Endocrine and cardiovascular consequences of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition

One of several novel peptidic inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme (CEI) has been studied intravenously both in normal male volunteers and severely hypertensive patients without any clinically significant adversity or intolerance. Hypertensive patients experienced a significant yet gradual reduction in resting arterial pressure without hypotension. The addition of a diuretic agent was observed to potentiate this antihypertensive effect. Normal, sodium replete volunteers received this nonapeptide intravenously in doses up to 2-0 mg/kg without any significant cardiovascular effect. Both patients and normal subjects exhibited reversible dose related increases in angiotensin I and renin levels after receiving the peptide. The plasma renin response to tilting was also potentiated by CEI. These findings suggest that intravenous CEI may be of value in the treatment of severely elevated hypertension and as a tool to evaluate vasoconstrictor and volume factors in hypertension.