Parameters for assessing the aquatic environmental impact of cosmetic products.

The cosmetic industry's growing concern about the impact of its supply chain on the environment, sustainability of raw materials, and biodiversity increases the need to ensure that the final product has a lower environmental impact. The objective of this review is to summarize and compare the information available from international organizations and legislation regarding the main criteria used to assess raw materials for aquatic toxicity, as well as the most suitable alternative methods for obtaining assessment parameters. Using the literature available in databases, a review of the scientific literature and international legislation, this work discusses and compares the parameters established by international organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Cradle to Cradle (C2C), as well as European legislation, namely, European Regulation 1272/2008, for assessing environmental impact. Defining the ecotoxicity parameters of the main classes of raw materials in rinse-off cosmetic products can enable the development of products that are more environmentally sustainable, prioritizing substances with less environmental impact.

Usefulness of serial radionuclide monitoring during graded nitroglycerin infusion for unstable angina pectoris for determining left ventricular function and individualized therapeutic dose.

Using serial invasive hemodynamics in concert with noninvasive radionuclide monitoring of left ventricular (LV) function, 20 patients with unstable angina were evaluated during incremental infusion of intravenous nitroglycerin. Of 20 patients, 17 demonstrated a favorable hemodynamic response and dose responses could be determined for individual patients. There was excellent agreement between hemodynamic and noninvasive radionuclide measurements, and patient responses could be inferred from the radionuclide data alone. Cardiac output improved by 29% (mean 4.7 +/- 1.2 to 6.0 +/- 1.3), LV ejection fraction increased an average of 0.11 (0.39 +/- 0.14 to 0.50 +/- 0.16) and diastolic function as assessed by peak filling rate improved from 1.80 +/- 0.60 end-diastolic volumes/s to 2.70 +/- 0.90. Changes in systolic blood pressure and heart rate were not predictive of hemodynamic response. The dose of nitroglycerin necessary to produce maximal hemodynamic benefit was variable (mean 98 micrograms/min, range 48 to 144). In 7 patients, nitroglycerin caused excessive decreases in pulmonary arterial wedge pressure and adverse hemodynamics that corrected with intravenous fluids, allowing continued administration of intravenous nitroglycerin with improvement in hemodynamic status. In 15 patients, peak systolic pressure--end-systolic volume relations were assessed to define possible changes in LV contractility induced during nitroglycerin infusion. In 12 of these patients, this relation was linear, suggesting altered loading rather than augmented contractility as nitroglycerin's mechanism of action. In 3 patients a downward and rightward shift of the systolic relation was seen, suggesting that significant underloading with nitroglycerin was associated with depressed contractility.

Prostaglandin E2 analogue elicits renal and hormonal compensatory mechanisms in human hypertension.

Endogenous prostaglandin E2 appears to play an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. When administered exogenously, it is a potent vasodilator, but the requirement for intravenous administration and its short duration of action have limited studies to its acute effects. A novel prostaglandin E2 analogue, CL 115347, can be administered transdermally on a long-term basis. The cardiovascular responses to the chronic administration of CL 115347 were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 26 subjects with essential hypertension (16 given drug, 10 placebo) maintained on a 100-mEq sodium diet. Administration of CL 115347 produced a fall in diastolic blood pressure of 7.8 +/- 1.3 mm Hg, compared with a 2.3 +/- 1.7 mm Hg fall in controls (p = 0.02), with no change in heart rate. The direct vascular effect of the drug was confirmed by attenuation of the vasoconstrictor response to angiotensin II infusion (13.4 +/- 3.1 vs 21 +/- 2 mm Hg at 3.0 ng/kg/min; p less than 0.05). However, the chronic blood pressure effect of CL 115347 was modest. Subjects receiving active drug showed significant compensatory increases in plasma renin, aldosterone, and norepinephrine levels accompanied by sodium retention and kaliuresis. In summary, chronic administration of this prostaglandin E2 analogue resulted in a modest decrease in blood pressure and antagonism of angiotensin II-mediated vasoconstriction. However, its effects were largely offset by compensatory increases in vasoconstrictor hormones and sodium retention.

Intact systolic left ventricular function in clinical congestive heart failure.

Clinical congestive heart failure (CHF) is traditionally associated wtih significant left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Over a 1-year period, 58 patients with CHF and intact systolic function (LV ejection fraction [EF] 62 +/- 11%) were identified. An objective clinical-radiographic CHF score was used to document the clinical impression. Based on radionuclide evaluation of peak filling rate, 38% of these patients were found to have a significant abnormality in diastolic function as measured by peak filling rate (less than 2.50 end-diastolic volume/s). An additional 24% of the patients had probable diastolic dysfunction with borderline abnormal peak filling rate measurements (2.5 to 3.0 end-diastolic volume/s). The disease states most frequently associated with CHF and intact systolic function were coronary artery disease and systemic hypertension. During a 3-month sampling period 42% of patients with clinical diagnosis of CHF referred to the nuclear cardiology laboratory were found to have intact systolic function; thus, intact systolic function is not uncommon in patients with clinical CHF. Abnormal diastolic function is the most frequently encountered mechanism for the occurrence of CHF. Definition of systolic and diastolic function appears relevant for development of optimal therapeutic strategies for the treatment of patients with CHF.