title: Caffeine enhances the slow-pressor response to angiotensin II in rats. Evidence for a caffeine-angiotensin II interaction with the sympathetic nervous system.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if caffeine augments the slow-pressor response to chronic low-dose infusions of angiotensin II (AII) or the rapid-pressor response to acute infusions of AII. AII was infused (125 ng/min i.p.) for 12 d via mini-osmotic pumps in four groups of rats: group I, intact rats not treated with caffeine (n = 9); group II, intact rats treated with caffeine (0.1% in drinking water, n = 9); group III, rats previously sympathectomized with 6-hydroxydopamine, but not treated with caffeine (n = 10); and group IV, rats previously sympathectomized with 6-hydroxydopamine and treated with caffeine (n = 10). Chronic low-dose AII infusions slowly elevated systolic blood pressure in all groups. Caffeine greatly augmented this slow-pressor response to AII in intact animals; however, caffeine failed to enhance AII-induced hypertension in sympathectomized rats. Caffeine pretreatment did not enhance the rapid-pressor response to acute intravenous infusions of AII. We conclude that caffeine augmented the slow-pressor effect of chronic low-dose infusions of AII via a mechanism that involved the sympathetic nervous system.
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016627:Oxidopamine; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D000804:Angiotensin II; D002110:Caffeine; D016627:Oxidopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine