Sympathetic activation after two weeks of nifedipine treatment in primary Raynaud's patients and controls

• Published in: Cardiovascular drugs and therapy 1993-12, Vol.7 (6), p.901-907
• Main Authors: LEPPERT, J, NILSSON, H, MYRDAL, U, EDVINSSON, L, HEDNER, T, RINGQVIST, I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure Determination; Cardiovascular system; Cold Temperature; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropeptide Y - blood; Nifedipine - therapeutic use; Norepinephrine - blood; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Raynaud Disease - blood; Raynaud Disease - drug therapy; Raynaud Disease - physiopathology; Sympathetic Nervous System - drug effects; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiopathology; Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators
• ISSN: 0920-3206; 1573-7241
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00877725

The effect of a standardized cold pressor test on circulating noradrenaline and neuropeptide-Y-like immunoreactivity was investigated in 12 women with primary Raynaud's phenomenon and 12 healthy female controls before and after 2 weeks of treatment with the calcium antagonist, nifedipine. Measurement before treatment showed significant increase during the cold pressor test on circulating noradrenaline in both the primary Raynaud's phenomenon group and in the control group (from 0.29 +/- 0.15 ng/ml to 0.33 +/- 0.16 ng/ml, p < 0.05, and from 0.21 +/- 0.14 ng/ml to 0.29 +/- 0.16 ng/ml, p < 0.005, respectively). However, treatment with nifedipine resulted in significantly increased levels of circulating noradrenaline during the cold pressor test only in the control group (from 0.43 +/- 0.21 ng/ml to 0.50 +/- 0.20 ng/ml, p < 0.01). Plasma concentrations of neuropeptide-Y-like immunoreactivity were unchanged by the standardized cold pressor test, whether performed before or during nifedipine treatment in both groups. Nifedipine treatment per se significantly increased circulating noradrenaline in both the primary Raynaud's phenomenon patient group and in the control group (from 0.29 +/- 0.15 to 0.49 +/- 0.13 and 0.21 +/- 0.14 to 0.43 +/- 0.21 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.001). Similarly, the circulating neuropeptide-Y-like immunoreactivity significantly increased in both the primary Raynaud's phenomenon group and in the control group (from 105 +/- 21 to 137 +/- 19 pmol/l and 107 +/- 17 to 147 +/- 13 pmol/l, respectively, p < 0.001).