title: Effects of antihypertensive therapy on human alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors.
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the role of plasma catecholamines in the regulation of adrenoceptors in human hypertension. Thirty-three patients with newly detected essential hypertension were treated for 4 weeks with either nifedipine (2 x 20 mg/day), hydergine (2 x 2 mg/day), or both (20 and 2 mg/day, respectively, twice daily each), which lowered blood pressure equally well. Plasma noradrenaline increased during nifedipine, decreased during hydergine and was unaltered during the combination therapy. Lymphocyte beta 2-adrenoceptor density decreased by similar amounts, independent of whether blood pressure was normalized by treatment with nifedipine or hydergine. Platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor density, however, decreased during nifedipine, slightly increased during hydergine and was unchanged during the combination treatment. We conclude that lymphocyte beta 2-adrenoceptors of hypertensive patients are not regulated primarily by plasma catecholamines but rather by a distinct factor associated with the extent of blood pressure elevation. The density of platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptors, however, appears to be dynamically regulated by catecholamines.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mindermann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daul
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Brodde
mesh_terms: D004088:Dihydroergotoxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D004088:Dihydroergotoxine; D009543:Nifedipine; D009638:Norepinephrine