[The effect of clonidine on humoral factors in patients with arterial hypertension].

Clonidine, an agonist of central alpha-2-adrenergic receptors, reduced the peripheral sympathetic activity. With regard to the mutual pathophysiological relationship of blood pressure regulating mechanisms, the authors wanted to find out whether after clonidine administration, in addition to the known suppression of catecholamine levels (CA), also changes in the concentration of other pressor and depressor humoral substances will occur. They investigated therefore in 15 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and in three patients with pheochromocytoma the urinary excretion of free noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A) and dopamine (DA), the plasma renin activity (PRA), the aldosterone concentration (PAC) and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in plasma, using radioimmunoanalysis, always before and 24 hours after clonidine administration (Haemiton retardR) by the oral route. Its administration led in patients with EH to a decline of NA and DA. On the other hand, in pheochromocytoma their urinary excretion did not change in an unequivocal way, and when it declined, never normal NA and DA levels were reached. A excretion remained unaltered in both groups of patients. The drop of PRA after clonidine as a result of the drop of peripheral adrenergic activity was not associated with an expected parallel drop of PAC but by its rise. This effect can be explained by a reduction of the tonic inhibition of PAC output when the DA level declines. The rise of ANF after clonidine administration will be the subject of subsequent investigations. It cannot be ruled out that this effect is due to the direct action of clonidine on alpha receptors in the heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)