all CRF patients was 89.7%, and SCC 82.9%, CEA 60.3%, CA 125 48%, CA 19-9 22.4%, PSA 7.9%, CA 72-4 6.1%, hCG 4.7% and AFV 3.2% respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that tumor markers such as CEA, SCC, CYFRA 21-1, CA 19-9 and CA 125 are elevated above reference values in a substantial number of patients according to the reference values commonly used in normal persons, making them unreliable for monitoring malignancies in uremic patients. While the other tumor markers such as AFP, PSA, hCG and CA 72-4 are reliable for the same purpose. These results must be taken into account when serum levels of tumor markers are measured in CRF patients