Balance of noradrenaline and sodium during chronic beta-receptor blockade in patients with essential hypertension.

Abstract

The antihypertensive action of chronic beta-blockade, with simultaneous reduction of beta-receptor activity at the medullary, cardiac and renal levels, is complex. An integrated explanation is offered by stressing the importance of the whole-body balance between sodium and noradrenaline. Evidence was provided in an eleven week lasting study in patients with essential hypertension, where chronic beta-blockade was performed by increasing doses of Pindolol (10--20 mg/die). While urinary sodium and noradrenaline showed only small changes, the correlation between blood pressure and the sodium/noradrenaline quotient reversed significantly. The altered correlation is interpreted as the common result of the different hypotensive actions of chronic beta-blockade, with special regard to the renal component. Thus, pressure normalisation in essential hypertension during chronic beta-blockade is achieved by an adjustment of the imbalance between whole-body sodium and whole-body noradrenaline.

• Authors: R Lang
• Journal: Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie (Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther) Vol. Suppl Pg. 67-75 ( 1980) ISSN: 0003-9780 [Print] Belgium
• PMID: 6106459 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
• Sodium
• Norepinephrine

Topics

• Adrenergic beta-Antagonists (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Blood Pressure
• Humans
• Hypertension (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Norepinephrine (metabolism)
• Sodium (metabolism)