Combined-University of Edinburgh-heart failure

Combined-University of Edinburgh-heart failure refers to an experimental pharmacological combination used in a mechanistic clinical trial (NCT01292031) conducted by the University of Edinburgh. This combination is designed to investigate the vasodilatory mechanisms of Urocortin 2 and Urocortin 3, which are peptide candidates for the treatment of heart failure. The protocol achieves a comprehensive blockade of the three primary endothelial vasodilatory pathways: the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway (via oral aspirin), the nitric oxide (NO) pathway (via a 'nitric oxide clamp' typically consisting of the NOS inhibitor L-NMMA and the alpha-agonist phenylephrine), and the endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) pathway (via intra-arterial fluconazole). Following this triple blockade, Urocortin 2, Urocortin 3, and Substance P are infused intra-arterially to evaluate their impact on forearm blood flow and the release of fibrinolytic factors like tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) in healthy volunteers, serving as a model for heart failure research.

Other names

urocortin-2 + urocortin-3UCN2 + UCN3Urocortin 2 and 3Urocortin2 and 3Urocortin-2 and 3