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Effect of minoxidil on sympathetic nervous activity in clonidine-treated hypertensive patients

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Summary

The effect of clonidine and minoxidil on sympathetic nervous activity has been studied in 10 patients with accelerated or resistant hypertension. Clonidine 150 to 900 µg/day caused a significant decrease in blood pressure of 18.6 mm Hg, of heart rate 16.4 beats/min, or plasma renin activity 1.13 ng/ml·h, and of urinary noradrenaline excretion 11.55 µg/day, and a significant lengthening of the pre-ejection period of 12.4 ms. Minoxidil 5 to 22.5 mg/day caused a further significant decrease in blood pressure of 24.2 mm Hg, and significant increases in heart rate 8.2 beats/min, plasma renin activity 1.68 ng/ml·h, and of urinary noradrenaline excretion 5.0 µg/day, and a significant shortening of the pre-ejection period of 20.6 ms. Neither clonidine nor minoxidil altered plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase activity or the cardiovascular responses to treadmill exercise. It is concluded that clonidine is a useful alternative agent to block a minoxidil-induced increase in sympathetic nervous activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Division of Biochemistry, Hospital Vargas and Department of Pharmacology, Vargas Medical School, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela

    M. Velasco, A. Urbina-Quintana, E. Hernández, A. Ramírez, R. Aliendres, J. Morillo & O. Hernández-Pieretti

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  1. M. Velasco
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  2. A. Urbina-Quintana
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  3. E. Hernández
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  4. A. Ramírez
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  5. R. Aliendres
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  6. J. Morillo
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  7. O. Hernández-Pieretti
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Additional information

This study formed part of a doctoral thesis by Dr. M. Velasco, submitted to the Universidad Nacional del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela, 1979.

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Velasco, M., Urbina-Quintana, A., Hernández, E. et al. Effect of minoxidil on sympathetic nervous activity in clonidine-treated hypertensive patients. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 20, 259–262 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00618775

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00618775

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