Premium
Comparative activity of antihypertensive drugs as determined by the indirect measurement of blood pressure
Author(s) -
Yaden Senka,
Palmer Ralph T.,
Elko Edward E.,
Lal Harbans
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430050205
Subject(s) - blood pressure , medicine , clonidine , prazosin , hydralazine , antihypertensive drug , guanabenz , pharmacology , anesthesia , antagonist , receptor , agonist
Many protocols for studying blood pressure over a long period of time in the same animal involve direct measurement via arterial cannulation. Chronic cannulations are not only stressful but also cause a high rate of mortality. In rats, the most common procedure other than permanent catheterization consists of transitory occlusion and reinstatement of blood flow in the tail to record systolic blood pressure. In this technique, animals are warmed individually to increase blood flow, which often results in stress to the animal and high variability in the results. Recently, an automated version of testing equipment for indirect measurement of blood pressure has become available. Utilizing this system, a number of atithypertensive drugs were tested in spontaneously hypertensive rats in order to (1) determine the sensitivity and reliability of measurements made by the automated system and (2) evaluate relative potency and efficacy of antihypertensive drug therapy. The ED50 and confidence limits were determined for the following antihypertensive drugs: clonidine, guanabenz, para‐aminoclonidine, hydralazine, minoxidil, prazosin, and aceperone. Systolic blood pressure was measured by means of tail cuffs with built‐in photoelectric sensors in 12 rats concurrently. It is concluded that the use of the automated equipment provides reliable and reproducible measurement of blood pressure and permits testing of the effects of antihypertensive drugs repeatedly in a larger number of rats.