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ACUTE EFFECTS OF COLD ON BLOOD PRESSURE, RENIN‐ANGIOTENSINALDOSTERONE SYSTEM, CATECHOLAMINES AND ADRENAL STEROIDS IN MAN
Author(s) -
Hiramatsu Kunihide,
Yamada Takashi,
Katakura Masafumi
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1984.tb00254.x
Subject(s) - aldosterone , plasma renin activity , endocrinology , medicine , blood pressure , renin–angiotensin system , angiotensin ii , hormone , cold stress , norepinephrine , epinephrine , chemistry , biochemistry , dopamine , gene
SUMMARY 1. In an attempt to study effects of cold on blood pressure and the reninangiotensin‐aldosterone system, 34 healthy young subjects with or without a family history of essential hypertension were exposed to moderate cold (4°C for 1 h) or severe cold (immersion of the hands to 0°C for 10 min). Moderate cold elevated blood pressure, aldosterone, cortisol and noradrenaline when the subjects wore summer clothing but not when the subjects wore winter clothing. Regardless of the clothing worn, skin blood flow and plasma renin activity decreased significantly in response to moderate cold but angiotensin II decreased insignificantly. 2. Severe cold elevated blood pressure, cortisol, aldosterone and noradrenaline. Administration of dexamethasone significantly depressed an increase of aldosterone and cortisol in response to cold but failed to effect an elevation of blood pressure and noradrenaline. Plasma renin activity and angiotensin II concentration were not affected at all during and after cold exposure. 3. It is suggested that, among the various hormones studied, noradrenaline is the only hormone responsible for an elevation of blood pressure in response to cold.