Clonidine normalizes low plasma beta-endorphin concentration and blood pressure in young men with mild essential hypertension.
In young men with mild essential hypertension and age-matched normotensive volunteers, plasma concentrations of the endogenous opioid beta-endorphin were determined hourly from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. The hypertensive patients' mean plasma beta-endorphin concentration was significantly lower in comparison with normotensive controls. After 14 days of treatment with clonidine, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced in both groups. Plasma beta-endorphin concentration increased in the hypertensive patients, but remained unchanged in the normotensive volunteers. The present findings point to a possible involvement of reduced beta-endorphinergic activity in blood pressure regulation of young men with essential hypertension.
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D001615:beta-Endorphin
D004723:Endorphins; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D003000:Clonidine