The management of severe hypertension with Minoxidil in a once-a-day treatment regimen

We evaluated the antihypertensive efficacy of "once-a-day" minoxidil, given in conjunction with a diuretic and sympatholytic, and the effect of this simple regimen on patient compliance. Twenty-one severely hypertensive patients and their existing antihypertensive regimens changed to a single daily dose of chlorthalidone (50-100mg) and either nadolol (160 mg) or reserpine (.25mg) for a 3-week period. After stabilization on these two drugs, a single daily dose of minoxidil (2.5 mg) was added to each patient's regimen. Doses were titrated as necessary to achieve diastolic blood pressures of <90 mmHg. After 3 and 6 months of maintenance therapy, blood pressures were measured 24 hours after the previous day's dosing to evaluate the persistence of the antihypertensive effect. Twenty-four-hour blood pressure control was achieved on 76 percent of these occasions, and on at least one occasion in 90 percent of the patients. In addition, compliance was excellent (AU)

An experimental model of behavioral hyperactivity and its modification by various drugs: Implications for minimal brain dysfunction / Perspectives in differentiation and hypertrophy

The neuropharmacological model used in this study has indicated that hyperactivity in rats results from cholinergic overactivity due to increased brain acetysholine level. Support for this contention comes from the fact that the hyperactivity induced in rats is significantly (P<0.001) attenuated by a cholinergic antagonist-atropine sulphate. Whatever the complexities of the receptor mechanisms, this observation has clear implications both for our understanding of the etiology of hyperkinesia and its treatment. In addition, the fact that chemical methods of treatment clearly ameliorate the syndrome has supported the belief that hyperkinesia is primarily a biologic rather than a psychological disorder. However, experimental animals are not humans and it is therefore quite possible that drugs have effects in man which are different from those in rats. Thus, obvious caution must be used in applying these results and those of other experiments to the understanding of hyperkinesia. Nevertheless, the results presented in this study suggest that anticholinergics might be useful chemotherapy for hyperkinesia (AU)

Effects of reserpine, tranylcypromine, haloperidol and Fla-63 on physostigmine - Induced hyperactivity in rats

The effects of bis (4-methyl-l-homopiperazinyltio - carbonyl) disulphide (FLA-63), haloperidol, reserpine and tranylcypromine on physostigmine-inducedhyperactivity in rats were studied using jiggle platforms to measure motor activity levels. Haloperidol (0.025 mg/kg). On the other hand FLA-63 (2.5 mg/kg) and tranylcypromine (20 mg/kg) attenuated the effect of physostigmine during the first thirty minutes of testing and caused a potentiation during the next thirty minutes. All drugs were administered intraperitoneally. These results support the hypothesis of an interaction between the cholinergic and catecholminergic systems in the central nervous system (AU)

The clinical effectiveness of dihydroergocristine - reserpine clopamide combination in the treatment of hypertension - abstract

A clinical trial was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of the combination of dihydroergocristine, reserpine and a thiazide diurectic, with that of another combinatioin without the ergot derivative in the treatment of 25 hypertensive patients. An analysis of the results showed that the addition of dihydroergocristine to rauwolfia alkaloids and a thiazide diurectic produces an effective combination for the lowering of the blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The only side effect observed was postural hypotension. It is postulated that underlying pharmacological action of the combination is due to an "adrenaline reversal" effect on the blood pressure (AU)