Effect of N-DicyclopropylmethyI-amino-2-oxazoline (S-3341) on Antioxidant Status and Nitric Oxide in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

SummaryDefective endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation has been found in animal models of hypertension and in hypertensive patients. An imbalance due to reduced production of nitric oxide (NO) or increased production of free radicals, mainly the superoxide anion, may facilitate the development of an arterial functional spasm. Although it has been shown that many antihypertensive drugs can normalise both the antioxidant activity and NO, the antioxidant effect of N-dicyclopropylmethyl-amino-2-oxazoline (S-3341), an a-adrenoreceptor agonist, has not been investigated. In this study we investigated the antioxidant and NO status in hypertensive patients and whether there was any effect of S-3341 on these parameters.Eleven patients with mild hypertension (mean systolic blood pressure 159.5 ± 2.5 mm Hg) were administered S-3341 (1 mg/day)for 4 weeks. Plasma vitamin E, nitrite-nitrate and MDA levels, and catalase activity, were measured both before and after treatment with S-3341. There was signijicant reduction in both mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the treatment. We found an increase in catalase activity (p<0.05), a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p<0.01) and an insignificant increase in vitamin E levels in hypertensive patients following the S-3341 treatment.We propose that S-3341 may prevent oxidant stress in hypertensive patients by inhibiting free-radical formation.