Blood pressure and plasma noradrenaline during single high-dose beta adrenoceptor blockade

The acute effects upon blood pressure and sympathetic outflow of two beta adrenoceptor blocking drugs, propranolol and atenolol, are described in five healthy normotensive subjects. Supine blood pressure, heart rate, plasma noradrenaline, and urinary catecholamine excretion were measured before and at intervals for 24 h after a single oral dose of either propranolol 200 mg, atenolol 100 mg, or placebo. Propranolol caused a fall in blood pressure and heart rate of 17.2/14.1 mm Hg and 20.4 beats/min respectively two hours after dose. Atenolol caused a fall in blood pressure of 11.4/18.6 mm Hg within 7 h of the dose, and a fall in heart rate of 13.8 beats/min after 2 h. The reduction in blood pressure after single high dose beta adrenoceptor blockade is established. The synchronous reduction in blood pressure and heart rate after propranolol was not associated with an increase in peripheral sympathietic activity as assessed by the biochemical indices. It is conceivable that the reduction in blood pressure during beta adrenoceptor blockade may be due in part to inappropriately low sympathetic activity but this cannot be the main mechanism of pressure reduction.