Skip to main content
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1988 Jan;25(1):67–73. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1988.tb03283.x

Psychotropic effects of repeated doses of enalapril, propranolol and atenolol in normal subjects.

G Frcka 1, M Lader 1
PMCID: PMC1386616  PMID: 2835976

Abstract

1 Enalapril 20 mg, propranolol 160 mg, atenolol 50 mg and placebo each were given once a day for 8 days to 12 normal volunteers, using a Latin-square design and double-blind procedures. A battery of tests was applied before, 2 and 4 h after the dose on day 1 and 8. 2 EEG effects were detected on day 8 with propranolol but not consistently after atenolol or enalapril. 3 Reaction-time, symbol copying and memory were impaired with propranolol; only memory was marginally affected by atenolol. Enalapril impaired memory but improved tapping ability. 4 Subjectively, propranolol was associated with drowsiness, enalapril with calmness and perhaps contentedness. Ratings of headache were increased with enalapril. 5 It is concluded that the apparent beneficial subjective effects of enalapril in clinical practice are attributable partly to intrinsic central effects but mainly to the contrast with beta-adrenoceptor blockers such as propranolol.

Full text

PDF
69

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Chrysant S. G., Brown R. D., Kem D. C., Brown J. L. Antihypertensive and metabolic effects of a new converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1983 Jun;33(6):741–746. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1983.101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ghoneim M. M., Hinrichs J. V., Noyes R., Jr, Anderson D. J. Behavioral effects of diazepam and propranolol in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. Neuropsychobiology. 1984;11(4):229–235. doi: 10.1159/000118085. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hodsman G. P., Zabludowski J. R., Zoccali C., Fraser R., Morton J. J., Murray G. D., Robertson J. I. Enalapril (MK421) and its lysine analogue (MK521): a comparison of acute and chronic effects on blood pressure, renin-angiotensin system and sodium excretion in normal man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Mar;17(3):233–241. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02337.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lader M. H., Tyrer P. J. Central and peripheral effects of propranolol and sotalol in normal human subjects. Br J Pharmacol. 1972 Jul;45(3):557–560. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1972.tb08113.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Landauer A. A., Pocock D. A., Prott F. W. Effects of atenolol and propranolol on human performance and subjective feelings. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1979 Jan 31;60(2):211–215. doi: 10.1007/BF00432296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Levander S., Gillner A. Metipranolol and propranolol: no CNS effects of a single oral dose. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1982;76(4):359–366. doi: 10.1007/BF00449125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lichter I., Richardson P. J., Wyke M. A. Differential effects of atenolol and enalapril on memory during treatment for essential hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1986 Jun;21(6):641–645. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1986.tb05228.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Neil-Dwyer G., Bartlett J., McAinsh J., Cruickshank J. M. Beta-adrenoceptor blockers and the blood-brian barrier. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1981 Jun;11(6):549–553. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1981.tb01169.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ogle C. W., Turner P., Markomihelakis H. The effects of high doses of oxprenolol and of propranolol on pursuit rotor performance, reaction time and critical flicker frequency. Psychopharmacologia. 1976 Apr 15;46(3):295–299. doi: 10.1007/BF00421117. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Olajide D., Lader M. Psychotropic effects of enalapril maleate in normal volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1985;86(3):374–376. doi: 10.1007/BF00432232. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Salem S. A., McDevitt D. G. Central effects of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1983 Jan;33(1):52–57. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1983.7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Salem S. A., McDevitt D. G. Central effects of single oral doses of propranolol in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Jan;17(1):31–36. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb04995.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Todd P. A., Heel R. C. Enalapril. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use in hypertension and congestive heart failure. Drugs. 1986 Mar;31(3):198–248. doi: 10.2165/00003495-198631030-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Webster J., Petrie J. C., Robb O. J., Trafford J., Burgess J., Richardson P. J., Davidson C., Fairhurst G., Vandenburg M. J., Cooper W. D. Enalapril in moderate to severe hypertension: a comparison with atenolol. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1986 May;21(5):489–495. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1986.tb02830.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Zezulka A. V., Gill J. S., Dews I., Joy M. D., Beevers D. G. Comparison of enalapril and bendrofluazide for treatment of systemic hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 1987 Mar 1;59(6):630–633. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(87)91182-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES