— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Anti-hypertensive drugs to enhance oesophageal contraction
Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, was shown to decrease lower oesophageal sphincter pressure and increase oesophageal acid exposure time, while atenolol, a b1 blocker, was shown to inhibit relaxation of the smooth muscle of the oesophagus. However, the influence of these anti-hypertensive drugs on the segment of oesophageal body contraction using high-resolution manometry was not fully investigated.
A research team from Japan observed oesophageal body contraction using high-resolution manometry with 36 intraruminal transducers. Their study was published on February 28, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Their research demonstrated that atenolol increased lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and the amplitude of peristaltic contractions, in the middle and lower segments of the oesophageal body. On the other hand, nifedipine decreased LES pressure and the amplitude of peristaltic contractions in the oesophageal body.
Their results suggested that a regular administration of nifedipine for treatment of hypertension might be a risk factor for the future occurrence of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Atenolol-induced alterations of oesophageal motor activity might prevent the development of GERD.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Researchers find target for pulmonary fibrosis
How diarrhoeal bacteria cause some colon cancers
Inherited risk factors increase odds of developing childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice