Abstract
1. The effects of treatment with the dopaminergic agonist bromocriptine were studied in nine patients with essential hypertension receiving methyldopa as sole therapy. 2. In Phase 1 of the study, the addition of bromocriptine on a single-blind basis caused a significant fall in lying and standing blood pressures. Plasma prolactin fell significantly but there was no significant change in the other biochemical parameters measured. All patients volunteered that they felt a sense of well-being after starting bromocriptine treatment. 3. In Phase 2 of the study the substitution of placebo for bromocriptine in a randomized double-blind trial significantly increased lying and standing blood pressures and plasma prolactin. No consistent or significant changes were observed in methyldopa-induced side-effects following the substitution of placebo for bromocriptine. 4. In Phase 3 of the study, a gradual increase in blood pressure was observed in all patients over a few months after stopping bromocriptine therapy. 5. The significance of these findings in relation to the role played by plasma prolactin and central dopaminergic activity in blood pressure regulation is discussed.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Groom G. V. The measurement of human gonadotrophins by radioimmunoassay. J Reprod Fertil. 1977 Sep;51(1):273–286. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0510273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Halaris A. E., Belendiuk K. T., Freedman D. X. Antidepressant drugs affect dopamine uptake. Biochem Pharmacol. 1975 Oct 15;24(20):1896–1897. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(75)90412-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Horrobin D. F., Lloyd I. J., Lipton A., Burstyn P. G., Durkin N., Muiruri K. L. Actions of prolactin on human renal function. Lancet. 1971 Aug 14;2(7720):352–354. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)90065-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Horrobin D. F., Manku M. S., Burstyn P. G. Effect of intravenous prolactin infusion on arterial blood pressure in rabbits. Cardiovasc Res. 1973 Sep;7(5):585–587. doi: 10.1093/cvr/7.5.585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaye S. B., Shaw K. M., Ross E. J. Letter: Bromocriptine and hypertension. Lancet. 1976 May 29;1(7970):1176–1177. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91556-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Manku M. S., Nassar B. A., Horrobin D. F. Effects of prolactin on the responses of rat aortic and arteriolar smooth-muscle preparations to noradrenaline and angiotensin. Lancet. 1973 Nov 3;302(7836):991–994. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)91089-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wilton A. Plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentrations in sarcoidosis. Br Med J. 1977 Nov 12;2(6097):1262–1263. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6097.1262-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]