Ouabain and Endogenous Ouabain -Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Cardiac Glycosides?
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2015, Vol 8, Issue 5
Abstract
In current research reports several disease states are claimed to be associated with elevated levels of endogenous ouabain. These include hypertension, cardiac enlargement, cardiac and renal failure, and a variety of terminal disorders. It has been suggested that endogenous ouabain should be considered as a major contributor to increased blood pressure and overall cardiovascular risk. These hypotheses stand in stark contrast to decades of clinical experiences with ouabain in humans, which indicate that plant-derived ouabain is effective in treating heart failure. In patients with hypertension ouabain lowers blood pressure. These conclusive clinical experiences refute the hypothesis that ouabain in humans is a major contributor to increased blood pressure and overall cardiovascular risk. The pronounced dependence of the ouabain effects on the dose, the state of the autonomic nervous system and species-specific characteristics in pharmacokinetics may explain many of the conflicting research results that have been published on experiments with ouabain. Rodents have different sensitivities to cardiac glycosides than humans. Pharmacokinetics of cardiac glycosides in rodents are also different from humans. Therefore, caution is advised when extrapolating experimental results in rodents to humans. The mutually exclusive effects of ouabain and the endogenous inhibitor of the Na/K-ATPase observed in mammalian tissues do not support the hypothesis that this inhibitor is identical with ouabain, but favour the interpretation that De Wardener’s “third factor” is something different, which also reacts to ouabain antibodies.
Authors and Affiliations
Hauke Fürstenwerth
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP348093
- DOI 10.9734/BJMMR/2015/17042
- Views 84
- Downloads 0
Synthetic Bone Substitutes in Combination with Growth Factors for Maxillary Sinus Floor Augmentation: A Mini-review
Objective: Growth factors have been applied in maxillary sinus augmentation with clinically successful results. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of growth factors in combination with various s...
Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Brushless Surgical Hand Preparation Techniques Using Antiseptic Soap, Alcohol and Non-medicated Soap
Background & Objectives: Preoperative hand preparation with a brush-less method is almost a common practice. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of brush-less preoperative hand preparation using alcohol to...
Complications Following Prostate Biopsy in a Tertiary Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago
Objective: To prospectively evaluate the complications of prostate biopsy at the San Fernando General Hospital. Methods: All patients, who underwent prostate biopsy between June, 2013 and September, 2014 were prospective...
Exploring Patterns and Trends with Selected Cancer Rates Reported by China National Cancer Registry: Alternative Perspectives and Findings
Background: National cancer registration reports provide huge potential for identifying patterns and trends of policy, research, prevention and treatment significance. Yet given the range of factors involved in cancer on...
Clinical Tests to Determine the Correct Position of Central Venous Catheter in Overweight Patients in Critically Ill Condition
Objective: To demonstrate the utility of clinical test to determine the correct placement of the CVC in overweight patients in critical condition. Methods: Cross-sectional Study carried out in the Intensive Care Unit o...