Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1982 Aug;14(2):241–246. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1982.tb01968.x

Effect of nitroglycerin on peripheral large arteries in hypertension.

A C Simon, J A Levenson, B Y Levy, J E Bouthier, P P Peronneau, M E Safar
PMCID: PMC1427739  PMID: 6809026

Abstract

1 Blood pressure, systemic arterial compliance, and diameter, blood flow velocity, volumic flow and impedance of the brachial artery were measured before and after intravenous administration of nitroglycerin (15 micrograms/min during 15 min) in 11 patients with sustained essential hypertension. 2 For the evaluation of the diameter of the brachial artery, a bidimensional pulsed Doppler was used, enabling the angle of the ultrasound beam relative to the flowing stream of blood to be measured with an error of less than 2%. 3 After nitroglycerin, systolic pressure significantly decreased (P less than 0.01) without significant change in diastolic and mean arterial pressures, cardiac index, stroke index and total peripheral resistance. 4 Systemic arterial compliance and brachial artery diameter significantly increased (P less than 0.001; P less than 0.01) while velocity and blood flow of the brachial artery were unchanged. 5 The pattern of the input impedance of the brachial artery was consistent with a predominant effect of nitroglycerin on the viscoelastic properties of peripheral large arteries. 6 The study provided evidence that, in hypertensive patients, nitroglycerin has a direct effect on peripheral large arteries, causing an increase in arterial diameter and compliance, thus leading to a predominant decrease in systolic pressure.

Full text

PDF
241

Selected References

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

  1. Christensson B., Nordenfelt I., Westling H., White T. Intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin in normal subjects. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1969 Feb;23(1):49–53. doi: 10.3109/00365516909078085. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chrysant S. G., Dunn F. G., De Carvalho J. G., Adamopoulos P. N., Frolich E. D. Action of Nitroglycerin and amyl nitrite in labile and essential hypertension: hemodynamic differences. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Dec;137(12):1702–1705. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cohen M. V., Kirk E. S. Differential response of large and small coronary arteries to nitroglycerin and angiotensin. Autoregulation and tachyphylaxis. Circ Res. 1973 Oct;33(4):445–453. doi: 10.1161/01.res.33.4.445. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ferrer M. I., Bradley S. E., Wheeler H. O., Enson Y., Preising R., Brickner P. W., Conroy R. J., Harvey R. M. Some effects of nitroglycerin upon the splanchinic, pulmonary, and systemic circulations. Circulation. 1966 Mar;33(3):357–373. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.33.3.357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Harder D. R., Belardinelli L., Sperelakis N., Rubio R., Berne R. M. Differential effects of adenosine and nitroglycerin on the action potentials of large and small coronary arteries. Circ Res. 1979 Feb;44(2):176–182. doi: 10.1161/01.res.44.2.176. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kannel W. B., Gordon T., Schwartz M. J. Systolic versus diastolic blood pressure and risk of coronary heart disease. The Framingham study. Am J Cardiol. 1971 Apr;27(4):335–346. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(71)90428-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Levenson J. A., Peronneau P. A., Simon A., Safar M. E. Pulsed Doppler: determination of diameter, blood flow velocity, and volumic flow of brachial artery in man. Cardiovasc Res. 1981 Mar;15(3):164–170. doi: 10.1093/cvr/15.3.164. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mason D. T. Afterload reduction and cardiac performance. Physiologic basis of systemic vasodilators as a new approach in treatment of congestive heart failure. Am J Med. 1978 Jul;65(1):106–125. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(78)90700-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Nichols W. W., Conti C. R., Walker W. E., Milnor W. R. Input impedance of the systemic circulation in man. Circ Res. 1977 May;40(5):451–458. doi: 10.1161/01.res.40.5.451. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Safar M. E., Peronneau P. A., Levenson J. A., Toto-Moukouo J. A., Simon A. C. Pulsed Doppler: diameter, blood flow velocity and volumic flow of the brachial artery in sustained essential hypertension. Circulation. 1981 Feb;63(2):393–400. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.63.2.393. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schnaar R. L., Sparks H. V. Response of large and small coronary arteries to nitroglycerin, NaNO 2 , and adenosine. Am J Physiol. 1972 Jul;223(1):223–228. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1972.223.1.223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES