Influence of Chlorothiazide upon Arterial Responsiveness to Nor-Epinephrine in Hypertensive Subjects

THE pressor effect of a given dose of nor-epinephrine is greater in hypertensive than in normotensive patients.1 , 2 A similar increase in the responsiveness to nor-epinephrine has been observed in hypertension in laboratory animals.3 4 5 In 1952 Raab and his colleagues6 reported that a low-sodium diet weakened or even abolished the increased responsiveness to nor-epinephrine in hypertensive subjects, and they suggested that the observed effect might be due to sodium loss from the arteriolar walls. Dahl,7 however, in a similar study, was unable to confirm such an effect of the low-sodium diet.The purpose of the present work has been to determine . . .