[Comparative effects of seven beta adrenolytic agents on blood pressure after injection into the posterior hypothalamus of rats. The frequency heart and the plasma renin activity (author's transl)].

The author's studied the central action of seven beta-blocking agents: alprenolol, atenolol, bupranolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, practolol, propranolol. The drugs were stereotactically injected into the posterior hypothalamus of non anaesthesized rats. Three dosages were used. Blood pressure, heart rate and plasma renin activity (PRA) were recorded. 2. The seven beta-blocking drugs used decreased heart frequency for at least one dosages PRA always decreased but blood pressure was lowered only after administration of alprenolol, oxprenolol, pindolol. 3. The discussion deals with: --the specificity of the target, --the involvement of the central beta receptors into the PRA regulation, --the correlations between the cardiovascular responses and the pharmacological properties of the different molecules; the hypothetic role of the intrinsic activity is postulated --the dissociation between heart rate and blood pressure responses, suggesting the existence of two different receptors for the specific control of those two parameters.