title: [Influence of amlodipine on serum level of some cytokines in patients with congestive heart failure].
abstract: Recent studies showed higher plasma levels of several cytokines, such as interleukines or tumour necrosis factor in patients with congestive heart failure. Cytokines play a very important role in pathogenesis of congestive heart failure, because they impair contractility of heart muscle and cause damage of endothelium and myocytes due to their proinflammatory effects. One of the treatment modalities of heart failure might be administration of drugs inhibiting production of cytokines. The study was undertaken to evaluate whether beneficial effects of amlodipine in congestive heart failure are due to inhibition of synthesis of cytokines. The plasma levels of interleukine 6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were determined in patients with congestive heart failure (NYHA II and III) before and after 30 days of treatment with amlodipine. 40 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) treated in the Department of Cardiology of Medical University in Wrocław participated in this study. In all patients CHF developed in the course of ischaemic heart disease and coexisting hypertension. Patients were divided into 2 groups dependingly on the NYHA classification. The first group consisted of 24 patients in II NYHA class, the other one--of 16 patients in III NYHA class. At 8 am, on the second day after admission and before treatment with amlodipine blood samples were taken from examined patients to determine plasma levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, NPY and ET-1. Then patients were administered amlodipine at the dose of 5-10 mg per day. The next blood samples were taken on 5th and 30th day of treatment. Plasma levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, NPY and ET-1 were estimated with radioimmunoassay using Medgerix kits. Our findings showed that plasma levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, NPY and ET-1 in patients with CHF are increased. 30-days treatment with amlodipine caused significant decrease of TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels, but did not influence the plasma levels of NPY and ET-1. Amlodipine causes improvement of circulatory efficiency assessed according to NYHA classification. Treatment with amlodipine may be an additional way of therapy in CHF.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Kardiologii AM we Wrocławiu.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: Bogumił
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halawa
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karolko
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D019332:Endothelin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017311:Amlodipine