[Effect of carvedilol on blood levels of cytokines and symptoms of heart failure in patients with postinfarction cardiac dysfunction.]. / Moduliruiushchee vliianie karvedilola na aktivatsiiu tsitokinov i regress serdechnoi nedostatochnosti u bol'nykh s postinfarktnoi disfunktsiei serdtsa.

Effect of 6 months treatment with carvedilol (25 mg/day) on blood levels of cytokines (interleukins 1alpha, 2, 6, 8, tumor necrosis factor alpha) and clinical symptoms of heart failure was studied in patients with cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction. Patients with NYHA class II heart failure, ejection fraction 50% and moderately lowered tolerance to physical exercise (n=21) initially had enhanced cytokine expression: blood content of interleukin (IL) 2 was 2.8 times, tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) 78%, IL-1alpha 60% above normal level. Therapy with carvedilol in this group was associated with decreases of Il-2 (-23.8%), TNFalpha (-16.7%), IL-1alpha (-12.5%) (p<0.05-0.01). This was accompanied by alleviation of clinical symptoms and improved exercise tolerance. Patients with NYHA class III heart failure (n=16) with low left ventricular ejection fraction (30+/-2.7%) and low exercise tolerance had high levels of all studied cytokines. Levels of IL-2, TNFalpha and IL-1alpha were most elevated (3.1, 2.8 and 2 times higher than normal values, respectively). Therapy with carvedilol was associated with improvement of clinical symptoms and exercise tolerance (+35%, p<0.05)), increase of ejection fraction (+15%, p<0.05), decrease of left ventricular end systolic volume (-17.5%, p<0.05), and lowering of blood levels of TNFalpha (-31%), IL-2 (-17.4%), IL-1alpha (-15.6%). However cytokine levels remained substantially elevated compared with normal values. Carvedilol was well tolerated, and did not cause negative metabolic effects or other complications.

[Antihypertensive and antiischemic effectiveness and safety of the AT1-receptor blocker irbesartranin arterial hypertension in patients with prior myocardial infarction]. / Antigipertenzivnaia i antiishemicheskaia effektivnost', bezopasnost' blokatora ATI-retseptora irbesartana pri arterial'noi gipertonii u perenesshikh infarkt bol'nykh.

Thirty males with prior myocardial infarction concurrent with arterial hypertension (AH) were examined to study the antihypertensive and antiischemic effects of the AT1-receptor blocker irbesartran. Group 1 comprised 12 (40%) patients with mild AH; Group 2 included 18 (60%) with moderate AH. In Group 2, the standard therapy with irbesartan in a single dose of 150 mg in the morning was supplemented by the beta1-adrenoblocker atenolol in the average daily dose of 31.25 mg. In Group 1 patients there were decreases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 28% and diastolic blood pressure (DBA) by 19% while in Group 2 receiving combined therapy with atenolol, SBP lowered on the average of 38.3 mm Hg of the baseline values and DBA became normal in 66.7% of the patients (p < 0.00). Thus, irbesartan provides good antihypertensive and antiischemic effects in patients with grade 1 AH; the combined therapy enhances the efficiency of treatment by 92% in patients with moderate AH.

[State of lipid peroxidation, blood antioxidant defense in patients with myocardial infarction aggravated by circulatory insufficiency]. / Sostoianie perekisnogo okisleniia lipidov, antioksidantnoi zashchity krovi u bol'nykh infarktom miokarda, otiagoshchennym nedostatochnost'iu krovoobrashcheniia.

AIM: To study free radical processes in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) aggravated by heart failure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty seven patients taken to the clinic within the first 5 hours of MI were examined. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) those with left ventricular failure-complicated IM (n = 25); 2) those with uncomplicated MI (n = 22). A control group included 17 apparently healthy males. The activity of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and blood antioxidative defense was determined in the patients' red blood cells prewashed off the plasma with saline solution at a temperature of 4 degrees C. RESULTS: The tension of free radical lipid oxidation mechanisms in patients with MI aggravated by circulatory insufficiency is followed by an increased antiradical activity. In patients with uncomplicated higher LPO activity is attended the less marked activation of antioxidative enzymes. The examinees were found to show a correlation of the global systolic function of the left ventricle with the concentration of LPO products and with the activity of antioxidative enzymes. CONCLUSION: More significant LP activation coupled with left ventricular systolic dysfunction was noted in patients with MI aggravated by acute heart failure.

[The role of intracardiac hemodynamic parameters in prognosis of cardiac failure in myocardial infarction patients]. / Znachenie pokazatelei vnutriserdechnoi gemodinamiki u bol'nykh infarktom miokarda v prognozirovanii razvitiia serdechnoi nedostatochnosti.

Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to study intracardiac hemodynamics (end systolic, end diastolic volumes and left atrial ejection fraction; end systolic, end diastolic volumes and left ventricular fraction; mean pressure in the pulmonary artery; myocardial mass of the left ventricle) in 49 patients 2, 10 and 30 days after onset of macrofocal myocardial infarction (MI). It was found that patients with and without cardiac failure after one year of the diseases significantly differed by volume and function of the left ventricle and atrium registered since MI day 2. Probability of cardiac failure in the postinfarction period may be estimated since the disease day 2 by an increase in the end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes and left ventricular ejection fraction. A restrictive type of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is one of the early prognostic criteria of cardiac failure in postinfarction period.