Pharmacy News Article

2009 NOV 12 - (NewsRx.com) Fresh data on life sciences are presented in the report 'The effects of urotensin II and urantide on forearm blood flow and systemic haemodynamics in humans.' "(i) To compare the effects of intra-arterial administration of urotensin II in patients with CVD with healthy volunteers, and (ii) to study the haemodynamic effects of intra-arterial infusion of the urotensin II receptor antagonist, urantide (see also Life Sciences). Ten healthy volunteers and 10 patients with CVD received a dose-ramped brachial artery infusion of urotensin II," scientists in Cambridge, the United Kingdom report.

"A further six healthy male volunteers received a prolonged urotensin II infusion and 11 healthy male volunteers received a dose-ramped infusion of urantide. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured every 20 min and blood pressure and heart rate were assessed every 20 min. In healthy volunteers and patients with CVD, intra-arterial infusion of urotensin II had no effect on FBF ratio. A dose-ramped infusion of urantide similarly had no effect on FBF ratio. During dose-ramped infusions of urotensin II and urantide, systolic and mean arterial blood pressure increased significantly. In healthy volunteers, urotensin II and urantide, respectively, increased systolic blood pressure from 133 6 to 137 5 mmHg (p <0.01) and from 113 4 to 120 4 mmHg (p <0.01). In patients with CVD, heart rate also significantly increased during dose-ramped infusion of urotensin II from 59 3 to 62 4 bpm (p <0.05). We have shown no in vivo effect of urotensin II or urantide on human forearm resistance vessels. Previous discrepancies do not seem to relate to either the age or CVD status of subjects," wrote J. Cheriyan and colleagues, University of Cambridge.

The researchers concluded: "Changes in systemic cardiovascular haemodynamics during the dose-ramped infusion studies are unlikely to be caused by urotensin II receptor modulation."

Cheriyan and colleagues published their study in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (The effects of urotensin II and urantide on forearm blood flow and systemic haemodynamics in humans. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 2009;68(4):518-23).

For more information, contact J. Cheriyan, University of Cambridge, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.

Publisher contact information for the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology is: Blackwell Publishing Inc., 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148, USA.