Effect of N-dicyclopropylmethyl-amino-2-oxazoline (S-3341) on antioxidant status and nitric oxide in hypertensive patients.

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 reduct...