Antihypertensive effects of intra-cisternal beta-blocking agents in dogs with acute nerogenic hypertension

Dl-propranolol, acebutolol, atenolol, bupranolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, practolol, sotalol and d-propranolol were injected into the cisterna magna of anesthetized dogs with neurogenic hypertension induced by deafferentation and vagotomy. Dl-propranolol and bupranolol correct the hypertension and the tachycardia of the debuffered dog, whereas oxprenolol has only an action on the heart rate. The other beta-blocking drugs and d-propranolol were inactive at the doses used. Our results show that a mere central effect cannot explain the antihypertensive properties of all the tested beta-blocking agents.