Health

 Agents Used in Cardiac Arrhythmias - Joseph R. Hume, PhD, & Augustus O. Grant, MD, PhD

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INTRODUCTION

Cardiac arrhythmias are a frequent problem in clinical practice, occurring in up to 25% of patients treated with digitalis, 50% of anesthetized patients, and over 80% of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Arrhythmias may require treatment because rhythms that are too rapid, too slow, or asynchronous can reduce cardiac output. Some arrhythmias can precipitate more serious or even lethal rhythm disturbances¾eg, early premature ventricular depolarizations can precipitate ventricular fibrillation. In such patients, antiarrhythmic drugs may be lifesaving. On the other hand, the hazards of antiarrhythmic drugs¾and in particular the fact that they can precipitate lethal arrhythmias in some patients¾has led to a reevaluation of their relative risks and benefits. In general, treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic arrhythmias should be avoided for this reason.

Arrhythmias can be treated with the drugs discussed in this chapter and with nonpharmacologic therapies such as pacemakers, cardioversion, catheter ablation, and surgery. This chapter describes the pharmacology of drugs that suppress arrhythmias by a direct action on the cardiac cell membrane. Other modes of therapy are discussed briefly (see Box, The Nonpharmacologic Therapy of Cardiac Arrhythmias).

THE NONPHARMACOLOGIC THERAPY OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS

It was recognized over 100 years ago that reentry in simple in vitro models (eg, rings of conducting tissues) was permanently interrupted by transecting the reentry circuit. This concept is now applied in cardiac arrhythmias with defined anatomic pathways¾eg, atrioventricular reentry using accessory pathways, atrioventricular node reentry, atrial flutter, and some forms of ventricular tachycardia¾by treatment with radiofrequency catheter ablation. Recent studies have shown that paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation may arise from one of the pulmonary veins. Both forms of atrial fibrillation can be cured by electrically isolating the pulmonary veins by radiofrequency catheter ablation or during concomitant cardiac surgery.

Another form of nonpharmacologic therapy is the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device that can automatically detect and treat potentially fatal arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation. ICDs are now widely used in patients who have been resuscitated from such arrhythmias, and several trials have shown that ICD treatment reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease who have an ejection fraction £ 30% and in patients with class 2 or 3 heart failure and no prior history of arrhythmias. The increasing use of nonpharmacologic antiarrhythmic therapies reflects both advances in the relevant technologies and an increasing appreciation of the dangers of long-term therapy with currently available drugs.

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF NORMAL CARDIAC RHYTHM

Introduction

The electrical impulse that triggers a normal cardiac contraction originates at regular intervals in the sinoatrial node (Figure 14-1), usually at a frequency of 60-100 beats per minute. This impulse spreads rapidly through the atria and enters the atrioventricular node, which is normally the only conduction pathway between the atria and ventricles. Conduction through the atrioventricular node is slow, requiring about 0.15 s. (This delay provides time for atrial contraction to propel blood into the ventricles.) The impulse then propagates over the His-Purkinje system and invades all parts of the ventricles, beginning with the endocardial surface near the apex and ending with the epicardial surface at the base of the heart. Ventricular activation is complete in less than 0.1 s; therefore, contraction of all of the ventricular muscle is normally synchronous and hemodynamically effective.

Arrhythmias consist of cardiac depolarizations that deviate from the above description in one or more aspects¾ie, there is an abnormality in the site of origin of the impulse, its rate or regularity, or its conduction.

 Figure 14-1. Schematic representation of the heart and normal cardiac electrical activity (intracellular recordings from areas indicated and ECG). Sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, and Purkinje cells display pacemaker activity (phase 4 depolarization). The ECG is the body surface manifestation of the depolarization and repolarization waves of the heart. The P wave is generated by atrial depolarization, the QRS by ventricular muscle depolarization, and the T wave by ventricular repolarization. Thus, the PR interval is a measure of conduction time from atrium to ventricle, and the QRS duration indicates the time required for all of the ventricular cells to be activated (ie, the intraventricular conduction time). The QT interval reflects the duration of the ventricular action potential. 0 

Ionic Basis of Membrane Electrical Activity

The transmembrane potential of cardiac cells is determined by the concentrations of several ions¾chiefly sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), and chloride (Cl-)¾on either side of the membrane and the permeability of the membrane to each ion. These water-soluble ions are unable to freely diffuse across the lipid cell membrane in response to their electrical and concentration gradients; they require aqueous channels (specific pore-forming proteins) for such diffusion. Thus, ions move across cell membranes in response to their gradients only at specific times during the cardiac cycle when these ion channels are open. The movements of the ions produce currents that form the basis of the cardiac action potential. Individual channels are relatively ion-specific, and the flux of ions through them is thought to be controlled by "gates" (probably flexible peptide chains or energy barriers). Each type of channel has its own type of gate (sodium, calcium, and some potassium channels are each thought to have two types of gates), and each type of gate is opened and closed by specific transmembrane voltage, ionic, or metabolic conditions.

At rest, most cells are not significantly permeable to sodium, but at the start of each action potential, they become quite permeable (see below). In electrophysiologic terms, the conductance of the fast sodium channel suddenly increases in response to a depolarizing stimulus. Similarly, calcium enters and potassium leaves the cell with each action potential. Therefore, in addition to ion channels, the cell must have mechanisms to maintain stable transmembrane ionic conditions by establishing and maintaining ion gradients. The most important of these active mechanisms is the sodium pump, Na+/K+ ATPase, described in Chapter 13. This pump and other active ion carriers contribute indirectly to the transmembrane potential by maintaining the gradients necessary for diffusion through channels. In addition, some pumps and exchangers produce net current flow (eg, by exchanging three Na+ for two K+ ions) and hence are termed "electrogenic."

When the cardiac cell membrane becomes permeable to a specific ion (ie when the channels selective for that ion are open), movement of that ion across the cell membrane is determined by Ohm's law: current = voltage ¸ resistance, or current = voltage ´ conductance. Conductance is determined by the properties of the individual ion channel protein. The voltage term is the difference between the actual membrane potential and the reversal potential for that ion (the membrane potential at which no current would flow even if channels were open). For example, in the case of sodium in a cardiac cell at rest, there is a substantial concentration gradient (140 mmol/L Na+ outside; 10-15 mmol/L Na+ inside) and an electrical gradient (0 mV outside; -90 mV inside) that would drive Na+ into cells. Sodium does not enter the cell at rest because sodium channels are closed; when sodium channels open, the very large influx of Na+ ions accounts for phase 0 depolarization. The situation for K+ ions in the resting cardiac cell is quite different. Here, the concentration gradient (140 mmol/L inside; 4 mmol/L outside) would drive the ion out of the cell, but the electrical gradient would drive it in; that is, the inward gradient is in equilibrium with the outward gradient. In fact, certain potassium channels ("inward rectifier" channels) are open in the resting cell, but little current flows through them because of this balance. The equilibrium, or reversal potential, for ions is determined by the Nernst equation:

where Ce and Ci are the extracellular and intracellular concentrations, respectively, multiplied by their activity coefficients. Note that raising extracellular potassium makes EK less negative. When this occurs, the membrane depolarizes until the new EK is reached. Thus, extracellular potassium concentration and inward rectifier channel function are the major factors determining the membrane potential of the resting cardiac cell. The conditions required for application of the Nernst equation are approximated at the peak of the overshoot (using sodium concentrations) and during rest (using potassium concentrations) in most nonpacemaker cardiac cells. If the permeability is significant for both potassium and sodium, the Nernst equation is not a good predictor of membrane potential, but the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation may be used:

In pacemaker cells (whether normal or ectopic), spontaneous depolarization (the pacemaker potential) occurs during diastole (phase 4, Figure 14-1). This depolarization results from a gradual increase of depolarizing current through special hyperpolarization-activated ion channels in pacemaker cells. The effect of changing extracellular potassium is more complex in a pacemaker cell than it is in a nonpacemaker cell because the effect on permeability to potassium is much more important in a pacemaker (see Box, Effects of Potassium). In a pacemaker¾especially an ectopic one¾the end result of an increase in extracellular potassium will usually be to slow or stop the pacemaker. Conversely, hypokalemia will often facilitate ectopic pacemakers.

EFFECTS OF POTASSIUM

The effects of changes in serum potassium on cardiac action potential duration, pacemaker rate, and arrhythmias can appear somewhat paradoxical if changes are predicted based solely on a consideration of changes in the potassium electrochemical gradient. In the heart, however, changes in serum potassium concentration have the additional effect of altering potassium conductance (increased extracellular potassium increases potassium conductance) independent of simple changes in electrochemical driving force, and this effect often predominates. As a result, the actual observed effects of hyperkalemia include reduced action potential duration, slowed conduction, decreased pacemaker rate, and decreased pacemaker arrhythmogenesis. Conversely, the actual observed effects of hypokalemia include prolonged action potential duration, increased pacemaker rate, and increased pacemaker arrhythmogenesis. Furthermore, pacemaker rate and arrhythmias involving ectopic pacemaker cells appear to be more sensitive to changes in serum potassium concentration, compared with cells of the sinoatrial node. These effects of serum potassium on the heart probably contribute to the observed increased sensitivity to potassium channel-blocking antiarrhythmic agents (quinidine or sotalol) during hypokalemia, eg, accentuated action potential prolongation and tendency to cause torsade de pointes.

The Active Cell Membrane

In normal atrial, Purkinje, and ventricular cells, the action potential upstroke (phase 0) is dependent on sodium current. From a functional point of view, it is convenient to describe the behavior of the sodium current in terms of three channel states (Figure 14-2). The cardiac sodium channel protein has been cloned, and it is now recognized that these channel states actually represent different protein conformations. In addition, regions of the protein that confer specific behaviors, such as voltage sensing, pore formation, and inactivation, are now being identified. The gates described below and in Figure 14-2 represent such regions.

Depolarization to the threshold voltage results in opening of the activation (m) gates of sodium channels (Figure 14-2, middle). If the inactivation (h) gates of these channels have not already closed, the channels are now open or activated, and sodium permeability is markedly increased, greatly exceeding the permeability for any other ion. Extracellular sodium therefore diffuses down its electrochemical gradient into the cell, and the membrane potential very rapidly approaches the sodium equilibrium potential, ENa (about +70 mV when Nae = 140 mmol/L and Nai = 10 mmol/L). This intense sodium current is very brief because opening of the m gates upon depolarization is promptly followed by closure of the h gates and inactivation of the sodium channels (Figure 14-2, right).

Most calcium channels become activated and inactivated in what appears to be the same way as sodium channels, but in the case of the most common type of cardiac calcium channel (the "L" type), the transitions occur more slowly and at more positive potentials. The action potential plateau (phases 1 and 2) reflects the turning off of most of the sodium current, the waxing and waning of calcium current, and the slow development of a repolarizing potassium current.

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Drugs Used in Heart Failure - Bertram G. Katzung, MD, PhD, & William W. Parmley, MD

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Introduction

Heart failure occurs when cardiac output is inadequate to provide the oxygen needed by the body. It is a highly lethal condition, with a 5-year mortality rate conventionally said to be about 50%. The most common cause of heart failure in the USA is coronary artery disease. Two major types of failure may be distinguished. In systolic failure, the mechanical pumping action (contractility) and the ejection fraction of the heart are reduced. In diastolic failure stiffening and loss of adequate relaxation plays a major role in reducing cardiac output and ejection fraction may be normal. Because other cardiovascular conditions are now being treated more effectively (especially myocardial infarction), more patients are surviving long enough for heart failure to develop, making this one of the cardiovascular conditions that is actually increasing in prevalence.

Although it is believed that the primary defect in early heart failure resides in the excitation-contraction coupling machinery of the heart, the clinical condition also involves many other processes and organs, including the baroreceptor reflex, the sympathetic nervous system, the kidneys, angiotensin II and other peptides, aldosterone, and apoptosis of cardiac cells. Recognition of these factors has resulted in evolution of a variety of treatment strategies (Table 13-1).

Clinical research has shown that therapy directed at noncardiac targets is more valuable in the long-term treatment of heart failure than traditional positive inotropic agents (cardiac glycosides [digitalis]). Careful clinical trials have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, b blockers, aldosterone receptor antagonists, and combined hydralazine-nitrate therapy are the only agents in current use that actually prolong life in patients with chronic heart failure. Positive inotropic drugs, on the other hand, can be very helpful in acute failure. They also reduce symptoms in chronic failure.

Control of Normal Cardiac Contractility

The vigor of contraction of heart muscle is determined by several processes that lead to the movement of actin and myosin filaments in the cardiac sarcomere (Figure 13-1). Ultimately, contraction results from the interaction of activator calcium (during systole) with the actin-troponin-tropomyosin system, thereby releasing the actin-myosin interaction. This calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The amount released depends on the amount stored in the SR and on the amount of trigger calcium that enters the cell during the plateau of the action potential.

A. SENSITIVITY OF THE CONTRACTILE PROTEINS TO CALCIUM
The determinants of calcium sensitivity, ie, the curve relating the shortening of cardiac myofibrils to the cytoplasmic calcium concentration, are incompletely understood, but several types of drugs can be shown to affect it in vitro. Levosimendan is the most recent example of a drug that increases calcium sensitivity (it may also inhibit phosphodiesterase) and reduces symptoms in models of heart failure.

B. THE AMOUNT OF CALCIUM RELEASED FROM THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM
A small rise in free cytoplasmic calcium, brought about by calcium influx during the action potential, triggers the opening of ryanodine-sensitive calcium channels (RyR2) in the membrane of the cardiac SR and the rapid release of a large amount of the ion into the cytoplasm in the vicinity of the actin-troponin-tropomyosin complex. The amount released is proportional to the amount stored in the SR and the amount of trigger calcium that enters the cell through the cell membrane. (Ryanodine is a potent negative inotropic plant alkaloid that interferes with the release of calcium through cardiac SR channels.)

C. THE AMOUNT OF CALCIUM STORED IN THE SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM
The SR membrane contains a very efficient calcium uptake transporter, known as the sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). This pump maintains free cytoplasmic calcium at very low levels during diastole by pumping calcium into the SR. The amount of calcium sequestered in the SR is thus determined, in part, by the amount accessible to this transporter. This in turn is dependent on the balance of calcium influx (primarily through the voltage-gated membrane calcium channels) and calcium efflux, the amount removed from the cell (primarily via the sodium-calcium exchanger, a transporter in the cell membrane).

D. THE AMOUNT OF TRIGGER CALCIUM
The amount of trigger calcium that enters the cell depends on the availability of membrane calcium channels (primarily the L type) and the duration of their opening. As described in Chapters 6 and 9, sympathomimetics cause an increase in calcium influx through an action on these channels. Conversely, the calcium channel blockers (see Chapter 12) reduce this influx and depress contractility.

E. ACTIVITY OF THE SODIUM-CALCIUM EXCHANGER
This antiporter uses the sodium gradient to move calcium against its concentration gradient from the cytoplasm to the extracellular space. Extracellular concentrations of these ions are much less labile than intracellular concentrations under physiologic conditions. The sodium-calcium exchanger's ability to carry out this transport is thus strongly dependent on the intracellular concentrations of both ions, especially sodium.

F. INTRACELLULAR SODIUM CONCENTRATION AND ACTIVITY OF NA+/K+ ATPASE
Na+/K+ ATPase, by removing intracellular sodium, is the major determinant of sodium concentration in the cell. The sodium influx through voltage-gated channels, which occurs as a normal part of almost all cardiac action potentials, is another determinant although the amount of sodium that enters with each action potential is much less than 1% of the total intracellular sodium. As described below, Na+/K+ ATPase appears to be the primary target of cardiac glycosides.

 Figure 13-1. Schematic diagram of a cardiac muscle sarcomere, with sites of action of several drugs that alter contractility (numbered structures). Site 1 is Na+/K+ ATPase, the sodium pump. Site 2 (NaxC) is the sodium/calcium exchanger. Site 3 is the voltage-gated calcium channel. Site 4 (SERCA) is a calcium transporter that pumps calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Site 5 (RyR) is a calcium channel in the membrane of the SR that is triggered to release stored calcium by activator calcium. Site 6 is the actin-troponin-tropomyosin complex at which activator calcium brings about the contractile interaction of actin and myosin. 0 

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Heart failure is a syndrome with multiple causes that may involve the right ventricle, the left ventricle, or both. Cardiac output in heart failure is usually below the normal range. Systolic dysfunction, with reduced cardiac output and significantly reduced ejection fraction (< 45%), is typical of acute failure, especially that resulting from myocardial infarction. Diastolic dysfunction often occurs as a result of hypertrophy and stiffening of the myocardium, and although cardiac output is reduced, ejection fraction may be normal. Heart failure due to diastolic dysfunction does not usually respond optimally to positive inotropic drugs.

Rarely, "high-output" failure may occur. In this condition, the demands of the body are so great that even increased cardiac output is insufficient. High-output failure can result from hyperthyroidism, beriberi, anemia, and arteriovenous shunts. This form of failure responds poorly to the drugs discussed in this chapter and should be treated by correcting the underlying cause.

The primary signs and symptoms of all types of heart failure include tachycardia, decreased exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, peripheral and pulmonary edema, and cardiomegaly. Decreased exercise tolerance with rapid muscular fatigue is the major direct consequence of diminished cardiac output. The other manifestations result from the attempts by the body to compensate for the intrinsic cardiac defect.

Neurohumoral (extrinsic) compensation involves two major mechanisms previously presented in Figure 6-7: the sympathetic nervous system and the reninangiotensin-aldosterone hormonal response. Some of the pathologic as well as beneficial features of these compensatory responses are illustrated in Figure 13-2. The baroreceptor reflex appears to be reset, with a lower sensitivity to arterial pressure, in patients with heart failure. As a result, baroreceptor sensory input to the vasomotor center is reduced even at normal pressures; sympathetic outflow is increased, and parasympathetic outflow is decreased. Increased sympathetic outflow causes tachycardia, increased cardiac contractility, and increased vascular tone.

While the increased preload, force, and heart rate initially increase cardiac output, increased arterial tone results in increased afterload and decreased ejection fraction, cardiac output, and renal perfusion. After a relatively short time, complex down-regulatory changes in the b1-adrenoceptor-G protein-effector system take place that result in diminished stimulatory effects. Beta2 receptors are not down-regulated and may develop increased coupling to the IP3-DAG cascade. It has also been suggested that cardiac b3 receptors (which do not appear to be down-regulated in failure) may mediate negative inotropic effects. Excessive beta activation can lead to leakage of calcium from the SR via RyR2 channels and contributes to stiffening of the ventricles and arrhythmias. Increased angiotensin II production leads to increased aldosterone secretion (with sodium and water retention), to increased afterload, and to remodeling of both heart and vessels (discussed below). Other hormones may also be released, including natriuretic peptide and endothelin (see Chapter 17).

The most important intrinsic compensatory mechanism is myocardial hypertrophy. This increase in muscle mass helps maintain cardiac performance. However, after an initial beneficial effect, hypertrophy can lead to ischemic changes, impairment of diastolic filling, and alterations in ventricular geometry. Remodeling is the term applied to dilation (other than that due to passive stretch) and other slow structural changes that occur in the stressed myocardium. It may include proliferation of connective tissue cells as well as abnormal myocardial cells with some biochemical characteristics of fetal myocytes. Ultimately, myocytes in the failing heart die at an accelerated rate through apoptosis, leaving the remaining myocytes subject to even greater stress.

The severity of heart failure is usually described according to a scale devised by the New York Heart Association. Class I failure is associated with no limitations on ordinary activities and symptoms that occur only with greater than ordinary exercise. Class II is characterized by slight limitation of ordinary activities, which result in fatigue and palpitations with ordinary physical activity. Class III failure results in no symptoms at rest, but fatigue, etc, with less than ordinary physical activity. Class IV is associated with symptoms even when the patient is at rest.

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Vasodilators & the Treatment of Angina Pectoris - Bertram G. Katzung, MD, PhD, & Kanu Chatterjee, MB, FRCP

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INTRODUCTION

Angina pectoris is the most common condition involving tissue ischemia in which vasodilator drugs are used. The name denotes chest pain caused by accumulation of metabolites resulting from myocardial ischemia. The organic nitrates, eg, nitroglycerin, are the mainstay of therapy for the immediate relief of angina. Another group of vasodilators, the calcium channel blockers, is also important, especially for prophylaxis, and the b blockers, which are not vasodilators, are also useful in prophylaxis. New groups of drugs under investigation include fatty acid oxidation inhibitors and selective cardiac rate inhibitors.

Ischemic heart disease is the most common serious health problem in many Western societies. By far the most frequent cause of angina is atheromatous obstruction of the large coronary vessels (atherosclerotic angina, classic angina). However, transient spasm of localized portions of these vessels, which is usually associated with underlying atheromas, can also cause significant myocardial ischemia and pain (vasospastic or variant angina).

The primary cause of angina pectoris is an imbalance between the oxygen requirement of the heart and the oxygen supplied to it via the coronary vessels. In classic angina, the imbalance occurs when the myocardial oxygen requirement increases, as during exercise, and coronary blood flow does not increase proportionately. The resulting ischemia usually leads to pain. Classic angina is therefore "angina of effort." (In some individuals, the ischemia is not always accompanied by pain, resulting in "silent" or "ambulatory" ischemia.) In variant angina, oxygen delivery decreases as a result of reversible coronary vasospasm. Variant angina is also called Prinzmetal's angina.

In theory, the imbalance between oxygen delivery and myocardial oxygen demand can be corrected by decreasing oxygen demand or by increasing delivery (by increasing coronary flow). In effort angina, oxygen demand can be reduced by decreasing cardiac work or, according to recent studies, by shifting myocardial metabolism to substrates that require less oxygen per unit of ATP produced. In variant angina, on the other hand, spasm of coronary vessels can be reversed by nitrates or calcium channel blockers. Lipid-lowering drugs, especially the "statins," have become extremely important in the long-term treatment of atherosclerotic disease (see Chapter 35).

Unstable angina, an acute coronary syndrome, is said to be present when there are episodes of angina at rest and when there is a change in the character, frequency, and duration of chest pain as well as precipitating factors in patients with previously stable angina. Unstable angina is caused by episodes of increased epicardial coronary artery tone or small platelet clots occurring in the vicinity of an atherosclerotic plaque. In most cases, formation of labile nonocclusive thrombi at the site of a fissured or ulcerated plaque is the mechanism for reduction in flow. The course and the prognosis of unstable angina are variable, but this subset of acute coronary syndrome is associated with a high risk of myocardial infarction and death.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ANGINA

Determinants of Myocardial Oxygen Demand

The major determinants of myocardial oxygen requirement are set forth in Table 12-1. As a consequence of its continuous activity, the heart's oxygen needs are relatively high, and it extracts approximately 75% of the available oxygen even in the absence of stress. The myocardial oxygen requirement increases when there is an increase in heart rate, contractility, arterial pressure, or ventricular volume. These hemodynamic alterations frequently occur during physical exercise and sympathetic discharge, which often precipitate angina in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease.

The heart favors fatty acids as a substrate for energy production. However, oxidation of fatty acids requires more oxygen per unit of ATP generated than oxidation of carbohydrates. Therefore, drugs that shift myocardial metabolism toward greater use of glucose (fatty acid oxidation inhibitors) have the potential of reducing the oxygen demand without altering hemodynamics.

Determinants of Coronary Blood Flow & Myocardial Oxygen Supply

Increased myocardial demands for oxygen in the normal heart are met by augmenting coronary blood flow. Coronary blood flow is directly related to the perfusion pressure (aortic diastolic pressure) and the duration of diastole. Because coronary flow drops to negligible values during systole, the duration of diastole becomes a limiting factor for myocardial perfusion during tachycardia. Coronary blood flow is inversely proportional to coronary vascular bed resistance. Resistance is determined mainly by intrinsic factors¾including metabolic products and autonomic activity¾and by various pharmacologic agents. Damage to the endothelium of coronary vessels has been shown to alter their ability to dilate and to increase coronary vascular resistance.

Determinants of Vascular Tone

Arteriolar and venous tone (smooth muscle tension) both play a role in determining myocardial wall stress (Table 12-1). Arteriolar tone directly controls peripheral vascular resistance and thus arterial blood pressure. In systole, intraventricular pressure must exceed aortic pressure to eject blood; arterial blood pressure thus determines the systolic wall stress in an important way. Venous tone determines the capacity of the venous circulation and controls the amount of blood sequestered in the venous system versus the amount returned to the heart. Venous tone thereby determines the diastolic wall stress.

The regulation of smooth muscle contraction and relaxation is shown schematically in Figure 12-1. As shown in Figures 12-1 and 12-2, drugs may relax vascular smooth muscle in several ways:

    (1) Increasing cGMP: As indicated in Figure 12-2, cGMP facilitates the dephosphorylation of myosin light chains, preventing the interaction of myosin with actin. Nitric oxide is an effective activator of soluble guanylyl cyclase and acts mainly through this mechanism. Important molecular donors of nitric oxide include nitroprusside (see Chapter 11) and the organic nitrates used in angina.

    (2) Decreasing intracellular Ca2+: Calcium channel blockers predictably cause vasodilation because they reduce intracellular Ca2+, a major modulator of the activation of myosin light chain kinase. (Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers reduce Ca2+ influx in cardiac muscle, thereby reducing rate, contractility, and oxygen requirement unless reversed by compensatory responses.)

    (3) Stabilizing or preventing depolarization of the vascular smooth muscle cell membrane: The membrane potential of excitable cells is stabilized near the resting potential by increasing potassium permeability. Potassium channel openers, such as minoxidil sulfate, (see Chapter 11) increase the permeability of K+ channels, probably ATP-dependent K+ channels. Certain newer agents under investigation for use in angina (eg, nicorandil) may act, in part, by this mechanism.

    (4) Increasing cAMP in vascular smooth muscle cells: As shown in Figure 12-1, an increase in cAMP increases the rate of inactivation of myosin light chain kinase, the enzyme responsible for triggering the interaction of actin with myosin in these cells. This appears to be the mechanism of vasodilation caused by b2 agonists, drugs that are not used in angina.

 Figure 12-1. Control of smooth muscle contraction and site of action of calcium channel-blocking drugs. Contraction is triggered by influx of calcium (which can be blocked by calcium channel blockers) through transmembrane calcium channels. The calcium combines with calmodulin to form a complex that converts the enzyme myosin light chain kinase to its active form (MLCK*). The latter phosphorylates the myosin light chains, thereby initiating the interaction of myosin with actin. Beta2 agonists (and other substances that increase cAMP) may cause relaxation in smooth muscle by accelerating the inactivation of MLCK (heavy arrows) and by facilitating the expulsion of calcium from the cell (not shown). 0 
 Figure 12-2. Mechanism of action of nitrates, nitrites, and other substances that increase the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in smooth muscle cells. (MLCK*, activated myosin light chain kinase [see Figure 12-1]; guanylyl cyclase*, activated guanylyl cyclase; ?, unknown intermediate steps. Steps leading to relaxation are shown with heavy arrows.) 0 

I. BASIC PHARMACOLOGY OF DRUGS USED TO TREAT ANGINA

Drug Action in Angina

Three of the four drug groups currently approved for use in angina (organic nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and b blockers) decrease myocardial oxygen requirement by decreasing the determinants of oxygen demand (heart rate, ventricular volume, blood pressure, and contractility). In some patients, a redistribution of coronary flow may increase oxygen delivery to ischemic tissue. In variant angina, the nitrates and the calcium channel blockers may also increase myocardial oxygen delivery by reversing coronary arterial spasm. The fourth group, represented by ranolazine, is discussed later.

NITRATES & NITRITES

Chemistry

These agents are simple nitric and nitrous acid esters of polyalcohols. Nitroglycerin may be considered the prototype of the group. Although nitroglycerin is used in the manufacture of dynamite, the formulations used in medicine are not explosive. The conventional sublingual tablet form of nitroglycerin may lose potency when stored as a result of volatilization and adsorption to plastic surfaces. Therefore, it should be kept in tightly closed glass containers. It is not sensitive to light.

All therapeutically active agents in the nitrate group have identical mechanisms of action and similar toxicities. Therefore, pharmacokinetic factors govern the choice of agent and mode of therapy when using the nitrates.

Pharmacokinetics

The liver contains a high-capacity organic nitrate reductase that removes nitrate groups in a stepwise fashion from the parent molecule and ultimately inactivates the drug. Therefore, oral bioavailability of the traditional organic nitrates (eg, nitroglycerin and isosorbide dinitrate) is very low (typically < 10-20%). For this reason, the sublingual route, which avoids the first-pass effect, is preferred for achieving a therapeutic blood level rapidly. Nitroglycerin and isosorbide dinitrate are both absorbed efficiently by this route and reach therapeutic blood levels within a few minutes. However, the total dose administered by this route must be limited to avoid excessive effect; therefore, the total duration of effect is brief (15-30 minutes). When much longer duration of action is needed, oral preparations can be given that contain an amount of drug sufficient to result in sustained systemic blood levels of the parent drug plus active metabolites. Other routes of administration available for nitroglycerin include transdermal and buccal absorption from slow-release preparations; these are described below.

Amyl nitrite and related nitrites are highly volatile liquids. Amyl nitrite is available in fragile glass ampules packaged in a protective cloth covering. The ampule can be crushed with the fingers, resulting in rapid release of inhalable vapors through the cloth covering. The inhalation route provides very rapid absorption and, like the sublingual route, avoids the hepatic first-pass effect. Because of its unpleasant odor and short duration of action, amyl nitrite is now obsolete for angina.

Once absorbed, the unchanged nitrate compounds have half-lives of only 2-8 minutes. The partially denitrated metabolites have much longer half-lives (up to 3 hours). Of the nitroglycerin metabolites (two dinitroglycerins and two mononitro forms), the dinitro derivatives have significant vasodilator efficacy; they probably provide most of the therapeutic effect of orally administered nitroglycerin. The 5-mononitrate metabolite of isosorbide dinitrate is an active metabolite of the latter drug and is available for clinical use as isosorbide mononitrate. It has a bioavailability of 100%.

Excretion, primarily in the form of glucuronide derivatives of the denitrated metabolites, is largely by way of the kidney.

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CARDIOVASCULAR-RENAL DRUGS

11. Antihypertensive Agents ¾ Neal L. Benowitz, MD

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INTRODUCTION

Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease. In a survey carried out in 2000, hypertension was found in 28% of American adults. According to a Framingham study of blood pressure trends in middle-aged and older individuals, approximately 90% of Caucasian Americans will develop hypertension in their lifetime. The prevalence varies with age, race, education, and many other variables. Sustained arterial hypertension damages blood vessels in kidney, heart, and brain and leads to an increased incidence of renal failure, coronary disease, cardiac failure, and stroke. Effective pharmacologic lowering of blood pressure has been shown to prevent damage to blood vessels and to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Unfortunately, several surveys indicate that only one third of Americans with hypertension have adequate blood pressure control. Many effective drugs are available. Knowledge of their antihypertensive mechanisms and sites of action allows accurate prediction of efficacy and toxicity. As a result, rational use of these agents, alone or in combination, can lower blood pressure with minimal risk of serious toxicity in most patients.

HYPERTENSION & REGULATION OF BLOOD PRESSURE

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of hypertension is based on repeated, reproducible measurements of elevated blood pressure. The diagnosis serves primarily as a prediction of consequences for the patient; it seldom includes a statement about the cause of hypertension.

Epidemiologic studies indicate that the risks of damage to kidney, heart, and brain are directly related to the extent of blood pressure elevation. Even mild hypertension (blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg) increases the risk of eventual end organ damage. Starting at 115/75 mm Hg cardiovascular disease risk doubles with each increment of 20/10 mm Hg throughout the blood pressure range. The risks¾and therefore the urgency of instituting therapy¾increase in proportion to the magnitude of blood pressure elevation. The risk of end organ damage at any level of blood pressure or age is greater in African-Americans and relatively less in premenopausal women than in men. Other positive risk factors include smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, manifestations of end organ damage at the time of diagnosis, and a family history of cardiovascular disease.

It should be noted that the diagnosis of hypertension depends on measurement of blood pressure and not on symptoms reported by the patient. In fact, hypertension is usually asymptomatic until overt end organ damage is imminent or has already occurred.

Etiology of Hypertension

A specific cause of hypertension can be established in only 10-15% of patients. It is important to consider specific causes in each case, however, because some of them are amenable to definitive surgical treatment: renal artery constriction, coarctation of the aorta, pheochromocytoma, Cushing's disease, and primary aldosteronism.

Patients in whom no specific cause of hypertension can be found are said to have essential hypertension.*

In most cases, elevated blood pressure is associated with an overall increase in resistance to flow of blood through arterioles, while cardiac output is usually normal. Meticulous investigation of autonomic nervous system function, baroreceptor reflexes, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and the kidney has failed to identify a primary abnormality as the cause of increased peripheral vascular resistance in essential hypertension.

Elevated blood pressure is usually caused by a combination of several (multifactorial) abnormalities. Epidemiologic evidence points to genetic inheritance, psychological stress, and environmental and dietary factors (increased salt and decreased potassium or calcium intake) as perhaps contributing to the development of hypertension. Increase in blood pressure with aging does not occur in populations with low daily sodium intake. Patients with labile hypertension appear more likely than normal controls to have blood pressure elevations after salt loading.

The heritability of essential hypertension is estimated to be about 30%. Mutations in several genes have been linked to various rare causes of hypertension. Functional variations of the genes for angiotensinogen, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the b2 adrenoceptor, and a adducin (a cytoskeletal protein) appear to contribute to some cases of essential hypertension.

        *The adjective originally was intended to convey the now abandoned idea that blood pressure elevation was essential for adequate perfusion of diseased tissues.

Normal Regulation of Blood Pressure

According to the hydraulic equation, arterial blood pressure (BP) is directly proportionate to the product of the blood flow (cardiac output, CO) and the resistance to passage of blood through precapillary arterioles (peripheral vascular resistance, PVR):

BP = CO ´ PVR

Physiologically, in both normal and hypertensive individuals, blood pressure is maintained by moment-to-moment regulation of cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance, exerted at three anatomic sites (Figure 11-1): arterioles, postcapillary venules (capacitance vessels), and heart. A fourth anatomic control site, the kidney, contributes to maintenance of blood pressure by regulating the volume of intravascular fluid. Baroreflexes, mediated by autonomic nerves, act in combination with humoral mechanisms, including the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, to coordinate function at these four control sites and to maintain normal blood pressure. Finally, local release of vasoactive substances from vascular endothelium may also be involved in the regulation of vascular resistance. For example, endothelin-1 (see Chapter 17) constricts and nitric oxide (see Chapter 19) dilates blood vessels.

Blood pressure in a hypertensive patient is controlled by the same mechanisms that are operative in normotensive subjects. Regulation of blood pressure in hypertensive patients differs from healthy patients in that the baroreceptors and the renal blood volume-pressure control systems appear to be "set" at a higher level of blood pressure. All antihypertensive drugs act by interfering with these normal mechanisms, which are reviewed below.

A. POSTURAL BAROREFLEX (FIGURE 11-2)
Baroreflexes are responsible for rapid, moment-to-moment adjustments in blood pressure, such as in transition from a reclining to an upright posture. Central sympathetic neurons arising from the vasomotor area of the medulla are tonically active. Carotid baroreceptors are stimulated by the stretch of the vessel walls brought about by the internal pressure (arterial blood pressure). Baroreceptor activation inhibits central sympathetic discharge. Conversely, reduction in stretch results in a reduction in baroreceptor activity. Thus, in the case of a transition to upright posture, baroreceptors sense the reduction in arterial pressure that results from pooling of blood in the veins below the level of the heart as reduced wall stretch, and sympathetic discharge is disinhibited. The reflex increase in sympathetic outflow acts through nerve endings to increase peripheral vascular resistance (constriction of arterioles) and cardiac output (direct stimulation of the heart and constriction of capacitance vessels, which increases venous return to the heart), thereby restoring normal blood pressure. The same baroreflex acts in response to any event that lowers arterial pressure, including a primary reduction in peripheral vascular resistance (eg, caused by a vasodilating agent) or a reduction in intravascular volume (eg, due to hemorrhage or to loss of salt and water via the kidney).

B. RENAL RESPONSE TO DECREASED BLOOD PRESSURE
By controlling blood volume, the kidney is primarily responsible for long-term blood pressure control. A reduction in renal perfusion pressure causes intrarenal redistribution of blood flow and increased reabsorption of salt and water. In addition, decreased pressure in renal arterioles as well as sympathetic neural activity (via b adrenoceptors) stimulates production of renin, which increases production of angiotensin II (see Figure 11-1 and Chapter 17). Angiotensin II causes (1) direct constriction of resistance vessels and (2) stimulation of aldosterone synthesis in the adrenal cortex, which increases renal sodium absorption and intravascular blood volume. Vasopressin released from the posterior pituitary gland also plays a role in maintenance of blood pressure through its ability to regulate water reabsorption by the kidney (see Chapters 15 and 17).

 Figure 11-1. Anatomic sites of blood pressure control. 0 
 Figure 11-2. Baroreceptor reflex arc. 0 

I. BASIC PHARMACOLOGY OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE AGENTS

INTRODUCTION

All antihypertensive agents act at one or more of the four anatomic control sites depicted in Figure 11-1 and produce their effects by interfering with normal mechanisms of blood pressure regulation. A useful classification of these agents categorizes them according to the principal regulatory site or mechanism on which they act (Figure 11-3). Because of their common mechanisms of action, drugs within each category tend to produce a similar spectrum of toxicities. The categories include the following:

(1) Diuretics, which lower blood pressure by depleting the body of sodium and reducing blood volume and perhaps by other mechanisms.

(2) Sympathoplegic agents, which lower blood pressure by reducing peripheral vascular resistance, inhibiting cardiac function, and increasing venous pooling in capacitance vessels. (The latter two effects reduce cardiac output.) These agents are further subdivided according to their putative sites of action in the sympathetic reflex arc (see below).

(3) Direct vasodilators, which reduce pressure by relaxing vascular smooth muscle, thus dilating resistance vessels and¾to varying degrees¾increasing capacitance as well.

(4) Agents that block production or action of angiotensin and thereby reduce peripheral vascular resistance and (potentially) blood volume.

The fact that these drug groups act by different mechanisms permits the combination of drugs from two or more groups with increased efficacy and, in some cases, decreased toxicity. (See Box: Monotherapy Versus Polypharmacy in Hypertension, p. 172 .)

 Figure 11-3. Sites of action of the major classes of antihypertensive drugs. 0 

DRUGS THAT ALTER SODIUM & WATER BALANCE

Introduction

Dietary sodium restriction has been known for many years to decrease blood pressure in hypertensive patients. With the advent of diuretics, sodium restriction was thought to be less important. However, there is now general agreement that dietary control of blood pressure is a relatively nontoxic therapeutic measure and may even be preventive. Several studies have shown that even modest dietary sodium restriction lowers blood pressure (although to varying extents) in many hypertensive individuals.

Mechanisms of Action & Hemodynamic Effects of Diuretics

Diuretics lower blood pressure primarily by depleting body sodium stores. Initially, diuretics reduce blood pressure by reducing blood volume and cardiac output; peripheral vascular resistance may increase. After 6-8 weeks, cardiac output returns toward normal while peripheral vascular resistance declines. Sodium is believed to contribute to vascular resistance by increasing vessel stiffness and neural reactivity, possibly related to increased sodium-calcium exchange with a resultant increase in intracellular calcium. These effects are reversed by diuretics or sodium restriction.

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Adrenoceptor-Activating & Other Sympathomimetic Drugs - Brian B. Hoffman, MD

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Introduction

The sympathetic nervous system is an important regulator of the activities of organs such as the heart and peripheral vasculature, especially in responses to stress (see Chapter 6). The ultimate effects of sympathetic stimulation are mediated by release from nerve terminals of norepinephrine that serves to activate the adrenoceptors on postsynaptic sites. Also, in response to a variety of stimuli such as stress, the adrenal medulla releases epinephrine, which is transported in the blood to target tissues; in other words, epinephrine acts as a hormone. Drugs that mimic the actions of epinephrine or norepinephrine¾sympathomimetic drugs¾would be expected to have a wide range of effects. An understanding of the pharmacology of these agents is thus a logical extension of what we know about the physiologic role of the catecholamines.

The Mode & Spectrum of Action of Sympathomimetic Drugs

Like the cholinomimetic drugs, the sympathomimetics can be grouped by mode of action and by the spectrum of receptors that they activate. Some of these drugs (eg, norepinephrine and epinephrine) act by a direct mode; that is, they directly interact with and activate adrenoceptors. Others act indirectly; their actions are dependent on the release of endogenous catecholamines. These indirect agents may have either of two different mechanisms: (1) displacement of stored catecholamines from the adrenergic nerve ending (eg, amphetamine and tyramine) or (2) inhibition of reuptake of catecholamines already released (eg, cocaine and tricyclic antidepressants). Some drugs have both direct and indirect actions. Both types of sympathomimetics, direct and indirect, ultimately cause activation of adrenoceptors, leading to some or all of the characteristic effects of endogenous catecholamines. The selectivity of different sympathomimetics for various types of adrenoceptors is discussed below.

I. BASIC PHARMACOLOGY OF SYMPATHOMIMETIC DRUGS

IDENTIFICATION OF ADRENOCEPTORS

Introduction

The effort to understand the molecular mechanisms by which catecholamines act has a long and rich history. A great conceptual debt is owed to the work done by John Langley and Paul Ehrlich 100 years ago in developing the hypothesis that drugs have their effects by interacting with specific "receptive" substances. Raymond Ahlquist in 1948 rationalized a large body of observations by his conjecture that catecholamines acted via two principal receptors. He termed these receptors a and b. Alpha receptors are those that have the comparative potencies epinephrine ³ norepinephrine >> isoproterenol. Beta receptors have the comparative potencies isoproterenol > epinephrine ³ norepinephrine. Ahlquist's hypothesis was dramatically confirmed by the development of drugs that selectively antagonize b receptors but not a receptors (see Chapter 10). More recent evidence suggests that a receptors comprise two major families. At present, therefore, it appears appropriate to classify adrenoceptors into three major groups, namely, b, a1, and a2 receptors. Each of these major groups of receptors also has three subtypes. Considerable effort has been expended in elucidating structure-function relationships that determine ligand binding properties and the molecular signaling characteristics of the various adrenergic receptors.

A. BETA ADRENOCEPTORS
Soon after the demonstration of separate a and b receptors, it was found that there were at least two subtypes of b receptors, designated b1 and b2. These subtypes are operationally defined by their affinities for epinephrine and norepinephrine: b1 receptors have approximately equal affinity for epinephrine and norepinephrine, whereas b2 receptors have a higher affinity for epinephrine than for norepinephrine. Subsequently, b3 receptors were identified as a novel and distinct third b-adrenoceptor subtype. These receptor types are listed in Table 9-1.

B. ALPHA ADRENOCEPTORS
Following the demonstration of the b subtypes, two major groups of a receptors were found: a1 and a2. These receptors were originally identified with antagonist drugs that distinguished between a1 and a2 receptors. For example, a adrenoceptors were identified in a variety of tissues by measuring the binding of radiolabeled antagonist compounds that are considered to have a high affinity for these receptors, eg, dihydroergocryptine (a1 and a2), prazosin (a1), and yohimbine (a2). These radioligands were used to measure the number of receptors in tissues and to determine the affinity (by displacement of the radiolabeled ligand) of other drugs that interact with the receptors.

The concept of subtypes within the a1 group emerged out of pharmacologic experiments that demonstrated complex shapes of agonist dose-response curves of smooth muscle contraction as well as differences in antagonist affinities in inhibiting contractile responses in various tissues. These experiments demonstrated the existence of two subtypes of a1 receptor that could be distinguished on the basis of their reversible affinities for a variety of drugs and experimental compounds. A third a1-receptor subtype was subsequently identified by molecular cloning techniques. These a1 receptors are termed a1A, a1B, and a1D receptors. There is evidence that the a1A receptor has splice variants. A major current area of investigation is determining the importance of each of these various subtypes in mediating a1-receptor responses in a variety of organs.

The hypothesis that there are subtypes of a2 receptors emerged from pharmacologic experiments and molecular cloning. It is now known that there are three subtypes of a2 receptors, termed a2A, a2B, and a2C, which are products of distinct genes.

C. DOPAMINE RECEPTORS
The endogenous catecholamine dopamine produces a variety of biologic effects that are mediated by interactions with specific dopamine receptors (Table 9-1). These receptors are distinct from a and b receptors and are particularly important in the brain (see Chapters 21 and 29) and in the splanchnic and renal vasculature. There is now considerable evidence for the existence of at least five subtypes of dopamine receptors. Pharmacologically distinct dopamine receptor subtypes, termed D1 and D2, have been known for some time. Molecular cloning has identified several distinct genes encoding each of these subtypes. Further complexity occurs because of the presence of introns within the coding region of the D2-like receptor genes, which allows for alternative splicing of the exons in this major subtype. There is extensive polymorphic variation in the D4 human receptor gene. The terminology of the various subtypes is D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5. They comprise two D1-like receptors (D1 and D5) and three D2-like (D2, D3, and D4). These subtypes may have importance for understanding the efficacy and adverse effects of novel antipsychotic drugs (see Chapter 29).

Receptor Selectivity

Examples of clinically useful sympathomimetic agonists that are relatively selective for a1-, a2-, and b-adrenoceptor subgroups are compared with some nonselective agents in Table 9-2. Selectivity means that a drug may preferentially bind to one subgroup of receptors at concentrations too low to interact extensively with another subgroup. For example, norepinephrine preferentially activates b1 receptors compared with b2 receptors. However, selectivity is not usually absolute (nearly absolute selectivity has been termed "specificity"), and at higher concentrations related classes of receptor may also interact with the drug. As a result, the "numeric" subclassification of adrenoceptors is clinically important mainly for drugs that have relatively marked selectivity. Given interpatient variations in drug kinetics and dynamics, the extent of a drug's selectivity should be kept in mind if this property is viewed as clinically important in the treatment of an individual patient.

The exact number of adrenoceptor subtypes that are actually expressed in human tissues is uncertain, but expression of subtypes has been demonstrated in tissues in which the physiologic or pharmacologic importance of the subtype is not yet known. These results suggest the possibility of designing novel drugs to exploit the expression of a particular receptor subtype in a single target tissue. For example, determining which blood vessels express which subtypes of a1 and a2 receptors could lead to design of drugs having selectivity for certain vascular beds such as the splanchnic or coronary vessels. Similarly, there has been extensive investigation into the a1-receptor subtypes mediating pharmacologic responses in the human prostate (see Box: Receptor Selectivity and Physiologic Functions of Adrenoceptor Subtypes).

RECEPTOR SELECTIVITY AND PHYSIOLOGIC FUNCTIONS OF ADRENOCEPTOR SUBTYPES: LESSONS FROM KNOCKOUT MICE

Since pharmacologic tools used to evaluate the function of adrenoceptor subtypes have some limitations, a number of knockout mice have been developed with one or more adrenoceptor genes subjected to loss of function mutations, as described in Chapter 1 (see Box: Pharmacology & Genetics). These models have their own complexities and extrapolations from mice to humans may be uncertain. Nonetheless, these studies have yielded some novel insights. For example, a-adrenoceptor subtypes play an important role in cardiac responses, the a2A-adrenoceptor subtype is critical in transducing the effects of a2 agonists on blood pressure control, and b1 receptors play a predominant role in directly increasing heart rate in mouse heart.

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