Prazosin's effect in high renin hypertension complicating pheochromocytoma

During three consecutive days of prazosin treatment in a patient with pheochromocytoma, urinary catecholamine metabolite levels were correlated with plasma renin activity. Suppression of renin plasma activity resulted in sustained hemodynamic and clinical improvement, while no remarkable changes were observed in urinary catecholamine metabolite levels. This suggests that prazosin may interrupt the vicious cycle of worsening hypertension provoked by further activation of the renin-angiotensin system mediated by excessive circulating catecholamines.