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Nipradilol and prizidilol are beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs with vasodilator action. These drugs lowered blood pressure (BP) in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats acutely (24 hr) and subacutely (3 weeks) at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg per day, p.o., respectively. Nipradilol decreased plasma renin concentration in acute and subacute studies, whereas it was unchanged with prizidilol treatment. Paradoxical effects of these drugs on BP were analyzed further: BP determined indirectly at the tail was slightly higher in SHR rats than the control, whereas BP determined directly through an aortic cannula without anesthesia, restraint, or prewarming was lower. We found that the discrepancy between BP values determined directly and indirectly was due to the increase in BP by prewarming stress during the determination by the tail cuff method.

Effects of prizidilol and nipradilol (K-351), beta-adrenoceptor antagonists with vasodilator action, on blood pressure and heart rate were studied in normotensive conscious rabbits after i.v. administration. In addition, we investigated relationships between plasma drug concentrations and beta-adrenoceptor blocking activity as estimated by the inhibition of isoproterenol-induced tachycardia and vasodilator activity as assessed by the inhibition of pressor response to angiotensin II (ANG II). Prizidilol (4 mg/kg) produced a significant and sustained fall in blood pressure and a slight increase in heart rate, while hydralazine (2 mg/kg) caused the same degree of hypotension and a marked tachycardia. Nipradilol (1 mg/kg) caused a significant reduction of resting heart rate, but had no significant effect on blood pressure. Propranolol (1 mg/kg) did not affect resting blood pressure and heart rate. Hypertensive response to ANG II was significantly attenuated only by hydralazine. Isoproterenol-induced tachycardia was significantly suppressed by prizidilol, nipradilol and propranolol. Good correlations were observed between beta-adrenoceptor blocking activity and plasma drug concentrations. These data suggest that prizidilol has an advantage over hydralazine to induce less tachycardia, but still may cause a certain degree of increase in heart rate. Nipradilol has a more potent beta-adrenoceptor blocking action than propranolol, while its vasodilator action is not obvious, at least in rabbits. Plasma concentrations of prizidilol and nipradilol are good indicators for beta-adrenoceptor blocking activity, but not for vasodilator activity.

Urinary excretion of kinins in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP) rats was unchanged during oral enalapril (10 mg/kg) or captopril (30 mg/kg) treatment once a day for 8 days compared to vehicle treatment. However, a significant decrease in urinary kinin excretion was observed on the 5th and 7th day compared to the pretreatment value in rats treated with enalapril. Both enalapril and captopril produced a significant reduction in blood pressure when compared to the vehicle. These findings provide no positive evidence to support the hypothesis of possible involvement of renal kinins in the antihypertensive effect of converting enzyme inhibitors in SHRSP rats.

Antihypertensive effects of captopril, an orally active converting enzyme inhibitor were examined in the young and adult stroke-prone SHR (SHRSP) rats. The treatment was initiated at 6-7 and 14-18 weeks of age, and was continued for 12 and 17 weeks, respectively. The dosage of captopril was changed stepwise 3-30 and 3-100 mg/kg, orally per day in the young and adult rats, respectively. The effects of hydralazine were also determined for comparison. Captopril had a chronic antihypertensive effect when given in doses of 30 mg/kg in the young and 100 mg/kg in the adult rats. Captopril had no significant effect on heart rate throughout the experiments, while hydralazine increased the heart rate. Treatment with captopril decreased the incidence of vascular disease in the young and the severity in the adult rats, respectively. A decrease in incidence of cerebral stroke in the adult SHRSP was also apparent. More than a ten fold increase in plasma renin activity and about a two fold increase in kidney renin activity were observed in both the young and adult SHRSP at the end of the treatments. The results demonstrate the efficacy of long-term treatment with captopril in the management of hypertensive disease in SHRSP rats.

3-Hydrazino-6-[N,N-bis (2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-pyridazine (L 6150) has been reported as an antihypertensive vasodilator drug. We determined antihypertensive effect of L 6150 for 11 weeks in spontaneously hypertension due to clipping (CLIP). The effects of hydralazine (HZ) and ecarazine (EZ) were also determined for comparison. L 6150, HZ, and EZ showed antihypertensive effects in SHR, DOC and CLIP hypertensive rats. These drugs increased heart rate in SHR and DOC rats. In CLIP hypertension heart rate tended to be higher for 9--10 weeks after the treatments. These treatments diminished incidence of the vascular disease in DOC and CLIP. We also determined renal effects of L 6150, HZ and EZ in normal rats. These drugs decreased urine volume, and excretion of osmotically active solutes, Cl, Na, and K for 180 min after bicarbonate saline load. It is concluded that L 6150 is an antihypertensive drug with characteristics of the vasodilator in rats.

Specific pressor activity of Asp1-Val5-antiotensins I and II was determined by a 4-point assay in rats against various synthetic angiotensins. Specific pressor activity of various angiotensins was also obtained from the dose-blood pressure-response (DR) curve, using a single angiotensin sample per rat. Comparison of two values showed that two angiotensins interacted in the 4-point assay, yielding a potentiation factor of 0.465-1.373. Therefore, specific pressor activity from DR curve is more reliable, because two angiotensins are not able to interact. Potency ratio on a molar basis of Asp1-IIe5-angiotensin I, Asp1-Val5-angiotensins I and II, Asn1-Val5-angiotensin II (Ciba Lot-094691), and Asp1-Val5-Ser9-angiotensin I against Asp1-IIe5-angiotensin II were 0.76, 0.91, 2.02, 0.50, and 1.39, respectively. Asp1-Val5-angiotensin II had twice the pressor activity of Asp1-IIe5-angiotensin II. Lyophylized Asp1-IIe5-angiotensins I and II kept desiccated at --20 degrees C, were stable for 27 months. Solutions of 100, 10, and 0.8 microng/ml were stable for 12, 8, and 6 months at--20 degrees C, respectively.

Antihypertensive effect of enalapril (MK-421), an orally active non-sulfhydryl-containing converting enzyme inhibitor, was examined in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP) rats. The treatment was started at 14-15 weeks of age with tail blood pressure over 240 mmHg and was continued for 11 weeks. We used captopril as the reference drug. The dose of enalapril and captopril was 10 and 30 mg/kg per day, p.o., respectively. Enalapril showed a sustained antihypertensive effect from the 1st to the 11th week of the treatment. This antihypertensive effect was substantiated by the good increase in body weight; decrease in heart weight; decrease in incidences of vascular disease, nephrosclerosis, stroke and death. Enalapril treatment also prevented the increases in urine volume, and excretion of osmotically active solutes, Na, Cl and K with age. Captopril treatment showed about the same antihypertensive effect. No side effects were seen in the enalapril or captopril treated group. The antihypertensive potency of enalapril was about 3 times more than that of captopril. Enalapril and captopril slightly increased plasma renin concentration. Urinary excretion of PGE2 was not changed by enalapril or captopril treatment. These results clearly demonstrate the efficacy of long-term treatment with enalapril to prevent development of malignant hypertensive cardiovascular disease in SHRSP rats.