Simple method for "hot-starting" RT-PCR.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S A Rodriguez.
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OBJECTIVE: Infusion of ANP in anephric dogs causes a decrease in cardiac output and a rise in peripheral vascular resistance. This reduced cardiac output is possibly related to increased resistance to venous return generated in the microcirculation by venular constriction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in healthy volunteers the effects of low-dose ANP infusion on both conjunctival and skin microcirculation during high or low salt diet. METHODS: ANP (7.5 ng/kg/min) and placebo were infused (i.v.) for 4 h, in random order on two separate days, in two groups of 10 healthy male volunteers each. One group was studied during high salt (ad libitum), and one group during low salt (55 mmol Na+/24 h) diet. Microvascular density and diameters of both conjunctiva and nailfold were studied using intravital videomicroscopy. Nailfold capillary red blood cell velocity (CBV) was studied using intravital videomicroscopy, and skin (thermoregulatory) blood flow (SBF) was studied using laser-Doppler fluximetry. RESULTS: In the high salt group ANP induced a 43% reduction in basal SBF as compared to an 18% reduction by placebo (P < 0.01). Parallel to SBF, ANP significantly reduced CBV (P < 0.02). Conjunctival capillary density decreased by 5% during ANP, while it increased by 28% during placebo (P < 0.05). No such effects of ANP were observed in the low salt group. Blood pressure and heart rate were not influenced by ANP infusion in neither group. CONCLUSION: Infusion of low doses of ANP into humans on an ad libitum salt diet results in vasoconstriction of the microcirculation, probably on the venular side. The lack of effect of ANP on the microcirculation during low salt diet may be related to a higher vascular tone prior to infusion.
BACKGROUND: The issue as to whether white coat hypertension is a pathologically significant entity, with associated target organ changes, or that the condition carries the same risk for target organ involvement as normotension, is undecided. Previous studies which have shown pathological correlates between white coat hypertension and target organ damage have not controlled for the most obvious confounder, mean 24 h blood pressure (BP). METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study we retrospectively identified 33 age and sex-matched pairs, one group with normal BP, the other with white coat hypertension. The white coat hypertensive group showed significantly greater left ventricular mass indexed for body surface area than normal controls (99.0 g/m2 vs 78.3 g/m2, P < 0.001). The population was then further matched for 24-h mean BP (20 pairs), and was again compared for cardiac muscle changes. The significantly increased left ventricular mass index in the white coat population remained after controlling for 24-h mean BP (101.1 g/m2 vs 81.0 g/m2, P < 0.021). CONCLUSION: White coat hypertension is indeed associated with a larger left ventricular muscle mass than normotensives and these changes are independent of the actual 24-h BP load, and may reflect increased BP lability, sympathetic nervous system derangement, or a genetic propensity in people with white coat hypertension to stress-related hypertensive reactions, as part of a pre-hypertensive state.