Sympathetic hyperactivity may be involved in primary hypertension. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both sympathetic and vagal activity responses in patients receiving amlodipine as antihypertensive agent. Patients and Methods. This prospective study included a group of primary hypertensive patients (N = 32, mean age 54.6 ± 7.6 years). The cardiovascular autonomic tests performed in this group, before and after 3 months of daily oral administration of amlodipine, included deep breathing, hand-grip, and mental stress tests. Statistical analysis was done using the Student's t-test. Results. Cardiovascular autonomic reflexes responses before and after 3 months of amlodipine oral administration were as follows: the mental stress test stimulation method produced a central alpha adrenergic response of 23.9 ± 8.7% versus 11.2 ± 2.0% (P < 0.05), a central beta sympathetic response of 16.7 ± 9.2% versus 10.4 ± 1.3% (P < 0.05), a blood pressure increase in response to hand grip test of 20.5 ± 7.3% versus 10.7 ± 2.4% (P < 0.05), vagal response to deep breathing test was 21.2 ± 6.5% versus 30.8 ± 2.9%, (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The results attest that amlodipine may have an anti-sympathetic effect.
Although extensively used by Comorian women, limited information exists on Msindzano beauty masks. Thus an ethnopharmacological survey was conducted on two islands of the Comoros archipelago: Ndzuani and Ngazidja. An open-ended, semi-structured questionnaire was employed for data collection on the different plants used for Msindzano preparation, their different mixtures and their different applications. A total of 348 women were interviewed on both islands. Thirty-nine plant species were recorded in this investigation, 30 in Ndzuani and 27 in Ngazidja, with 19 being used on both islands. Santalum album is the main plant used in Msindzano. It is followed by Acokanthera schimperi, Sesamum indicum and Arachys hypogea. Regarding the different mixtures, twenty-one mixtures are used in Ndzuani and 10 in Ngazidja.The main purpose for the application of Msindzano is to lighten the skin, but also to eliminate acne, as a sun block against radiation, heat and allergies. In Ndzuani it is largely used against heat and to eliminate acne, while in Ngazidja it is employed mostly as a sun block against radiation. It is thus concluded that Msindzano is an important tool used by Comorian women as cosmetics as well as for the treatment of certain skin diseases.
Parasympathetic function can be assessed by the deep breathing test (DB) as a simple and reproducible cardiovascular reflex. The aim of this study is to use this test to compare the vagal response of a young footballers group to of age-matched untrained normal subjects. Deep breathing test was performed in 2 groups: one of 20 adult young footballers (average age of 19.3 ± 0.6 years), and a second age-matched group of 20 untrained subjects (average age of 19.6 ± 0.6 years). Subjects underwent the DB test after 30 min resting in supine position, and responses were expressed as a percentage of variation of heart rate during the stimulation. Student's t-test was used to evaluate statistical differences among the two groups for all parameters (vagal response, heart rate, VO 2max .…) and considering p < 0.05 as a significant difference. The results showed that vagal response to deep breathing test was significantly higher in the young footballers when compared to the untrained controls (72.6% ± 16.2% vs 55.0% ± 12.8%, respectively, p = 0.03). The basal heart rate was significantly lower in footballers than in the controls group (52.1 ± 7.4 bat/min vs 69.8 ± 14.3 bat/min, p < 0.01). The use of the simple test of deep breathing allowed us to demonstrate that adult young footballers have a significantly lower basal HR and higher parasympathetic response in comparison to untrained subjects.
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