Cannabis sativa L. preparations have been used in medicine for millenia. However, concern over the dangers of abuse led to the banning of the medicinal use of marijuana in most countries in the 1930s. Only recently, marijuana and individual natural and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists, as well as chemically related compounds, whose mechanism of action is still obscure, ha...

We studied circulatory and metabolic responses of the intestinal circulation to intraarterial infusions of solutions containing calcium chloride or calcium antagonists in anesthetized dogs. Measurements included blood flow to the terminal ileum, arteriovenous oxygen content difference, distribution of radiolabeled microspheres to the mucosal-submucosal compartment and intraluminal pressure. Cal...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists are FDA-approved drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and are used to treat heart failure. Combined treatment with the ACEi lisinopril and the nonspecific MR antagonist spironolactone surprisingly improves skeletal muscle, in addition to heart function and pathology in a...

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and its ligand aldosterone are the principal modulators of hormone-regulated renal sodium reabsorption. In addition to the kidney, there are several other cells and organs expressing MR, in which its activation mediates pathologic changes, indicating potential therapeutic applications of pharmacological MR antagonism. Steroidal MR antagonists have been used f...

The intake of nutrients is known to increase energy expenditure. Measured thermic effects of nutrient are 0-3% for fat, 5-10% for carbohydrates and 20-30% for proteins. Stimulation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis during intestinal absorption, initial metabolic steps and nutrient storage are responsible for this food thermic effect. The autonomic nervous system modulates the thermic e...

Pathophysiological processes that underlie the profound neuropsychiatric disturbances in schizophrenia are poorly understood. However, the clinical course of the disease, and a number of clinical and basic science observations, provide direction for formulating pathophysiological models that could be empirically tested. For example, repeated psychostimulant administration to healthy subjects ca...

Myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury is a well-known term for exacerbation of cellular destruction and dysfunction after the restoration blood flow to previously ischaemic heart. A vast number studies that have demonstrated role mineralocorticoids in cardiovascular diseases based on use pharmacological mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists. This review paper aimed summarize curre...

Hydroelectrolytic disorders are one of the most common metabolic complications in cancer patients. Although often metabolic alterations affecting various ions are part of the manifestations of the oncological disease, even in the form of paraneoplastic syndrome, we must not forget that very often, these disorders could be caused by various drugs, including some of the antineoplastic agents most...