α-adrenergic and angiotensin II pressor sensitivity in hypertensive patients treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

We investigated pressor sensitivity to infused phenylephrine (PE), 0.05 to 0.4 μg/kg/min, and angiotensin II (Ang II), 2.5 to 10 ng/kg/min, in 35 patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension, before and at the end of a 4- week treatment period with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, cilazapril, 2.5 or 5.0 mg/day. Cilazapril lowered the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10.6/3.5 mm Hg, but had no effect on the dose- response curves of dose of PE or Ang II vs. the increase in systolic, diastolic, or mean blood pressure, or heart rate. There were also no significant effects of cilazapril on PD₂₀ values, i.e., the dose of PE or Ang II required to increase mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) by 20 mm Hg, or on ΔR-R/ΔMAP (ratio of the increase of the ECG R-R interval to the increase in mean arterial blood pressure) as a measure of baroreflex sensitivity. Plasma renin activity was significantly increased by cilazapril therapy, but there were no changes in plasma concentrations of Ang II or atrial natriuretic factor. We conclude that cilazapril, an ACE inhibitor, does not alter α₁-adrenoceptor and Ang II receptor sensitivity to selective agonists, nor does it affect baroreflex sensitivity.