Beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs and partial agonist activity. Is it clinically relevant?

The possible role of the ancillary properties of beta adrenoceptor antagonists in the management of angina pectoris

Beta adrenoceptor antagonists are effective in the symptomatic management of angina pectoris. This paper examines critically the possible influence of the ancillary properties of beta 1 selectivity, partial agonism and membrane-stabilizing action on the response in anginal patients. The response is categorized according to experimental, pharmacological and clinical endpoints, placing emphasis on the possible errors which may arise from extrapolation from the former to the latter. It is concluded: That selective beta adrenoceptor antagonism confers limited, but tangible advantages over non-selective antagonists in regard to patients with reversible airways obstruction, and also in the metabolic and haemodynamic response to acute hypoglycaemia. Cardioselectivity does not influence the central haemodynamic response to exercise, but lessens adrenaline-mediated hypertensive responses to smoking and hypoglycaemia. Non-selective partial agonists cause less reduction in resting ventricular function, but their effects on cardiac output during exercise are indistinguishable from full antagonists. Membrane stabilizing properties have a marked influence on the tolerability of these agents in terms of unwanted, nonspecific central nervous system symptoms. Unresolved questions relate to the influence of partial agonism on fatigue, metabolic responses, especially blood lipids and glucose, and the possibility of lesser efficacy in angina compared to full antagonists.

Cardioprotective effect of pindolol in ischemic-reperfused isolated rat hearts

The effects of pindolol and timolol on ischemia reperfusion damage were studied in isolated working rat hearts. Ischemia (15 min) decreased the mechanical function and the energy state, and increased the tissue levels of free fatty acids (FFA). During reperfusion (20 min), the mechanical function did not recover, but the energy state recovered incompletely, whereas FFA increased further. Pindolol (50 microM) accelerated recovery of the mechanical function and the energy state that had been decreased by ischemia during reperfusion, and inhibited the accumulation of FFA during ischemia and reperfusion, especially when it was applied during the whole period of reperfusion. Timolol (50 microM), however, did not accelerate recovery of the mechanical function and the energy state during reperfusion, although it attenuated FFA accumulation during reperfusion. The pindolol-induced recovery of the mechanical function during reperfusion was reduced by timolol. The results suggest that the intrinsic sympathomimetic activity of pindolol may play an important role, at least in part, in producing the cardioprotective effect, especially during reperfusion.

Comparative effects of beta-adrenoceptor partial agonists on isolated rat atrium

The chronotropic effect of three beta-1-adrenoceptor partial agonists prenalterol, xamoterol and epanolol has been compared on the right atria of the rat in order to evaluate their intrinsic activity and to place them in rank order of effectiveness. The results show that prenalterol, xamoterol and epanolol are all partial agonists. The intrinsic activities relative to that of isoprenaline are 0.84 for prenalterol, 0.59 for xamoterol and 0.29 for epanolol. This rank order of intrinsic activities should remain the same in different species and in man. Both atenolol and propranolol reversed the chronotropic effects of the three agonists. The KB of the two blockers was similar against prenalterol and xamoterol, which indicates that the two partial agonists are probably competing for the same population of receptors. The EC50 is twice as large than KB for xamoterol, which is consistent with isoprenaline working through both beta-1- and beta-2- receptors and xamoterol finds it more difficult to block the beta-2-receptors.

Around the beta-blockers, one more time

We review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and relative costs of beta-blockers, as well as indications for and therapeutic controversies surrounding their use. It is hoped that this discussion will assist clinicians in making informed decisions when choosing a drug for a hospital formulary or a particular patient. Beta-blockers are indicated for a variety of noncardiovascular and cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and prophylaxis of myocardial infarction (MI). These agents compete with catecholamines at beta-adrenoreceptors. They have different ancillary properties, including intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA), cardioselectivity, and membrane stabilizing-activity, and vary in their duration of action, route of elimination, and lipophilicity. Beta-blocking agents decrease oxygen demand by exerting a negative inotropic and chronotropic effect. They also reduce blood pressure and possess antiarrhythmic effects. Beta-blockers penetrate the central nervous system (CNS) to different degrees and can cause a wide variety of CNS adverse effects. Nonselective beta-blockers have been noted to slightly reduce renal blood flow. Nadolol is an exception in that either no change, or even a small increase in renal blood flow, is observed upon initiation of therapy. Beta-blockers also act on the pulmonary bed by preventing beta 2-mediated bronchodilation, thereby exacerbating bronchospastic disease in some patients. Beta-adrenergic blocking agents can potentiate both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Their effects on total peripheral resistance (TPR) are controversial. Initially it appears that beta-blockade increases TPR. After chronic therapy, however, TPR decreases to or below baseline values. These agents appear to be equally efficacious in the treatment of hypertension, arrhythmias, and ischemic heart disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clinical pharmacology of vasodilatory beta-blocking drugs

The clinical pharmacology of beta-adrenoceptor blockers is summarized. They have a variety of pharmacological actions on the beta-adrenoceptors. For example, propranolol is a nonselective beta-blocker with antagonist effects on both beta 1 and beta 2 receptors, atenolol is a selective beta 1-antagonist, and celiprolol is a selective beta 1-antagonist, partial beta 2-agonist. beta 1-Receptor blockade tends to reduce heart rate, cardiac output, and arterial pressure while increasing peripheral vascular resistance, whereas beta 2-receptor blockade tends to be disadvantageous in causing bronchoconstriction and peripheral vasoconstriction. Selective beta 1-antagonist, beta 2-agonist activity would, therefore, appear to be particularly beneficial in offering the advantages of beta 1 blockade plus peripheral vasodilation. The beta 1- and beta 2-receptor actions of drugs are not always clearly identifiable, as in the demonstration of celiprolol's partial beta 2-agonist activity in human beings. This is because, in vivo, cardiovascular reflexes are intact and it has not, so far, been possible to remove endogenous catecholamines. This review summarizes various studies to investigate partial agonist activity, with particular emphasis on celiprolol.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling of oxprenolol in man using continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring

The relationship between the plasma concentration of oxprenolol and its haemodynamic effects during physical exercise was studied in 6 healthy volunteers, in whom BP and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored by non-invasive techniques (Fin-A-Press-Tonometer) during repeated three-minute exercise periods for 8 h after treatment. Using the fitted pharmacokinetic curve, the drug effect was related to its plasma concentration using the Emax model. The mean EC50 for the relationship between drug concentration and heart rate during exercise (HRex) was 73.1 ng/ml, and for systolic blood pressure during exercise (SBPex) it was 112.7 ng/ml. Emax was 29.0% for HRex, and 33.2% for SBPex. There were no consistent differences between the parameters for the effects on HRex and SPBex. Thus, using a new, non-invasive technique for continuous measurement of blood pressure, the effect of a beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug on SBPex was described with similar accuracy as its effect on HRex.

Effect of beta blockers on vascular resistance in systemic hypertension

Over 20 years ago, it was established that beta blockers could reduce high blood pressure. Currently, several beta blockers with different ancillary properties are available. They all have the property of blocking beta 1 receptors but differ from each other in a number of other respects: they may or may not block beta 2 receptors in low doses (beta 1 = receptor selectivity); they may or may not possess varying degrees of partial agonist activity, also known as intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA); they vary in the extent to which they are soluble in fat (lipophilicity). A review of relevant published findings indicates that the effects of beta blockers on cardiac output are not essential for their antihypertensive effect, nor is penetration of these drugs into the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. Reduction in blood pressure during long-term beta blocker therapy is always associated with reduction of total peripheral resistance. Beta blockers with sufficient ISA to prevent cardio-depression, by exerting less negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart, do not cause initial reflex vasoconstriction in response to cardiac beta blockade. Unlike beta blockers devoid of ISA, these agents ultimately reduce blood pressure by lowering the increased vascular resistance in hypertension to below pretreatment values. Recent beta blocker research has revealed a number of ways to manipulate the characteristically elevated vascular resistance in hypertension. Examples of these efforts are the combination of ISA, alpha 1 or alpha 2 receptor blockade and direct vasodilating properties in the enantiomers of a single beta blocker molecule. The practical significance of these developments remains to be established.

Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies on bufuralol in man

Observations were made in eight subjects who exercised before and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 h after the double-blind oral administration of placebo, bufuralol 7.5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 mg and propranolol 40 and 160 mg. The exercise heart rate remained constant after placebo. Bufuralol 7.5 mg and propranolol 40 mg reduced exercise heart rate up to 6 and 8 h respectively after dosing but bufuralol 15, 30, 60 and 120 mg and propranolol 160 mg were still active at 24 h. The lowest exercise heart rate occurred at 2 h after all active treatments. Bufuralol 60 and 120 mg produced similar reduction in exercise tachycardia as propranolol 40 mg but less than propranolol 160 mg. Plasma levels of bufuralol and its two major metabolites were measured. The peak plasma concentrations of bufuralol occurred at 1.5 h after 7.5 mg and at 2 h after the other doses of bufuralol. In six subjects the plasma elimination half-life of bufuralol was 2.61 +/- 0.18 h and in the other three subjects 4.85 +/- 0.35 h. There was a corresponding longer time to peak concentration and plasma elimination half-life of the two metabolites in these three subjects. These findings show that bufuralol is a potent beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with partial agonist activity. It has a long duration of action and there is bimodal metabolism of the drug in man.

Adverse reactions and interactions with beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs

beta-Blocking drugs are widely used throughout the world and serious adverse reactions are relatively uncommon. Most of those which do occur are pharmacologically predictable and may be avoided by ensuring that patients who are to be given beta-blockers do not have a predisposition to the development of bronchospasm, cardiac failure or peripheral ischaemia. In some situations, the use of a beta 1-selective blocking drug may reduce the risk of a severe adverse reaction, but there is little evidence that other ancillary properties such as partial agonist activity are of relevance in this context. Long term experience with many of the beta-blockers in current use suggests that unpredictable major adverse reactions such as the practolol oculomucocutaneous syndrome are unlikely to be repeated, although some of these drugs may be associated with immunological disturbances and some have been implicated in the development of retroperitoneal fibrosis. beta-Blocking drugs appear to be associated with a number of subjective side effects including muscle fatigue, peripheral coldness and some neurological symptoms. These side effects are highly subjective and are therefore difficult to quantify and it is not known whether they are of major importance in terms of their effect upon patients' overall well-being. It cannot be assumed that simply because such side effects can be elicited that they do, in fact, matter. However, because beta-blockers are often prescribed for patients who have no symptoms and for whom the benefits of therapy are generally small, such side effects would be of considerable importance if they had an overall effect upon quality of life. There are theoretical reasons to suppose that the incidence and severity of such side effects may be related to the ancillary properties of the individual drugs, but there is little evidence that parameters such as beta 1-selectivity, or partial agonist activity are clinically important determinants of the severity of these side effects. Lipophilicity, however, may be associated with an increased incidence of neurological symptoms. beta-Blocking drugs may cause a variety of metabolic disturbances including an increase in serum VLDL-cholesterol concentrations. However, long term studies have not shown that such disturbances are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, indicating that such metabolic changes may not be of major importance in practice. beta-Blocking drugs may be involved in a number of interactions with other drugs, but few of these have been shown to be of clinical significance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Peripheral vascular effects of bufuralol in hypertensive and normal subjects: a comparison with propranolol and pindolol

In a double-blind, single oral dose, cross-over study, the effects of bufuralol (60 mg) on heart rate, blood pressure, and peripheral vascular responses were compared with those of propranolol (160 mg), pindolol (10 mg), and placebo in a group of 12 healthy volunteers. All three beta-adrenoceptor antagonists reduced exercise tachycardia, but at the doses chosen the effects of bufuralol were less than those of propranolol. Forearm blood flow was reduced by propranolol and pindolol, but not by bufuralol. The antihypertensive and peripheral vascular effects of bufuralol (30-60 mg bd) were also compared with those of propranolol (40-80 mg bd) in a double-blind crossover study in 10 patients with mild hypertension. Propranolol and bufuralol produced comparable reductions in systemic blood pressure over a two-week period, but the decreases in forearm and finger blood flow were greater with propranolol. These studies suggest that bufuralol is a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with antihypertensive properties, and that it produces less peripheral vasoconstriction than propranolol or pindolol.

Pharmacologic differences between beta blockers

All of the beta blockers act by antagonizing the actions of the endogenous adrenergic agonists epinephrine and norepinephrine at the beta-adrenergic receptors. However, a number of pharmacologic differences exist between the various agents. Some drugs, such as atenolol and metoprolol, are relatively selective for the beta-1-adrenergic receptors, requiring higher concentrations to block beta-2-adrenergic receptors than are required to block beta-1 receptors. It should be noted, however, that these selective beta blockers all block beta-2 receptors when their concentrations are high enough. When patients with asthma must receive a beta blocker, low doses of a selective drug should be used. Recent studies, however, have suggested that the use of a nonselective beta blocker may be desirable to antagonize some beta-2-mediated metabolic effects, such as hypokalemia, induced by epinephrine. Pindolol is the only beta-receptor antagonist available in the United States with intrinsic sympathomimetic, or partial agonist, activity. Such drugs, because of their partial agonist activity, cause some sympathetic stimulation under conditions of low endogenous sympathetic tone, such as while subjects are at rest in the supine position. Under conditions of higher sympathetic tone, pindolol blocks the effects of the endogenous agonists, producing the characteristic effects of a beta blocker. Membrane-stabilizing activity was first recognized with propranolol, and the value of this property has been a source of controversy ever since, but recent studies suggest that propranolol may induce electrophysiologic effects by mechanisms other than beta blockade. Pharmacokinetic differences between the drugs are also of importance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Polymorphic metabolism of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists

Most beta-adrenoceptor blockers undergo extensive oxidative metabolism. The evidence for polymorphism of the debrisoquine type is reviewed. The AUC and half-life of metoprolol were considerably greater in poor metabolisers (PM) of debrisoquine than in extensive metabolisers (EM). Metoprolol alpha-hydroxylation is impaired and O-dealkylation must also be affected. Polymorphism in the former route has been demonstrated in a population of 143 patients to be directly related to debrisoquine phenotype. Bufuralol AUC and half-life are much higher in PM than EM subjects. Hydroxylation at the 1 and 4 positions are affected. Genetic polymorphism for 1-hydroxylation has been shown in family and population studies. Propranolol 4-hydroxylation is defective in PM subjects of debrisoquine but propranolol AUC is not related to phenotype, presumably because other major pathways are unaffected. Oxidation phenotype correlates well with intensity and duration of beta-adrenoceptor blockade after metoprolol, PM subjects requiring only once-daily dosing. However, in EM subjects twice-daily dosing is required even if slow release preparations are used, since plasma metoprolol concentrations may remain negligible 24 h after dosing. The beta-adrenoceptor blocking effects of propranolol and bufuralol are unlikely to be influenced by oxidation status. Anecdotal reports of toxicity arising in PM subjects taking metoprolol or propranolol need to be substantiated. However, vomiting after the administration of bufuralol often occurs in poor metabolisers. Metabolic interactions with drugs sharing the same enzyme system are discussed. Debrisoquine and bufuralol competitively inhibit each other's metabolism in vitro. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of intravenous beta-adrenergic blockade with or without partial agonist activity upon plasma cyclic AMP and catecholamines in healthy subjects

In a randomised within-subject double-blind study, 7 healthy male volunteers, aged 32 to 40 years, received at rest intravenous infusions of 2 mg propranolol (devoid of partial agonist activity), 2 mg oxprenolol (with partial agonist activity) and placebo. Cuff blood pressure did not vary after any of the 3 treatments. The heart rate did not change after placebo, but fell in the first 5 min both after propranolol and oxprenolol (p less than 0.01); the rate was slightly lower after propranolol than oxprenolol (p less than 0.05). The heart rate remained lower after both beta-blockers than placebo from 5 to 60 min after the infusion (both p less than 0.01), but the difference between the two beta-blockers was no longer significant. Plasma cyclic AMP showed a peak rise at 2 and 3 min after oxprenolol, and remained unchanged at those times after propranolol and placebo. From the 5th to the 60th min after infusion, the cyclic AMP concentration was lower after both beta-blockers than placebo, and with a slightly but not significantly higher level on oxprenolol than propranolol. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline were higher after the beta-blockers compared to placebo. Oxprenolol evoked a smaller and non-significant rise in both catecholamines. That oxprenolol, unlike propranolol, causes a sudden rise in plasma cyclic AMP soon after an i.v. infusion may be due to its partial agonist activity.