The cardiovascular responses to sequential inhibition of alpha-adrenoceptors, the renin-angiotensin system and vasopressin in rats with adrenal regeneration hypertension.

The cardiovascular responses to selective alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonism (with prazosin and idazoxan, respectively) were assessed in rats 4 weeks after unilateral nephro-adrenalectomy, contralateral adrenal enucleation and the provision of a 1% NaCl solution as drinking fluid (AEN rats) and in sham-operated (SON) rats. Measurements were made between 0700 and 1000 h and between 1400 and 1700 h, since we have previously shown that resting blood pressures (BPs) in AEN rats are higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Following prazosin administration (morning or afternoon), BP fell to similar levels in both SON and AEN rats. Idazoxan, given 20 min after the start of prazosin infusion, caused similar transient falls in BP in all four groups of rats. Following the subsequent additional antagonism of angiotensin II (Ang II) production (with captopril) and vasopressin (V1) receptors [with d(CH2)5DAVP], BP in AEN rats studied in the morning was higher than in SON rats at that time of day, and higher than in AEN rats studied in the afternoon. These findings suggest than an additional underlying mechanism capable of increasing BP exists in AEN rats studied in the morning.