Inhibition of plasma endothelin-1 concentration by captopril in patients with essential hypertension

The aim of this study was to determine whether captopril has any effect on plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration in patients with essential hypertension. Nine normotensives and eleven hypertensives were included in this study. Blood pressure and pulse rate were monitored before and at 60 min after captopril ingestion (25 mg). Simultaneously, blood samples for plasma ET-1 and plasma renin activity (PRA) determination were obtained. In the normotensives, captopril treatment resulted in a significant rise in PRA, but without statistical changes in blood pressure and plasma ET-1. By contrast, in the hypertensives, although PRA elevated similarly after captopril, both blood pressure and plasma ET-1 decreased significantly compared with their respective preloading level. These data suggest that the blood pressure-lowering effect of captopril in essential hypertension may be at least in part, mediated by its inhibition of ET-1 production from the vascular endothelium.