title: Effect of beta-adrenergic receptor blockade on atrial natriuretic peptide in essential hypertension.
abstract: Plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured in 32 untreated subjects with essential hypertension and in 31 patients undergoing long-term treatment with beta-blockers. Patients receiving beta-blockers had significantly higher mean plasma ANP levels (72.0 +/- 36.0 [SD] pg/ml) than did untreated hypertensive subjects (39.8 +/- 15.8 pg/ml; p less than 0.01) and healthy normotensive controls (33.9 +/- 16.6 pg/ml; n = 61, p less than 0.01), while the mean plasma ANP concentration in untreated hypertensive subjects was not statistically different from that in control subjects. Administration of atenolol, 50 mg/day, for 4 weeks to 10 untreated subjects resulted in a significant (p less than 0.001) rise in plasma ANP levels (from 38.8 +/- 9.5 to 68.7 +/- 20.6 pg/ml). In 31 patients undergoing long-term treatment with beta-blockers, multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, pretreatment mean blood pressure, and plasma concentration of cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were significant predictors of plasma ANP levels. These results suggest that beta-adrenergic receptor blockade in patients with essential hypertension elevates plasma ANP levels with a concomitant rise in cGMP concentrations, and that increased ANP in plasma may play a role in the compensatory mechanism that operates in response to beta-adrenergic receptor blockade.
mesh_terms: D000070:Acebutolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone; D001262:Atenolol; D000070:Acebutolol; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D012083:Renin; D006152:Cyclic GMP