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The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias during exercise testing, jogging, and sedentary life with and without preceding exercise was studied with the aid of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in healthy physically active men, healthy sedentary men, and men with previous myocardial infarction (15 men in each group). Ventricular premature beats of the same grade were found during exercise testing and jogging in ten of the 15 healthy physically active men, in ten of the 15 healthy sedentary men, and in eight of the 15 men with previous myocardial infarction. When unifocal ventricular premature beats were omitted, the corresponding figures were 14/15, 11/15, and 15/15, respectively. Healthy physically active men had less ventricular arrhythmias in all of the tested situations. The greatest number and also the highest grades of ventricular arrhythmias during the exercises were found in healthy sedentary men, whereas the men with previous myocardial infarction had ventricular arrhythmias more during sedentary life.

The effect of Su-4885 on the hypothalamo-hypophyseal neurosecretory system of the rat was studied by histological means. No changes in the amount of the neurosecretory material or in the activity of the neurosecretory ganglion cells could be observed. It was concluded that the release of ACTH and the activity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system do not go in parallel.

The effect of synthetic Val 5 -Angiotensin on urine volume and urinary sodium and chloride levels was studied in 10 patients with aortic coarctation. During angiotensin infusion, the volume of urine and the urinary sodium and chloride decreased in 9 cases. The change was similar to that seen in normotensive subjects and opposite that in patients with renal hypertension.

A case of the Romano-Ward syndrome in a 26-year-old woman is reported. The patient presented on account of recurrent ep sodes of syncope. The electrocardiogram showed a grossly abnormal T-U-wave complex producing apparent great prolongation of the Q-T interval. This was mostly due to fusion of the abnormally prominent U wave with the T wave. Hemodynamic studies showed normal structure and function of the heart, which, however, was exceptionally liable to develop ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation.

Following administration of 0.15 mg of 17α-ethynyl-oestra-1, 3, 5 (10)-triene-3, 17β-diol 3-methyl ether (=Mestranol) +5 mg of 17α-ethynyl-oestr-4-ene-17β-ol (=Lynestrenol=Orgametril, Organon) (both components=1 tablet of Lyndiol, Organon) daily to 16 postmenopausal women for 2 weeks significant increases in serum transaminases, copper, non-coeruloplasmin copper, coeruloplasmin, γ-glutamyl peptidase and α1-globulins were noted. When treatment with 0.15 mg of the oestrogen was continued for another two weeks a significant decrease of serum albumin was noted as compared with the pretreatment level and the total copper, coeruloplasmin, and α1-globulin values continued to increase. When, in another group of subjects, the Mestranol+Lynestrenol treatment was followed by treatment with 5 mg of the progestogen for two weeks, the albumin value did not decrease and the copper, coeruloplasmin, α1-globulins, and γ-glutamyl peptidase values remained unchanged. However, in the group treated with Mestranol + Lynestrenol...

SUMMARY The effect of experimental renal hypertension on the hypothalamo-hypophysial neurosecretory system was studied histologically. The amount of neurosecretory material decreased, especially in the neurohypophysis. A marked reduction in the nuclear volume of the neurosecretory ganglion cells occurred, while that of the cells of the other hypothalamic nuclei investigated remained unchanged. The results suggest that the activity of the neurosecretory system is diminished in the experimental conditions used.

Liver-function tests were studied in 40 postmenopausal women receiving synthetic steroids. 10 received .15 mg mestranol daily 10 received 5 mg lynestrenol 10 received .05 mg 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol and 10 received 4 mg megestrol acetate daily. In the 2nd phase of the test the estrogen groups had the progestin compound added and the progestin group had the estrogen added. However 4 serious thromboembolic phenomena during this phase and therapy was discontinued. The subjects were aged 52-78 years and used no drugs known to produce intrahepatic cholestasis. Laboratory tests included serum total bilirubin thymol turbidity alkaline phosphatase serum asp artate transaminase serum alanine transaminase serum cholesterol prothrombin index and bromsulphthalein retention (BSP). All tests were normal with ethinyl estradiol; 1 of the 10 showed slight BSP retention increase when megestrol acetate was added. In 5 of 9 treated with mestranol there developed increased BSP and in 1 of this group elevated serum transaminases levels occurred. 8 of the 10 lynestrenol women showed increased BSP retention. When treatment was continued with the combination of lynestrenol-mestranol BSP retention increased still further in the 4 of 6 women still in the study and in this group serum transaminases were most clearly elevated.

A coagulation factor analysis was performed in 50 thyrotoxic and 22 control patients. The results showed a distinct fall in 4 different coagulation factors, viz., prothrombin and factors VII, IX and X in the thyrotoxic group. No changes were observed in the other coagulation factors and no correlation was found between the coagulation disturbances and the severity or duration of the disease.

To assess the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition with quinapril on blood lipid profile, serum total cholesterol and triglycerides, together with high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were analysed in 23 hypertensive patients receiving either placebo (7 patients) or quinapril hydrochloride (16 patients). After 12 weeks of therapy there were no significant changes in blood lipids in either group. No unfavourable changes in blood lipid profile were observed even after 1 year of therapy with quinapril hydrochloride in 13 patients.

One hundred and four digitalized patients with chronic heart failure (71 females, 33 males, mean age 62 years) earlier treated with diuretics were administered 50 mg hydroclorothiazide b.i.d. for six weeks. Serum potassium and magnesium values and ECG were followed throughout the study. Total body potassium was determined at the end. Serum potassium fell below 3.6 mmoll-1 in 46% of the patients during the treatment. Hypokalemia (S-K ≤ 3.5 mmoll-1) was more common in females, in patients with initially low potassium values and in patients with a simultaneous concomitant decrease in serum magnesium values. The ECG-changes and symptoms of defective potassium balance were attributable to serum potassium rather than to total body potassium. There were no differences in total body potassium nor in the daily dietary intake of potassium and magnesium between normokalemic and hypokalemic patients. The daily dietary intake seems sufficient to maintain normokalemia if a patient has no tendency to develop hypokalemia. On the other hand, subjects prone to hypokalemia should be administered potassium supplementation or potassium sparing agents. Some patients seem to require magnesium supplementation, too, in order to maintain their potassium balance.

The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias during exercise testing, jogging, and sedentary life with and without preceding exercise was studied with the aid of ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring in healthy physically active men, healthy sedentary men, and men with previous myocardial infarction (15 men in each group). Ventricular premature beats of the same grade were found during exercise testing and jogging in ten of the 15 healthy physically active men, in ten of the 15 healthy sedentary men, and in eight of the 15 men with previous myocardial infarction. When unifocal ventricular premature beats were omitted, the corresponding figures were 14/15, 11/15, and 15/15, respectively. Healthy physically active men had less ventricular arrhythmias in all of the tested situations. The greatest number and also the highest grades of ventricular arrhythmias during the exercises were found in healthy sedentary men, whereas the men with previous myocardial infarction had ventricular arrhythmias more during sedentary life.