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Dirofilaria repens (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) is the causative agent of canine subcutaneous dirofilariosis. Adults of D. repens localize in the subcutaneous tissues and fasciae and most of the infected animals are asymptomatic though dermatological disorders have been described sporadically. In this study, the gonads of 100 male dogs were inspected for D. repens presence from December 2020 to January 2022. All examined dogs were older than 48 months and underwent castration for several reasons. The testes and the superficial layers were examined with the aid of stereomicroscope; in addition, the blood of all included dogs was collected and analysed by Knott's test to assess the presence of microfilariae. Six out of 100 (6 %, CI95%, 2.2-12.6 %) examined dogs were positive for D. repens presence, and in all the cases the parasites were found beneath the tunica vaginalis layers. Microfilariae were found in 15 blood samples including 5 out of those 6 testes positive dogs thus resulting in a final D. repens prevalence of 16 % (CI95%: 9.4-24.7 %). No pathological changes and or lesions due to parasite presence were observed in the testes or in their layers. The present study represents the first survey focusing on the detection of D. repens in dog testes on a large sample size. Adult parasites were found in the testes of 6 out of 16 D. repens infected dogs accounting for 37.5 % of cases and suggesting as testicular localization is not uncommon. The absence of neoplastic or inflammatory lesions in D. repens infected testes suggests as these conditions do not act as attractive stimuli for the parasite localization. Finally, considering the zoonotic potential of D. repens and the large infection prevalence here reported, active surveillance in endemic areas is strongly advocated to limit the presence of reservoir and prevent further infections to animals and humans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives and Design: Angiotensinogen (AGT) gene variants influence angiotensinogen plasma levels in children and young adults. The angiotensinogen promoter (-6)A variant facilitates gene transcription in human tissues and it has been associated with high blood pressure in older adults. A young adult population can be used as a model to study genotype/phenotype associations between AGT (-6) variants and cardiovascular variables., Methods and Results: Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and heart rate were taken in 422 white Caucasian students (mean age 23.5 years, SD 2.5 years). Family history for hypertension, physical activity and smoking history were evaluated. Left ventricular variables were measured by echocardiography. Carotid artery wall intimal-media thickness (IMT) was measured by high resolution sonography and digitalized morphometry. The AGT G(-6)A alleles were evaluated by mutagenically separated polymerase chain reaction controlled by direct sequencing. No significant associations were found between angiotensinogen genotype and blood pressure, cardiac variables [except for deceleration time in females which increased with the number of (-6)A alleles] and IMT. Allele frequencies were similar between the first and third tertile of blood pressure and left ventricular mass, and were also similar between negative or positive family history for hypertension (the last group having significantly higher systolic blood pressure in males, P = 0.04 and diastolic blood pressure in females, P < 0.01). Moreover, no relevant interaction on the cardiovascular variables was found between AGT genotype and body mass index., Conclusions: The angiotensinogen G(-6)A variants do not affect cardiovascular parameters in young adults, but an effect of this polymorphism on cardiovascular phenotype (and hypertension) in older adults cannot be excluded. Additional factors, associated with ageing, should be present to unleash the supposed unfavourable potential of the (-6)A angiotensinogen variant.

It has recently been shown that ischemia in collateral-dependent myocardium may develop at a very variable threshold in anginal patients; accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess whether nifedipine and diltiazem can increase blood flow to collateralized myocardium in man. Nine patients with complete coronary occlusion filled by collaterals, with no other coronary stenosis, normal left ventricular function, and reproducibly positive exercise tests were studied. They underwent exercise tests off therapy and after acute randomized administration of nifedipine (10 mg sublingually), diltiazem (120 mg orally), and nitroglycerin (0.5 mg sublingually), the latter a drug known to increase blood flow to collateralized myocardium. Following nifedipine, time to 1 mm ST segment depression increased significantly (from 430 +/- 176 to 576 +/- 205 seconds, p < 0.01), while heart rate and rate-pressure product remained unchanged (115 +/- 16 vs 121 +/- 17 beats/min and 199 +/- 29 vs 204 +/- 44 beats/min.mm Hg.10(2), respectively, p = NS for both). Similarly, diltiazem significantly increased time to ischemic threshold from baseline to 638 +/- 125 seconds (p < 0.01), but did not change heart rate and rate-pressure product at 1 mm ST segment depression. Submaximal rate-pressure products were significantly lowered by both nifedipine and diltiazem. Nitroglycerin not only significantly improved time to ischemic threshold (from baseline to 666 +/- 76 seconds, p < 0.01), but also increased heart rate (from baseline to 137 +/- 16 beats/min, p < 0.01) and rate-pressure product (from baseline to 242 +/- 48 beats/min.mm Hg.10(2), p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Background: The effects of long-term treatment with gallopamil 50 mg t.i.d were assessed in 8 patients, 7 males and 1 female, aged 47-69 years, with stable angina pectoris, positive exercise tests, coronary artery disease and no previous myocardial infarction., Methods: Clinical and ECG parameters as well as exercise testing, 24-hour Holter and echocardiography were assessed before treatment, after 3 months, after 1 and 2 years of treatment, and following final wash-out., Results: Comparing each treatment period to baseline, a significant decrease in resting heart rate (from 66 +/- 9 beats/min at baseline to 56 +/- 7 beats/min after 3 months [p < 0.01], 59 +/- 8 beats/min after 1 year [p < 0.05] and 58 +/- 9 beats/min after 2 years [p < 0.05]), systolic (from 162 +/- 19 mmHg at baseline to 147 +/- 12 mmHg after 3 months [p < 0.05], 146 +/- 20 mmHg after 1 year [p < 0.01] and 146 +/- 27 mmHg after 2 years [p < 0.05]), and diastolic (from 89 +/- 6 mmHg to 82 +/- 7 after 3 months [p < 0.05], 82 +/- 4 after 1 year [p < 0.05] and 83 +/- 4 after 2 years [p < 0.05]) blood pressure was observed. Exercise time significantly improved (from 596 +/- 209 seconds to 802 +/- 66 seconds after 3 months [p < 0.01], 710 +/- 167 seconds after 1 year [p < 0.05] and 723 +/- 125 seconds after 2 year [p < 0.05]), while heart rate and rate-pressure product at peak exercise did not change. The number of ischemic episodes and the total ischemic time per 24 hours significantly decreased (from 35 +/- 15 min to 12 +/- 10 min after 3 months [p < 0.05], 10 +/- 8 min after 1 year [p < 0.05] and 11 +/- 9 min after 2 years [p < 0.05]). Ejection fraction increased (from 66 +/- 10% to 77 +/- 7% after 3 months [p < 0.01], 80 +/- 5% after 1 year [p < 0.01] and 80 +/- 3% after 2 years [p < 0.01]), while contractility, as expressed by the end-systolic stress/end systolic volume ratio remained unchanged. No serious side-effects or biochemical abnormalities developed., Conclusions: Gallopamil appears to be safe, well tolerated and effective in the long term control of angina pectoris; its effects are fully developed at 3 months and persist unchanged after 2 years. For its hypotensive action and the lack of significant effects on myocardial contractility, gallopamil appears to be potentially useful in patients with associated angina and hypertension and in patients with impaired left ventricular function.