title: Alpha 1-adrenergic blockade and cardiovascular pressor responses in essential hypertension.
abstract: The effects of selective alpha 1-adrenergic blockade with terazosin on blood pressure and cardiovascular pressor responsiveness were assessed in 17 subjects with mild to moderate essential hypertension (mean age, 48 +/- 2 [SEM] years). As compared with a 2-week placebo period, 8 weeks of terazosin treatment (mean dose, 10.5 +/- 1.7 mg/day) caused a fall of supine (from 153/103 +/- 3/2 to 143/96 +/- 4/2 mm Hg; p less than 0.025) and upright (from 145/106 +/- 4/2 to 131/94 +/- 5/3 mm Hg; p less than 0.01) arterial pressure; a marked blunting of cardiovascular pressor responsiveness to norepinephrine, as judged from the pressor dose (from 73 +/- 9 to 2156 +/- 496 ng/kg/min; p less than 0.02) and from the rightward shift (p less than 0.01) of the plasma concentration-blood pressure response curve; and a slight increase in plasma norepinephrine concentration (from 37.7 +/- 3.3 to 52.2 +/- 7.8 ng/dl; p less than 0.01). Heart rate, body weight, exchangeable sodium, blood volume, and norepinephrine plasma clearance; plasma epinephrine, renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone levels; the relationships between angiotensin II-induced increases in arterial pressure or plasma aldosterone and the concomitant increments of plasma angiotensin II; and heart rate responsiveness to isoproterenol did not change significantly after terazosin treatment. These findings suggest that the fall of arterial pressure induced by selective alpha 1-adrenergic blockade in subjects with essential hypertension is associated with, and probably explained by, inhibition of alpha 1-mediated, noradrenergic-dependent vasoconstriction. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptor antagonism did not modify body sodium concentration, the adrenomedullary component of the sympathetic nervous system, angiotensin II levels, or beta-adrenergic dependent mechanisms.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beretta-Piccoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weidmann
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011187:Posture; D011224:Prazosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D004573:Electrolytes; D010879:Piperazines; C041226:Terazosin; D007545:Isoproterenol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011224:Prazosin