Ajayi A A, Reid J L
Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Afr J Med Med Sci. 1990 Mar;19(1):33-8.
The cardiovascular and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone effects of cilazapril, a new angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor was evaluated in healthy Caucasians in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Cilazapril significantly inhibited plasma ACE activity, with a peak inhibition of 82% at 2 h and a residual inhibition of 41% persisting at 24 h. There was a biphasic and significant hypotensive effect, corresponding temporally to plasma ACE inhibition (P less than 0.02, ANOVA). The hypotensive action was not accompanied by reflex tachycardia. Plasma renin activity rose significantly as a consequence of ACE inhibition (P less than 0.05, ANOVA) but plasma aldosterone was unaltered. Cilazapril is a potent ACE inhibitor with a rapid onset and prolonged duration of antihypertensive and endocrine effects. Studies of the effects on ACE inhibition on the renin-angiotensin system in Africans are required.