Clinical and hormonal effects of the new angiotensin II receptor antagonist LRB081

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Angiotensin II in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The present study was designed to assess in healthy human subjects the effect of LRB081, a new orally active AT1-receptor antagonist, on the pressor action of exogenous Ang II.

Why It Was Studied

The renin-angiotensin system is a major contributor to the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases such as congestive heart failure and hypertension.

Antagonizing angiotensin (Ang) II at the receptor site may produce fewer side effects than inhibition of the promiscuous converting enzyme.

Who Took Part

The study group was 8 volunteers.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Angiotensin II and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the volunteers nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Angiotensin II, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Angiotensin II group a baseline to be compared against.

Blood pressure (BP) was measured at a finger by photoplethysmograph.

What Was Measured

At the same time, plasma hormones and drug levels were monitored.

At the same time, plasma renin activity (PRA), Ang II, aldosterone, catecholamine (radioassays), and drug levels (by high-performance liquid chromatography) were monitored.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Aldosterone, Angiotensin II, Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists, Blood Pressure, Catecholamines, Hormones and Pyrimidinones.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Angiotensin II in 8 volunteers.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1996 (Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Angiotensin II compound page, all human trials.