The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of volume overload on cardiac gene expression and the possible role of angiotensin AT1 receptor in such expression. Cardiac volume overload was prepared by abdominal aortocaval shunt in rats. Rats with aortocaval shunt were treated with 1) vehicle, 2) an angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist, CS-866 (10 mg/kg/d), or 3) an angiotensin-convert...

An 83 year old woman died suddenly from a paradoxical pulmonary embolus which had originated in an abdominal aortic aneurysm and embolised via an aortocaval fistula. This lesion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of embolic disease.

Vascular complications following spinal surgery are potentially fatal; however, fortunately they are rare. This risk is often focused on the close proximity of the surgical field to retroperitoneal structures. Prompt diagnosis is essential; however, bleeding is often occult, and this may therefore delay management of this condition. Despite previous reports many clinicians may not be aware of t...

We have compared measures of heart rate variability (HRV) in 15 women in late pregnancy before and 3 months after delivery and in 20 non-pregnant controls, to study the effect of aortocaval compression on autonomic nervous activity. Normalized high-frequency power was used as an index of vagal activity and the low-/high-frequency power ratio as index of sympathovagal balance. We found that the ...