Data from animal studies and clinical trials indicate that aldosterone causes cardiovascular and renal injury through mineralocorticoid receptor-dependent mechanisms. However, although aldosterone receptor antagonism reduces mortality in patients with congestive heart failure, the progestational and antiandrogenic side effects of the nonspecific aldosterone receptor antagonist, spironolactone, ...

• Monographs for unlicensed drugs/indications must not be circulated to prescribers. • Not to be used for commercial purposes. • The information contained herein will be superseded in due course. • Copyright UKMIPG 2002. Date Published:December 2003 Monograph Number:3/03/05 Region of Origin to whom queries should be directed:West Midlands/National Prescribing Centre NEW DRUGS IN CLINICAL DEVELO...

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of eplerenone on hepatic fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in rat. Low- (1.0 mg/kg body weight, BW) and high- (4.0 mg/kg BW) dose eplerenone was administered orally for 21 days immediately following BDL. Fibrosis was assessed by measuring the fibrotic area after Sirius red staining. Immunostaining for alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), 4...

BACKGROUND LCI699, a novel inhibitor of aldosterone synthase, reduces serum aldosterone, and may have benefit in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed the first double-blind, randomized trial with LCI699 in patients with primary hypertension. We randomized 524 patients to LCI699 0.25 mg once daily (n=92), 0.5 mg once daily (n=88), 1.0 mg once daily (n=86), and 0.5 mg...

We investigated the role of nuclear factor B (NFB) in the cytokine-mediated induction of cyclooxygenase-2 activity in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN), a critical cardiovascular and autonomic center, in rats with heart failure (HF). Sprague–Dawley rats underwent coronary artery ligation to induce HF or sham surgery. HF rats were treated orally for 6 weeks with vehicle (tap wate...

Recent clinical studies implicate proteinuria as a key prognostic factor for renal and cardiovascular complications in hypertensives. The pathogenesis of proteinuria in hypertension is, however, poorly elucidated. Podocytes constitute the final filtration barrier in the glomerulus, and their dysfunction may play a pivotal role in proteinuria. In the present study, we examined the involvement of...

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have direct cardioprotective properties, because these drugs reduce mortality in patients with heart failure. In murine models of myocardial infarction, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists reduce infarct size. Using gene deletion and pharmacological approaches, it has been shown that extracellular formation of the e...

AIMS Aldosterone plays a crucial role in cardiovascular disease. 'Systemic' inhibition of its mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) decreases atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Obesity, an important cardiovascular risk factor, is an inflammatory disease associated with increased plasma aldosterone levels. We have investigated the role of the 'endothelial' MR in obesity-ind...

Blocking brain mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) reduces the high circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in heart failure (HF) rats. TNF-alpha and other proinflammatory cytokines activate neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons, by inducing cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 activity and synthesis of prostaglandi...