title: [Mechanism of action of quinapril in the treatment of primary arterial hypertension].
abstract: The effects of a long-term therapy with quinapril on plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide and left ventricular mass were analysed in patients with mild to moderate systemic hypertension. Fifteen patients (4 women) were treated for one year with quinapril 10 or 20 mg once daily, reducing hereby the systolic and diastolic blood pressure from 167.5 +/- 11.3 to 141 +/- 6.7 mmHg p < 0.001 and from 105.3 +/- 5 to 90 +/- 7 mmHg respectively, within the first two weeks. Blood pressure remained stable during the following 52 weeks. After 6 and 52 weeks of therapy, as expected, we observed an increase of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone decrease from 262.6 +/- 88.1 to 178.8 +/- 79.9 p = 0.01 and to 170.3 +/- 64.3 ng/ml p = 0.006 respectively. Atrial natriuretic peptide levels were not significantly altered. After 52 weeks of treatment left ventricular mass index decreased from 107.9 +/- 16.2 to 90.1 +/- 13.4 g/m2 p = 0.0001. It is concluded that treatment with quinapril for 1 year in addition to controlling blood pressure also reduced left ventricular mass probably by a favourable effect on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Scienze Endocrino Metaboliche (R), Università di Perugia, Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria, Terni.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinchi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valori
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D000077583:Quinapril; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007546:Isoquinolines; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D000077583:Quinapril