The author undertook the study on catecholamine depleting action of clonidine hydrochloride available for the treatment of hypertension, measuring the plasma catecholamine levels and urinary excretion of catecholamine by the modified fluorometric method of W eil-Malherbe and. Bone during the treatment of hypertension.
The results are as follows:
1) Before the administration of clonidine hydrochloride, mean blood pressure was 198/124 mmHg, mean plasma epinephrine level was 0.43±10.15γ%, mean plasma norepinephrine level was 0.53±0.09γ %, 24-hr urinary excretion of epinephrine was 33.8±8.1γ/day, and 24-hr urinary excretion of norepinephrine was 60.6±22γ/day.
2) After the treatment for 3 weeks, the mean blood pressure before the treatment was 198/124 mmHg which was declined to 151/98 mmHg on the last day of third week.
3) After the treatment for 3 weeks, the mean plasma epinephrine level was declined from 0.43± 0.15γ % to 0.17±0.08γ%, and the mean plasma norepinephrine level was declined from 0.53±0.09γ% to 0.27±0.06γ%.
4) The 24-hr urinary excretion of epinephrine was decreased to 14.6±2.7γ/day on the last day of third week, and that of norepinephrine to 19.5±7.6γ/day.
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