The renal, forearm, and hormonal responses to standing in the presence and absence of propranolol.

Nine normal volunteers underwent assessment of renal, forearm, and hormonal responses to orthostasis (quiet standing) in the presence and absence of 1 week of oral propranolol (160 mg/day). This was done to test the hypothesis that physiologic decrements in renal function (glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, and absolute urinary sodium excretion) are attenuated by propranolol during quiet standing. The present studies, however, demonstrate that propranolol exaggerates the physiologic decrement in glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, and absolute urinary sodium excretion during orthostasis. Forearm and renal vascular resistances were also accentuated in the presence of propranolol during quiet standing. These responses were associated with significant increases in plasma norepinephrine. We conclude that long-term administration of propranolol accentuates the physiologic decrement in renal hemodynamic and excretory function as well as in the forearm hemodynamic response to orthostasis in normal subjects.