Repeated administration of the converting enzyme inhibitor cilazapril to normal volunteers

Cilazapril 1.25 and 5.0 mg p.o. q.d. was administered in double-blind fashion to two groups of six normal volunteers on 8 consecutive days. Blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma converting enzyme activity were measured each day prior to drug administration and up to 72 h after the last dose. Plasma renin activity, blood angiotensin I, plasma angiotensin II, and aldosterone as well as plasma cilazaprilat levels were determined on the first and the last day of active treatment at times 0, 4, and 24 h. The drug was very well tolerated by all volunteers. At 4 h postdrug, plasma converting enzyme activity was reduced in dose-dependent fashion on the first and the eighth day; plasma cilazaprilat levels were also clearly dose dependent. Nevertheless, 24 h postdrug cilazaprilat levels were similar on the first and last day of drug administration, and plasma converting enzyme activity was also stable throughout the 8 days. The various components of the renin-angiotensin system responded in the usual fashion. These results provide strong evidence that cilazapril is a very potent and highly effective converting enzyme inhibitor. Doses well below 5 mg/day will probably suffice for therapeutic efficacy. These data also confirm the hypothesis formulated in the preceding article, i.e., that there is no accumulation of the drug with repeated administration despite its long pharmacological half-life (t1/2).