Search

SUMMARYObjectives:The revascularization procedures become more and more popular to treat coronary artery disease, in many countries. Some patients are free of angina after revascularization, without any documented re-stenosis present with recurrent angina symptoms after a period of time. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of trimetazidine in the subpopulation of patients with a history of PTCA or CABG, who were included in the TRIMPOL II study.Methodology:A subgroup of 94 patients was retrospectively analysed from the Trimpol II study, a multicentre, double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial in 426 patients with stable effort angina. These patients have a history of revascularization for coronary artery disease, and they are still symptomatic after 6 months despite a treatment with metoprolol (50 mg twice daily). They were randomly allocated to receive either trimetazidine (20 mg 3 times daily) or placebo for 12 weeks, on top of the β-blocker. Exercise test parameters, clinical efficacy and safety were assessed. Results were analysed using the Student test, the Mann–Whitney test or the Shapiro–Wilk test.Results:Compared to placebo, the 12-week treatment with trimetazidine significantly improved: time to 1 mm ST segment depression (385.1 s ± 144.6 s versus 465.0 s ± 143.8 s [p< 0.01]); exercise test duration (466.9 s ± 144.8 s versus 524.4 s ± 131.5 s [p 0.048]), total workload (9.0 m.e. ± 2.4 m.e versus 10.1 m.e. ± 2.4 m.e [p 0.035]) as well as time to onset of angina (433.6 s ± 164 s versus 508.1 s ± 132.4 s [p 0.031]). Weekly number of angina attacks and nitrate consumption were significantly reduced in the trimetazidine group when compared to placebo. Three mild gastro-intestinal side-effects were reported in the trimetazidine group.Conclusion:These results show that trimetazidine provides anti-anginal efficacy in post-revascularized patients with recurrent angina despite a monotherapy with metoprolol. The treatment was well accepted.

It is known that, in postmenopausal women, estrogen deficiency is associated with disturbances in lipid metabolism and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, while estrogen replacement therapy has beneficial effects on both these parameters. However, the role that androgens play in the development of coronary artery disease in adult men is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not there was a correlation between plasma androgens and angiogrrahically defined coronary arteriosclerosis in men. A total of 201 non-obese men aged 28-60 years (mean, 48.1 years; SE ± 5.7 years) with coronary heart disease (CHD) were included in the study.Plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), lipids and lipoproteins were determined. Arteriosclerotic lesions in the 201 patients with CHD were assessed by determining the score of coronary arterial narrowing on coronary angiograms. When comparing plasma DHEAS and testosterone levels among coronary arteriosclerosis groups with progressively increasing degrees of arteriosclerotic lesions, a negative correlation was found between both of these hormones and the level of arteriosclerosis. A positive correlation was demonstrated between serum lipoprotein(a) concentrations and the degree of arteriosclerotic lesions. Lower concentrations of DHEAS and testosterone were found in those men with more severe arteriosclerotic lesions.These results suggest that, in men, androgens may play a preventive role in the development of coronary arteriosclerosis.

Thrombosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction and stroke. It is known that a decrease in estradiol plasma concentration in postmenopausal women results in an increase in fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) concentrations, whereas estradiol replacement therapy decreases the plasma concentrations of these factors. In men, the risk of developing myocardial infarction is higher than in premenopausal women. However, the role of male sex hormones in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis, although the subject of many studies, has not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the plasma levels of and correlation between androgens, insulin, coagulation and fibrinolytic factors in men with coronary arteriosclerosis with and without a history of myocardial infarction. The study was carried out in a group of 109 non-obese men, aged 28-60 years, with coronary artery disease demonstrated by coronary angiography. In this group, 64 men had a history of one myocardial infarction and ten reported two or more such episodes. The control group consisted of 14 volunteers, who were healthy men aged 39-63 years with normal body weight. In men with coronary arteriosclerosis, the plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and testosterone were lower, whilst insulin, fibrinogen, PAI, PAI activity and lipoprotein(a) were higher in comparison with the group of healthy controls. We found that, in men with coronary arteriosclerosis, those with the highest incidence of infarction demonstrated the most advanced hyper-insulinism, had lower levels of DHEAS and testosterone, the highest fibrinogen plasma concentrations, as well as PAI-1, tPA and PAI activity. A positive correlation between insulin, PAI-1, tPA and fibrinogen has been shown. In conclusion, low androgen and high insulin concentrations, high PAI-1 and PAI activity, high tPA and fibrinogen concentration may be prognostic indicators of myocardial infarction in men with arteriosclerosis.

The stabilities of finely divided mineral suspensions were determined as functions of pH and concentrations of polyethylene oxide, sodium ligninsulfonate, sodium dodecylsulfate, and sodium oleate. In addition, the electrokinetic potentials of the minerals were determined under identical pH and additive concentration conditions. Flocculation or dispersion of the suspensions is discussed in terms of both the amount and manner of adsorption at the appropriate solid-liquid interface as it is influenced by additive concentration and pH.

In order to establish the role of insulin in the pathogenesis of lipid abnormalities in hyperandrogenic women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) 49 women aged 18 to 35 yr with a normal glucose tolerance test were studied. They were divided into two groups: 27 women with PCO (9 obese and 18 nonobese), and 22 healthy women (12 with simple obesity and 10 with normal body weight). In the PCO group, the fasting insulin levels and the insulin response to oral glucose load were higher than in the matched controls. Significantly lower levels of HDL2-cholesterol and higher levels of apolipoprotein B were observed in obese and non nonobese PCO patients. In obese women with PCO this was associated with lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-l (Apo A-l), whereas the levels of total triglycerides and VLDL-triglycerides (VLDL-TG) were increased. Multiple regression analysis in PCO women, after adjustment for age, body mass index and the levels of insulin and sex hormones, showed a strong positive correlation between the fasting insulin levels and total triglycerides and VLDL-TG, while a negative correlation was found between fasting insulin levels and apo A-l. These results indicate that hyperinsulinemia may play a role in the development of lipid disturbances in women with the PCO.

The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of iron ions on the electrokinetic behaviour of oxidized coal, the adsorption of sodium oleate and the oil agglomeration. Generally, an increase in iron species increases the positive value of the zeta potential of the oxidized coal in the acidic pH range. The addition of sodium oleate, which is converted to oleic acid at this pH range, causes a decrease in the positive value of the zeta potential of coal. Adsorption results indicated that sodium oleate adsorption on the surface of coal was higher in the presence of iron species, in aqueous solution. Also, oil agglomeration took place at lower sodium oleate concentrations.

In order to evaluate the effect of postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy on the plasma levels of the insulin-like growth factor-l (IGF-I) 12 postmenopausal women aged 44 to 59 years were studied. The control group consisted of 15 healthy premenopausal women aged 20-44 years. In the postmenopausal women the plasma levels of IGF-I, gonadotrophins and sex hormones were determined before and after 3 and 6 months cyclic replacement therapy with transdermal 17β-estradiol (E2100 μg patches applied twice weekly) combined with oral Chlormadinone acetate (2 mg daily for 7 days in each cycle). Basal levels of estradiol (E2), IGF-I, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), testosterone and androstenedione were lower, but gonadotropin levels were higher in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. In all the women studied age was inversely correlated with IGF-I levels (r=-0.793, p<0.001) and with DHEA-S concentrations (r=-0.435, p<0.02). In postmenopausal women transdermal estradiol administration restored the circulating E2levels to the early follicular range and increased the IGF-I levels (from 76.4+9.2 μg/l to 141.8±20.8 μg/l; p<0.01). Transdermal estradiol decreased gonadotrophin levels without changes in concentration of DHEA-S, testosterone, androstenedione and SHBG. In postmenopausal women before and during replacement therapy a positive correlation was found between estradiol and IGF-I concentrations (r=0.439, p<0.01). These results suggest that cyclic replacement therapy with transdermal 17β-estradiol in combination with Chlormadinone acetate given orally increase the plasma levels of IGF-I in postmenopausal women

The surface of Upper Freeport coal was oxidized by air at 150°C for up to 144 h, and the behavior of this coal during oil agglomeration was studied at various pH values. With increased oxidation time the surface concentration of both carboxyl and hydroxyl groups was increased, and the recovery of coal with a given amount of oil was decreased. Spherical agglomeration was possible only with the unoxidized or mildly oxidized coal. The effect of oxidation on the zeta potential and three-phase contact angle was studied as well as the relation between these parameters and the agglomeration behavior. The recovery of coal was also measured as a function of pH, oil dosage, and addition of the surface-active agents sodium oleate and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide. The results indicate that the relative oleophilic/hydrophilic nature of the coal surface is more important to the oil agglomeration process than the electrokinetic properties of the system.

The influence of some dispersant reagents on the sodium oleate adsorption on the salt minerals surface has been investigated at the vicinity of pH 10. The presence of sodium lignin sulfate and low molecular weight acrylic polymer Cataflot P-40 caused the decrease of surfactant adsorption in the low concentration region of sodium oleate. On the other hand, the addition of 1000 g/t of polyethylene oxide (MW 200 000) did not cause such a change. The special shape of the adsorption isotherms has been done by the bidimensional concentration of alkaline earth metals soaps on the carbonate minerals surfaces. The vertical steps of isotherms were shifted to the high sodium oleate concentration region when both sodium lignin sulfate and Cataflot P-40 were added to the dolomite and magnesite suspensions. This effect was not observed for the calcite-sodium oleate system. The discrepancy was explained by Die blockade of magnesite species by these dispersant reagents. Changes in electrokinetic and stability behavior of these systems have been correlated with the precipitation conditions of both calcium and magnesium oleate.

Reductive dissolution is like "biomining in reverse gear". Selected sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) can be used under anaerobic conditions - as in bioleaching - for metal recovery from oxide minerals and laterite. General assumptions of the BioSulphide(r) and Ferredox processes for nickel recovery from laterite ores and copper from acid mine drainage or waste water were presented.