ABSTRACT
To investigate the influence of blood pressure disturbances on human platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor density, we studied 7 normotensive Parkinsonians with orthostatic hypotension and 23 mild essential hypertensive patients. Plasma catecholamine levels were measured by HPLC and alpha 2-adrenoceptor number and affinity determined by [3H]-yohimbine binding. Alpha-adrenergic reactivity was investigated by blood pressure response to noradrenaline infusion in Parkinsonians and by adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation in hypertensive patients. In Parkinsonians with orthostatic hypotension, in comparison with Parkinsonians without orthostatic hypotension and normotensive control subjects age and sex matched, noradrenaline plasma levels were significantly lower (62 +/- 11, 195 +/- 14 and 219 +/- 13 pg. ml-1 respectively, p < 0.05), platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor number was significantly higher (313 +/- 52, 168 +/- 9 and 174 +/- 4 fmol.mg-1 protein respectively, p < 0.05) and the noradrenaline dose required for a 25 mm Hg increase of systolic blood pressure significantly lower (0.19 +/- 0.03, 0.86 +/- 0.11 and 0.68 +/- 0.10 microgram.Kg-1 respectively, p < 0.05). In hypertensive patients, in comparison with normotensive control subjects age and sex matched, plasma noradrenaline levels remained unchanged (306 +/- 68 vs 246 +/- 28 pg.ml-1) whereas both platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor number (137 +/- 15 vs 177 +/- 15 fmol.mg-1 protein, p < 0.05) and velocity of adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation were significantly decreased. These results indicate that platelet alpha 2-adrenoceptor density is related to blood pressure values. In Parkinsonians with orthostatic hypotension, the up-regulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors was induced by the decrease of endogenous catecholamines. In contrast, in essential hypertension a down-regulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors was observed in spite of no significant increase of catecholamine levels. These results suggest that only sustained abnormal plasma noradrenaline levels could allow the development of alpha 2-adrenoceptor regulatory mechanisms.
Subject(s)
Arteries/physiopathology , Blood Platelets/chemistry , Hypertension/physiopathology , Hypotension, Orthostatic/physiopathology , Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha/physiology , Aged , Binding Sites , Blood Pressure/physiology , Epinephrine/blood , Female , Heart Rate , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Norepinephrine/blood , Parkinson Disease/physiopathology , Platelet AggregationABSTRACT
Cholesterol-lowering drugs include three major pharmacological classes: a) fibrates, b) statines, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and c) cholestyramine. The late eighties were characterized by the introduction of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in therapeutics. For 12 months (1st January-31 December 1991), a prospective intensive program of pharmacovigilance investigated the occurrence of side effects among the three pharmacological classes of cholesterol-lowering drugs in a specialized unit for prevention of atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia. Among 3,506 out patients who received cholesterol-lowering drugs, 36 side effects were reported (i.e. 1 side effect for 98 out-patients). Most of the side effects were observed with statines (61%). The most frequently observed side effects were gastralgia (19.5%) observed with the three classes of drugs and hepatitis with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (8.5%) or fibrates (3%) whereas myopathy (12%) only occurred with statines. The other side effects were cutaneous (14%: eczema, skin rashes) or neuropsychiatric (11%: insomnia...) ones. This study emphasizes the low frequency of severe side effects (myopathy: 1 per 1,000 prescriptions, hepatitis: 1 per 1,000 prescriptions) with cholesterol-lowering drugs in current practice.
