title: Enhanced alpha-adrenoreceptor-mediated vasoconstriction in essential hypertension.
abstract: Forearm blood flow (FAF) has been determined using venous occlusion plethysmography in 24 patients with essential hypertension (EHT) and in 16 age-matched normotensive subjects (NT) under basal resting conditions, following nonspecific vasodilatation with sodium nitroprusside and after intraarterial infusion of the postjunctional alpha-blocking drug, prazosin. Under basal conditions, FAF was significantly higher in EHT than in NT. Infusion of sodium nitroprusside produced a similar absolute increase in FAF in both groups, whereas postjunctional alpha-blockade with prazosin led to a significantly greater increase in FAF in EHT than in NT. A positive correlation was found between plasma epinephrine concentration and prazosin-induced FAF in EHT but not in NT. These results suggest an enhanced postjunctional alpha-adrenoreceptor-mediated vasoconstrictor component in established EHT.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000502:physiology*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D009599:Nitroprusside; D011224:Prazosin