The imidazoline receptor in control of blood pressure by clonidine and allied drugs.
Clonidine, moxonidine, and rilmenidine are centrally acting antihypertensive agents that lower arterial pressure by inhibiting the tonic activity of sympathoexcitatory neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Competing hypotheses have been put forward by different investigators to explain the sympathoinhibition evoked by "imidazoline drugs": either via central actions at alpha 2-adrenergic receptors or novel I1-imidazoline receptors. These different perspectives are presented in the accompanying reviews.
Reis
D J
DJ
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Piletz
J E
JE
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000077769:Rilmenidine
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D010080:Oxazoles; D011955:Receptors, Drug; C043482:moxonidine; D003000:Clonidine; D000077769:Rilmenidine