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We investigated the antihypertensive effect of the angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibitor SQ 14225 in 12 hypertensive patients for periods of three to 24 weeks. Blood pressure decreased in all patients (from 177 +/- 8/110 +/- 2 to 136 +/- 6/88 +/- 2 mm Hg--mean +/- S.E.); oral doses ranged from 400 to 1000 mg daily. Concomitant effects noted were small increases in plasma potassium concentration and pulse rate. One patient experienced a transient febrile reaction. Plasma renin activity rose during treatment, plasma aldosterone decreased, and angiotensin-converting-enzyme activity was virtually eliminated. There was no significant correlation between pretreatment plasma renin activity and degree of blood-pressure fall with SQ 14225. The exact mechanisms contributing to the blood-pressure-lowering effect of this agent remain unclear. SQ 14225 is a promising new antihypertensive agent, effective in patients refractory to traditional medical therapy.

The human lymphocyte has been investigated regarding its function as a thyroid hormone target cell. Binding and deiodination of the thyroid hormones were determined after simultaneous incubation of 131I-labelled L-thyroxine (131I-T4) and 125I-labelled L-triiodothyronine (125I-T3) with lymphocytes from healthy subjects, from hyperthyroid and primary hypothyroid patients before and after treatment. The mean percentages of binding, 8.0 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- SEM) for 131I-T4, and 9.7 +/- 0.4 for 125I-T3 in the control group, were increased in the hyperthyroids to 10.1 +/- 0.4 and 12.7 +/- 0.6 respectively, and in the hypothyroids to 10.9 +/- 0.7 and 12.8 +/- 0.6. All elevated values returned to normal with successful treatment. The mean percentage of deiodination, 12.0 +/- 1.7 for 131I-T4, and 6.5 +/- 0.9 for 125I-T3 in the control group, showed a threefold increase in the hyperthyroid patients, to 35.9 +/- 3.2 and 20.2 +/- 1.9 respectively and remained unaltered in the hypothyroid patients. The values of successfully treated hyperthyroid patients were normal and those of the treated hypothyroid patients below normal.