Dynamics of blood pressure, plasma concentrations of aldosterone and desoxycorticosterone in patients with essential hypertension treated with bromocriptine

Observation of hypotensive effect of bromocriptine and investigation of changes of plasma concentrations of prolactin, aldosterone and desoxycorticosterone were conducted in 35 patients with essential hypertension (with hyperaldesteronemia, with hypothalamic syndrome, and with normal aldosterone), in 11 patients with Cushing's disease and in 9 patients with prolactinomas. During treatment with bromocriptine significant hypotensive effect accompanied by lowering of plasma levels of prolactin, aldosterone, and desoxycorticosterone was observed in 3 groups of patients: with Cushing's disease, with prolactinomas, and with essential hypertension combined with hypothalamic syndrome. In patients without clinical and biochemical signs of hyperrprolactinemia there were neither hypotensive reaction nor changes of parameters studied. These variations in effects of bromocriptine gave rise to a suggestion that levels of dopaminergic activity of hypothalamus in patients with essential hypertension could be different. In patients with essential hypertension and hypothalamic syndrome (its neuro-endocrine-metabolic form) deficit of dopaminergic activity of hypothalamus was present. The latter induced both hyperprolactinemia and augmentation of mineralocorticoid function evidenced by elevation of plasma concentrations of aldosterone and desoxycorticosterone.