The immediate and short-term (2 week) hemodynamic and humoral effects of the beta-1 antagonist, beta-2 agonist,
celiprolol, were compared with those of more prolonged
atenolol therapy in 12 patients with
essential hypertension.
Celiprolol produced an immediate dose-dependent decrease in mean arterial pressure (113 +/- 3 to 102 +/- 2 mm Hg; p less than 0.001) and total peripheral resistance (49 +/- 3 to 38 +/- 1 U/m2; p less than 0.005) that was associated with an increased heart rate (67 +/- 1 to 73 +/- 2 beats/min; p less than 0.01) and cardiac index (2,347 +/- 129 to 2,708 +/- 111 ml/min/m2; p less than 0.01). Both
celiprolol and
atenolol reduced mean arterial pressure with short-term treatment (p less than 0.01); this was associated with a reduced total peripheral resistance with
celiprolol (from 24 +/- 1 to 21 +/- 1 U/m2; p less than 0.02) and was not observed with
atenolol. Moreover, in contrast with
atenolol,
celiprolol did not change heart rate or
stroke and cardiac indexes. Splanchnic and forearm vascular resistances decreased with
celiprolol (p less than 0.05) but not with
atenolol; neither beta-blocking
drug altered renal blood flow. These results demonstrate that the hemodynamic effects of
celiprolol were strikingly different from
atenolol;
celiprolol reduced arterial pressure and total peripheral and certain vascular resistances without altering heart rate, cardiac index or regional blood flows. These effects may be explained by
celiprolol's cardiac beta-1 receptor inhibitory and peripheral beta-2 receptor agonistic effects.