title: Cardiovascular effects of elgodipine and nifedipine compared in anaesthetized rats.
abstract: The cardiovascular effects of elgodipine were studied and compared with those of nifedipine in the presence or absence of ganglion blockade. A bolus of elgodipine (5-25 microg/kg) or nifedipine (60-120 microg/kg) was given and sequential cardiovascular effects in rats were recorded. Both dihydropyridines induced a dose-dependent decrease in mean arterial pressure but, whereas nifedipine induced reflex tachycardia, elgodipine induced a dose-dependent bradycardia. Both substances induced decreases in left ventricular d P/dt(max) without significant changes in central venous pressure. Good linear correlation was observed between the elgodipine-induced decrease in mean arterial pressure and those of heart rate and left ventricular dP/dt(max). The profile of the decrease in mean arterial pressure in animals pretreated with hexametonium chloride (20 mg/kg) was the same but the nifedipine-induced tachycardia was abolished without changes in elgodipine-induced bradycardia. These characteristics of elgodipine makes this dihydropyridine a potentially beneficial therapeutic agent in the case of severe hypertension accompanied by obstructive coronopathy.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Reina Sofía de Investigación Nefrológica, Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Valdivielso
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López-Novoa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005730:Ganglionic Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D018738:Hexamethonium / Q000494:pharmacology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D005730:Ganglionic Blockers; D018738:Hexamethonium; C063839:elgodipine; D009543:Nifedipine