Korean Circ J.  1974 Jun;4(1):25-42. 10.4070/kcj.1974.4.1.25.

The Effects of Various Antihypertensive Drugs on Plasma and Urine Catecholamine Levels in Hypertensive Patients

• Rhee JS
• Kang SH

• KMID: 2229709
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.1974.4.1.25

Abstract

Although the conclusion is controversial, there has long been an appealing notion that catecholamines may be involved in some way in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension and almost invariably most of hypotensive drugs involve at various sites of the neuron and produce their effect by depletion of norepinephrine in the sympathetic nerve ending. The authors undertook the comparative study on catecholamine depleting action of 3 most effective drugs available for the treatment of hypertension, reserpine, guanethidine and alpha-methyldopa, measuring the plasma catecholamine levels and urinary exceretion of caecholamine by the modified fluorometric method of Weil-Malherbe and Bone during the treatment of hypertension. The results are as follows: 1) Before the administration of hypotensive drugs, mean blood pressure was 180/110mmH, mean psalma epinephrine level was 0.36+/-0.23gamma%, mean plasma norepinephrine level was 0.48+/-0.35gamma%, 24 hours urinary excretion of epinephrine was 3.6+/-0.12gamma/day and 24 hours urinary excretion of norepinephrine was 68.9+/-0.34gamma/day. 2) In group 1 (reserpin administered group), the mean blood pressure was 190/110mmHg before the treatment and which was declined to 155/89mmHg on the last day of 4th week, in group 2 (guanethidine administered group), the mean blood pressure measured before the treatment was 185/110mmHg and which was declined to 150/85mmHg on the last day of 4th week, and in group 3 (alpha-methylodpa administered group), the mean blood measured pressure measured before the treatment was 182/110mmHg and which was declined to 153/88mmHg on the last day of 4th week. 3) After the treatment for 4 weeks with reserpin guanethidine and alpha-methyldopa, the mean plasma epinephrine levels were declined from 0.37+/-0.12gamma% to 0.11+/-0.08gamma% in group 1, from 0.38+/-0.16gamma% to 0.14+/-0.10gamma% in group 2 and from 0.33+/-0.23gamma% to 0.10+/-0.09gamma% in group 3. 4) The mean plasma norepinephrine levels were declined from 0.05+/-0.21gamma% to 0.22+/-0.12gamma% in group 1, from 0.51+/-0.25gamma% to 0.20+/-0.10gamma% in group 2 and from 0.51+/-0.21gamma% to 0.20+/-0.11gamma% in group 3 after the treatment of 4 weeks respectively. 5) Urinary exceretion of epinephine was declined from 32.3+/-0.16gamma/day to 10.4+/-0.10gamma/day in group 1, from 34.5+/-0.34gamma/day to 17.2+/-0.16gamma/day in group 2, and from 28.2+/-0.14gamma/day to 10.3+/-0.11gamma/day in group in group 3 after the treatment of 4weeks duration. 6) The mean value of 24 hours urinary excretion of norepinephrine was declined to from 72.2+/-0.35gamma/day to 28.5+/-0.14gamma/day in group1, from 69.2+/-0.34gamma/day to 22.6+/-0.21gamma/day in group 2 and from 68.6+/-0.34gamma/day to 18.2+/-0.10gamma/day in group 3 after the treatment of 4 weeks duration. 7) From the above result we can summarized as follows: Antihypertensive effect of each drugs was; guanethidine>alpha-methylodopa>reserpin in order but depressing action plasma norepinephrine levels was; alpha-methyldopa>guanethidine>reserpin and depressing effect of urinary norepinephrine excretion was; alpha-methyldopa>guanethidine>reserpin, in order.

MeSH Terms

Antihypertensive Agents*
Blood Pressure
Catecholamines
Epinephrine
Guanethidine
Humans
Hypertension
Methyldopa
Nerve Endings
Neurons
Norepinephrine
Plasma*
Reserpine
Antihypertensive Agents
Catecholamines
Epinephrine
Guanethidine
Methyldopa
Norepinephrine
Reserpine

Figure

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  Fig. 1. The variation of mean value of plasma norepinephrine levels and blood tressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with reserpin.

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  Fig. 2. The variation of mean value of plasma norepinephrine levels and blood pressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with guanethidine.

• 

  Fig. 3. The variation of mean value of plasma norepinephrine levels and blood pressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with a-methyldopa.

• 

  Fig. 4. The variation of mean value of urinary norepinephrine excretion and blood pressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with reserpin.

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  Fig. 5. The variation of mean value of urinary norepinephrine excretion and blood pressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with guanethidine.

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  Fig. 6. The variation of mean value of urinary norepinephrine excretion and blood pressure in 20 cases of hypertensive patients treated with a-methyldopa.

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