title: Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and minimum effective clinical dose of intravenous nicardipine.
abstract: Nicardipine hydrochloride was administered intravenously to two groups of hypertensive patients: one group of 37 patients with mild to moderate hypertension and one group of 20 patients with severe hypertension. In the first group, doses of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg/hr, as well as placebo, were infused for 48 hours in a double-blind fashion. Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored for this period and for the 24 hours after the infusion was discontinued. Significant decrements in blood pressure were noted with all doses; 4 mg/hr produced lowering that was greater than all other doses; 1 and 2 mg/hr produced lowering that was greater than 0.5 mg/hr but that were not different from each other. Excellent correlation of blood pressure reduction and plasma level was observed and linear kinetics existed. In the severe hypertensive patients, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8 mg/hr were infused to established minimal and ineffective doses. One milligram per hour was an ineffective dose; 4, 5, and 8 mg/hr all produced significant reductions over the course of the study that were undistinguishable from each other. Two milligrams per hour produced modest reductions in blood pressure. Blood pressure reduction also correlated with plasma levels in the severe hypertensive group.
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Clifton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bienvenu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sambol
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grandy
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quon
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009529:Nicardipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009529:Nicardipine