“The effects of alpha-adrenergic blockade on norepinephrine-induced changes in blood lipids, procoagulant activity, and inflammatory cytokines in essential hypertension: associations with psychological factors?”

Project leader: Petra Wirtz
Project duration: 2009 - 2013
Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation (320000_122406/1 to PW)


The project aims to uncover key stress reactivity mechanisms of arteriosclerotic risk factors (blood lipids, coagulation factors, inflammatory cytokines) in hypertensive individuals (essential hypertension) . Using a placebo-controlled single-blind 2x3 factorial design, we investigate the effects of a norepinephrine infusion on stress parameters such as alpha-amylase and on blood cells, blood lipids, coagulation factors, inflammatory cytokines as well as the interaction between these arteriosclerotic risk factors. We examined (excluding those with hypertension) healthy, unmedicated men with essential hypertension (systolic blood pressure >= 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure >= 90 mmHg) as well as male control subjects with normal blood pressure (normotensive individuals). Also, using a non-selective alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist (Phentolamine) will reveal whether the norepinephrine infusion exerts its effect on the measured stress parameters via alpha-adrenergic receptors. The additional recording of psychological parameters aims to uncover correlations between psychological parameters and norepinephrine-induced changes to the above-mentioned arteriosclerotic risk factors in essential hypertension as well as their receptor mediation.

Publication:
Kuebler, U., von Kanel, R:, Heimgartner, N., Zuccarella, C., Stirnimann, G., Ehlert, U. & Wirtz, P.H. (2014). Norepinephrine infusion with and without alpha-adrenergic blockade by phentolamine increases salivary alpha amylase but not cortisol levels in healthy men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 49:290-8.[Link]