Beta receptor adrenergic blocking agents produce a fall of systemic arterial blood pressure which has been attributed to interference with the function of sympathetic nerves to the heart (1). While pronethalol and propranolol are known to have a peripheral vasodilator component of action which contributes to their hypo tensive effect (2, 3), it has not been determined if the more recently synth...

SIR,-Drs. Priscilla Kincaid-Smith and A. S. P. Hua are disturbed (24 August, p. 520) by our suggestion that beta-adrenergic blocking agents should not be used in patients with moderately severe renal failure (27 April, p. 193). They refer to a previous publication' to show that temporary deterioration in renal function in such patients may occur with the introduction of any hypotensive drug. Th...

This study was designed to assess the role of adrenergic receptors in the control of cochlear blood flow. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to determine the effects of adrenergic drugs topically applied to the round window membrane of the cochlea. The relative influence of the various receptor types (alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1, and beta 2) was examined by a selection of agonists and antagonists. T...

To clarify contradictions in past reports and the package inserts for beta-adrenergic blocking agents (beta-blockers) for patients with intermittent claudication (IC), we investigated the effects of beta-blockers in patients with IC using the systematic review technique. Data sources were randomized, controlled trials that investigated the effects of beta-blockers compared with the placebo or u...

Sharma and Rajapurkar (~) while studying the actions of adrenergic neurone blocking drugs on intestinal peristalsis observed that bretyliurn and xylocholine in bigger doses produced a stimulant response on the longitudinal moveme-nts of guinea pig ileum where as guanethidine had no stimulant action (unreported observations). Those observations are in consonance witb tbe observations of Boura an...

Clonidine (Catapres, Catapresan), guanfacine (Estulic), and methyldopa (Aldomet) are the prototypes of centrally acting antihypertensive drugs. Clonidine and guanfacine are lipophilic drugs that readily penetrate into the brain, where they stimulate alpha-adrenergic receptors in the pontomedullary region. The stimulation of these central alpha-adrenergic receptors has been shown to activate an ...

THE INCREASING USE of calcium-entry blocking agents requires that their pharmacologic interaction with other cardiovascular drugs be carefully investigated. Although marketed in this country for its antiarrhythmic properties, verapamil is a potent dilator of vascular smooth muscle and has proved effective in the management of stable angina pectoris, both alone'13 and in combination with f3-adre...