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Lacidipine: effects on vascular pressor responses throughout the dosage interval in normotensive subjects
S Ueda1, R Donnelly, V Panfilov
1University Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
Aims:
To assess the duration and consistency of the pharmacological activity of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist drug, lacidipine.
Methods:
Eight healthy normotensive young males participated in a double-blind randomised crossover comparison of single and multiple doses (for 2 weeks) of lacidipine and placebo. The calcium antagonist effects were quantified at 2, 6 and 24 h post dose by the extent of the attenuation of the pressor responses to the intravenous administration of the vasoconstrictors angiotensin II and noradrenaline.
Results:
After 2 weeks of treatment, lacidipine consistently and significantly attenuated the pressor responses to both agents at 2 h post dose. At 6 and 24 h post dose there was a significant and progressive decline in the effectiveness of lacidipine in attenuating the pressor responses and for the response to angiotensin II there was no statistically significant effect at either 6 or 24 h post dose.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that there is an obvious 'peak' in the pharmacological activity of lacidipine at about 2 h post dose and that this activity is not fully and consistently maintained throughout 24 h.