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Ten milligrams nifedipine was administered orally to young and old persons with or without hypertension, and the acute effects of nifedipine on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system were studied one half to 3 hours later. Nifedipine reduced blood pressure and increased pulse rate in young and old persons with or without hypertension. Simultaneously, nifedipine produced a significant increase of plasma renin activity in young persons with or without hypertension but failed to do so in old persons with or without hypertension. As a result, angiotensin I and II increased significantly in young persons but not in old persons. Hydralazine elevated aldosterone concentration by stimulating the renin-angiotensin system but nifedipine failed to do so despite its effect on the renin-angiotensin system in young individuals. Since calcium is required to secrete aldosterone, it is suggested that nifedipine blocked aldosterone secretion by the agent's calcium antagonizing action.

We studied the clinical usefulness of ofloxacin (OFLX) in 13 patients with chronic respiratory tract diseases aggravated by acute infections with identified causative bacteria. 1. Overall clinical efficacies were: highly effective 5, effective 6, slightly effective 2, and ineffective none, showing an efficacy rate of 84.6%. 2. In 6 patients with fever of over 37 degrees C, time lengths in days for symptoms to have been alleviated due to OFLX treatment were; 1 day: 4 cases, 3 days: 1 case and 5 days: 1 case (2.0 days on average). 3. As to bacterial transitions, in 9 of 10 patients Haemophilus influenzae was eliminated and in 1 patient it was substituted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 3 patients Branhamella catarrhalis was eliminated and in 1 patient, the number of P. aeruginosa was reduced. OFLX is expected to have a potent bacteriological effect on H. influenzae and B. catarrhalis. 4. As to side effects, 1 of the 13 patients (7.7%) complained of discomfort in the epigastrium. This discomfort disappeared when a gastric mucosa protective agent was administered. There was no abnormality in laboratory test values. Judging from the above results, we consider OFLX a useful drug for the treatment of patients with chronic respiratory tract diseases aggravated by acute infections.

We examined the hypersecretory function of the isolated, blood-perfused pancreas of dogs with experimentally obstructive jaundice. There was no difference in basal pancreatic secretion between control dogs and obstructively jaundiced dogs. Secretin- or pancreozymin-stimulated increase in total values for pancreatic juice flow, bicarbonate, protein and amylase were greater in dogs with obstructive jaundice than in control dogs; however, concentrations of bicarbonate, protein and amylase were unchanged in each group. Acetylcholine-stimulated increase in total values and concentrations of these factors were the same in dogs with obstructive jaundice and controls. These data suggest that hypersensitivity of the pancreas to secretin and pancreozymin may be one of the main mechanisms of pancreatic hypersecretion.