Acute effects of a new vasodilator, Ro 12-4713, on blood pressure, plasma renin activity, aldosterone and catecholamine levels, and renal function in hypertensive and normal subjects

Summary

Selected cardiovascular and endocrine effects of the new oral vasodilator Ro 12-4713 have been evaluated in an acute single dose study. In five patients with essential hypertension, Ro 12-4713 caused a dose-dependent decrease in supine and upright blood pressure and an increase in heart rate. Initial effects occurred one to 2 h after drug ingestion and maximal effects were noted after five hours and persisted for at least 8 h. Blood pressure was normalized, and the antihypertensive and chronotropic effects persisted for 24 h after a dose of about 300 mg/1.73 m². Plasma and urinary norepinephrine and plasma renin levels tended to be raised, whereas plasma and urinary epinephrine and plasma aldosterone did not change. Changes in supine heart rate were inversely correlated with changes in mean blood pressure (r=−0.60; P<0.02), and positively with those in plasma norepinephrine (r=0.55; P<0.05) and renin (r=0.62, P<0.01); changes in supine plasma renin level were also inversely correlated with those in mean blood pressure (r=−0.65; P<0.01), and positively with those in plasma norepinephrine (r=0.58; P<0.05). 24 h-urinary sodium excretion was significantly (P<0.001) decreased; it was positively correlated with mean blood pressure (r=0.51; P<0.05) and inversely with supine plasma renin activity (r=−0.63; P<0.01). In six normal subjects and six patients with essential hypertension, effective renal plasma flow and the renal clearance of sodium, potassium, calcium and uric acid were not significantly altered five hours after a dose of Ro 12-4713 of about 250 mg/1.73 m²; glomerular filtration rate tended to be slightly decreased, and filtration fraction was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the hypertensive patients. At the same time blood pressure was decreased and plasma norepinephrine (P<0.01) and renin (ns) were slightly increased in both groups. Ro 12-4713 in a single oral dose of about 300 mg appeared to be a potent, long acting, hypotensive vasodilator.