Acute hormonal and renal effects of oral dilevalol in normal men.

1. Acute hormonal and renal effects of dilevalol (200 mg), a non-selective beta-blocking drug with vasodilator properties, were compared with placebo in six normal men on constant sodium intake. 2. Control and treatment blood pressures were lower with dilevalol than placebo, although the pattern of blood pressure fall was similar in both. 3. Plasma active renin and aldosterone concentrations were lower on dilevalol than placebo after 4 h of recumbency (P less than 0.05). 4. Total plasma renin, renin substrate, cortisol and atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations were similar on dilevalol and placebo. 5. There were no differences in glomerular filtration rate and no deleterious biochemical or haematological changes on dilevalol or placebo.